The Pickle Barrel

I came here on a Saturday with a friend and it wasn't busy at all. We even called ahead to see if there was a wait but the hosted told us there was none. The menu options have changed a bit since my last time here a few years ago, especially with their drinks. I ordered the Spanish Paella and it was definitely below average. It lacked flavour overall and the rice used was simply plain rice tossed in a tomato sauce as opposed to the Spanish Rice they used to use. None of meat included was seasoned at all and every single piece of chicken I'm the dish had cartilage in it. Pretty doubtful I will ever other this dish again, since this is the second time ordering it but from a different location. I can definitely tell they have changed the recipe on this dish. The ambience was nice, but not enough to want to return. Our server was friendly, but she didn't check on too often, so it was a little hard to get a hold of her at times. Heads up, the entrance, is actually at the back of the mall, despite the signage at the front of the mall insinuating otherwise.
7 years ago (12-03-2018)

One of the worst experiences we have had at a Pickle Barrel (or elsewhere). First off, the entrance from the outside to the inside was littered with garbage. Hostess and waiters/waitresses walked by paying no attention to the litter on the floor at all. Not only it was unsightly, it was hazardous and the restaurant could be sued if someone slipped and fell on one of the pieces of garbage there! Then the food. We both ordered the Tex Steak Sandwich, cooked to medium well. Mine had no pink in it and my wife's was dripping with blood. That was not a big deal. What was a big deal is that I specifically asked to pay $2 extra to have peppercorn on the steak when they grilled it. It turns out that the steak only had probably a few sprinkles of black pepper on it but definitely NO peppercorn (see pictures). When questioned why there was no peppercorn, I was told that that WAS peppercorn. I showed the waitress a few googled pictures of what a peppercorn steak should look like and, only after that, she admitted that they had no peppercorn and "it was a misunderstanding" so they used "pepper sauce" instead. I asked her to remove the $2 charge and she reluctantly did, with no apologies offered! Frankly, this place really has run down over the years since opening. I liked it so much when they opened the restaurant more than 10 years ago - a meticulously clean place with nice decor; large portions; great steaks with real steak flavour; great pasta and, most of all, great service. It feels probably more like a low-end diner now but with the prices of higher-end restaurants.
8 years ago (10-12-2017)

After ordering breakfast my boyfriend noticed that beside me on the ledge near my head at our table there was a bone from a chicken wing just sitting there... We didn't say anything but picked it up with a napkin and put it at the end of our table to see if someone would say or do something about it and they ignored it the entire meal.. Had not said anything after looking directly at it several times. The food was semi warm with no flavour .. later on I had a severe stomach ache which eventually went away after curling up in a ball. A few hours later my boyfriend said his stomach was hurting and has been throwing up ever since and I'm pretty sure has food poisoning. I do not recommend this place to anyone. I thought maybe the place was worth another try as the last time I was there was over 3 years ago hoping it had improved from when my chicken parm tasted like fish ... But it's just as bad as it was then. Not sure how to add picture otherwise I would add photo of the chicken bone that sat at the end of our table the entire time
7 years ago (17-02-2018)

What I like about Pickle Barrel is that they have healthy conscious food. That is what sets them apart from the other places like Moxie's and Milestones. This particular location also have large seating area in cozy Nooks as well as a big screen TV in front of the bar to watch the game. They also have quite a bit of a selection for dessert for sweet tooth s out there. Generally friendly staff, good food it is a bit on the expensive side but that could and should be expected. In this type and level of restaurants. It is located at the back of Markville Mall which is convenient before or after shopping. They also have an outside patio that is open during the summer months. They also have a lunch special or early dinner special before 6 p.m. I included the picture of the special
8 years ago (23-11-2017)

I'm actually kind of shocked at the bad reviews! I had excellent service here for 'date night' with my boyfriend. We sat out on the patio and the ambiance was really nice. Food was good - nothing crazy delicious but it was good food. Dessert left a little to be desired but again, it was good. Drinks menu here is super impressive - tons of delicious fancy drinks to choose from. I recommend the peach Bellini. I wish I caught our server's name, she was so pleasant and wonderful and very attentive. Price was also not too bad. Would return again - especially to enjoy the patio!
8 years ago (21-07-2017)