pickle barrel

terrible service. the food is really good, but the service sucks! i, along with a friend went several nights ago and were never greeted, waited on, or anything else. we received unwelcoming looks and eventually left. i felt like a burden on their business. i wouldn't recommend it.

terrible customer service. i have eaten at the pickle barrel before the new ownership, and i really liked the food. when i found out that it was under new ownership and would be revamped, i was excited! it was around 8:30pm on a friday night, and six of my friends and i decided to go check it out. when we walked in, no one greeted us and we sat ourselves. we sat there for about 10 minutes and only got strange looks. no one even attempted to take our order or anything. the staff even joined in at the gawking. i had friends from out of town with me, and it was a huge embarrassment. after about 15 very awkward minutes, we decided to leave. we were even planning on staying for the live music and bar afterwards. never have i, or my friends, been treated so poorly in a restaurant. it's a shame, because i really liked the food and atmosphere there. i will never go there again, and i definitely will not recommend this place to anyone.

under new ownership. pickle barrel is now under new ownership and management! the menu is getting some great new additions and the building is getting a facelift! a bar is also being added and it should be up and running by september and once that happens it will be open for dinner and later. the quality of food is being upgraded and the atmosphere of the pickle barrel is as well! everyone needs to check this place out and i recommend the loaded chili dog!

the number of sandwiches and their quality has gone down ever since stu bashner sold this place

beer guy. i miss the guy that used to work for beer. i have read reviews of people that didn't like him, but he was a hard worker and nice guy. he could use a little more tact but i thought it was really funny. i am really sad if they "fired" this guy.

good comeback. after in fort worth for six years, we recently moved back home and naturally returned to some of the establishments we've called home since i was young. the pickle barrel was one of those. i always seem to order the same thing (zydeco chicken) but my wife ordered their daily lunch special (meatloaf & mashed potatoes) and i ate as much of it as she did. it was great ! they have expanded the menu since i was here last so i can't wait to come back. i read some of the previous reviews here but saw no signs of an 'old man' and service was impressive. good job !

disappointed. i've been coming to the pickle barrel for 20 years, but the quality has definitely deteriorated recently. i'm sure the beer-battered onion rings were delicious --- an hour before i got there, when they were first cooked. club sandwich was turkey on white bread with a little lettuce, tomato, and bacon. no condiments, no cheese. i may not return.

disappointing. my lunch special was an overcooked frozen hamburger patty and instant potatoes covered in gravy from a cheap mix. my friend got turkey instead of turkey pastrami on his sandwich. the consensus among my friends is that the quality has plummeted after a change in ownership, and i have to agree.

great sandwich shop!. this is a nice little restaraunt i ran accross one day this week. i live in shreveport, was in monroe shopping with a family member. let me tell you, i have never eaten tomato basil as delicious as i found their's to be. the cleanliness of the restrooms, and the great food and friendly staff was amazing. i will definitely eat there again my next trip to monroe.

vegetarian/vegan friendly!. one of the few restaurants in the twin cities that even considered vegetarians when creating their menu.

it's hidden on the menu (on the back waaaaaay at the bottom with the sandwiches) but they serve bocca burgers!

i always order mine as is, except with a jalapeno bun, but the staff is always so friendly and helpful that they would probably let you order any of the normal burgers with a bocca patty instead of meat. (i do plan to ask next time i go)

the service is always great and i love reading all the signs and newspaper articles on the walls.

new attitude. the pickle barrel has been a part of our lunch circuit for nearly 6 years. we love the variety and casualness of the place and of course, the beer selection. yesterday, our group of 5 made our bi-weekly stop and learned that they have a couple of new cooks - our lunch special (and they're back they added) was awesome. apparently, they've come over from another establishment that the owner has, and they said they are cooking it all from scratch. our little waitress said, they are adding next week homemade pies and cakes - can't wait! ps - add more beer choices.

i like this place but they seem to be out of everything like sweet fries and there used to be great lunch specials.

best beer selection in town. terrific sandwich and beer selection -- just like the pickle barrel in fort collins, colorado. only complaint is that they're not open past 8pm, and sometimes they close up early. would be great for outdoor patio beer/snacks when the weather's not too hot (if they had an outdoor patio....hint, hint)

an update. so i wanted to update the review i wrote a couple months ago or so. pb seems so read these reviews or had enough complaints but they have stopped skimping on the lettuce in their salads. i am very happy to say that i look forward to my pb wednesdays again and am appreciative that they are not cutting corners where it does not make sense to.

this is a good eatery and the wait staff is, overall, very hospitable.


-----11 apr, 2011-----

declining in quality?. so here's the thing....we eat at pickle barrel once a week and i have looked forward to my pickle barrel wednesdays until now. in the past 3-4 weeks their quality (and quantity) has declined. i usually order either the zydeco burger or the fried chicken salad. on the salad they had decreased the amount of lettuce they include as a cost saving measure. really - lettuce as cost saving?? i mean come on - i order it without croutons - throw on a little more lettuce please. the last time i got that salad the fried chicken was stale - it tasted like re-heated leftover fried chicken from the night before. if you have ever had reheated fried chicken ... it is just not worth it. last time they were out of the fried chicken so i had the blackened and that was much better but the salad was still lacking in lettuce. if you go to sports city grill (owned by the same man) and order the same salad you get much more for you money so i am not sure what is up at pb.
anyway - the zydeco burger is still good but the fries (quality and amount) are hit or miss.
i would still recommend this place but i hope the owner learns to cut corners in a way that makes more sense.

i'm actually neutral on the pickle barrel. the good: convenience and a high food quality. everything on the menu is fantastic, which is good. because chances are you won't know what the heck you've ordered. that's the bad. there are easily a hundred items on the menu. each has a cutesy name that rarely describes the item. that in and of itself wouldn't be bad except the descriptions often err to the cutesy too. beyond food choice, the place just hasn't been the same without dave the beer dude wandering around harassing or encouraging the customers, depending on whether you're a dave fan or not. i was and i miss him. but i do drink far less now. it's a take it or leave it for me. i rarely pick it as a place to go, but i don't object when people recommend it.