Village Tavern — Restaurant in Greensboro

I love The Village Tavern! Their in-dining service is great. BUT phone etiquette leaves a lot to be desired and they are not accommodating to large groups over 8 people...at least that's what I was told.

On June 16th. 2023 It was my deceased son's 40th birthday and a few of his friends & family wanted to celebrate his birthday at the restaurant. I initially had reservation for 8 but needed to add 2 more. The young lady I spoke with who identified herself as one of the four managers on duty that day told me that they can only accomodate 8 because that's the max their largest table can hold and that they don't combine tables. Imagine that! THEY DONT COMBINE TABLES to accomodate a larger group.

I pointed out that I previously had a larger group there under the tent to which she stated they no longer have the tent available and that they do have a larger table outside but it's not available for reservation.

I asked why can't they place the two additional people at a side table close to the large table and I was told they can't do that either because someone else may already occupy that table at the same time. The thought to keep that table open along with the larger was not an option.

The couple called to make a reservation just so they could be present at the same time with us and they were spoken to in a very rude manner. Which she called out the person in doing. I eventually canceled the reservation and went to Outback Steak House that was willing to accomodate us at the last minute. Their loss on a very high tab that night!.

I love the food and I'm not going to say I will never go back there but they seriously need to teach their employees phone etiquette because thats not the first time I have had issues calling there. Once I called to place a takeout order and was placed on hold for 30 mins while driving. I arrived in the parking lot while I was still on hold. The manager did allow me to place my order in person without charge.

On a second occasion I called to place an order the young lady who answered was not very friendly, and based on the noise in the background it seems it was a busy night and she might have been overwhelm.

They also need to be more accommodating to larger groups. To limit the size of a group who wants to use their establishment to only 8 is ridiculous. Village Tavern please improve these 2 issues then you would be a...

Since opening up shop in Winston-Salem forty years ago, Village Tavern has expanded to include eight locations. Perhaps because of its longevity, the impression I got of it was of a dated brunch/lunch spot patronized by well-to-do seniors, and so it never claimed a high spot on my to-try list. After paying the Greensboro location a visit, however, that perception has somewhat changed.

Village Tavern occupies a large building with plenty of seating, and though they keep busy, they seem set up to accommodate the volume. My wife and I showed up for lunch on a Monday and had no wait for a table in the bar area, which was nicely appointed. Think classy without feeling stuffy.

Just as the restaurant is sizeable, so too goes the menu. Apps, soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees, tacos, burgers, and pizzas are all offered here. There are gluten-free and vegetarian options, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something not to your liking. We ended up going with fish and chips and shrimp and grits. The food arrived quickly, and our server was polite and responsive throughout the meal.

Shrimp and grits is one of my go-to dishes, and no two places do it the same way. Village Tavern’s version uses white grits and bacon rather than tasso ham. Purists may quibble, but I found it excellent. The grits were creamy without being too heavily cheesy, the bacon added a hint of smokiness, they didn’t skimp on the shrimp, and the mushrooms were a nice touch. The fish and chips boasted crisp and generously battered cod. It wasn’t on par with what you’d find in a seafood bar, but it did not disappoint. The sauteed spinach – substituted in for coleslaw – was tasty as well though the fries were only so-so.

While I was wrong about Village Tavern’s décor (more appealing than I thought) and clientele (more diverse), I was right about its price point. Both entrees ran north of twenty. While the fish and chips offered a good amount of food for the money, the shrimp and grits felt like a dinner price for a lunch portion.

All told, Village Tavern is a solid jack-of-all-trades restaurant. It offers a little bit of everything and seems to execute well enough. It’s more likely to leave you satisfied than impressed, but the service and atmosphere make it...

Mar 3, 2022. We can’t get enough of VT’s patio and their fried oysters. Darion was sweet and perfectly efficient with timing of food and drink refills. Oyster appetizer again and they were still so good I got the fried oyster street tacos. I swapped the black beans/rice for hot chips and tried the Mac n cheese. It seemed to be laying on top of a layer of ricotta. So creamy and I’ve never had it like that before. We tasted and loved it but brought it home so I could save room for the crème brûlée. Pure. Heaven. ps Yay no masks on staff! I missed seeing their faces and expressions! Double Yay because salt and pepper are back on the table!

We love to come here for a nice lunch on their spacious patio. The weather we are having is too good to be missed. Our server was Katherine (Katie) and she was a real gem! She knew the menu, she kept our water glasses full and she was quick with my vodka mojito and Hub’s Bud Light. We started with the gulf fried oysters and let me tell you, they are superb! They are so consistent, they are cooked just enough that they are crisp on the outside but so tender on the inside. The first time I decided to try fried oysters, in my life, was here, in September and I will not order them anywhere else. They are so good and even though we had placed our lunch order, we ordered another serving of oysters. Guess what? Katie still timed out our food so we got to enjoy most of our second batch before our entrees came out. Hubs got the Greek salad with blackened salmon and it was cooked to perfection, it melted in his mouth like butter. I’ve had the filet mignon tacos before and they were fantastic. So today, I was torn between those and the fire cracker shrimp tacos. Katie said the shrimp has a mango slaw that is awesome. She was not kidding! They look a little pink because of the Thai chili sauce. The sweet and cooling mango slaw was a great addition. They lightly grill the tortilla so it doesn’t get soggy and fall apart. Pricey? Maybe. Worth it! Absolutely. We will be back and we’ll...