Sanctuary at The Railyard — Restaurant in Norfolk

This place used to be a really cool spot to hit with good music and a fun atmosphere, but the service went to garbage. My experience today was not the best. My friend and I walked in around 5 and were not sure whether we should sit at a table or sit at the bar so we just wanted to order our drinks first and then decide where to sit (like we usually do) but as soon as we stood near the bar the bartender immediately yells over a group of people across the bar at us and asked if we were picking up to go or ordering food or a drink or what with full attitude bringing the attention of the whole place on us for no apparent reason and we tell her just a drink and she quickly responded asking if we were with the people around us after just watching us walk in and we said no. she then again yelled across the bar at us that standing around is making her weirded out and super uncomfortable, even though we just walked up to the bar, so we just end up sitting down awkwardly at the bar because she caused a bit of a scene by talking loudly at us instead of just walking up to us. She walks over and asked what we wanted, I told her just a jumbo marg and she told us last call was 5:30 (it was 5:08) so maybe I should just get a regular one cause it was her birthday and she wanted to get out on time. we told her happy birthday and respected that they closed soon (we did not know they closed at 6) and said we were good. we left real quick because we were beyond ready to get out of there already and hop to another bar. just a super odd uncomfortable situation, made us feel super unwelcomed and the vibes were just not there this night which was incredibly disappointing. we really enjoyed the place before that...

Sanctuary at the Railyard is a really cool spot in Norfolk, offering a unique blend of art gallery and casual bar with a focus on tacos. It definitely has a distinct, "divey-hipster" vibe that sets it apart, and it's a great place to unwind, especially with its indoor and outdoor seating options. The tacos are the main event, and they're generally quite good. They offer a simple, straightforward menu of ground beef, chicken, pork, and bean tacos, which you can customize with various toppings and sauces. The standouts for me have been the BBQ Chicken and Pulled Chicken Tacos – they're generously stuffed and packed with flavor. What really elevates the experience is their selection of hot sauces; they truly kick up the taste of the tacos. The prices are also very reasonable, making it a budget-friendly option for a casual meal or a quick drink. The atmosphere is laid-back and artsy, with C.A. Simmons' work and other local artists featured, which adds a nice touch. It's a great place to meet up with friends or grab a quick bite. Service is usually pretty quick and the staff are friendly. My only reason for not giving it a full five stars is that while the tacos are good, they sometimes lean a bit towards "comfort food" rather than gourmet, and on occasion, the flavors can be a little less vibrant than I'd hope. However, for a casual, fun spot with affordable and tasty tacos, particularly with those excellent hot sauces, Sanctuary at the Railyard is a solid four-star...

I visited this place for the first time this week and had a great experience! It was difficult finding it at first because my GPS took me on a weird route. Nonetheless, I made it lol it was a very cool place walking in. Seems like a very chill, bar-like hangout spot! We were served by Lauren and she was pretty cool. Lauren was also very helpful in helping us decide what to eat! She definitely made sure we were well taken care of and had everything we needed. Now to the food! I loved the tacos!! I ordered the BBQ pulled chicken taco, shrimp taco, and chicken Philly taco. The BBQ chicken was my favorite! It was very well seasoned as well as the shrimp taco. I was extremely satisfied with my food! The chicken Philly was the least favorite for me, but it was okay. Prices were very reasonable here as well! Overall, I definitely plan on...