Cask & Barrel

Inventive BBQ is a crowd pleaser. The first phrase that comes to mind in describing the Cask and Barrel is «upscale BBQ,» but that doesn’t capture it — I’d have to say «Inventive BBQ». It somehow manages to be a crowd pleaser for everyone from the picky eater to the adventurous soul. The food was so amazing we were all jostling for the leftovers!

Love bbq & was excited to try the brisket after reading rave reviews on Unilocal.They didn’t have any brisket because they had sold out the night before & it’s a 13.5 hour process or some such. Understandable, I suppose. But I can only review the mac & cheese and the cornbread for this reason.
The Mac & cheese was ok. It had a mild, buttery flavor. The crispy bacon on top was pretty good. My main issue with it was the choice of noodles – or maybe they were overcooked. In any case, very slippery & weird texture. If there were better pasta noodles in it & more cheese flavor, or actual noticeable cheese, or some kind of seasoning, I think it would be swell.
The cornbread alone is not great, except around the edges. However, with the honey bacon butter it’s a whole new world. Very delicious. I kind of wish I had some now, actually.
Our waiter was very sweet & clearly wanted to do a good job.
My least favorite thing about Cask & Barrel is the way it feels. It’s a really small space, so to fit a bar and tables that appear to hope to be intimate & slightly upscale in one small area together… it’s hard. It was hard to have a conversation with the person across the table (a short distance) from me because the people at the bar were so loud.
The menu seems inventive & I totally understand that scene. But for something that feels more genuine & effortless, while still being inventive & cultured, I’d go to South. Now if South could get the bacon honey butter from Cask & Barrel, life would be perfect.
I hope the brisket is delicious. I would give them a second chance to find out for sure, but would pass on the Mac & cheese as it exists currently.

The croutons on the salad alone are worth eating here! We shared salad and their homemade croutons were one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I also had the grilled artichoke and it was okay although I wouldn’t order again. My husband had the brisket and he really enjoyed it! The drinks were ordered were excellent and the friend chocolate pie is still beckoning me to return. The chocolate sauce that oozes out is absolutely delicious and made me want to lick the bottom of the bowl. If I had been eating this at home, you better believe I would have made sure no drop of that chocolate was left behind. Our server was very friendly and all the staff seemed very attentive and sociable.
Can’t wait to go back!

My husband and I are huge foodies. We love trying different things and «one of a kind» restaurants.
This will be my first Unilocal review so far and I’m pleased to share our experience with others today.
We went on a Sunday around 11am. Never been before and we wanted something unique. Seated almost right away. First, I ordered the French pressed coffee and my husband ordered one of their bloody Mary’s. Both were amazing and I don’t even typically like bloody Mary’s.
Staff were all really friendly, professional and insightful. Didn’t wait too long for our food and that’s important because we have a 2 year old son. We ordered the duck bacon & beni and the Mac & cheese, the burger and the carnitas dish. They were all without a doubt, prefect! The potatoes were crispy, the duck bacon was super moist and the hollandaise sauce was on point. The only thing I’d recommend is to ask for more sauce because I couldn’t get enough of it, yes it was that good. The ambience was inviting and casual but it had a «classy» flare about it. There was a sports bar area with a big screen tv playing Broncos vs Patriots. It wasn’t loud AT ALL but you didn’t feel like you had to whisper by any means. Like I said, we have a two year old son so we like quick service and felt they met our needs and then some.
Over all I’d recommend this place to anyone who likes great food and a friendly environment.

So, this is my first ever review on Unilocal.I felt like it was necessary to review this place and how great it was.
My wife is probably going to write a review too, she is by far, better with words than me lol.
So my wife and I typically go out at least once a weekend just to enjoy some us time (with our 2 year old lol) since we don’t see each other that much during the week.
Bottom line, all the food we ordered was great and filling. Just to give you a reference, I am 6’3″ 270lbs and my wife comes in at a tiny 5’4″ 130lbs (with 2 hollow legs lol). We ordered the following awesome items:
Amazing burger (only 8 made/​served per day), carnitas dish, Mac & Cheese (with heavenly chunks of bacon), duck bacon Benedict, French press (the wife’s drink of choice), and what had to be the best spicy bloody marry I’ve ever had (be warned, the bloody marry is quite filling).
The staff seated us quickly and they were very knowledgable and descriptive about everything on the menu. We went on a Sunday at around 11am for there brunch menu.
I thought the place was fairly quiet considering all the people there, and parking was easy to find on the street.

A little out of the way as far as eating on the grid, but certainly worth the trip! Totally digging the short, to-​the-​point, focused menu. Too often I am faced with a barrage of wordage which just leaves me feeling unsettled & wondering if I ordered the right thing. I haven’t had the chance to try the entire menu, but I sincerely doubt that a bad choice exists.
Ordered a pound of pork shoulder for two people and it was AMAZING. The meat was incredibly tender, falling off the bone and conveniently, into my mouth. Loved the smokey whiskey BBQ dipping sauce and I am not ashamed to admit that I ate more than one spoonful on its own. It wouldn’t be BBQ without sides and the mac & cheese does not disappoint. It’s served with bacon in a cast iron skillet sprinkled with corn bread crumbs (a nice added crunch).
Can’t wait to come back and see how the menu changes with the seasons.

Very small inside. Make a reservation. The food was so awesome! We got catfish and hush puppies for an appetizer, the flavor was wonderful. We got the apple and green salad, tasted like apple pie with cream, so delicious, we got the Brussel sprouts with meatballs for a side dish, fantastic, and we got two different kind of meats for the main dish. Everything we ate was so yummy! The waiters were very welcoming, informative, and nice! I can’t wait to go back for brunch!

Very good restaurant. They serve dinner family-​style. Short but interesting menu. I think it was more of a $$$ than $$ restaurant ($ 225 for 4 out the door).
Had the chicken wings and artichokes for an appetizer: Both very good — large wings with sesame seed glaze presented with some interesting radish shavings, the artichoke could have been larger or maybe two cut in half rather than one into 4. The artichoke was grilled with a topping and then sauces on the side. It was fine, but not very exciting to me.
For our vegetables we had the brussel sprouts and the greens. I loved them — not exactly light — both were drenched in sauce, but the recipes were both very unique and flavorful. The brussel spouts were the best thing we ordered. They come with delicious fried Meyer lemon wheels. Very nice.
The meats we chose were the short rib and the brisket. Their schtick here (pardon my Hebrew) is they smoke the meats for hours and then seal & marinate it slowly in a water-​based cooker. The meat was okay, but frankly for the price it wasn’t as good as the appetizers and vegetables.
My birthday boy had had a flight of excellent rye whiskeys, expensive, but not bad when you consider the price of what was being poured. Their beer selection was decent, but not a single IPA on tap. Dogfish 60min was available in bottles. Had a draft EPA from a local brewery instead and it was tasty. Someone had a couple «lemonades» and loved them.
Dessert was fine. My son had the cheesecake w bacon, his fiancée had what looked like baked chocolate & fruit pies with ice cream — both were excellent. I had their green tea which had a nice presentation, and my gf’s decaf espresso came out in a single serving French press. Nice.

Best meal of 2015. Ribs incredible. Mac amazing. Service nearly perfect. Great drinks. Good price point. High end barbecue with white tablecloth service and medium prices. What more could you want?

Eating at Cask and Barrel was an incredible experience! Not only was the food amazing — the bourbon Carmel chicken wings, cornbread and ham hock butter, and the pork cheek were all to die for, melt in your mouth goodness! — but the staff, chief, and bar manager were so incredibly welcoming and hospitable with our group. They truly made it feel like we were at home in our own kitchen and enjoying a delicious homemade meal! THANK YOU Cask and Barrel for the lovely dining experience!

I really like this place. for the most part. Dishes more imaginative than anywhere in Sacramento. Sometimes it works out perfectly, sometimes it doesn’t. They take risks, frankly. And I admire that. Foie gras corn dogs didn’t quite offer as much originality on the pallette as one might expect. Then, I had a duck patte with this pear and walnut compote on top with slices of great bread that made ME melt. I simply said «oh my god».
Mac & Cheese was of course delightful however I wouldn’t let myself eat too much of it ;)
Pork ribs were… well they were pork spareribs. they were one thing we had that tasted conventional out of the otherwise consistently daring and eclectic menu. Brisket (sp) was VERY moist and falling apart perfectly.
The dining room is pretty intimate, but not too quiet. If this place really catches on they’re in trouble because there’s only about 25 tables at the most I could be overestimating. I believe there were banquet rooms in back. a bar lines the rear of the restaurant with friendly gents ready to shake and pour. The bar seems a little like bandera except without that pretentious orange county layer of cleavage and haughty laughter.
Service is where you can tell they’re just getting started. I had to wait for 20 minutes for water at some points. We were neglected a bit at times. Nothing too bad though they never forgot about us.
I’m definitely going back to try more dishes that seem all but an anomaly in their own right. Even if some of them here give you that moment of halleluia, and some don’t. Because I find that more interesting than more predictable places– that «scottish rock» salmon with mashed «yukons» for $ 28 just doesn’t whelm me and this does. presentation is what needs a tiny bit of work sometimes. imho. I’m looking forward to finding out the rest of the menu’s merit with enthusiasm. However I might space it out over awhile so as not to gain a lb or 2 ;)

My girlfriend and I wanted to try a new restaurant for dinner. So we decided to try this place out. The restaurant setting was very romantic (great for couples). The waiter was very tentative to us. We ordered bourbon caramel chicken wings, Mac and cheese, beef brisket, and chocolate pie. All of those dishes was very delicious. I was very surprised and happy with our choices. The waiter recommended to try the pork shoulder next time.

Quite possibly the best mac and cheese I have ever tried. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and excellent menu.

I’m not sure what these 3 and below star reviews are about because this place is DYNAMITE. We did have a couple small issues while we were there, but nothing that wasn’t apologized for and remedied.
I went with 6 people for brunch on a Sunday and everything we ate was amazing. I won’t list all of it since we basically ordered one of everything. I want to say between us we split about 6 appetizers and 6 meals… but I think that’s low-​balling it. We still only managed to pay about $ 25 per person and had to roll ourselves out and nap for the rest of the day.
Things of note:
— They make their own bourbon. I’m usually more of a fan of Scotch but this bourbon was some of the smoothest ish I’ve ever had. AND. They put it in a mimosa. Sacrilege, you might say! Bourbon and OJ? Just believe me. It works.
— WHISKEY hot sauce. Yes. Just, yes.
— Same goes for the jalapeño jam.
— House made mac and cheese. Including the tender little baby noodles made of clouds.
— The Ramos Gin Fizz?! Is everything here made of CLOUDS?! Oh my gah. I couldn’t even with this one, and it wasn’t even my drink.
— David, our server. Bless his heart for putting up with us and doing it well. Thank you, David. May you be rewarded with coming back as a bumblebee in your next life.
I will definitely be back, that is for sure.

Fuimos el 24 de Diciembre a la noche. Como no teniamos reserva (eramos 3), tuvimos que esperar, nos dijeron 15 minutos pero esperamos como 30. Considerando que el lugar es chico y no teniamos reserva, no podemos culparlos.
De entrada pedimos un pâté de pollo con pistacho y pan tostado, muy rico y abundante, ya que es un frasco entero de paté, que hasta podriamos habernos llevado ya que nos ofrecieron.
Las comidas que probamos fueron:
Mac’n Cheese con panceta crocante.
Ribs con 3 salsas (½ porción)
Chorizos (½ porción)
(estos 2 últimos con vegetales encurtidos).
De postre el helado de vainilla con frutas glazeadas.
Todo muy rico, quizas un poco chicas las porciones, pero el sabor y lo bien hecho que estaba todo compenza la cantidad (a menos que tenga mucha hambre).
El precio, por la calidad de la comida fue muy adecuado, incluido diria que barato.
3 comidas, 1 entrada, 1 postre, 3 bebidas (gaseosas), u$ 52, con propina, u$ 60. Para la categoria del lugar y la calidad de la comida, la relación precio/​calidad es insuperable.
Si estan buscando buena comida en Sacramento, este es el lugar. Se merece las 5 estrellas sin ninguna duda.

I feel terrible about writing this 2-​star review of Cask & Barrel. I really really wanted to like Cask & Barrel and had been really looking forward to trying it. I will be upfront and say that this 2-​star review mostly has to do with the group dining experience. Essentially: don’t. If you’re looking for somewhere to go with a group of people, probably try somewhere other than Cask & Barrel. If you’ve been to Cask & Barrel, this may seem obvious to you, given that the restaurant is pretty tiny, but my group of friends and I did not know any better, so we planned a birthday celebration here with about 10 people.
One of the things that I liked best about Cask & Barrel was the ambiance and the décor. It had a very rustic, and dare I say, almost hipster-​ish feel to it. The décor was very Fall appropriate, with a nice center piece of pumpkins and squashes sitting in the middle of the table. While this was very aesthetically pleasing, in practice, the pumpkins somewhat obscured our view of the opposite side of the table. When we asked if we could move the pumpkins, we were told to wait for the waitress to move them, which she never did.
So what else unfortunately went wrong for us?
Most of it has to do with the customer service. I get the feeling that Cask & Barrel was sorely understaffed when we were there. I am not sure if this is a regular occurrence or if it was just that night, but I counted maybe two people going in and out of the kitchen, trying to take care of all the tables in the restaurant. I’m not completely heartless, I get it. Being understaffed sucks. But so does not having your water glass refilled the entire meal. So does having what should have been a 1 hour meal turn into a 2+ hour extravaganza because of the crazy wait times for everything. So does having to awkwardly wait for an extra 20 minutes while the kitchen cuts the cake that you brought to surprise your friends, even though you said you could just cut the cake yourself (Why offer if it’s going to take forever to do?). So does having to endure giant pumpkins obscuring your vision and taking up half the table space.
Food-​wise, I thought the food at Cask & Barrel was actually pretty good. They said that everything was made to share, which we thought was perfect, given that we had a group and family style is totally our thing. What we did not realize though, is that by «everything is shareable,» they meant «everything is shareable if each person only wants to eat a small bite, but still pay a fortune.»
Things we got:
— Mac and cheese (divine!!!)
— Sweet potatoes (Also quite yummy, but again, quite expensive for what you get. The sweet potato is cut into slices, and at $ 7 for this dish, it feels like you’re paying $ 1 per super thin slice of sweet potato.)
— Del Rio botanicals braising greens (Surprisingly delicious, but the portion is oh so very small. For $ 8 a plate, I thought that we would have received more than just a dollop of greens.)
— Apple and celery root salad
— Pork shoulder
— Pork spare ribs
— Beef brisket
— Duck legs
— Short ribs
I should also note that we got a full pound of all the meats. The meat that I tried was delicious, but I will be honest, it was a little difficult for me to tell exactly which meat I was eating, because they all came out on one meat board.
In the end, the meal came out to be around $ 20 per person, and we were all decidedly NOT full. So NOT full, in fact, that we made a trip to In n’ Out after the meal to get more sustenance. We had debated ordering more food at Cask & Barrel, because really, the flavors were quite scrumptious, but with so little bang for our buck, portion-​size wise, in the end we opted to go elsewhere.
The food was good, the ambiance was pleasant, the wait staff was nice (when they were around), but sorely overworked– there was nothing really wrong with Cask & Barrel other than the exorbitant prices for the small portion sizes.
tl;dr: Don’t come here with a group. Unless you’re all ballin and rolling in dough, in which case, you do you. But otherwise, you should probably try elsewhere. There really is nothing wrong with the food though, other than it being quite pricy for the portion you get. Cask & Barrel seems like an adorable place to take a date. But again, provided you’re ballin.

Yabba dabba doo!
I loved this spot. I’m a carnivore by nature and this spot speaks to me lol. We had the pork ribs, beef brisket, a burger and a bunch of whiskey!
Everything was delicious and I’m not gonna lie… It was another classic case of over-​doin it but as I sat there post meal in a meat induced coma, buzzed to the lightyear with the bounty of bourbon concoctions mixed by the whiskey dj behind the bar… I remembered realizing that right there and right then, I had reached a gluttonous bliss of goodness gracious God almighty.
and u my foodie friends most certainly can too. What a yabba dabba double doozy doo!
=O)

After 10 minutes of reading and re-​reading the smoked meats section of the menu I had successfully whittled down the options by one and then I felt a sort of remorse and asked why I wouldn’t want it?
This is a great menu with tons of options and they all pair remarkably well together. A cadre of monkeys with darts could likely create a memorable meal. Pick a meat, add a side, sit back and enjoy.
This is a very enjoyable restaurant.

TL;DR: Excellent Service, Food is a little over hyped. Note: I like simple food
Location:
It’s on Del Paso, and close to the freeway. You can easily go here for dinner and take a drive/​über to downtown to continue your night.
Ambiance:
Outside there’s a patio with a fire pit, and some seating. Inside there’s a Bar and several small tables along the perimeter of the restaurant. The large table in the center can be reserved if you have several ppl in your party. (you can try more things).
Service:
The service here is excellent. The waitstaff was very knowledgeable about the bar and dinner menu. They even had suggestions on what to pair the food with. Normally I don’t drink, but I decide to try the bourbon cider. (Cider aged in an oak barrel) Our server informed us that the aging process adds a subtle smokey flavor to the cider.
Food:
All the smoked dishes come with house cured pickled veggies and three sauces Huckleberry & Molasses, Whole Grain Mustard & Smoked
Honey, Whisky B.B.Q.
All the sauces are great! Our server suggested mixing the whole grain mustard and the huckleberry & Molasses. (nice combo with sweet and sour). The Pickled Veggies were nicely seasoned, and were not too tart.
Crispy Chicken Skins & Pork Rinds w/​fried collards, Bourbon Hot Sauce:
You can’t really go wrong with chicken skins. It’s the best part of the chicken. Random thought this dish reminds me of when Cartman (From southpark) ate all the chicken skins. Sorry I went off on a tangent. So it also comes with a collards cause (not much flavor) and a red pepper sauce (adds a slight peppery flavor), and burbon hot sauce (I liked this, but it wasn’t that hot to me)
Bourbon Caramel Chicken Wings — Celery Root & Point Reyes Blue Cheese Fondue:
Overall flavor was good, but I think some people might think it’s too sweet (I know it says caramel, but this reminds me of the heart cloggers I make (mini weiners wrapped in bacon and coated with brown sugar)) The blue cheese sauce was good, but it was missing that sharp bite that blue cheese usually has.
Mac & Cheese:
A-​OK the bacon bits added a nice smokey texture to the soft mac and cheese. I think they use a sharp cheese in the sauce.
Pulled Pork:
Very good, but I’ve had better. I I would buy this if it was in a sandwich.
Brisket:
Very tasty, and had a nice smoke flavor, but it was a little dry.
Overall:
This place is nice if you’re taking your paramour /​boothang out. The lighting is nice and they have a wide assortment of libations to drink. If you like whisky cocktails then you’ll like this place. Me? I’m single and I my bbq simple.
Plate, Meat and maybe some sauce.
Personally I rather eat at a hole in the wall BBQ place like Momo’s, but if I was trying to impress someone then I’d definitely come here. I’m glad that I tried this place, but I don’t think I will be coming back here anytime soon because I have a smoker in my back yard and several hours to kill on the weekend.

5 stars because:
— AMAZING staff! Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable on items off the menu and very accommodating
— Cozy/​warm environment… girl’s bathroom has a cute room surrounded with mirrors and a glass table. Reminds me of a ballerina’s make up room or something… so adorable!
— Yummy Bourbon Caramel Chicken Wings… my favorite! Very crispy with a touch of sweetness. If you’re a blue cheese lover, the melted, rich cheese on the bottom will be your best friend
— Catfish nuggets tasted fresh and light… the little nugget balls were cute and had a sweet bread-​like texture. Yum!
— Pork shoulder was very tender and came with 3 sauces. The pickled red veggies were a nice touch because it’s a little sour/​tangy
We also tried the Mac and Cheese and Cornbread that I wasn’t as fond of. Mac and Cheese had this sharp, slightly bitter cheddar cheese taste that I don’t prefer. Corn bread didn’t seem to have much flavor, and it was a little too flat for me. The butter made it taste better but I’m not a huge fan of butter, so I didn’t like it. I was in between giving 4 or 5 stars since I didn’t like some of the appetizers and I’m not a huge meat eater (the other side of the menu: ribs, beef brisket, sausage, etc.)…but it seemed unfair to knock off a star just because I don’t enjoy meat as much, so 5 it was! Maybe next time I’ll try a whiskey cocktail :)

WOW! One of the best new restaurants in Sacramento!
Cask & Barrel has instantly become one of my favorite restaurants in Sac, for so many reasons. First, the décor and atmosphere is really pleasant. It’s classy, but not stuffy or pretentious. The staff were all super friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. You can tell that these people are all passionate about what they do.
I had the bourbon caramel chicken wings, which were PHENOMENAL! Possibly the best I’ve ever had. You get the whole wing, which makes it feel so much more authentic. The Point Reyes Blue Cheese Fondue for dipping is so amazing.
They also have an extensive bar, lots of whiskeys and mixed drinks. I had a couple of their whiskey drinks which were also pretty good.
I can’t wait to go back and try the BBQ, because it looks amazing. They also have a fair amount of shared plates and bites that all sounds delicious. For how good the food is, the prices are pretty reasonable. Probably $ 8 – 10 for small plates, $ 12 – 20 for main dishes.
Seriously, why are you still reading this? Go… Now!