Joseph Decuis — Restaurant in Roanoke

I'm writing this the day after my wife's birthday dinner at Joseph Decuis and the best word to describe how I feel about the whole experience is embarrassed. I'm embarrassed to have spent $400 on a meal for two that was seemingly prepared with a lack of care.

We ordered the charcuterie board and though we enjoyed the meats, cheeses and spreads, the bread was so oddly salty. It's as if they toasted it with salted butter and then proceeded to salt it again. I can handle some salt so I wasn't up in arms about it, but it was certainly odd.

Next up was the wedge salad. Presentation was stunning with a heavy dusting of bread crumbs. I'd never seen a wedge salad done that way. Upon the first bite I am shocked - way too salty. Like what? Other than the bread crumbs, it was topped with capers and bacon, which are inherently salty in their own right. But the overwhelming salt seemed to be coming from the bread crumbs, which coated the entire salad. My wife and I were both beside ourselves after round two of immense salt, but we still didn't say anything. It was at this point that we realized we were not impressed with this establishment, but we were still optimistic about our main course and the restaurant's flagship dish - the 5 oz Wagyu strip steak.

My mouth was watering as the steaks were dropped off and in hindsight, I'm not sure if that was because it looked appetizing or if it was because my body was trying to contend with its elevated sodium levels. First bite of steak was perfect. Finally, the chef redeemed himself. I make my way to the mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables, which included cauliflower, carrots and parsnips. Not the nicest presentation as they were all mounded together under the steak with no delineation between mashed potatoes and vegetables, but whatever - it wasn't the star of the dish. First bite of that...no way. Total salt bomb. Seriously to the point of being inedible. At this point, I feel defeated.

Now, I never complain at restaurants but after this experience and with also knowing that our bill was going to be at least over $300, I had to say something. I'm going to backtrack and say that our server, Michelle, was absolutely fantastic. She was friendly and attentive and the reason why this review gets two starts instead of one. Upon telling her, she apologized sincerely and I got the hint that it wasn't the first time she had heard that about the chef.

She offers us dessert on the house, which was much appreciated. We decided to stick with sherry as weren't feeling inspired by the kitchen's dessert offerings.

My wife and I have both worked in hospitality. Front of house talks to the kitchen - I'm certain the chef was informed of our complaints. A few minutes later, we see him come out of the kitchen. He makes eye contact with my wife, likely just long enough to identify us, and then proceeds to walk into the opposing dining room.

For a $400 meal, I would have appreciated hearing from the chef. We're not confrontation people, and we certainly don't like to complain, but an apology or any admission of fault would have gone a long way. And further, I can't even believe I'm still writing this. But again, I'm embarrassed and somewhat mad that a restaurant can get away with charging that much for a meal that is...

Went last night to celebrate our 13 year anniversary. We have gone many time for this very special occasion but have not been there in several years. We wanted that nice quiet romantic atmosphere that the conservatory room has after dark as this was the room we first ate in. Well we got there and were seated in a beautiful location just as our server was trying to tell us about the specials the table next to us got so loud that we could not hear her at all. We asked to be moved to a quiet location as we were trying to have an enjoyable night. This place is the kind of place we go for a special occasion and is so posed to be up scale, although I wonder after last night. We were moved without problem into the lounge and were seated next to a another group of people that were just as loud if not more, That did not sit well as their topic of conversation was about the selection of sex toys they all owned. The lounge had hardly any air conditioning I sat fanning myself all night and smelled musty. No one asked if I was warm or sorry for the air temp in this room . They ignored the fact people were roasting in there. The dishes were chipped and the gold trim on the plated were flaking off. I would think when people spend well over $100 there they would replace their plates. As people stated the art work is not very appealing to look at in the lounge, but the conservatory is so pretty. We are very aware of the prices but $93 for a steak and its just the steak, I don't think so. I got the mushroom ravioli and my husband got the sole. I use to get the sole every time I went there and it was fantastic and large, last night the pieces were the size of blue gills. My ravioli was a nice portion but I didn't care for it at all. I cannot stand cracked pepper and it was full of it. My husband loved mine though. I choked it down because of the price we paid and my husband didn't like his fish at all. Wish we would have traded dishes. lol The appetizer was wonderful it was a lobster dish. The bread was great as usual and the staff were absent. No one asked us if our meal was good or asked the people in either room to try to be a little softer spoken. It is so posed to be SO up scale that they would have asked people to keep it at a reasonable volume. Last time I was there everyone was dressed so nice last night there were many people in jeans and T shirts. When we left as I stated no one asked how our meal was and we walked past the owner who heard me say I was not happy with our experience and she looked at us and said have a great night instead of asking what had happened. We felt as if she was saying thanks for spending so much we have your money now I dont care how your experience was. I'm only giving it 2 stars because the food was good( No longer melt in your mouth fantastic) although we liked each others better but we will NOT be going back as we fell its slipping in quality over all. :( Very sad I was looking forward to going back for weeks. I use to recommend this to our friends as a quiet romantic little place with the most fabulous food you would ever eat....

I don't know if perfection in a restaurant experience is possible. Everyone has different criteria to judge by. However, at this point in my life, Joseph Decuis provides as close to perfection as I have ever experienced to date!

I have eaten at Joseph Decuis nearly a dozen times since they opened in the early 2000's. I have seen this restaurant change in subtle ways from decor, menu changes, and slight renovations. In my opinion, the restaurant has shifted from a slight French dining experience to a more elegant American dining experience. This is by no means a negative connotation, but merely a personal point of note.

Onto the menu...

If you are a worldly foodie who has experienced many a fine cuisine across the globe, let Joseph Decuis be your American Benchmark for excellence. If you are not a globetrotter but a foodie seeking the most exquisite dining opportunities, Joseph Decuis will be a Paragon of fine dining opportunities. Please save for a truly special occasion and enjoy the Chef's Tasting with wine pairing.

Wagyu Beef! Joseph Decuis is the only farm-to-table restaurant in the state with a Wagyu Beef Farm just miles up the road from their restaurant (tours, over night stays, and dining opportunities available at the farm). If dining with a group, I highly recommend trying each available cut. If you really want to experiement, ask that your meal be served "Pete" style. It's not on the menu, but the servers will understand you.

The wine selection is quite varied. Multiple pages abound, and every budget can be accommodated with wines by the glass or bottle. My only negative critique here is that bottle prices seem to be on a 4:1 ratio and not a 3:1 for price. If you're dining here, this is probably going to be a null point for you. As someone who has worked the industry, I grin and grimace at the same time. This is definitely a custom wine menu and not a prepurchased wine program like many restaurants of today. Whether you can speak wine or not, they have a very helpful Sommelier to assist in your needs for a recommendation. My latest visit had me requesting a $100 or less bottle with New World tones on the lower sugar content side. The Sommelier nailed it! Don't be afraid to ask questions. They're service is very helpful and non-snooty. You truly feel like a guest of honor when you dine at Joseph Decuis.

If I could offer one suggestion that I would like to see in the future when dining here again, it would have to be a bone marrow small plate. I can only fantasize at what such a delicacy may taste like from Wagyu Beef.

I could pour on for an hour on all the things thjs restaurant gets right. I honestly do not wish to. I want my readers to experience this gem for themselves. I want you to come back and experience something new again... and again... and again! This review truly does not do the experience at Joseph Decuis justice. This is one place that really must be experienced. Please come and experience...