Sky Bar — Restaurant in Fredericksburg

After eating an absolutely delightful dinner at Castiglia's on a crowded Saturday night, my anxiety-ridden server Cole answered my question about where all the young, nicely dressed people were disappearing to. He informed that there was a rooftop bar called The Sky Bar directly above where I was sitting. I become mildly miffed at my Googlebox since I had voice-searched “What are some cool bars near me?” as I strolled up William Street to enter the Italian restaurant.

"Is that where that music was coming from as I walked up?" He smirked faintly & said, "Yeah, the music from the roof bounces off the walls of the MillQuarters building across street." My eyes got wide as he unwittingly explained retroactively one of my airy curiosities from my William Street stroll—one that swirled about & departed just as swiftly. Cole's smile relaxed a bit as he felt like he’d finally done something right today.

I'd half-rushed through my meal as my Rain Alarm app had been sending me pushes about an incoming rain storm with a severity scaled at 8/10. I craved a postprandial promenade back down William Street before conceding to an early nightcap. It'd be my 1st drink for the week & the only 1 before my Marine Corps Historic Half-Marathon the next morning. But the rain was coming.

"So there's a rooftop bar upstairs & there're a bunch of people up there?" "Yeah, they’ll be people to chitchat with. Just circle about that way," he gestured. I excitedly paid for my food & headed upstairs since not many people have the Rain Alarm app. So, no one was aware of the incoming downpour.

Going up, I’m caught behind 4 waifish college bros in khaki shorts, breathable DryFit polos, & knock-off Sperry's. Their eyes give an up-down of my navy blazer, white jeans, & aqua blue Roos. The music & human chatter build as we climb. On top, the college dudes know they've arrived & confidently go to their group.

Tentatively, I scan how the roof area is laid out. I see no one I know. (Nor had I expected to.) I dare not jockey for a seat since this spot’s packed with gorgeous men & women smiling back & forth at each other. I focus on the Virginia beers on the bar’s colorful chalkboard on the western side of the U-shaped bar. Not knowing what to order, I select a Hardywood Richmond Lager tallboy. I decide to wait for the rain’s arrival from a roof-covered spot. Near the bar, I see a horizontal crossbeam with a small ledge for drinks. The crossbeam connects 2 slanted beams to form an “A.” The ledge doesn’t seem wide enough for a beer can, but it'll do. I settle into a comfortable stance with my beer & my blank pages for writing. "It'll be worth it once the rains come," I tell myself.

I scan the area while nursing my beer & see a pair of white males—one in his late-40s & the other in his late-20s—drunkenly float around the bar, slowly colonizing disparate social groups. By the looks of it, the older man is flirting with 2 different women between the 3 different circles huddled by the bar. The younger one is riding the wing-man wave but flirting as well. “Do these guys know everyone at this bar? Or do they know no one?” I think to myself as I pen words onto my blank sheets. One of the 2 will go to the restroom & the company that either depart will dart eyes among themselves. It's a brief moment & quick glance, but I presume I understand the dynamics at play with this extroversion in overdrive. My thought is that it’s a little sloppy with its spray-&-pray approach.

"It'll be worth it once the rains come," I tell myself. I check the app. My screen shows me red & orange clouds are literally above my GPS dot. I pinch in. The radar display is fuzzy & slowly loading. I look up at the sky. The sun has set, but there's no rain. The people here aren't being drenched in rain. I look back at my phone to see the granular resolution has returned. It takes 2 hours to run out of pages waiting on this rain. Rain on the phone. No rain on the people. I open my Uber app & summon a driver. Maybe that...

As an industry worker, was very disappointed. Tried to get a reservation at Castiglia’s and they said they had no seating available and got us a reservation at Sky Bar. When we walked through Castiglia’s, there were only three tables sat with guests. Not sure why we were unable to get a reservation. We also waited a full 10 minutes before our table was ready despite being on time for our reservation.

Sky Bar was disappointing at best. We ordered this massive cheese board only to find 4 slices of bread, one per person. When i asked for more bread, we got an entire second cheese board. The bruschetta was, and my apologies, disgusting. Drinks were fine, all the other food was just okay.

Would not recommended to anyone who wants a meal. Come for the drinks, stay for more drinks. Don’t order food here, it’s not worth it for the price it’s at. As a server myself, I will not talk poorly of the staff because I’m sure they were doing their best. I found no issues with the staff, just the business as a whole. I don’t usually leave reviews at all, but the food here was so gross I just couldn’t help myself....

Sky bar has really gone down hill. A few years ago they had great bands and a good gathering. We love going there just because of the atmosphere over the Burg. Staff is absolutely maxing as well. Recently, we could go in and the staff would change the playlist based on the clients. Went in today and they stopped that completely and it was obvious the staff was upset with that as well, because their personal revenue depends on taking care of those they serve. Then the band started playing and it sounded like open mic night. I know folks are trying to make a living, but that group was the last thing that needed to be blast over the streets of Fredericksburg. Talent just wasn't there and the bar began to vacate instantly.

So my advice, first, give the bartenders the option to control the music based on the clients and second, preview who you are hiring for gigs after the bar music cuts off. You are literally losing revenue based on your band selection. Tonight was terrible. But on a good note, your bartenders took it in stride and are...