Barley SwinePorcine Heaven.We went to Barley Swine on a Friday night, so I expected it to be frenetic, but it was one of the most pleasant dining experiences I've had in Austin. The small plates are delicious, especially the Tater Tots, which are topped with the most amazing pork belly, the pig plate, the soft shell crab, and the haddock cheek. They also have the most amazing wine list, which includes a rose that is to die for. The service is incredibly friendly and efficient, yet very casual. All in all, it was a great meal, and we will be coming back.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food and great serviceWe sat at the bar for dinner and it was delightful. The chefs and the server were knowledgable and entergetic. We had 6 small plates and each one was great! The food was beatifully presented and tasty. We will certainly return when we are in Austin.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMUnique experience & local favorite!We had a fabulous experience - the food was delicious, fun, experimental, and fresh in this farm-to-table style restaurant! We were from out of town and sat at one of the bar tables which mixes parties. Everyone was so friendly and we instantly felt a sense of comraderie & belonging! We had do much fun that we stayed until the restaurant closed. Over the next few days we would ask locals what they're recommendation for Austin dining were, and just about everyone said Barley Swine first!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMBest small plates in the food worldSo pretty you could hang em on the wall. Bursts of amazing flavor. Some of the best food I have EVER eaten.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMBarley SwineAll and all a great restaurant. Food is very well thought out, small plates only. I would recommend getting 3-5 plates. Prices are reasonable for what it is. Overall a great experience, good service and a flare for the original. Be advised this is NOT an entree restaurant, but rather you order small plates. This is my preference but not for everyone. I for one enjoyed everything that was served to us. No pressure or rush felt even though it is a small venue with many people waiting in line.......and for good reason.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMRUN, don't walk to Barley SwineIf you can get a reservation, take it. My daughter and I would have licked our plates if acceptable. I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the beat up facade, but decided that any place that requires reservations several weeks in advance, had to be worth the wait for a table.....so, during our recent trip to Austin from NYC, we dined and LOVED the food- creative, delectable, downright fabulous. Be ready though, not for romance...you will knock elbows with other guests at a pub table, but who cares....eat, drink and be merry...and leave feeling just a little bit smug that you had the opportunity to dine here! and kudos to a well trained staff- their knowledge of the food was impeccable.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMAvant-garde Flavor CombinationsThe food is incredible. Beer and Wine list are extensive. Reasonably priced, especially for the quality of food your are being served. Wait staff is friendly and attentive. I love the architecture and interior design choices of this quaint little place tucked away on South Lamar. The only downside, and it should not keep anyone from trying Barley Swine, is it's small size forces everyone to sit elbows-touching close and the mostly brick interior promotes for a very loud environment.
All in all, I would say Barely Swine has been one of my favorite restaurant experiences in Austin. Thank you, Barely Swine.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMMy absolute favorite in Austin!!!The food presentation is second to none, the dishes are unique & delicious and the staff is amazing. Enough said.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat flavor combinations!Creative dishes featuring local ingredients. We will definitely go back. I wish there would be a private seating option.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful foodI had eaten at Per Se in NYC the week before. I'd rather eat at Barley Swine and at a fraction of the cost of Per Se!! Wonderfully creative food. Chicken fried Boudin with brussel sprouts, grapefruit and pecans. OMG. Fairly small, but well crafted wine list with many by the glass options to allow for wine pairings with each course. Crazy good beer list. I'll have to try some of those next time. I had high expectations and was very impressed overall. No need to dress to impress. This is South Austin. It's about the food...5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMPricy but fabulousYou can drop a lot of coin on dinner, even without bottle of wine, but the flavors and preparations are fantastic. One of the best dinners I have had in Austin. Our server was tatted-up and spoke like a surfer and yet knew every detail of her menu and was a pleasure at every course (and there were MANY courses). Great restaurant.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGroup of us including foodiesGroup of us including foodies and wine professionals came with lots of expectation and we were BLOWN away .
Service attentive and professional but still fun. Beer list was exceptional ( expected ) as was the wine list ( did not expect ).
The food is so intricate and beautiful and the flavor combinations were profound.
Despite the extremely high level of polish the plates turned up well spaced and perfectly cooked. A highlight of of our trip to
Austin.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food, incredible service,Amazing food, incredible service, and overall one of the best dining experiences I have had in Austin. The staff are very informed and are great at helping you pick out what to each and make sure that you are having the best experience possible. I will definitely be returning to eat hear again.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMNot to be missed.Oh my god! The food was beyond amazing. Sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen is the best seat in the house. Watching all those amazing cooks work together is a show to be seen. The little things also make for an even better experience. I said to my server that I wanted to lick my plate, and she brought me a little spatula! I was there on a date, and the shared plates are very romantic.
It is not food for the faint of heart or the less adventurous people out there. If you want a burger or a steak this is not the place for you. If you want innovated, composed tasty art on a plate. go.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious original food.Delicious original food. Great servers. Amazing menu. Really enjoyed the common table.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThe menus was right up myThe menus was right up my alley, food for and adventurous eater. The carrot dish was out of this world, and the halibut cheeks changed my life. Our server was fantastic and provided excellent wine parings and menu suggestions. Of the seven dishes we tried only the Cow Head left us scratching our heads, wondering what was missing from the plate. The tongue was delicious, suvied to a perfect medium rare, but the rest of the dish was a dull brown color both visually and in flavor profile with the only hint of color being a few sparse micro greens. We went all out that night and finished with the beet panna cotta which was fresh and vibriant bringing out the sweetness of the beets.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMPros: Amazing beer list InventivPros:
Amazing beer list
Inventive, filling, delicious food
Outstanding service - very friendly and knowledgeable
Cons:
Seating arrangement - being seated so close to strangers is unappealing at this price point, thought I understand that the space is very small. Makes interacting with servers awkward because it is difficult for them to squeeze in to pour, and to remove & place dishes.
Food is inventive and really good, but maybe a little overly ambitious - I'm talking primarily about the foam on everything and the fact that there is *a lot* going on in all of these dishes. That is usually a good thing, but it seems that the discrete elements of the dish sometimes fight each other.
All in all, we were very pleased with our e4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMHave been twice now, and eachHave been twice now, and each time just astonished and how much passion, care and attention they put into creating absolutely superb food. And at a really great value, too. Such a treasure.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMReally like taking "Foodie"Really like taking "Foodie" friends to this location. Has all the requisite tastes that fancier NY restaurants have without any hassel.Austin is becoming a wonderful restaurant town.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst trip to Barley Swine,First trip to Barley Swine, at long last. Thanks Open Table! Having a reservation secured is really helpful. We ran the entire menu of 10 savory courses and were very happy with the quality of ingredients, combinations of flavors and textures, great beer/wine list and friendly, knowledgeable servers. Reputation and buzz are well deserved.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDeliciously Delicate FlavorsWe were traveling to Austin for a family wedding and came across a great review for Barley Swine so we booked it.
It was the best decision!
We loved the small plates served in an Izakaya sushi style way.
Each small plate had complex delicate flavors.
The attention to detail for presentation as well as service was excellent.
The only small gripe I had was that our table was rather tight. We shared the table with two strangers on a business meeting.
The lack of privacy juxtaposed the delicately intimate style of food.
But we would definitely come back again!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMTaste was there, just wishTaste was there, just wish i made enough money to go all out and really enjoy the menu without worrying about cost. I would definitely go back if i wasn't worried about my bank account. The pig plate was the best thing i tried but it was all delicious.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was crazy inventive.Food was crazy inventive. We tried almost everything. Loved pretty much all.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best restaurantsOne of the best restaurants in Austin for people who are serious about food. The waitstaff truly care about the food and are able to respond in detail about a particular dish.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMthis is one of my favoritethis is one of my favorite spots ..... everyone I have brought there has raved about it and has put it on their dining out rotation!4/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWow! Great tasting dishes.Great tasting menu with a variety of excellently prepared dishes. Very impressed with the clever use of ingredients. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a quality dining experience.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMBarley Swine is outstanding.Barley Swine is outstanding. Each selection seems better than the last. A profusion of interesting, surprising and varied tastes. We were very impressed with the quality, variety and exquisite appearance of each selection. While somewhat similar in approach, it far exceeds the finest tapas restaurants in Barcelona, although strictly speaking this was not tapas. It was far superior in every way.
The waitress was very helpful in suggesting wines to match the particular serving.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThe chef at Barley Swine isThe chef at Barley Swine is nominated for a 2013 James Beard Award. What can I say? The place lives up to that. Wow!3/20/2013 12:00:00 AM