I wanted to take my hubby on a nice dinner date. I searched on Resy for a nice restaurant and found Barrel and Fork. I first noticed the 4.5 star rating but as I delved deeper, I read some exhilarating reviews regarding this restaurant. The more and more I read the reviews the more I became intrigued by the restaurant. I booked a reservation on Global Dining by Resy. We drive about 30+ minutes to Cornelius where the restaurant is located. Our reservation was for 5 PM. We got there about 10 minutes early and noticed a line had formed at the entrance of the restaurant. We waited outside until they opened at 5 PM on the dot. We were seated promptly once we got to the hostess stand. The restaurant is in an old house built in 1906 (if I am not mistaken). The floors creaked as you walk on them and you can feel the floors moving as people walked by. Our waiter came over to go over the cocktail menu. My hubby decided to opt for the smoked Old Fashioned and I opted for the bourbon flight (I did not modify it although you can). We also ordered a caesar salad and candy pig (bacon). Our drinks came first followed by the salad and bacon. The flights I ordered were 80, 104, and 95 proof respectively. The brand of bourbon is called Penelope. They were strong but satisfying. My hubby stated that his drink was "interesting" but good. It had a nutty flavor. The salad was delicious and the candy pig was basically pork belly. It was fatty and sweet, but very flavorful. We ordered our entrees next. I ordered the brazina fish which came with rice and veggies and my hubby ordered the wagyu meatloaf with mashed potatoes and succotash. My branzina was charred and seasoned to perfection. Although boney (I had to pull a ton of bones out of mouth so be careful when ordering this dish), it was delightful the sides were good too. My hubby loved his meatloaf. He said it was definitely one of the best meatloafs he has ever tasted. He loved his veggies and mash too. Finally, we ordered dessert. I chose the passion fruit cake and my hubby opted for the key-lime cheesecake. The passion fruit cake was like a strawberry shortcake that included passion fruit. It was sooooo good. It was the favorite dessert between the two. The key-lime was good but average. The service was good as well. We were checked on by the manager and by our server, Joseph constantly. Joseph gave great recommendations. My hubby knocked over my empty flight glass by accident. Luckily it did not break, and the manager came over promptly to see if we needed anything to be cleaned up and/or drinks "topped off". Once we finished, they brought over one of the most unique things. It was a tincture made with boiling water, dry ice, assorted plants, and spices. It smelled so good and made for a great photo. Hubby's Ratings: Smoked Old fashioned - 3.5/5 The Burrows (Manhattan) - 4.5/5 Caesar Salad - 4/5 Meatloaf - 4.5/5 Key-lime Pie - 4/5 Passion fruit cake - 4.5/5 Customer Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 4/5 My ratings: Flight - 4/5 Candy Pig - 5/5 Branzina - 5/5 Passion fruit cake - 5/5 Key-lime pie - 4/5 Customer service - 5/5 Ambiance - 4/5 Overall, I would highly recommend Barrel and Fork for couples looking for a nice romantic meal in a quaint restaurant with great cocktails and flavorful cuisine. And don't forget to get a slice of that passion fruit cake. You'll thank me later. read more