Spoon & Spindle — Restaurant in Orange

With all the 5 star reviews my expectations were very high. Unfortunately starting with high expectations makes it easy to not be "wowed".

This is a nice restaurant and an innovative menu. Interior was a good feel in general. We were lucky that we were there early afternoon and there weren't many other diners...just the way I like it!

The chairs were uncomfortable for at least two or three of the four of us and we were seated right under a huge AC unit that at first was very cold but was eventually tolerable. They have to leave the door open to the space to help draw the people in I suppose, and this requires strong AC to keep the space comfortable on hot days.

Service was good and so was the speed getting food to the table, but again, they weren't packed.

They have some decent cocktail and beer choices. Their bloody Mary recipe (assuming it's theirs) is good...it just needs to be paired with some vodka, I couldn't tell if I was drinking a "Virgin Mary" or not. Tasty mix, but I like to know I'm actually having an alcoholic cocktail.

Three other diners said their food was good, nobody raved about any of it but no one complained of anything.

I had the chicken and waffles and was soooo looking forward to it, but it was just "good". It was supposed to come with a "Crystal molasses hot sauce" but I didn't see any and there was absolutely nothing spicy...to my disappointment. It didn't occur to me until after I left for some reason, but that would have "jacked" up the flavors for sure. I had to ask for more syrup because what they pour on there (I would prefer pouring my own than it coming from the kitchen already starting to soften the waffle) was not nearly enough.

The dish comes with a "house gravy" which I thought was kinda weird for chicken and waffles so I had it on the side. I wasn't impressed with the gravy and it had a "different" flavor I couldn't figure out. I ate it, but have had and made far better. Glad It was on the side...could have used salt and pepper shakers to amp it up, but I dont think there were any on the table as I recall.

The waffle itself was very good and the chicken was cooked perfectly, but the portion could have been a couple ounces heavier. I do not intend this as an insult, and I dont eat chicken and waffles all the time, but I have had better at IHOP (where I rarely eat). That's just a fact, not trying to be mean or whatever.

My wife loved the brownie in the brownie ice cream Sunday.

BUT! We will definitely be back. There are several other menu items I want to try and I hate to be too "judgy" with a restaurant on one meal; sometimes its just a mediocre moment and the next time is that 5 star meal. My parents will be coming back in to town soon and they love to eat out and try new places. Spoon & Spindle will definitely be on the short list for that! At a half an hour away from us, its as accessible as any restaurant in...

My husband and I like to travel up to this area for lunch because unlike the Fredericksburg area, it's not overly crowded. We decided to try Spoon & Spindle today because of the great reviews. It was a little difficult to find, but we found it. We arrived about 1 PM, just an hour before closing for the afternoon, but we were greeted warmly and led to a table. The chairs are not the most comfortable, but the atmosphere in this small space was pleasant. There were several large tables and other smaller tables all filled with customers enjoying their food and time together. I should have read the website more closely, didn't realize the weekends were brunch only as I was looking forward to trying something on their lunch menu, but I'm glad we got to experience the brunch as it was delicious. We couldn't decide what we wanted, so we ordered several items. We started with the Scotch Egg which ended up being the star of our meal. A perfectly cooked soft boiled egg, wrapped in locally sourced sausage, coated in panko and cooked to perfection. We also got the blueberry bread pudding. It was good, but a little too sweet for my taste. For our main entrees I got a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit served with a side of spuds. I was disappointed to see the spuds were tiny maybe half inch to 1 inch seasoned french fries. They tasted ok. The biscuit sandwich was huge. The filling of egg and bacon were cooked perfectly and there was plenty along with the cheese. The biscuit itself was on the dry and crumbly side. Not light and fluffy. It was still very good, but with it being so dry it could have used some type of extra moisture on the sandwich. My husband got the Kentucky Hot Brown. His also came with a side of the same spuds. He said the mornay sauce was very flavorful and the sandwich was delicious. We will definitely come back as there are things on the lunch and dinner menu we'd like to try. Edit: We visited again for lunch one day last week and I was pleased to see the chairs have been swapped out and were much more comfortable. We got an order of deviled eggs with fried garlic for an app and it was delicious. I opted for the Smash burger, double patty and asked for the sauce on the side. Glad I did because the burger was so good, juicy and flavorful it didn't need sauce. The fries were spot on. My partner got the etouffee with catfish and he was very pleased with his portion. He said the heat intensified the more he was eating and...

OUT. FREAKIN. STANDING. Don't dither; you found this place, and this review: Just go. Go right now. Why are you still reading? GET IN THE CAR. The venue: Beautiful. Minimalist without being stark, industrial without being cold, a genuinely lovely factory space turned rustic-comfortable with class and simplicity. The service: Beautiful. Kind, friendly, thoughtful, good recommendations, great questions, exquisite service top to bottom, not a scrap of pretense, not a hint of anything but experience and craft. The food: Beautiful. Japanese-inspired furikake brussels (big enough to be an entree), with so much umami balanced with a sparkling array of complimentary tones that you're going to want to share or pace yourself lest you be overwhelmed by flavor. Catfish étouffée that this guy who went to school in Cajun country says is just about the best he's ever had this far north, trinity perfectly prepared, rice flawless, and the rich, sweet, savory fish and gravy was magnificent. Beignet for dessert that'll have you singin' like Tiana, simple and flawless. Terrific cocktail to boot. I was singularly impressed, and this place deserves everyone's patronage. I am already recommending it to friends. Thank you for a truly excellent dining...