Birch & Barley

Was so incredibly disappointed in the food. I ordered the French Toast Monte Cristo and that was NOT what I received. A Monte Cristo is a fried ham and cheese sandwich between a thick French toast like bread and generally served with some sort of compote. I just got toast with crème and fig jam. Don’t advertise it as one thing when it’s missing an essential component and not bother to mention it’s not in dish. Paid $ 18 for toast with whipped cream and fig jam. So disappointing as I had been looking forward to eating here for such a long time.

I have been looking forward to coming here for brunch for a really long time. Unfortunately, it did not deliver.
Service and Décor — Both good. Nothing spectacular.
Food — This was the biggest disappointment. I did the «Boozy Brunch» which is a good deal — 2 drinks, 3 donuts holes and an entrée for $ 30. However, I hardly consider 2 drinks «boozy» compared to what you get at other places. The donut holes were luke warm AT BEST — more on the cold side. My entrée was chicken and waffles. The chicken was very good, waffle was also luke warm but had potential to be good had it been hot.
Glad I finally made time to come, but won’t return.

The pork was dry, tough, and tasteless. The sides didn’t mix well with the main dish.
We also ordered the lamb ribs and they had only fat on them.
I asked for a glass of water for my son, they said no because he could break the glass. I also asked for steak prior to ordering the pork but chose the pork because the waiter informed me the chef would not remove the mushrooms from my dish.
Not a wonderful experience.

Pretty disappointed. We came to the restaurant thinking it was a great restaurant because it had great reviews overall but didn’t go through the «last ones». The service wasn’t good at all, I asked for a small cup for my 17 month old son and the server came and that said he couldn’t get me anything kid friendly for him.
My lamb was gross, it was just fat, I ended up not eating it — also it didn’t have anything as a side. My husband ordered the herbed pork and it tasted like a flip flop, stiff and no flavor. The plating of both dishes were unappetizing. We were in and out by 30 mins, that bad was the place. Unfortunately we are not coming back.

Probably the worst dining experience I’ve ever had in D.C. I went with two friends who have had positive experiences here before (one even had dinner here just the night before we all went together) and they were both shocked at how bad our food and service was.
Went to celebrate my birthday and I had been looking forward to checking out this restaurant. Food took forever (almost 3 hours to wrap up a dinner with just 3 dishes). The pork shoulder was cold and tough. reminiscent of tough ham. The beet salad was good. The free bread was good. The dessert I ordered was good (don’t remember it but probably something something along the lines of a brownie sundae). Not going to complain too much on here because I actually emailed the restaurant and received a polite response from the manager who invited me back (it’s been nearly three months and I’ve yet to return. Will probably go back to try the brunch. eventually).
I’m not one to complain about bad service or food to the restaurant. I just make it a point to not return. But my experience was so bad (probably because our waiter was horrible and made all of us feel uncomfortable) that I actually felt inclined to let them know, so that future customers wouldn’t have as much much of a negative experience as my friends and I had.
With that said. seems like a lot of people love this place. Definitely a cute restaurant and I love the décor. Perhaps it was an off night and we got unlucky with the waiter!

PROS — CONS
PROS — food was fresh and good.
Had the corned beef hash… awesome,
Service was great
CONS — no bread — biscuit with meal, for $ 16 you should get bread, A bit dark inside

Low light and rustic copper surround this urban restaurant on 14^th. We had the sticky bun, chicken and waffles, and the corned beef hash. The corned beef was ok, it was different from hash I had elsewhere. The waffles were very good and the chicken was perfect, a great recipe. The service is also very attentive downstairs (B & B), Church key can be a little slow at times, just an fyi. They have a very good deal for brunch which we did not take advantage of today, for $ 30 you get an entre, two cocktails, unlimited coffee/​tea and some donut holes.

I came here for my one year anniversary with my boyfriend. We sat at a table in the back by the kitchen, which kinda sucked. Especially because I made a reservation in advance and it was only a Tuesday night. The food was good, just the right amount where I left feeling satisfied and not stuffed. I had the duck and I enjoyed it. The macaroni and cheese was really really great! The cocktails were good, not amazing, but good. I think the most fun part of the night for me was grabbing a drink upstairs at Churchkey before dinner.

Sadly, I think Birch & Barley has gone way downhill. I used to really enjoy coming here for dinner, and even more so for brunch, back when I lived nearby. However, I had dinner here the other night and was disappointed with the general quality of the food and the price/​quality ratio. Came in with a group — we had wanted to eat at Churchkey upstairs, but they were packed and we didn’t feel like waiting for a table. B & B had a table ready, so we took it.
I think the Churchkey/​B & B group has stretched itself too thin by trying to be both a pub and a fine dining restaurant. They still do the pub part pretty well — the last few dinners I’ve had at Churchkey have been pretty good and reasonably priced, and I still think they have the best beer program in DC. I always have a good time upstairs exploring the beer menu with a few flights, and the atmosphere is still chic — yes, some industrial touches, but it still feels like a place that is pulled together and upscale. A place I would confidently take visitors and work colleagues from out of town.
Downstairs, it’s pulled together to the point of being not fun. The candlelit vibe and tall booths look nice, but the atmosphere is stiff. It feels like a place where you aren’t allowed to touch anything. Which would be fine if the food delivered, but sadly, this time, it simply did not. I went for a beet risotto dish that looked like pink slime and tasted like nothing — nothing — with a splash of balsamic vinegar. The vinegar was the most flavorful and tasty part of the dish. Our friends — who were visiting from out of town — seemed very disappointed with their dishes as well.
I hope B & B hasn’t completely lost its edge, but the last experience disappointed me.

I came here on Friday with girlfriends and was very impressed! We had a 6 o’clock reservation and were immediately seated. We were very overwhelmed/​impressed by the huge beer menu. I think the waiter said they have 500 bottle beers to choose from. We all opted to get a couple 4 ounce sample pours of the drafts that were available.
To start our meal we got a cheese tasting with 5 different cheeses. When they served this, they also brought a platter with 3 homemade breads. There was a biscuit, a focaccia, and a pretzel. All were amazing! The pretzel was served with a homemade beer mustard which was great.
We ordered a few more things to share: brussels sprout flatbread, beets and grilled greens salad, and the herb mac and cheese. The flatbread was amazing. The dough was soft and delicious and the lemon really made it taste fresh. The beet salad was wonderful as well. The greens were smoky and so different from anything I’ve eaten. I’d love to recreate this salad at home.
Overall, we had a great experience at Birch & Barley! It is somewhere that I probably would’ve walked right past if I hadn’t found it on Unilocal,but I’d love to go back. I’d be interested to check out Churchkey as well.

The prices were fair especially for DC. I could see a vegetarian loving this place. The Brussels sprouts were great. It’s a good date spot! I like that they offer half and full portions of the flat breads. Great beer selection too.

Wow, what a great find! Delicious brunch and super cute and unique looking place. Reservations were all filled up for the weekend, so walked in on a Sunday morning without a reservation and was seated right away in the bar high-​top eating area (where they seat those without a reservation). Still very nice and overlooks the cool bar and restaurant area.
Highly recommend the sausage, egg & cheese… homemade biscuit bun was buttery and delicious and sausage was flavorful. And definitely should try the chicken and waffles. The chicken was extra crunchy with great seasoning and surprisingly mixes well with the fluffy waffles with syrup. So glad to have found this excellent brunch spot. Will definitely return on my next visit!

This was a perfect brunch spot. Made a reservation and was seated as soon as we got there. Service was great and the food was amazing!
The donut holes were nice and warm, and the flavors were so good! Glazed, Lemon poppy,
And chocolate covered.
Chicken and waffles were seasoned so well and was so crunchy with just the right amount of syrup with the waffles.
Delicious and the atmosphere is very chill. Such a nice place for a sunny day!
Would definitely come back.

Went for brunch on Valentine’s day with a group of 7. Despite reservations, there was a bit of a seating snafu. My friends that arrived 10 minutes early were told they couldn’t sit before the whole group got there, but other friends who arrived 8 minutes early were seated. So, the two who had to head back up to Churchkey because they were two minutes earlier than the others were fairly annoyed.
We sat at a large bar table in the back. The stools are fairly comfortable, but I don’t prefer higher seating. It’s much less comfortable than tables and chairs closer to the ground, and I’ve never really understood why bar tables exist. /​rant.
The brunch deal is an entrée, two brunch cocktails, unlimited coffee, and donut holes for $ 30. I was much more impressed with the drinks than the food. I got Ceremony coffee (solid), the Sweater Weather, and a Bloody Mary. Sweater weather is easily one of the best cocktails I’ve had in a while. I forget its ingredients, besides pear, but if you like pear, I highly recommend it. The bloody mary was just ok. It had a lot of tomato, and some horseraddish, but no real flavor.
Food was the same. I ordered the corned beef hash. The corned beef was great, but the eggs and potatoes it was served with were flavorless. The portion would have left me hungry were it not for the donuts holes. Each of us was given a variety of donuts, the consensus was the Lemon Poppy, which I was most excited for, was disgusting. Few of us finished it. The chocolate was bland. But the Toffee bacon was really good. One of the best tiny tiny pieces of bacon I’ve ever had. If you can convince them to give you a whole plate of the toffee bacon, you should do that!

Oh restaurant week, how I love you…
A group of 10 of us biddies got together on your typical Wednesday evening to enjoy all that there is to have from this fine establishment– which for those of you that don’t know is situated under ChurchKey and provides the same vigorous beer selection.
To start, I had the «seared scallop.» I inquired if it was indeed simply one scallop– and was told by the waiter he wasn’t really sure but it might be two. Ok– thank god it was 2. They were actually incredibly small for scallops (bulgar scallops) but they were flavorful and cooked well, not overdone. I also has the pleasure of sampling some of the «braised beef cheeks” — this was good but really wasn’t as much flavor as I thought. It honestly was on par with your average braised beef. Also tried our friend’s «vialone nano risotto.» OMG put my money where my mouth is because THIS was the best appetizer by far. Who knew putting beets into risotto would make it this damn good. And it comes out a gorgeous fuchsia like color. Get this!
For main courses, I ordered the «ricotta cavatelli.» It’s house made pasta, which I’m a sucker for. It had a delightfully tasty beef carbonnade topping and I literally could not finish it, it was amazing. And your damn right i saved leftovers for next day. I also sampled my friend’s «honey glazed duck breast.» Incredibly tasty, although VERY small slices of actual duck.
For dessert, I ordered the «bourbon Apple upside down cake.» Very very good. I tried the «warm fudge brownie» as well and zero complaints were had.
We did also split (2) orders of the charcuterie board– I am a strong charcuterie lover and these boards were on point. The table is also provided with complimentary bread — which they make in house as well. We also splurged and ordered (2) of their macaroni & cheese sides. Oh… How I do love macaroni & cheese… Sadly, this wasn’t worth the extra $ 8. Mainly because they overused the truffle oil. It really was overpowering to the point of pungency.
The food was delicious all in all. Our main complaint (if any) was that for each course a member of our party was always missing a dish. Every time without fail! A short sight on the waiter or on the kitchen timing, unsure. But I would definitely come back!

Had a reservation for dinner at 5:30, and when we showed up, the place was empty! It really started filling up around 7pm.
I accidentally worded the «can we have some house bread» incorrectly and said, «can we try your bread», and our server brought us out a bread flight! Soft pretzels, cornbreads and biscuits in bite size with delicious house-​made butter and mustard seed spread. One of each for each of us. So good, so nice, and so free!
For our entrees, I got to try the beet risotto, Brat Burger, Strozzapreti Cacciatore (rabbit), and Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread. The rabbit, flatbread and burger and fries were very heavy. The winner was the Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread. The fat, fluffy crust was sooooo good.

Did the boozy brunch with my boyfriend in December 2015. We made reservations through Open Table and had no problems getting seated.
He had the fried chicken & waffles – as good as everyone says, a must-​order on the brunch menu! I honestly can’t remember what I ordered, it was underwhelming and nowhere near as good as the fried chicken. The drinks were good especially the bloody mary variations, but a bit on the weak side, IMO.
We were given a sticky brioche bun since it was our first visit and our anniversary (which the server kindly noted!) – very yummy! The boozy brunch also comes with donut holes, which were good, but not mind-​blowing in my opinion.
There were pretty busy, so service was a bit slow and we had to wait awhile between coffee refills, but everyone was really nice and efficient once we got their attention.
Overall, we had a great experience and brunch is a good deal for the price, but I’m not sure if we’d be back, given the limited menu – I think we’ve tried everything we wanted and although it was good, there are so many other options in DC we’ve yet to try!

Great ambiance. Great service. So I expected a lot from this brunch spot. Did it meet expectations? For me, no. I think I expected more.
Had the apple french toast with bacon. Bacon is usually good and this was no exception. The apple french toast… While well prepared, the flavor and taste were not fantastic… Just merely good. Texture was also ok. For a place like this and the prices I expect more… And there are other places that can deliver… So not sure if I would come back for brunch…

Terrific food, wonderful customer service, 55 beers. Next.
Even though I live 3000 miles from DC, and after a two month hiatus, I was recognized by the maitre d’, who said he was happy to see me. Birch and Barley has turned into my favorite DC restaurant. The food, whether you go for fish, beef or veg, is beautifully prepared. One of the best beer lists around, and they remember you. Doesn’t get any better. All that with a noise level that allows for great conversation at a comfortable decibel level.
Please don’t change this! Y’all are the best.

The brunch I had at Birch & Barley might be the best meal I’ve consumed thus far in 2015.
Make a reservation, and give yourself plenty of time to find this gorgeous neighborhood restaurant, as it’s quite a hike from the nearest Metro stations. But once found, amazing food and drink await.
For $ 30, the Boozy Brunch special is a very good deal, as it includes coffee for one ($ 3), two brunch cocktails (between $ 7 – 12 each at full price), one order of doughnut holes ($ 6 at full price), and a gigantic brunch entrée ($ 13 – 16). And honestly, with the addition of just another cup of coffee, one brunch special would be enough for two people to share. However, because this was my first time, we added on another full entrée and coffee for two people to share. For about $ 60 including tax and tip, this wasn’t a cheap meal, but it kept us full all day.
To start with, the coffee is delicious and they kept the refills coming. For cocktails, I went with a classic mimosa, which was made with fresh squeezed orange juice. J had a classic bloody mary, and I immediately had order envy once I tasted his drink. I don’t normally like bloody marys, but this one was phenomenal — well balanced, pulpy and rich, with tons of unique pickles and olives for a garnish. Served in a tall juice glass, it was a generous pour too.
For food, the three flavors of doughnut holes are as delightful as all the reviews mention, with my favorite being the toffee bacon. And for entrees, my crème fraîche biscuit was the size of a salad plate and still warm from the oven. Served sandwich style, it was stuffed with a homemade sausage patty that looked more like a 8oz hamburger patty, and the most delcious scrambled eggs folded around melted cheddar. Thought the biscuit sandwich alone would have been sufficient, it also came with two hashbrown patties (think McDonalds style in the best possible way, but homemade and studded with fresh herbs), as well as a small salad of bitter greens. I am always a member of the clean plate club, but this brunch entrée bested me, and I had to leave about 25% of it behind. Even so, I was still full until the next morning.
I also sampled a couple of bites of the fried chicken & waffles, which is juicy and perfectly fried chicken tenders served over four quarters of the most tender Belgian waffle topped with buttered pecans and a maple-​chicken jus. Visiting from Atlanta, I didn’t think this classic southern dish could live up to my expectations this far north, but it was the best version I’ve ever sampled.
The beautiful atmosphere and excellent service are also worth noting. It’s beautiful inside, slightly swanky, very romantic with soft candle lighting, yet still relaxed, sort of like a modern Restoration Hardware. This atmosphere make this a perfect date spot, and the spot on food and drink make it a perfect *anytime* spot, so you really can’t lose!