Barrel & Vine — Restaurant in Lemont Township

Located in the heart of Lemont downtown, Barrel and Vine promises a cozy dining experience for Valentine's Day celebrations. Upon our arrival, we found ample parking near the restaurant, thanks to its proximity to the train station. The lack of a bustling crowd added to the relaxed ambiance as we were promptly seated upon our reservation.

Opting out of the Valentine's Day menu, we explored the main menu offerings. To kick off our evening, we indulged in our favorite old fashioned cocktails. While my regular old fashioned boasted a pleasant sweetness, my partner's aged to perfection variation packed a stronger punch, setting a promising start for the evening.

For appetizers, we ventured into the BRI & FIGS CROSTINI and the IMPORTED BURRATA. The crostini, featuring creamy mascarpone cheese and citrus honey drizzle, offered a decent start, while the burrata, accompanied by homemade arugula-basil pesto and balsamic reduction, proved to be the highlight of our starters.

Seeking recommendations for another appetizer, we opted for the SLOW ROASTED TOMATO BRUSCHETTA. Unfortunately, the dish fell short of expectations, with canned-tasting tomatoes leaving a disappointing impression, especially for my bruschetta enthusiast partner.

Moving on to the main course, we sampled the salmon with mashed potatoes, braised beef short ribs, and fries with chimichurri sauce. Visually appealing presentations failed to translate into exceptional flavors. The salmon lacked the desired taste, though the asparagus provided a redeeming element. Similarly, while the short ribs were satisfactory, they didn't leave a lasting impression. The biggest letdown came with the chimichurri fries, which featured minimal sauce, resulting in a lackluster experience for both of us.

Overall, while Barrel and Vine boasts a charming ambiance, attentive service, and visually appealing dishes, the flavors fell short of our expectations. While it's worth a visit for a one-time experience, it may not be a destination for those seeking outstanding...

I dined here tonight for the first time and everything was AMAZING! A friend told me about this place after dining there recently and having Kathleen as their server and so we asked for her as well! She was so incredibly sweet and attentive and had so many suggestions that were spot-on! I ordered the blueberry mojito from the mocktails list and it was super refreshing— a great option for those who do not drink. We started with the Fig and Brie crostini, followed by the French Onion Soup(both of us), and the Filet with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus(both of us). Steaks were cooked to perfection and everything was so flavorful! The French onion soup was one of the best I ever had and the green onion on top was such a nice touch! Kathleen asked if we had any allergies or dietary restrictions and that was much appreciated as I have a serious shellfish allergy and oftentimes forget to mention it when I’m ordering. 🤦🏻‍♀️ She also mentioned the fish special(Salmon in a creamy artichoke and spinach sauce with asparagus and Parmesan Risotto) to us and my friend thought it sounded so amazing that she took one home to go! She had a bite or two when she got home and said it was fantastic! What really made our night was when Kathleen gave us a complimentary dessert after finding out that today was my 3 year anniversary of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She asked if we were celebrating anything when she first greeted us and I said, kinda? It was a really sweet gesture that didn’t go unnoticed and we really appreciated her friendly service and great recommendations. It was a great night that really helped turn my sad day around! Thank you to Barrel and Vine and Kathleen! We can’t...

Date night brought us to Barrel & Vine. We heard about this restaurant through my son. So glad we did. The food and cocktails were fabulous! There's a small bar area when you walk in and a larger dimly lit dining room room toward the back. Our server was Kayla and she provided good service and was friendly. My husband had one of their old fashioneds and I had a bees knees. Their bartender knew how to make the perfect bees knees. If you like bourbon, their bourbon list is a couple pages long and they stock some very hard to get and expensive bourbon. My husband and I decided to get three small plates and an entrée and split everything. We started with the brie and fig crostini - creamy soft cheese with figs on top of a toasted bread with a side of honey. Tasty. Next we had the grilled Spanish octopus with potatoes and a chimichurri sauce. Great flavor, however, heavy on the potatoes and skimpy on the octopus. It looked nothing like the photo from the restaurant. You can see the difference in my photo of what we got versus their Facebook photo. The next plate was one of their salads, the burrata and prosciutto - mesclun greens and roasted plum tomatoes topped with prosciutto and burrata with a little pesto and balsamic glaze served with grilled bread. Again, great flavor and loved the creamy cheese. Our final item was the chicken paprikash - braised bone in chicken breast in a smoked paprika tomato sauce with crispy potato dumplings topped with sour cream. We ventured into something we haven't had before, and I loved this Hungarian dish with smoky flavor and tender chicken. Service was good, cocktails creative and food delicious....