Restaurant Review: The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm Rates 5+ Yums (Holicong, PA)
The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm
5281 York Rd., Holicong, PA 18928
(215) 794-5104
Food: 5+ Yums (out of 5!)
Service: 5 Yums
Atmosphere: 5 Yums
Price: $$$$
‘Astonishing’ is not a word you see much in restaurant reviews, but in this case it’s required. The meal we had at The Inn at Barley Sheaf was nothing short of amazing from start to finish. Hyperbole, you say? You won’t think so once you’ve eaten here.
We have a dear friend visiting from Delaware, so it was appropriate we take her to a terrific restaurant. Frank and I had been there once before and knew you get what you pay for, which is considerable and worth every penny.
Once owned by playwright George S. Kaufman and located in historic Bucks Country, PA, the Inn sits on over 100 acres of pasture and country gardens. It’s just an hour’s drive from Philadelphia, two hours from New York City, and it offers the very definition of destination dining. Along with the stellar restaurant, the Inn is a bed and breakfast, offering guest suites that feature, in some cases, whirlpool tubs, steam showers with body sprays, private balconies, individual fireplaces and more.
Be sure to have a reservation well in advance. The restaurant has been named, among other things: Best Overall Restaurant, Best Contemporary American Cuisine, Best Overall Food, and Best Service.
The dining area is relatively small, and offers an open kitchen to view these culinary masters at work. I started with their seasonal squash soup, while Frank and our guest Kathi had the ahi tuna appetizer. To describe these that simply is to miss the true richness of the flavors. Tasting it reminded me of the judges I see on the Food Network at their most rapturous, extolling flavor profiles and culinary nuances. That’s what you get here, and it can be challenging to put into words.
For our entrees, two of us had their duo of beef, with wild mushroom ragu, pee wee potatoes, and pickled cippolini onions. Frank had lobster tail (served out of the shell). We added their caramelized baby carrots and baby brussels sprouts as side. Every bite was phenomenal.
And finally … the dessert. I had their flourless chocolate cake with ice cream, and once again the name does not do justice to the rich array of flavors. Frank and Kathi had olive cake, and this is where we became speechless. I didn’t order it because I thought it would be a slice from a loaf, and I wanted the ice cream with my chocolate cake. But the olive cake arrived in bowls, and once we each took a spoonful, the reaction was orgasmic. You rarely see those kinds of facial expressions in response to food! It was … astonishing.
The service was impeccable. The reputation well-deserved. The only single shortcoming was the bread we were served when we sat down. It wasn’t warm, and though it may have been fresh, it was a type of bread that didn’t seem it. Hard-ish bread I can deal with, but at least make it warm. This was not, in the end, enough to detract for a clear 5+ yum rating. As for price, you can expect to pay approximately $100 per diner. Also, the restaurant is BYOB. They add an automatic 18 percent gratuity to every check, and you can tip more if you’d like to, which we did. This is the kind of meal you remember and tell people about.