Twig & Barry’s

So, I guess I’m really late for the this review… And I suppose it’s pointless since they’re closed, but maybe it will help someone thinking about using their catering service?
My husband and I came for lunch a few months or more after they had opened. They weren’t very busy but we still waited 10 minutes or more for someone to notice that we were waiting next to be seated. Eventually we were told we just go up and order. It was awkward to stand cramped up by the cash register trying to look at the menu… I ordered the popular chicken tenders with a side of mac and cheese. My husband attempted to order 2 or 3 different things but they couldn’t make any of it because tomatoes were out of season… They didn’t offer to make it without the tomatoes or any other accommodation. It would have been nice if they had taken them off the menu or something if they weren’t available.
My chicken tenders were BLACK when they arrived. Everyone’s around me were also this color so I didn’t say anything. It definitely tasted burnt. The dipping sauce was great. My mac and cheese came out with a black hair on top… I pointed it out and my waitress says «Oh…» and walks off with it. After we finish our meals a new mac and cheese is brought to the table. It was okay – nothing special.
They had a lot of interesting things on the menu but sadly the service was laking, the dining room was beyond crowded/​uncomfortable and the cleanliness was subpar.

UPDATE: closed except for catering and special events.

As of 6÷20÷13, they announced on Facebook they are closing to the public and will only be available for Catering. See post here:

This was my first visit to Twig and Barry’s and it was pretty delicious. I don’t think I have not one complaint.
I started with the Thaid Up Shrimp and it was mighty tasty. It was a little oversauced, so next time I’ll probably ask for the sauce on the side. But the sauce was delicious like a hot sauce aioli almost, over crispy shrimp.
My entrée was the Steve Jobs, which was tomato, cucumbers, sprouts, hummus, avocado, and tsatsiki? On a cibatta square bun. Really good and very thick.
My husband had the BLT Chicken Sandwich with Rooster Sauce on the side, and Onion rings. The onion rings looked beer battered to me, but not sure. My husband said they were a little on the greasy side, but very tasty. He said his meal hit the spot.
My daughter had the chicken tenders with fries. If you’re a parent I’m sure you are very familiar with this dish. Usually the dish looks very basic like chicken that came from the freezer and regular fries, but with this one I actually felt good about my kid eating it because it looked fresh not frozen. Real batter, real potato fries, and sea salt.
We all had the fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade, sooo good! I would definitely recommend this gem.

Was excited to try this place out because of all the rave reviews. I ordered the Jacked Up Chicken to-​go and was pretty disappointed. This dish is basically just a regular grilled chicken, with just 4 – 5 mushrooms (talk about short change!), and a bunch of fries sort of mixed together and then LOADED (and that’s an understatement) with melted cheese right on top of it all.
The dish felt extremely bland and lack luster. I’m going to go back again and give it another try (hoping it’s just that dish that sucks).
I also asked if their lemonade was really sweet and she said yes. I’m not sure what they think sweet is, but their lemonade is definitely more on the bitter side. Which is totally fine, but at least don’t lie to me and tell me it’s super sweet!

GENERALLY: for the area, this place is as good as it gets. It’s not perfect at all (disorganization causing some of the problems mentioned in other posts), but great food, nice owners/​staff, changing eclectic menu and great ingredients.
SPECIFICALLY
Super-​recommended:
The Steve Jobs sandiwch. How many veggie sandwiches can you think of that have a great life *the next day for lunch*?
The Thai coconut shrimp appetizer –shockingly good. crunchy breading, perfectly spicy sauce.
Desserts are amazing.
Fries w/​parmesean and sea salt crusts.
The Ice-​tea is great for crying out loud.
Recommended:
The chicken/​bacon/​mac-​n-​cheese sliders. Fun idea, and they pull it off well. But look at those ingredients. Maybe it’s my fault for thinking that I’d feel fine after that rather than ready for a nap.
The spicy chicken sandwich. The spicy sauce is really interesting and perfectly balanced.
Thai pasta. good flavor, crisp greens and sprouts. The cold pasta salad like disposition is always a bit jarring for me if I’m hungry, so maybe it’s my fault this isn’t up there in the «super-​recommended» section. Quite good, to be sure.
Everything I’ve had here is best-​for-​50-​miles-​around good.
I think they’re working on a BYO ability, or even a liquor license.
Cons: yep, they’re not prompt and they’re not good at managing rushes. we’ve experienced the waits the a more organized restaurant would’ve avoided. We’ve experienced the radically nice owner apologizing for his inability to be both a great administrator along with a great chef.
And we’re still headed back, as often as we get the chance.
Although to be sure, it wouldn’t surprise us one bit if one of these times there’s a closed-​for-​good sign on the door b/​c of those flaws.: (But I SOOO hope they can get it under control. I mean this area is b.a.d. at unique places like this. We gotta support the ones with great menus and local ingredients that are taking some risks if we want more to pop up, right?

Awesome service. Employees are polite and considerate of their guests. The menu has a variety of veggie-​friendly options which we were pleasantly surprised. The food we ordered was expertly crafted, fresh, and delicious. I look forward to eating there again in the near future. Strongly recommend.

Very disappointing, poor customer service.
We came here on a Thursday when it opened at 11:00. We came from Chicago after Chicago’s Best posted about it. Well, at 11:00 the doors were locked and the chairs were still on the tables. We sat and watched employees meander about the store and take the chairs down. I posted on their facebook page that we were still waiting for them to open.
Sometime around 11:12 we tried the door again and it was still locked. We drove across the street to get hot dogs instead when we saw the open sign light up. We returned, let ourselves in, and we were told that we could not order yet because they were still working on a catering order. Around 11:40-something we asked the person who appeared to be in charge if we could order yet and she said she of course, that she thought we were waiting for someone as we stood at the counter.
We ordered a burger and jambalaya. What my wife was going to order was not on their menu, although it was on their website’s menu. One of the burger patties was rare and the other well done, which was fine. It was a good blend of flavor. I love all of my beef on the rare side. However, in addition to the poor service, the jambalaya had ONE piece of sausage that was slightly smaller than a pinky fingernail, about 5 pieces of bland chicken, and NO SHRIMP at all. It was very blandly seasoned, not spicy in any way, shape, or form, and inferior to a box of Zatarains.
They also commented on my facebook post on their page that they WERE open, but didn’t turn the light for the sign on. I call BS on that.
I hate leaving a 1-​star review for an independent establishment. Had the service been better, had they actually been open and taken our order before 11:40, Twig & Barry’s would’ve earned two stars for having a decent burger, but bad service and incorrect descriptions of menu items is inexcusable.

Food is good! This place is casxual and cozy and has a clean and homey atmosphere. I became a regular when I livewd in Bourbonnais because the quality of the dishes and the creativity were unique to restaurants in the 60 914.60915÷60 901 area. I also like the fact that they actually work hard at coming up with new specials and changing up the menu, unlike most places around there that simply recycle ingredients. Another thing I REALLY like about the place is that the owners treat their customers like friends and actually listen to what they say.

I really, really like this place. It is fresh and they have really good food. Their lunches come quick. I also love their specialty dishes at night. The Thai dishes are amazing! Better than Thai Rickshaw in Homewood… that says alot!
I was a bit surprised by the bad reviews until I saw the dates. The reasons I wasn’t that surprised was because they had a different chef back then.
Chef Will is an artist. You can see it, sell it, taste it. The company has made alot of changes in the last year and I wish people did not write it off and would give it another chance. The Marvin burger is so good that I would fly home to eat it some days. The specialty «Barry» sauce is soooo goood. My mother patronizes their chicken strips and fries like they are prize children. Can’t deny my jealousy of her love for them… lol.

Very pricey, and we were still hungry when we left. The dessert would not be ready for another hour. We had $ 22 filet mignons with vegetables. No potato was offered. The food was excellent, however, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The man seating people, handling menus, describing his establishment, was also making salads without gloves or tongs. I doubt he washed his hands because the long sleeves of his sport coat would have gotten wet. The waitress who made our salads did wear gloves, but that’s no consolation considering the man had put his unsanitary hands in all 6 or 8 salad containers, contaminating all the ingredients. Will not be going there again.

Super nice staff and the food was pretty good and not too pricey.

I grew up in the area, and have been back to visit intermittently over the past 10 years. I was SO glad to find a place like this in my hometown. I hope the care they place in their food and local sourcing rubs off on the community and that this culture thrives in the area. It’s definitely a couple steps above the chain restaurants that tend to dominate. I will say that I have lived between NYC and LA, so I am probably a bit more used to the slightly higher prices for informal, café-​style food. My five star rating is in relation to other casual dining café-​types, not formal dining. (You order at the counter here). But please go and support local independent eating!

I really enjoyed eating at this place. I came in for a quick bite and was very surprised at the eclectic menu and great ambiance. I ordered the chicken fingers/​mac and cheese/barry’s sauce goodness. It was absolutely fantastic. The server was very friendly and the manager (or so it seemed manager) came over and asked if I needed anything. The music was also fantastic. I would definitely go back. I’m a big fan.

I’ve now been to this restaurant twice and have had wonderful food. The mac and cheese and the onion rings are particularly outstanding. I also had Bob Andy Pie which I had never heard of, but it was quite good. The service was efficient, the server pleasant, and one of the owners even came to our table to check on us. Only two minor points keep me from giving this 5 stars. The music playing during both of our visits was this rather obnoxious punk/​acid rock music which is way too loud for guest comfort and not really appropriate for a restaurant. The other is the clutter of items on the dining counter. There is restaurant equipment and the owner’s computer and paperwork scattered about in full view of diners. If I was dining there alone, I wouldn’t want to sit at the counter because it’s not inviting to guests.

New spot in the area, great environment (not out of ordinary for the owners to come have a seat at your table). Great menu, prepared w/​all FRESH ingredients, and generous proportions. …Check the Rooster on Fire… money…you won’t regret it…

It’s sort of funny reading some of these reviews. One person described it as one of the worst experiences of their life. They must’ve had a pretty uneventful life up until now, geez!
The bottom line is this place has some great food. I’m a grown man and it feels funny eating chicken strips at this point of my life, but the chicken here is amazing! The breading is perfect, and yes the chicken is local. Although I can’t speak to the level of intimacy they have with the chickens and farmers, but it’s good enough for me. I am a moderate food snob btw.
I also highly recommend the shrimp dishes they serve. The Thaied up shrimp appetizer is a cute but well done nod to Thai cuisine, I liked it a lot and will order again. I’ve also had the shrimp po boy, and it was fantastic.
They do serve a special sauce with their chicken. It’s very unique and has the perfect kick to it. I like it on their fries too which I think are wonderful. They’ve never been soggy for me. I think the problem for some people is they expect fast food or even battered style fries all the time. The fries here are just thin cut fried potatoes, and I like to taste the potato in fries not just greasy batter.
They also have great Mac n cheese according to my wife, and she’s from Wisconsin so I’d believe her.
Check out out this place if you like fresh lovingly made food with a twist. I do give them 4 out of 5 because they are still working out the kinks a bit as they are new. The prices are very reasonable if you ask me, entrees range from $ 7-​$ 13.

I haven’t found an item that I don’t like and the same goes for my wife. We’re pretty regular customers (sometimes twice a day) and we thoroughly enjoy each and every visit. We haven’t had one single bad experience and the owners are always a pleasure, taking time to take in feedback or just sit and chat when they can.
This may sound strange, but their chicken fingers really are the best. You can taste how fresh every ingredient is, from the tomatoes in salads/​on sandwiches to the cheeses on various items. Everything is cooked to order, so this does take some time, but you can get a burger that’s cooked right and food that hasn’t been sitting all day. If I had to recommend one item it would be the Rooster on Fire… a sandwich made from chicken fingers featuring a spicy sauce. Not a fan of spice? Do the chicken finger BLT, which offers «Barry’s Sauce»; the best I can do is liken it to a fresh, tangy twist on barbeque sauce.
If you haven’t tried Twig & Barry’s yet, do yourself a favor and stop in. There are a lot of creative items and the prices are more than fair.

We wanted to like this place. Really we did. The food was decent, but not great. The burger was overcooked, the «special sauce» on the chicken was barely perceptible, and the fries tasted like yesterday’s rejects — way overcooked and rubbery. I didn’t see any of the organic fare that was touted as their specialty.
Worse was that it was DIRTY. The men’s room was beyond filthy. The dining room floor was also very dirty — muddy and smeared. The tables were sort of sticky and we saw a waiter resetting all of the tables with silverware without even wiping down the tables themselves and running his fingers through his hair repeatedly while making up the silverware rolls.
I can’t find any reason to come back.

I hope they make it but they have a ways to go.