The news that Swanky Franks was being closed and knocked down tore right through the hearts of Westport teenagers whose childhoods were spent inside those crusty mustard walls. However, in just a few months, a new beginning was resurrected in the form of The Little Barn.
It is hard to miss, being centered on Post Road and located walking distance to the Staples students’ haven of Barnes and Noble.
As I walked in, I was reminded of the Alamo by the memorabilia hanging from the walls, the dim lighting and the patriotic paintings spaced out through the inside and outside of the restaurant. The Barn does a nice job of appealing to a multitude of people by having a bar area with round tables and two TV’s displaying the current sport games, which is separated from the dining area where most of the families sit.
I started off my order with the food item that establishes the good restaurants from the great ones: calamari. For my main meal, I ordered a cheeseburger and fries.
As I was waiting for my food, my waiter casually did not mention that the refills are not exactly free so I was rung up for a couple of mediocre sodas.
After a relatively extended wait, the waiter brought out the calamari and my cheese burger.
The calamari was very good and was one of the best calamari dishes I have had around Connecticut; it was perfectly fried and unhealthy enough without being too unhealthy to the point that you feel bad about yourself as a human being after eating it. However, the cheeseburger could have been better. By no means was it bad, it was extremely mediocre. The burger was a little too dry, and although I asked for medium well, it came out a little burnt.
In the end, The Little Barn was a good experience. They still have a couple of things to work out as a new restaurant but it is constantly jam-packed with people.
I can see The Little Barn becoming one of the main places in Westport for families to eat together, and I suggest that you give it a go. Overall, I give The Little Barn a six out of ten.
