Farrar's Bistro — Restaurant in Washington

Often as I wander around, this craving, this small persistent desire arises. It’s not as easy as wanting a taste, or a favorite place, it feels simple, but deep, a young sapling rooted solidly in nostalgia and watered by the passing years.

This little urge echoes around my mind as clear and direct as day. It is a string of memories tied to a kite, a whisper in my ear and it says sandwich. It says simple but profound, it says compact and easy to hold. It says hikes in the mountains of the rising mists, picnics in shaded spots by a clear moving creek and sitting with good friends.

I don’t know why it is so hard to find a good sandwich, the ingredients are simple, the acceptance nearly universal. They are one of those things that no matter where you come from, you recognize as, food.

They are one of those things that are made of basic common goods that add up to more than the sum of its parts, infinite variety created by cooks who know the secrets to life, artists who make beauty out of the mundane.

The world is full of subs and sliders, foot longs and open face, but getting a sandwich, which should be universal is surprisingly difficult.

So to the point, all I wanted was a sandwich and my complicated day’s route drops me close to the area. I suppose I have driven by Farrah’s Bistro 100 times, but this time I am caught in my migration like a traveling trout is caught by fisherman’s well made fly.

I liked the ambience, dark after the bright day, but not brooding or obscure. Old wood and open space make an alluring stage. The service was helpful and friendly, and I had a chance to talk briefly with someone I assume was an owner. A woman comfortable in her skin, carrying pride and confidence easily on her shoulders, with a direct and frank appearance.

The BLT was perfect. The very essence of taking a simple archetype and giving it a separate and subtle life of its own. Like music made of few, but clever notes. Definitely a sandwich I order again.

The fries were almost good. They were not particularly crispy and seemed kind of chewy and dense. Obviously cut by hand and well seasoned, beautiful to look at, but somewhat sad in their execution. I wondered how these could be made to shine as brightly as the main attraction, a skilled support orchestra arranged around a loved soloist.

I took most of them home and threw them into the air fryer for my wife and liked them better reborn, crispy and somehow not as solid in the center. Normally a failing fry can drag a restaurant down, but they were not bad, just not right and rescued by the shining BLT.

Oh, and the iced tea seemed home made.

This place is off the beaten path, easy to miss or at least pass on by, but I can see it rooted deep in the small community. I would guess that the majority of customers are regulars and live locally. Luckily I pass here often hope and hope to...

Visited Farrars for dinner for the first time on July 30, 2015. The wait staff is friendly and ready with a smile, one of the high points of my evening there. Ordered the calamari as an appetizer for my guest and I and was delighted with the tender, batter-crusted rings. There were also 4 whole calamari that were delicious as well. Served with a tartar-like dipping sauce and another based on soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and perhaps some citrus. My guest ordered the pan-seared scallops on a bed of pasta ($24), and I ordered the chicken pot pie that is reported to be one of the best sellers on the entree menu ($13). I also ordered a side of french fries as I was just in the mood for them and wanted to find out how good they were. My guest enjoyed her medium-sized scallops............ALL FOUR OF THEM.......on a very large bed of bowtie pasta finished in what she described as a cream-base sauce. We asked the wait staff if it was customary for the scallop dish to be served with only 4 medium scallops and our chagrined wait-person assured us that yes, there are only 4 scallops included in the dish. For $24!! I suggested that the wait staff alert diners to this fact before they order to avert unhappy customers in the future. My chicken pot pie was served piping-hot in a cast iron skillet, covered in a wonderful, golden-brown pastry. On the palate however, the dish comes off as very ordinary with nothing in the flavor profile to elevate it above average. My suggestion would be to saute onion in butter first, make roux with that, add the veggies and chicken, and finish with tarragon, parsley & chive instead of the more traditional poultry herbs that were used. A good stirring would have helped as most of the black pepper in this dish was contained in a single bite. The french fries were straw-cut and served up golden-brown, hot and delicious. Given the quality of the appetizers and the drink offerings(not sampled) Ferrars might just be a great place for your happy hour needs. The restaurant menu, however, leaves much to be desired and it is my hope that Ferrars is up to the challenge of bringing much better offerings to the table that will surprise and delight it's customers and set itself apart as a dining destination. Best wishes,...

Culinary art! Dinning at Farrars was a delightful experience. While on vacation, A Friend recommended we visit Farrars Bistro due to my strict nutritional needs from food hypersensitivity. "Road food" cannot accommodate my finicky needs and eating out of my ice chest gets boring. Since we would be driving thru the area, I scheduled our lunch break to include a trip to Farrars. I was a little away from I-5, but worth it. Parking was a little tight, but it is an old building with a familiar feel. Kinda has a rustic ambiance yet still upbeat and modern. I found out later that the building is a refurbished grange hall! Firstly, as soon as we walked in the door, we felt welcomed. The waiter was very knowledgeable and was able to answer most of my questions concerning the ingredients. Their food is mostly sourced from small local sustainable farms. Just what I was looking for as I truly didn't want to end up in an, out of town, e.r. while on vacation from having digested Frankenfood After ordering coffees for the two of us and a warm milk for our Granddaughter, I ordered fish tacos as well as a pear and beet salad. My Husband ordered the brisket sandwich with fries and our Granddaughter had potato salad and a burger and the three of us split a cup of tomato bisque. The coffee is AMAZING! Not bitter or despondent but a full bodied and soft. I even ordered a second cup. The bisque was delightful. When our meal arrived it was as if an artist had laid out all the paints needed to finish a long awaited masterpiece. I could tell the chef took pride in thier work. My fish tacos were abundant and very tasty. My Salad was gracefully assembled and carried my palate into gastronomical bliss. My Husband said his sandwich was one of the tenderest brisket sandwiches he's ever had and the fries were fresh shoe strings. Our granddaughter, a potato salad lover, said thier red skin potato salad is better than mine...sigh...I need thier recipe! I'm glad I scheduled our lunch break at Farrars and look forward to returning. The food was very satisfying and gentle to my sensitive stomach and the service was great. As far as price, I found them to have VERY reasonable prices considering the quality of the ingredients on...