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McMenamins John Barleycorn
Rating Details »
14610 SW Sequoia Pkwy
Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 684-2688
Tigard, OR 97223
(503) 684-2688
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
13 reviews for McMenamins John Barleycorn
I don't know who John Barleycorn is, or why the decor was so random, or why, generally speaking, people rave about McMenamins so rampantly (is it just those tourists?).
I do know that after a nice day of friends, farmers markets, goat watching in Wilsonville and furniture shopping in Tigard, you really can't beat McMenamins happy hour for a beer, $1 cajun tots and a $3 veggie burger.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
When I come to any McMenamins I don't expect fast or even great service. I expect to get a decent meal at a little more than a fair price but you get the ambiance for the place.
It was a hot day and our party of six decided to sit out on the patio since the building shaded the whole patio. Hot day means drinking iced tea so I ordered that and an American Dip with side salad. Woefully disappointed in the size of the sandwich, seems to have shrunk lately. However.... sitting outside on a 90+ degree day and not even being offered a refill on a iced tea? He came back and refilled the beers, he acknowledged me when I held up my glass but never ever came back. So, I think I will repay the favor by never ever coming back to John Barleycorns.
Stopped by on a Sunday evening after a late flight into PDX, the receptionist at the hotel down the street having recommended it. It was the start of a record-setting heatwave, and after a busy day, I was hungry and thirsty. There was a large group at one table (seemed to be having a great time), perhaps two other couples, and a couple of people sitting at the bar...but the place is rather large, so this qualifies as empty (Sunday evening in Tigard, so not necessarily a bad sign).
The waitress was very attentive, and quickly stopped by to see if I would like to start with something from the bar...in fact, she was attentive throughout the evening, taking my food order, and promptly bringing my bill when I was ready to leave. However, my $12 top-shelf margarita arrived in an 8 oz glass that was heaping with ice (above the rim)...I doubt that it contained more than 3 oz of actual drink. My "tequila and lime marinated chicken" burrito (in quotes because I tasted no lime or tequila) had to have been microwaved (the fillings were at nuclear fusion temperatures). The burrito was huge, and after allowing it to cool, was edible and did provide sustenance. It was supposed to be served with chips and pico de gallo, but there was perhaps a tablespoon of it, so am not even sure how it tasted. I did try one of their beers, Hammerhead, and it was quite refreshing.
I visit the area a few times a year, but this is one place that I won't be returning to.
Fun change of pace for a McMenimans. Sure, the menu is basically the same, but it has a much different atmosphere that the others. It is located in an area where it is hard to be cool, so to speak, yet JB serves as an oasis of nice architecture and good food. The outdoor patio is wonderful!
If you think you're having a bad day, you should read the The Ballad of John Barleycorn by Robert Burns. [1]
Sort of The Passion of the Christ, Scottish style.
But I really can't conjure up much passion, bloodlust or deadly rage towards this particular McMenamins. It is hard to think of another chain that has more variety. These are not cookie cutter establishments.
The pinnacle for me is Kennedy School. Absolutely love the place. And if I'm on my way to the Gorge, I'll usually work in a visit to Edgefield. John Barleycorn's is just a restaurant and bar with a nice patio. No movie theatre, golf course, spa, hotel or other special attractions that make some of the other McMenamins a true destination.
This isn't a renovated historic building although this location has always reminded me of Dracula's castle. The stone work, vaulted ceilings and tapestry curtains make a nice setting. What mainly struck me on my most recent visit was that aside from the crowd pleasing Communication Breakdown burger, I've rarely had food I consider good at any McMens.
So the fact of the matter is that I'll put up with the food and beer at some of their more interesting properties, but for the most part I'll take a pass here.
[1] http://www.robertburns...
As my first time and most likely not my last, I really enjoyed the place. I don't understand why such a bad rap and low ratings.
I don't think a bar/pub is going to cater strictly to you and be at your table every few minutes to serve you. Quite honestly you go to a bar to enjoy a good drink and enjoy good company. Both I thoroughly enjoyed at John Barleycorn. The hostess was quite nice and my friends just happen to be regulars to the place and so it was a nice chit chat once in awhile. But, I didn't come to be served, I came to enjoy a great atmosphere with some good friends! I walked away happy to have found such a place to do that!
The location is somewhat hit or miss considering my current living arrangements being so far away. But, I thought it was nice that it was so secluded from the rest of the Tigard/LO scene! It's no fine dining establishment, but really a quick lunch or place to hang with friends/family. Which was all that I was looking for!
My hsuband and I have been there 2 to 3 times and each time have sat in the bar area. The bartender each time was quick and we never went with an empty glass. The service was great for us and we enjoyed the Working Man's Red. The food is good but not outstanding so that's why I gave it a 3 instead of a 4. I'm ok with that though - sometimes you just want a burger and not a culinary masterpiece.
I enjoy John Barleycorn most in late spring and summer, when we can comfortably sit in the patio area and enjoy the brew! I'm pleased with the prompt, attentive service. If you enjoy McMenamin's signature beers (Hammerhead, Nitro, etc.), this is a fine atmosphere for groups to gather at Happy Hour. The food I've eaten was edible but admittedly unimpressive. As others have mentioned, if you order the fries and you can expect a generous serving in a basket, but I suspect they're fried in 10W-30 or DELO-30; they will spike your "bad" cholesterol levels! Order them anyway; they taste better with the beer.
In summary, it's a great place to relax with friends and debrief after work. You can quaff a brew or two, nibble a few appetizers, and enjoy good company and conversation in an atmosphere that encourages celebration. The designated driver can enjoy soft drinks and munchies.
I love the McMenamins establishments; however, I was wholly disappointed with John Barleycorn's.
Now, mind you, I only went for drinks and appetizers but I expected a little bit more. Ordered the chipotle pico de gallo and French fries. One thing I have to say is the portions are huge, especially the French fries which at size small were enough for two people.
The chipotle pico de gallo had no flavor; the salsa chips accompanying them were either stale or baked in a way I'm not used to. I talked to friends who've had the chips there and they pretty much said the same thing. Fries were OK, but no flavor to them; no pizazz.
Waitress was very friendly, but slow; however, this was more noticeable after the other server left (guessing break) and it was obviously a lunch crowd - therefore, I'm not taking service into account of my review.
I may go back again, but with the dirty glasses we had, methinks maybe not.
I end up here for lunch about every 6 to 9 months. Services is fast and friendly. Food is usualy good. I enjoy the fact that they have RC Cola (because it's made with sugar) on tap and the beer kicks ass.
The tots are always my favorite here, rumor has it they're "home made". The last time I was here there was something wrong with the fryer. Tots came out all weird and greasy. Strange thing is the waitres pointed it out how bad they looked. Then why serve it? Better yet, why charge me for crap tots?
This is a fun place to sit and catch up with friends. Outside patio is nice and shady. Love having luch here when the weather starts to warm up.
It was just ok. The beer during happy hour was cheap, and there are two happy hours daily with a break during dinner hours and restarting at 10:00 pm. We got there about 9pm, but eventually hit the happy priced drinks. Good beer, and during HH, pretty cheap. The food sucked. My friend had chicken tenders, she ate one, looked reflectively at it, and said, "Hmmm, it tastes kind of like shrimp." That's not good. I had the Captain Neon burger, bacon and blue cheese. There were two very tiny itsy bitsy pieces of charred bacon, and a watery sort of blue cheese sauce that tasted more like sour cream. The french fries were limp and cold. The guys had cheeseburgers, but they'll eat anything so they had no complaints.
The service wasn't exactly friendly, but all the important categories of taking the order, serving the order, and asking how it was, were met.
I wouldn't go back for food. I would only get beer during happy hour. It sure isn't worth driving for 1/2 hour from the 'burbs to eat or drink there.
This pub is great, its within walking distance to my house and close to where I work, the only problem is that when my dad and I ate there they double charged his credit card because they were trying to start a tab and kept doing a new charge rather than appending the new item. Anyways it got resolved after he called them up.
They've got good beers and tater tots. Don't let the tater tots touch paper because then you'll get some idea of how much grease you're ingesting. I let my tots sit for a minute on some napkins to cool down and allow the grease to soak out a bit. I was also dipping them in pepper-corn ranch dressing, so its a wash anyways...
The place has a nice big stove to situate yourself near for dinner or a pint. The waiters and waitresses are extremely helpful and accommodating.
Wikipedia says:
"John Barleycorn is an English folksong. The character "John Barleycorn" in the song is a personification of the important cereal crop barley, and of the alcoholic beverages made from it, beer and whisky. In the song, John Barleycorn is represented as suffering attacks, death, and indignities that correspond to the various stages of barley cultivation, such as reaping and malting.
Some have interpreted the story of John Barleycorn as representing a pagan practice. It has also been suggested that John Barleycorn, or rather an early form of the song, may have been used by the early church in Saxon England to ease the conversion of pagans to Christianity from their native Anglo-Saxon polytheism. The reasoning behind this idea is that John Barleycorn represented the ideology of nature cycles, spirits and the harvest of the pagan religion (and may have represented human sacrifice also) but that the song was Christianized in order to show John Barleycorn as a Christ-like figure.
Barleycorn, the personification of the barley, encounters great suffering before succumbing to an unpleasant death. However, as a result of this death bread can be produced; therefore, Barleycorn dies so that others may live. Finally his body will be eaten as the bread. Compare this with the Christian concepts of the Sacrament and of Transubstantiation and it is not difficult to imagine how the song might have been beneficial to Christianity. A popular hymn, "We Plough the Fields and Scatter", is often sung at Harvest Festival to the same tune.
As shown above, the point of the tale told by the original versions is twofold: it focuses not only on the death and resurrection of John Barleycorn, but also on Barleycorn's revenge upon the tradesmen who misused him."
Whatever.
I say,
I've got to give it up for this McMenamins location. It divides the industrial and commercial sectors of Sequoia Parkway in Tigard, just off the 72nd Ave, or Kruse Way exit and (brace yourself) it has attentive service! Rock Creek Tavern and John Barleycorn easily take the cake for best service out of all the chains. Too bad they're both somewhat in the middle of nowhere.
Order a communication breakdown burger w/Tillamook cheese and a few hammerhead brews on the sunny back patio for a good, "day fade". The brownie on the desert menu is surprisingly good too.
Deanna, our server today was exceptional.
(Should also note - this location is not historic whatsoever. It was built about five years ago out of Home Depot garden style blocks. Looks cool though so... yeah)