Barrel & Bacon

As you might expect, there is in fact a ton of bacon on the menu at this Interbay restaurant. You’ll find bacon jam-topped truffle tots, a fried chicken sandwich with jalapeño bacon, and bits of bacon on top of a deep-fried mac and cheese brick (which is, in turn, on top of a burger patty). Like those over-the-top homages to swine, almost every other dish here is heavy and unmemorable. Elote riblets are pretty tasty, but the fried chicken with ube waffles comes out chewy and bland. And an ube french toast dessert is just sweet purple mush. Ironically, the best thing here is a refreshing beet salad that doesn't involve bacon at all. The dining room reminds us of a brewery with concrete floors and an exposed industrial ceiling, and it’s pretty quiet on a weeknight for dinner. Which begs the question: Why isn't the bacon-centric place open for brunch ?