The Barnlight Door Eatery - Frisco, TX

There's something to be said about knowing who you are and owning it.  I'm a classical musician by trade and if I ever tried to get into an epic rap battle with someone, Beyonce's hair would probably fall out and Jay-Z would have a heart attack and die.  I will leave the Rhythm and Poetry to others.

The same could be said for the Barnlight Door Eatery.

The process of getting a seat is confusing.  There is no sign or instructions of what to do. When I was finally seated, the waitress got my drink order and and asked if I knew what I wanted.  Yikes!  Give me a second to look the menu over.  The place was mostly empty so it's not like you needed to get the tables turned.

The decor inside looked like a chic sort of barn.  Having grown up in Iowa, I know that no barn in the history of barns would look this neat and clean but I appreciate them getting a schtick and keeping the walls clean and clear of clutter.  The chalkboard paint on the walls was a cool touch but other than a dessert menu, there was no use made of the writeable surface.  Oh well, I'll let them keep a point because maybe the artists of the group was busy frying chicken.

One look at the menu and I knew I was in for a treat.  Here was a place that had no idea who it was and was trying to make "fancified" dishes it picked up in Southern Living or Joy of Cooking.  I especially liked how most of the menu items are listed in matter of fact manners: Zinfandel Meatloaf.  Pork Chop. Fried Catfish.  And then, out of the blue we get: Breast of Chicken.  As opposed to Breast of Marmot? Why the preposition all of a sudden? And then you have remoulade sauce, champaign cantaloupe slaw, smoked corn relish... then Brown Sauce... like cousin Maude came to visit the kitchen.
I ordered a salad, paid $ for chicken to be added to it, figured I could afford the special fries (their description, not mine) and work that off in the gym.
My drink came and not to be all first world hissy fit but my straw was kinked.  And that is a problem no self respecting person is going to complain about because then you become that guy that makes the waitress walk to the kitchen for a new straw and then she spits in your food.  I had to sift the water through my teeth.

I think fries need to be crispy on the outside and moderately dense in the middle. Enough salt to make the potato flavor pop but not so much as to cover up the starchiness all together.  I'm a fan of double fried fries.  Their fries came out and I was so interested to taste the special fries.  What makes them special?  Are they cut from potatoes grown in your garden?  Did you add an interesting spice or salt?  Answer: none of the above.  They were once fried sticks from the freezer section with salt and Italian Seasoning.  C'mon!  You can make a spiced apricot chutney but you can't do anything more with your fries?  Plus, I had enough ketchup for two fries.  I don't think I finished them.

The salad reminded me of the suicide drink I used to make at Pizza Hut when I was a kid.  There was so much going on.  Green Apples, Goat Cheese, Pear, Candied Walnuts, Cranberries, Zesty Vinaigrette, Stale Bread Stick, and Seared Chicken... Almost all the right flavors if you just picked two or three.  The dressing was to tangy to balance with all the other tangy foods present. The edges of my tongue were screaming at me to stop.  The only respite from the onslaught of sour patch inspired toppings were the occasional dollops of goat cheese.  The bread stick was great for texture change but I nearly lost a tooth.  And I don't want to forget the chicken.  $4 for a tiny piece of "breast of chicken"!  Most places it's only 2 and they give you both breasts.  I barely got chicken side boob on this one!  Plus the searing around the edges smelled like poo.  Seriously, it was really gross and I think people walking by thought I was having issues.  It wasn't me!  It was my chicken.

I didn't get dessert but I did snap a picture and I think this perfectly sums up the Barnlight Door Eatery:  Key Lime Pie. Warm Cookies. Hazelnut Brownies.  All things you would expect to be served in a barn.  Then, Creme Brulee.  What?  Is this a French barn?  Where did that come from? I'm betting it's a scoop of vanilla pudding with a layer of toasted sugar on top.  You know, if you called it Barn Brulee and added bananas or some other un-pretentious fruit, I'd go for it. I'd even applaud your take on the dish but a place that serves meatloaf shouldn't be messing with the most sacred of French Desserts.  Not when your chicken tastes like charred poo.

I give Barnlight Door Eater a 4 out of 10.
No sign, Hurried waitstaff, Food that can't make up it's mind, and really expensive add ons make me say, skip this one.

Happy Eating, Y'all.