Historic Greenbrier Farms — Restaurant in Chesapeake

UPDATE: On November 6 we finally received a response from Tori. My daughter was offered a resolution. On Nov 29 Tori contacted me asking I remove or revise my review. I will not.

This location has beautiful views and a variety of activities. My daughter's wedding was held there on the 21st of Oct. I wish I could say it was spectacular but we had several issues with Savanna, the venue's event coordinator. Enough issues that I approached her and told her I felt she dropped the ball several time that day, including only having 80 chairs for 120 guests. I emailed Greenbriar Farms 3 days after the wedding explaining everything that we had to fix or deal with. My daughter had also emailed a much more in depth description of issues even leading up to her wedding day. Neither of us received a response. On Monday, the 30th of October I went to the "contact us" page and sent a copy of my original email and then gave more details. Still no response. This is why I'm finally heading to the internet to hopefully get a response , and to also let others know that upfront, Savanna, the only organizer for weddings, is nice but there is no follow through once the event is in swing. She literally ghosted us for half the event. GREENBRIAR, if you read this I'm hoping you will be a company that is willing to accept criticism and offer a resolution. BELOW is the beginning of my original email. I hope you reach out to my daughter to address these issues.

Good morning, First let me express how wonderful your venue is. I was excited when my daughter, Shelby, chose your location. Your restaurant staff and bartenders were on point with service and a smile. Which, thank goodness, saved alot of issues at my daughter's reception since besides her beer and wine, there was no liquor available at our bar. So graciously, our guests simply walked over to your public bar and purchased their liquor. That was not what we understood from Savanna, but I'll address that next. So I would like to give those people a huge thanks! My main reason for this email is my disappointment and dissatisfaction with Savanna. At first she was responsive and helpful, but then her communication became less consistent. There were some instances in the months prior that Shelby had to request updated information. Sept 5 was what caused my first concern that there was a lack of concern or interest on Savsnnas part regarding finalizing things. Shelby had a scheduled meeting for a final walk thru of events. That very morning Savanna called to cancel, and not only last minute but due to a dmv appt. My daughter took off work for this meeting and I just arrived from Illinois. The next time they could coordinate a meeting was that following weekend. My daughter and I arrive 10 min early. We wait. Savanna is late. My daughter calls and she states she in traffic. 35 minutes late, two children by her side and not a pen, paper or phone out during our brief meeting. This, was to me, a issue waiting to happen. During this meeting we reiterated our understanding of count, bar, and final details. One topic was open beer - wine and purchase liquor. Shelby had opted for open bar for beer and wine with the ability to purchase alcohol at anytime. We walked away from the meeting fairly convinced all was good. Fast forward to the wedding. Shelly's count was 120 and that number of chairs would be available for our guys to set up for the ceremony. Imagine my surprise when I get to the location and there are 80 chairs and my guests are standing. Our day of event coordinator and I told Savanna and she says, "well do you want me to try to get more?" Really? Fast forward to reception. While pictures are being taken our guests begin going to the bar, no liquor option. Again, we find Savanna and she can only say "well I don't think there is even liquor there at the bar." This impacted the poor bartender at the reception because once people found out about the other bar outside, they only went there. She could have made extraordinary tips that evening. Savanna just didn't...

I used to absolutely love this farm! Until today. what I witnessed in the “barnyard “ animal section was extremely disheartening, and upsetting. all the animals are not cared for the way they should be! The living conditions are inhumane, filthy, and below subpar living Conditions! What upset me the most is the bunny section. I myself am a rabbit owner. Rabbits are not for “barnyard attraction“ they are real pets with real feelings and deserve to be living in much better conditions. These rabbits are kept in tiny little hutches with wire bottoms. They are incredibly filthy, I noticed the water was dirty and probably hadn’t been changed in a very long time. They did not have unlimited hay readily available to them and very little food. No enrichment provided. Let alone trapped in a tiny little cage where they can’t even jump or stretch their legs. I witnessed in one little cage, alone, two adult rabbits with a whole litter of new baby buns, living in filthy and inhumane conditions. That’s not even the most upsetting part about my visit there today , in the other bunny Section (The round play pen metal cage with the tunnels) There was a dead bunny, which had been there for quite a long time. It was obvious it had been there for a while because it was decomposing! These rabbits are living in filthy and inhumane conditions. Stop over breeding these rabbits only to stick them in tiny cages & using them as barnyard attractions!! The longer haired rabbits (lion heads) Should not be kept out in the heat they can’t handle it And will die of heat stroke. Probably what happened to the poor rabbit that was in the tunnel in the pen!!! I am not a Karen by any means, but these animals deserve way better living conditions!! If your farm cannot keep the staff to adequately care for these animals properly then you should consider downsizing your “barnyard” And allowing these animals to live in better conditions!!!!!!! I will not come back to this farm. As I said I used to love this farm. I always buy all of my pumpkin’s, mums ,corn stalks and look forward to the maze every year ,now I won’t come back after today! I was extremely shocked and appalled by the animal living conditions! Please do better...

Disappointing Experience – All About the Money, Not the Service Thanks for the help Tori Allen...

Our recent experience hosting a 3-year-old's birthday party here was incredibly disappointing. From the start, there was no one available to help coordinate event details in person. Staff were uninformed, and we were left to handle issues ourselves. Our event space wasn’t private as promised, with random people wandering in and eating our food. Despite paying extra for amenities like private hayrides and additional tables, none of these accommodations were provided. We reserved for 25 people, but only two tables were set out.

To add insult to injury, they still charged our guests for admission and parking, even though we paid extra specifically to cover these fees. We were made to wait around for 25 minutes waiting for the event coordinator Tori Allen.. after being redirected to various locations, only to be told that there was another private event taking priority.

The only helpful people we encountered were maintenance staff—not exactly who we needed when trying to resolve issues with our reservation. Sadly, the only thing the venue is willing to reimburse is the $5 feed cups I purchased (10 of them), which feels like a slap in the face given all the problems we faced.

It's truly disappointing because the online presence gives off a warm, "mom and pop" vibe, but in reality, it's all about the money. It was clear that because our party was "just" a small birthday gathering, we weren’t taken seriously, while a realty event received much more attention and care. Save your time and money—look elsewhere for a venue that actually values...