I love my wings and I love bleu cheese dressing. I'm torn about Barleycorn's bleu cheese dressing. It's the diced onions and lack of celery seed. It tastes good but just unusual. Not used to crunching my dressing. The buttermilk and bleu cheese is there but the crunch? I've been going to Barleycorn's since the 70s when they were floating on the Ohio river. Always one of my favorites. But, the bleu cheese dressing, while good, is not pure. The bleu cheese dressing is meant to cool your tongue after the heat to the wing. As a purist, I like the onion in the dressing if it's on a salad but not with my wings. Final answer, swap the onion for celery seed like the lord meant it to be. Do that and we got another star read more

OK - so check out the tab. I was paying for my friend and myself. You will notice two tall Michelob Ultras, two short Modelo Esp. I ordered myself a "shot of screwball". The server asked me for clarification and I said a "shot of Screwball". She said "OK" and off she went. She returned later with the shot of screwball and all is fine. Then I get my tab and notice this very weird "UP" entry for $2.25. I asked the server what the "UP" entry meant and she stammered through something about the shot and mixer.... I explained that I had a straight shot - no mixer and she asked if I wanted to speak to her manager. I said "Yes please". This guy walks over and i ask him to explain the UP charge. He says "well maybe you had one shot during happy hour and one later..." I respond, "No - I had one shot". HE says "Well what do you think a shot is?". I say, " An ounce and a half". He replies, "Well, we pour 2oz". I say, "I didn't order 2 ounces". He replies, "We always pour 2 ounces - we've been doing that for 48 years". I say, "Well, I haven't been coming in here for 48 years - I ordered a shot". Now, just do the math. Suppose what he claims is true - first off, why would you charge for a shot and then add an additional UP charge without someone specifically asking for an "over-pour" or a double or something? Also, if you are over-pouring by 1/2 ounce why would it be $2.25 for a $5.75 shot? i mean, you are over-pouring 1/3 of the original shot - right? $2.25 is NOT 1/3 of $5.75. Not by a long shot. Also, where do you get off over-pouring anyone without an explicit request? The fact that the server stumbled on an explanation and then the "manager" comes out with a very weak explanation leaves me doubting the entire thing. A couple of bucks is not a big deal but wtf? This is just not necessary. It makes little sense and only served to piss off a potential regular from returning. Just charge whatever the shot is supposed to cost and let people know that you supposedly "over-pour". Also, don't over-pour unless somebody specifically asks for it..... this isn't rocket-science. read more

Barleycorn's - Cold Spring - mysterious UP charge.... - Sports Bars Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

The last time I was there business was slow and it took them nearly an hour to get our food out too us. I ordered boneless hot wings and they were so hard and bland they weren't fit to eat. So I'll make this short and sweet. I won't be back to eat at this place. Yeah it has a nice quiet atmosphere before the crowds get in, but I'm here for the food. I can get quiet atmosphere in a parking lot in McDonalds. read more

I have been to all of the Barleycorns in the area now. I think I like this one the best. The inside and outside are the nicest and it has lots of room. The roast beef sandwich I ordered was yummy with au jus sauce and a baked potato. The skinny martini was delicious. Our waiter was so nice and always checked on us. read more

See all

It makes me sad to leave only 1 star, as Barleycorn's has been a family favorite pretty much my entire life, especially this location. We've been coming to the Mother's Day brunch for the last 8 years or so. We can't help but notice a decline in food quality and service over the last couple years, especially this year. Maybe it's a coincidence, but it really started to decline around the time the restaurant was sold. This year though, the food was not good. Items were noticeably different altogether from Barleycorn's staples - chicken tenders weren't the same kind of tenders, Mac and cheese looked and tasted different, and several in our party of 10+ compared it to cafeteria quality. We were sat 20+ minutes after our reservation time in the back room that used to be a basketball court, split up into two different tables. It was so loud in there that we couldn't hear much conversation. There was a table in the main restaurant that would have fit our party and I just assumed it was going to be used for another big party, but it was empty the entire time we were there. The two times I went to get food they were out of plates and I had to wait for plates after already waiting in a long line for food. A few years ago, this would have been 5/5 stars. Something's changed for sure. read more

Do not order holiday special Hot Brown. It was bread and meat with a couple pieces of sliced cheese on top. Not a hot dish with melted cheese sauce that hot brown is known to have. read more

Natalie was a very good server. She was attentive, patient and worked hard to satisfy Food however was slow and mixed reviews from the 6 of us. We started with fried pickles which were great. Much more crisp than most places but that made them perfect for sauce dipping My chowder was cold, but the flavor was good, though lumpy Two people had backed potatoes. Both were cold when they came...butter would not melt. Chicken wings for two people were great. Hot, juicy and very tasty! A berry salad was extremely large and very good. Dressing was perfect. So, 1/2 the food was excellent and very enjoyed, 1/2 was not really worth having. Go and ask for Natalie and get a salad with a side of wings and I think you'll be quite happy. Stay away from the rest read more

could be 4 stars. I've been twice recently with two totally different experiences food is decent. loved the hot ham and cheese sandwich. lots of choices for sides and the ones I tried were good. chili is good too. love that it comes with oyster crackers because I'm a sucker for them. cheeseburger was okay but the roll is so thin it couldn't hold up to the meat and fillings service was inconsistent. at the table, the waitress was fantastic. super friendly, brought drink refills without having to ask, helpful with the menu. but at the bar, a totally different story. inattentive, overfilled the beer glass and slammed it down on the bar so there was beer everywhere. no offer to wipe off the glass or the beer all over the bar. is it because I'm not a regular? I am visiting from out of town and staying close by. if I come back, I definitely won't be sitting at the bar read more

We started with fried pickles which were very good. The batter was crispy and not too salty. I had shrimp tacos and they were amazing. The shrimp was perfectly cooked. My husband had the jacked up chicken sandwich and he said it was very good. I also had a spicy margarita that was good. The service was excellent. Would be a great place to watch a ballgame. They have multiple televisions. There is also outside seating. We will definitely be back. I highly recommend. read more

This grouper fingers are to die for! Their house salad was nice too although the Roquefort dressing seemed a bit heavy on mayo.

Your neighborhood sports bar which always has a game on and is always busy! I haven't been to this location in 10+ years, and it hasn't changed much. The have sports memorabilia all over the place and tons of TV's to catch the big game. They even have a basketball hoop and games to entertain the kids while waiting for their meal! The menu is large and offers bar food, but a good mix of healthier options. I absolutely love the chili and sweet potato fries, which is always my go-to. My husband thought the wings were great and they have a large beer selection! The outdoor patio has grown and seems like an awesome place to hangout during the warmer months. The outdoor bar is large, there is tons of seating, and they have live music occasionally! read more

I really am not sure where to start. We ordered 2 burgers, neither of which were regular bacon burgers. We received 2 bacon burgers. I asked about it, our burgers disappeared for about 10 minutes, then our server brought out the same burgers with the sauces on that were supposed to be on our burgers on the side. Since it was the original burgers, they were cold. We finally flagged down a manager. She asked what she could do, I asked for our food to go. She bought us two meals to go. THEN our server came to show us the desert plate. We asked for our food to go, our dessert was brought to eat in the restaurant. When the manager came to ask if she could do anything, she also asked if she could get me another drink... which I assumed with the service would be on the house... it was not, neither was the dessert. Honestly it was really disappointing and it was my boyfriends birthday so I don't see myself coming back. read more

Opening day and greeted immediately, Ellis was our server approached for a drink order. Drinks served fast. It was crowded but service was excellent. Typical sports bar food and has evolved over the years. I had the pretzel sandwich with onion rings and my guest the chicken wrap. Will return and from all the service people and the manager making rounds a great experience for opening day! GO REDS read more

We have been here many times, but I'm leaving a review for this trip due to disappointment of appetizer and over charge. We ordered cheese queso and a few drinks. The queso, though tasty, was so thick I could carve it. I was overcharged for the wine (ordered 2 house wines but charged $18). Only reason to come here is outdoor seating. It's a shame to have a local bar, but not happy. Not sure if we are going back (3 strikes) read more

My daughter and I had lunch here on 11/2. We decided to have a couple appetizers before we ordered our food as we always take something home. We decided on the zucchini strips and potato skins. The zucchini strips were delicious but the skins (4 of them for $9.99) were sad, tasteless, no sour cream was with, no chopped green onions on top, for $9.99, I wouldn't buy them again. We ordered our food, we both got house salads and she got a French onion soup. The salads were something poured out of a bag you get at Kroger's, they added a cucumber and some pretzel sticks to dress it up, my daughter's soup, the cheese on top wasn't broiled and brown like it's supposed to be. It was just meh at best. Probably won't be back for awhile, their food used to be good and nice portions but it was lacking when we went and cost $55 with tip read more

Fantastic place with terrific food and excellent service. Highly recommend the grouper fingers and the honey siracha wing sauce. Brandon is the best bartender of all time. Good prices and better food read more

We have had a lovely experience with this location. In between baseball games, we brought the team for lunch. Chris (manager) and staff were very accommodating, kind, and efficient for this large group! We have had the best service, food, and atmosphere! It's not easy working a Sunday open shift on Father's Day, and we appreciate the excellent service we received. Highly recommend this location! Thank you! read more

We just went here Thursday prior to going to the Justin Moore concert and the food was good! I thought it could have been better but they do have a good atmosphere and it was packed do to everyone going to the concert! One thing that was excellent was our service! read more

Barleycorns's has really gone down hill over the past few years. Not exactly sure what's happened. It was always overpriced, but the food was enjoyable and seemed to be somewhat fresh. Not anymore. Took the family and their friends here tonight. I ordered the Wildcat expecting a chicken breast with fresh toppings and sauces. Not quite. It literally looked like something from a concession stand. I can't imagine what I ate was anything different than the frozen breaded chicken breasts used at in a school lunchroom or concession stand. I mean it. Very disappointing. The potato skins appetizers were overcooked to the point of charred and the "bacon" on top looked like "Bac-O Bits". The chicken fingers that were ordered again looked worse than what you'd find at a stadium concession stand. Costco has better frozen chicken strips. It's a shame that it has degraded so much. I used to frequent Barleycorn's quite often, but think this will be the last. I even worked at Barleycorn's on the river back in Highschool. Was always wildly crowded and popular. Our server was new but very sweet and accommodating. I cannot complain about her. She took very good care of us. The ambiance is nice and beer selection decent. Ownership needs to get it together. I don't know what has changed recently, but something definitely has. Do NOT come here for the food. It is simply not good. The menu may read the same, but the ingredients and quality of the food is not. read more

This is a very inconsistent restaurant which is why they get two stars. I go here a lot because I have friends who love it and swear by it for sports games. The food is either absolutely disgusting with hair cooked into it or it's amazing pub fare that I can't wait to try again. I don't get the inconsistency - how can something be so gag-worthy one weekend and great the next? If you are visiting Barleycorns and don't feel like playing Russian roulette with your meal, try a beer and something fried or their wings. read more

I have been to Barleycorns many times but this was my first trip here. The place looked like most any sports bar and was clean. The waitress was kind of indifferent but not rude. I got the Wings with hot Buffalo sauce. These wings were spot on as they were cooked perfectly and had plenty of sauce. The sauce was packed with flavour and had plenty of heat. My wife's salad was a little on the disappointing side with chicken just being unflavoured grilled chicken and very little of it. Some good and some bad on this visit. The wings are worth going out of you way for. read more

See all

We always enjoy a trip to Barleycorns. I feel like for having as many options on the menu as they do, I always really like what I get! Love the chef salad, the fish and chips and the fish sandwich! Good options for kids too. :) we order take out a lot and it's fast and good! read more

So I was in town visiting a friend, he said "hey got an email for tacos and margaritas. Does that sound good for dinner?" Of course it does! We ordered online, which we thought was odd they had time slots ex. 6pm 630pm 7pm etc. Ok we picked the time slot, they were great and ours was ready earlier than the hour away time slot. We ordered wings, 6 tacos 2 margaritas and some FREE chicken nuggets. We get back home margaritas were perfect! We open the food. The tacos (6) each had 3 thin pieces of steak each, cheese and corn ! No freaking way. Oh ! Don't let me forget the sauce there wasn't even a teaspoon per taco, couldn't taste it. Only thing you could taste was tortilla. They were edible. Disappointed. No lettuce, no green onions, no tomatoes, no salsa no filler even. I wish I would have taken a pic. The wings, I saw a pic of the menu on Yelp! Of wings they looked huge, deep fried, battered and all that yummy goodness. I more excited about the wings than margaritas. I opened the container of wings and... ‍ the sauce looked watered down and the wings barely had any on them it all was on the bottom of the line of the container. We must have ordered the wrong kind of wing. I have no clue but even for a wing with no sauce still disappointed. Then the free nuggets. Free. Only good thing about them. Very disappointed. All the food looked so good online and on here. We spent 60 dollars! The containers were more expensive than the food costs. I would probably go back for drinks on the patio on a summer night but.... I don't know. The service was good. I thought it was weird that we paid online, said it was approved. They bring our food out and he has to run back in and swipe the card. I would have loved no contact durning this time. Or an offer to put it in the trunk or back seat. Maybe something to think about for the future. I understand we are dealing with covid-19 pandemic, but food quality and dollar value was definitely not up to par, curbside was good. read more

We were seated on the outside patio which had plenty of heaters nearby tables to accommodate for the chilly weather. The service was slow, which was expected for a Saturday night (we were there for over 2 hours). The food was great, though! I definitely recommend the tower of togas but in hindsight I would have gotten the BBQ sauce on the side. We will be back! read more

Barleycorn's - Cold Spring - Smothered burger - Sports Bars Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

See all

This place is way overpriced compared to their competition. Like 50% more. Don't come here if you just want to drink and eat a few wings. They are very proud of their beer and wings here. And the service is much friendlier at their competitors as well. The atmosphere is good here. At least they have that going for them. But not worth the extra cost especially in todays economy. read more

We tried this restaurant out during burger week to find some new places. These two sliders and chips were $5 so a steal for a good meal. However, they didn't have too much flavor and were very messy. We ordered the sample appetizer to split among 3 people and we had a chicken strip and mozzarella stick each and had to share two potato skins. For $10 it didn't seem worth it. The atmosphere was cool with some arcade games and an indoor basketball court. However, not my new favorite read more

Barleycorn's - Cold Spring - Pretzel sliders & Saratoga Chips - Sports Bars Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

Good service and food is decent. Had their ribs once and they were really good and priced well. The hamburger seemed like a let down, expected better. read more

So the restaurant scenery is nice. The prices are good and the service is good....but the food. The quality of the food has absolutely dropped off. Now if you're getting something fried, you're fine. That's easy. If you get a burger, you can tell they have definitely tightened the budget. Low quality frozen patty. The garlic parmesan wings are absolutely horrid. Tasteless, small and covered in melted butter (psst- it's actually margarine). I used to enjoy taking my family here but unless I'm just going with friends to have beers and appetizers, it's not worth it. Very sad that the quality of food has become unimportant to them. read more

UPDATE: Joe Heil (the owner) responded to my post promptly and politely. He apologized profusely and sent me a gift card to make up for the mistakes. As such, I am changing my review. Thank you, Joe for addressing my review. We ordered large Dock style wings from here about a month ago. The wings were plain, not dock style, and the celery was brown. We called up to complain and the manager apologized and asked for our address to send us a gift card to make up for it. Needless to say, the gift card never came and we are never returning to this Barleycorn's. Dixie Highway is further from our house but worth the drive. read more

We needed a quick lunch after doing set up for a wedding down the road. I knew nothing about this place, other than the name... but the name was great so we headed in. They have a very large menu. Almost too big, really. But that's an okay problem to have. It was about 2 pm on a Wednesday and they weren't very busy. Service was attentive and friendly. Food was really good! I think the portion sizes made the value really good. I bet it would be a really fun atmosphere when they're packed with customers. read more

Barleycorn's was one of my watering holes back in the college days at Northern Kentucky University, and after a recent visit I remember why I always felt welcome at the place. With plasma screens galore and kitchy local sports memorabilia blanketing the walls, this place is a great spot to watch the Reds and Bengals play. They offer happy hour from 4-7 and 10 to close during the week, though the price reductions are fairly modest. However, ask about drink specials because I nabbed a large Long Island Iced Tea for $3.50. Also, they have college night geared toward NKU students that features drink specials. They've recently revamped their menu to include paninis, though I usually stick to my favorite, the Grilled Salmon Salad, which is Caribbean spiced salmon atop a bed of salad greens. If you're sitting at the bar, see if Andy is working. He's an outstanding bartender, who will make you feel like a regular. read more

Barleycorn's - Cold Spring - a sign for a restaurant - Sports Bars Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

See all

Had a good time. Server was nice, fast and helpful with suggestions. Food and drink was great.

Best Feature: Pretty good food! Worst Feature: They charge for everything and not sure the prices are quite worth it. We'd heard of Barleycorn's but after we moved to the Northern Kentucky area, we decided to turn myth into reality and actually visit this restaurant. It's almost hidden away on a road that runs right off Alexandria Pike, but the big "Barleycorn's" sign keeps people from wandering aimlessly. We walked in to find plenty of seating. They have outdoor seating during seasonal times of the year and inside they have a full bar with seating as well as an assortment of booths and tables. In the back of the restaurant they also have arcade games and a small room with a basketball hoop for sporting fun and gaming. Our first visit was a bit weird as far as service. Our waitress was very inattentive and not very helpful in clarifying/modifying our order. Subsequent visits have yielded better service experiences, but none of which have been anything more than just average. The food is pretty good, and I had a yummy burger as well as some nachoes. I was unhappy to see when I asked for a side of BBQ sauce with my saratoga chips that we were charged for it. I know many places do this, but I've been to several places that do not charge for extra side sauces and I would've liked to know that before receiving it. The waitress made no mention of this, so I was not impressed. Overall it's a pretty good restaurant, but I wouldn't it chalk it up to anything more than okay. I've certainly had better and I don't like all the prices and extra charges, so I won't be returning too often. read more

Barleycorn's - Cold Spring - Sports Bars Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

See all

Decent meal and attentive service. Atmosphere is definitely a country sports bar feel. Sweet Tea was good and meatloaf was tasty. Chicken sandwich had good meat but overall unimpressive side items were undercooked and bland. Country music and sports on tvs made it difficult to converse for lunch may be a great spot for a beer with fellas but wasn't what we were looking for. read more

We ate outdoor seating. Family of 5 arrived at 4:48pm and told we were next in the list and it wouldn't be long before we were seated. We got drinks while we waited and weren't seated until 60 mins later. We received our food nearly two hours after we arrived. Food was incorrect order. Chicken and waffles was a child size order at $12. This was brought up to a manger who stated she was not in charge of portion sizing (quite rude). Chicken wings were substituted which was fine. BBQ chicken sandwich was received without lettuce, tomato, or pickles, as listed. No one seemed to care. This will be the last time we visit Barleycorn's. read more

Just finished working.... Planned to meet a couple of friends for a drink before heading home. Checked Yelp at 11:30. Yelp said restaurant was open until 1:00am. Waitress said they were no longer serving food. We said that was ok.. we were going to have a drink. Manager said last call was at 11:30 and we needed to leave. Said he can't control when. The owner says they close. Consistency is important to any business to ensure customers will want to continue going there. The manager did not apologize and said it was out of his control. He was very rude, talking over us and saying bye. Please change update your hours if you do not plan to be open after 11:30. read more

The food was average. Nothing extraordinary, but not terrible either. We had a very attentive server and she made the visit better. They have a really nice outside patio as well. read more

Been 20 years since I ate at a Barleycorn's but it won't be another 20. Dinner with 8 people everyone got a variety from the amazing burgers to dinners. Meatloaf and baked fish with amazing side items. read more

See all

Terrible experience. Terribly slow process. Food was good, But took an eternity to get our checks so we could pay and leave. We were part of a large group. Orders were taken super quick, food came out fast as well, but then all the orders appeared to get confused and It took over an hour to get our bills so we could pay. No one ever told us what was going on, we just had to wait. What started out promising ended with an overall poor experience and a wasted afternoon waiting. No one apologized for the situation, no one thanked us for our patience. read more

I ordered from the Octoberfest menu today. It was sooooooo disappointing. Basically, it was a brat on a bun with a teaspoon of mustard and a tablespoon of sauerkraut. The potato pancakes? We're flattened tater tots. Definitely nothing to "write home about". Good quality has definitely gone down since new ownership. read more