Gourmeltz — Restaurant in Spotsylvania Courthouse

WOW! This place gave me a true “wow experience.” Gourmeltz and its staff are as warm and inviting as a rusty old port o potty in a military training area above the artic circle – in January. I was originally very excited to go to Gourmeltz because I had learned it is apparently military owned, veteran friendly, patriotic, etc. I had heard that the owner had fought the government shut downs and “mandates” during the so called pandemic -- and won. I thought, I want to meet this guy -- or at least eat at his restaurant and meet his team. My family and I arrived at Gourmeltz yesterday late afternoon time frame just before dinner. NO ONE greeted us or acknowledged our existence. It was our first time there and we were apparently invisible. I had to ask questions about being seated and we sat ourselves, which, on the surface is fine.

Both my wife and I had to aggressively engage the girl behind the counter at the ordering line, just to get to communicate with her at a basic level. I asked her if I could meet the owner. She responded something along the lines of, “uhm, well, I’ll see.” She came back very shortly and told me I had missed him and he was going to be gone “for a long time.” I then asked if I could meet the manager. The response was, again, “Uhm, well, he’s on break and he might be on break for a while.” I said, “Well maybe when he gets off break he cold pay us a visit at our table when he’s done.” She nodded. I asked about water and she pointed me in the right direction. I asked the bar tender about beers and their taps and he mumbled something I couldn’t hear above the music (which is a lot like MTV and moderately loud), and I had to ask again. He was irritated, clearly, but he condescended enough to ‘splain it to me.

As I ordered the meal I was reminded that this place was military owned (I believe) and veteran friendly (I think). I asked the girl if they did a military discount (I am a long serving veteran), thinking there may be a generous discount policy due to the alleged disposition of the owner. She said there WAS such a policy. When we sat down and our food arrived, I looked at my bill to see what percent they had discounted our meals. It was zero. My wife later went back, and showed our bill/ receipt to the girl who rang us up. The girl apparently had NO IDEA of how to apply a Military Discount. Eventually she figured it out and, they gave us a 5 percent refund. To be clear, they don’t owe us any discount, but restaurants who do grant said military courtesy/ blessing, often do better than 5 percent – and in several cases a lot better.

Anyway, we ate our food, which was decent, but nothing to write home about. No one said much of anything to us. I never saw the manager or owner (and wouldn’t know them from the man in the moon), although I do remember the irritated bar tender. And then we left. My wife was equally or more put off than I was. We were there for maybe 30 or 45 minutes.

I was truly keyed up and excited to go to Gourmeltz for the first time. I thought I might make friends and engage in meaningful conversation with likeminded people -- or something like that. We didn’t. The atmosphere was so cold and UNINVITING it reminded me of my college days, many years ago at LSU (Louisiana State University), which can be incredibly cold, prickly, bass ackwards and just occasionally openly hostile. I guess these guys missed the memo that they are in the...

I was excited to try this place for my birthday lunch with my family today. We had 8 people in our party and it took a very long time to receive our food. We ordered appetizers thinking they would come out before our food but when we went and asked about them we were told we have to request them prior to the sandwiches, that defeats the purpose of being an appetizer. The brisket sandwich 2 of us ordered was lacking flavor until we added bbq sauce to it but another person who came 20 mins later and ordered it said hers had better flavoring. The classic grilled cheese with american cheese was ordered by 2 of us, one child and one adult who both love a grilled cheese sandwich. Well the all it took was one bite for the 6 yr old and he wouldn't eat it due to the cheese being spicy. The adult said the same thing that for a grilled cheese with american it sure is spicy. A warning should be given about that. I tried a bite of that and it was very spicy but the kids grilled cheese was normal american cheese with no spice. I had the southern bbq minus the onions and it was good with nice flavor but a quarter of the sandwich was only mac n cheese so wasn't that tasty with bread alone. I will say the tator tots were perfect...crispy on the outside and soft inside. My 7 yr old nephew did enjoy the naked wings and while the fried pickles, pretzels, and mozzarella sticks were not hot enough they had good flavor. May want to consider the flow of ordering and serving to a sit down with a waiter/waitress taking orders and having set table numbers to make it easier for food delivery and making a take out seating area for them to wait and be easy to know they are take out. I know everything is fresh and made to order but the efficiency to prepare the food needs improvement. I did see comments that training was happening today but preparation should be better. The last thing is do not make excuses to tables that their food took a long time because that table had a lot of food orders. We felt for the amount of money spent we did not walk out satisfied especially after hearing another table being told that when we waited longer than we should have for our food. I am willing to consider trying them again in the future to see if the...

In Fredericksburg, Virginia, Gourmeltz stands as a testament to the American dream, woven into the fabric of culinary excellence and nostalgic flair. At the helm of this establishment is Matt Strickland, a native Virginian whose valor extends far beyond his heroic service in war. Matt's passion for country and community is reflected in every aspect of Gourmeltz, offering a dining experience that's as authentic as his dedication to service.

As you enter Gourmeltz, you're instantly whisked away to a bygone era and classic tunes. The restaurant is a love letter to the 80s and 90s, celebrating the artists and music of the times with a collection of memorabilia that decorates the walls. From KISS to Nirvana, and the greats of hip-hop, it's a vibrant gallery of musical history that complements the symphony of flavors served up.

The menu is a star-studded lineup of comfort food at its finest. Their lemon pepper wings are a must-try; they're not just good—they're 'come-back-for-more' good. As for the burgers, the Fiesta Burger is my go to .

In sum, Gourmeltz is more than a restaurant—it's Matt Strickland's patriotic salute to good food and great times. It's a place where every Virginian—and indeed, every American—can bask in the glory of our country's culture and cuisine. I personally can't wait to return and indulge in the feast for the senses that...