Barrel & Crow

We have eaten at Barrel & Crow a handful of times over the last 5 years either with friends or our family. We have always been impressed with the food, but this time we were totally blown away. We decided our meal there Sat night was one of the top meals we have ever enjoyed anywhere. We are not into foo-foo micro foamed asparagus types of food. We like fresh, natural ingredients prepared well and served with sauces that complement rather than compete with the protein. The four of us split 3 appetizers, the Burrata plate, the Fried Green Tomatoes, and the Arugula, Beet & Goat cheese salad. Everything was simply perfect. For dinner two of us had the Rockfish which was delicious and served as 2 chunks of fish rather than fileted, husband had Shrimp with Grits (outstanding!!) and another had the soft shell crab special. The stellar achievement of this kitchen is that each component on the plate is perfectly prepared and expertly matched with the other and nothing overwhelms. We savored each bite and used the delicious bread to soak up pesto, roasted tomato sauce, chili sauce on the shrimp, etc. Desserts are also wonderful but we were so full, we split one dish of buttermilk panna cotta with lime -- better than any I've ever eaten in Italy.
The service is leisurely but we all thought it was perfectly paced -- we had time to savor our plates before the main courses. It could also have been more relaxed because it was a Sunday evening which we recommend because it was nice and quiet and made our lively conversation easier.

Ordered softshell crab...no bueno could barely eat it, fried and not much too it...disappointed in selected this place. Steaks for others were undercooked but decent. Overall it was ok but I would not go back...too many other options

Food was excellent. Service was attentive.

Service was outstanding. Atmosphere is energetic. Good / diverse wine list; cocktails were weak, or pre-made. Steaks were slightly over-cooked.

For lunch, the menu has good choice with a variety of main stream but also healthy options. The salmon burger was very fresh and clearly made with good quality salmon. The salad was a bit overdressed with just greens. It would be better with a few other ingredients and a lighter touch on the dressing. My colleague had the soft-shell crab sandwich with the Duck Fat fries (which I couldn't resist trying!). He said the sandwich was delicious and the fries outstanding (which I agree). Just the right amount of salt and crunchiness. What is disappointing about Barrel & Crow in Bethesda is the ambiance. The tables are dark wood, the walls dark and the lighting low-key. The Tysons Corner version is light and airy. I'd like to see them decorate a bit to make Bethesda more attractive.

Great option in downtown Bethesda. Very good food and service.

Excellent service but the food is hit or miss. I've eaten at this restaurant twice. The first time, the food was good and there was an outstanding lemon custard with rosemary cookie for dessert. The second time, the entrees were underwhelming (tough steak, for example, and fried chicken not quite as good as Popeyes) and the poppyseed cake was really disappointing and dry (the accompanying raspberry sorbet was yummy though). The appetizers were good. All in all, the food was uneven and not good enough to return a third time.

Very knowledgeable wait staff. Explained the specials in very good detail. Food came to the table hot, and in a reasonable amount of time

This was our first time trying the restaurant. The menu item that brought us in was the crab beignets. They were very delicious although I wish there were 4 to an order instead of 3. All of the food we ordered was delicious. The gazpacho had a really clean and fresh taste unlike any gazpacho I have had before. The service was excellent and our server was very knowledgeable about the menu. My friend and I decided we would like to go back and try more things on the menu. It was a great find.

They understand truly gluten free and immediately had recommendations and could explain prep procedures to avoid cross contamination! Impressed!!

First time here, excellent Food and Service! Best Soft Shell Crabs !

Delicious rockfish and scrumptious desserts. Was a lovely evening so we could sit outside. Very nice feel to the place and American regional cuisine done creatively.

Amazing food!! Great service!! Perfect location!! Great outdoor seating!!

Absolutely delicious.
From cocktail, to beer, to appetizer, to entree, and of course dessert.
Zero complaints.
Soft shell crab, tuna taquitos, fried green tomato's and an amazing almond cake for dessert.

Another great meal - this is my new favorite place. I’ve been three times recently and never had a bad meal or experience.

We had a great meal at Barrel and Crow. There were six of us, and most of the group enjoyed their food. The restaurant was a bit warm because the windows were open, and the noise level was very high. Service was outstanding! Our server was Ibrahim, who did a wonderful job, as did the rest of the staff who assisted. We’ll be back!

Love the food & service! My favorites were the duck, soft shell crab and crab beignets! Fun menu, cute place.

The whole experience was lovely. My dining companion lived her Lamb Bolognese, and I think the Gumbo was my all-time favorite gumbo.

It would have been fabulous if it were not quite as noisy. I like some hustle and bustle, but at a table for 6, each person needs to be able to hear all the others, and this was not the case. With some thought and a little expenditure (not much) this problem could be easily corrected. I hope you will do this!

I felt the food was overpriced. I had the trout over saffron risotto with vegetables and it was very heavy on corn, overly sweet. Could have used a hit of acid and a touch of salt to brighten it up. The fish was thinner than cardboard and therefore deserved a bigger portion or maybe a topping of a few shrimp. The Tuscan style bread was amazing!!!!

Good default place for meeting friends. Lively atmosphere with great outdoor seating and exposed bar area. Food is on the pricey side but good all around.

It had been a few years since I'd been to Barrel & Crow. I don't know what took me so long to get back. The food was outstanding especially the crab beignets (pure perfection), the Rockfish and the chicken and waffles. Can't wait to be back.

Appetizers was a crab beignet, which was very delicious but not sure why they call it a beignet...it was more of a savory dish...should have been called fried crab balls, lol.

Cocktails were well made...

The main course was very lacking. Wasn't bad, just was nothing to write home about...wife had the hanger steak and I, the fried chicken.

The waitstaff was friendly and on top of things, making sure we were attended to.

The place reminds me of a friendly neighborhood restaurant, but a bit pricey for what you get. I guess that's expected when dining in Bethesda.

Good food, it was a bit slow but servers were nice. It’s noisy, not for a romantic date.

For brunch with 6 adults, food was good, but service after initial greeting was seldom seen

Fantastic meal Saturday night.
Started with a cocktail, the Hemingway daiquiri. Delicious, didn't taste strong, but it was....
Burrata appetizer was yummy and refreshing.
I moved onto the soft shell crab special with a side of duck fat fries. Both were the best I've ever had. A lot of times I find soft shells a little to mushy and even watery, these were perfect, very crispy with the perfect amount of salt. Couldn't stop eating the fries, crunchy on the outside with the perfect amount of soft potato on the inside.
My wife had the scallops which were cooked perfectly, not overdone, and were nice and fresh.
Unfortunately too full for desert.

This was our first time at Barrel & Crow, despite the fact that we live nearby. We enjoyed sitting just inside the bar area as it was open to the outside. The food was, for the most part, very good. It's just a bit pricey for what it is, but we'll go back.

It was ordinary and overpriced. The food I ordered (fried chicken with waffles) was not good. The greens that came with it was particularly poor. The complementary bread was nice.

Chose this restaurant based on the great reviews. We came over for Memorial Weekend and the restaurant was only at 40% capacity. Our service was horrendous, we had multiple servers and it was like they were playing a game of broken telephone. Why take my order if you’re only going to tell it to someone else who didn’t even write it down? People all around us who came after were already done eating and we still didn’t even have our food. The food was so-so, nothing amazing to rave about. I ordered their crab cake Benedict which was a special and it came out over cooked and I’m not even sure if it was real crab. We should’ve known the service was poor when we saw multiple people from multiple tables getting up to look for their server. Will not come back again.

We enjoyed being outside for dinners

Sunday brunch was very good food and great value. They start you off with complimentary beignets, which are coated with granulated sugar rather than the powdered sugar to which I’m accustomed. I loved the change.

Duck fat fries, which came with my grilled chicken sandwich, are outstanding here.

Nice twists on traditional brunch fare.

Also, our waitress was attentive and accommodating. Excellent service. I look forward to returning!

Great brunch!

Wonderful restaurant. Everyone from the owner, to the server, to the bartenders make you feel welcome and a part of their family!

Overall it was “meh”. We went for Mother’s Day dinner, it was not a full dining room but the service was mediocre as if it were packed. The chicken and waffles reminded me of shake & bake. Nothing about it makes me want to come back.

Great find for Mother’s Day. Truly enjoyable with great menu items.

Great mother's day brunch experience

Excellent small menu. They know what they do well.

The restaurant was adorable and super modern. The service was great and the food was delicious. I would highly recommend to anyone especially for brunch.

Quality food and a decent environment. Waiter was attentive but respected our space. We ordered the shrimp and grits which were amazing and creamy. And the duck was cooked to perfection. I would return

Delicious food, charming staff, great ambience. A great place to spend an evening with friends and family. The menu is diverse and delicious. Loved their take on Southern Grits and Shrimp.