Barrio Bars have recently launched their sixth location – in Watford! Barrio Watford is their first restaurant-bar outside of the capital, and I went down to their soft launch in October to check it out.
Barrio is definitely serving Latin vibes. The décor is bright and bold, with lots of bulk colour and contrasting monochrome patterns. The ceiling was filled with plastic greenery and faux-birds, and all the waiters and waitresses were wearing Hawaiian shirts.
Unfortunately, the staff didn’t match the Latin energy. No one greeted us upon entry to the restaurant and there wasn’t much of a welcome at the bar either. After flagging down a waiter, we were given a choice of seating. You have the option to sit at regular tables, booths or on high tables with bar stools. We chose a small table and started flicking through the menu.
Like most restaurants post-pandemic, each table at Barrio is equipped with a QR code for online ordering. However, many of the menu items were missing from the online system and so we ordered with our waiter instead.
I was eager to try the Mexican Fried Chicken Wings but these were sadly unavailable on this particular night, as was the Che Guava cocktail.
Our food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering but our drinks were nowhere to be seen. We had to ask our waiter again, and another waitress, before our drinks finally arrived – after we had finished our food! Pretty disappointing considering there were two baristas behind the bar, looking rather idle.
We ordered a selection of food items from across the menu, all of which arrived together.
Jalapeno Spoon Bread Raclette Cheese, Honey
The spoon bread was very disappointing. It was far too wet – having a polenta consistency – and was smothered in honey which overpowered the other flavours. Through the sweetness of the honey, you couldn’t taste the jalapeno nor the raclette cheese that was melted on top. The bread itself was bland and had a soggy, scrambled egg texture.
Chicharron & Smoked Pimento
These perfectly puffed pork rinds were crunchy and light, served with a sprinkling of paprika. They would have been a great pairing for a pint of beer at the bar, rather than a starter. They made for a good nibble between dishes, though.
Tacos & Tostadas
Tacos & Tostadas make up a big chunk of Barrio’s menu, so I had high hopes for these signature plates. Only one (from seven or eight listed items) was stated as a tostada, so we were unsure which would arrive as tacos.
Unlike tacos, tostadas are served open and lose heat quickly. Both the Birria De Res and Pulled Chilli Chicken dishes happened to be tostadas and unfortunately, both arrived to our table cold.
Birria De Res Tostadas Braised Beef Brisket, Ancho Chillies, Refried Beans, Crispy Shallots, Dipping Gravy
When I saw the Birria De Res (beef) tostadas, I was in utter disbelief. The crispy tortillas were overcooked, had a small smear of refried beans in the centre, and were each topped with just two squares of dry beef. They were very underwhelming, in looks and taste – quite bland with no contrast in texture or flavour. The dipping gravy was just a classic beef gravy but was definitely needed to add some moisture to this dish.
Pulled Chilli Chicken Tostadas Avocado, Red Cabbage, Guacamole, Jalapeno
Although the pulled chicken tostadas had more fillings, and the different elements provided more textures and flavours than the beef, there was nothing particularly special about them. The chicken had little Latin flavour, and more filling were needed to balance against the dry, overcooked tortilla.
Sloppy José Quesidilla Beef Mince, Monterey Jack Cheese, BBQ Sauce, Chipotle Mayo
Despite being served very plainly, this quesadilla was one of the highlights of our night. The tortilla was cooked perfectly – a little crispy, slightly flaky but still soft. Most importantly, it was still hot when it arrived to our table. The minced beef was coated in a tangy-sweet BBQ sauce, enhanced by the creaminess of the Monterey Jack cheese. The only downside: there wasn’t enough of it!
Carne Asada Bavette Steak, Green Peppers, Refried Beans, Jalapeno Salsa
Juicy… Crunchy… Goodness. This dish was my favourite and I would happily eat it again. The steak had great seasoning and was served rare, on a bed of refried beans and fajita-style peppers. The meat was extremely moist and tender, and had been rested before serving. The peppers were crunchy and succulent, and the salsa had a subtle kick. The flavours balanced perfectly and each ingredient added a new texture to the dish.
Pollo Asado Cornfed Chicken Thighs, Green Rice, Sweetcorn Puree, Baby Gem
I’m still trying to decide whether I enjoyed this dish which probably means I didn’t. The chicken skin was smoky and crisp, but I had to double check that the thighs were cooked through. They had a slight rubbery texture and were bordering pink. I decided to leave most of it as I just couldn’t trust that they were cooked properly. The sweetcorn purée was not to my taste. It was lumpy and bland, and reminded me of baby food. The green rice was cooked al dente and was flavoured well. The herbs were balanced, with none overpowering the grain. The dish was missing the stated baby gem but did have a sweetcorn salsa atop the chicken.
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| Excuse the fork photobomb! |
Mexican Vice Bacardi Coconut Rum, Beefeater Pink Strawberry Gin, Tequila Rose, Coconut, Pineapple
We can forgive Barrio for not serving this drink in their promised pineapple glass with fruit. After waiting so long, I was just happy to have a drink at all! That said, the glass was filled to the brim with crushed ice, leaving barely any room for the cocktail itself - three sips and it was gone! Of the little I got to try, it was creamy with a hint of rum, resembling more of a Piña Colada than a Mexican Vice.
Rumspresso Martini Plantation Original Dark Rum, Tia Maria, Disaronno Amaretto, Cocoa Bitters
The Rumspresso Martini came exactly as advertised. Although I didn't drink this one myself, my partner confirmed that the coffee flavour was far too strong.
Final Thoughts…
It’s fair to say that the food at Barrio Watford was unimpressive; majorly off from my expectations. I had scanned Barrio’s Instagram before booking and their pictures showed big portions of food – overflowing tostadas and quesadillas that were bursting at the edges – but this just wasn’t the case.
As we attended during their soft launch, our bill was half price and came to just over £40. I would never pay full price for their food after this experience, and truly don’t believe the food or service was worth the original price tag.
