THE WOODEN BARREL — Restaurant in West Chester Township

My husband and I stopped by this cozy, family-owned restaurant in search of a good home-cooked meal—and we absolutely found it. We arrived about 25 minutes before closing and, not wanting to impose, I asked the greeter if she’d prefer we come back another time. She smiled warmly and welcomed us in, inviting us to sit wherever we liked. That kind of hospitality set the tone for the whole visit.

I ordered the country fried steak with green beans and broccoli, while my husband chose the liver and onions with green beans and mashed potatoes. Everything tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. The broccoli was especially memorable—beautifully seasoned and perfectly cooked, with a lightly crisp crust that made it feel like it had been finished under the broiler. The green beans were also wonderfully seasoned, not bland or overcooked like you sometimes get elsewhere.

The country fried steak was generous in portion—so much so that I had enough left over to make a sandwich the next day. My husband opted for the single piece of liver, and it was more than enough. I've honestly never seen him enjoy a restaurant meal as much as he did this one. That says a lot!

Our server checked in just once, which we appreciated—no rush, just laid-back and friendly. We wrapped up the meal with two desserts to-go: a slice of French velvet cake and lemon meringue pie. Both were excellent and made the perfect evening treat.

The atmosphere was just right, too. Unlike many places that crank the A/C in the summer, this diner had a few fans going, keeping the temperature comfortable without being chilly. It added to the down-home, welcoming vibe that made us feel right at home.

We can’t wait to return to this little hometown-feel, folky diner. It’s truly a hidden gem—and a new...

9/23/23 Came back today for lunch. We both got the battered fish dinner, I had fried and grilled broccoli and he had the onion rings and mashed potatoes with gravy. They didn't have the pretzels but we got the beer cheese which went well with the fish, fries, broccoli and onion rings. We both had orange cranberry mimosas.

Another Saturday morning brought us to a place we've never been before. The Wooden Barrel is a delightful surprise in so many ways. Quaint little place with simple decor, the staff was wonderful, friendly and fast.

And this mom & pop place makes a beautiful breakfast. I had the Wooden Barrel favorite with eggs over easy, hash browns and biscuits and gravy with perfectly cooked bacon.

He had the breakfast bowl which has biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs, sausage, ham, bacon and hash browns with the country gravy.

We also got the buckeye pretzel bites with beer cheese. Now let me tell you that these little bites were perfect. Nice and soft, yummy pretzelness and the beer cheese was perfectly seasoned and went well with the bites and then we used the left over to put on the bowl and for me bedside my hash browns.

I highly recommend going to West Chester to try it out. It will not disappoint! We will definitely be back again. Thank you so much for a lovely breakfast.

#cincyphotographer #cincyfoodie...

Stopped in for the first time after driving by several times. Read some great reviews. I love a good diner style/hole in the wall restaurant. What a disappointment. Waitress was friendly, and food to the table time was good. Heading to at least 3 stars. She confirmed that they will cook a burger according to your preference. I ordered medium rare, with pink in the center. I even said, I don't care what you label it, just have pink in the center. Guess what? No pink at all, and the burger was over cooked to the point that it wasn't even juicy. 15 min later waitress brings check. She asked if there's anything wrong since I'd only taken 1 bite. I explained no pink at all. She said we'll that's how I told them to make it, so you're not happy? I said no I'm not. She said ok you don't have to pay and walked away. Walked away with I offer to remake, try something different or anything. No apology. I think she was annoyed. Oh well, not my problem. Other than not charging me for food I didn't eat, she didn't care my experience was poor. Walked out....