And yet in 11 years in the area and hundreds of restaurants eaten in — not once has this joint been of interests to me.

I’m with you, Ken Sly. I’ve been to the Barn twice and haven’t yet been impressed. I prefer Sullivan’s hands-down.

I refuse to get steak at restaurants anymore. I’d much rather have a unique menu item. My last three dining experiences at steakhouses (JK’s, Ruth’s Chris, and Rey’s) were simply not cooked and/or seasoned to a level that I would expect for the price. To order rare or medium-rare and receive a steak without even a hint of pinkness or moisture is uncalled for, given the price.

At home we can only get the best Fresh Market has to offer but we at least know it will always be cooked to our liking and seasoned how we like (overloaded salt method, FTW!). Of the 10 best steaks Ive ever had, I would say 7 were cooked at home. Oh, and the bottle of wine cost us $40 instead of $240.

I actually like the Barn and think its far superior to the cookie cutter chain steakhouses although I generally don’t eat steak. I like the fact its unpretentious and has a little bit of NC history to it-a fact generally missed by non-North Carolinians.

I never actually eat at the Barn. I just go upstaris to the wild turkey lounge and have a few drinks and grab some cheese / crackers and olives from the free olive bar.

It is a nice place to visit and they have a nice wine by the glass selection. Nice to go there during the Holidays too!

~ HW