Pickle Barrel

Came here tonight. The service was awesome. The prices are really affordable. The menu has many options available. I got the lobster and shrimp pasta and it was honestly amazing. Some of the onions inside were a little chunky but not potent in flavour just didn't like the texture unless they were stringy so I'm not eating like chunks of onion. The flavour of the pasta and the noodles were supreme. I loved the shrimp. I got like 4 or 5 shrimps and shared one with my friend. The portion was perfect. There wasn't much lobster maybe like two pieces and then some bits here and there. The lobster tasted a little too fishy for me so I didn't mind that there wasn't that much in there. I actually preferred the little bits of it over the more wholesome pieces. I was grateful that the pasta actually came with a side which many restaurants don't do- they force you to buy it extra. The portion was amazing for a side and it seemed fresh and they even added a lemon in it. There were a little too many stems for my liking. In my eyes the perfect Caesar salad is more leafy and less stemmy. But it wasn't bad. The leafy parts were good but the croutons were a tad overpowering in flavour and kind of a turn off for me. They were pretty chunky too. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for croutons. The meal, appetizer and drink all came together which was great. Perfect coke. Then my friend and I shared a strawberry cheesecake and honestly for 6.99 the portion could have been a tad bigger but we were full by then anyway so it was actually ok sized. The flavour was great I really enjoyed the cheese part and not so much the bottom grainy part. The fresh strawberries decorated around the plate were scrumptious but I found the cranberry sauce or whatever it was maybe strawberry paste to be a little off like it kind of tasted like plastic or something. Overall I really enjoyed my visit and I am looking forward to trying more items from the menu. Side note: my friend thought her pesto chicken pasta was a little bland and to me it tasted like 100% peppers. I am not a fan of peppers to begin with as the taste is super potent but she felt something was missing - maybe a little more pesto perhaps ? Any how she did enjoy the chicken and we both finished literally every. Single. Plate. The server was great and we had no issues. She was pretty cool. What we suggest for improvement is adding exactly what the 2.99 sample dishes for desserts are onto the menu. That would help. Because the menu indicates that there are 2.99 samples but doesn't indicate exactly what they are. Not one item is listed so the waitress had to literally tell us and there were so many options it was overwhelming to even remember half of what she said by the time she was done. It would really help to see them written down. Also the washrooms were spotless and super clean but we would advise some automatic taps (random I know). I loved the sparkly walls inside of the stalls. The restaurant seemed clean and a little slow but the weather outside was pretty bad also. Anyways great experience!

dre: We were at Pickle Barrel for dinner, and I couldn't decide what to get. I ended up getting a Thai Beef Salad, which is unusual, because I never ever order a salad as a main course, and especially not for dinner!. I ended up eating this entire giant salad, and it was very generous on the beef, though I would have preferred the meat warm instead of cold. The dressing had some tanginess to it, so the kids would have thought it was spicy, so I didn't share with them.

I love the atmosphere at Pickle Barrel because it's very friendly and welcoming. I've been to this location about a dozen times and always enjoyed my experience. I haven't always absolutely loved the food, but the service I received made me forget about it. Great place to go out with friends or to go on a nice date.

dre @thepicklebarrel: I always enjoy Pickle Barrel's food, and while I've complained that their service is so slow, I think it's gotten better. I like this location as well, because it's right in the mall. It's very kid friendly as you can wander out of the restaurant and walk around the open space of the mall if your kids get unruly. Plus, there is an escalator right outside, and you know how much kids love going up and down the escalator? Maybe it's just my kids, but I don't think they are that unique...