Barrel House Liquors

Unintelligent, incompetent, and idiotic are the only words to describe the morons running this dump. Barrel House Liquors is by far the worst place to purchase kegs in Washington D.C. I realize that there are limited options in the city, but for anyone reading this, I strongly recommend driving out to Virginia if you’re having a big event that would require a ¼ or ½ keg. You’ll save money on the beer and taxes, and will have a much better experience overall.
Last weekend for Halloween I reserved a ¼ keg and proceeded to transport the beer from the liquor store to my apartment. I quickly realized once I returned home that the tap was faulty. People were planning on arriving within the hour, so I rushed back to Barrel House and began to explain my situation. As this was happening, I realized that several other customers were complaining about the same exact issue. I asked management for a new tap, but they refused to give it to me or do anything to help. They began to argue, claiming it was my fault I didn’t know how to operate a tap properly. At that point I lost all respect for the employees and the business itself. I’m no brew master, but I’ve tapped dozens of kegs throughout the years, so being told I was the one causing the problem, when others apparently were experiencing the exact same issue, was pretty insulting. Any manager with half a brain in his/​her head would have immediately apologized for the inconvenience and done something to remedy the situation.
I will never step foot inside this place again, and would love nothing more than to see this place go under. Very rarely do I give such negative reviews on Unilocal,but I honestly can’t think of a business that is more deserving of a one-​star rating.

Barrel House is like an oasis on 14^th street. The prices are reasonable, the people are friendly, and the selection is great. My only complaint is that i’ve been trying to buy one of their T-​shirts for months now and they never have my size. That one is on me though. I should probably bulk up.

Caveat Emptor: They Are Not Open When They Say They Are Open (caps added for emphasis).

Liquor… beer… they has it. There’s parking in the back for customers. Pretty reliable when I need it… Convenient… Hard to add more description… There’s some cold drinks… Ok bye

This is not your typical DC corner liquor store. The wine selection here is diverse and well priced. It keeps me walking past Traders every time. I can find domestics, delicious South American reds, and even affordable French bottles. The secret is to go straight to their 3 for $ 19.99 rack. I found a delicious French rose there, a full-​bodied Argentina Malbec, and a nice California Pinot Noir. And if you need help, just ask the friendly cashier who always seems to help me narrow down my picks. It’s my new find on 14^th!!!

Staff is very friendly and helpful! Has a great selection, way better than any other place around here. Also, it’s the only place around with parking! And there is something to be said about a place where you don’t need to buy your liquor from behind bulletproof glass!

Use to have knowledgable staff, no more.
Use to have good prices, no more.
Use to have a clean store, no more.
All-​in-​all … IT SUCKS NOW !!!

Maybe I am biased because this place is literally in my backyard but I always found the staff here to be friendly and the prices are decent. Granted, they don’t know a ton about liquor — it’s more of a point-​and-​buy/​self-​select kind of place. Sometimes I find good deals on wines that are decent (3/​$ 20). It has a parking lot, always seems to be open late and is now open on Sundays!

Slightly over-​priced, by DC standards (and downright exhorbitant by MD standards) with a lousy selection. Mostly rail level stuff like Beam, flavored vodkas, and bad fruity creations. Beer selection is nothing special and the folks who work there, while friendly, don’t know jack about booze.

Prices are not very good, I have found the same wine /​beer in other stores for much better price, even Whole Foods has the same wine cheaper, also at Barrel House they don’t know anything about liqueur or wine.
They are not customer friendly, after buying a couple of wines there I asked for two dollars in coins for the meter and they said they would give only one dollar not two when I could clearly see many rolls of quarters right in front of them.
They have a good selection and they are open late but this place is not cheap, I won’t go there again.
Cheers!!!

Sure, Barrel House has one of the better selections of liquors in the downtown/​Dupont/​Shaw areas, but at what price comes that selection, I ask?
The good side is the wide selection, wide enough for any moderately stocked home bar. You won’t find any fine or specialty ingredients there (like french-​made Crème de Framboise, or Allspice Dram, etc.), but you will find all of the basics, including every available flavor of DeKuyper schnapps, with such perennial favorites as Pucker Up and RazzMaTazz. So, its good in a pinch if you’re looking to make some basic cocktails.
However, the service is… challenged, to put it nicely. No one who works there seems to be even moderately fluent in English, and on top of it, are unfamiliar with alcohol. I mean, even if English isn’t your first language, if you work in a liquor store, won’t you learn the difference between orange curacao, triple sec, and crème de cacao? You would think yes, but in the case of Barrel House, it is a resounding «no!» I exaggerate not, but not ONCE in the 25 or so times I have been in that store, have the guys behind the counter been able to pick up the right bottle of liquor for me, even when I’m pointing directly at it and saying the name very clearly. Not once. There is inevitably an awkward dance across the shelves as they pick up and put down several different bottles, until I, leaning over the counter, nearly touch the one I want. My boyfriend, upon picking up beer, has experienced the same problem on every occasion he has went there.
So yeah, go if you’re in need, but be prepared for some serious annoyance.

This place is CHEAP! and open late.
They have a good selection of beer and wine but they sell Grey Goose for cheap! Used to be 27.99 for a 750mL but I think last time I checked it was 28.99.
Parking lot in the back!
AND THEY DELIVER!!!

Ah! So refreshingly cheap.
Yes, I follow my neighborhood liquor store on Facebook. No, my neighborhood liquor store isn’t by any stretch of the imagination actually in my neighborhood.
Some say their prices are low because the tenants managed to secure a long-​term fixed-​rate lease ages ago, a situation that allowed the owners to operate their business in a bubble unshaped by DC’s otherwise inflated alcohol prices. Others say they made a pact with the Devil.
Whatever the cause of their relatively low prices – that being lower than any other grocer or liqour store I’ve stumbled upon in the city’s limits, and competitive against even Northern Virginia’s low price-​point – the point is moot. Barrel House liquors is destination when it comes to beer runs, convienence be damned.

Best Liquor store in DC! They are open until MIDNIGHT on the weekends… MIDNIGHT!!!
Not only do they have fantastic hours, but they also have very low prices. Based on my experiences, they have the best prices in the city…
Lastly, they have a parking lot behind the store so customers don’t have to park at a meter. This is huge! Its super convenient!
Cheers, Happy Drinking!

These reviews are too funny. The undertones are so wine snobbery suburbia. Telling us about your FABULOUS apartment and your uncomfort with foreign languages says it all…
Anyway, it’s a down to earth, no frills liquor store people… liquor, booze, beer etc. If you want to impress your fabulous frat boys with your «high end» booze then shop at a high end booze boutique. Otherwise pop in grab your six pack and down them. The staff is very helpful, very friendly and prices are right on with similar liquor stores. This institution has been around FAR longer than any of the uppidy-​nosed snobs reviewing it and will be around long after they’ve transplanted to suburbia.
Cheers to Barrel House !!

Always on the lookout for good deals on quality wines and top-​shelf spirits, Barrel House Liquors was an obvious stop, with its distinctive storefront, while walking down 14^th St. Barrel House has a decent selection of quality hooch for your liquor needs. Its wine selection, however, is unremarkable. Prices are competitive, beating or at least equal to prices found on various brands at other retailers in the District. I’d rate Barrel House in the upper half of liquor stores in the District for spirits, but squarely in the middle for wines. Worth a return trip the next time I’m in the market for some good small-​batch bourbon or single-​malt scotch.

What’s not to love about a liquor store shaped like a barrel? Given the choice to shop at a cool looking liquor store or a very basic looking liquor store, I’ll let the packaging influence me every time!
Once you get inside, Barrel House is pretty much just like everywhere else. Lots of liquor specials, half-​decent beer selection, half-​decent wine selection, regular sampling. It’s not my favorite place to buy wine or beer in the neighborhood, but for booze, I’m always happy to frequent this place!

I fell in love with this place when I walked in and they had Monkey Bay sauvignon blanc on sale for $ 8.99. They have a large selection of pretty well-​priced wines and also a decent selection of liquors. Many of them cost less than they do here at home in North Carolina, but then we have outrageous state taxes. They also have mixers, so it’s a good one-​stop shop for the alcoholic in you. It’s in walking distance to pretty much any Logan Circle, Thomas Circle, or Dupont Circle hotel, so you can get more bang for your liquor buck than you can in the hotel bar. (Plus, the front entrance looks like a barrel! What more did you want?)

I really love Barrel House Liquors. not only are they close to my apartment (personally convenient), I have always had EXCELLENT service. I’m surprised that people report poor service here, because I have had quite the opposite experience. The folks at Barrel House have always been really friendly and helpful.
The prices are just fine; maybe not super cheap, but they are probably the most competitive in the area. However, for me, it is really the service that I appreciate here — they’ve got me as a customer for the remainder of my time in the neighborhood.

Welcome to 5 star town Barrel House.
I love this place even though nobody who works here understands a single word I say to them. Their staff is so odd and lovable. The only downside, no 12 packs of Coke for mixed drinks. I think the last time I asked about them, the gentleman behind the counter was going to actually make me a 12 pack out of individual cans in the cooler. It’s this kind of random outside the box thinking that I appreciate. You’re my go to liquor store from now on in the ‘hood. See you once a week until I move out of DC.