TAPS — Restaurant in Lexington

Update Sept 2025 - This WAS previously one of our favorite places to eat in and take-out in town. After giving more chances and being a pretty good customer, we found out tonight you can no longer call in to order. You are forced to download a new mobile app- there goes the human and small-town factor. Next, my husband ordered a chili they entirely forgot (not the first time), and my dinner salad which was supposed to be a Cobb salad with blackened chicken, was a pathetic side salad of old greens with an egg and nuts in it, nothing more- but we paid full price for a dinner salad. Also we noticed pricing went up substantially. Burgers for our kids are now costing us $17 EA, and a pasta dish, only one on the menu is now $20…it’s getting out of hand and it really stinks because we did many orders out of here the last few years. The place tonight 9/13/25 was packed with VMI folks and parents, and pick up orders for regular customers were clearly not cared for over the bar drinks. Probably now with the price change, crappy food service and the mobile app requirement we won’t be ordering regularly anymore. Hope they consider and revert back to good service and pricing without the use of this AI crap/app because we don’t need more apps in our life. It will not end well overall especially in a town that relies on far more than “seasonal” demand. You have to take care of the clients that live and raise families here because they are here all year….And to note we are not customers that typically enjoy making a complaint to a place we like: we are really regular, tip very well each time and support our local businesses, and are business owners (with a global market) of our own - we get along with all the servers and bartenders (though they have been turning over a bit as of late); we would hate to lose customers in this kind of way and would really work to make improvements to ensure otherwise…

From July 2025: we recently ordered salads as we normally love to do (to-go) while taking our kids out for one of the recent summer events in town, and as I was eating (pregnant), I bit down into what was extremely hard, broken/shattered pieces of plastic. I am extremely lucky I didn't injure my teeth or mouth, or worse. It seems maybe a broken lid of some kind made its way into my food. And we had just been chatting about how delicious & fresh the salad was right before this happened. It shocked me...I would never want to leave a poor review for one of our favorite local spots, hence the overall good rating still (though options in town are far too limited for higher-end meals and bars as it is); but this is something that can really cause illness or injury to a consumer so hoping they look into this issue and avoid it ever happening again. For right now, I am a bit turned off from my favorite salads and hoping to try again soon enough...but I am honest, I am going to be weary when biting now. Also to note, we would really love if at least one heavier steak or chicken dinner option was added to the menu, something more hearty for those of us who want good dinner bites to choose from, not just bar apps or salads. No one in this town has a good steak or chicken dinner option that is easy to access for the everyday. We dine with TAPS pretty often, so any expansion/update of the menu would be appreciated and so very welcome. Been here a couple years now from a large city, and the menu really has not changed at all since. We always want to support our local, small businesses well before any chains, so with more options, we will surely be a supporter of more high quality & affordable...

TAPS is the embodiment of the W&L-catered, high-nose, hollow cuisine that the people of Rockbridge genuinely dislike. Starting with the entrance of the restaurant, there is no clear direction as to how one gets seated. And, the staff clearly discriminate their attention based off of your attire and demeanor. Then, once you figure out the almost secret way to get a seat, you wait and you wait and you wait for even some water. My girlfriend and I waited an hour, in the rain, for 2 cocktails once and one of my friends even got denied a glass of water here. Now, I must interject and state that I do understand that they are clearly understaffed, as are most places during this time, so I have to give them a break there. But, you cannot combine poor service with cheap food at outlandish prices and expect to retain a good reputation in any area. As a restaurant that usually costs around $40 a head for a meal, the food is lackluster to say the least and the overall experience has never been worth it. TAPS survives off of their appearance that caters to please the highbrow alumni of W&L. It is clear that without W&L, TAPS would not have a regular customer base other than a handful of locals who chase after an image of pseudo-opulence. Please don't eat here. Please support another restaurant that represents the local community. And, if you've read this far, thank you for your time and...

So, I showed up at this restaurant with jeans and a flannel shirt. I thought we were going to a brewery! Upon crossing the threshold, I saw a sea of blue blazers, ties, & suits, the women, elegant and handsome. Clearly, I was misinformed and now feeling quite out of place.

My table of six was seated without a thought and our server greated us warmly, I wish I could remember her name. Other patrons in the restaurant don't give me a second look, they were engaged with their parties. It became clear to me that this restaurant was interested in a quality dining experience and the anything else was all on me.

We placed our orders and enjoyed conversation while we waited. A short while later out come 2 or 3 servers with everyone's food. No doubt an effort to ensure everyone had their plate at the same time. A really nice touch and much appreciated.

While all of these details are nice, it does not compare to the what the chefs brought to our palates. The food was supurb! The fish and chips were crunchy and moist, the burgers cooked to perfection and a flavor that makes me want to return right now! The fried oysters were out of this world! Everyone in my party raved about their dish.

5 stars from me. Great food, & amazing service. Definitely, a restaurant I will visit again when I'm in...