Open Road — Restaurant in Merrifield

Food is good..However I've had two terrible customer service experiences at the hand of one of their bartenders. He's caught an attitude twice when I came to the bar on a Sunday night to get wings to go. By attitude I mean visible demeanor changes & rolling of the eyes. Very unnecessary due to the fact I treat all people with kindness & respect, & was nothing but pleasant & polite with them until given attitude.

The first time I attempted to call in my order but to go had closed. I was told I could place order in store. Came in hostess told me to go to the bar. Once I told the male bartender what I was attempting to do he immediately caught an attitude & said "You have to go next door" in a short tone... by that point I was frustrated at the lack of willingness by the staff to accept my money & I let him know that. He then went fine, what do you want... I decided I wasn't spending money at an establishment that was treating my patronage with such a lack of respect let alone basic customer service... normally I say nothing, but this night I felt I'd leave feedback. (Seeing I had been there two night prior when my parents were in town & my DAD absolutely loved the place & he's HARD to satisfy- my dad went back next day before they left).. I explained to the manager what happened & he took care of my order.

Because of that experience if I can't order through the online portal (which closes super early, I get it if it's slow let those workers go home- I used to work in restaurants so I know how it goes).. if I can't order through the portal I go somewhere else even if I'm craving their wings.. tonight I decided to give it another chance. What's the odds of that bartender working again... oh he was. I almost turned around & left but said no maybe this time will be better. When he approached me he wasn't too bad, I'd give it a neutral approach. Once I informed him my order was to-go he rolled his eyes & left out a deep sigh as he turned around....

Now idk if bro isn't aware of his micro aggressions. Idk if he's used to dealing with less perceptive people. Or if he just didn't care. Now I give him the benefit of the doubt it's not personal towards me, maybe he's had a long day & just ready to go. Still doesn't excuse having a bad attitude & directing negative energy into patrons.

I planned on confronting him calmly saying "Hey can I ask you a question. Why do you give an attitude when I come in here? Your demeanor changed & you roll your eyes. Why was that has it been a long day?" Genuinely seek to understand him before I judged. & also justify leaving a tip for such blatant disrespect.. however, he did not return to drop my food off & had someone else do it..

Not sure if I'll be returning. Maybe with my parents when they come back up. Definitely will place orders through online if I decide to return, message heard loud & clear bud!!!

Didn't get his name. Nor do I feel the need to say it. There's enough detail here for him to know who he is & that manager who handled my incident April 11th should remember.. bro, just do better if your having a bad day. If I was verbally an A-hole to you or didn't anything that justified your response I'd understand... but yeah man uncalled for treatment & I can't justify spending my money here if it's going to be like that. I was a server for 3yrs & worked a call center for two, so from someone who was in the industry your behavior was out of line dude. I would never treat people who treated me with respect that way... I get it there's rough days, but twice? No,...

Last night, we decided to mix things up and head to Open Road for dinner with the family. The plan was simple—enjoy a hearty meal together, and once the kids were asleep, sneak in a little Pull Up DC treat to unwind. Let me tell you, the night couldn’t have gone better—it was just the perfect mix of good food, cozy vibes, and family fun. The moment we walked in, the atmosphere just felt so inviting—like one of those places that’s casual but still feels like a night out. The rustic decor, the lively buzz, it all worked. And then, they brought out complimentary popcorn for the kids. Genius, right? It kept their little hands busy while we checked out the menu. The food? Amazing. My husband ordered these Wagyu meatball sliders, and they were ridiculously good. He wouldn’t even share—just sat there guarding his plate like it was the last meal on Earth. I went for the steak frites, and oh my gosh, the steak was tender, juicy, cooked exactly how I wanted, and those fries had the perfect crunch. The kids? They tore through the BBQ chicken nachos like it was their last supper. I mean, these nachos were piled high with cheese and toppings—so good they didn’t even notice the veggies. Parenting win, right? Even our youngest, who’s usually the world’s pickiest eater, cleaned her plate of mac and cheese. That never happens! Our server, Natalie, was such a gem. Super friendly, totally on top of everything, and she even played along with the kids’ questions and silliness. She recommended a cider for me that hit the spot—light, crisp, and exactly what I needed after a long day. What I loved most about Open Road is the vibe. It’s relaxed enough for a family dinner but still feels stylish and fun. My husband and son loved that there were TVs showing sports, so they were entertained, and the rest of us got to soak in the cozy yet trendy atmosphere. Honestly, it was just a happy place to be. After dinner, we made a quick stop at Pull Up DC to grab a little something for later. Their premium strains have become our go-to for winding down, and last night was no exception. Once the kids were down, we just sat back, relaxed, and let the good vibes roll. If you’re looking for a place to take the family where everyone leaves happy, Open Road is it. And pairing it with Pull Up DC? Absolute game-changer. It’s the perfect combo for a night of great food and laid-back relaxation. Honestly, we’ll be doing this again soon—five stars,...

This would be my first negative review in the past 6 years about any business, I have been going to Open Road Merrifield for over 5+ years, usually during my lunch hour as I work really close the this location, the food is good and people are friendly except for today's experience, Sunday, March the 16th, I got there at 3 pm on the dot with my son and was promptly seated, the waitress arrived promptly and served us water & pop corn while we asked for a few more minutes to look at the menu. My son placed his order for an open burger and I asked for a few more minutes, about 5+ minutes later when the waitress came back around I ordered a chicken sandwich and also asked her if I could have an item from the brunch menu to go for my wife ( Huevos Rancheros) which the waitress replied that the cutoff time is 3pm, I showed her the clock on my i phone it was 3:10 so I requested "could you please ask if they could make an exception?" she replied back " I will ask" . About 5 minutes passed by and I was checking emails on my phone & completely unaware that the store manger, this young woman screamed in my ear to the left "OH HEY!" " THIS IS IT, NO EXCEPTION!" " 3PM IS THE CUTOFF" I was completely caught off guard! There was NO introduction or any words like 'excuse me' to get my attention, Only her loud screaming voice "OH HEY..." that completely threw me off and I just responded "Ok" with a very polite tone, after which she just walked away. My son who is 17 looked at me as said " Dad why was she passive aggressive?, seemed like she was trying to make you mad or angry, very rude.." I realize restaurant workers & servers are under a lot of work related stress however this is no way to treat a customer let alone any human being. This response from the Manager /Supervisor was not only unprofessional, but had a complete lack of any empathy or politeness and was sort of uncivilized and low class, which is really not a reflection of this place. I will continue to visit Open Road as this review is not a reflection of the quality of food or services that are rendered by some of the people I know there. If any one from the store wants to reach out to me and have questions I will be happy to...