So happy that the Pickle Barrel has finally graced it's presence by opening a location in the Durham region. I have been long awaiting this addition to the Pickering Town Centre (note it's not actually connected to the town
centre but located behind it on Liverpool).
My family visited this restaurant on Tuesday afternoon just after 3pm. We were kindly greeted upon entering. The restaurant just had a few tables full at this time so we got to pick whichever table we wanted. We picked a long table in the centre of the restaurant against a tall banquet. The backside of the restaurant has a wall of tall windows looking onto the street and the high industrial ceilings make the restaurant feel very airy and bright.
After being seated our waitress came over with the menus and introduced herself she let us know of the specials for the day and took our drink orders. When she returned with our drinks we were ready to order.
Surprisingly our food was prepared and ready pretty quickly but then again the restaurant was not very full.
The Great Reuben - Grilled marble rye, pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing.
It was quite a large sandwich, cut in thirds, the meat was hot, tender and tasty, cheese was gooey and melty, the bread was nicely grilled and toasted to keep everything together and it never got soggy even with the sauerkraut. A very filling sandwich indeed.
I upgraded my side to Sweet potato fries which was a good portion and very crispy and also came with a simple chipotle aioli for dipping.
Hubby got the Classic Beef burger which is served on a brioche bun and he added bacon and cheese. He said his burger was really good and also surprised that it had a double patty. He also upgraded his side to onion rings which although he only got about 7 or 8 onion rings they were really thick and hearty which a golden brown crispy coating.
For dessert we wanted to get cappuccinos however the waitress apologized and said the machine was out of order. Thankfully I also ordered a cheesecake.
Brown Cow Cheesecake - Rich chocolate cheesecake with milk chocolate chip cheesecake patches, finished with a whipped cream topping and chocolate drizzle.
Absolutely loved this creamy cheesecake, just the right balance of sweetness from the chocolate and tanginess from the cream cheese, I adored the combination of chocolate cheesecake with the chunks of chocolate chip cheesecake mixed in and the crunchy chocolate shell drizzle on top. I thought I was too full to finish it but it was soo good I couldn't resist leaving a crumb behind.
Overall I have to say we had a great time. Our waitress was very kind, always checking on us to make sure we were ok or if we needed anything. Our meals were perfectly cooked, and came out pretty quickly, good sized portions, and were nice and hot. I look forward to returning to this restaurant and am Happy it has finally opened in the Pickering area.