The Barterhouse Review

This is long over due. I had the distinct pleasure to experience what has been one of the top 5 dining experiences of my life. I dropped in on a fluke on their grand opening. The bar staff is top notch. As a former bartender they are on lock with their extensive knowledge and skills. The food is outstanding. The 4 grades above prime beef sourced from a single ranch out west is the best I have ever tasted; better than the top wagu filet I had at Morimoto in Philly. If you have doubts about Barterhouse, don t. Just go and see for yourself.

Amazing Atmosphere! AMAZING BARTENDERS! EVEN MORE AMAZING MENU! Ask for the Wagyu CheeseBurger, it's not on the menu!

I can comment on the bartender Myles or Miles. We are outsiders from Georgia who have an appreciation for cocktails and their history. Myles was one of the best bartenders if not the best I have had and these are the experiences I truly enjoy and appreciate.

Rounding the corner of 7th avenue, departing from the main strip of Ybor City ..you can see the flickering candlesticks through the windows drawing you inside. The moment you enter, you notice the incredible abstract impressions scattered throughout the restaurant. The dim lighting and candlelight also add to the nostalgia sending you back in time to a historic 1940 s, speak-easy Ybor feel. The combination of the open chef s kitchen and the raw artistic interior make you feel like you are with friends from the past, present, and future.
Their passion for food and spirits are transformed through their menus which are complex in their simplicity. With a dinner and a brunch menu, they have hit perfection in every bite. The BarterHouse is truly a farm to table restaurant supporting local businesses and staying true to the culture and energy in Tampa Bay.

Love everything about this restaurant from the drinks, the food, the ambiance. The staff and owners are fantastic as well. Great addition to Ybor

$3.00 martinis, Stoli, great food, enjoyed it, server was very good.

Some of the best food I've had in Tampa. Get the Pork shank!

We live in the neighborhood and are definitely foodies! We absolutely LOVED this restaurant and is our new favorite! We will definitely be back. The food was incredible and drinks delicious, the wait staff was extremely attentive and offered great advice with the menu.

Signature cuisine, delicious and very well thought out. The restaurant buys from local producers. The attention is phenomenal and the atmosphere is very modern, comfortable and relaxed. They also won my heart because we had the credit card of someone in my group and kept it until we got it.

We enjoyed the atmosphere, the dining experience, and the service was also great

Wonderful atmosphere and a great yummy Brunch menu.

From the bar service to the food, this place is top notch and a much needed addition to the Tampa restaurant scene. Do yourself a favor and arrive early so you can enjoy a drink beforehand. The head bartender Myles is easily one of the best mixologists in the area and extremely knowledgeable on everything that goes into his cocktails. While the drink menu has some great staples, you cannot go wrong by simply picking a spirit of choice and letting him throw together a custom creation. Never disappoints!

On the restaurant side, you can tell they put a lot of effort into finding the freshest, locally sourced ingredients. I was extremely impressed to learn that Barterhouse s chicken came from Trail Bale Farms, a local vendor I had seen many times before at Tampa area farmers markets. While you may think you d be doing yourself a disservice by ordering chicken at a place like this, it was truly incredible. We also went with the pork shank and fresh Florida fish which were both to die for! Look no further, Barterhouse will quickly become your new go to spot.

EAT AT BARTERHOUSE. This place was amazing.

It came highly recommended by a friend so my bf and I check it out Saturday night.

We arrived a tiny bit early for our ressie but were happily taken to our table. We ordered drinks from a creative list of cocktails, which we were very happy with.

We went ahead and chose all five dishes we would be sharing and the staff timed them perfectly. We had just a few moments to sip and chat between dishes.



The service was phenomenal, the atmosphere was as well. I am thrilled Ybor finally has a nice place to dine. I will absolutely come back.

This place is amazing. The food is worth the wait. The Mixologist Miles not only knowledgeable but entertaining! His bar back M makes the best cappuccino, we love this place ... The demand for a restaurant of this caliber in Ybor is not only welcomed but exciting!

This place isn t worth it at all. Lack of service, crowded tables, and an overpriced menu with food that doesn t make it worth it.

I work here. Come visit and try our exquisite dishes and friendly family atmosphere. We Staff members aim to please. We have some of the best Chefs in the Tampa Bay area. Five star restaurant, come join us for dinner.

Awesome place for dinner and a cocktail. Currently the menu is small but everything we've had in 2 visits was amazing. For starters I can highly recommend the pimiento and cheese, the home made chips are incredible. The bacon wrapped figs are also very good to start with. From there I can highly recommend the black grouper entree and the pork shank. Both are 5 star dishes in my opinion. If you are budget minded the double burger looks great even though I haven't tried it yet myself. Add to that the great cocktails, dessert options, and atmosphere and you will really enjoy this place. The staff on both visits were very helpful. Enjoy!

Made a reservation, but we arrived early and they sat us right away. The octopus was the reason we went for my husband's birthday. Ordered several appetizers and it was good sized portion and delicious. My husband actually had the octopus twice. Drinks were good too. They gave a complimentary drink for husband's birthday. Delicious and worth trying!

My wife and I enjoyed a Valentine's Day dinner here and the food was delicious! She had the Florida oyster app and fish of the day while Ihad the hald chicken, both entrees were amazing and my wofe also loved her osyters. The service was also great especially on a holiday, there were a lot of staff around helping and ensuring everything was meeting our standards. We will definitely be back!

Great selection of drinks. Both bartender's very knowledgeable. Food was wonderful also. Very nice atmosphere. I'll be back. Good to see Ybor kick it backup a few notches. Always fun to do a quick walk around down there and get out!!

Always a good time but I wish the burger was a permanent addition to the menu.

The best thing I've ever experienced
Including children

Food is tasty, sure, but overpriced for the portions. They rush you out for the next party as well.

One of the best meals I've had in Tampa bay area and definitely the top spot in Ybor to dine. The Chef, Ken, came to our table when I mentioned to the waiter, Sean, that we used to live close to his restaurant, Burwell's, in Charleston, SC. Service and staff were all beyond exception.

Ambiance is great with rustic exposed brick and open rafter historic structure typical to ybor coupled with reclaimed mirrors, metal work, and Venetian plaster accent panels. Large lounge area and equal to slightly lesser sized dinning area. Open format kitchen and clean and orderly bathrooms areas. Clientele was a mix of different age group with a solid but not crowded presence on a Saturday night (7-9pm). Cable cars pass by and its directly across the street to Rock Brother's, which I also highly recommend.

We had FL Panhandle Oysters, local Jamison B Breadhouse breads, molten cheese over fingerling potatoes with bread crostinis arugula gherkins and pearl onions , and the tuna Poke appetizers all were excellent. For entrees both the Tamarind Pork Shank, Steak, and Roasted Chicken were all excellent flavor, beautify presented and very well prepared. We were too full to eat dessert so I cannot comment on that. Maybe next time and there definitely will be a next time as this is going to be a staple in our finer dinning experiences.

Visited the newly opened Barterhouse in Ybor for dinner tonight, and I m elated about the magic that their staff is making with the Florida oysters, fish and greens that we ate. Their genuine passion is evident in the taste and presentation. Go and try their Panacea Pearls!

So, here's the deal. This place has only been open for 2 months. I MIGHT give them another shot down the line. As a past GM of a major restaurant in a tourist market, I fully understand the struggles of getting your bearings. So most of my review is not based upon their relative newness.

Our server, for starters, was entirely too casual for this caliber of restaurant. The service was quite slow, not because of the bar or the kitchen, but because she was not very attentive. At several points, we asked for things like "Can we see the drink menu, please?" It took asking three times with several minutes between visits to get her to bring us one. When we had questions about her recommendations, she replied "everything." That's an Applebees answer. More on this in a bit.

There's a line from Family Guy where Peter tells Lois that the Godfather "insists upon itself." That's kind of how I felt here. The menu is small, which is totally fine. But their descriptors are pretentious and therefore difficult to tell exactly what the flavor profile is of what you will be eating or drinking. I hate to say it like this, but dumb it down a little. Or, have your servers educated enough about your menu that they can do it verbally. Ours could not elaborate on near anything. We asked what the sweetest alcoholic beverage they have is. "None of them are sweet but this one is the most fruit forward." So, we had one guest who only likes sweet drinks, is willing to pay your $12+ per cocktail, and you can't suggest ANYTHING to him? Hmmmm.

The overall feeling I got was "trying a little too hard but missing the mark slightly." Also, they have 6 entrees on their menu, I believe. One was a $70 steak! And out of the 6, they were out of 2 (unironically, not the $70 steak). If you only have 6 items, don't run out of 2 on a Saturday night. Again, new place. Learning to operate. I get it. But leaving a guest with only 4 options for dinner? And while we politely and light heartedly expressed our disappointment to our server, she did not once apologize. But she did say "Uhm, it's 9pm on a Saturday. What do you expect?" Well, to be honest, I don't expect that answer, number one. And number two, the place was busy and tables were still being sat and our reservation was for 830, so clearly you're ill-prepared.

I think if the server did a better job, we wouldn't have been so displeased. I understand all too well how a restaurant can struggle through dinner service. No manager came by either. We would have asked for one, but we weren't looking for any compensation. Just an acknowledgement.

Finally, the blue crab pasta dish I ate was pretty good. But had super crunchy bits in it that put me in mind of bits of shell. I am sure they were not. Mostly because there were so many. But probably not a good idea to include that in a crab dish. One other person ordered the same as me and said the same. Good flavor. Bad crunch. And the other two ordered the daily fish. Both were pleased with that. So, overall, the food was pretty good. I am sure it will only get better. But your staff needs a very swift and decisive redirect for what could easily be the highest end restaurant in Ybor, with time and work.

I love the atmosphere and the service is top notch. I would recommend Barterhouse to everyone and will definitely be coming back

The food was incredible! Tasty choices, cooked perfectly and great vibe inside the restaurant. Bar drinks outstanding, server made good recommendations and manager was on site and taking the pulse by greeting patrons.

Exceptional service and food! I highly recommend this place for brunch. Beautiful furniture and atmosphere, great hosts. Great selection of spirits!

The menu was wonderful; however I need to speak to the service. We had impeccable service and our server Hunter was very patient and helpful. He was able to answer all of our questions and provided our table with hospitable service. While the food was great, his service brought our visit to the next level. Thank you Hunter for making our night out fantastic!

Delicious food! Never disappoints! I had the Wagyu a few times, and their Joyce chicken, very good!

Food is excellent and sustainably sourced. Tried both the chicken and the steak and I can t say anything but positive things about both. Perfectly cooked, amazing flavors. Absolute quality restaurant.

Try the Maximilian drink. Service is good. Food is better.

Nicest bar/ restaurant in Ybor hands down. Need more of this in this city

I was there last saturday celebrating one of my friends b-day and I can tell you it was one of my worst nights out ever, we waited a long time for our drinks, even after asking for them twice (and 1 reminder to the waitress); our food presentation wasn't the best, for a place at Ybor City there is a long way to go for this place to be a Ybor City worthy place.

THE WORST PART: we were asked to leave the restaurant because we were "already finished" and there were people waiting for tables, me and my girlfriend still hadn't finished our drinks!!! So rude.

I am NOT coming back to this place ever!

This place is fantastic!! The food is fun, fresh, and delish! A place to have a date night, or with the gals! The service is on point. Kristy is a wine expert and will help you navigate your wine needs! Bar staff knowledgeable in their fancy cocktails and food in a delight. The atmosphere is swanking and fun with a touch of class.Sunday brunch is amazing!! Eggs Benedict and the Expresso Martini is a must have!!!!!

Will and Hunter were supurb as was the rest of the staff we encountered! It far exceeded our expectations, and I have to say, they were pretty high. 3 of us are hard-core foodies. We visited for my son's graduation celebration and I specifically wanted a great culinary experience for him as he has been in Culinary Club and in competitions in high school, so I knew he'd appreciate the choice... As long as it provided a great experience. Indeed it did.

There were 6 of us and we all ordered different dishes so we could sample each others, except 2 ordered the Wagyu beef. The (aka Kobe) beef was the best meat either of them had tasted and you can certainly thank the fine cut of meat, but also the chef's talents for that! Each dish was carefully layered, exploding in flavor, and perfectly balanced. I even had to close my eyes to take full advantage of the flavors of my fish dish!

I loved the laid back vibe, the lighting, and chic decor. I had two special requests on my reservation and they made the table perfect for our needs. The serving sizes do NOT disappoint, which was a pleasant surprise! Top notch. Just an unrelated side note: Be prepared to pay $20 for parking in one of the City lots just in case (worth every cent for this place!) Great job, Barterhouse!

This location is classy, and has candles lit and burning on every table nice for a good date night, a romantic and quiet atmosphere. It is around the corner from the Tampa Improv so a nice place if you are going to the comedy show or somewhere else near Ybor Central. This is a place that is a bit more upscale and a bit more pricey, however its worth it if you have the means. The wait staff was incredible suggesting drinks, giving samples of wine and very attentive to the guests. For busy days you definitely want to get reservations for this location. The food portions aren't huge at least not for what I had (Waygu beef), but is was very tasty and wonderfully plated. If I'm in the area I'll be back.

Great Vibe! Great Place! Great Service & Great Food! I highly recommend it!

Came in here on a Saturday at 5pm it was empty got a table with no reservation sat right away. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. We got the burrata, oyster toast, ahi tuna and some kind of potato prosciutto cheese thing. Every single one was unreal. So glad to see another spot in ybor. Bravo!

I d rather order dominos and stay on my couch than ever experience this restaurant again.
Save your money.

This restaurant is exceptional. I have eaten at nearly every high end restaurant in Tampa and The Barterhouse is right up there with the best. For comparison, The Barterhouse is on par with the caliber of Mise en Place for quality but you will not pay the Mise pricetag.

The octopus is unreal, best I've ever had anywhere in the world. The staff is friendly and you really feel a connection with them. We did not take any pictures of the food when we went because we were so hungry bit the presentation is beautiful. The oyster toast is delectable. We had the tamarind glaze pork shank for dinner and shared three appetizers. The sauce was a bit heavy but the taste and tenderness of the meat was amazing.

Just go...just go.

First time here and I will be coming back. The detail paid attention to the decor and look of the place is on point. Vintage in a classy and modern feel. Brunch was very tasty and we enjoyed their drinks. Have to give a shout out to our server Hunter. Very attentive and he knows the details about every aspect of the place. Hope to try dinner soon.

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I joined some friends for a surprise birthday dinner at Barterhouse Ybor. We live about 5 minutes away in Palmetto Beach, and we were super excited to check this place out, as we had never been here, and we are always looking for cool places to go for our date nights.

Although the atmosphere is cool, our experience was terrible.

We arrived around 6:15 and were taken to our table, but we waited for a while without even having our drink orders taken. By the time the birthday boy arrived around 6:40, we were still waiting on our first drink. Totally unacceptable.

We ordered appetizers, which were nice, but our entree orders were not taken until we were already finished with the appetizers.

While my boyfriend and I were still finishing our meal, our group was told that we needed to get up and leave, as there were other people waiting for our table, and we were "taking too long". I still hadn't even finished my first drink.

We all got up, and I stood at the front door to finish my drink and try to figure out what was going on.

Completely unprofessional. Although we love eating out and trying new spots, we will definitely not be coming back to Barterhouse Ybor unless there is a change in management, and a major change in the way this restaurant is run.

Recently opened and I've been back three times since. Very high-end quality food and drinks and the atmosphere is amazing. Truly a culinary step up for Tampa

Do not spend your money here. It isn t valued and service is beyond subpar. I planned a surprise birthday here for my boyfriend and while all guests (except for two people) arrived on time, the menus sat on the table until an hour and a half after their reservation time. This resulted in us receiving our entrees late and having to leave (despite guests still having food on their plates!) because the four small tables we had were needed for other reservations. Not to mention a minor at my table was served alcohol without my knowledge or consent, and she was also not asked for ID by either server who placed the beverage at the table. This was somehow flipped on us when we followed up the next day? That s not how police would see it. Our server s were Lo and Kye, and Kye, on the few occasions she actually stopped by our table, was dismissive. Melissa was negative and rude at the door - not a good look for the barterhouse to have a host who can t even fake a smile. I was overcharged for a dish I never received and still haven t heard from the manager. We have yet to receive any form of apology since Saturday. Just don t.

A little bit too expensive... food was average and very petite for the price...

Wow. I am here on business from Chicago and consider myself a pretty sophisticated foodie. I have to say this was one of my favorite meals in a very long time. Spectacular and surprising in a way that some of the best restaurants in the world cannot pull off. Very creative craft cocktails. Oysters and the grouper were divine. I am blown away. I wasn t expecting this. I ll always come back. Wow.

Food was amazing but service was extremely sub-par and disappointing. While waiting for our table we attempted to sit in the lounge/bar area which the hostess told us was open seating. A male server (bald) rudely told us we can t sit there. The hostess overheard him and he said to her he has a big party coming in and is saving it for them. A couple came in after us and sat there with no issues. Didn t see anybody else there for the rest of the night
We waited near the bar attempting to get a round of drinks. Took about 20-25 mins. Not sure why there are only 2 bartenders on a Saturday night. There were 2 rows deep at the bar and the entire lounge was full. Understaffed.
I don t mind waiting for drinks but a simple Acknowledgment that we've been seen and they will be with us as soon as they can really goes a long way.

This past Saturday I was dining with family and friends and we had a terrible time. Our party had reservations for 6 which we showed up for on time and were told we were late so we were kicked out to clear room while people we were still eating. We were seated at 6 and our drink orders were not taken till 630! We also didn't have our food orders taken to around 7-720, so by the time our food arrived it was past 8 and we were given maybe 30 minutes to enjoy everything. It was extremely unprofessional and the service was terrible. Would never recommend this place without a change in service and Management.

Hitting this place tomorrow (Jan 11) and excited based of the pics and reviews. Stay tuned for an update.........

Well all that excitement was for naught. Bartender's were over worked and obviously understaffed and gave us attitude. Maitre d could have stepped up and helped them some and cleaned some tables.

I don't know how they are trying to fit into the food scene. The place Looks nice but waitress wasn't playing the part. The food was overpriced IMHO. The little apps we had before deciding to pick up and leave were ok, but not given cost.

I think with some proper management and staffing and training things will improve.

I highly recommend this place! The food is delish! Especially the Oyster Toast and Shank. The ambiance and service was top notch as well. I ll be going back soon.