Illyria Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Harrisonburg

Eagerly Anticipated, Incredibly Underwhelming

Will preface with my background, was in and out of the industry directly at various points of my career for about 15 years, have spent the last 7 years in Data Analytics for a restaurant management software company currently with over 9,000 locations across all dining segments from concession to Michelin Star Fine Dining.

Have been anticipating our visit tonight for a few months as we live in Northern Virginia and the idea of fine dining in Harrisonburg when we visit my in-laws was incredibly appealing for a special occasion which we had planned for tonight. On the positive side, the place is gorgeous and would hold up pound for pound to any of the fine dining spots in D.C. Flatware, Decor etc was truly top notch.

We had a reservation for 3 at 6:30, right in the middle of the short operating hours of 4:30-9:30, There were not many customers inside, the outdoor tables were slightly more populated and we were given a three top in the bar/lounge area, right next to the kitchen door. Honestly thought this area was the entire restaurant until I went to use the bathroom and saw the real dining area with one person at a table, at this point, I also saw through that side's entrance into the kitchen, the plethora of Sysco boxes and quicky realized what we were in for. As the night moved on, almost all new customers were sat in the proper dining room and not in the incredibly loud, horrific acoustics in the lounge. Cool.

Server came by relatively quickly and the ladies got wine and we ordered a Mezze item, the medditeran spread. It came pretty quickly with three dips, each in their own large ramekin accompanied by a single pita bread sliced into eighths. The dips were ok, nothing to write home about, there was no smokiness to the Baba Ganoush which was odd.

When the bread ran out, each dip had about 75% of their contents still in them when someone else came to take them away only to be interrupted by our server that asked if we needed more bread.

We got three entrees, the Shrimp, the Salmon and the gnocchi. The Salmon was cooked fine, but all the ancillaries were just odd for the dish, same with the sweet potato gnocchi, the addition of sun dried tomatoes with a creamy basil was just sweet on sweet with nothing to cut it, the gnocchi themselves were somehow mealy and had the ability to be stuck on the roof of your mouth, a truly remarkable feat. The real head scratcher was the Shrimp, which at $32 was literally 6 shrimp served over 14-16oz of tomato sauce with two strips of cibatta bread. The Saganaki was listed with a bunch of ingredients but none of them appeared to the palate, likely because of no-under salting due to the capers, which possibly came from Sysco, chosen purveyor of 31 of the 50 largest chain restaurants in the US.

After I ate the 6 shrimp and the two slices of bread I was left staring at 10-12 oz of tomato sauce while at this point my wife and mother in law had just put their plates in the middle of the table so we could all try and figure out what was going on this went in for about 25 minutes because...

Service.

Our server was great and knowledgeable about the specials and the wine but only hit 5 of the 7 points of service, which normally would be ok for the area, but you're selling me on a fine dining experience, charging me fine dining prices and hitting me with Sysco boxes and 5/7 Points of Service from the server that disclosed she trains your servers. The offer of more cibatta bread when I asked for the sauce to be boxed as I could probably toss it with a half pound of pasta was just ugh, would have loved that option 20 minutes ago.

As we waited for the check, the topic of what rating out of 5 this gets with my mother in law and myself at a solid 3 with my wife at a 3.5, my caveat was literally 'I guarantee you they charged us for the extra pita on the dips' to which both ladies were adamant that there was no possible way.

Check came and the 3 star rating became a 2....

I’ll start by saying: I read the long, self-important review left before this one and honestly had to wonder if we were even at the same restaurant. That “critique” felt less like someone sharing their dining experience and more like a résumé reading - complete with 15 years in the industry, analytics buzzwords, and arbitrary grading of “5 out of 7 points of service.” Insert eye-roll here.

The long story short, Illyria was an elevated experience in Harrisonburg that you’d normally have to drive to D.C. for.

Here’s the thing: I wasn’t counting Sysco boxes, or pretending to audit the server’s performance like it was a corporate training video. I was enjoying a fantastic night of food, service, and atmosphere. (And for those still clutching pearls over seeing a Sysco label: It means absolutely nothing about quality. They’re a distributor, not a scarlet letter. What matters is what comes out of the kitchen - and here, it’s extraordinary).

We started with the tuna tartare, which was bright, fresh, and perfectly seasoned with citrus aioli and chili oil. The spicy feta with charred jalapeños was addictive, the kind of dish you keep reaching back for long after you’re full. Yes, we also had the Mediterranean spread - the dips were flavorful and distinct, and when we wanted more pita, the staff brought it right away (no dramatic monologue required).

For mains, the Mediterranean salmon was a star - tender fish over a chickpea, tomato, and olive stew that was hearty yet refined.

And if you’re lucky enough to catch one of their specials, don’t hesitate. This week they were offering a shrimp, scallop, and clam scampi, and it was phenomenal - fresh shellfish, perfectly cooked pasta with some of the best scallops I’ve had in a long time, and a garlicky white wine sauce that showcased exactly the kind of culinary creativity this place is all about. Specials like this are why people come back again and again.

Our server was knowledgeable, warm, and attentive throughout.

Bottom line: this restaurant is a gem - elevated, creative food, a stunning space, and service that makes you feel genuinely cared for. If you want to have a special evening in Harrisonburg, it delivers. If you want to write a pseudo-intellectual dissertation about how qualified you are to dislike something, maybe start a blog. Or bring a clipboard next time. The rest of us will be here, enjoying our dinners.

Five stars...

My husband and I visited Illyria for our 2nd anniversary dinner date! It was lovely, over all. The one thing that was a little off putting is we were not sure which door to go in to be seated (side patio or front patio door). We went through the front door and were seated by a lively server whose name I neglected to get, but he was very kind and friendly.

Our food was DELICIOUS! We are big fans Mediterranean food, but that can cover a wide range of cultures and palettes. The menu is artfully crafted and blends so many flavors seamlessly… as if they were always meant to be that way!

What food did we get?

1. The Spicy Feta - this was a delicious way to start off our date. The pita was delicious, the feta was creamy, the tomato’s were so flavorful, and the jalapeño was, well, spicy 😅

2. For our main meals we got two different items. He got the Shrimp Saganaki and I got the Mediterranean Salmon. Both were phenomenal. I’m not a big shrimp fan so I didn’t taste that part of his dish, but the tomato base (very similar to what’s in the spicy feta) and the bread were a beautiful pairing. My salmon was also incredible. The salmon was season and cooked perfectly, and the chickpeas and couscous it was plated with were so flavorful! Mind you, I don’t really like olives (this dish has some black Israeli olives), but I LOVED the flavor they added to this dish!!

3. For dessert we got the Loukoumades. They were a flaky and crispy croissant-style beignet with a raspberry mousse filling, accompanied by fresh strawberry ice cream, and rich chocolate sauce. This was an incredible way to end our dinner. It was rich and sweet, but the ice cream toned it down just enough.

4. Lastly, we each had a drink with dinner. I opted for the Baklava Old Fashioned and my husband got the house white wine which I am forgetting the name of. Both were so smooth. Usually wine gives my husband a strong burn, but this one did not! It has oak-y notes and was not too sweet. The Old Fashioned was the best one I’ve had. The bourbon was not too strong and the sweetness of the baklava simple syrup was a beautiful combo.

All that to say, we had a beautiful evening. Thank you to our server Grace. She did a fantastic job helping us decide on the wine and offing suggestions. I hope this review helps provide detail for any...