Barnacles - Norcross

Last week I visited Barnacles in Norcross as part of my Gwinnett restaurant tour. This location is managed by Managing Partner Kevin Robinson and Manager Stephanie Zirkle. When I went in, Kevin showed me to a table, and Stephanie gave me a tour of the restaurant.

Like the Gwinnett Place location, this restaurant has an open air patio deck with ample seating. While it is probably comfortable given the right weather conditions, I would choose to eat inside, just because of the proximity of Jimmy Carter Boulevard. That's a personal preference, as I like privacy. The Gwinnett Place location has better scenery (trees, etc) around its deck.

Inside is a different story, however, as I prefer the dining rooms at Norcross. The main dining room is open and large with plenty of booth and table seating to suit your preference. There are no shortages of televisions here, either. Like the Gwinnett Place location, Norcross has a really wide, bar-length television screen, as well as a tv monitor everywhere you look.The other rooms consist of a game room and a large area set up for very large parties. The building is non-smoking, so kids are welcome.


Ryan was my server, and he did an excellent job not just at my table, but at the others he was responsible for as well.

First up was a order of Nachos. The nachos come with either chicken or beef strips (I chose beef, which was cooked to my specifications), cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos and sour cream. Two things you should know about this appetizer are that it is too much food for one person, and you will want a fork in the end so to make certain that you get it all. Unlike most places, this nacho plate is not full of lettuce. It has more stuff than filler.

After putting a good dent in the nachos, I had a bowl of onion soup. Crusted with good, thick, swiss cheese over a slice of bread, this soup was chock full of sweet sauteed onions. It was enough to be a meal by itself.


Next up was the Gorgonzola Steak Salad. It was a nice presentation of grilled sirloin, gorgonzola crumbles, bacon and fried onions served atop a bountiful garden salad. The fried onions were a nice, tasty, peppery touch. Once again, the portion was huge.

Along with the pub sandwiches, steak and chicken dishes, Barnacles serves its signature seafood entrees. Their menu is a good surf and turf offering that makes the "where to go" question easy to answer.