Lunch in Downtown Halifax: Filipino Food
Lunch in downtown Halifax: when Barrios opens, what comes out fastest, what works for a work group, and how to order trays for the office.
Barrios Restaurant & Bar
10/1/20264 min read
Lunch in Downtown Halifax: A Filipino Lunch on Barrington Street
A good work lunch can turn an ordinary day around. Barrios Kitchen & Bar, a Filipino restaurant in downtown Halifax, serves lunch from 11:30 AM, Tuesday to Saturday, at 1571 Barrington Street, just south of Sackville Street and a short walk from most downtown offices. Here is what to order on a short break, what works for a work table of six, and how to feed the whole office.
When is Barrios open for lunch?
We serve lunch from 11:30 AM, Tuesday to Saturday. We are closed on Mondays. On Sundays the regular menu gives way to Filipino brunch, 10:30 AM to 4 PM, which runs right through the lunch hour.
If your break is tight, come at 11:30 and tell your server when you need to be back.
What should you order on a short break?
A rice plate is the simplest order on a short break: a whole meal on one plate, with nothing to build around it. Prices shown are from our current menu and may change.
Beef tapa, $18. Thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce and spices, pan-fried until the edges caramelise, served with garlic rice and two eggs. This is our tapsilog.
Bangsilog, $17. Pan-fried bangus, or milkfish, with crispy skin, garlic fried rice, a sunny side egg, and pickled daikon and carrots.
Chicken inasal, $22. Grilled chicken marinated in citrus, garlic and spices, with garlic rice, a soy vinegar dip and pickled daikon and carrots. A good pick for colleagues who do not eat pork.
Pancit bihon, $17, is thin rice noodles stir-fried with vegetables in a light savoury sauce. Pancit guisado, also $17, mixes that vermicelli with chow mein noodles. Both come with your choice of grilled chicken, crispy pork belly or shrimp at the same price, or with vegetables and tofu if you ask. The bihon is the lighter of the two.
For a handheld lunch, sisig tacos are $7 each: crisp chopped roasted pork with soy sauce and chili in a soft shell. Two tacos and an order of spring rolls, four to an order at $9, come to $23 before tax. On Taco Tuesday the tacos are $5, so the same lunch is $19.
Is Barrios a good spot for a work lunch in Halifax?
Yes, especially for a group. Filipino food is meant to be shared, so a table of six can order a few plates, a pancit and some spring rolls, then pass everything around. That also settles the problem of everyone wanting something different. If you are on your own, stick to a rice plate.
If someone in the group would rather have something familiar, that is fine. The menu also has burgers, fish and chips made with Nova Scotia haddock, and a Caesar salad. For eight or more, call 902-444-2515 so the table is ready when you arrive. There is no room fee or minimum spend.
If the company is paying, we can print or email an invoice with a QR code for payment.
Can you order lunch for the office?
Yes. The simplest way is to call 902-444-2515 and pick it up yourself, or message us on Facebook or Instagram. Uber Eats and DoorDash deliver from noon to 8 PM, Tuesday to Saturday, if you would rather not leave the building.
For a bigger office lunch, party trays are the easier route. A family size tray serves about 5 people and a party size tray about 10. Pancit bihon is $35 for the family size, spring rolls $20, pork barbecue skewers $70, and a steamed rice tray is $20 for about 10 people. Trays need 24 to 48 hours notice, and pickup runs Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 AM to 8 PM. Trays are pickup only, but you can book a courier in the Uber app to collect them.
Are there vegetarian options at lunch?
A few, with one thing worth knowing first. Filipino cooking leans on shrimp paste and fish sauce, so tell your server you are vegetarian.
Pinakbet, $14, is a vegetable dish of squash, beans, okra and eggplant, served here with crispy tofu. Traditionally the dish is built on bagoong, a fermented fish or shrimp paste, but ours is made without bagoong or fish sauce, so it is vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Tortang talong, listed on the menu as Torta, $12, is a grilled eggplant omelette served with pico de gallo, crispy onions and banana ketchup. It is vegetarian rather than vegan, because of the egg. Pancit bihon or guisado can also be made vegetarian, with vegetables and tofu, if you ask.
Quick answers
What time does Barrios open for lunch?
11:30 AM, Tuesday to Saturday.
Is Barrios open for lunch on Mondays?
No. We are closed on Mondays.
Can I get lunch on a Sunday?
Yes. Sunday is Filipino brunch, 10:30 AM to 4 PM, so it covers the lunch hour.
What should I order on a short lunch break?
A rice plate: beef tapa at $18 or bangsilog at $17. Or two sisig tacos and an order of spring rolls, $23.
Can I get lunch to go?
Yes. Call 902-444-2515 for pickup, or order through Uber Eats or DoorDash from noon to 8 PM, Tuesday to Saturday.
Can Barrios do an office lunch?
Yes. Party trays with 24 to 48 hours notice, picked up between 11:30 AM and 8 PM, Tuesday to Saturday.
Do I need a reservation for lunch?
Walk-ins are welcome. For a group of eight or more, call ahead.
Working downtown this week? Book a table or call 902-444-2515, and tell your server when you need to be back.