The Barrel Room

Went here last night after seeing an Instagram post about $ 3 sangria Tuesdays. Loved the sangria but didn’t get any food to try out.
Because it’s on the other end of 4^th street, I had no idea it existed! It was pretty empty on Tuesday night with only one other groups coming in the entire time we stayed. Susan was really sweet towards us!
If they advertised more and opened later, most people would definitely stay to keep drinking.

Great service from Sam — she enthusiastically recommended small plates — flatbreads, frittata, salad, and a wonderful meat and cheese plate with one of my new favorite cheeses! The petite sirah was dry and fruity. Saturday night included great live music that provided background and didn’t overwhelm the room. A perfect night.

BF and I came here for our Saturday night date night. It’s a tiny place on 4^th street in a quiet part of DTSA. We parked in the parking structure for a flat $ 4 so that we didn’t have to hunt for street parking.
The restaurant itself is long and narrow, with a few tables against one side and the wine bar in the other. It’s a very casual spot, so while we were dressed for date night, you would be fine dressed in your weekend casual.
There was live music with 2 ladies singing accompanied by their guitar. BF said the place reminded him of the friends coffee shop.
We ordered a bottle of wine, the Concha de Toro Carmenere, this was delicious. Very smooth with velvety tongue finish. A good deal at $ 40
The deviled eggs were the best item. And while we were waiting between courses our nice waitress brought us another order in the house! It was a little over kill on the eggs but a nice gesture.
Meat and cheese platter. We wanted the baked Brie and the order of meats but they were out of Brie. This was as good as expected.
Procuitto wrapped dates, not overly sweet or smokey. A nice balance, possibly preferable to bacon wrapped dates
The Italian flatbread, my least favorite item. This was surprisingly tasteless.
And the egg and chorizo frittata. Also tasty.
The restroom was really nice and clean!

We originally came to DTSA for the Playground… but we foolishly thought we’d get in without a reservation on a Saturday night. So we walked down the street and found this gem!
I completely fell in love with this place. We walked in and it was quiet, small, and the waitresses were so friendly. They asked if it was our first time here, gave us a little rundown, and gave us a few minutes to ourselves. They even have a sommelier here, so she can give you suggestions if you’d like to try out some new wine.
Must try menu items?
1. Prosciutto Wrapped Dates
2. Italian Flatbread (MY FAVORITE!)
3. Patatas Bravas
4. Lentil Soup
5. Cannoli Flight
As far as wine goes, get a bottle of the Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere. It’s so velvety and smooth — you will not regret it.
They also have specials… one time I went they had oxtail and potato empanadas, the next time it was tacos. It makes it kind of fun not knowing what they’ll have once you get there!

A girlfriend of mines was coming up from SD so we could catch up. She Unilocaled this place and decided why not. Made reservations for last Friday at 6.
Cute place upon entering the restaurant and was seated to our reserved table. Checked out the menu which was small but had enough where you could pick out a few dishes.
We ordered sangeria, which was delicious and tasted light, which was nice. We got wrapped dates, festive plate which consisted of cheese, meats and crackers, stuffed mushrooms, and a flatbread,
Out of all the things we ordered, the wrapped dates were the best! And the least I would say is the mushrooms and pizza. Pizza had no flavor and tasted as if it were frozen. And mushrooms were eh.
Overall this place was okay and not that great

Great atmosphere, very nice selection of wine, the food are small plates but they very tasteful.
Overall a good spot.

I dropped by here to help my pal Van D celebrate her bday month. However, after a few bad and mediocre places on our foodie adventures, I let her choose the place — LOL! The Barrel Room is on 4^th & Birch in DTSA, and they offer tapas.
We started off w/​a typical tapas drink, sangria ($ 5/​glass). Unfortunately, they didn’t offer sangria in a pitcher, but it was better vs Eyeecho (Equeko = sour) and better vs Pueblo price wise: 4 Stars.
For our tapas, we ordered chorizo deviled eggs ($ 6), and tortilla española ($ 6 | potato egg omelette). It was Wine Down Wed so the cost of both items was $ 4/​each. First of all, the deviled eggs were winnahzzz. It was a creative combo, and a great way to get our palates started: 5 Stars. On the other hand, the tortilla española was the exact opposite. It was flat, had mustard on top (WTF?!), and didn’t have much potatoes like a traditional tortilla española. It paled in comparison to Pueblo’s version. Nonetheless, it was better vs Vaca is Caca’s version: 1 Star.
For our more heavy items we ordered the baked brie ($ 15 | fennel & apple w/​mustard) and Italian flatbread ($ 10 | tomato marinara, fig, burrata, prosciutto, truffled arugula & light olive oil). Like our first tapa, the brie was excellent. The combination of fennel was a great idea. The only rec is to get rid of the mustard and add almonds to the brie: 5 Stars. Secondarily, the bread was just OK. The toppings were OK, but the bread could have been cooked more, and needed more flavor: 3 Stars.
Lastly, for our desserts we ordered the cannoli flight ($ 7 | vanilla, chocolate & pistachio = comped for bday), and crème fraiche panna cotta ($ 8.50). The cannoli were OK, but they were free. I wouldn’t order this dish if I had to pay: 3 Stars. On the other hand, Van said the panna cotta was also just OK. She said it would have been better if it was sweeter: 3 Stars.
The ambiance is nice. BR is a wine bar, and it is best to sit at the bar. However, you can’t watch sports on the TV: 3.5 Stars. Conversely, the service from Nadia was excellent. She was super friendly and helpful w/​the menu (plus she was hawt!). However, without her excellent service, this place would have been 3 Stars in my book.
BR is better vs Vaca is Caca and Eyeecho (Equeko), but not as good as Pueblo IMHO. Some recs would be to add basic tapas like fried calamari, octopus, and shrimp to the menu. I may be biased, but I love seafood and the foregoing are staples on a tapas crawl for a Madrileño in Madrid.

Stopped by for an early Mother’s Day celebration on Saturday. We were warmly greeted by two servers who promptly explained the process and took our order. We all the red flight which was a 3oz of Pinot noir, Malbec, and Cabernet. Great selection served in a little chalk board. We sampled dates, chorizo stuffed deviled eggs, flat bread, and cheese tray. Great service and food. Wonderful find.

This place is amazing. Awesome food, amazing wine and comfortably ambiance. Came here with two friends and we spent 3 hours chatting and drinking. We got the deviled egg, cheese and meat plate and potato bravas. The cheese and meat plate is the best. A lot of variety and it goes well with the drinks. We also got a flight and a bottle of wine. Got a bottle of Ryder estate Cabernet. The best out of the 3 reds we tried and it’s reasonably priced. Their tapas selection isn’t as much as some other places. Most of the food have the same ingredients. But overall it’s a good place and would love to come back again

Finally a yummy dinner with my wingBro Joe P. We hang out from time to time, but we have so many horror stories to tell. This time Joe P. told me to pick. Knowing we both like Tapas, it took me some searching to find a Tapas Bar that has good reliable reviews as well as a spot he hasn’t been to. The search brought us here to The Barrel Room.
SANGRIA ($ 6/​glass, $ 4/​HH glass) — Nadia, our bartender/​waitress, gave us a tasting before we committed to the Sangria and we both liked it. Fruity with the perfect amount of sweetness. We actually wanted a pitcher, but they only sold it by the glass.
CHORIZO DEVILED EGGS ($ 6, HH $ 4) — Served with 6 pieces of deviled eggs, their twist is that they put in little pieces of chorizo between the egg white and the deviled yolk. The semi spicy and savory chorizo tasted great with the creaminess of the deviled eggs. Joe and I were so hungry we quickly devoured it. Joe actually mentioned that they were smaller than usual though.
SPANISH TORTILLA ($ 6, HH $ 4) — Eggs, caramelized onions and potatoes… sounds like the usual ingredients… however when they brought it out it did NOT look like a typical spanish tortilla at all. Unlike the fluffy delicious vision I had ordering this item, it was dense and disappointing. The mustard aioli on the center of the spanish tortilla further ruined my tastebuds.
BAKED BRIE ($ 15) — Yummmyyyyyy!!! This was my favorite thing that we ordered. This baked brie was wrapped in a flaky phyllo dough and it was colorfully served with green apple slices and crostini. I tried the brie with the apple, and then with the crostini, and then with both. All scenarios were absolutely delicious!!! It also had a grain mustard with it, but neither Joe or I felt like it would go with the rest of the plate.
ITALIAN FLAT BREAD ($ 6/​half, $ 10/​full) — Joe was hungry so he ordered the full portion, but we probably should have just gotten the half size. I liked the marinara, fig jam and prosciutto on the bread, but there was too much arugula and not enough truffle oil. The bread base was too thick and not tasty at all.
CANNOLI FLIGHT ($ 7, complimentary birthday dessert) — Between all the desserts, I didn’t want the cannoli flight but I can’t say no to free dessert. It came with three mini cannolis filled with a vanilla, chocolate and pistachio filling. The crust was a bit on the hard side and the fillings were pretty good. I probably wouldn’t order it in the future, but it was not bad.
CREME FRAICHE PANNA COTTA ($ 8.5) — I really love the consistency of this panna cotta. Panna Cotta is one of my favorite desserts so I was excited to see it on the menu. The consistency was very firm and even, but I found it to be on the bland side. Luckily it was served with caramel and black Hawaiian sea salt. I really like the combination of caramel and sea salt, but the panna cotta itself was a bit sub par.
Thanks for dinner Joe! I am having quite the birthday month with all of these delicious meals. I will definitely find myself back to the Barrel Room to try their wine flight and more tapas. They have Happy Hour Tuesday — Friday from 4pm — 7pm and all day Wednesday!

Very pleasant evening downing a bottle of red and enjoying bunch of tapas and salad with friends. Server was very friendly and informative. We probably spent more than necessary just because she was so awesome. Wine was very good, just a touch pricey. Food was high quality, tasty and prepared with care. Will certainly come back.
Street metered parking wasn’t available so we parked in the structure around the corner. Paid 3 bucks for a few hours of parking.
If I do jury duty at the court house next time would certainly consider coming here for lunch; sip at the bar, order wine and a sandwich and go back happy. A brisk 10-​minute walk from the court house?

Upon coming to this area it was empty except for a few sketchy folk in the streets. Entering this place was better since it seemed safer than the outside lol.
Anyway this is a nicely decorated place but I don’t think the wine was worth the prices and the service was just ok. I felt really uncomfortable here throughout our time. Didn’t feel very welcomed except for the greeting by a man with a beard upon arrival.
Empanadas had little to no cheese in them. There was actually a hollow empanada on the plate. Festival plate was ok but it was unappetizing when there were fruit flies crawling on our food. We stopped eating after that. I also feel like they should have a combo meat a cheese plate that is smaller because it feels like you are forced to either get a meat or a cheese plate for a cheaper price when the combo comes at a much higher price.
The female waitress was accommodating at first but she was sick and seemed annoyed by us. It was our first time here so we tried to explore our options. You can visibly tell she was bothered though so after that the vibe felt uncomfortable for me.
Overall it was an ok place. I wouldn’t return and don’t think the items ordered were worth the prices.

I’ve been here a few times.
The food I’ve tried has been excellent and very reasonably priced.
It’s a great place to come if you want to discover new wines. The staff has always been incredibly knowledgable and helpful in finding new wines that fit my tastes.
Another thing I’ve noticed is how much attention they pay to the ambiance. The art on the walls rotates. I think it changes monthly. And it can entirely change the whole feeling of the space. They do an amazing job with lighting as well on the exposed brick walls that feature the art.

Love this place! Our server was so awesome and made my first experience at the Barrel Room that much better. I came one evening with my dad and sister — my dad is a fan of wine bars.
We got a bottle of wine to share, and we got the:
Cheese Plate: really good variety of cheese, and it came with grapes as well which I thought was unusual, but a good pairing.
Stuffed mushroom medley: what really made this dish unique was the raspberry reduction in relation to the smokiness of the pine nuts, pesto, and truffle. I wish the mushroom was a bit warmer before serving.
Deviled Chorizo and eggs: delicious, great pairing and no complaints here!
Definitely visit this wine bar if you are in the area! You won’t be disappointed by the wine, food, or service. Also, there was this singer performing that sounded like she was crying into the microphone — it put a little damper on the vibe. Besides that, overall a winner.

I love stumbling onto fun discoveries like The Barrel Room. I was here for a friend’s birthday and had never been, so I was extra excited! We were greeted by the friendly hostesses and live music! The ambiance is really warm and home-​y, which I loved. Attire is fairly casual. We were a little more dressed up since it was a friend’s birthday, but you could definitely cruise over in jeans and a tee if that’st your deal.
We had a reservation (SO MONEY!), so we were seated immediately. I had the rose and my companions tried a red wine. I can’t speak to the red wine, but their Rose on-​hand was delicious. Very crisp and fresh (if that’s what you’re looking for). We also ordered a bunch of tapas so that we’d all get a bite:
–The Baked Brie: Warm and yummy but I wish there had been more melty cheese and less bread
–Hummus Trio: Nothing super exciting but filling and the pita is good
–Deviled Chorizo Eggs: DELICIOUS!
–Empanadas: Yummy… perfect for a cold night!
–Charcuterie Plate: Not as large a selection as I would like and boring
–Custom Flat Bread: My husband is allergic to dairy, so the waitress made sure to have something made with meat and sauce that was yummy!
–Prosciutto-​wrapped Dates: SUPER on point
I’m stoked to come back and I love discovering little gems like this at DTSA.
Pros:
–Good Food
–Great Ambiance
–Nice owners
–Good selection of wine
–Reservations taken!
Cons:
–Parking is TOUGH
–Servers can be hard to get a hold of
Tips:
–Check the «West End Theater» building on the first floor!

Review for happy hour only…
came here with some friends for a wine wednesday/​catch-​up session and loved it here. cute wine bar in DTSA across from the federal building and it is metered street parking or there is a structure nearby as well.
so happy hour here is i believe from 3−7pm but it is all night on wednesday (i think they do close at 8pm but that extra hour of not feeling rushed still helps haha). no food specials, but the house red and house white wines are discounted by $ 2 which makes 1 glass $ 6. not the cheapest happy hour deal out there, but i think the quality of the wine and food makes up for it. i enjoyed a few glasses of the house red wine along with some appetizers. some of the table favorites were the charcuterie plate, empanadas, and the italian flatbread. also service the entire night was pretty good too. it started off slow trying to get service at our table in the back of the restaurant, but once the waitress knew we were there and were planning on ordering a lot of food/​drink, she was on top of it! she kept checking up on us and made some good menu recommendations. will definitely be back!

The short of it:
— good for lunch
— very reasonable pricing
— serves tapas, small plates, wine
— mostly metered parking nearby
— Favs: grilled cheese and tomato bisque
The long of it:
This is a great hidden gem! Ordered lunch from this place and was pleasantly surprised by the super friendly staff. I got a grilled cheese and tomato bisque ($ 8) and everything was fresh and delicious. The tomato soup is made fresh daily and they use the softest tastiest focaccia bread for their grilled cheese. It was really good! The portions were pretty huge in my opinion, I only ate half of my sandwich and soup. A pretty good deal for $ 8. They have happy hour specials here too, so I’m looking forward to trying it one day. On Wednesdays, happy hour is all day! Pretty awesome! The menu has a variety of items from empanadas, baked brie, sangria, flat breads, etc. Can’t wait for my next trip back!

I truly consider this place to be a hidden gem. My bf and I stopped in on Friday night and minding the great experience we had, I was surprised that it wasn’t a lot more packed. Apparently they do much of their business during lunch with people coming over from the courthouse. Sam waited on us, kept lively conversation, and showed her thorough knowledge of wine by giving us some great recommendations. The man with the beard was just as friendly and conversational. Honestly, it was the service that made our experience so wonderful. At this type of place, its important to feel welcome even if you’re not the most knowledgable connoisseur of wine.
As Chardonnays are my favorite, Sam suggested a smooth and fruity version by Gloria Ferrer. The price was $ 12 but they do also offer cheaper varieties closer to the $ 8 – 10 mark. I loved the wine and it was the perfect compliment to the Festival Plate that we ordered. The plate came with 3 types of cheese, 3 types of meat, and various other accompaniments. It really filled us up. The menu goes far beyond charcuterie plates and also includes flatbreads, tapas style appetizers, paninis, etc. A small beer menu is available so you can bring people who don’t like wine as well. I’m really looking forward to coming back to relax, try more menu items and expand my wine palette.

«Life is a long preparation for something that never happens»
«If suffering brings wisdom, I would wish to be less wise.»
Both quotes by Yeats. Which, when one is «gifted» with a tragic love, Yeats is what the longing tortured soul turns to.
This is the type of neighborhood wine bar where you will discuss meaning of life stuff and draw upon a poet like Yeats. Friendly servers/​owners, great live music (one night with some singing jazz by Lexi Castle) along with a remodeled location in Downtown Santa Ana, this wine bar is almost too good for the City. well, at least the City’s politicians/​leadership who now bestow publicity on a sex offender during a recent public meeting, have a police force that is more interested in raiding pot shops, giving parking tickets and shooting innocent people and have historically been easy to «influence» if you give them small sums of money.
Yet downtown improves in spite of whoever runs the City and this happening place is a shining example. My only criticism is that the wine list could use more depth. I have enjoyed a french sparkler here and a pleasant Rioja but their Pinot list is weak and why there is good stuff on the list, nothing that is a standout or truly outstanding.
Food is very good including the empanadas, cheese plate, tomato bisque and a lovely panna cotta topped with Hawaiian sea salt or black caviar.
Highly recommended!

Classic cannoli: 4 stars
Orange zest was very refreshing in this dessert but the shell was crisp & tasty not soggy like other places.
Fruit crumble: 4.5 stars
Fresh & topping was very warm & tasty.
Wine menu: B+
Nice list of wines but it would be nice if they have a wine tasting flight also.
Service: A
Very attentive & friendly.
They had a live band & singing during the Santa Ana Art Walk night so that was a nice touch.