BRG
VB

Before you go

Chef / owner
Founder/operator Derek Mallon (Lomond Leisure Group), inspired by 2015 Louisville/Buffalo Trace trips; opened Gallowgate November 2017 (The Scotsman). OpenTable lists executive chef as “Dom and his team.” Sophie Mallon leads marketing for the group.
Opened
2017
Style
Kentucky-inspired bourbon bar and BBQ grill opposite Barrowlands: wee plates, Scottish burgers, ribs/wings, beer garden, and a large American whiskey/bourbon list including Pappy Van Winkle bottles.
Setting
American-themed casual dining room and bar with Jack Daniel’s beer garden (Guinness Hut / heated outdoor booths noted by Lomond Leisure).
Awards
OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award 2025 (official site); Quality Business Award – Best BBQ Restaurant in Glasgow 2024 (commercial award scheme; venue announcement)
Known for
Scotland’s largest bourbon / American whiskey selection (venue claim), Pre-gig dining opposite Barrowland Ballroom, Wings Wednesday all-you-can-eat, Jack Daniel’s beer garden / Fire Garden, Dog-friendly with dedicated dog menu
Signature dishes
VW Famous Wings (buffalo, BBQ, garlic, xtra hot, lemon pepper), Full rack of BBQ baby back ribs, Scottish beef burgers (Classic, Highlander, Monster, Buckin’ Hell challenge), Homemade mac ’n’ cheese / loaded fries, Sharing Feast for two (wings, flautas, mac ’n’ cheese, tenders, dirty fries, etc.), Bourbon brownie / Kentuck-tea afternoon tea
Good for
Pre- and post-Barrowlands gigs, Groups and private BBQs, Casual burgers and bourbon, Dog owners, Sunday roast / family early evenings
Prices
OpenTable band £25 and under. Menu (updated ~Aug 2026 on OpenTable): wee plates ~£7.95; burgers ~£14.75–£18; Monster £23.70 / Buckin’ Hell £29.50; full rack ribs £24.95; Wings Wednesday £24.95 pp (1½ hrs + fries); Sunday roast from £20.95; Sharing Feast for two £49.50; Kentuck-tea ~£21.50 pp; bourbon tasting £36 pp. Steak Thursday: two rib-eyes for £25 (OpenTable venue notes). Student 20% off food Mon–Thu (main menu; not with other offers).
Lunch
Open from 12pm Wednesday–Sunday; midday dining available on those days. No separate set lunch found beyond regular menu and experiences.
Booking
Book via OpenTable (linked from vanwinkle.co.uk/book-at-van-winkle-glasgow-east-end) or call 0141 552 1177. Larger bookings: £10pp non-refundable deposit; parties of 6+ online require card details — cancel within 24 hours or no-show charged £10pp. Groups of 10+ require a 10% deposit.
Dietary tags
vegetarian options, vegan options, gluten-free options
Dietary
Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options available (beer-garden dietary note; OpenTable flags vegan and gluten-free). Menu includes Buffalo Tofu Burger and halloumi/veggie plates. Flag allergies in advance for groups.
Groups
Group bookings welcomed. Indoor events up to ~100; private BBQ in beer garden up to ~50 (OpenTable / beer-garden page). Exclusive-use BBQ packages available.
Kids
Children welcome; booking page says until 7pm, contact page says until 8pm — confirm when booking.
Dress code
Casual (OpenTable).
Outdoor seating
Yes
Drinks
Full bar; venue and Lomond Leisure claim Scotland’s largest bourbon selection (incl. Old Rip Van Winkle / Pappy Van Winkle range, Blanton’s, Stagg, etc.), plus beers, wine and cocktails. Bourbon tastings offered (~£36).
Payment
Mastercard and Visa (OpenTable).
Noise / pace
OpenTable noise level Energetic; busiest around Barrowlands gigs and Fri/Sat evenings — book ahead for those nights. Quieter midweek lunches / early evenings.
Closed
Monday and Tuesday (except open on Barrowlands gig nights). Open Wed–Sun from 12pm; last food orders 8:30pm. OpenTable lists Wed–Sun to ~23:45 for the bar.
Getting there
267 Gallowgate, directly opposite Barrowland Ballroom; East End, ~5 minutes from city centre per venue. Buses nearby; short walk to nearest train station (OpenTable).
Parking
Street parking outside the venue (OpenTable).
Also by them
Mharsanta, Glasgow (Lomond Leisure); Gael & Grain, Glasgow West End (former Van Winkle Byres Road site, converted); Kirk O’ The Lochs, Tarbet; The Tolbooth Tavern, Edinburgh; The Parliament Arms, Edinburgh
Also
Second Van Winkle opened 94 Byres Road Sep 2020; later closed and transformed into Gael & Grain (Lomond Leisure news) — Barrowlands is the remaining Van Winkle; Dog menu developed with Pets’n’Vets / Ross Allan (Scotsman, at Byres opening); dog partners page still active for Barrowlands; Takeaway/delivery via Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and online collection (OpenTable / site); WiFi available (booking page); Quality Business Awards are commercially nominated schemes — not equivalent to AA Rosettes or Michelin

Glasgow restaurant

Van Winkle - BBQ Grill - Barrowlands

4.4(618 reviews)
££Opens in 16 hours

Address

267 Gallowgate, Glasgow G4 0TR, UK

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Menu

Dishes and prices for Van Winkle - BBQ Grill - Barrowlands.

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Opening hours

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM
  • Thursday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM
  • Friday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
  • Saturday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
  • Sunday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM

Overview

Van Winkle is a Kentucky-inspired bourbon bar and BBQ grill at 267 Gallowgate, directly opposite the Barrowland Ballroom. Founder Derek Mallon (Lomond Leisure Group) opened it in November 2017 after trips to Louisville and Buffalo Trace; the venue still bills itself as home to Scotland’s largest bourbon selection, with a BBQ-and-burger menu built around wee plates, Scottish beef burgers, ribs, wings and mac ’n’ cheese. Expect a casual, energetic American-style dining room plus the Jack Daniel’s beer garden (also used for private BBQs). OpenTable diners rate it highly for pre-gig meals; it can get lively around Barrowlands show times. Typical spends sit under £25 a head on OpenTable’s band: wee plates around £8, burgers about £15–£18, a full rack of ribs £24.95, Wings Wednesday all-you-can-eat £24.95, and a Sunday roast from £20.95. Students get 20% off food Monday–Thursday. Open Wednesday–Sunday from 12pm (last food 8:30pm); closed Monday and Tuesday except on Barrowlands gig nights. Book via OpenTable on the website; larger parties need deposits. Well-behaved dogs are welcome (dog menu), children until early evening, and gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options are offered — flag allergies when booking.

Updates from the restaurant

Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Thu, 13 Aug 2026, 06:30

Summary

Van Winkle Glasgow is launching its new Traditional Sunday Roast this Sunday, featuring roast beef with fluffy mash, crispy tater tots, seasonal veg, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and mac n cheese. Main course is £20.95, two courses £26.95, three courses £32.95. Additional starters and desserts are also available from the menu.

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Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Wed, 12 Aug 2026, 11:00

Summary

Weekend BBQ plans sorted at Van Winkle Glasgow, featuring favourites like burgers, wings, fries and drinks. Join friends for loaded plates in the Gallowgate area.

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Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Mon, 10 Aug 2026, 11:00

Summary

A casual gathering with cold drinks and Hill Billy Tater Tots is happening at Van Winkle in Glasgow.

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Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Fri, 7 Aug 2026, 11:00

Summary

Vanwinkle Glasgow offers their Snowball dessert, served with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce, as the perfect way to end a meal. You can book a table or simply pop in to enjoy this delicious dessert at their Glasgow location.

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Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Thu, 6 Aug 2026, 11:00

Summary

Van Winkle Glasgow is promoting their burgers, inviting customers to grab a seat, order their favourites, and enjoy a cold pint. The image showcases a specific burger with a golden-brown bun, patty, and avocado, presented on a blue-rimmed plate.

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Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Mon, 3 Aug 2026, 10:48

Summary

Update: vanwinkle Glasgow mentions Hill Billy Tater Tots as a meal addition and invites customers this week, but the provided OCR text describes a different dish - a serving of pasta with vegetables.

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Instagram

@vanwinkleglasgow

Thu, 30 Jul 2026, 14:44

Summary

Smooth Ambler: Contradiction Bourbon is the featured 'Bourbon of the Week' (5 week series), known for its blend of wheated and rye bourbons with notes of cinnamon, cherries, and dark chocolate, finishing with mint. This specific 700ml bottle (6% ABV) is part of a limited-time offer ending soon.

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Reviews

5.0John Phillips

A dram of Tennessee in Glasgow. The warm and welcoming staff, good food, and an eclectically comfortable atmosphere was just the ticket after a long day. Due to it being a Monday late afternoon it was quiet, but just what we needed. I’d certainly go back. And if you have a taste for bourbon, they have a selection that tops any I’ve seen in the U.S.

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1.0Ross Gilmour

Disappointing trip to Van Winkle. We tried to book into firehouse but it was fully booked, so googled more bbq restaurants and this came up. Reviews were good so thought we would try it out. It’s not a BBQ so don’t be fooled. We were the only ones in on a Saturday night so that tells a story. The staff were so friendly and the place looks great inside.. even the kitchen staff were really nice. 10/10 for service and smiles. When it comes to the food… We ordered kids buttermilk chicken tenders: Barely any batter on them and the bits that were left was soggy. My son rated it 1/10 and never ate a thing. Kids macaroni. This was microwaved or left in a pot. The cream had split and the cheese had curdled. I always dad tax the kids meals before they eat it to try out everything. I would feed this to my dog it was so bad. We also ordered the roast potatoes with pepper sauce chives and chilli flakes. They’re just frozen potatos but it was a good combo. 6/10 these and it was the best thing on the table We ordered lemon pepper chicken wings. These would have been the best thing on the table if they didn’t drown it in that much lemon pepper seasoning that they were completely inedible with salt and lemon flavours. None of the table could eat them. Pulled pork burger - my wife loved the pulled pork she said it was delicious. The burger it’s self, not so much. Totally unseasoned and tiny pattys I got a huge burger can’t remember the name of it but it was about £28. Again, totally unseasoned and pattys tiny and overcooked. A total shame. Overall it was £100 wasted I’d have been better throwing it down the drain it was so bad. The server asked my 5 year old at the end how her macaroni was and she said bad with a thumbs down lol! We laughed at this cos she told them the truth. Again all staff were lovely and a really nice venue, but train your chefs to a higher standard and how to actually cook meats and season them properly or you won’t exist very long if you keep putting that food out. Really wanted to like it, but almost all the food was uneaten. Would I try it again? Unfortunately never again. Ever.

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5.0Chris N

The best buffalo wings in Glasgow and one of the best, if not the best selections of bourbon. The staff are all bang on too and always do their best to squeeze you in even when they're busy

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5.0Ashlee Holmes

Loved this place! We are here after our afternoon in Glasgow. We had the steak pie and it was delicious! It was a yummy roast beef in a gravy sauce with a puff pastry topper, then some peas and carrots on the side. The place itself is really cute, and they had even cuter bathrooms lol. The bar wall is end to end different bottles of whiskey and bourbon, so great if you're into that. They also make other drinks and have some beers on tap. If I ever came back to Glasgow I would eat here again!

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5.0Cassie Devlin

Visited Van Winkle yesterday before going to BAAD and was all round a great experience. Good food, cocktails were great and we sat out in beer garden which was a total sun trap. The staff were very helpful and friendly too. My friends all had burgers and I had a chicken wrap and the food was cooked to perfection.

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