The Dahlia — Restaurant in Lynchburg

We took the family to The Dahlia for the first time a few weeks ago and weren’t sure what to expect. We were brought to the basement, which was very bright and quiet. The upstairs area seemed like a nicer place to dine, however we were there for the food, so the ambiance wasn’t a huge deal. Our waitress was friendly enough, but seemed very rushed, which may be due to the understaffing the restaurant industry has experienced lately. We ordered the shrimp cocktail and the fried pickles appetizers. The shrimp cocktail came out on a plate, over a wilted piece of lettuce. The presentation wasn’t great and we expected either the sauce or the shrimp to be chilled, but both were room temperature. At that point, we accepted we weren’t at a seafood restaurant and enjoyed the pickles. My entree, a medium rare ribeye, came out more like a “medium well” and was disappointing. We thought maybe dessert would be the “ticket”, but we were never offered dessert. Our check was placed on the table and we were herded out of there. I think this restaurant has a lot of potential. I’m just not sure what their specialty is, but I’d be open to trying it...

This place was great! The food is off the hook, or whatever the catchy phrase is these days, and the drink menu had my mouth watering just as much as the food menu!

The main floor, right off the street, isn't very big, but they have a basement level that is easily twice the size of the upstairs and twice as cozy, if that's even possible! It's an old dive bar that seems to have calmed down in recent years, but still has every bit of character the regulars described it as having in its youth!

If you're stuck between menu items, just ask Anton: the bartender there during my visit (and pictured). He seems to know the place like the back of his hand and can point you to the best item for your mood!

I hope that I'll be able to visit again some day! The first pic is of the burger I had (actually can't remember the name, but it had pimento cheese and was absolutely killer), the second is their list of Moscow Mules (I didn't have enough time on my break to try any), and the last two is of the upper floor, right off the street. My camera died before I could get pictures past the stairs, so you'll just have to stop in yourself and...

First visit to The Dahlia. It's a little off the beaten path and over an hour drive for me. Parking is mainly street parking, but not a huge issue. There is a small outdoor dining area in front, and the small main dining area on the top level. We made reservations for the "Cellar", but honestly were not needed on this particular Saturday night. The Cellar has a nice tavern vibe to it, adjacent to the downstairs bar. I got the seared Wahoo over mushroom asparagus risotto tomato beurre blanc. The title alone was a mouthful, and so very tasty. Very generous portions of Wahoo, which is hard to find in most restaurants I frequent. The risotto was creamy and not dry at all. My wife got the Grilled Chicken Tacos. Loaded with chicken and excellent flavors. We split the Molasses Cake with cream cheese filling and cinnamon sugar butter cream icing. Delicious huge slice and enough for two. Perfect way to end the meal. Prices are a little on the high side, but considering the quality ingredients, flavors, choices, and portion size it is totally warranted. Looking forward to...