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Barnaby's Family Inn - Pizza

Barnaby's Family Inn - Pizza
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  • Post #61 - August 30th, 2017, 3:14 pm
    Post #61 - August 30th, 2017, 3:14 pm Post #61 - August 30th, 2017, 3:14 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    boudreaulicious wrote:With the way things have been going this year, seeing Barnaby's pop up on the new posts list made my heart race a little. VERY glad to hear the report was good and that it wasn't notification of anything closing!!!

    Was also fun to run into your first-ever post here! :D

    =R=


    I vaguely remember thinking that since the majority of the Barnaby's thread was positive, and the one really nasty reviewer got hazed a bit, this group was alright and worth investing time in. 8 years later, I'd say that was a good bet!!
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #62 - September 9th, 2017, 12:02 pm
    Post #62 - September 9th, 2017, 12:02 pm Post #62 - September 9th, 2017, 12:02 pm
    Ok, this is going to be a controversial proclamation: Barnaby's Niles may actually be superior to Northbrook. We had another lunch here this week that was every bit as good as the previous one. Yes, 2 lunches is a very small sample size but eat-in over eat-in, at least at the moment, Niles is the better bet. And fwiw, this guy agrees. :lol:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #63 - September 9th, 2017, 1:36 pm
    Post #63 - September 9th, 2017, 1:36 pm Post #63 - September 9th, 2017, 1:36 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote: And fwiw, this guy agrees.

    Good to know that gentleman is still thriving.
    Rereading that classic thread, I am wondering if my shift in preference from pepperoni to sausage can be traced back to my first reading of that thread.
    :?
  • Post #64 - September 12th, 2017, 11:41 am
    Post #64 - September 12th, 2017, 11:41 am Post #64 - September 12th, 2017, 11:41 am
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Ok, this is going to be a controversial proclamation: Barnaby's Niles may actually be superior to Northbrook. We had another lunch here this week that was every bit as good as the previous one. Yes, 2 lunches is a very small sample size but eat-in over eat-in, at least at the moment, Niles is the better bet. And fwiw, this guy agrees. :lol:

    =R=
    :o :o :shock: :shock: I can't believe what I just read. It's been a long time since I had the Niles location and I have long since wrote it off. My brother had it earlier this year and said compared to Northbrook it was s***. Could it have changed that dramatically in a few months? Ronnie, since you also had written them off in the past, why not ask them if they changed anything?
  • Post #65 - September 12th, 2017, 1:25 pm
    Post #65 - September 12th, 2017, 1:25 pm Post #65 - September 12th, 2017, 1:25 pm
    Ram4 wrote:Ronnie, since you also had written them off in the past, why not ask them if they changed anything?

    Hell, I don't want to jinx it! :lol:

    Walking into the place, it feels like nothing's changed in many, many years. But on a future visit I may bring it up if the opportunity presents itself.

    Fwiw, the pizza reminds me of how Northbrook's often is . . . seems like the same ingredients, with the cheese being a little more plentiful/gooey-er. The outside of the crust is braided rather than scalloped but other than that, it seems the same and it tastes identical.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #66 - December 27th, 2017, 12:36 pm
    Post #66 - December 27th, 2017, 12:36 pm Post #66 - December 27th, 2017, 12:36 pm
    My advice, if going to the Niles location, is to order your pizzas well-done. Last time we were in, our pizzas were a bit under-cooked and the crust was soft. So, not very satisfying. Ordering them well-done is not something we'd done in the past (and it seems to not be necessary at Northbrook) but I think it's probably a good way to smooth out possible ups and downs in Niles.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #67 - December 30th, 2017, 11:28 am
    Post #67 - December 30th, 2017, 11:28 am Post #67 - December 30th, 2017, 11:28 am
    I still haven't been to the Niles location since you mentioned it being really great Ronnie. It has been over 10 years for me. On the other hand I had Barnaby's of Northbrook twice in the last month and both times it was as good as ever.
  • Post #68 - December 30th, 2017, 11:38 am
    Post #68 - December 30th, 2017, 11:38 am Post #68 - December 30th, 2017, 11:38 am
    Ram4 wrote:I still haven't been to the Niles location since you mentioned it being really great Ronnie. It has been over 10 years for me. On the other hand I had Barnaby's of Northbrook twice in the last month and both times it was as good as ever.

    Yeah, Barnaby's-Northbrook has got to be one of the greatest locks of all time. And I think Niles can approach that level food-wise but it requires some manipulation.

    The irony is that the staff is very, very nice at Niles and I believe the occasional under-cooked pizzas are mainly a function of them trying to serve us more expeditiously (especially since it hasn't been particularly busy when we we've encountered this). In any case, probably by the middle of next month my office is moving to about a mile from the Northbrook location, so I'm not sure how many more trips to the Niles location are in my future.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #69 - May 11th, 2019, 1:23 pm
    Post #69 - May 11th, 2019, 1:23 pm Post #69 - May 11th, 2019, 1:23 pm
    Okay. I figure this might be the place to get a answer?

    Which is the first, original location? I suspect it might be closed and lost to history?

    I do realize it was a national chain with locations stretching as far as Florida.

    I have checked several local websites and Tallahassee and none claim to be the first. I’m sure they would ‘shout it out’. Most claim to be about 50 years old.

    Interest generated from a discussion on Facebook...

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/242796244 ... ent_filter
    "Very good... but not my favorite." ~ Johnny Depp as Roux the Gypsy in Chocolat
  • Post #70 - May 11th, 2019, 3:19 pm
    Post #70 - May 11th, 2019, 3:19 pm Post #70 - May 11th, 2019, 3:19 pm
    Panther in the Den wrote:Okay. I figure this might be the place to get a answer?

    Which is the first, original location? I suspect it might be closed and lost to history?

    I do realize it was a national chain with locations stretching as far as Florida.

    I have checked several local websites and Tallahassee and none claim to be the first. I’m sure they would ‘shout it out’. Most claim to be about 50 years old.

    Interest generated from a discussion on Facebook...

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/242796244 ... ent_filter

    Barnaby's Family Inn got its start in 1966 and almost immediately began aggressively franchising. In a 1969 pitch aimed at prospective franchisees they actually claimed to be "the original packaged English pub." I wonder how much truth there is to that interesting claim. At the end of 1969 they had eight locations (three in the city, four in northern suburbs, and one in South Bend) and another 11 under construction. By 1977 they had 26 locations in six states. In 1981 the business was sold to Bally, who hoped to turn it into a food and entertainment concept named Bally's Tom Foolery. I don't believe it was very successful.

    I think, but am not certain, the first Barnaby's location was 2832 W Touhy. That was one of the "original eight" (end of 1969) and was the address that handled franchise requests. Also, a 1976 letter to the Tribune referred to it as "home base at Touhy and California."

    I hope I didn't simply rehash information from the Facebook link you provided. I wasn't able to access the closed group.
  • Post #71 - May 11th, 2019, 6:33 pm
    Post #71 - May 11th, 2019, 6:33 pm Post #71 - May 11th, 2019, 6:33 pm
    Barnabys Niles is superior to Northbrook.... I've been to both places in the last few weeks and Barnabys Niles wins !!
  • Post #72 - May 13th, 2019, 10:33 am
    Post #72 - May 13th, 2019, 10:33 am Post #72 - May 13th, 2019, 10:33 am
    Rene G wrote:
    Panther in the Den wrote:Okay. I figure this might be the place to get a answer?

    Which is the first, original location? I suspect it might be closed and lost to history?

    I do realize it was a national chain with locations stretching as far as Florida.

    I have checked several local websites and Tallahassee and none claim to be the first. I’m sure they would ‘shout it out’. Most claim to be about 50 years old.

    Interest generated from a discussion on Facebook...

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/242796244 ... ent_filter

    Barnaby's Family Inn got its start in 1966 and almost immediately began aggressively franchising. In a 1969 pitch aimed at prospective franchisees they actually claimed to be "the original packaged English pub." I wonder how much truth there is to that interesting claim. At the end of 1969 they had eight locations (three in the city, four in northern suburbs, and one in South Bend) and another 11 under construction. By 1977 they had 26 locations in six states. In 1981 the business was sold to Bally, who hoped to turn it into a food and entertainment concept named Bally's Tom Foolery. I don't believe it was very successful.

    I think, but am not certain, the first Barnaby's location was 2832 W Touhy. That was one of the "original eight" (end of 1969) and was the address that handled franchise requests. Also, a 1976 letter to the Tribune referred to it as "home base at Touhy and California."

    I hope I didn't simply rehash information from the Facebook link you provided. I wasn't able to access the closed group.


    My first real job in the mid 70's was working at that Barnabys on Touhy and California. That location was indeed the corporate HQ. You couldn't necessarily tell by looking at the building, but the northern 1/3 of the building housed the offices that ran the corporation. By '78-79 or so they were already selling some of the restaurants. Some remained corporate owned, some franchised the name and others changed their name all-together. On Taylor and Morgan (what is now Tuscany),there was a Barnabys, that became Papa Charlies. The decor, signage, front windows, booths and everything pretty much remained exactly the same.

    When they began franchising, they allowed individual owners to make changes to the recipes, which meant that sausage, sauce, etc, varied from place to place, which is why there may still be slight differences between each location.
  • Post #73 - May 13th, 2019, 11:48 am
    Post #73 - May 13th, 2019, 11:48 am Post #73 - May 13th, 2019, 11:48 am
    jay2021 wrote:Barnabys Niles is superior to Northbrook.... I've been to both places in the last few weeks and Barnabys Niles wins !!


    Please elaborate.
  • Post #74 - May 13th, 2019, 2:05 pm
    Post #74 - May 13th, 2019, 2:05 pm Post #74 - May 13th, 2019, 2:05 pm
    scottsol wrote:
    jay2021 wrote:Barnabys Niles is superior to Northbrook.... I've been to both places in the last few weeks and Barnabys Niles wins !!


    Please elaborate.
    Yeah, please do.
  • Post #75 - May 13th, 2019, 2:22 pm
    Post #75 - May 13th, 2019, 2:22 pm Post #75 - May 13th, 2019, 2:22 pm
    Ram4 wrote:
    scottsol wrote:
    jay2021 wrote:Barnabys Niles is superior to Northbrook.... I've been to both places in the last few weeks and Barnabys Niles wins !!


    Please elaborate.
    Yeah, please do.

    In my recent experience, the cheese, sauce and toppings at both Niles and Northbrook are pretty much the same. But the crust is typically crispier and more flavorful at Northbrook. At Northbrook it's a tight, scalloped edge. In Niles it's a looser braided edge. I prefer the scalloped edge. It's less doughy than the braided edge and because of that, it cooks crispier.

    As I posted earlier, there have been times when, on a really good day, Niles approached Northbrook in crust quality. Those instances required special ordering our pizzas well-done. And even then, a there was a bit of finger-crossing involved, too. For the most part, I've found Northbrook to be superior to Niles.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #76 - January 6th, 2023, 9:33 pm
    Post #76 - January 6th, 2023, 9:33 pm Post #76 - January 6th, 2023, 9:33 pm
    Had a craving and hadn’t been here since pre-pandemic. Arrived around 7:15 tonight and the lot was pretty full. A couple of empty spots. Noticed a steady stream of carry-out orders with the dining room about 75% full.
    Pizza was perfectly consistent with how I remembered it. Crust was tightly crimped and super-crisp.
    Audrey was very happy to have a Green River. We found the bartender a bit crusty on first approach but after a nice tip he was considerably warmer for round two. No judgment- seems like a thankless/challenging gig.
    We are actively trying to get out of our regular rotation of super-close-to-home restaurants and it was fun to get back to a place we hadn’t been to in a long time.
  • Post #77 - January 6th, 2023, 9:46 pm
    Post #77 - January 6th, 2023, 9:46 pm Post #77 - January 6th, 2023, 9:46 pm
    I was at Barnaby's in Niles last week for the second time in the last few months (giving them a fair chance) after many years. It was really mediocre again plus the atmosphere is just not inviting. Crust was too thick, the braided edge was like a huge bland breadstick; sauce and cheese were nothing special. I think the location in South Bend is better than Niles with Arlington Heights being the worst of all. Northbrook stands alone!
  • Post #78 - January 6th, 2023, 10:17 pm
    Post #78 - January 6th, 2023, 10:17 pm Post #78 - January 6th, 2023, 10:17 pm
    Interesting, Ram. The whole reason I wound-up at Barnaby’s Northbrook for the first time (many years ago), was that my husband grew up in South Bend and it was nostalgic for him.
    Long Live Northbrook Barnaby’s! :D
  • Post #79 - January 6th, 2023, 10:24 pm
    Post #79 - January 6th, 2023, 10:24 pm Post #79 - January 6th, 2023, 10:24 pm
    Ram4 wrote:I was at Barnaby's in Niles last week for the second time in the last few months (giving them a fair chance) after many years. It was really mediocre again plus the atmosphere is just not inviting. Crust was too thick, the braided edge was like a huge bland breadstick; sauce and cheese were nothing special. I think the location in South Bend is better than Niles with Arlington Heights being the worst of all. Northbrook stands alone!


    Ram4 the win AGAIN! We now live in Valpo so getting to Barnaby’s Nbk is a haul & a half and, sadly, hasn’t happened since we moved 4 years ago.

    BUT the hubs goes to SB and Mishawaka several times a week for work (it’s only a little over an hour away) and asked me recently about bringing home a couple of pizzas from the SB Barnaby’s (he’s a big BNbk fan—my first ever LTH post was about bringing my boyfriend and his 2 little kids—now my husband and adult stepsons—to Barnabys for their first time).

    I told him it was probably bad so not to bother but we’ll fix that next week. Thanks, Ram4!!
    Last edited by boudreaulicious on January 7th, 2023, 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #80 - January 7th, 2023, 4:50 pm
    Post #80 - January 7th, 2023, 4:50 pm Post #80 - January 7th, 2023, 4:50 pm
    I miss the Des Plaines Barnaby's, been shuttered for quite awhile now, guessing Covid took a toll.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #81 - January 7th, 2023, 5:47 pm
    Post #81 - January 7th, 2023, 5:47 pm Post #81 - January 7th, 2023, 5:47 pm
    Yes, Northbrook still reins supreme. Had pizzas from there a few weeks ago and they were as spectacular as ever. I mean just dead.solid.perfect. It was a Friday night and the place was slammed. We carried out, waiting ~15 minutes beyond the scheduled ready-time for our pizzas. The upside was that the pizzas came out of the oven right before our eyes and were still piping hot when we got home with them.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world

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