Beast & Barrel

This will be the third time I've posted a review here and it disappears.

We come in about once a month, usually for lunch on Saturdays. We are never disappointed with the interesting menu, friendly staff, and house-made sodas.

I can't speak to the bar as neither of us drink alcohol, but my wife always tries one of their house-made sodas which are always good and interesting.

One thing for sure we always want is the Eagle sauce, it's not on the menu but the best way to have fries. It's a remnant from the Egale drive-in which we miss.

I love the rotating artwork, there is always something interesting to see. The floor-to-ceiling wine rack is fun to see as it has slowly filled up since the opening.

The food is always fresh and interesting. Even just getting a burger is not just a burger here. The menu is always inventive and updated with fresh ideas.

Other have mentioned the restrooms, which seem to be shared with other tenants in the building. It's modern and stylish, something you might find in an upscale nightclub or restaurant in Chicago.

We tend to park in the back and come in the back door but there is also a Main St. entrance. Seating can be limited when they are busy but we have never had to wait long for a table.

~ gluten-free review ~

My mom and I were recommended to come to Beast & Barrel for dinner when passing through Joplin. We were running late and the kitchen was closing but Eric was so kind and accommodating and had our side salads ready to go when we walked in the doors! Service was exceptional and the food was delicious! The atmosphere was really fun and would be the perfect spot for date night or a girls night.

The Caesar salad was really good and the anchovy pieces added great flavor. The Brussels Bleu starter was incredible, and the portion were generous so you can definitely share with a large group. I got the wild caught salmon for my main. The crust on the salmon was perfectly crispy without the fish being too dry and the risotto balanced the fish perfectly! The cosmo was so yum and just the right amount of lavender as well!

Our server was so kind but the ambiance was awful. It was about 2pm and the bartender was doing shots with a very loud group. The music was too loud, somehow the lights dimmed at 2:11pm? My dad got the pecker sandwich and he really enjoyed it but the fries were way too salty. I got a side Caesar and the croutons were SO good they added a star to this review. Our server said they're made in house so that's cool. The lavender cosmo was my first venture into lavender drinks and it tasted how my candle smells but I don't know if that's the intention... but again our server was awesome! Saving grace of our passing through town.

Brought my partner today because he HAD to try the Brussels. He LOVED them. As I knew he would lol. I also tried the chicken Marsala, which was delicious, tho a little stodgy for my preference. The service was great as always and All Dogs Go To Heaven was on the TV nearest! Good grief, I haven't seen that in 30 years. A fabulous lunch was had.

We were looking for a good lunch option while traveling thru JOMO and our go to "the Eagle" was closed.

Enter Beast and Barrel.

Located in what appears to be a revitalizing downtown area this hip and trendy spot was doing the biz-several tables were discussing real estate transactions and making small talk.

The interior and decor are big city high end hip, trendy and cool. Not something I expected to find but was pleasantly surprised.

The selections are varied and composed of fresh and unique selections. Our party ordered up the Beast Burger, the Chicken Sandwich and the roasted veggie salad with grilled chicken. We had fries (get the spicy ranch) and a side of Mac and Cheese.

Everything was great, the tastes, the substance, the dressings. All good.

You won't regret spending your $$ and calories at Beast and Barrel. We'll be back.

The successor to the old eagle drive-in is now much more conveniently located in the downtown area. They offer pretty much the same fare with some more upscale options like mussels. The dining area and decor is really nice here. Good for a nicer dinner or a date. Food is just as good as the old joint so if you're expecting consistency or the same sort of food you won't be disappointed. The highlight for me was always their fries which are seasoned, fried just right and comes with a side of garlic aioli.

I tried their fried chicken sandwich and it was a pretty standard cafeteria fried chicken patty so I would pass on that but definitely in for the other food they have.

What started out as a nice dining experience quickly went downhill once the food arrived. We ordered 1 margarita, 1 mimosa and cheese curds to begin with. Drinks were tasty and the cheese curds were delicious. We really liked the dipping sauce that came with the curds.
The service was extremely slow. The bartender was the only person working the dining room.
Our food came out and I was given the wrong order and my husband's was lacking mashed potatoes. He ordered the ribeye and that was literally the only thing on his plate. He had a salad, but it was supposed to come with mashed potatoes as well. I had ordered "The Rooster" and it was supposed to be a fried chicken sandwich with spicy sriracha sauce on a pretzel bun. What I got was not that at all. I received a grilled chicken sandwich that had some avocado purée on it and bacon and it was between two pieces of toast.
I explained to the waiter that my order was wrong and he went back to the kitchen to check. When he returned he explained that they were out of the fried chicken and substitute this grilled chicken sandwich instead. I feel as if I should have been told they were out of the fried chicken to begin with and asked if I wanted something else rather than something completely different being substitute and delivered to the table. The waiter said I could order something else, but we had already waited long enough to get these plates I just accepted it. The chicken was over cooked and rubbery and the bacon was practically burnt. My plate was taken off of our ticket, but this experience was disappointing and not worth it to return.

We met up with friends here last night and I intended to get a snack and a drink. Eric was very knowledgeable about the menu and made great suggestions. is is also an awesome bartender! the drinks are delicious and we enjoyed an amazing bone in filet dinner. the cabernet Eric told me to get was perfect.
we didn't have dessert but it looked amazing and the presentation was the cherry on top!
Thank you and we will be back!!

Quaint, eclectic and local, all my favorite qualities! If you love Brussel Sprouts, based on the rave reviews and their popularity, these are a MUST. Brussel sprouts aren't my fav, but they have a great drink menu and variety of food genres to choose from. We had great service, the Chef even came out to check on our meal. Local restaurant with great vibe!

Love trying out new places in town, especially (and practically exclusively) the non-chain restaurants. Beast & Barrel is a nice addition to downtown Joplin.

If you liked Eagle Drive-In, you'll enjoy the burger options here. Some of them made the transfer to the new restaurant, which is a good thing for all the Eagle fans.

I chose the Green Beast, which is a black bean burger topped with tomato curry. It had good flavor but it was pretty dry. Definitely needed more of the tomato curry! For my side, I chose the Mac n Cheese. It was pretty standard, but a nice comfy, cheesy bite.

Hubby got the Prawn Frites which he liked very much. His side was the Hand Cut Fries - the best part of the meal, if you ask me! They were DELICIOUS. Hand cut is always the way to go.

We got an additional side, the Brussel Sprouts with bacon and bleu. The flavor on these was awesome! Really really liked them.

I will definitely go back to Beast and Barrel to try more things. Most likely a burger next time.