Barrel Spirits On High

I went here for happy hour one Friday and I have to say, this is going to become a regular spot for me. The prices were amazing, $ 3 whiskey special, $ 3 well drinks, bottles, and cans, and $ 4 drafts from 4pm to 7pm. My favorite app was the fried duck wings, absolutely delicious! Also, amazing servers with a lot of knowledge of the whiskey and beer offerings. I recommend this place for a after work pick me up, wasn’t too crowded around 5:30. Over all, good experience.

This place is extremely underwhelming. I was in search of a Whiskey Bar (which you would think is not too much to ask… but of course it’s Cbus) and this is as close to one I could find via internet research. After reviewing the menu the food selection looked decent enough and I wanted to try this place as my boyfriend and I were trying to get into whiskey more. Well… the food kinda sucked. The whiskey duck wings tasted old and dry. The sauce that they were drowning in seemed like it had been made days earlier and constantly reheated. The place smells dirty. The servers look unclean. We were seated at a table that was horrible unbalanced only to be moved to one that was slightly less off balance but dirty! The wait staff seemed as if they were trying to be nice (overly nice) but came off as rude and unprofessional. Upon glancing in the kitchen it was horribly nasty (I couldn’t help but peek as a former health inspector) but I could guess as much from the appearance of the dining room. I think this is definitely a spot for the college or younger crowd. If you want a nice whisky bar and restaurant this is NOT your place. I’d only recommend ‘falling” in here for a drink (something that doesn’t require must sanitary effort on part of the staff).

I went out to Barrel on a Friday night and just missed the tail end of happy hour, which is likely why the place was packed! The whiskey/​bourbon/​Scotch selection was fantastic, and we were all very happy with our drinks. The flatbreads were tasty but a bit overpriced for the size. I personally don’t like bars that are super loud, and this place on a Friday night got loud enough that I felt like I was yelling at the people I was with. We left shortly after our second round of drinks, but I would definitely come back during the week sometime! Overall, great drinks, decent food and a fun atmosphere!

Barrel, (or Barrel 44 back in the days) has been a staple to the northern edge of the Short North for a few years now, yet I never made time to indulge in a visit. The beloved Surly Girl (RIP) always swayed my business away.
Barrel is known for Whiskey and all things whiskey.
Their drink menu is brief, but will accommodate most tastes. If you’re uncertain, the staff is also helpful and courteous to make suggestions and relay on some knowledge.
The food is for most part, typical bar grub. Deep fried goodness, wings, and Hummus plate (?) Okay, so maybe it’s not typical bar grub, but the main point is that it’s great for sharing, so bring some friends with you.
It’s a nice bar. It’s dark, but doesn’t teeter towards a dive, they keep a slight ambiance to this place, which could be good for Dates. They have a nice backroom, that could easily accommodate parties, or large groups, and it’s often decorated frequently with different local artists… a plus in my books.
I can appreciate Barrel for what it is. Don’t know if I would frequent it, but it’s truly a nice bar to hit during Gallery Hop, and it’s perfect for those who may not like the claustrophobic feel of the south Short North during its more busier times.
A-​OK. Plus some!

Very prompt, friendly bartender who is an artist behind the bar. The staff seemed to all get along and work well together, creating an uplifting and personable experience for us. They went the extra mile on making sure our experience was perfect — as they did for all of the other guests as well. We tried different cocktails from the menu and enjoyed them all.

Any whiskey fan definitely needs to check this place out. I’m new to Columbus and this bar was recommend by a friend. Nothing special about the ambiance of the car but the drinks are spectacular. If you can handle whiskey you can’t go wrong with the old fashion, Manhattan, or flight Irish whiskey. Will be coming back

Great choice of beers on tap and extensive choice of whiskies and bourbons. For appetizers, try either the tuna wakame or shrimp and avocado. Both come in the perfect vessel — a crispy wonton cup which is sturdy enough to hold the ingredients, but not over fried or over crunchy. The tuna is sushi grade and has a delicious seaweed salad accompaniment. The shrimp and avocado app has incredibly fresh salsa with black beans and avocado topped with a perfectly seasoned and cooked shrimp.

I’m generally a fan of Barrel — it’s been a few years since I’ve been here, but man, I used to come here really a lot! In those 5-​or-​so years since I’ve been able to call myself a frequent patron, quite a few things have changed and I’m not sure for the better (and not necessarily for the worse, depending on who you are I guess). Overall, still a solid option though. Obviously I think there’s been an ownership change, so I’m not quite sure it’s fair to compare the two, but… I can’t help it.
Five years ago, Barrel (then Barrel 44) used to be one of the few places in town to get a good whiskey drink. In a sea of too-​sweet martinis, I preferred the straight-​up and cocktail offerings here better than some other ShoNo staples. Now, Barrel still has good (but not ah-​maze-​ing) cocktails, and that kind of thing is easier to find elsewhere than it used to be. I had the Medicine Cabinet on my last visit — I liked the medicinal/​bitter flavor but it wasn’t very balanced.
Also, food went from practically magazine-​worthy (who remembers that scallop app and the duck confit flatbread?) to regular bar food like pretzel bites and mozzarella sticks. Not bad, just okay. I used to specifically recommend this place for the food, and now it’s just a way to be not-​hungry while you drink.
Friendly if flippant service. Good jumping off point for the rest of your night. Fun atmosphere that is neither too young nor too stuffy.

Perfect date night place! Got the Derazz (BEST DRINK EVER) and blackened tilapia. Fries were amazing as well. Everyone who works there is super friendly and easy going. We can’t wait to go back!

The Rock will say this. Get your candy asses to Barrel. Read the bad reviews? See how they think?! It doesn’t matter what they think! They can go straight to the smack down hotel where The Rock will drop not just one, but two of the people’s elbow on their monkey asses. Oh you don’t like whiskey? Man up, jabroni. You know how stone cold Steve Austin opens cans of whoop ass and drinks beer? Well The Rock goes into all of his matches loaded off whiskey and pie. The Rock says, go to barrel.
IF YOU SMELL!!! What the Rock… Is cooking…

This place is like a mood ring. On slow nights, this place is really really slow and feels super divey. On busy nights it’s really hopping and feels pretty modern, with a great cocktail list, fancy scotch and bourbon options, and good looking /​sounding foods. Nice selection of local beers. Basically, solid bar that changes with the crowd. Bring what you want to feel.

Barrel (formerly Barrel 44) has a very different vibe from many of the other bars in the Short North area. It is definitely a «guys bar» and has more types of whiskey than you can imagine. Personally, I’m not a big whiskey/​bourbon fan, so that removes about 75% of the drinks as options for me. I ended up trying their seasonal hot apple cider with Crown Royal maple in an attempt to branch out, and while it was good and it was presented nicely in a fancy glass, it was not my favorite drink. The maple Crown was SWEET and it totally took over the cider flavor; this says nothing about Barrel as an establishment, I just didn’t love the combo. I think this place just isn’t for me personally, but there were many other people there enjoying themselves on a Saturday night. Many others around me were drinking whiskey straight which I guess is understandable considering that’s what those fancy whiskey drinkers do, but it looked like a terrible idea to me…
As for the food, I can say that it is definitely a step up from your average bar food. I honestly felt that the flavors and presentation of food were more comparable to something like Cap City or a more casual Cameron Mitchell restaurant. So if you find yourself craving wings in the Short North area, I would say this is a good option! I also had a salad which was very good, again more gourmet than something you would expect from a bar.
Overall I think Barrel is very unique and it has enough regular whiskey connoisseurs that it will be around for years to come. I, however, am not one of those regulars and I know now that I should not walk in with the expectation of getting girly cocktails here!

Great food, terrible service. Also be aware that happy hour prices for starters are only in the bar area, and even if it’s obvious that you’re there for happy hour (I don’t know many people that order 3 appetizers as an entrée unless it’s happy hour) they will not tell you until your bill comes. There is nothing that turns me off more from a restaurant than feeling that they’re intentionally screwing me. Luckily the food was very good.

This place has become a sad disappointment of its former self «barrel 44» …for being a whiskey bar their selection of whiskey/​whisky is ok. However their cocktail menu is a joke and very amateurish. For one, there’s no such thing as a «manhattan» made with dolin blanc. Secondly, who the fuck calls themselves a respectable bar without carpano antica or dolin rouge?! On top of that, I was further annoyed by the fact that the manager/​owner told an employee in front of me about how they had to pay for a guest’s bill who walked out and stiffed them which is illegal.

So bummed to write this. Barrel used to be a favorite, and now I will never be back. For years I consistently got the 44 Salad with blackened chicken once a week. So my mom’s in town and I decided to get a couple salads and sandwiches to go, knowing she would love it. When we got all the way home we opened the boxes only to realize there was NOTHING inside except chicken and lettuce-​no blackening, no hearts of palm, cherries, candied walnuts, goat cheese, beets or dressing. Not only have portions been cut in half and prices doubled, the service and quality are now piss poor. Chalk up another loss for the Short North.

Been here twice now. Both experiences were very good experiences. Here is what i liked about Barrel on High. Clean. Nice lighting. Great music played both times at appropriate volumes. Sports screens in there but you only notice them if you are looking for sports. They are not focal points in the restaurant. Nothing pretentious about the place. Staff is real people. What i mean by that is they aren’t all bitter and pissed they have to memorize stupid ass corporate greeting and wear silly uniforms. They like where they work and they are people people. They want you to like their food. You can tell the staff takes pride in their jobs. Kitchen is open till midnight.
So 1^st time i went i went alone. Had the italian burger which i think was the special. Just a really good burger. Fries were good. Second time I went I got the crab cake. That was delish also. I remember when I lived in new york city there were a lot of lil spots like this around. I wish columbus had more spots like this. Instead of apple bees and corporate strip mall crap. Club 185 is a nice place to eat too. What i am saying is every time i eat at places like this it reenforces my belief in doing away with the corporations. Classy spot. Can’t wait to eat there again.

EXCELLENT service! All of the waitstaff are super friendly and helpful. Though a whiskey bar, our waiter was able to help us pick out just the right beer. Super chill atmosphere. Can’t wait to come back to try food, it looked delish!

Edited my review: I’m disappointed they got rid of my 2 favorite burgers, and all the selection, the 44 Burger (probably due to the name change, see below for description) and the Roadhouse Burger [ fried onions, chipotle sauce and jalepenos] and replaced with a not too yummy sweet and sour like burger and the bacon Bleu. :-(I’m super sad. I hope they bring it back. I still love the rest of the menu and the service is good and new management is cool too, so maybe they’ll being me my burgers. … ;-)
Old review: the best burger in town, no bones about it! I Love the Barrel 44 Burger with melted swiss, sauteed portobellos and a cherry demi glacé, my bf gets down with the bacon bleu burger. Add a great selection of whisky and its a win ! This place is an old stand by for us.

I would go here weekly if I could, just for the small plates! (weeknights before 7ish??) Get the crab cake.

Great spot in the Short North. The Kentucky Mule was very tasty. Also tried the fried ravioli. Super yummy! would definitely come back again and try dinner with drinks. Happy hour specials looked interesting. On my list for future happy hours. Sleek décor with multiple TVs. Perfect for watching March Madness.

Sorry for the confusion about this place. I used to go when it was Barrel 44 and was confused by the name change (new ownership?)
We came here towards the end of a night out on high street. Every single bar was packed and honestly kind of gross. We thought since Ohio State was on spring break we would have the street to ourselves. Nope…
So we wound up here. People were there, but there is TONS of seating (which is what we wanted). It was dark and a much more intimate and quiet atmosphere than some of the more raucous bars just down the street.
I love whiskey. If you don’t love whiskey, you can still get beers here. But I would recommend this place for people who 1. Want whiskey 2. Want a whiskey cocktail 3. Want to be in an environment where they can talk with their bar-​goers and not shout over music or push their way to the bar.
Their whiskey menu is probably the largest I’ve seen in Columbus (at least for regular, reasonably priced bars). They also have organized by type and location making it easy to try new things.
The only food we tried was fried ravioli. No reason to review it because have you ever had fried ravioli? No? I thought so.
Anyways, great place to enjoy good whiskey with good company.

I had been to this place a couple years before I started writing reviews, and I loved it then, but was waiting for another opportunity to eat there. The boyfriend’s birthday seemed like a great opportunity, because if it was anything like the first time I went there, he’d love it too. We both loved it!
The service is great, and the whole staff gets involved. We were on a date, so we took a table in the dining room (empty when we arrived), and one server walked in and dimmed the lights. Someone else brought us water and menus. Our server made great drink recommendations (even an experienced whiskey drinker might be overwhelmed by their extensive menu), and our food came out quickly. We ordered the Bruschetta as an appetizer (tons of flavor, a little messy, and absolutely delicious), the boyfriend ordered the flat-​iron steak (it was fantastic, I tried a bite), and I ordered the catfish (and having eaten half an appetizer, I still cleaned my plate and took home no leftovers, it was THAT good). Oh, and as they were bringing our entrees, another server darted in and placed a candle on the table — a nice touch of romantic lighting for our date.
We stayed for a while, had second drinks, and had an overall fantastic experience. The bar area and front half of the dining room is a bit louder, but the wall to the smaller dining area tones down the sound enough that you can have a conversation

Great food, and a neat little place to hang out. New ownership seems to be experimenting with the menu, and I’m looking forward to some of the recent «specials» becoming permanent additions. Plan on being back soon.

Awesome happy hour! The small plates are half off and can easily be constructed into a cheap meal (remember to tip on the full price!). The Tuna Cups are splendid! I’ve also never had a flatbread I didn’t like.
Their burgers are passable – but not their comparative advantage. The fries are flavorful, but not at all crisp.
I’ve spent many a delightful hour exploring their whiskey collection (pro tip: your life is just fine without Magic Cat).

Great cocktails.
Menu for food looks great — will report back.
Looks like it’s had a bit of a change. Service still great. The hot martinis are incredible. Not too expensive — a nice spot for drinks (can’t comment on food).
Great selection of whiskies and beers.