Small Barn Old Town — Restaurant in Temecula

I was in the service industry for 10 years and I am extremely disappointed in the level on service displayed by your staff. I called in advance to make a reservation, but was told that the only availability was at 9pm. We were out all day and just wanted to grab a quick soup and salad and call it a night and take in the lovely atmosphere that we saw from the photos on google. When we arrived, we were greeted by a very beautiful hostess with a very mean girl attitude. There were many open seats available and she informed us that a party of three would have to be placed on the waiting list. We thought it would be a rather quick wait time because the restaurant was empty. We walked up and down the strip and took out time and still hadn’t heard back from your restaurant. We noticed the other bars and restaurants were at full capacity compared to yours. We actually managed to walk and wait for an hour so that was 9pm the original time they said they could sea us. Again, there were several tables available when we got back. The “mean girl hostess” looked at us and told us that we would have to continue waiting. She then got distracted and started talking to other people and socializing. We waited an additional 10 minutes until she finally sat us at a table close to people and didn’t even offer the nicer tables by the fire to make up for our wait. Once we sat down we were immediately given water so we thought things would start to get better. We then waited another 15 minutes for the server to greet us. It was not busy enough to have such slow service. We had waited for so long and we already knew exactly what we wanted to order but couldn’t order it because no one helped us. Eventually the same guy who served us water walked back again and asked if we needed anything else. We told him that we would love the waitress to take our orders. He acted quickly and took our orders for us because he could see we were not happy. I asked for three things off the menu and he ended up forgetting one of them. We never received it and I didn’t even bother to remind him because I didn’t want to wait any longer. He did give a free coke to my friend to apologize for the wait but we didn’t even bother to mention him forgetting the beet salad. The food was good it was just a shame that the service couldn’t match it. We paid attention and noticed the hostess just be a social butterfly and she kept telling people there would be a wait when there were SEVERAL empty tables the whole night long. I feel the night was comparable to a night in Los Angeles at a club waiting in line! I’m from LA so that’s saying something! The hostess and her pretentious attitude trying to have the place seem exclusive and busy when it was not is a playing a very large roll on you losing business. That place could have been booming and just as busy as the other restaurants in the area. I’m sure those restaurants took your business because of this attempt to make the place seem packed. We will not come back to your place again and I would absolutely not recommend it to my friends who live...

I am going to break this down into the 3 categories: Food/Service/Atmosphere

First Service: Our server was amazing and attentive. Not crowding our space and checked on us a healthy amount of times. ( I hate when servers hover and don’t know how to pace there checks lol) Our server knew the menu very well and that is always a good sign, since every server should know and have tasted majority of the menu.

Booking online was an issue a little since they don’t let you reserve indoor seating but you can request upon arrival

I didn’t see on their website but they should specify that they do have heating outdoors since we weren’t too sure if they would have that when arriving since most of their seating is outdoor.

Overall the service is amazing and you can see all the servers constantly communicating and working as a team. Great job!

Food: Okay their menu is small but is packed with flavor. We had the New York steak, crispy Brussels sprouts, ribs, and truffle fries.

My steak was ordered medium rare and was impeccable. The sauce provided was balanced and tangy. Then they added red chilis on the side and it added a very nice kick to the flavor.

The ribs broke apart easily and melted in your mouth. Flavor was there, but I did feel like it was missing something. The mash potatoes were just eh to me. I feel like the sauce that came with the mash potatoes didn’t really highlight anything and was a little bland but the star of the event was the ribs and those were excellent for the most part. I would revisit this to add more flavor to the mash potatoes and gravy/sauce to bring everything together and add more depth of flavor to the dish.

The fries reminded me of my visit to Poland where I had the best truffle garlic fries in my life! And these tasted just like them and their Aioli sauce on the side just made it even better. I’d order a box of these to go. Hard to stop eating them!

Okay the best item we had were the crispy Brussels sprouts and I know what y’all might be thinking, “ Brussels sprouts.. really????” Yes really! They serve them with a caramelized pork belly that is sweet and savory and the Brussels sprouts had a crispy char to them (PERFECTION!). They top it off with a sunny side egg and the runny yolk does so much for this dish! I asked for the recipe but they declined lol. Honestly I could have just ordered these and would be happy with my visit. Must try! And like a yearbook comment “Don’t change!” Lol

Oh we had the ceased salad too which was a great starter and had amazing stuffed croutons. Salad was a hit!

Atmosphere was great outside but the inside seemed a little off. I would take out the couch seating inside or the oversized chairs. They have some wear and tear on them and sink in and are not so comfortable. I feel like they can revamp their inside area and allow for better flow and comfy seating without taking away from their overall artistic flow. The bar and the kitchen glimpse are a great view! They keep it very organized and appealing to the eye.

We are definitely going to...

Alright, let's be honest here. When they put this restaurant in, everyone had high hopes and was excited to see something new on our little front Street. Unfortunately, they neither meet the expectations or fit the cozy personality that some of the other eateries have. When we waited for a day that would have been decent with crowd and availability, you expect a certain type of customer service with a smaller attendance.

On first impression the esthetic is pleasing and offers a select seating selection from a fire pit to "a" large group table (yes be aware of group size if you consider this place). But the appeal was over run with the plants in the seating path that could be a trip Hazzard later.

After meeting the host, even with minimal attendance, she seemed flustered and discombobulated. She stated it would be 35 minutes for a party of 2. After counting tables filled to empty tables and how many wait staff were skulking about. The ratio was completely viable to be seated immediately, but we waited, almost an hour.

The seating request was was completely denied and even with ensuing rain, we were seated at an uncovered fire pit.

The menu is extensive and selective. I but adventurous for a small business this early on. After asking our surrounding tables about the condition of their food, we received comments like undercooked, rushed, and too small for the price. Very unsatisfied I asked for the names and checked the menu for the prices. In fact the prices were absurd for the serving size and quality of the lack luster grab bag costco quality food.

After deciding that public opinion was enough on food determination, we do l decided on drinks as this couldn't be anywhere as bad as the food quality. But we didn't even get to that point. After 15 minutes of being seated the busser was kind enough to bring us water. After 20 minutes and noticing that we weren't the only small table with issues not receiving service.

After 30 minutes and almost 2 hours of our time wasted without so much as a cocktail, we decided to depart. After informing the host, it's been almost an hour with no service we will be departing..... she happily stated....... okay! Have a good night!

Overall, this entire situation was unpleasant and not only would I not suggest to an every day crowd, I suggest an experienced wait staff, host, and a deep evaluation of your meals and prices to accurately fit what you're attempting to reach and not bulking prices to attempt and meet the actual high end eateries just...