Barrelhouse in Chandler Delivers on Food and Cocktails, Falls Short on Comfort

It could be said that Barrelhouse American Kitchen & Cocktails in Chandler truly supports the arts. Not just on its walls, where local artists hang and sell their works, or during its art-inspired dinners, but through its cuisine as well.

And if you can get past Barrelhouse’s inability to put you in the cocoon of its concept, which seems to want to be either a casual high-end restaurant or a mod-ish lounge, then there are well-crafted cocktails and (mostly) satisfying plates of polished comfort food to enjoy.

See also: Chow Bella’s Second Annual Eating Christmas

Here’s an excerpt from this week’s review:

“Consider the lobster baked chile relleno.

It is a stunning creation, a deep-green, plump roasted pepper surrounded by a sauce the color of a sunrise and split open to reveal a bounty of lobster chunks and grilled corn relish. Its presence is enough to cause a serious case of dish envy at the table. And if you are its lucky recipient, you will feel compelled (perhaps with a certain amount of smugness) to let your dining companions know what they’ve missed by pointing out how the lobster tail has been positioned to curve around the pepper just so, how the pumpkin-seed risotto cake is providing the perfect amount of crunch, and how there’s just enough luscious chipotle lobster cream sauce, which adds just the right amount of heat, to accompany each roasted and sweet bite.

Hungry for more? Read my full review of Barrelhouse in Chandler.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest.

Want access to our Best Of picks from your smartphone? Download our free Best Of app for the iPhone or Android phone from the App Store or Google Play. Don’t forget to check out the full Best of Phoenix® online at bestof.voiceplaces.com.