Barley & Rye Bistro, Inc.

My first 2 visits here were amazing. That said the last 2 visits have been less than amazing. For the $$$$ it needs to be always amazing. Might not be back! Better step up your game, last time i spend $$$ for lunch. Had the Cuban sandwich and it fell way short. Soft soggy bread deli ham that smelled like wet dog! Yeah mmm

Great food and great service. Nice to see a chef so committed to making something unique and interesting. Salmon was delicious and the chorizo mac and cheese was rich and flavorful. Great selection of craft beers and our server knew them all. Will be back.

Really impressed. Excellent quality, great prices, nice service, cool atmosphere. I want an excuse to come back to the area! The scallops on our starters (scallop & avocado salad) were cooked perfectly and seasoned nicely. My braised lamb special was soooo tasty. My husband really enjoyed the bison meatloaf. We had nice side salads and the bacon mac & cheese, which was fine. Would have been 5 stars if the dessert had been better — dry lemon cake, poor presentation.

Solid food, healthy and filling in a laid back atmosphere. Best whiskey selection outside of Chicago. Food was flavorful and rich with texture but not overwhelming. Brussels sprouts as a side were simple and fresh. Mac and cheese was rich and creamy and gone quickly. Savory meats compliments the cheeses. Kentucky honey barrel brown ale worked well with everything. And they have blanton’s bourbon. Sweet!

Never made it past the door. apparently you need reservations for a Saturday night At 5:30? Although the place was nearly empty at this time?

This place uses local foods as much as possible. Everything we ate was wonderful. We will definitely be back. I had the Coho Salmon which was simple, but wonderful. Actually, my 11-​year old daughter stole about half of it. The sprout salad was so good. My husband had the brisket sandwich and said it was super tender, melt in your mouth amazingness. My 13-​year old son had the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. The jalapeño biscuit was too spicy, but the rest was great. My daughter got the chicken strips, but they aren’t like McDonald’s, so at first she said she wouldn’t eat them. There is no ranch or mayo, so she was not extremely happy. Maybe not the best for kids. The adults in our party loved this place. We will definitely return. It was one of the best meals we have had in a long time! The service was also exceptional. We are waiting for our cinnamon roll bread pudding. Mmmmmmm…

I love the vibe and general feel of the restaurant! Bar stuff excellent! However I have to say that the food was just «okay» and very over priced for the quality. The chicken was a let down for me– all breading and terribly dry. Olives mostly stuffed, not great real mixed olives.

Had a great time talking to the bartender and the patrons at the bar. I hemmed and hawed over several beers, to which I got plenty of tastes. Got some great advice from John the bartender about what to get for my meal and I was not disappointed. I had squash and chorizo soup that was hands-​down the best soup I have had in years. Followed up by bison meatloaf and broccoli this was a great meal.
Cheers!

Excellent! TheBison meatloaf is exceptional. Red Handed Bourbon from my town — Austin TX. Good solid farm to table. The bartender is very knowledgable and friendly.

Great experience! They have been open 2 years and I’m not sure why we have not dined with them before. The atmosphere is open but not too loud. We were greeted warmly and service was efficient. The chorizo duck meatballs were good but were pushing my heat limit. They were perfect for my husband. I appreciate the 3 courses included with the entrées. Makes this dining experience a good value too. We had the meatloaf and brisket for entrées. Both delicious, well made comfort dishes. The salads were excellent with a variety of crunch and homemade dressing. The cucumber feta was so good, I almost licked the bowl clean! We chose potatoes and Mac and cheese as sides. The Mac was underwhelming and barely warm but he potatoes were excellent. We will definitely be back to try more items and dessert!

Had dinner at the Barley & Rye it’s always good here and the service is prompt. The décor is all sustainable and reused. The food changes depending on what season it is. I had some awesome squash and pork soup tonight. Only thing I would change is the noise level it can get pretty loud in there.

One of the best dining experiences, and whiskey and bourbon selections in the quad cities. All local ingredients, great lunches, and dinners as well. Beer dinners here are a must. Beautiful ambiance with exposed woodwork, private patio, and large window seating. Often if Chef has time, he’ll come out and talk to you and see how your experience is going. The extra effort that they put in is really worth the price tag.

my man and I stopped here passing through IL on our road trip. what a great Unilocal find!!!
we shared the meatballs off the app menu– pretty good. we practically licked the plate lol.
bae got a kale salad and I got the side salad with my dinner — cucumber feta dressing is the BEST get it get it get it. yummmm
then we shared the special pasta smoked chicken and corn or somethig with homemade fettuccine. it was good but WAYYYY too heavy. it was good we were sharing because I could never eat it all my self.
I got a side of tarragon string beans and OMG they were heavenly. amazing and obviously plucked right from the farm and cooked JUST right. a MUST have.
and lastly— drumroll…
my favorite dessert is pecan pie. no question. and a slice was not only delicious but also 2 DOLLARS… SAY WHAT??? 2 bucks? soooo good yummmm eat it up yassss

One of the better places to eat in the QC. Great drink selection including the best selection of whiskey in the area, lots to choose from on the menu, large portions and great presentation. Went on a Tuesday night and service was great. The short rib and meatloaf were awesome. If you are looking for great food, service and atmosphere check this place out!

Gave Barley and Rye a second chance last night and I’m so glad I did! They’ve made some changes to their food, both my meal and my friends meal were phenomenal. I had the scallops with tomato basil Mac and cheese, she had the burger with fries. Now all their entrees are served with bread beforehand as well as a salad or soup and a side which you choose from 4 options. This made it a way better «bang for your buck». With Red Crow Grille closing, this just may be my new spot for fine dining! AND it’s on the Illinois side which is even better!

The food was inventive and delicious. Chorizo wrapped in bacon with blue cheese was terrific. Brisket with habanero, whiskey was equally great.
But the service was so unbelievably slow. Slow, slow, slow. They we’re busy initially but even after things cleared out they were still slow.
With a little attention this could be great.

Really nice! Nice ambiance. Fun.
Not the usual selection of choices for QCA Unique and creative menu.
Extensive selection of bourbons.

The food was very good. But, I won’t leave it at that, since nothing is that simple.
We got an appetizer… it was dates wrapped in bacon and chorizo with bleu cheese. I don’t remember what it was called officially. It was tasty. For $ 6, you get three wrapped dates. If I had to make a statement, however, my most pertinent judgment would be that presentation may be everything, but you might consider ditching the «fancy» plank that is under the wrapped dates. The first thing I noticed was some hairs sticking out from underneath my dates. I was perturbed… upon further investigation, I think the darkwood planks have some sort of hair in their structures… the hairs that appeared to have accidentally hitched a ride onto my apppetizers seemed to actually be part of the planks. Hmmm… and when I moved the plank aside after we’d consumed our three wrapped dates, I noticed there were some dark splintered pieces on the table. Style and presentation is everything, but honestly, this appetizer couldve looked equally as stylistic and NOT brought along random hairs and splinters if they had put them onto a white plate with decorations rather than onto a dark wood plank with some random cheftastic flare.
The food was good. The ambiance was nice. The help was extra attentive.
The ambiance was also very pretentious. I may return, but I must say… they seemed like they were trying harder than necessary.
I shouldnt have to decide that the hairs in my food were from an unnecessary plank of wood under my fancily-​presented food. Ditch the pretentiousness and the rating might actually go up…

Have dined at Barley & Rye on a number of occasions and really appreciate the space, concept and the effort. While certainly not earth shattering in scope or James Beard worthy in execution, they do provide a solid option in the fine dining desert that is the QCA.
I think the chef/​owner here is doing a lot of things right such as using locally sourced and «trendy» by local standards ingredients. Sure the kitchen and floor don’t always hit on all cylinders, but I suspect from reading some previous reviews that some of his menu offerings are perhaps and in all fairness misunderstood by chronic pub grub and chain feasting diners. Unfortunately, unless you are a passionate home cook or support Barley & Rye, I’m afraid the local options for anything other than deep fried gluttony are few and far between. Obviously, Barley & Rye is not the place to get a mound of chow and a Bud Light for under $ 10 per head with plenty of leftovers to stuff in your lunch box everyday the following week. So, everything in perspective.
That said, it looks like this place is developing a good following and I hope that they do step it up and iron out the wrinkles. Along with the all the positives, I understand and have experienced infrequent glitches in taste, presentation and execution. Of course I trust that any chef/​owner brave and visionary enough to offer up Barley & Rye to the QC in downtown Moline, IL is already taking steps to remedy his patrons and reviewers concerns. Certainly marrow bones and pork belly aren’t for everyone, but if they are on your menu, make certain they are the best they can be. Don’t let it leave the kitchen if not 110% of perfection. I think the prices are fair, but you need to rock every plate every time. No excuses and dispatch any and all squeamish finicky eaters and complainers to the Barrel House post-​haste.

Such an awesome and delicious experience! It’s a farm to table kind of restaurant meaning that most everything on their menu comes from local farms and is homemade daily. Everything from the popcorn they put on your table to the salad dressing to the bread to the dessert. And everything is so amazing!
My barbecue potato soup was amazing! It’s homemade and served in a mason jar. I’m loving anything and everything mason jars so this was definitely a perk. I had the airline chicken with the mashed potatoes and uncommon gravy for my entrée. The chicken was to die for. So many flavored and not dry in the least bit! My potatoes were pretty good and although the gravy was a little on the cool side, it had a delicious unique flavor. It was almost kind of sweet in a way!
I’m glad my date insisted on dessert because my life wouldn’t be the same had I not tried their homemade tiramisu. I’d never had tiramisu before so I’m glad I lost my tiramisu virginity to Barley and Rye. So so amazing.
Everything about this place is well worth the 5 stars. I’d give them more if I could.