Tips: - Happy hours are weekdays from 3 pm till 5 pm, and from 8 pm till close. - Brunch is every day till 3 pm. I miss Pickle Barrel. Markham had one for decades at CF Markville Mall. I was sad when it closed for good. I was recently at Centerpoint Mall. That Pickle Barrel location had closed for good, too. Which Pickle Barrel location is closest to me these days? It's this one in Pickering, at the Shops at Pickering City Centre, which used to be called Pickering Town Centre. After running errands a couple of Saturdays ago is eastern Markham, I drove over here to check it out. I needed lunch. This eatery isn't attached to the mall. Rather, it's a standalone building that faces Liverpool Road. It's technically across from Cineplex. I found a parking spot fairly close to the main entrance. I backed my car into the spot and walked in. A man was ahead of me. He was picking up takeout. It took the greeter some time to fetch his food. The customer tapped to pay and was about to leave. The male staffer noticed that the transaction was declined and had to try again. I was waiting patiently for five minutes. He asked me if I was also picking up food. Nope, I wanted to dine in. He realized that he was taking a long time helping this male customer that he asked his female colleague to help me to a table. This woman got me a table in the bar, which was where most customers were. It was comfortable. I got to see the Twins-Jays baseball game, which was tough watching my two favourite teams play against each other. I got the nicest server who was also doing bartender duties. I had come at 3:20 pm. There was no happy hour on weekends. I had missed brunch by twenty minutes. Bummer. Gone are the days of leafing through a thick PIckle Barrel menu to figure out what you wanted. I used to get the spaghetti with a giant meatball. Sadly, this dish wasn't on the menu, which seems to have been scaled back by 80%, I'd reckon. I did feel like pasta and got the bolognese pasta, which uses linguini. Perfect! It comes with a starter. I chose the soup of the day, which was beef barley. I also ordered a Diet Coke. I visited the washroom after placing my order. It was around the corner from the bar. It was fancy, clean, and inviting. No complaints. I used it again before I left to head home. My Diet Coke was waiting for me at the table. It was fizzy and cold. I drank it too fast and had a considerable wait before I could flag my server for a refill. She seemed to be the only person waiting on everyone before a fellow male staffer pitched midway through my meal. The beef barley was hearty and delicious. It had red bell peppers in it, which was a nice touch from your usual ingredients. My bolognese linguine had arrived. It looked yummy. I dug in. The bolognese sauce was excellent. It had the perfect balance of ground beef and sauce. The linguini was al dente and worked nicely with the sauce. It was comforting and hit the spot. It had a few microgreens, which were fun to eat with the pasta. I felt like dessert. I got the gluten-friendly chocolate cake. It consisted of chocolate cake, white chocolate mousse, and fresh berries. I don't have an issue with gluten. I went for this dessert because I love berries with chocolate cake. This dessert was fabulous. The cake was moist. I frankly couldn't tell that it was gluten-free. The mousse was yummy. This entire dessert wasn't overly sweet, which I appreciated. I loved the strawberries and blueberries. My servers were friendly and great. I paid with a credit card. I thanked the woman, tipped, and was done. I had a lovely, casual lunch here. The Twins ultimately beat the Blue Jays 9-4. It was great watching the game while I had some good grub. I hope to return and take advantage of either the brunch or happy hour menu when I'm in the area again. The food and drinks were great. Staff were friendly and competent. (166) read more

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Overall the food and service has spiralled downhill over the past few years. Service is increasingly becoming slower and slower. Today, we went for brunch, I ordered Avocado toast and I kid you not - there was NO avocado on it! lol There was only one piece of toast too. I obviously pointed out that there was no avocado so they remade it, and it was super soggy. The simplest breakfast was this messed up. read more

It's been a few years since we have been to the Pickle Barrel and I have to say - I am super impressed with the reduced menu, portion size, quality of the food and value for the money. We stumbled here on the kids eat free Tuesday promo and looked at their updated menu. Because the kids ate free - I went ahead and ordered the steak. The steak was good and seasoned well, and came with veggies, potatoes and a salad. Kids meal were massive and they really enjoyed it and my wife had the Buddha bowl. Service was great but a little slow - and the ambiance of the restaurant was very nice. Pickle Barrel is a great option for large groups and if you have kids. Some of the kid friendly restaurants have terrible food but Pickle Barrel has something for everyone. read more

A franchise offering that is middle of the road. The dining room is nice, the decor soft and welcoming. The big bay windows were attractive to sit nearby and watch the snow fall. Unfortunately you're going to need something to watch because it took almost twenty minutes to receive a sandwich and a salad. Service was quick to seat us and take our order , but the food took its time getting to our table. The sandwich was decent but nothing incredible. I get the impression that the meat is of lower quality compared to other delis I've been to. The cut is thin as well. For $20 even with sides, I'm expecting a bit more honestly. The experience overall is average at best, the food is alright but nothing really sets it apart from other restaurants. read more

The Pickle Barrel - Side salad - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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We went this past weekend to Pickle Barrel again for a late dinner Restaurant wasn't too busy We were there on a Sunday evening around 8 We were seated in the bar area which was quiet for the late evening Our server was friendly and attentive Started with the cauliflower bites which were a good starter I had the Big Smoke which was a stack of Montreal Smoked Meat and Corned Beef Sandwich was mighty filling and delish Wife had the chicken fingers and she enjoyed them Was a good meal for the quiet Sunday evening read more

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After our Yelp Experience on Sunday evening we went to the Pickle Barrel in Pickering The location was quiet for a Sunday night but mind you we came around 8pm for a late dinner and two hours before closing We were seated in the bar area in a nice booth Our server was friendly and helpful that night We started with the Crispy Thai Cauliflower bites with an order of free pickles They were good for a starter Unfortunately didn't get any sweet pickles in the free batch which I always like I had the chicken finger and fries for my main They were good My hubby had the Big Smoke sandwich which was a big Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich which he enjoyed Overall it was a nice and quiet meal for a Sunday night and would come back again read more

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Had a great time here watching the Norway vs England game. Our server Tianna was super friendly gave us our complementary pickles and was super helpful the whole time. Our food was great and the sticky toffee pudding is amazing read more

In Canada visiting my sister. We stopped here after church. I had the fried pickles. Good and crunchy. I had potato corn chowder. Delicious good flavor. My entree was a burger. The burger was big and juicy. Everything tasted fresh Service was excellent read more

The Pickle Barrel - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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Kid's menu has changed since our last visit. Service was almost non-existent. Chicken Cutlet was burnt. The kids mains salmon option (upgrade we got last time) is no longer offered, and most mains are $10.99-11.99. Service: Our server took our order and came to check on us immediately after our food was dropped off, I didn't even get a bite in yet. Unfortunately, that was the one and only time we were checked up on. After that, we were never checked up on, finished dishes were never cleared. We sat for a long time after we were finished eating before attempting to flag down our server. When he finally saw my husband and made his way to our table, we asked for the bill, and he asked what we wanted for our daughter's kids meal dessert, a choice of cookie or sundae. After dropping off the cookie and a box for my daughter's half burger left over, our server proceeded to take care of a large table that was celebrating a birthday, bringing out cake. However, he then continued to do other things, including making drinks for other diners, all while we were waiting for our bill. Even at the end, he never asked how our food or experience was, which did have issues, as my chicken cutlet was quite burnt. Food: The butternut squash soup of the day was odd with a too heavy sprinkle of nutmeg. The caesar salad was dressed well and at a good portion. The mac and cheese poppers were tasty, but only 3 pieces. My chicken parmesan flavour was decent, unfortunately 1/3 of my chicken was quite burnt and very off-putting. My daughter got the burger Kid's meal, she enjoyed it. The washroom was in good condition. Dining room is spacious and very well lit atop the tables, at least at the booth we were seated at. For a simple meal for 2+kid, over $100, I expected better service and food than this. This experience left a bitter taste in our mouths... literally. read more

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My kids have shown me pickle barrel almost three years ago and back then it was awesome but now not so much. The service was not as good to the point that we had to ask the server to take our order, it's not even like there were that many people there. The looks have always been the same so there really nothing to say about that. Overall I think that me and my kids have grown out of pickle barrel. (Not worth it) read more

We ordered brunch through Skip the Dishes from this location. We had the avocado toast, French toast and the chicken and waffles. Everyone enjoyed the food for the most part but should note the chicken was very very over cooked. (My 10 year old nephew didn't mind!) Great options but definitely find then priced a bit high for what you receive. read more

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I finally made it to the new Pickle Barrel in Pickering, very close to home. The crowds were a turn off when they just opened but tonight didn't seem too busy. I was seated quickly once I got inside. Nice looking place with a high ceiling, a few booths, a good mix of seating. I perused their vast menu for a while before deciding on the Rueben Burger, one of their features. It has two patties, pastrami, cheese, and sauerkraut. I got a Caesar salad as my side. The Caesar salad was good, not overdressed. The burger was pretty tall and I had to squash it a bit to fit my mouth. Unfortunately, that first bite was a mouthful of bitterness. The underside of the bun was burnt. Charred. I picked off some of the burnt bits but ended up eating it with a knife and fork. That spoiled it for me. My server was very efficient and fast but also very annoying. I didn't appreciate being referred to as "Boss", as in "How's it goin', Boss?" or "here you go, Boss." or "Need anything else, Boss?" It wasn't very professional. Growing pains? Maybe. I'll have to wait and see if I get the urge to give them another try. read more

The Pickle Barrel - La Reuben - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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Big restaurant and relax place. Good to enjoy foods with friends. I like their 30oz beer and the nachos is good. However, the draw back is the table quite sticky, not clean enough. read more

The Pickle Barrel - beer and nachos - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

We had a family celebration dinner here. I do not recommend it. The restaurant was not busy at all when we went early Sunday evening, but service was still extremely slow. It took about 3 hours from arriving to finally settling our bill (5:00pm to 8:00 pm). Venue: Nice decor. Convenient location beside the theatre. Bathrooms were a bit messy. 3.5/5 Service: reception staff were very friendly. Server was friendly and she did try, but did not appeared to be trained properly. Service was extremely slow. Bar service was backed up. Food service was also slow. Everyone received their meal except the birthday person, who sat their without his food for maybe 15-20 minutes while everyone else ate. 2.5/5 Food: Typical chain fare. The fried calamari was ok. A bit dry but it will do. Butternut squash soup was decent. Cesar salad was soggy. Surf and turf was ok. You can tell the steak was frozen. The mashed potatoes that came with it were under seasoned. The gin mule tasted good, but I couldn't really taste any alcohol. Same for the Cesar. 2/5 Overall, everything was slightly below average. I think we would have enjoyed the Jack Astors or. moxies located next door better for the same price. It was not terrible. It just wasn't good. I will not be returning if it is my choice. read more

This evening my family and I went to Pickle Barrel I ordered THE CRACKED MANHATTAN 10oz Peppercorn New York striploin with microbrew battered onion rings. Served with house-made mashed potatoes and market fresh vegetables. 27.99 Now after reading this description I'm expecting a steak with peppercorn NOT a steak with peppercorn gravy! Well let me tell you my steak was swimming in peppercorn sauce. Totally not what I was expecting. My steak was cooked perfectly though. However I will NEVER return my food to the kitchen in fear what they will do to my food. The fresh green beans were so fresh they still had the tails on them. Not sure if this is simply laziness but how hard would it of been to cut them off? Who eats the tails? read more

The Pickle Barrel - A steak with peppercorn sauce or gravy on it - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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The ambiance was amazing, the restaurant was beautiful, bathrooms were very clean. Food was pretty good. Gino was very kind and seemed busy but still made time to check on our table. We did have to ask to get our complementary pickles but they were brought over quickly once we asked. read more

5 of us went for my mother and aunt's birthday lunch. The server was fine. Our food arrived. 5/6 of us had some part of our food that wasn't hot on our plate. Only the wings came out hot. For $17.99, my burger was kind of sad. There was supposed to be a sauce on it but there was barely any, and of course the burger was barely warm. The fries were cold. I knew the gravy had been sitting because it had started to form a skin on the top. The manager brought myself hot fries and my aunt a new, hot meal. There was only one person that actually enjoyed their food. Service was okay. Food meh. I was kind of surprised they didn't comp anything. Won't be back. read more

I'm giving this restaurant a 3.5 star. My bf and I came here on a Friday night at 7pm. It was quite busy but didn't have to wait long to be seated. We were greeted by our hostess and our server (Julia). She was very nice and she got our orders right. I believe the head chef (not sure, but he's wearing grey culinary shirt) came to our table and asked us how our food was. He did that to a few tables. It feels nice for them to do that extra step. Service is great in this location! Although the bill did take a while to come. Food: **we always order tje same thing at pickle barrel** we share everything. Asian Nachos: good but portions are much smaller than before. Calamari: no flavour on the breading (I don't taste salt or pepper at least).the sauce is good and the same at othet locations. Manhattan Steak: Ordered Medium. We got WELL-DONE. The steak was tough amd very dry. I tried to eat it again and again but I couldnt. For a $25 dish, it's not worth it. Unfortunately, our server didn't do quality check when our steak came so my bf ate it since as he was really hungry.i couldn't eat my portion and eventually, I lost my appetite. As we were finishing out main meal, our server came to us and I told her that our steak is well done. She apologized and asked if I wanted a new plate. I declined as I didn't want to be a bother. A few minutes later, she came to us and said that she spoke to her manager about the steak and they wanted to give a dessert on the house. Its unexpected but ordered Molten Lava Sundae. It's good (too sweet for my liking) and big. It can bw shared by 3 people. Overall, I do hope they improve their quality when it comes to food. But I was happy with the service especially she acknowledged that the customer was not satisfied with the meal. read more

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So happy that the Pickle Barrel has finally graced it's presence by opening a location in the Durham region. I have been long awaiting this addition to the Pickering Town Centre (note it's not actually connected to the town centre but located behind it on Liverpool). My family visited this restaurant on Tuesday afternoon just after 3pm. We were kindly greeted upon entering. The restaurant just had a few tables full at this time so we got to pick whichever table we wanted. We picked a long table in the centre of the restaurant against a tall banquet. The backside of the restaurant has a wall of tall windows looking onto the street and the high industrial ceilings make the restaurant feel very airy and bright. After being seated our waitress came over with the menus and introduced herself she let us know of the specials for the day and took our drink orders. When she returned with our drinks we were ready to order. Surprisingly our food was prepared and ready pretty quickly but then again the restaurant was not very full. The Great Reuben - Grilled marble rye, pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing. It was quite a large sandwich, cut in thirds, the meat was hot, tender and tasty, cheese was gooey and melty, the bread was nicely grilled and toasted to keep everything together and it never got soggy even with the sauerkraut. A very filling sandwich indeed. I upgraded my side to Sweet potato fries which was a good portion and very crispy and also came with a simple chipotle aioli for dipping. Hubby got the Classic Beef burger which is served on a brioche bun and he added bacon and cheese. He said his burger was really good and also surprised that it had a double patty. He also upgraded his side to onion rings which although he only got about 7 or 8 onion rings they were really thick and hearty which a golden brown crispy coating. For dessert we wanted to get cappuccinos however the waitress apologized and said the machine was out of order. Thankfully I also ordered a cheesecake. Brown Cow Cheesecake - Rich chocolate cheesecake with milk chocolate chip cheesecake patches, finished with a whipped cream topping and chocolate drizzle. Absolutely loved this creamy cheesecake, just the right balance of sweetness from the chocolate and tanginess from the cream cheese, I adored the combination of chocolate cheesecake with the chunks of chocolate chip cheesecake mixed in and the crunchy chocolate shell drizzle on top. I thought I was too full to finish it but it was soo good I couldn't resist leaving a crumb behind. Overall I have to say we had a great time. Our waitress was very kind, always checking on us to make sure we were ok or if we needed anything. Our meals were perfectly cooked, and came out pretty quickly, good sized portions, and were nice and hot. I look forward to returning to this restaurant and am Happy it has finally opened in the Pickering area. read more

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I was quite happy with their survive especially during this COVID-19 situation. I physically saw their effort of precautions such as wiping, wearing masks etc... Food was pretty fantastic and the happy hour deal was quite nice. The meatloaf was actually quite delicious. $8 for 30 oz is a nice deal for sure. I could only imagine that this place will get full very easier at night and during the weekend. Hope to see you back soon! read more

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All I can say is wow. I'm absolutely amazed how some people have jobs in high stress customer service industries yet have no idea what they're doing. On a Sunday afternoon at around 3:30pm, my sister and I headed over to The Pickle Barrel on Liverpool. I used to go to Pickle Barrel all the time but the past few years, their service and food hasn't been the greatest. However today, we decided to give them another chance. My sister placed the order by phone at 3:40ish pm this Sunday afternoon. The order was for scrambled eggs, home fries and bacon. The man who took the order asked her if she wanted mash potatoes or salad ? Irrelevant that he maybe didn't hear her order. I wanted a fried egg sandwich but the man taking the order didn't know what that was, he was asking me if I wanted fries with my order again let's blame it on shitty hearing Now moving on, we waited and waited and waited and around 4:20pm my sister called asking for the status of her order. The man said "we will call you" after another half hour of waiting, we decided to just leave. Scrambled eggs takes maybe 2 minutes to make. The restaurant wasn't that busy and honestly it's not a turkey feast. We got a call around 5:50!!!!!!! Saying that our order was ready. Absolutely ridiculous. After saying this is ridiculous and we left, I asked to speak to the manager and the man on the phone was less than apologetic, he put me on hold yet I was so furious I just hung up. It's safe to say, I will never be eating at Pickle Barrel again. Keep Eating, but not here. Angela read more

When this place is not too crowded or noisy then this makes for a decent place to converse with your friends, coworkers and family members over snacks, drinks and/or meals. I just see this place as yet another large corporate chain where prices are more than they need to be just to upkeep their decor and basic service from their staff, so I would rarely ever go here, but when plans derail, then I will just have to make do. Tonight was one of those nights that I just wanted a small bite, so I ordered their Baja Fish (soft) Taco and as small as it was, it exploded with flavours and left quite the impressing on me. Too bad, these apps of theirs were only singles and not meant to be shared, but the price was ok. It was under $10, but that price would usually get you at least 2/3 tacos. This one costs about $6 and that can get you a full meal either breakfast or sizeable dessert at Asian places. I like quieter places with healthier selections, attentive staff that does not just serve you when they are expecting bigger tips from you, and where I feel special and welcomed. Here, the staff barely ever came to our table and I even had to wave my hand for a few minutes to even be served because we were placed in enclosed booth. Thus, I'll only come here on the off chances that I don't have better plans. Their local harvest specials were good but I already had that once this season at their Dundas Square location, so maybe I will come back if they have something more worldly/locally conscious. read more

The Pickle Barrel - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

May 25, 2018 - it's my second time going to Pickle Barrel. But I have never been to this location. When we arrived it was a bit busy, but we didn't have to wait very long for a table. We sat at a nice booth (one of those round shaped tables). As we were ordering I noticed the table besides us.. the server was apologizing for doing something and stated he was new and I only heard the customer say "it's okay I'm almost finished eating it". I assumed that the server gave him the wrong order....to be continued. We ordered: 3 Alarm Buffalo Chicken "The Wingman" w/ the Moscow Mule La Rue'ben "The Overthinker" w/ Blackberry Sage Lemonade Hoisin Ginger Chicken Bites w/ Daiquiri Continued..... When the food came I noticed that I got fries instead of the poutine I ordered, I told the server and he told me to keep the fries and he will bring me the poutine. That was very nice of him. The food was a bit salty (maybe more than a bit salty for my friend who ordered the Hoisin Ginger Chicken Bites). Our burgers had salt but we had the bread and other toppings to help us. My friend only had the bites. I was happy that we got pickles that were sweet to help with the salt content and the fries didn't have any salt which was great and the poutine wasn't what I was expecting the gravy was a bit different. We didn't complain to our server about the salt. The chef that night had a heavy hand when he/she was shaking that salt bottle! Our sever was new and was very attentive, plus I said some slightly inappropriate jokes and he went along with it and also joked about it later on. He is too funny!! I really liked him. Overall the server was new and there was a few hiccups with our table not having utensils or condiments also the salt content was very high in the meat portions, but we still had a nice time. I might go back soon and see if the same thing happens again with the food. I hope not *fingerscrossed* read more

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Restaurant has been open a week and a half so I expected growing pains. Amazingly this place was packed (10-20 minute wait for tables at 5PM). I have dined at the Yonge/Dundas location in the past, but it has been several years and it seems the quality has gone down and prices have gone way up. I had the Thick Cut Pastrami sandwich ($15)... the meat was fine -- juicy, had the right spice taste, etc -- but the bun was dry and crumbly, obviously stale. I wonder if it sat in the kitchen for the past 2 weeks... It was so bad I didn't finish all of the bun, and just ate the pastrami with some mustard spread on it. Perusing the rest of the menu, holy sticker shock Batman! (I guess when your neighbours are Moxie's and Jack Astor's, similarly overpriced "generic McSysco Bar and Grill" places, you can get away with it...) And as I finished the meal, the server came around with the "mini dessert sampler" which could best be described as chocolate mousse/pudding in tiny shot glasses, like you'd see at a Chinese all you can eat buffet. And they want $3 for just ONE of those? (if you want the whole tray of 8 that would be $20) Really? I was not impressed and will not be returning... Those prices need to come down bigtime. read more

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We had a fantastic experience today at Pickle Barrel! Despite the few "oopsies" from the kitchen staff, our server Janice was AMAZING! She gave us lots of food recommendations before we ordered, had great communication with us when the kitchen staff had some miscommunication (they got kind of confused on their orders because a party of 17 came in on top of their regular lunch rush), and kept such an apologetic and positive attitude through it all. She immediately greeted us with complimentary pickles and water as we were seated. We ordered a caramel macchiato and a chocolate macchiato to start. Unfortunately their espresso machine was a little wonky today and she only had one of our drinks but she was very apologetic about it. Within 10 minutes the second drink arrived. For our meals we ordered the PB House Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries and the Grilled Cheese Burger w/ Mashed Potatoes. We waited about 30 minutes for food, for her to arrive at our table and let us know the kitchen staff got kind of confused and missed one of our sandwiches on accident and it would be out very soon. She offered us salad but we were okay with waiting - some restaurants we have waited longer and we were enjoying our coffees anyway. When we finally got our food, it was absolutely DELICIOUS! 10/10 would recommend! Definitely worth the wait. We ordered the Grilled Cheese Burger as per her recommendation and it was definitely worth it! We savoured every single bite. When we finished eating, I guess she felt so bad about our food that she talked to the manager to give us a free dessert on the house. It was so thoughtful of her! Definitely will be back! Someone get Janice a raise! read more

I went to this place with my boyfriend today for my birthday on June 12. At first glance, the place seemed very nice and we got seated fairly quickly! I ended up getting the steak with fries and a mojito it tasted pretty good although I found the portions for the fries wasn't very uneven with the steak the steak was a little bit too small in my opinion but nevertheless it was pretty good regardless of the size! My boyfriend ended up getting shrimp pasta and he said it tasted pretty good as well! Both of the meals come with a caesar salad as well which also tasted pretty good although the sprinkled a little bit too much to cheese on my salad! The service here was pretty good even though I was a little bit sceptical about some of the reviews prior to going to this place today honestly I didn't find the service to slow and I thought our waitress was pretty good my boyfriend even gave her $20 tip! I will definitely come back with some friends or my boyfriend again! read more

The Pickle Barrel - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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Avocado Toast The side salad went beautifully with this fresh dish. I felt like the hollandaise sauce which is optional ... could use some work. It seemed like it was sitting around for some time and was a little two thick. Overall delicious. It was so quiet on a Saturday morning at 10am. This location use brand new ... it opened in March 2018. So don't let the lack of yelp reviews fool you. It's behind the Moxies not inside Pickering Town Centre. read more

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We went for dinner tonight were told to seat ourselves and with only 2 tables left as the rest were all unclear of dirty dishes. 2-3 servers at the moment and waited til one takes our order yet after 10mins we tried waving to catch their attention no avail we tried calling .one server came obviously upset and said "i can't hear you when you start screaming at me like that" its funny she said that coz were not even screaming. She's obviously tired and overworked and we don't want to start something. It sad food ain't the same compared to the Markham and Yorkdale location. read more

The Pickle Barrel - Dirty dishes by the bar - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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Created this account just to say how absolutely disappointing their Spaghetti Bolognese looks. Order take out. Bag stapled shut. No meat sauce. Portion size not worth $10 let alone close to $20!! read more

The Pickle Barrel - Spaghetti Bolognese - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

First time here in this location , service is so so , food is average , sittings are quiet comfortable, over all I gave 3.5 stars ! read more

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This review is based on my first experience at Pickering's Pickle Barrel (try saying that quickly five times in a row), and I am surprised to see so many mediocre reviews. We had just finished shopping at the Pickering Town Centre and couldn't bear the commotion of the food court. Three close-by chain restaurants offered the options that we craved, and the Pickle Barrel had the best price-point of the three. It is also the most family-oriented of the three, so we were expecting kids, a loud atmosphere and a rather bland menu; sort of an upgraded food court experience. Our expectations were blown away! We were cheerfully greeted by the friendly hostess and seated right away. The time was around 7:30 p.m. and there were several large parties and the volume was a bit loud, but not excessive. There were kids, but the place is large enough that I did not feel that I was having dinner in a school cafeteria. Pickle Barrel IS a family restaurant, and it is nice for families with kids to have a good dining experience. We waited about 4 minutes and were greeted by our waiter, Jenna. She was so pleasant and courteous, apologizing for the wait (Impressive ... I have waited much longer than that and not offered an apology) and quickly took, then delivered our beverage orders. By now, the crowds had thinned out and the noise settled down. When Jenna returned to take our orders, she offered helpful, clearly informed advice about menu items. This is a refreshing change from waitstaff who confine their remarks to, "Well it depends what you're in the mood for." When I ordered "Jojo's Carribean Shrimp", she smiled and warned me that this was a really spicy dish. (As if, I thought, I could get something really spicy at a family restaurant). I was wrong! My Jambalaya-inspired Shrimp was alive with spices and heat! For someone like me, who loves spicy food all the time, this had a true spicy kick. I would really recommend this, if you like spicy carribean flavours, a sweet and sour taste, a fresh chutney, and plump, juicy shrimp. This was really well prepared, and unique. I wasn't expecting that from the Pickle Barrel. The portions were also very generous, and I will be enjoying the leftovers tomorrow! The spicy heat woke me from my shopping-mall glazed stupor, and I asked my daughter for her report. She was very satisfied with her chicken fingers, which were freshly made to order, and pleased that she was able to include gravy with her order. Then, I asked Jenna, rather suddenly, to bring me the bill and "the machine". She brought it right away, and we continued the positive rapport that she had already established with us as we paid. We had a very satisfying visit to the Pickle Barrel in all respects, and I expect that it will be our new favourite among the Pickering chain restaurants. The menu is extensive and varied. Based on our experience, an excellent meal at a fair price. read more

Went here for dinner last night (Sunday Night) for the first time... and last. The host and server were nice but the rest of our experience was not so great. We ordered the steamed mussels and some drinks to start. Once the drinks finally arrived we also ordered some fried pickles. Our pickles showed up kinda-hot in about 5 minutes. There was 5 of us at the table and only 4 pickles on the plate you'd think the server would have mentioned something. After another 10 minutes the muscles finally showed up... with our meal salads. Flavorless Caesar Salad with one crouton and a tiny sprinkle of bacon (which was an extra $3 each that were weren't told about, we all assumed they asked because some people don't eat pork). My 8year old daughter's salad still didn't show up for another 5 minutes (as a side but with her meal). Oh ya, and I found 2 undercooked/bad muscles in our bowl. When our meals finally arrived my steak was overcooked and was missing the cracked pepper sauce and onion rings that were supposed to be on it. When they finally showed up to see if everything was good and then returned with my cracked pepper sauce (which tastes like lumpy chicken gravy with tasteless peppercorns in it) my meal was already cold. My older daughters seafood linguini without calamari had calamari in it which grossed her out, thankfully the server got her some extra hot fresh shrimp to apologize. I asked for another drink when my lumpy steak gravy showed up and didn't receive it until I had to re-ask for it 15 minutes later. My 7 year old gets better/more chicken fingers from Dairy Queen than she got here. My 8 year old got a huge adult size portion of spaghetti with one hard-as-a-rock meatball and very unappetizing drop of tomato sauce. To top it off their little deserts were just garbage. I feel bad for the server, everyone around her was letting her down. It looked like the whole staff was half asleep. Maybe the floor manager should stop walking around looking important and start helping his staff do a better job. Thankfully we had over $100 in gift cards. The bill for this bad experience would have been almost $200 for 2 adults (with 3 drinks), a teen and 2 kids. read more

I was actually pretty excited when I heard that Pickle Barrel was somewhat near my new house! Upon arrival, it did take quite some time to get seated even though the restaurant was not packed. Our waitress was really kind and helpful when it came to better suggestions, however, the service could definitely improve. It was pretty hard to call her over when we had a question or needed something, and it felt like she hardly checked up on us even when it wasn't busy. Other than that, the food was really good! I tried the 3 Alarm Chicken Breast Burger, sweet potato fries and onion rings. All of them tasted really good. read more

We four ladies had lunch on the patio in the summer. The service was good but each one of us was unhappy with the food we were served. I had very dry beef, the veggie bowls were mainly rice, and other disappointments. We didn't complain to the server but afterward thought that I should let the restaurant know that their food was sub par. I emailed. But I guess they don't care because no one responded. I would have thought the manager would appreciate some feedback So that this could be addressed. Karen Dillabaugh read more

We ordered 2 corn beef sandwiches with sweet potato fries and one Texas Steak sandwich. Our bill total was $64.35! No drinks were ordered. What a disappointment! The sandwiches were on small tasteless rye bread. No butter, mayonnaise or mustard. Really dry! The sandwiches were small. It used to be difficult to eat a corned beef sandwich because they were so full of meat! Not these two bite sandwiches. Very small servings of cold fries! Very disappointing! This was not the Pickle Barrel we fondly remembered! Certainly not worth $64.15. We will not be returning nor would we recommend this restaurant to anyone. Shame on you Pickle Barrel! read more

Highly anticipated but what a letdown. I ordered a Montreal smoked meat on onion bun with side of onion rings, husband ordered same but on rye. When the orders came, both were on stale rye bread. I sent mine back to get the onion bun, when I finally got it the bun was cold and also stale. There was almost no meat in either sandwich and both the poutine and onion ring were cold. Won't order this here ever again. Debating whether we'll even come back. Disappointing. read more

My experience with this restaurant in one sentence: I expected food like The Works and got something closer to McDonald's. Between my mother, my two sisters and I, we ordered the Rue'Ben (two orders), the Big Horn and the P.B. House burgers. The first two are part of their "Notorious Six" menu. We also ordered a side of onion rings and deep fried dills. It total we spent $100. This is not the worst food I've ever had but the photos and boasting "baddest burgers in town" were nothing close to what we ate. Despite the fancy names of the burger toppings, which made it seem like each burger was significantly different from the other (like at The Works), the food was very bland and unappealing. The fries were terrible, worse than the cheap oven fries you buy at the grocery store. The fried dills were actually good and the best food item. The onion rings were better than the fries but they didn't really stand out. I can't really speak on the customer service because we ordered this as take out but the person who placed my order on the phone was very friendly. So was the person who processed and handed me my order at the Pickering location. Three stars probably seems too high but this isn't the worst place I've ever been to. Just don't go expecting these amazing burgers. Not worth the $20/burger. I would not buy any burgers from this place but I might go again and get something else, if someone paid for me. I'll be sticking to The Works from now on - fantastic burgers, bottomless fries & better prices. read more

Mostly we went here to try it since it was new and we had a coupon for a free appetizer (you get one for subscribing to their emails). They are very busy since they are new here in Pickering (mall outbuilding) and the parking lot was a mess. It is very poorly laid out which led to cars blocking the way and making it difficult to navigate. Once we got in, there was a crowd waiting for tables so we had a few minutes to wait, but only maybe 10 minutes so not that bad. It was around 5pm but they were packed so the noise level was quite high, to the point you couldn't tell what song was playing just the thud of the beat. It took a while to get out drinks (ice water) but not much long to get our app, the PD Nachos. This is a $14 plate of nachos that is mostly chips with a fair bit of cheese on top and a sprinkling of tomato, green onion, and jalapenos with tiny side bowls of salsa and sour cream. The ration of chips to toppings was way off with way too many plain chips left over after you had finished the toppings. For my main I got the BBBLT sandwich which came with fries. This was stupposed to be a triple bacon sandwich with peameal bacon, prosciutto, and applewood smoked bacon along with the lettuce and tomato. While you got a decent amount of the lettuce and tomato, you got two small pieces of peameal bacon which covered the bottom of the bun, a tiny thin slice of fried prosciutto not even big enough to cover more than half the sandwich, and one strip of applewood smoked bacon. One strip? The main taste of the sandwich was ham because of the peameal with very little taste of bacon since even torn in half you can't cover much a sandwich with one slice. This was a $15 sandwich but wasn't worth it. The fry portion was quite small but since we had the nachos I didn't mind. The sandwich also came with a dill pickle slice and a whole sweet gherkin on top of the sandwich. While it wasn't bad it wasn't good enough to tempt me back with the high prices and underwhelming food. Especially with two very similar but better restaurants (Moxies and Jack Astors) on the same property. read more

The Pickle Barrel - BBBLT sandwich - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

I visited the Pickering location on December 27, 2023 for lunch. It was not busy, so I expected the food to be good. I was wrong! I ordered Eggs Benedict. This dish is not difficult to make, but I think restos that specialize in breakfast would have been a better choice to visit. I knew things were not going to be good when the plate was placed in front of me. The hollandaise sauce was split! I was shocked that it was allowed to leave the kitchen like that. The server had no idea that the sauce should not looked curdled. The eggs were poached as requested (runny), but were not properly drained, so there was water pooling at the bottom of the plate. The back bacon and english muffin were both so hard they could not be cut. There seemed to be a manager's meeting going on a few booths awy, so I didn't want to be a bother by calling them over, but I asked the server to inform the kitchen. At no point did anyone come to the table to speak with me. I will not be returning. read more

Good spot for a quick bite. Pickle barrel has an extensive menu and will cater to your needs for breakfast,lunch or dinner. read more

The Pickle Barrel - Egg Benny n mixed greens - Canadian (New) Near Me - Pickering, Ontario