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Selkirk fixture not fancy, but food's fantastic

Loyal customers line up for homey meals worth waiting for

By: Marion Warhaft

15/05/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 5

Save room, if you can: Val Giberson brandishes a pair of desserts - pumpkin cake and banana cream pie - at Barney Gargles in Selkirk.

PHIL.HOSSACK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA Enlarge Image

Save room, if you can: Val Giberson brandishes a pair of desserts - pumpkin cake and banana cream pie - at Barney Gargles in Selkirk.

The first thing you need to know about Barney Gargles is not to attempt it without a reservation.

I'd been warned that it was always full, but didn't really believe it could be a problem in the middle of the afternoon, which is when we turned up -- about 4:30, to be precise -- and had to join a queue. And when we left almost two hours later the lineup was even longer.

Either the Selkirk locals like to eat their lunches late, or their dinners early. Or they like this place so much they are willing to eat there whenever a table is freed up.

I can understand why. It's a quirky charmer of a place, just two rooms that seem like more, since there are tables tucked into the connecting areas.

The decor has something of Ye Olde Tea Room about it, with a hodge-podge of artifacts everywhere -- tiny dolls on a high ledge, china plates on the walls, ivied trellises on the upper parts of the windows. My own particular love is the wood-framed mirror etched with an Irish Whiskey slogan -- clearly salvaged from some long-gone saloon.

The restaurant has been existence for over 30 years, and under the ownership of sisters Shirley Cormack and Judy Venier for the past 20. I'd be surprised if much had changed in that time -- there isn't much point in changing what works, and something clearly works here.

The appetizers list such Canadiana as chili, poutine, nachos, bruschetta, breaded fried shrimp and quesadillas ($5.50 to $9.45) -- and yes, they're all Canadian by now. I didn't try any of them. What I did start with was a Cobb salad, partly because this American classic is so rare on local menus, and partly because readers sometimes ask where they can find it, and I haven't been able to help them.

This version is huge -- a bed of lettuce topped by a series of ingredients arranged in rows, among them tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, grated cheddar and bits of bacon. No avocado but, notably, juicy slices of chicken that tasted freshly cooked ($9.25). The dressings that were recited by our waitress all sounded as though they would come from bottles, but the house dressing, a red pepper vinaigrette, was not only appropriate for the salad but delicious as well.

There are, of course such diner-style classics as burgers, sandwiches and wraps, served all day, and priced from $6.75 to $9.75, including fries and cole slaw, or a choice of soup or salad. Some readers have praised the breakfasts, others have raved about the burgers and chicken fingers, but it was dinner I had come for. The selection of entrees isn't vast, and there was nothing one might call fancy -- just heaping portions of unpretentious but well-prepared classics, at prices that are more than fair ($9.25 to $10.45).

I didn't try the inevitable perogies and kubasa. I did, though, have the only other ethnic entrée listed, the chicken souvlaki, and it was a match for many I've had in some of the city's Greek restaurants -- flavourful, tender and juicy, accompanied by tzatziki and a well-dressed Greek salad. Simple sautées of liver with onions and breaded pork chops were equally satisfying.

I don't know what makes the fish and chips Irish, as described on the menu, but they were good. The buttermilk batter was a tad thick, but it was crisp and perfectly greaseless, enclosing sizeable slices of sweet-tasting cod.

The thin, crunchy fries were irresistible, the creamy cole slaw was good, too, and the tartar sauce was house-made.

Other sides are also treated with respect. Potatoes whipped to a creamy froth, for instance, are a fine alternative to the wonderful fries or the savoury roasted chunks. The flavourful rice pilaf with the souvlaki had clearly been simmered in broth, and even the apple sauce with the pork chops was house-made. Only the carrots -- those flavourless wee ones -- disappointed.

Leaving room for dessert (most $3.95 to $5.95) may be a problem if you've polished off your main course. There were about a dozen tantalizing choices in the showcase, driving us into a frenzy of indecision: among them, cheesecakes, cream or fruit pies and cakes, including -- for those who miss the Good Old Days -- red velvet cake, based on the original Eaton's recipe.

We finally settled on a massive slab of chocolate cake -- dense, dark and absolutely fabulous -- and, for a refreshing contrast, a cinnamon-scented apple crisp, layered with well-defined fresh apple slices under a lovely crumbly topping.

There are only four wines by the bottle, and four by the glass, but our De Bertoli shiraz was far better and -- at $5.50 for five ounces, $9.50 a half-litre -- a lot cheaper than some house wines I've had in many tonier places.

And given the rush and crush of customers, the service was miraculously good humoured and attentive.

The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the drive from Winnipeg to Selkirk is approximately 34 kilometres.

marion.warhaft@freepress.mb.ca

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Barney Gargles

185 Main St., Selkirk, 204-785-8663

Licensed

No wheelchair access

Four stars out of 5

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 15, 2009 D3

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5 Commentscomment icon

My experience with Barney Gargles was also negative...very negative, in fact.

The customer service was inexcusable! The servers and cashiers were unbelievably grouchy.

There was an older gentleman in line, waiting to pay for his meal. The way he was treated by one of the owners was appalling. He was paying for his meal via debit card. When he asked the owner for help with the machine (he had trouble seeing the tiny numbers), she answered him in a very rude tone of voice, and made a snide remark to the likes of "if you can't use it, why have it?". Then under her breath, she muttered "you think the banks would make it harder to get these cards for the likes of people like you". People like you? By that, did she mean senior citizens who just had dinner in her restaurant?

Appalling. I will never go there again, regardless of how good the food is.

I LOVE my Barney Gargles chicken fingers and fries, but I too have got to say the service there is a dismal. Almost certainly every time we arrive - the women there are rushed, rude and just too darn busy to give us the attention we desverve as paying customers.

But - foods hot, good and I always take my leftovers home, because even re-heated it is DARN GOOD!!!!!!

I've finished reading the article Marion Warhaft and have some other views on this RESTAURANT and don't agree with what you've been informed on this place. I agree the food Can be great at times but not everytime. First off My wife and I have lived in selkirk for over 43 years and use to come to Barney Gargles for the great fish and chips. My wife loves the Hamburger Steak. My self the reason we haven't been there in 6 years is due to the hours. We went to Barney Gargles at 8:30 durring the week and they said they were closed. We ended up going to Winnipeg to Earls. That wasn't the first time. We tryed to go to Barneys after that and seem they close always at 8:30 or 9:00 pm at night. The hours arn't posted which you should know before posting on your article to find out from the others. Also my Grandson went to work they and would never work in a RESTAURANT again due to the owners and kitchen staff. Which I won't talk about. When we did finally get to eat once at night my fish wasn't even cooked and the hamburger steak was even cooked. We waited 45 minutes for our food. That was the last time we ever went there. The food use to be good but we didn't want to chance getting sick from raw food. Fish and Hamburger can make you very sick not fully cooked. That wasn't the first time. We talked to one of the owners named judy and told us if you didn't like the food go somewhere else! what kind of customer service is that? seems like she needs some business skills. My wife and I have been married for over 30 years and alway love to support selkirk businesses but Barney Gargles is not one of they anymore. My wife and I are sad how you wrote some misleading statments on your piece and would like to know if your reviseing it.

I would agree with Tee on this one. The food consistency is great and very affordable. And the desserts...to die for!

Barney Gargles is, without a doubt, a Selkirk staple.

However, after my girlfriend - a native of Selkirk who has been taking this Winnipeg boy there for years - nearly had her head bitten off by the nice looking lady in the picture this past long week-end, I feel it necessary to polish up some of the facts here:

1. We've rolled in there a few times at around 9:30pm, walked in and they said they were closed. So, they are not open 7 days a week until 11. There are also no hours posted on the door.

2. As I mentioned above, a few weeks ago at around 4:00pm we dropped in to see if they were busy and thankfully they were not (I was craving those battered chicken fingers!).

However, the lady at the cashier booth was so rude that we decided to haul on over to Boston Pizza instead. Most days, they seem pretty grumpy there. I guess when you did the review they put on their happy hats, I don't know.

3. This "Ye Old Tea Room" is a little crampy for my style. I'm happy business is going well, but it seems that instead of expanding or moving they've had their carpenter shave a few notches off the tables and chairs to fit more of them in there.

Regardless, despite the iffy hours, grumpy gals and tight surroundings, the food is again fantastic, inexpensive and it's nice to get away from the mayhem of the big city for some small town charm. We're still going to go there, but perhaps not as much if Mrs. Grumpy Pants is working when it's busy.

I get enough attitude in Winnipeg restaurants. Please don't get me started on Moxies (I'm sure my gal is laughing at this right now).

- CW

I would bump it up to 4.5 for the consistency of the great tasting food you get at a fantastic price as well as decent portions! If you compare it to other places with same cost, 4.5 is a fair vote in my books.

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