Brown Barrel

Very upset over today's fiasco. We so looked forward to Thanksgiving dinner here with our family. We made reservations two weeks ago for 1 pm for 7 adults and 1 baby. When we arrived today there was a mass crowd in and outside the restaurant. It was cold for the many standing outside. Inside was chaos. I asked the crowd who do we give our name to, they said some guy with a clipboard. I asked a staff member, she said the same thing. I finally found the man with the clipboard--he was not only taking names but seating people. I asked how long it would be since we had reservations and he didn't have a clue. Many people were speaking out but it went unanswered by staff. The folks seated in the downstair section had to walk through the crowd with their plate of food as the buffet was set up in the middle section of the restaurant. We didn't get seated until after 2 pm. A waitress came and got out drink order promptly and then we went and got in a long line for the buffet. The buffet was set up one-sided only. It absolutely made no sense. It should have been double-sided and when an item needed to be refilled by staff, people would have gladly stepped aside. The line was about 30 minutes long. I will say, The food was very good, but only one dessert option was disappointing.To the owner: Brown Barrel has been in business long enough to know how to handle this event much better than it was. Outdoor heaters should have been on the patio so people waiting would have not all had to crowd inside to escape the cold. The host taking names should not have been seating as well. Patrons should not have had to play find Waldo with the clipboard. He should have been at the front door the entire time. A double-sided buffet is a no-brainer. Reservations should have been spaced out appropriately to keep people from the long wait times. Unless changes are made for next year, we will go elsewhere.

Great service, excellent food and they were able to accommodate my daughter's volleyball team and families with just a few hours notice. The downtown area is so picturesque. This is a destination restaurant. Perfect stop if you are on the bourbon trail and worth the short drive from Lexington. They even have a very good selection of hard to find bourbons at reasonable secondary prices.

The four of us had a very good lunch. The hamburger was good and the Buffalo chicken sandwich was huge and tasty. Tater tots were great. The ladies loved their salads. Fast, friendly service.

What an awesome experience. This is our second trip to Brown Barrel, and we brought our friends with us this time. We will all be back. We were seated immediately, and our waitress was very helpful with recommendations. I had the hot brown and it was perfect! My husband had the surf and turf. He loved it. Our friends had the grouper as their meal. It was cooked perfectly. Great taste. Looking forward to our next trip.

The food was fabulous! The restaurant was crowded and noisy but we had only a short wait for an inside table for two. Outdoor tables were present, but our wait would have been longer.Hubby had been here before and wanted me to have the experience as well. His house salad was generous and tasty, and the ravioli with chicken was delicious.The wedge salad exceeded my expectations given that it starts with flavorless iceberg lettuce! The addition of the dressing, cheese, tomatoes, and bacon enhance the crunch of the lettuce and provide good flavor. The piece of catfish was huge and I took half of it home for a future lunch. That meant I needed to save some of the mashed potatoes, but that wasn't so hard due to the generous salad.We will definitely return for another experience.

This is a great restaurant for a night out. Our server was very good and helpful. Our drinks came out quickly. We ordered the fried green tomatoes. They were beautiful and delicious. Some of the best I've had. I had the fried catfish with tater tots. It was cooked perfectly . It was a big filet and no fishy taste like some catfish. Tater tots and fries were good. The fried shrimp was good and not overcooked. The hot brown was ok. The service was very good. We had live music this night , that was very nice.

Super good American cuisine. Burgers, steaks, etc. they had a bratwurst special last time we came and they were exactly what we needed after a day of distilleries. Don't fall for their bottled whiskey selection, their prices are brutal so they lose a star, but the food is quality.

Actually, we visited the location in Georgetown. According to the waitress, they have only been open a few weeks. Lucky us. We had the onion rings to start. Light breading and crunchy. I had the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was bacon wrapped which made the shrimp crunch on the outside but not over done inside. The grits reminded me more of a polenta which is more creamy. Delicious. My husband ordered the Salmon with a butternut squash and pecans. I tasted the squash and it also was delicious. Bathroom were clean. Place is large and on the corner in a cute downtown area. Don't miss it.

Excellent food, excellent service. We had a party of 8 and were very well taken care of. Would highly recommend the crab cakes! Fried green tomatoes were good as well. Would have been 5 stars but the bottled bourbon prices are absurd!!

Thanksgiving day was chaos. 1pm reservation, we were seated at 2. We were in the side room and had to cross back through the CROWDED lobby to get to the buffet. The buffet had a line down one side only, so the line was extremely long, the food was decent at best.I understand its a busy holiday and most reservations are for large groups, however: 1. Space out the reservations2. If you put football games on TV, people will stay for hours once they are seated and you'll have no turnover3. Put patio heaters outside 4. The "host" should not also be seating people5. Have the buffet set up so there are two lines, or put a buffet in the side room also