Bar B Barn

I’ve passed by this place a few times and couldn’t help but notice the old barn shaped structure and after hearing about how great their ribs supposedly are, I wanted to try it.
This West Island landmark opened in 1980 and there has been almost no renovations since. Giant flat screen tvs and free wifi are the only modern signs.
The décor, color scheme of burnt orange/​maroon is very on trend with the 70s as are the menu offerings and general feel of Bar B Barn. It’s quite possibly the oddest restaurant I’ve ever stepped foot in. The food arrives on wheeled carts and the plates are melamine, probably the same ones used 30 years ago since they are dull, yellowed and scratched. Cheapens the food. For a sit down restaurant, they really should invest in normal dining ware.
Enough about the décor, the food must be great since they pride themselves in «the worlds best ribs» right? What a bold statement. It’s hit or miss. Our ribs were not fall off the bone and seemed to be reheated. These are not your traditional BBQ smoky flavored ribs, they are extremely sweet and my first thought upon tasting was that these are like ribs from an Americanized Chinese buffet. You know the kind of place that serves little hot dogs wrapped in bacon dipped in that brown sweet sauce?- well the Bar B Barn ribs and all their sauces have that sweet flavor. I personally liked it, and also enjoyed my chicken although it was nothing special. I was however disappointed at how small the portions were in terms of sides.
I opted for 2 side dishes and there’s even the option to get 3 different sides but what’s misleading is that you’re getting smaller portions of each item, not more food.
Warning: the mashed potatoes are very sweet since they are mixed with mashed carrots and you only get an ice cream scoops worth. Same with the rice and about 5 onion rings. If you want more food, you need to specify that you’re willing to pay extra for additional sides.
It’s a simple menu (I posted pictures of all the prices and selection) I wasn’t expecting too much from the exterior of the restaurant but was hoping to be surprised by the food, considering their success and decades of operation. It’s ok for the price I paid, my chicken meal was just 10 $ but if you’re getting their 30 $ ribs plate, it’s not worth it.
For me it was mostly an interesting experience to be thrown into a decade from before I was born.

I had the ¼ chicken breast. The chicken was as dry as the bone it came attached to. Presentation is lacking, and as a whole the meal is not worth half of what they charge. I won’t be returning.

I have been seeing this place forever but never tried until about 2 months ago and I was quite surprise about the retro look of the place.
The place was empty and it was Friday night. The waiter was pretty funny and the service was fast mind you that we were alone in there.
I ordered some ribs and they were nit good at all. The outside was crispy and sweet but the ribs was very fat and not too much meat on them and very greasy.
The fries were ok but nothing amazing and the rice in that little metal dish was just horrible, no taste and very muchy.
Wont be going back for sure

Super simple menu. but hey.they do those few things very very well. .I highly recommend this restaurant

I’ve been in MTL for a while and I’d heard about Bar-​B barn for awhile. I decided to take my Van visitors there got a late dinner after picking them up at YUL. We ordered the whole hawg, and the half chicken and fries to split. They charge 4 $ for sharing which I’m not a huge fan of. The portions were huge but very tasty. If you like «traditional» BBQ this probably won’t be your cup of tea. The ribs are parboiled and have a sweet sticky sauce. I happen to be a fan of this method so I was happy to chow down on the ribs. The chicken was delicious as well plump, juicy, well seasoned! Yes the décor probably hasn’t changed since it opened but I’m a fan of retro so I was a happy camper. We had so much food we had to take some home. Just a good the next day.

OMG… The restaurant that time forgot to renovate.
When I was a small boy this was the biggest outing of the year. Did I love going to the Bar B Barn! The chicken, the frizzy fries, that gravy… Whaaaaaat.
Well, 30 years later nothing has changed. The menu, the carpets, tables, plates, décor, even some of the staff is still there. It’s sad to see. Someone needs to call «Kitchen Nightmares» and beg for help.
I’ll always have the memories. :)