11/07/2011 - QC Foodie - Barrel House

I finally met River Rose at Barrel House 211. Ricardo and I stopped in for dinner one chilly evening. The barrel house is a cozy little restaurant/sports bar in downtown Davenport. I would have loved to eat outside on the patio but it was a bit too windy for my liking. Some people were brave enough to outside though. There are three large TVs mounted on either side so one can get a great view of whatever sports games they’re showing at the time from almost any location within the bar. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ and Ricardo had the California Burger. We also ordered gin sevens with River Rose gin. http://www.mrdistilling.com/frame/products_river_rose.shtml

The pulled pork was tender and I though the onion straws on top were a nice touch. I had a side of homemade chips which had a bit of a kick to them. Ricardo enjoyed the burger, which had fresh sliced avocado and provolone cheese atop two quarter pound burgers, commenting on the quality and flavor. He ordered fries and they too, had the surprising spice. The gin was flavorful and aromatic. I enjoyed just inhaling the aroma of the drink as much as drinking it. From the menu, I learned traditional wooden cask capacities for future reference. A barrel is 36 gallons, for example. One never knows when such knowledge will be needed in a trivia night fundraiser. Some of the menu items seem intriguing such as the pizzas and tacos so this warrants another visit. Overall, we enjoyed our visit to the Barrel House 211 and I imagine it would be a fine place to meet friends and enjoy a game on TV.