The Barn Bowl & Bistro — Restaurant in Oak Bluffs

I lowered my rating from 4 down to 2.

The recent visit on an early weekend evening was ruined by a waitress who was inattentive, and she made us upset with careless words. We had to ask another server to remove the appetizer plates during the main course as our server did not stop by. Our soda was not refilled. And, all the food was delivered by the busboy crew and our waitress did not come by after them. All she did was taking the order at first and getting us upset.

One of us ordered Beef stew but she never brought the spoon, and the bus boy didn't bring the spoon, either. 5 minutes later, we spotted her and stopped her. She asked, "Do you need a spoon?" Care-less. I have never seen such a poor waiting crew for some years anywhere until this one.

The Beef Stew was new on the menu, and, it was rather an appetizer portion, and the presentation was really off. 5 tiny little pieces of meat-tenderloin, with diced carrot, swimming, and not much. with the baguette dunk in the soup half soggy like the onion soup. The service, the taste and the portion, and the presentation were all inconsistent this time compared to the week before. Indeed, last week, the kitchen crew thanked us when no one else turned up for dinner hours but us, but, they threw their whim from the same appetizer we ordered and the new dish because they got busy. Inconsistent. The hall was getting half-empty by 7 pm, but, our waitress would not check our food, or our pace. The DJ music on our way out had just started and it was extremely loud vibrating the whole building. We were so glad we were done by then, but, it will be tormenting for other guests who just arrived for their dinner.

Our visit wasn't great from their stiff or tense energy projected to us. Genuinely, they couldn't seem to keep up with the busy nights. They used to be friendly. Not any more with...

Who knew a bowling alley could have such great food?

We were skeptical when we were told how good the food is at Barn Bowl & Bistro, but having been there about a dozen times now, we're convinced. They serve up great dishes with consistency and at a reasonable price for the Island.

Most recently I had their Brazilian churrasco bbq...where they come to your table with skewers of meat and slice off what you want. At $34.99, it's an awesome deal for some delicious meats. It comes with three sides: rice, a salsa of sorts, and a third dish which I didn't catch the name of but was quite tasty. Currently, they're talking about offering it on Saturdays - maybe Fridays - so call first. And go support them so they continue to serve it up!

Other suggestions...the shrimp and sausage pasta is great as are the pizzas. I haven't had the curry but friends have and thoroughly enjoyed it. Personally, I've had the scallops, Bang Bang Cauliflower, SW Chicken Egg Rolls, and the Fried Fishermans Platter - which can serve two. All are good. A lot of folks tout the fried chicken but the night my husband had it, it wasn't well seasoned. And rumor has it there might be better fish and chips elsewhere.

The restaurant is clean and comfortable. The staff is awesome and they mix great drinks. All in all, it's an establishment we'll continue to enjoy and support.

Oh, and the bowling...

Who would've thought that we could have one of the best (and most fun) meals in Oak Bluffs at a bowling alley?

The Barn is a large space, but the food and vibe are unexpectedly good and local. We enjoyed some local beers and ciders like Bad Martha Ale and Hard-A-Lee (in bottles) and got some apps for the table. Say yes to the brussel sprouts with bacon! The crispy calamari were also tasty, with banana peppers adding nice texture and zing.

The food is definitely pricier than you would expect from a bowling alley, but the offerings and quality justify it. My friends ordered the scallops, which our waitress kept saying was her favorite dish. They come over some spinach and mashed potatoes, but the portion isn't huge. However, the scallops were a great size and prepared well with the tops browned golden yet still tender to the cut.

After consulting with our waitress if I should get the mussels entree (which includes pasta) or the appetizer, I went with the app, and was very happy with this decision. It came with a large bowl filled with mussels as well as crusty bread for dipping into the tasty sauce. At the end, I was probably more full than those who ordered the scallops!

We enjoyed our dinner and didn't even try to bowl, but it was fun to look at the lanes and see the scenes of the Vineyard painted on the walls. The Barn is fun, tasty, and so...