I do not know if it’s me, but I seem to get stuck reviewing all the bars that are confusing to get to (e.g. Rio, Shampoo, etc.).  So I’ll start by telling you what to look for when going there.  From the Blue Route (that’s I-476 for you out-of-towners), get off at Route 3, West Chester Pike.  Take West Chester Pike east and you will see a sign for Barnaby’s. Don't get your hopes up, because you can’t get there from here because it’s down in a gully.  So what do you do?  Keep on going east on West Chester Pike until you get to Old West Chester Pike. 

So with a name like Old West Chester Pike you might be expecting a large road?  Guess again.  I think my driveway is larger.  You’ll know when you get to Old West Chester Pike because as you are sitting at the traffic light, the Mercy Hospital sign is giving you a tan (Blinding Mercy sign shown at bottom of page).  Make a right onto Old West Chester Driveway (Pike), go through the hospital (mind the patients), and you're there.

Barnaby’s of America is a very nice place.  It has a dinning area, bar area, and club-like area downstairs.  The night we were there, we stayed at the bar.  The bar area has a large bar with tables along the front side and back.  There are many TV’s tuned to different sporting events.  The night that we went they had a special of $1.50 Molsons and $1.50 per dozen of Buffalo wings. (Remember the wings special because Barnaby's doesn't...read on.) The Molson was crap, but the wings were spectacular. 

They actually have different types of wings depending upon the time that you order them.  We saw the drink and food special on their sign so we were all up for beer and wings, a making of a good night.  When we got to the bar I noticed that they had Boddington’s on tap.  So me in my infinite wisdom ordered a Boddingtons first (to numb my taste buds on good beer) before getting the wings and the crappy Molson.  Barnaby’s has a fast kitchen staff because the wings were out before I finished my Boddingtons.  Just a piece of advice, Boddingtons and Buffalo Wings do not mix well.  It’s like having Bordeaux with chicken . . . not good.

Eight big juicy wings came out . . .eight succulent wings . . . eight . . . hey aren't there twelve to a dozen?  So we asked the bartender what the deal was.  It was unadvertised that the special did not start until the Flyers game at 8:00pm.  But we were lucky and just squeezed in the order before the happy hour special ended.  COME ON PEOPLE!  This is a bar and the rates are more confusing than the phone companies.

Regardless, The wings were spectacular. They were large, spicy, and very tasty.  Wings fans may want to skip the rest of this paragraph because you're going to want to run out and pick-up a dozen.  First, Barnaby's wings were very large, pump, and juicy.  These must have been some huge-ass chickens.  The wings were hot and spicy but not so hot that you can barely eat them.  They give your mouth the burn, but not so much that you can not taste anything.  And finally the wings were very tasty.  Some places just make the wings so hot that there is no flavor, but these wings were brimming with flavor.  Mmmm Mmmm Good!  (Phillytown.com is not responsible for any damage that may have happened to your keyboard caused by excessive drooling and/or salivation).

After the first round we wanted another round (this was our dinner), but we had to wait until the “special” started, God forbid that Barnaby's would give the swilling patrons a reach-around! Sorry, but we weren't about to spend $6.00 for wings when you can get them for $1.50 when the puck is dropped.  Eight o’clock comes, the Flyers take the ice and we get another round of wings.  After that first batch I was anxiously awaiting the second batch of the delicious, pump, spicy wings, but what came out was a huge disappointment.  We got a tray of the normal scrawny wings!  They still tasted great (same sauce), but they were missing the plumpness of the original batch.  Not only do they change the prices, but they also change the food. Hey Barnaby's that's called the "Bait and Switch" or in some circles "The Screwgie" or in other circles "The High Hard One" or in layman's terms "The Stiffy!" 

Overall the bar is a nice place to have a couple of good beers.  Their taps include Boddingtons, Bass, and a variety of standard American beers.  The crowd was very mixed (young and old alike), but there were a lot of people there who went to high school in the eighties and after they graduated, they never changed their style.  HELLO! Even John Cougar, John Mellencamp, John Cougar Mellencamp, Mellencamp, or whatever he calls himself now got rid of that long-feathered-hair-eighties look.  If you are unsure about your look, turn on the TV and look at a girlie show like Friends.  If you look like them a bit then you're money.  If not, then you might need some work.  But just make sure that it’s Friends and not the Drew Carey show.  Drew’s a sexymon but don't go picking up fashion tips from that Mimi chick.

 In closing, Barnaby’s is right next to Mercy Hospital.  It seems like a good place to bag a beautiful doctor baby!  You might be seeing me there a lot more…after all if I get the beautiful doctor baby, its house husband time for me!

-As Reviewed by The Nutty Irishman

His other reviews include: Shampoo, Rio, The Great American Pub, The Boat House & Valley Forge Brewing Company.