26 Jul 2023 We had made a reservation for 4pm, because it sounded like you needed a reservation. We got there at 3:50pm, walked in and no one was at the host station. There was a sign to seat yourselves. OK. We sat down and the bartender brought us menus. Us and a group of three were the only customers. Brought us waters. While looking at the menu, a server comes over and asks if we wanted appetizers or go straight to order. Straight to order, please. The husband ordered the brisket pot roast. It came with asparagus and what he thinks was puréed squash. I had the pecan chicken. Panko breaded with pecans and a bourbon sauce. Maple and bourbon were the flavor elements. Came with baked Mac and cheese and sliced slightly charred carrots. This was really good, as was the husbands plate. Warm Sourdough bread and butter is served with the meal. We split a Caesar salad. The salad was OK, the dressing was a little tart and served on the side. I'm taking a slice of chocolate cake to go. As I peek into the bag, it is a generous slice with strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Stay tuned. The restaurant is part of the Hillside Resort. Looks like a bunch of rooms. When we were about to leave a group of women came in and sat at the bar. I told the bartender we'd heard about them through Texas Eats. He said 'are they still showing that? That was about six chefs ago!' All righty then. I'd say it's worth a trip to try. read more

The Barrel Room - Pecan chicken - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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Lovely restaurant located in a local Castroville hotel with beautiful scenic views of rolling green hills. Reservations were made ahead of time for 4 and upon arrival we were were seated right next to the large open windows. Ordered the Berry Patch cocktail- nice and refreshing with a splash of mint leaves. Menu wasn't overwhelming and had a nice assortment of dishes. Starters ordered - pork belly bites and fried Brussels sprouts. Both highly recommend! Dishes ordered- salmon, pork chop, pot roast, and steak. Pork chop and steak were not dry, but juicy with lots of flavor. I loved pot roast growing up , so I had to order it here. Although tasty, texture was a little chewy and tough. Also would have enjoyed a little more helping of vegetable/potato purée underneath the roast. The salmon dish looked fabulous, but was slightly salty. The sweet bun that accompanied each dish were delicious! Service was good. I'd come back to try the pork chop next time around. read more

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Oh my! Everything was delicious! The Truffle Nachos were full of savory flavors and the Crème Brûlée was one of the best I've ever had- devine! The grilled cheese and Hillside Barrel Burger were also very tasty! The renovations have paid off- the atmosphere and vibe create the perfect space! The service was also great! read more

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This was our first visit, the food was very good and the views/ambiance were beautiful. Service wasn't the best but they did say that the bartender/server got sick and had to leave, so I think it was a bad night. read more

Quaint little spot in Castroville! In town visiting a friend, popped in for lunch. Gorgeous views, attentive and courteous staff. Plenty to choose from on the menu. It was a little too early for cocktail hour, but would love to come back and try some, the drinks looked tasty and refreshing! read more

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The Hill Country Bistro is amazing. The wait staff checked in on us frequently. The food was AMAZING! Even the owner and GM asked if all was ok as they then cleared chairs from a wedding. They are so amazing, please check it out. read more

The Barrel Room - Awesome food and atmosphere - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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Portion was perfect! The pot roast was so flavorful and tender. Portion was enough for two meals. Husband's linguini was delicious and a generous portion, enough for him to take leftovers (which is a rarity). Even the kids' meals were on point! Service was wonderful and the bistro itself is gorgeous with surrounding windows of picturesque views. We will definitely be back! read more

The Barrel Room - Pot roast & cilantro chicken linguini - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

Great spot to come for lunch or dinner, sit outside and enjoy the view. I had the Peach Ice Tea and the Brisket Grilled Cheese sandwich with fries. The sandwich was very delicious and filling. The fries were well seasoned and crispy. read more

The Barrel Room - Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwich with fries - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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Atmosphere and view are beautiful. Great venue for a party. Food was great. We ordered the tomato mozzarella and basil flatbread with pepperoni, the brisket grilled cheese, roasted Brussel sprouts and deviled eggs. All had great flavor. Some of the Brussel sprouts were alittle over charred but still not bad. Brisket grilled cheese definitely had more brisket than cheese. For dessert we had creme brûlée, it was spot on. Oohh, and best for last, and smooth, Garrison Brothers Old fashion was perfection!! read more

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Great food and ambience. The place is very rustic chic with a great view. I had the best burger I ever ate in my life here.

It has a beautiful view...when you go check out the patio before you leave. Was here with a group and we had great service. You can tell they take pride in their cooking. One person ordered blackened chicken on their salad and after it was served they came back out with another order of chicken apologized that the first chicken had blackened spice but was not blackened. We wouldn't have known as she was enjoying the salad as it was. They made a margarita more sour to the taste of the customer and switched out a slice of brisket that the customer thought too fatty. All the food at my table looked great and everyone was chowing down. It was nice to see the variety from the menu. I had the brisket grilled cheese....no problem with my plate and the fries, which I mostly skip these days, were so good I ate them all and brought half my sandwich home. My only complaint is it's a little hard if you use a rollator or wheelchair. Handicap parking is not well marked and since it's also lodging parking was a little hard to find. There was a ramp but a long walk from where I could park so I carried my rollator down the steps. It's a little hard to get the wheels over the cuts in the concrete but they rushed to open the door when they saw me. Handicap parking is on the circle drive. There are steps in several places inside but I didn't need to go down them. All in all a very nice evening and one I would repeat gladly. Sorry no photos but don't when in a group...go check it out yourself. It's a nice drive from San Antonio. Just don't recommend rush hour as 90 gets backed up then. read more

About once a month we head out of Austin for a day trip. Today was Castroville and we are so glad we found this Bistro. The food was fresh and delicious. Staff was friendly and attentive. View was beautiful! Can't wait to come back! read more

The Barrel Room - Hummus and deviled eggs - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Tips: - Come during daylight. The viewscape is a MUST. - If weather permits, sit outside for complete joy. - Enjoy an appetizer, salad, entree AND dessert. - Plan a staycation soon at the boutique hotel that houses the restaurant. The charm of this quaint place is 5-stars. Who knew you could get this type of panorama just minutes outside San Antonio? I guess many folks did. :-) Seriously, though, this place has great charm, service and views. You're going to want to plan a staycation here. The calamari was great! It tasted fresh and was nicely fried. Served with chipotle ranch and lemons. The cilantro chicken linguini was a tad salty, but overall it was delicious. Heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, grilled chicken and Parmesan. Just needed some red pepper flakes, but my fault for not requesting. The apple persimmon crumble was just a pleasant surprise. I hadn't seen persimmon used at restaurants in Texas and it's one of my favorites fruits. The combination of apples, persimmons, cinnamon in a crumble was perfect. Kudos to the chef for this amazing creation. The waiter, Nathaniel, was attentive, friendly and prompt. read more

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Love this place. Stopped for lunch before the ride to Houston. Beautiful view and great service. Started with Pork Belly bites. Oh Yumm! Then the wife had the Roasted Parsnips soup and I got the brisket grill cheese with excellent fries and we shared. Everything was delicious. We live over an hour away but want to come for dinner sometime. Will definitely come for Sunday brunch. Sorry no pics. read more

We came here to Celebrate my Grandmother's Birthday Party and we had an amazing Time. Food here for this Place was very Delicious and the Area of the restaurant is Great. Giving 5-Stars for Excellent Service read more

This restaurant gives the perfect hill country vibe with amazing sunsets a very nice cocktail menu and gray American food, we had the moscato and chicken cilantro with pork bites, and the brownie is definitely a must , come at sunset for beautiful views read more

Never a disappointment food is amazing staff is so welcoming can be pricey wish they had more of happy hour appetizers .... I really wasn't impressed with the deviled eggs honestly needed some seasoning for my taste .... Highly recommend the Pot brisket Roast dish on a cold day read more

The Barrel Room - Rib eyes yummmmy wish I had more potatoes - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

I used to frequent this place a few years ago. I moved away and returned for the holidays-pooped in for lunch and was sadly disappointed. I ordered a BLT salad and it just wasn't impressive at all. The bacon was cold and greasy, almost like it was poured out of a refrigerated bacon bits package. The server whizzed past a number of times and in passing asked if everything was ok. It just lacked what it used to have. read more

We went here for a wedding and the atmosphere was so lovely. And then we grabbed lunch and it was incredible. I wasn't too terribly hungry but I ate all of it. I would love to come back and just eat here. (We also had breakfast here and it was amazing). Overall if you're in this area STOP AND EAT here. There isn't a thing on the menu that would disappoint you. read more

The Barrel Room - Tomato soup and a side of pickles - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

We ordered the ribeye and salmon. Salmon was gross.. not fresh. Do not recommend the ribeye either. Ordered medium rare and it came out well done. The one thing this place has going for it is the views. read more

What a hidden gem! Such a pretty restaurant inside! Had "hotel/restaurant " cats to greet you outside! Our waitress, Lintisha, was so nice & was gave helpful suggestions on food! My husband ordered the Bistro Burger & french fries) they was good. I wanted to grab some of his fries! His burger was so good, he took 1/2 home for leftovers today (along w/ 1/2 of my mac/cheese!) I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken w/ side of Mac n cheese & it was good. Didn't care for the carrots as much. We will be back next time we are in area! read more

Came here for the Christmas with Santa event. There were a lot of people that showed up to this fun event. There was a wonderful buffet with lots of choices like eggs, sausage, bacon, and waffles. I would like to come back here again. read more

The Barrel Room - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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The food and service was good. The atmosphere is good as well. The place should be packed but nobody was there. There was literally only three other groups there eating. read more

Had lunch with hubby here. I had the deviled eggs and the pork belly bites. Both were very delicious! Hubby had the Come & Take it burger and he loved it! We sat inside since it was really hot outside and the view is breathtaking! Had an issue with the bill as the prices on the menu were less than what we were charged. Brought it to the attention of the manager and he graciously fixed the bill and apologized for the mixup as they had just raised their prices and some of the menus hadn't been pulled yet. read more

Delicious! The pork belly appetizer is a must. The BBQ sauce is really something. The basil and mozz flatbread was amazing as was the brisket grilled cheese. James, bartender, was our server and he is awesome. Perfect dirty martini! Definitely coming back to try all the food. read more

The Barrel Room - Pork Belly Appetizer - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

I have been here multiple times for breakfast and though it's a small menu I have not been disappointed with the service or the food. I wish they had more options however they can customize my order which I like. Because this place is located in castroville (a small town) it's never been packed from what I've seen during the times I've come here. I recommend sitting out on the patio weather permitting. A delicious mimosa and some breakfast will give you a good start to your day! One thing I have yet to do is try their lunch and dinner menus. I'll be back soon! read more

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My third review might border on redundant but...This review is just on the service. The hostesses and the waitresses are awesome. Rachel remembers us, our drinks, and what we usually have to eat, which makes us feel kinda special. It makes me want to add her to my Christmas card list :-) Rachel gets what a lot of other waitresses (and even business owners) don't get: Being friendly, attentive and hard-working gets a good tip, and brings in repeat customers...who spread the word. Paula is also an awesome waitress, though I haven't seen here there for a good while. :-( Keep up the good work, and keep treating your employees right - They're the ones who make or break you. read more

So excited to discover this gem! Amazing food, great service, clean, and great indoor or outdoor seating options. The cocktail I tried was on point, the kids meals were impressive- tasty with a huge fresh fruit cup, and both the flat bread and brisket grilled cheese we tried were really good. The staff was kind, attentive, and accommodating. Will definitely be back next time we're in town! read more

The Barrel Room - Appetizer - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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Food was great but I was surprised to learn that tea refills are not complimentary, having been charge for 3 glasses of tea once I received my bill. No bueno. read more

Very good restaurant. Beautiful view of the hill country on their patio! I had the salmon salad which was excellent! Hubby had chicken fried ribeye which was good as well. Daughter had taco trio and son in law has brisket grill cheese all were good! Has some great drinks and beers on their menu. Highly recommend! read more

Shrimp & Grits I'm been around the world tasting food. What I find is hard for restaurants to make is Shrimp and grits? I tried three different restaurants that specialize in shrimp and grits. But the chef here at Hillside Texas Bistro Mr. Marcus Martinez is one great cook! The grits was not runny or hard and lumpy Neither. Normally they do not serve this dish until dinner time, but the server name Ariel was so kind & nice and offer to ask the chef would he be willing to prepare it for me. Then to find out, when I ordered my chocolate cake he made that also. I would've showed you pictures of the cake, but I destroyed it. I Highly recommend this hillside restaurant and plus the view is awesome!!! read more

The Barrel Room - Shrimp and Grits - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

This was our first visit, due to Covid. Everything was amazing! The cocktail menu is so much fun, we have to come back to try more! The service was excellent (Victoria is awesome), even with a giant group that arrived at the same time. The food was lovely, prepared well & well seasoned. The dessert was good too!! We will definitely be back. We had the Fried Brussels Sprouts & calamari for appetizers, the specialty Pot Roast & the Texas Ribeye for mains (the steak, asparagus & confit potatoes, holy cats!) And the creme brulee & breading pudding for dessert. So good!!!! read more

They aren't kidding when they say hillside! This place has an incredible view! Because of work, I stayed at the hotel and spa and was pleasantly surprised with this restaurant. Southern style is the approach they are effectively going for with this place. Very elegant and and with the view as their main source of lighting. I tried this place for breakfast and I absolutely loved it. I had the eggs Benedict and was able to try their griddle cakes. Their eggs Benedict were good, but rather different than what I'm used to when I order eggs Benedict. I felt the hollandaise sauce was a little on the tangy side and didn't compliment well with the garlic flavor of the bread. Hash browns were cooked perfectly, but could use a little more seasoning. The griddlecakes tasted phenomenal but I wish they would have been a little crunchier. Anytime I think of pancakes on the griddle I imagine them extra crispy and buttery. These were very fluffy and chewy. Everything tasted good, just different twist on things. Service was slow and we were the only ones there. It took about 30 minutes to get our food out. The server was fantastic, very friendly and kind and always kept our glasses full. I appreciate this a lot! I must try this place out for dinner read more

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Remarkable find outside of San Antonio that provided an excellent dining experience. We stayed at the Hillside hotel and ate at the Bistro for breakfast and dinner. The chicken fried steak was one of the largest I've had and it was awesome, although a bit too salty. The French toast breakfast was very filling and the views outside the windows of the surrounding hillside were peaceful and relaxing while I sipped my morning coffee. I'd give it 5 stars but dinner options were a bit over priced and the service was kind of slow. Aside from that, it's definitely worth a trip. read more

This was my fist time visiting this establishment, i went on a date with my husband and wanted a place with outside seating and a view. Which, this is the place! Very nice, breezy, overlooks the hills. Overall not bad, however, the food was very meh. We ordered the chicken fried steak and the grilled cheese, both had their good and their bad. The gravy on mine was super salty. I scrapped it off of everything, and my husbands grilled cheese was just okay. I also ordered a couple mojitos as well, they were good! Not the best, but it was yummy. The servicer was nice, very prompt, all the good qualities nothing to write home about there. Tl:dr try another place unless you just want the view. Overall: meh. read more

The Barrel Room - The view is amazing! - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

My husband and I have been here twice, and will go back again, and again. The staff is amazing! We have had so much fun! Everyone is engaging. The view is priceless, however without the fantastic service, it would just be a view. Not sure about the other reviews. Maybe, people who don't appreciate a nice place don't deserve it. read more

This is not the first time my husband and I have had a meal here , and we thought the third time was going to be the charm. We thought wrong. Get ready for the Good ,the Bad and the Ugly, not necessarily in that order. I ordered the Hillside Benny with focaccia on the side (I'm gluten sensitive) and eggs poached "medium well." The Bad-The eggs came back very runny , yolks and whites. I asked the server to have them cooked poached hard so there was no confusion. My meal came back with one egg great and the other very runny again. I set it aside and happily ate the cooked egg with pork belly and hollandaise. When the server finally came to check in our table I asked if I could get the undercooked egg cooked more please. I was polite, she was polite. She was young and may have been new to serving , I'm assuming this by her lack of attentiveness to her two tables she was in charge of. The server brought back a small plate of pork belly with another undercooked egg and hollandaise. I apologized and asked if she could have the egg cooked more .. she left the whole set up on the table , which I did not eat . the Good-The chef brought the second single egg out on a plate by itself. It was cooked perfectly. She was friendly and professional. She explained that most bennys had eggs cooked runny and this was the common way to cook them. I said I understood as this is my go to breakfast dish. I also let her know I always ask for them cooked "longer than usual" and that I did order them this way. At that point I assumed that the chef didn't get the message from the server. She apologized, shook my hand and went on her way with a smile, as did I. She returned with hollandaise and pork belly so I can make a complete Benny. The Ugly- I'm not sure if it was the responsibility of the supervisor or the restaurant policy that dropped the ball on this but here's my biggest gripe..I was not able to eat WITH my family, I got my food in shifts and not as a complete meal. I got a single egg as mentioned before but no meat to go under it and no hollandaise to go on it. This was not a good fix, in my opinion. A good restaurant would bring a complete meal out, or at least half, fully set up with meat , egg and hollandaise. Maybe even comp the meal. I lost my appetite and didn't even finish eating. And to top it off the supervisor was uncaring and unmoved by my disappointment. Her attitude and demeanor was unprofessional. Bottom line- Good service can overcome bad food, but good food can never overcome bad service! read more

We had the ribeye. Tasted good but was tough and had a lot of gristle and fat. $12 steak cost $35. Will not be back. Server did a good job, though. read more

I used to love this place. I used to go every Sunday. I still love the view, but the food has really gone down hill...service too. It's a shame because it was my Sunday go to place. Yesterday, I ordered breakfast and got 2 REALLLY HARD biscuits with about 2 tablespoons of gravy. Everything was cold and a bit tasteless. The last time I went I ordered the Brussels sprouts... used to be my favorite...they were not great. I loved the beer selection but the taps were dirty, Making the beer skunky. The last 2 times we were there we had really slow service. Some VIP people at another table behind us got very prompt service...not us. We were after thoughts. And, see, we still gave you another chance. Just a tip from someone who works retail: everyone is a VIP when you are getting money from them. I'm not sure if there is a change in management, or problems with staffing, I'm willing to give another chance but I'm not so sure I want another really bad meal. read more

Our Server Becca was great! The food was on POINT! The Mimosas Flight is very refreshing. I was surprised they weren't crazy busy. 30 minute wait to be seated was tye only thing that wasn't perfect - but it wasn't a bad time either. read more

The Barrel Room - Biscuit, gravy with eggs was great. Our Server Becca did a fantastic Job! - American Near Me - Castroville, Texas

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