HPGlutster2 wrote:I and my most fanatic Barnabys comrades have noticed a decline in pizza quality here these last few months. Not the same Barnabys pizza. Crust and tomato sauce different. Seems like it could be different, cheaper ingredients, or something.

Did you talk to the manager about this? If you think it changed, I am confident in your report.

I recall a conversation when Coalfire made some substantive change to their recipes. I think it was RAM4 who called them out on this. They admitted the change and were willing to make him the style he recalled, but not change what was offered to the general public. I don't believe he went along with the plan for a custom pizza made to old specs. He emphasized driving from Highland Park to Coalfire just for their pizza. I don't believe they altered their recipe back to the original.

Long ago just after Candlelite Pizza received their Great Neighborhood Restaurant status, they changed their crust. After some commotion, they returned to the tried, true and loved pizza crust.

It is definitely worth asking Barnaby's about the changes you identified.

Regards,
Cathy2

boudreaulicious wrote:

HPGlutster2 wrote:I and my most fanatic Barnabys comrades have noticed a decline in pizza quality here these last few months. Not the same Barnabys pizza. Crust and tomato sauce different. Seems like it could be different, cheaper ingredients, or something.

Something is amiss. I know because for the first time in decades, we have been ordering non Barnabys pizza for take out. And enjoying it more than recent Barnabys visits.

Anyone notice this?

m

This is NOT ok. Need details.

Coincidental timing, as we were already planning a Barnaby's run today. Picked up a couple of pizzas in Northbrook (just to be entirely clear) today and honestly, if there's a difference, it was indiscernible to me. My car even smelled the same as it usually does after a Barnaby's run when I got home with them . . .


Pepperoni & Onion
Our #1 go-to at Barnaby's. Wonderful and happily, the same as always.


Edge - Pizza #2
Looked and tasted about the same as always to me. Fantastic.

We last had Barnaby's in December of 2022 -- when it was as good as ever -- and today's pizzas were right there with them. I'm not trying to be an apologist and maybe it's just my unrefined palate but from a quality perspective, nothing seems to have changed recently at Barnaby's Northbrook.

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ronnie_suburban wrote:We last had Barnaby's in December of 2022 -- when it was as good as ever -- and today's pizzas were right there with them. I'm not trying to be an apologist and maybe it's just my unrefined palate but from a quality perspective, nothing seems to have changed recently at Barnaby's Northbrook.

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Thanks for taking one for the team, because that is the best news of the day.

Regards,
CAthy2

Cathy2 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:We last had Barnaby's in December of 2022 -- when it was as good as ever -- and today's pizzas were right there with them. I'm not trying to be an apologist and maybe it's just my unrefined palate but from a quality perspective, nothing seems to have changed recently at Barnaby's Northbrook.

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Thanks for taking one for the team, because that is the best news of the day.

Regards,
CAthy2

+1
You are my favorite person this morning. Seriously, I read the downhill alert post and almost called my ex-husband of 20+ years and the most ardent Barnaby’s aficionado I know (he intro’d me to it) to check but realized it was almost midnight and that probably would’ve been inappropriate :p

It’s a haul for me but seriously considering driving up there today. Just to be sure.

Barnaby’s, count me a super fan

i would be very happy if this warning turned out to be false

HPglutster wrote:i would be very happy if this warning turned out to be false

If there were differences, they were far too subtle for me to pick up on. That said, I've had some ups and downs there over the decades -- even some times when I thought some of the fundamentals might have changed -- but none that seem to have lasted for very long. From a purely speculative angle, I suppose the way things are these days, there may be times when items from their primary suppliers are not available. If so, that could possibly create some variability in their final product.

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Glad you were able to check for yourself Ronnie. I've been out of town since the beginning of the year so I was about to send my people in for a closer look.

Cathy2 wrote:

HPGlutster2 wrote:I and my most fanatic Barnabys comrades have noticed a decline in pizza quality here these last few months. Not the same Barnabys pizza. Crust and tomato sauce different. Seems like it could be different, cheaper ingredients, or something.

Did you talk to the manager about this? If you think it changed, I am confident in your report.

I recall a conversation when Coalfire made some substantive change to their recipes. I think it was RAM4 who called them out on this. They admitted the change and were willing to make him the style he recalled, but not change what was offered to the general public. I don't believe he went along with the plan for a custom pizza made to old specs. He emphasized driving from Highland Park to Coalfire just for their pizza. I don't believe they altered their recipe back to the original.

Long ago just after Candlelite Pizza received their Great Neighborhood Restaurant status, they changed their crust. After some commotion, they returned to the tried, true and loved pizza crust.

It is definitely worth asking Barnaby's about the changes you identified.

Regards,
Cathy2

Yes, that was me with Coalfire. The one thing they couldn't do specifically for me was the old sauce (which I understood) so I declined the offer. Now that I am an East Coast pizza aficionado I can go back to Coalfire and try it for what it is today. As for Barnaby's if I felt there was a noticeable decline I would definitely have a talk with the management. After all, it was I who nominated them and presented (with ronnie_suburban and Steve Z in attendance) their 2012 GNR to them!

Ram4 wrote:Glad you were able to check for yourself Ronnie. I've been out of town since the beginning of the year so I was about to send my people in for a closer look.

As for Barnaby's if I felt there was a noticeable decline I would definitely have a talk with the management. After all, it was I who nominated them and presented (with ronnie_suburban and Steve Z in attendance) their 2012 GNR to them!

Yes, the late and better-than-great Steve Z. I do miss him and I remember that day very well.

When you do eventually get back over to Barnaby's, I'd be curious to know your thoughts. Not that I don't trust my own recent experience there but you're as familiar with the place as anyone. Additional notes certainly couldn't hurt. As much as I'd love to, I can't be monitoring Barnaby's on a weekly basis!

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ronnie_suburban wrote:

Ram4 wrote:Glad you were able to check for yourself Ronnie. I've been out of town since the beginning of the year so I was about to send my people in for a closer look.

As for Barnaby's if I felt there was a noticeable decline I would definitely have a talk with the management. After all, it was I who nominated them and presented (with ronnie_suburban and Steve Z in attendance) their 2012 GNR to them!

Yes, the late and better-than-great Steve Z. I do miss him and I remember that day very well.

When you do eventually get back over to Barnaby's, I'd be curious to know your thoughts. Not that I don't trust my own recent experience there but you're as familiar with the place as anyone. Additional notes certainly couldn't hurt. As much as I'd love to, I can't be monitoring Barnaby's on a weekly basis!

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I expect to be heading over there in April and will report my findings.

Very sad and sorry to say that I believe Barnaby's may very well be on a downhill slide. I was hopeful but last couple trips were awful; pizzas barely resembling those of the past. Ingredients *might* have been the same but even if they were, it wouldn't have mattered. They were strewn haphazardly on the pizzas and were barely/unevenly cooked. Crust looked familiar but had a pronounced scorched note.

I don't know what's going on here but it's definitely something substantial. How depressing to think that it might be the end but that's how it seems right now.

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Marrone! Renga-Tei and now Barnaby's. What's next...The Bagel?!

Oops, too late...

ronnie_suburban wrote:Very sad and sorry to say that I believe Barnaby's may very well be on a downhill slide.

I grew up occasionally visiting (and quite enjoying) the Arlington Heights Barnaby's in the 80s/90s and after a recent pilgrimage back to my favorite pizza place of all time (the incredible, historic, underground Fox Hole in McHenry, which is woefully ignored on this site) I had a nostalgic hankering to go back to try Barnaby's again. I've read much here about the supremacy of Northbrook but never dined there or in Niles. I'd been assuming Northbrook was the gold standard but with these recent reports I'm not sure what to do...Niles is closest to my house, but is it also declining? Anyone know the current state of my old A.H. location? Is it worth going to any of them or will I just be disappointed?

jnm123 wrote:Marrone! Renga-Tei and now Barnaby's. What's next...The Bagel?!

Oops, too late...

I was concerned after earlier posts here had suggested that there were issues. A meal right after that assuaged my concerns but it's now been a few trips were more than one signature attribute seems to have been abandoned.

PeteF wrote:. . . I had a nostalgic hankering to go back to try Barnaby's again. I've read much here about the supremacy of Northbrook but never dined there or in Niles. I'd been assuming Northbrook was the gold standard but with these recent reports I'm not sure what to do...Niles is closest to my house, but is it also declining? Anyone know the current state of my old A.H. location? Is it worth going to any of them or will I just be disappointed?

Really hard to say. Other than a few outlier experiences, Niles has never been very good or even close to as good as Northbrook. In fact, it's less than a mile from my office and yet when we get Barnaby's for lunch, someone treks up to Northbrook to get it. But I'm not sure I could actually recommend Northbrook at this point, either. It's been disappointing. Is that a case of relativism for me or has it really descended to become just another pizza? Maybe a bit of both? Seems several of the same personnel are still there, so I'm not really sure what's going on. I'll try it again soon but for now, it's not something I could in good conscience recommend, especially to someone who would be going out of their way to get it.

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This is a bit strange to hear because I, the original warning bell ringer, have had some very good barnabys pizzas in the last couple months and haven’t had a repeat of the awful early 2023 pizzas. So…what can we say? It’s become terribly erratic? Should we try to document this? Approach owners? This is serious folks!

ronnie_suburban wrote:Very sad and sorry to say that I believe Barnaby's may very well be on a downhill slide. I was hopeful but last couple trips were awful; pizzas barely resembling those of the past. Ingredients *might* have been the same but even if they were, it wouldn't have mattered. They were strewn haphazardly on the pizzas and were barely/unevenly cooked. Crust looked familiar but had a pronounced scorched note.

I don't know what's going on here but it's definitely something substantial. How depressing to think that it might be the end but that's how it seems right now.

=R=

HPGlutster2 wrote:This is a bit strange to hear because I, the original warning bell ringer, have had some very good barnabys pizzas in the last couple months and haven’t had a repeat of the awful early 2023 pizzas. So…what can we say? It’s become terribly erratic? Should we try to document this? Approach owners? This is serious folks!

ronnie_suburban wrote:Very sad and sorry to say that I believe Barnaby's may very well be on a downhill slide. I was hopeful but last couple trips were awful; pizzas barely resembling those of the past. Ingredients *might* have been the same but even if they were, it wouldn't have mattered. They were strewn haphazardly on the pizzas and were barely/unevenly cooked. Crust looked familiar but had a pronounced scorched note.

I don't know what's going on here but it's definitely something substantial. How depressing to think that it might be the end but that's how it seems right now.

=R=

Damned serious! Well, it's encouraging that you've had some good experiences since your initial, negative ones. Erratic sucks but it's certainly better than 'gone for good.' Maybe it's worth further action, though I'm not exactly sure what that would be. The last 2 pizzas I had there were, in a word, distressing. But at least there's hope. Could this just be a staffing/training issue? Seems possible.

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ronnie_suburban wrote:

HPGlutster2 wrote:This is a bit strange to hear because I, the original warning bell ringer, have had some very good barnabys pizzas in the last couple months and haven’t had a repeat of the awful early 2023 pizzas. So…what can we say? It’s become terribly erratic? Should we try to document this? Approach owners? This is serious folks!

ronnie_suburban wrote:Very sad and sorry to say that I believe Barnaby's may very well be on a downhill slide. I was hopeful but last couple trips were awful; pizzas barely resembling those of the past. Ingredients *might* have been the same but even if they were, it wouldn't have mattered. They were strewn haphazardly on the pizzas and were barely/unevenly cooked. Crust looked familiar but had a pronounced scorched note.

I don't know what's going on here but it's definitely something substantial. How depressing to think that it might be the end but that's how it seems right now.

=R=

Damned serious! Well, it's encouraging that you've had some good experiences since your initial, negative ones. Erratic sucks but it's certainly better than 'gone for good.' Maybe it's worth further action, though I'm not exactly sure what that would be. The last 2 pizzas I had there were, in a word, distressing. But at least there's hope. Could this just be a staffing/training issue? Seems possible.

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Probably good to start with saying something. The guy who used to work the counter seemed to remember everyone who ate there more than once—if he’s still there, I’m SURE he’d know you and want the feedback. Or could tell you if they are intentionally doing something differently. I feel like we’d have heard if ownership changed so pretty much anything else seems like it could be fixed if folks said something.

What about a certified signed letter from “Concerned Citizens for Barnabys” to owners? I mean, to lose your most obsessed fans must feel bad for even the most removed owner!

I know the managers there and I would definitely discuss it with them, but only after I go and have a pizza there. I haven't been over there in a while as I watching what I eat right now, but I will mention this subject. One thing that I have noticed which has been absent for years is the amazing fermented dough aroma that would hit you when you'd walk in the vestibule. I did notice that beer like aroma was present at the Niles location (but their pizza was inferior to me - I went twice in the last 8 months).

Well apparently I did have Barnaby's on April 3rd, the night I got back from my West Coast trip. I don't remember having an issue with it, but I don't specifically remember how it was (my photos look great though). A friend of mine posted on Facebook that he had it on March 29th and said it was perfect.

Ram4 wrote:Well apparently I did have Barnaby's on April 3rd, the night I got back from my West Coast trip. I don't remember having an issue with it, but I don't specifically remember how it was (my photos look great though). A friend of mine posted on Facebook that he had it on March 29th and said it was perfect.

Happily, "perfect" (or maybe, textbook) is how I'd describe our carry-out order tonight. Our two pizzas could not have been better. We never said anything to anyone about the issues we had encountered. Instead, we just decided to place one more order before possibly taking some additional action. At least for now, there'll be no need for that. Honestly, I'm relieved (and so full).

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Great to hear Ronnie. All is well again!

The sausage pizza I had at Barnaby's on Monday night was as good as any I've had there. Everything is as it should be.

I appreciate these updates on Barnaby's Watch 2023 - I live 5min from the Niles one but never go there since its so consistently inferior. Glad to know Northbrook is still going strong, especially since Pizano's in Glenview shuttered, which was my other favorite thin crust of the same style.

The night before Thanksgiving may well be their busiest night of the year and I was an hour late picking up this pie and it was still just delicious.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:
The night before Thanksgiving may well be their busiest night of the year and I was an hour late picking up this pie and it was still just delicious.

Drooling…absolutely the food I miss most since I moved to Valpo…

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:
The night before Thanksgiving may well be their busiest night of the year and I was an hour late picking up this pie and it was still just delicious.

We too picked up from Barnaby's on the night before Thanksgiving. It was in its old, familiar, great form. Seems the period during which things dipped below the Mendoza line was temporary and now behind us. Truly something for which to give thanks!

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