The Barn at The Hope Farm

At lunch today, I had one of the top ten burgers (Wagyu) ever at The Barn at The Hope Farm in Fairhope. Beverage Director Danny Rivas provided us with great hospitality and service with lunch, including the freshest raw oysters and my new favorite dessert, the XO Cake.
The Farm Manager, Dominique, then gave us a tour of their mushroom and hydroponic growing operations, which we really enjoyed.
The Hope Farm is a perfect example of a very well run business making both employees and customers satisfied and happy!

Came to the Ancien wine dinner and was not disappointed! This was my first time coming to the Hope Farm and I’m so glad we made the reservation. I’d heard nothing but wonderful things about the food and wine here and their reputation is accurate! It was an intimate wine pairing dinner, with special insights from a wine rep and course descriptions from the chef. You can definitely tell the owners have a passion for food and wine. Looking forward to more events at the barn.

The lunch option at the barn is our new mid-day go-to. Beautiful atmosphere, fantastic food, great friendly service, amazing cocktails! It’s their dinner quality but with better pricing and bigger portions.

There were three of us. Chicken biscuit, bacon egg and cheese biscuit with fried chicken, and aged Gouda grits. One cappuccino, one mocha iced, and "scenic98" adult drinks. Staff were friendly. Food was amazing. Atmosphere was open and clean. Can't wait to go back when we visit next time.

DINING THRU THE ALPHAPET!!!

We are exploring new restaurants as we work our way through the alphabet. The only rule, it must be a new place we have never experienced.

REVIEW of THE BARN:

If you're looking for a restaurant with a great atmosphere, look no further! The moment you walk through the doors, you'll be greeted with warm and inviting ambiance.

The staff are incredibly friendly and attentive. And of course, the food is absolutely delicious! From the appetizers to the entrees, every dish is expertly prepared and bursting with flavor.

Farm-to-table is a growing trend in the food industry that emphasizes the use of locally-sourced, organic ingredients in cooking. The Barn implemented this concept beautifully by growing and serving their own produce (see pics for hydroponic gardens). This allows control over the freshness of their ingredients, resulting in healthier and more flavorful dishes.

REVIEW of FOOD DISHES:

Today we enjoyed a few items from the menu.

Farmhouse Salad: Delightful fresh salad using hydroponic greens, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers. The pepper ranch dressing is what makes this dish special, adding a unique and flavorful twist to the salad.

Airline Chicken: Chosen because of gluten free option. The chicken was cooked to perfection. The piperade (sauteed peppers, onions) adds a delicious sweetness and depth to the dish. Caper butter adds just the right amount of richness bringing the flavors all together for a perfect bite.

Seasonal Fish Tacos (Mahi Fish): Fish tacos are a always a delicious experience from the flaky fish to zesty flavor of the salsa, every bite is a treat. However, be prepared that with the 3 tortillas it seemed to be a small portion (refer to picture). Despite the portion these are a great option.

"Healthy" Cookie: If you're looking for a healthy snack that doesn't sacrifice taste, this is for you. The dark chocolate and cocoa nibs added a rich, decadent flavor without being too overpowering.

WOULD WE RETURN?
Yes, the food hit the spot leaving us satisfied.

Coffee was very good and the croissant was very rich. More dense than I thought but I enjoyed it a lot!

Excellent food and coffee! Great spot for breakfast!

Scotch Class was fantastic. Great selection of scotch and a nice talk by the lead mixologist.

Food was amazing but our server Malakai was the star! He was incredible. Thank you!

Always a great experience, hanger steak and wedge salad with steak was awesome, best blue cheese we have had. Can’t wait to go back and try the rest.

Excellent fresh food prepared perfectly with excellent friendly service. So glad we discovered it!!

I had a chai latte with oatmilk, the baristas were really nice and the ambience was lovely

Best lunch spot in Baldwin County.

Went expecting a barn and had to adjust my expectations quickly. Modern decor in a simple room that is open to the kitchen. It's nice and quite comfortable. Service was excellent - personable, attentive, well-paced. Food was really good. We had lunch - two burgers - which had unique flavors and were perfectly prepared. Glad we went.

I'm puzzled why the meat filled croissants have such superior dough. Not only is the center delicious, but it appears a different pastry chef makes them. "She" is far better at making croissants than the usual pastry chef, who excels in other types of pastry but doesn't make his croissants as well as the meat type.

I'm also guessing he is a vegetarian, and she is not. Otherwise, there would be more meat-filled croissants and savory pastries more often. It's a shame that the meat type is not made more often, because they occupy a special place in "over the counter" served breakfast/brunch at the Barn, which is otherwise missing in the pastry cabinet, since it is usually stocked with fancifully creative "sweet" treats, without much in the way of savory. Hear ye, hear ye: most people in Fairhope are NOT vegetarians. And neither are most humans on Planet Earth, and thank God for that; otherwise, our brains would have evolved to be far smaller and more rudimentary in composition (evolutionarily speaking).

disclaimer: I am merely a customer. I don't know anything about the staff. I did notice that a woman gave me a delicious ham and cheese croissant today, and also mentioned that she had baked them for the big restaurant next door to serve this evening.

please note: The croissant today was a "5" on the rating scale. However, I'm giving the overall food a "4" for lack of variety (without much in the way in takeaway savory pastries).

Also, the bacon and cheese biscuit is lacking (which is not usually a takeaway item). The bacon isn't good; it's thin, chewy, stringy, and gristly. The cheese is cheap American (too salty with artificial coloring that I can taste, bla!). And the biscuit is too large in diameter for the "sandwich." The biscuit is also not moist enough. To me, it seems as though it has just a pinch too much in the way of baking soda, WITHOUT REAL BUTTER, or . . . real lard, which could also imbue it with a deeper, richer overall taste profile.

note to management: Always always always avoid CANOLA OIL like the plague. It is better used as a tractor lubricant, which in fact it was used for exclusively until being pushed into foods by dysgenicists in the 1980's onward. And I need not mention the perils of vegetable oil and corn oil, which are even worse than canola.

On the other hand, lard tallow is great. It is much better for the body to process. Organic tallow, gathered from the baking of delicious meats in-house would be ideal, rather than buying lard from some dismal mainstream company, which can't be trusted. [Let us not forget that the brain is 90 percent cholesterol! Avoid statins like the plague unless you are very very very sick with some highly unusual heart malady; and even then you will be virtually guaranteeing Alzheimer's if you take statins for very long as a "preventative" measure, rather than a stop-gap solution short term]. And need I say, "Do not eat margarine." It's poisonous! Why? Because it is made from PETROLEUM, for crying out loud.

Real butter, especially from grass fed cows, is far superior to rapeseed (canola) oil, as well as every other type of seed oil, with avocado oil and real olive oil (without sneakily undivulged canola in the blend) being healthy exceptions; although, obviously they are not made from seeds either.

I also recommend using a large air fryer for the meat. It's better than cooking in oil and far healthy and the taste is very close if not better in some respects. I would also recommend adding an outdoor grill right in the middle of the outdoor dining courtyard for cooking meat for the large restaurant. It would be a festive touch to cook the really expensive steaks outdoors weather permitting. Something for diners to watch, as well.

This was our first time and we will definitely be going back. I got the bacon egg and cheese biscuit and it was by far the best I have ever had...hubby got the quiche lorraine and thought it amazing as well.

First, let me say The Barn @ Hope Farms is a beautiful place. Just pure modern elegance. I hate to even have to write this review, but this is how restaurants stay on top of things when the service is not up to par. I ordered pick up this morning and spent close to $40 on my order. When I first arrived, the hostess was very polite and directed me to where I needed to go to pick up my food. I walk over to the counter and I stand there. The guy making the coffee did speak very dryly, but that's all he done. So I stand there for about 8 minutes, then the hostess comes to me and asked was I picking up a to go order? I told her yes and she said ok. They'll be right with you. Very nice young lady. Again, the guy behind the counter is still slowly making coffees for the two customers at the bar. By this time I had been waiting and standing there for about 12 minutes. Mind you a waiter and what appeared to be a manager, passed by me and continued waiting on their customers in and outside the patio. No biggie right? They weren't too busy, but someone needed to wait tables. I can just remain invisible. So the gentleman finishes the couples coffee and then he proceeded to clean the machine. Still hasn't asked how could he help me.
Again, I've been just standing here patiently waiting as if I am invisible. After he finishes cleaning machine, he asks me, do you have an online order? Duh! Had I not, I would've been even more angry. A few minutes after that Im guessing someone brought him my order, and he just placed it on the counter. I had to ask if it was my order. I ordered a coffee with my order too, so I just stand there again with no acknowledgement. Again, I had to ask the gentleman are you making my coffee? To that he gave a dry yes. Once it was made, rather than handing my cup to me, it was slid on the counter, the same way my order was. He wasn't friendly and very dry. There was no appreciation for me taking the time to use my gas and money to support this establishment. Im not going to give the reason I feel behind it, but this is not the first time I've had a bad experience with this establishment. If it had not been so bad, I never would've wrote this review, but I saw how others in the restaurant were being treated so kindly and with dignity and respect and here I am being treated as if I wasn't even standing there! Had it not had been for the hostess being so polite, I would've gave it a 1 star. Please put the right people on the front line that will treat everyone that spends money with your restaurant like they matter and are appreciated.