Barney's Bar & restaurant

Excellent (again)

Had ribs at Barneys last Thursday. Food was excellent as usual - we live in Aruba. Ribs are as good as anyplace on the island. We both also had potato soup which I have had many places here and Barney's is the best. If you are looking for a reasonably priced casual place a short distance off the strip, I highly recommend Barney's (though be aware I am just a regular diner, not a Food Critic like the poster below).

Not quite what was expected

We were told (and read) about this "fun place" to dine...not quite! Piano player for "fun" (????)
However, the build-your-own-burgers are good, but can be overcooked.
Avoid the all-you-can-eat steak on Saturdays - the meat is extremely thin and therefore can only be cooked well-done, and it's seasoned with salt and then more salt!
Beer is cold, though, and the fries are tasty (all 7 of them)

WE CAME, WE SAW - WE WERE NOT IMPRESSED

We succumbed to the hype that has been going on for the past year or so concerning this place and were very much looking forward to a novel and rewarding dining experience here. Food here is generally good but not great and nothing really special. The place has an Early Bird special which seems to not be advertised and not distributed unless you either know about it or ask for it - so we hope that this mention might make some people aware of it. We did not know about it nor did they tell us. We saw it being offered to others who apparently either knew about it or asked. Why restaurants hide such things is beyond us if they are going to offer them and we find the practice to be a poor one (yes, others do it too). Another aspect a bit peculiar to this place is that it has special themes for certain nights - regrettably the themes are a bit deceptive. We went on a Wednesday (Grouper Night) and expected all grouper dishes to be offered as part of the deal - SURPRISE, guess what - only some of the grouper meals are offered as part of the meal even though you can order the remaining varieties separately. Fortunately there was little difference in price between the special offerings and the regular other offerings (which makes it more difficult to understand why they are all not included) so our take on their "special night" (with some exception) was to wonder why bother having them other than to entice people. Regardless, upon arriving, efforts were made to get us over to the bar and that is another practice that we find deplorable. Eventually we were seated and, after an interminable wait, received our menus and made our choices. Food was good and acceptable but nothing special and service was lacking - their au-gratin potatoes were extremely dry and almost inedible and had to be washed down. Desserts looked interesting so we figured that we were there and wanted to give the place a fair assessment so we ordered what appeared to be some of their more unique desserts. They included a Nutella Parfait (apologies to Ike's for having improperly criticized them for this dessert when, in fact, it was not offered by them or eaten there) which was mediocre at best and a profiterole which was exceptionally good and big enough for two to share (here was the Flintstone theme in action and what we were expecting of the rest of the place and which was not there). Aside from the profiterole, we really were not impressed with the place and failed to see what others see here. The physical layout is rather dark and somewhat unkempt, poorly lit, and unappealing. The place is undoubtedly a change of pace and we see where it could be appealing to some, nonetheless, we are reluctant to recommend it.

Visited February 2014

Really Enjoy

We dined at Barney's 5 times during our recent visit. Enjoyed a wide variety of food from build your own burger to Wahoo. All food was great and service were great.

Barney's is Excellent

We just ate at Barney's and had great food, service and fun! The owner ,Eline is pleasant and talented! She makes a point to introduce herself and provide wonderful service! Her special salad was the best I,ve had in Aruba with goat cheese and a dressing that was divine! The ribs were better than anything on the strip ! And my husband had what he called "the perfect burger " with her "special sauce" . Instead of dessert I had a chocolate martini which was incredible! This is a great place !!!

Great burgers!

We finally tried Barney's for their burgers that we've been hearing about for a while. They were excellent. Overcooked, (ordered medium and they were all well-done) but still tasted great. Everyone had different toppings and we all thought our meals were great. We were a little skeptical when we got there, as it is a bar/restaurant and smelled a bit smoky. We sat at a table in the back and it was fine. But we went early and there was hardly anyone there yet. I think if it's really busy, the smoking could be an issue.

Casual Dining spot

We wanted to try Da Vinci's, but it was closed - no signs, so don't know if they went out of business. So, a 2nd choice was Barneys. We shared a chicken wing appetizer. DW had the Chicken skewer and I had the Barney burger, which made for very messy eating since I had it built with 4 toppings, cheese, and sauce. Price was $67.87, which included 2 drinks, 2 beers, and tip.

So Good we went twice

Kids wanted a burger and we decided to try this place with their build your own burger. It was simply terrific and affordable. We all 5 of us had the burgers and all agreed that it was the best burger we had ever had. The service was quick,friendly, and in a warm and inviting atmosphere. It is now on our list for everyyear. The management went out of their way to show they appreciated our business and were satisfied. We were so mich that we went again for Grouper night which was also terrific.The piano player did a great job even though a table was out to out shout his music.

Great Food & Prices

We visited Barney's twice during our most recent visit. All food and service was great. Can't wait to go back!

Incredible food and value!

Great place!!!! This is our 2nd year going to Barneys and we always eat there a few times during our two week stay when we arent cooking in. The food is always delicious and fresh. The owner and bartender are friendly and greets everybody as they come in. Locals come and eat too....that's saying something!!! Their ribs have been voted#1 on the island. They do run different specials (some are all you can eat) so check the local paper too. You wont go wrong eating here for the value and portion sizes as well as flavor. We have eaten at many of the restaurants on the island and for what you get/what you pay very few would we return to. BARNEYS is terrific all around!

Great casual food - and a a great place for d

Had dinner here with 3 friends. We ordered alot of different salads, appetizers, and entrees and shared. My favorite was Eline's Creation (salad) with bacon wrapped goat cheese. The menu is varied so there is something for everyone at reasonable prices. The owners/staff are great and do their best to accommodate. Also a nice place to stop in for drinks later in the evening, too.

Great casual dining experience

This was our first time going to Barneys. My husband had heard about it on the bulletin board, I usually like a place outdoors or on the water, but I said, lets give it a try. WE LOVED IT. Its a grea spot for a casual evening, they have delicious food, great grouper, best I have had. Great burgers, salad.
we can use our wifi, music some nights.
A very fun place to go, very laid back and reasonable compared to every other restaurant.

Finally

So very excited to finally find a restaurant that was reasonably priced with great food and service! I really dislike restaurants that force you to pay a 15 percent service charge for poor service, however Barney's did not add this fee to their bill. I think the owners have the right idea in not charging the fee, it ensures that the staff works harder to ensure that the customer is happy and happy equals better tips! We ordered the lady steak, build a burger, and the goat cheese salad. We also ordered 4 beers and our total bill was $70, tip included! Great job Barney's!

Best Grouper

We stopped at Barneys for a burger and ended up having parm. crusted grouper for me and Spanish grouper for my husband. Both meals were delecious and the price was very reasonable. They do not add a service charge just tax.
the dinners , 1 glass of wine and a pina colada $65.00 that included a 20% tip.

Look elsewhere...

There are plenty of other places to enjoy dinner in Aruba... look elsewhere.

Food was fair at best, service was horribly slow and this with only a couple other tables occupied, and the server left with the change attempting to boost the tip.

Overall a very poor experience.

great grouper

we went on a wed night for grouper night
we were a party of four
3 of us had grouper
it was great
one person chose build your own burger.
also great

WOW WHAT A PLACE

Barney's a little secret I'm letting you in on.
This is by far the best priced meal on the island,
my wife and my brother in law and sister were there twice.
The portions are large, pork schnitzel covered the plate,
burgers are large and tasty, the grouper was quite good.
The best thing about Barney's is the price, you can't get a better meal for your money.
My third visit was just the two of us I had the burger, my wife had the grouper, she had two martini's and I had a drink the cost was $52.00 outstanding for Aruba.

Great new find - Barneys!!!!

Barneys was fantastic. Met the owner Eline (sp) - she was great. Service was excellent $5 glasses of wine and $6 mixed drinks. Two in our party had the Build a Burger which comes with a separate menu with 20 or so free "add ons". Husband had the Mussels which Eline recommended he said they were the best he has ever had (we are New Englanders) and the bowl was huge. I had the Parmesean crusted Grouper and it was the best meal I had on the island.

Don't go!

Terrible service, damp croutons in salad, stale ribs...so many other excellent choices in Aruba.

New casual place

Sept. 19, 2012

Barney's is located next door to Sole Mare. We were looking over the menu & trying to decide on some light fare, but when the waitress came over to recite the specials - she mentioned that Wednesday is Grouper night & you can get Grouper prepared Italian, Spanish, French,
or Dutch style. So DW decided to have Spanish style & I went for Italian. Our plates had a nice size Grouper filet plus a ton of veggies. You also get to select a side with the Grouper special. It was very filling & DW took half the platter to have for next day's lunch. Total amount for food, 2 drinks, 2 glasses of wine, plus tip came to $74.93.

Great food reasonably priced

We went to Barneys from the high rise. The cab was $7 and well worth the trip. Food was beyond excellent!!! Huge portion and great drinks. Expresso martini was the best i have had on the island. Very relaxed environment they did not rush you. Would highly recommend!!

Good food

Wife and I both had the chicken schnitzel. Food was very good and BIG portions. Great for breakfast the next day.

Prices are very reasonable.

Just Ok

I took my family there on the recommendation of a Dutch person living in Aruba. The place was quiet except for those drinking at the bar. In fact, we were the only ones there having dinner. There was one person waiting tables, tending bar,cashier etc. while the owner was apparently drinking with a few friends or patrons. Needless to say service was bad. The special was steak. I found it overly seasoned and extremely tough. The salad was good as was the fries. My daughter wouldn't eat any of the steak. She is 7 and said it was too spicy. My wife had a fish dish which she said was good but not great. My son had mac and cheese. They did have a very good kid's menu which is helpful. When I told the waitress that the steak was tough she nicely told me that I should have ordered a different steak. My reply "you should have told me that when I ordered". Perhaps her recommendation was much better but I will never know. Prices were reasonable. In short, there are better meals to have on the island.

excellent food, high value

We own a house on the island, spend a lot of time here, and have dined at many restaurants. Barney's has become one of our favorites. We eat there a couple times a month and stop for drinks and appetizers other times. The entrees are consistently excellent - schnitzel is a favorite - and the drinks are handmade, not thrown together mixes. Eline gets a workout crushing the fresh mint in our mojitos. Plus they feature nightly entree specials. The staff is consistently courteous, friendly, and attentive. My wife observed that her restroom was very clean. While obviously not directly related to the food, this does reflect on the attention to detail Ron and Eline have for every aspect of managing their restaurant. For us, Barney's is a place that features excellent food and tasty drinks and that delivers high value for the price.

Surprisingly Tasty

I had heard a little about Barney's - but it wasn't alluring enough to make my list of "must-eat" places on our last vacation to Aruba in June 2012.

We happened to pass by it while getting gas one evening and decided to stop in for dinner. My wife, my infant daughter, my mother-in-law and I had dinner.

We ordered a set of appetizers and soup which were very good. The beef goulash was thick and tasty. I had the spicy bang bang type shrimp which were just right.

For dinner I had the wiener schnitzel which was HUGE and outstandingly flavoded and tender.

Barney's is a great place to bring the kids - the burgers looked great - the ambiance is nice - the staff friendly and appreciative and the prices are just right!

We will be back in Aruba for New Year's and just may make another stop in!!!