Bread & Barley — Restaurant in Covina

This is NOT a food review. This IS a customer service review. My food, the fish tacos were delicious, hot, and fresh. Considering it’s not a taco shop, they’re very good!! 10 stars. On the other hand, customer service was abysmal. -10 stars. Have heard of this place and was in the area so I was excited to try it. When I arrived, I was waited on (waited on is a stretch) by the waitress, Bailey. She only checked in on me when it was ready to order and to drop my food off. Her demeanor was unwelcoming, as if she herself did not want to be working there. She was on her phone for a majority of the time I was there or was busy talking to another waitress behind the register, and never bothered to check in on me. Because I was never checked on again, I had to go up to the register to get her attention and ask if I have to pay at the table or at the register. When I went to the register she was on her phone and quickly put it away once I approached her, as if she knew she should not have been on her phone. Very unprofessional. There were only 4 other customers in the building. There is no reason that my service was practically non-existent when there was no overwhelming rush of customers. I can't even imagine the poor level of service other customers receive here from the waiters/waitresses. I have worked in food service before, so I understand what it's like to leave a good impression on customers and provide friendly and attentive service. This business needs to rethink who they hire for front of house service. I left a tip but I regret leaving one in the first place. Wish there was a way to have given the tip to the kitchen staff who made my food. Kitchen staff were friendly and cared more about the customers than the waitress did. If you want DELICIOUS FOOD from the kitchen, but HORRIBLE SERVICE from the servers, you've made the right choice to go to Bread & Barley. Also, if you enjoy eating in a stale stuffy setting with minimal AC, go to...

WHAT IT IS A gastro pub.

WHAT YOU SHOULD ORDER Sweet potato tots. Seriously you guys. They have SWEET POTATO TOTS.

AMBIANCE 4 stars I rather like the Bread and Barley. It's dark inside, and I like dark restaurants. There's something so intimate and lovely about being in a dimly lit room while you eat--I don't know. I just love it. The B&B has this rustic theme going on with the exposed brick walls and wooden tables that fits well with the old building it's in. It's open concept (uuurgh) but wasn't too busy or loud when we were there. The restaurant is really long and narrow, too, feels a little unusual. The bar is all the way in the back of the restaurant--we never even got near it.

FOOD AND DRINKS 5 Stars Did I mention the sweet potato tots? My god. Anyone who knows me knows I die for sweet potato fries. What's always better than a french fry? A tater tot. I didn't even know you could tater tot a sweet potato. My eyes have been opened.

I got the Babe burger which was pretty darn good too. I'm a sucker for mushrooms. It was cooked well, juicy, and not too drippy. Really good!

We didn't try any of the beers as I was planning on trying to be productive that night, but I can't wait to go back for another round.

NICE SURPRISES SWEET. POTATO. TOTS.

OVERALL This place is a wee bit pricier than the Brew and Meatball down the street, but they offer a wider variety of dishes and have some specialties that really make this place stand out. I feel the two compliment each other nicely and I hope that they coexist in Covina for a...

Recently, my son and I finally made it to Bread and Barley for a meal—a place he’d been eager to visit for some time. Our busy schedules had kept us from going until now, but the timing worked out perfectly on a lovely, overcast day. We stopped in for lunch about two hours after they opened. After settling into our table, we were warmly greeted by Eileen, our server, whose radiant smile and upbeat energy set the tone for the entire experience. She handed us menus, took our drink orders, and chatted with us effortlessly.

For lunch, my son opted for the banh mi with French fries, while I went for the pulled pork sandwich paired with Brussels sprouts. Every bite was fantastic, and the portions were generous, making the value undeniable. I also ordered the fish and chips to go—it turned out to be an absolute feast, not only delicious but so large that it could easily serve as two or even three meals, depending on your appetite.

We’ll definitely be returning to Bread and Barley, and if possible, we hope to have Eileen as our server again. Her charm and attentiveness truly elevated the experience. While the food alone would have been enough to bring us back, her delightful personality...