Free Bird Table & Bar — Restaurant in Richmond

I've visited this restaurant twice and can't decide if it's bad or not.

The decor is great. Its very cozy inside and the patio is really nice plus they have good music playing too. I'd come back just to hangout and have a cocktail - this is pretty much whats getting this place 3 stars.

The first time I went I ordered the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Overall it was good, but they forgot to put the spicy seasoning on. I had to double check the menu to confirm that 'hot' meat spice and not temperature. It did have some seasoning on it and tasted good, so I didn't mention anything and chalked it up to a one off. My brother in law had the burger and was happy with it. Fries are tasty.

Went back again a few days ago for brunch and ordered the watermelon salad. First bite I said to my husband "this is quite possibly the most boring salad I've ever eaten". Upon further investigation I realized it was boring because they forgot to add the mint, cilantro and jicima. I waved the server over and told her this, she apologized and brought my plate back to the kitchen. Few minutes later she brings it back and the kitchen has tossed a clump of straight from the bag, still on the stem, wilted cilantro, 2 brown and shriveled mint leaves and about a quarter cup of rotten jicima.

I'm not exaggerating, the jicima tasted like a compost smells. I gagged, my husband spat it out. I eat this all the time and know it was far past its prime.

Server comes back and I ask her to take the plate away and take the salad off our bill cause it's disgusting. She does and is very apologetic the whole time. She asked if I'd like something else, but at this point my husband was almost done his meal and we were on a schedule so I declined.

My husband had the blt benny and liked it, but they hard poached his egg (server didn't ask how he'd like them and he didn't think to say anything). No one wants a hard yolk on a benny. Was weird but he was hungry and wasn't dissatisfied enough to say anything.

The perplexing thing about my meal is, if you know your ingredients are bad, then take that meal off the menu for the day. I would have far rather been disappointed to not have that meal than to be served rotten food.

So this is my issue - is the restaurant bad? Most of the meals were good despite having some minor issues and servers are friendly...

I didn’t read reviews prior to selecting this restaurant to meet with colleagues. Reading them after-the-fact shows this restaurant has come a long way. Stick with me and you’ll see why I’m giving them 5 stars despite a most disappointing start (and making time to write this review, which I don’t often do).

My first experience here didn’t start off the right foot, literally. Upon entry we were immediately greeted with a chilly statement that we came in from the ‘wrong’ door. Then was asked what he could do for us. I figured it’s 7am, we were IN the restaurant, our intention should be quite clear. Upon advising I have a reservation (again thinking this should be quite obvious as we were perhaps the first customers in the door), we were told to take a seat anywhere. As my colleague put it, we were just ‘brushed off’. First thing in the morning in our first experience with a restaurant and we felt unwelcomed.

This person later came over to our table with a sincere apology. Whether it’s his staff member with whom we’ve first noted our concerns to or his own reflections and follow-up, we appreciate the acknowledgment of his behaviour and its impact on us. I see the restaurant has reached out and responded with sincerity in other reviews here, seeking to address concerns and make improvements, whether about services or food quality.

Change takes time, individually, for a team and as a company. Within minutes I was convinced I would not come back to this restaurant. The restaurant leader, by taking sincere ownership, and with his empowered team to share honest feedback with management (not to mention, yes, I agree with many other reviewers that the food is fresh and delicious), has changed my mind. I was going to give 4 stars but I gave an extra star for sincerity. There’s always room for improvement as in everything in life. I look forward to witnessing firsthand these wonderful developments in...

Extremely Rude and Unprofessional Interaction from Staff Member at Free Bird Restaurant

My family and I decided to try Free Bird restaurant located inside the Executive Hotel in Richmond on a recent Sunday afternoon. As my family and I were walking towards the restaurant, I saw that some of my family members already went inside the restaurant ahead of me to look for the Hostess/a staff member to be seated. My family and I were abruptly approached by a staff member, who spoke to us in a very rude and unprofessional tone with the statement, 'Um, there's a sign right there?' and pointed to a sign at the entrance stating, 'Please wait here to be seated'. It was an honest mistake that was overseen by my family members, but this certainly does not justify him speaking to us this unnecessary, unprofessional, and utterly insensitive manner. We definitely could have been spoken to in a more courteous and respectful way. We decided not to support this restaurant after this rude encounter, and will not be doing so ever in the future due to this interaction from this staff member. If this was how we were treated initially upon entering the restaurant, what more if we were to spend time ordering and eating? Not long after this negative interaction with the staff member at Free Bird restaurant, my family and I were waiting for other family members to the left of the main reception desk, and we observed that this same staff member kept rolling his eyes and giving us dirty looks during the several times that he passed by us to enter the Employee Only area behind the main reception desk from the restaurant. I did not expect for us to be treated in this way at all and I was truly disappointed by this staff member's overall demeanor and the way he represented not only the restaurant, but the hotel as a whole. If it were possible for me to give 0 out of 5...