Bee & Butter — Restaurant in Radford City

I've been here on 3 different occasions - a business meeting, Resident's night out, and an art show.

Business meeting: appetizers were provided by B&B, drinks were to be purchased at the bar. The appetizers were relatively well-seasoned and were hot. The choice of appetizers for a business mingle was odd. Chicken wings are really hard to eat standing up while you're meeting people and so is shrimp cocktail. The spinach dip was good, but really runny. There was no silverware in sight. The event was about an hour long and several guests spent 20+ minutes waiting in line at the bar to get a drink. There were two bartenders, but they made one drink at a time. The female bartender didn't smile, didn't greet anyone, didn't pay attention to who was in line, and looked incredibly annoyed to have to be making drinks. A guest of our group didn't love selection of mixed drinks, but liked one of the non-alcoholic ones. She asked the bartender if she could make it alcoholic. She obliged and told her the total was $22, which was almost twice as much as the mixed drinks. When questioned she shrugged and said that was the total. And to be honest, the $12 mixed drink I got was nothing special and most definitely not worth $12. It definitely wasn't worth $22.

When visiting for RNO, we thought the food on the buffet was pretty good. Good selection, everything was fresh, and refilled frequently. The mac and cheese was very good, but it contained shrimp and absolutely was NOT labeled that way. I went up to double-check because seafood allergies are super dangerous and I was shocked that it didn't say it contained shrimp. Our server asked several times if we wanted drinks (we did not) and she seemed frustrated that we weren't ordering anything additional. We asked her how much the buffet would cost if it wasn't included in the room price and she said she didn't know. We were asking because we wanted to tip her appropriately and she said she had no idea because she makes most of her tips on the drinks. While we were finishing up, a super weird, loud sound starting going off. The bartender announced it was just the dishwasher and that the manager told her it was supposed to sound like that (it's not, btw. lol)

When attending an art show, dinner was provided to the vendors. The food was good - basically a good size sampler of all their appetizers. No silverware or napkins were provided or within sight. We used beverage napkins and paper towels from the restroom. I visited the bar to order a soft drink. It was the same disinterested, salty bartender from my first visit. I had to say "excuse me" so she would look up at me after I stood there for awhile while she was cleaning. She looked up, annoyed, and said 'yes?' I asked her what soft drinks she has. She said "coke products" and started to walk away. I said "could you tell me which ones?" and she quickly said cokedietcokespritedrpepper. She didn't ask if I wanted to buy one or if she could get me anything, so I didn't order anything. She is one the most miserable bartenders I've ever seen.

The view from both rooftop patios is BEAUTIFUL. The furniture is well-suited for the space (both inside and out), and they could have a really special spot in Radford if service would improve. In SWVA, southern hospitality is expected and appreciated and B&B just doesn't have that vibe. I've never been to a restaurant or bar that was this unfriendly and pretentious....

When I walk into a restaurant I tend to form expectations based on the menu. Bee & Butter is asking $49 for a NY Strip and $45 for crab cakes, which places it among the most expensive restaurants in the NRV. Neither the service nor the quality of food justified the price.

My initial impression of the restaurant was poor after entering. Bee & Butter has an open kitchen, and the three men in the kitchen were dressed less professionally than I would expect for a restaurant of this type. Their chef’s uniforms looked soiled and disheveled, and all three were wearing backwards caps, generally of some NFL team.

Service was a bit slow at the beginning. We were greeted shortly after we sat down, but the server disappeared for about 15 minutes before coming back to take our appetizer order. My wife was disappointed we weren’t seated at the window; there are a large number of tables along the back of the restaurant with a view and we were instead put at a 2-top at the front. I believe we were the first ones seated inside for dinner and when we left the restaurant only one or two of the tables with a view were occupied.

We started with the wedge salad. It had entirely too much dressing on it; it seemed I was eating more dressing than salad. The dressing itself did not taste of blue cheese, and I felt the toppings on the salad were too sparse.

For our main course I got the grilled chef’s cut and my wife the bolognese. The chef’s cut was served with potatoes, tomatoes, and a mushroom, which were all quite good. They were warm and well-seasoned, but I cannot say the same for the beef. It was both cold (seemingly below room temperature) and under-seasoned. The food came out fairly quickly after we ordered, so I would be shocked if the beef were cooked to order given the temperature it was served.

The bolognese was better, and much closer to real bolognese than any other restaurant in the NRV. That said, it lacked the intense heartiness and creaminess of good bolognese. It seemed to have breadcrumbs on top, which is unusual for bolognese and would have ruined any creamy texture.

After the main course we explained to the server we were interested in dessert, but on a time crunch. She dropped off a dessert menu then disappeared. 15 minutes later she had not checked back, and I had to grab someone else to bring our check. For much of this time our server was at the bar conversing with her coworkers. At one point I witnessed a bartender place a drink at the bar to go out, when our server grabbed a straw, plunged it into the drink, plugged the top of the straw with a finger, and withdrew it to take a sip. So at least one patron of Bee & Butter had a cocktail sampled by our server.

There was little to like about Bee & Butter, unfortunately. Both the food and the service fell well-short of expectations. I will say the restaurant itself looks great and the views...

As a preface to this review I went to culinary school and have worked for almost 20 years in restaurants between the NRV and Nashville as an Executive Chef.

Since I moved back to the area from Nashville I have been sorely missing the quality and experience I expect from a fine dinning establishment, Bee and Butter has filled the void. From the moment I walked into the hotel I felt transported to another place. As we stepped off the elevator on the 6th floor we were quickly funneled into the open dinning area. It was well appointed with modern accessories and surrounded by views on 3 sides with an open kitchen.

Our server was attentive and well versed in the menu in case there were any questions. Drinks arrived quickly and were all fantastic start to finish. We ordered the fish dip and wings for starters both of which were delicious but along the lines of what I expected.

Our server was patient with us as we hadn't been here before and had a few menu questions. We ended up ordering two entrees and 3 shareable plates which I definitely suggest as sides with the entrees are limited in size. The swordfish was grilled and served with crispy potatoes. The only thing I craved was a bit of acid somewhere on that plate. Root beer braised long rib was a showstopper. No knife necessary it was melt in your mouth tender. The grits hold up wonderfully against the fat of the rib, and the dish is finished with a comforting flavorful jus. For sides we got collards, cast iron cornbread, and the ham and peas. The ham and peas (with Carolina Gold Rice) definitely stood out to me as the best part of the meal overall. The simplicity and presentation were commendable, but the flavor had a depth not easily achieved. The cheesy funkiness of the rice and ham had a long finish on the palette but was easily cut by the crisp refreshing peas & shoots. I have worked with Carolina Gold Rice myself plenty of times and I have nothing but respect for the reverence with which the ingredient was treated. Local influence could be seen from start to finish in every aspect of the experience. From the art to the ingredients no stone was left unturned.

For dessert we shared the strawberry rhubarb flip cake and got coffees. What a perfect end to a night out. I suggest after dinner libations on the patio to unwind after your meal.

Bee and Butter evokes memories and emotions with it's food of growing up in the NRV. I can feel the truth and passion in their work. All in all I was impressed and will be...