Truss Restaurant - Lynchburg — Restaurant in Lynchburg

Okay ... I feel bad rating it a 3 but it's really for overall experience because THE FOOD IS SLAMMIN!!!! I loved the seating and the v tall ceilings. It was our server who made the experience less enjoyable. Without being rude, she looked between the age of 65 and 75. She seemed just very lost when she came to our table saying, "I'm pretty sure you are my table". She took our order, brought bread, all was well. She brought us our food, it was HEAVENLY!! Can't stress that enough. We finish our meal in about 15 minutes. She literally never comes back. About 20 minutes pass and I ask a hostess if she can find our server for the check. Low and behold, she's a couple tables behind us and had been talking to another table the ENTIRE time. Then the host says, "I'm so sorry she's with her other table over there, I'm not sure when she'll be done but I'll tell her when she is" ??????? What?????? No. I walked over there, tapped her on the shoulder and said, "can we get our check please?" She looked flustered and said "oh yeah of course! Do you need desert menus?" "no, just the check...." Mind you, I had my 9 year old with me. We got there at 7 and wanted to be out no later than 830 which would've been doable if it wasn't for this experience. She then takes my boyfriends credit card, walks back to the table she was chatting with AND STARTS YAPPING WITH THEM AGAIN!! And when she walked away, I saw the woman at that table roll her eyes and look relieved she had left!! Not only that, I tell my son to come wait outside with me because he has autism and was starting to get antsy sitting there for so long. ANOTHER 10 MINUTES PASSES. SHE STILL DOESNT BRING THE CARD BACK. I come back inside and it wasn't until then when she sees me that she finally checks us out. Horrible, horrible, horrible service. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt because of her age but no, for such an upscale meal we had, you need better servers. MY COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF!!! The menu is exquisite and our food was some of the best we've ever tasted in our lives. Keep doing...

This is my comprehensive review of this restaurant. Overall, I thought it was a great place and I’d recommend it, but I want to give my constructive feedback:

Atmosphere: excellent decoration and space, everything is clean and welcoming. 5/5

Service: all of the staff were friendly and clearly cared. Unfortunately, I have to deduct some points for a few errors, all of which were extremely minor. First, my beer was poured in way so that it was 60% foam and I had to wait several minutes before I could drink it. I completely understand that the server was new, but you’ve GOT to be able to nail the basics. Second, no silverware was given with desert and no steak knife was supplied with a pork chop. These issues were immediately corrected, but again, you’ve got to get the basics down. 3/5

The food: the food was all really tasty. It’s clear that it was cooked with love and I only have a few minor critiques. For appetizers we had the free bread, the feta dip, the crab cake, and the Brussels sprouts. The bread and butter was great, but there either needs to be more bread or less butter because the ratio is impractical. Tastes great though. The feta dip and Brussels sprouts were both delicious, but the almonds in the Brussel sprouts need to be sliced thin instead of whole, which makes them overpowering. The crab cake was great too, although it could use some additional acidity (maybe some more citrus in the aioli?).

For an entree I got the pork chop. The flavor was awesome and it was juicy. A pork chop is a tough cut to cook perfectly, and this was better than anything I could ever do. However, I think a pork chop should be slightly pink in the center, and this was not. I have high standards since I recently had an incredible pork chop (Woods Hill Table, MA). The sides were delicious but could have used something to lighten it up and cut the richness of the grits and pork.

The desserts were really good, no critique to give. Food gets 4.5/5

Overall this restaurant is great and I’d definitely come back. Just a few things to fix and this...

I was incredibly excited to dine at Truss after securing a reservation weeks in advance. The food was truly delightful and met every expectation I had—thoughtful, flavorful, and beautifully presented. However, the service experience unfortunately left a very bitter aftertaste.

When I arrived, I informed the hostess that last-minute 2 of our party was unable to attend due to extenuating circumstances. Instead of showing understanding or discretion, she immediately mentioned a charge and insisted I explain the situation in order for her to “make a decision.” I felt backed into a corner and ended up sharing personal details I would’ve preferred to keep private—something no guest should feel compelled to do just to avoid a penalty. After that, she reluctantly made an exception, but not without reiterating that I “was told about their policy when I booked the reservation”.

When I mentioned that I made the reservation through OpenTable, and I was never informed of this policy she corrected me rather harshly, saying they don’t use OpenTable and that I must be confusing it with a Truss in California because they tell everyone about this policy. When I showed her the reservation confirmation through their website and that I was never informed of this policy, she said “that software is not called OpenTable so that’s why I had no idea what you were talking about.” Regardless, I was never told of this policy.

To make matters worse, she made an odd comment implying I was a Liberty University graduate (I am not) there for a graduation dinner, and seemed to be trying to discredit my reason for being there altogether, even after I clarified it was a business dinner.

I rarely leave reviews, but this encounter was so unprofessional and awkward that it needs to be addressed. I hope the restaurant will ensure that future guests are treated with more grace, respect, and tact—especially when they’re showing up in good faith and simply trying to enjoy what should be a special...