2520 Tavern — Restaurant in Clemmons

(3.5 stars) Anticipating a visit to Old Nick’s afterward, our group of four sought a dinner option in the Clemmons/Lewisville area. 2520 moved toward the front of the line by virtue of not being a chain though the intriguing menu certainly bolstered its case as well. On food alone, 2520 offers the makings of an excellent meal, but the overall experience is mixed.

Though 2520 is spacious, the restaurant was full when we arrived on a Saturday night. No worries: the wait was hardly unbearable. 2520 slots in somewhere between sit-down casual and fine dining, and the atmosphere – low-key classy – reflects that.

As a seafood fan, I was pleased to see how many fish and seafood options 2520 had available. The appetizers alone boast calamari, muscles, Thai shrimp, and lobster nachos, and the entrees throw several fish dishes into the mix. For those less aquatically inclined, there are steaks, sandwiches, pastas, risottos, burgers, and salads. The menu is appealingly well-rounded though, oddly enough, cranberries feature in an inordinate number of dishes.

Our group started with a fried calamari, my wife opted for the peppery goat burger, and I tried the stuffed flounder. The calamari came not with the classic marinara but rather with roasted red pepper, cranberries (removable upon request), candied pecans, parmesan, and a citrus herb vinaigrette. This version was lighter than others yet still flavorful, and the calamari were cooked well. The flounder was preceded by a generously sized salad (I opted for Caesar) and was very good. It came with a rich scampi cream sauce, to which tomatoes added a bright and tangy note. Asparagus proved to be a welcome complement. The burger, though messy, featured a very tasty pepper jelly.

That said, 2520’s pricing and service are both up-and-down. The appetizer ($12) and the burger ($12.50 with a side included) were definitely reasonable though at close to $30, the stuffed flounder was a bit of a reach. Our server was polite, but we ended up waiting for close to a half hour just to get our checks. From what I’ve gathered, “slow” is the default speed rather than the product of heavy volume.

Were it not for these issues, I would gladly return to 2520. The food was good, and the menu holds plenty of promise. However, if I do come back, it would have to be on a day when I have...

I took my granddaughter and her boyfriend out to eat last night at your restaurant. My granddaughter ordered the fillet which she said was very good, her boyfriend ordered the Tavern burger which he said was really good but however, my food was terrible. I ordered the $28 ribeye, medium rare and came out well done. Our waitress looked at it and just shook her head and said that sure isn’t medium rare. So she took it back and brought me out a second one which was also overdone and extremely tough, and by the way, both steaks were so thin, I could not believe it. So our sweet waitress took it back, and I told her just to switch it and get me a sirloin. It came out medium, rare, and finally was cooked right. However, by that time I had completely lost my appetite, Needless to say I brought it home & fed it to my dogs along with the not so good mashed potatoes. I came here a couple of years ago with my boss for lunch, and it was very good. However, I definitely will not be returning. I think I can find somewhere else to spend $140 that know how to cook a steak !! Sign me totally disappointed and I won’t be back !!! I think my meal should have been comped !! The manager didn’t even come out and talk to me. He sent one of his waitresses out. Definitely not a good way to do business. Like I said, I will...

If only I could give it zero stars, I certainly would! The exterior facade is just that--a facade. Our experience was sub-par in every way. The waitress was surly and the food was horrible and that's being kind. The salad was fresh but contained only iceberg lettuce: no romaine, no arugula, nothing but non-nutrious iceberg. The steaks were so bad that my friend could take only a bite or two and left the rest on her plate. It was the daily special and the steak was smothered in some sort of flour based white sauce that was completely inedible. My steak was nothing but gristle and grease. I tried to eat it but only because I didn't want to seem ungracious since my friend was treating me to a birthday dinner. The table at which we were seated was deeply gouged and because of this probably unsanitary. The bread was white bread, cold and hard and again, non-nutrtious. To add insult to injury, no baked potatoes. Really? In a steak house? All this terrible food was priced way beyond its quality. I think this place pretends to be "fine dining." Not even close--more like greasy spoon roadside diner. Strongly suggest you not patronize this horror that calls itself a...