La Petite Auberge — Restaurant in Fredericksburg

Fair warning: La Petite Auberge has habitually slow service. I'm not sure why other reviewers leave high ratings for such poor service--even the ones that directly mention their disappointment in the service, but the ratings are misleading. Please take the time to carefully read reviews if you're seriously considering this place for a special occasion.

My family of 3 had a reservation for 7:30PM on Saturday, the weekend after Valentine's. When we arrived around 7:10PM, we stood in a line that didn't seem to move and go all the way out the front door. An elderly couple, who came after us, asked if we had reservations and if there's a way to check-in (besides standing in line) because they were already running late for their reservation. At the time, we were unsure and told them to go ahead instead, because we were early and had time. We were seated around 8PM, was given (unprompted) a small basket of 4 bread rolls 8:15PM, served our 2 appetizers (one was cold) 8:40PM, 3 entrees arrived 9:30PM, asked for the check after eating half our meal 9:45PM, and left ~9:50PM (forgoing dessert there and went to Sonic instead, because I asked about dessert availability and never got an answer).

In the 50 minutes of waiting to be seated in the narrow hallway, this was what I overheard: According to the general manager, the 6:00PM reservations all came 30 minutes late due to parking issues. The same manager also claimed that everyone waiting was the last group of reservations and most of the tables had already paid, but were just chilling at that point, so we would be seated as soon as they left. Apparently, every day is busy, but that particular day was even busier because of all the Valentine's reservations and slow starts. Also, a customer leaving after their meal said they were told an oven broke and it took 50 minutes for them to get their entrees. Now, I have no idea what's true or false, because it seems to me that this place has always had slow/poor service (from past reviews that I've read).

I'll try not to make this review too long, so here's a list of suggestions: Don't leave tray stands in the narrow hallway where there's a line of people on one side waiting to be seated, because it impedes the flow of foot traffic. Leave the tray stands in the private room when serving that particular room, because people can't be trusted to not knock over unattended plates of food left in the previously mentioned narrow hallway. Check all menus before use, because I was given a menu that was missing an entire page (half of the menu missing). If you're going to tell a customer that you'll check on our meal but not come back to update us, don't bother saying it without prompt (we did not once ask about the progress of our meal and patiently waited, considering what I overheard previously). Hire better/more kitchen staff, because the amount of time it took for us to wait was simply ridiculous.

Overall, the food was good (not great) for the price and portions, but not for the poor service. I debated heavily on what my rating should be, and decided that I wouldn't go back there again, not even to try their dessert (and that's saying a lot, because I always leave room for dessert) when they're less busy. If you have all the time and patience, or don't mind staring into the void every so often, for slightly above average quality food at slightly above average prices, then this...

Update: So absolutely unfortunate😢 So, I wasn’t going to post this, but I ordered the roasted chicken and the mussels entree to take out. I drove 35 minutes each way only to get back home to find my chicken cooked beyond being able to eat. When I called to let them know I was immediately met with “our kitchen is closing.” And then “we’ll what would you like for us to do?” Really? So they took it off of my credit card. The chicken was really inedible, but since this was my favorite restaurant in the area…I let it slide.

Well, tonight I decided after being sick all week I wanted to treat myself with dinner out. I chose to come here rather than my other favorite place across the street (see my other reviews). Long story short. I ordered the halibut. My meal was brought out after my soup. I specifically asked that my meal be re-cooked when I finished my soup and not reheated for obvious reasons. Well… yup you guessed it. They reheated it. I asked for my server so I could pay the check, but they got the manager (Aaron) who took a long time to come over. When I explained my dilemma he kindly said, “we’ll take it off the menu for you.” Really? Of course you will. I didn’t eat any of it. When I flaked a piece off the fish had clearly dried out, and the risotto was greasy. Of course it was it was reheated and not stirred. He apologized, but it seemed like a formality. He did not ask if I wanted it prepared over, or if I perhaps wanted anything else. He wisked up the dishes and disappeared. So, so very unfortunate. Where am I going to find another French restaurant 😢 I will not tolerate poor service anywhere! By the way, I’m still hungry.

Update: 6/21/2022. Dang! Even their take out is good. I ordered the mussels entree without the shrimp or linguine to go. And their hazelnut cake with butterscotch. This is truly my favorite restaurant in Fredericksburg❤️ They still have the plastic thank you bags though 😂

Original post: I almost don’t know where to start. I started with a Caesar salad. I asked if it is a “real” Caesar dressing. Not only was the answer, yes, but it is made in house. I had the half portion. It was perfect! I could eat it everyday. For my entree, I had the Calf Liver Lyonnaise. It literally melted in my mouth! Flavors, perfect! The potatoes were perfect! I ordered the Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake, which they also make in house, to go. I will update once I taste it. I had the pleasure of being served by Levi, who was pleasant and well versed on the menu, which was helpful. If you read my posts you know I HATE pretense. This place is so subtle! I didn’t expect this at all. My new favorite local place. The only improvement I would suggest they make is to ditch the plastic “Thank You” to go bags and invest in paper with handles. You guys are waaaayyy...

Excellent service, excellent food, excellent ambiance. We were fortunate to have La Petite Auberge host our wedding. The entire main room was set up for a party of 30. We were able to have a 4 course meal with an open bar. Aaron, the general manager, from the start, was accommodating and professional. Aaron was able to recommend a local florist for the flower arrangements as well as an incredible photographer (Aaron Spicer Photography!).

A few months prior to the date, we sat down with Aaron to plan out our menu for our guests as well as pricing. We were able to have the entire space for about 3.5 hours before it re-opened for the night dining. For our menu we chose Appetizers (Salads/ Charcuterie boards/ Frittatas) Main Course ( A choice between Halibut, Fillet Mignon, Stuffed Shrimp, Half Chicken or Apple Pork Chops) and Desert! (Chocolate Mousse / Crembrulee). They also provided 3 kid friendly options which the several kiddos loved. Each one of our guests spoke very highly of how accommodating the staff were and how great the food was. Everything exceeded out expectations.

Each place setting had our own customized menu on it for our guests to order food from. It was an intimate wedding, with great food and family. Since we were not interested in spending thousands of dollars on a venue alone, this was the perfect all-in-one arrangement. We will forever recommend La Petite Auberge. A side note, we were able to speak with staff at the Restaurant who shared how well they are treated by Chef and management which we were proud to be able to support.

Some logistics - its downtown, plan for parking and walking. We did bring our own wireless microphone for all of our guests to be able to hear the ceremony.

( P.S order...