Barnaby's Twin Branch — Restaurant in Mishawaka

I really wanted to enjoy this Barnaby’s location, despite knowing their other spots struggle to operate smoothly—so why would this one be any different? It’s disappointing to see what they’ve done to the reputation of this franchise. I’m still a loyal fan of the South Bend Barnaby’s, but since this one’s closer to me, I gave it a shot, many times. Sadly, it didn’t work out.

Let me clarify: this isn’t about the pizza. It bugs me how people get so fixated on that one thing. Barnaby’s isn’t just pizza—they’ve got a whole menu beyond that.

The pizza itself? It’s decent. It’s classic Barnaby’s pizza, the same you’d get at any location. If you’re a fan of their pies, you’ll likely be satisfied here too. Honestly, I’d bet they stay afloat thanks to the steady stream of pizza orders flying out the door.

But I don’t have that “pizza-only” mindset when it comes to Barnaby’s. Having eaten from the pub menu at the Jefferson and Grape Road locations for over 40 years, I know it inside and out, past and present. This review, though, is about this Barnaby’s.

First off, who puts carrots and cabbage on sandwiches? That’s a crime.

Here’s a real story: I wanted to like this place so much that one day I was craving a burger. Their burgers are okay—if only they knew how to dress them properly. Picture this: I’m at home, about to chop onions, grab some lettuce and pickles, and toss them in a container to bring along. No joke! But then my wife and I got distracted talking as we headed out, and I forgot the toppings. We get there, order, and it’s her first time. She starts scraping the toppings off her sandwich, muttering, “What’s wrong with them for doing this?” I just sighed and said, “I forgot—I was supposed to bring our own.”

At that moment, I had to ask myself, “Why do I even bother coming here?” And that was it—I stopped going.

If you do venture in, steer clear of the ham sandwich. You order a hot ham and cheese, picturing thinly sliced deli ham, grilled just right with crispy edges and a tender middle, served on a toasted bun. What you get instead is a thick slab of ham steak—obviously the same stuff they use on the pizzas because they can’t be bothered to stock proper sandwich ham. It’s got the texture and flavor of boiled rubber. You’ll regret biting into it. What cooks up carved into little chunks on a pizza, is not what should be served in a large chunk on a hoagie bun that's not even toasted well.

The service? Everyone’s friendly, no issues there. But I’ve had their smallest burger rung up as a larger one multiple times. I think the guy taking orders might have vision trouble and skips his glasses—not intentional overcharging, just misreading the menu. The cook doesn’t mess up, though, so you end up paying for a big burger and getting a small one.

If you’re not there during peak hours and it’s slow, good luck getting a drink quickly. And if you just want a soda instead of beer, brace yourself for an overpriced glass.

What I’ve always loved most about Barnaby’s is the atmosphere—dark, cozy, with those “We bid ye welcome” signs that make it feel like stepping into a medieval tavern. Not here. This place is brightly lit, with a terrible layout, an awkward bar setup, and no rhyme or reason to where anything is. Ketchup, silverware, condiments—they’re all scattered randomly, forcing you to hunt them down. There’s no pass-through from the kitchen or any organized system. It’s a mess.

That said, if I’m ever throwing a party, I might just call in a carryout order for one of their pretzels. Those are...

We ordered a small pizza with four toppings, two orders of fries, and order of Mozzarella sticks and a meatball sandwich. Nothing was fantastic. It was just ok food, kind of bland. The sandwich was just 6 or 8 meatballs on a French loaf with sauce and cheese, almost impossible to eat. You're going to lose most of your meatballs as they fall of the bun on both sides. This should be one piece of bread cut down the middle, not two slices and a balance act to eat it. So that was fun! The real problem was we ordered a 10" pizza which came out 20 minutes after our other food. The kids and I were already done with our meals and then the pizza comes out. So, by then my wife was just ready to go home. She went to ask for a pizza box, and they wanted 50 cents for a box. 54 cents with tax, and they were happy to swipe my debit card for it. The owner, which was super nice, explained it cost them 1 dollar per box and they split the cost with the customers. I paid for a box and we took our pizza to go. On the ride home, I was baffled at this concept. We spent 60 dollars on "food that was just ok" and then taxed to take it home. Many questions ran through my head on the drive home. Why is a pizza box a line item on a receipt? I buy other pizza and the cost of the box, I assume, is built into the cost of the item I ordered. Should I be refunded 1 cent because I didn't use a straw? 10 cents because I didn't use their seasoning. We used their ketchup a lot, should I have paid for that? I also ordered my sandwich without green peppers. I'm sure that saved them 25 cents. The cost of the box was an insult after spending 60 dollars at this restaurant. I have nothing to say good or bad about the food, but really, charging extra money at the end for a box? They also charge for a box if you order a pizza for takeout. Why not just build that cost into the price of a pizza and be done with it? That 54 cent box cost the owner several hundreds of dollars in future orders as we will never, ever ever visit this business again. I wish the family nothing but success, but I think they need to re-evaluate the way they...

This place is very proud of their food. Pretty expensive for 2 large pizzas and 2 garlic breads ($65).

You could get the biggest Bruno's pizza for less than this and get more food.

Also - $0.50 per item to carry out? Who's idea was this?

Michiana deals - Kind of confusing. I thought we would get $50 worth of food for $25. I didn't realize that it would come in two $25 certificates and you can only use one at a time. You don't save any money on your first visit. So it's really only $25 off of your 2nd visit.

This place won't be here very long. They don't seem to understand competition and customer first approach.

Update - Tried to return to redeem the balance of $25 on the michiana deal. I was told my total was $23 on the phone during the order. Went there to pickup and was told $38. Deceptive business practices at this location.

Calling your customers ignorant is not good practice. I did not blame the cashier in my review, I blamed the business. I was very polite to the cashier, stating that the pricing was incorrect. She then corrected and stated it was $33 for the pizza alone. This site obviously needs better training.

Michiana Deal - Let's break the pricing down. I paid $25 for the deal. My first order cost $46.58 AFTER first coupon. I really paid $71.58 for my first order. I would have paid the same price with or without the coupon. This leaves a $25 gift card remaining, that I tried to use and had the pricing issue. I have paid this site $71.58 and have received 2 pizzas & 2 Garlic breads. This is a deal? You can't cover the cost of a box?

The deal would make more sense and be more clear if you gave $50 off first order. But you are trying to force customer to spend more by making them return a 2nd time, to actually get the deal. From a customers standpoint, it is not a good feeling to pay $25 for a deal and show up and STILL owe $50 for 2 pizzas and 2...