Barkeaters — Restaurant in Shelburne

After reading reviews about this restaurant's "globally inspired menu" we stopped here for lunch after a day of exploring. Our first impression was poor: the hostess was disinterested and a bit clueless - seems we interrupted her day? She walked away after asking us "how many?" then neglected to tell us to follow her...she walked away from where the stacked menus were kept, so we had no idea where she was going.

Sooooo, it didn't start well and got a bit worse....took a while to get a waitress, there were ?2-3 there from what we could tell. The soup of the day was "Thai Red Curry with Shrimp" but what came out was just broth with a few slices of basil & onion. Zero shrimp. I've made this soup before and if it says "with shrimp" then it's because you add some before serving. When we asked our waitress, her reply was "well yes it should have shrimp, I mean it's says 'with shrimp'... let me check" then came out later to tell us "it doesn't have shrimp but it's made with shrimp sauce." WTH? That's a lot of money to charge for broth....

Our entrees were better: The Montreal Burger (which was one of the specials) & Carne Asada Tacos. Hubby asked for the mushroom fries because several reviews recommended them, however the waitress said those were unavailable for almost a year....ok... Then please update your menus!?! Our entrees were tasty. Not over the top delicious but pretty good though the steak in the tacos was a little tough. Our waitress checked on us and said "how's your entrees? good? better than the soup right? you actually have beef in your hamburger hahaha."

We skipped dessert because the moldy smell was getting too overbearing. The restaurant is outdated, dark and smells moldy. The carpeting is stained & dirty, it's definitely in need of replacement or an upgrade to wood flooring. Dirt & stains on the walls. We wouldn't say that cleanliness and first impressions are high on their priority list. They have an outdoor patio but everytime the wait staff go through the door, it doesn't close right and hot air comes in so this place isn't temperature controlled. The constant 'in & out' also allows a lot of bugs to get in, so lucky me! Three new mosquito bites while having lunch here!

Overall, we'd give this restaurant a B-. Not awful but not awesome. Our bill was $41 and we left $60 to include a nice tip, because these flaws are not the wait staff's errors.

We wouldn't say it's very globally inspired but that might be perspective since we're from metropolitan upbringings, are culturally diverse (I an Asian, hubby is German) & we've been lucky to travel...

We visited Barkeaters this last Wed. and waited about an hour and a half to get our drinks and lunch. The place was maybe 1/3 full, including the outside seating. Another couple seemed to give up waiting for their meal. The floors were grease-saturated rugs and our shoes stuck as we walked on it. The place smelled of old grease. Regardless, we stuck it out because it was recommended by a local. Service was not great, but not awful – we had to ask for our drinks about a half hour after ordering them, during our long wait for food, while others that came in after us were given their drinks. Not once did someone check if we needed anything or needed a refill. The hamburgers, BLT, and Ruben were all very average to below average. The soda was flat and the water was served warm. The fries and the sweet potato fries were good. The male in our group reported that the bathroom floor didn’t look like it had been cleaned of old misses in a very long time. The women’s room was basically clean. Definitely not worth a revisit, mainly due to cleanliness. Also, assuming they may have had a bad day and were shorthanded, there just was no attempt to check in with patrons or communicate a long wait. We certainly didn’t expect to stay 2.5 hours in the place to have a mediocre lunch and leave wondering if it would pass a...

We have patronized this restaurant for 7+ years and have recommended it to others. We just had the worst experience, ever. The wine was sour and almost made me sick. I asked for a different glass of the same wine, and it was good. The supposed grilled chicken (that I specifically asked to be very well done) was white and visibly not grilled. The owners and staff bullied us and made us feel that I was being difficult for asking for what I wanted and speaking up when I didn't get it. My husband finished his meal, but I never got my second request for a different meal. It's clear that this establishment's owners and management do not care to hear the requests from their patrons and more willing to blame them than make things right. I spent $57 for an app, a beer, a glass of wine, and a salad. I'm happy to share my receipt with anyone who's interested. This isn't a high-end restaurant (which is perfectly fine), but to be treated the way we were should cause pause to anyone considering going here. There are so many fine casual and fine dining restaurants in the greater Burlington area - you don't need to experience this. BEWARE - the owners admitted to eavesdropping on our personal conversations and video recording of their patrons.That's a bit scary in...