I'm really sorry, but this place kind of grosses me out.
I first visited The Barley Mill about ten years ago, when I first moved to Calgary as an undergrad. I was out here with my parents, finding A Place to Call My Own, and we stopped in for a meal. I remember it being dark and sticky, with a lot of fruit flies. I didn't return.
Until recently. I returned to The Barley Mill for the first time a few weeks ago. I was meeting a friend for afternoon drinks, and when the weather turned bad we were forced to give up on our patio plans and head inside. Little has changed in ten years. I know the decor is supposed to be rustic and whatnot, but the finished effect is simply "dirty". It just looks gross. Our table didn't seem to have been properly cleaned, there were dusty surfaces, and yes- descendents of the original fruit flies still inhabit the restaurant.
After one drink I was ready to leave. On the plus side, our server was polite, quick and attentive, so we were able to get in and out quickly. Staying for a meal was out of the question, both due to the general cleanliness (or lack thereof) and the fact that the menu had few vegetarian choices for me. Overall, not a winner.
As I was writing this review I couldn't help but feel like I was being a little overly-dramatic about the restaurant's cleanliness. I guess the best thing to do when you read a review like this one is to check the Alberta Health Services inspection reports for yourself... they do seem a little better than my own perception of The Barley Mill.