Board 'n' Barrel — Restaurant in Alberta

We took our three kids here on a Friday night. It's always a little nerve wracking trying a new restaurant because we've had a few disasters in the past. I could tell from the moment we arrived that we had nothing to worry about.

We were greeted at the front of house kindly and professionally. The place was absolutely packed. They informed us that we would have a ten minute wait for a table, which was no problem for us. To our pleasant surprise we were seated probably within about 7 minutes.

The ambience in the dining area is very warm and inviting. Flames dance inside faux fireplaces (think faux? Could be real I guess) incorporated into the walls. The walls themselves are adorned with a warm colour and wooden accents that harken back to a comfortable country lifestyle.

After being seated we were immediately greeted by our server. She was attentive and friendly and for it only being the first week, she didn't seem to have any grand opening jitters. Looking around, the place was operating like a well oiled machine. Servers were constantly communicating with one another to avoid bumps and spills. I could also tell from watching the kitchen that they had really practiced their operations before opening and were running things in there with order and precision.

We first took a look at the drink menu. I would be comfortable asserting that they have the largest selection of wines and cocktails in Peace River. And I was delighted to see that they have Peace River Brewing on tap. We ordered two cocktails for us and pops for the kids. The only hiccup we found here was the server didn't know which Peace River Brewing "Brewer's Choice" beer was on tap. And the cocktail my wife ordered said it contained orange bitters but when the server brought it she said they had no bitters but the bar did their best to make it taste the same. And it was still a delicious cocktail, as was my whiskey sour, which was a tad too delicious to be honest. I easily could have consumed way too many of those, but decided to stick to just the one.

To start we ordered the root vegetable fries. They're fries made from a either sweet potatoes, beets, or parsnips. As in, each fry is one of those three, not a mashup of them! The fries were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But the real star of the dish is the garlic aioli. Smoothly creamy with just the right balance of garlic to round out the flavor, it is decadent. My daughter, who is a relentless food critic (AKA terribly picky), said she is going to ask for just the aioli next time we go!

We then ordered multiple dishes to just rotate around the table so we could all try a bit of everything. They were at our table in well under 15 minutes. We were floored!

Honestly, of all the dishes we tried, not one was disappointing. All beautifully presented, with an excellent balance of flavours and a reasonable portion size. The kids particularly loved the truffle mac and cheese, and our daughter adored the gnocchi.

The only "constructive feedback" I had for any of the dishes was that the brie, prosciutto and apple flatbread, while undeniably delicious, was constructed such that the toppings were mostly in the centre, so the outer pieces had very few. We gave that feedback to the staff and they received it graciously and said it would be passed onto the kitchen.

Finally, dessert. We ordered all three. They were all delicious, but the Frangelico creme brûlée? M'y goodness. Perfection. It should come with the warning "May cause family feuds. Recommend not sharing."

Overall, what a delightful dining experience. From the ambience, to the presentation and flavors of the dishes, to the consummate professionalism of the staff, if they keep up with their current offering this will easily become the best restaurant in town. Our family is already planning on going back and, in fact, already have in our minds what we want...

During my recent visit to Board'n'Barrel on December 1st, my overall experience left much to be desired. Although the crispy brussels sprouts appetizer was a highlight, the evening quickly took a turn for the worse.

Upon our arrival, we were promptly seated, and the appetizer arrived quickly. The crispy brussels sprouts were delicious and well-prepared. However, as we were enjoying our starter, our entrees were served, leaving little room on the table for all the dishes. This timing issue was a significant inconvenience that disrupted the flow of the meal.

Unfortunately, the mishaps did not end there. As our entrees were being placed on the crowded table, the server accidentally tipped my plate of fish and chips, resulting in oily french fries and tartar sauce spilling onto my shirt. Although the server apologized and promised to replace the sauce and fries, I was left waiting for approximately five minutes without any assistance in cleaning myself up. Eventually, a new server appeared and offered me a wet rag to take to the bathroom. When I expressed my concerns about the dirty shirt, the offer to speak with the manager was made. However, the manager seemed dismissive of my embarrassment and negative experience. Though he offered to cover the cleaning bill, no further gesture of goodwill or discount on the meal was extended, which left me feeling unsatisfied.

In conclusion, my visit to Board'n'Barrel was marred by poor timing, an unfortunate accident resulting in a stained shirt, and an unsympathetic response from the manager.

Unfortunately, these negative experiences have left me with little desire to return. The manager's treatment of the situation was so disappointing as I had other...

What a wonderful discovery!!! We were in town for a short visit and were looking for a spot where we might find some good food. We went in expecting an old pub but it was fresh and relaxing and the food was so delicious. Portion size was just right, quality and presentation of the food was exceptional - I have never had tartar sauce taste so good (it has a hint of garlic). The servers and gentleman who spoke with us as we left were attentive, friendly and just so pleasant. They had a lot of little touches which add to a dining experience - such as pepper and salt mills, a bottle of water so we didn’t have to wait for a server to go by if we wanted more water, a little oil type lamp, flowers on the table, and the whole place was just well laid out with relaxing colour schemes. Even their chairs slid effortlessly on the floor. It was a strange thing to notice but I was aware of it and it made a difference. We went for lunch but had a peek at the dinner menu and will be going back the next time we are in town. They have an awesome patio overlooking the river that was too cold to enjoy at this point but definitely once the warmer weather is here. Even the washrooms were bright, clean and smelled fresh. Our son even noticed that although they have been in operation only a few years they have already won awards. Well done Board...