El Barril Mexican Restaurant in Mt Adams, Cincinnati

Stopped by El Barril around 2p before the World Cup match between France and Morocco and even though we got there before kickoff, it was still a fantastic experience! The atmosphere was welcoming, the food was excellent, and you could tell it’s going to be an awesome place to watch a big match. The highlight of our visit was Francisco. He was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and spent time talking with us throughout our visit. You can tell he genuinely cares about his guests and takes pride in making everyone feel at home. He made us feel like regulars from the moment we walked in. If you’re looking for great food, outstanding service, and a place that clearly loves the soccer atmosphere, El Barril is definitely worth the visit!

El Barril Mexican Sports Bar and Grill has a prime location in Mt. Adams at the corner of Pavilion and St. Gregory. My wife and I were in the mood to try something new to us, so we popped in for a dinner date. The restaurant space is pretty large, especially for Mt. Adams. It's sort of an indoor/outdoor location, with a large covered patio and large garage doors that open the indoor space in all directions. Certainly a nice place to visit when the weather is good, but the food is just as good as the location, and therefore worthy of a visit no matter the season. My wife and I shared a pitcher of margaritas ($26.99 for the gold), and they were very tasty. Even though they were not prepared to order, it did seem that they had been prepared recently and had great fresh ingredients. My typical Mexican restaurant order is the chimichanga. Theirs is a large tortilla, filled with shredded chicken, beans, and cheese, deep-fried, and topped with lettuce, guacamole, tomato, and sour cream. This is served with rice and beans ($15.25). This was very good and the ingredients were fresh! My wife ordered the chile verde, a delicious plate of slow-cooked pork simmered in a savory green chile sauce. Again served with rice and beans, along with tortillas on the side ($18.50). Another really good dish, and one that is not very common in the Cincinnati area. Go give it a try!

First visit to El Barril and I was very impressed! I ordered the chicken burrito bowl and it was delicious! Lots of beans, rice, chicken and lettuce. The dressing that came with the bowl was perfect for this dish. I also ordered the fried ice cream and it was beautiful to look at and even better to eat.