New restaurant opens in Thompson Falls

A new restaurant in Thompson Falls has big plans for the summer. Heather Thompson recently opened The Barrel House and wants to bring to the area an environment befitting its historic name. According to Thompson, barrel houses, or juke joints, were late 19th century and early 20th century establishments started by freed slaves, post emancipation. These places were set on the outskirts of towns where the working class could drink, dance, eat and most importantly listen to music. Thompson herself, who also owns Work It Out Fitness, plays the guitar and has brought with her a love for good food service and music that she hopes the business will embody.

The owner explained that she has worked in food service her whole life, and with the help of a friend making her an unprecedented financial deal, she was able to open this eatery. "I just love serving people. I'm a people person," added Thompson. She has also been playing the guitar since she was 18. She taught herself and wrote her first song at the same age. Later, she played with a 14-piece band in Dallas as a vocalist that opened for an art show. She continued playing with them for six months and played all through Texas in various places with other groups. After 25 years she's written about 50 original songs and has been wanting to publish an album.

Thompson wants to bring both of those experiences into The Barrel House and hopes to feature local musicians in her restaurant. She also has a background in arts and entertainment from school and wants to have local painters and others showcase their work in the restaurant.

The Barrel House has a drive-thru and sit-in area and serves burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and other fast food. A crowd favorite is pulled pork. Thompson explained that the place is starting off with "quick service and great prices," and will "expand into a more formal sit-down style place." Thompson wants to add outdoor seating where people can eat and listen to live music. "I definitely want this to be a place where friends and family can come spend time together, eat good food and spend time enjoying the outdoors," she added.

The Barrel House opened officially March 1 and according to Thompson is doing very well so far. "We wanted to keep it simple at first and cut our margins as close as we could," said the owner.

The Barrel House is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be open later during the summer. It is located on the south side of Highway 200 on the east end of Thompson Falls.