Barley’s Food Factory
“Another Kvilletorget Special!”
Almost all places at Kvilletorget have been reviewed, but there are still some left, such as Barley’s Food Factory. Your friendly neighbourhood pub that looks a little bit funky, but also charming. While I have been here before, I never really paid attention to the food. So let’s give it a try!
Walking around Kvilletorget, it’s a surprisingly vibrant area of Gothenburg. Probably mostly unknown to the non-Hisingen people, but here you can find plentiful food, a place for playing pool and it’s quite green along a tiny canal. Really worth coming here for the serenity of it all - if that makes sense when talking to a place closely located to Hjalmar Brantingsplatsen.
Barley’s Food Factory is located pretty much across Tullen. In the warmer months with plenty of outside seating, otherwise a more cramped inside seating area awaits you. The menu is not too different from what you expect with clearly defined vegan options. Not too much to choose from, it’s a pub after all, but your burgers and fries will do the job. Pricing is low with only 128 SEK for a burger and 103 SEK for Tijuana Fries. They also have padrones on the side for 54 SEK. Very cheap indeed.
We went for fries and padrones, mainly because the burgers are all made with mushroom and by now you maybe know that we don’t do that around here. But the Fries are a place full of fries, vegan meat, pico de gallo and sauce. Quite nice as a comfort meal.
After a short waiting time, it all arrived and the plate of fries is expectedly massive. The padrones on the other hand look very sad. And that will continue through the experience. Padrones are edible, but definitely nothing they do too often. I’d rather avoid them. The fries on the other hand start of really nice, but soon turn into a bit of a drag. Something is simply missing and that is tase.
It’s all just very bland, the vegan meat is completely unspiced out of the pack, the pico de gallo is very shy, the aioli is very pale as well. I’m just not sure what I am eating here. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s also nothing I will be hyped up about. It looks better than it is.
In the end, this is an alright experience and for that price I don’t mind too much. But there are also other places nearby that have better food.
Price:
Burger: 128 SEK
Tijuana Fries: 103 SEK
Padrones: 54 SEK
The Verdict
Barley’s Food Factory is a funky place. Very Gothenburg, very alternative and definitely vegan-friendly. It’s a pub that is charmingly run-down and located in a great location, especially in Summer. They even make their own burger patties, so that’s a big plus! On the other side, however, is the quality of the food in the end. Having tried the Tijuana Fries, a combination of vegan meat, pico de gallo and vegan aioli, as well as the padrones, I am just not impressed. Everything is rather tasteless and I feel like I am wasting calories. The cheap prices make up for it, but it raises the question whether to eat here at all and not just buy some things from Willy’s nearby. It’s a cool pub, but I’d eat somewhere else.
3/5 Leaves
Pro
They make their own burger patties
Cool atmosphere and location
Very affordable
Con
Not many vegan options
Food is pretty bland and lacks excitement (=spices)
Location
Kvilletorget 20
Opening Hours
Mo: 16:00 - 22:00
Tu-Th: 16:00 - 23:00
Fr: 16:00 - 00:00
Sa: 13:00 - 22:00
Su: 13:00 - 22:00
