Foster's Grille — Restaurant in Vienna

We walked into Foster's Grille (with an e) on Sunday morning right after the restaurant opened. Our stomachs were empty but our hearts were pregnant with anticipation as we ventured through the double doors and into the wide, open space of the dining area.

Foster's is an interesting place as it looks and feels like a sit down restaurant but, sort of like 5 Guys, you go up and place your order at the counter before you sit down and wait for it to get delivered to you. We were honestly surprised when browsing the menu that Foster's actually offers wings on top of their standard burger joint fair. They don't have a ton of options in the wing department, but what they do offer, they do well.

My wife and I, not realizing that we had both been craving wings for the past year, decided to jump in on the 20 bone-in wings for $30 deal. She ordered the medium buffalo and I ordered the Lemon Pepper wings.

The cashier helping was incredibly kind and helpful as we were trying to figure out our order and helped us work through the ordering system. We finally made our order and took our seat.

The dining area is pretty spacious with plenty of tables. We sat in a booth area off to the right, but there were plenty of other booths and tables at the other side of the shop as well. There was a sports team of some kind grabbing lunch there and still not trouble getting a seat.

We waited for about 15 minutes for our food to come out and, when it did, it was piping hot and fresh. Definitely just made.

The wings were, overall, pretty good. Better than what you'd get at a Buffalo Wild Wings, but not something that would change my life in a significant way. The chicken was good and juicy, but I felt like lacked flavor apart from what was on the outside. My wings were also dry-rubbed and incredibly salty which left me feeling like a strip of dried out leather after a few wings. I didn't try to buffalo wings, but my wife said that she felt the same about them. Good, but not something to write home about.

An upside was that there were plenty of wings to go around and, for two people, 20 wings was enough to leave us feeling satisfied. That's good considering the price that we paid. $30 is steep for two meals and we didn't find out until we had finished ordering, but there is a gratuity fee (I think 3%?) baked into the sales cost when you pay with a credit card, they'll then ask you for a tip at checkout as well. That seems a little pricey to me and makes this a place that we likely won't make Foster's a regular haunt for our family but will likely become a spot that we visit when we inevitably have another wing craving in a year.

See you...

Foster Grill is currently offering a 25% discount for furloughed federal employees. There were no disclaimers or exclusions listed anywhere, so I went in and ordered a half-pound charred burger combo and a set of 10 wings.

After paying, I noticed that only the wings were discounted. When I asked about it, the staff insisted that the bill was correct because the burger was “already discounted.” The manager (or someone acting as one) said, “The burger is already discounted — you’re saving seven bucks. If it gets any cheaper, we’ll be out of business!”

That comment alone was unprofessional, but what made it worse was his follow-up: “I don’t have to give you anything to begin with — you’re already getting a deal.” It came off as dismissive and patronizing, as if offering this deal was some sort of favor rather than a promotion meant to attract paying customers.

I calmly said, “I hope you understand where I’m coming from — had I known, I would’ve ordered differently.” His response? “I guess?”

It’s not about the few dollars — it’s about principle and attitude. If you’re going to advertise a promotion, be transparent about the terms. Don’t make customers feel like they’re asking for charity. I’m still a paying customer, and I expect to be treated with basic respect.

As for the food — it’s okay, but nothing special. The burger, fries, and soda combo comes out to about $22 at regular price, which is frankly surprising for something so average.

Bottom line: mediocre food, poor communication, and an even worse attitude....

I've been coming to Foster's Grille for years now, and I absolutely love how friendly the service is. The quality of the food is a lot better to have when it is piping hot, or fresh out of the grill. The charburger is quite juicy and flavor, and the char helps give it that smokey flavor, which adds to the overall flavor of the burger, and the tomato and lettuce are always refreshing. I like being able to add toppings, some of which you can add for no charge, and the fries are hand-cut, and have the right amount of crispiness when they come out of the kitchen. Honestly, the fries here are even better than the other burger joints that I have been to.

Place is always clean, and you can get free refills on your drink if you are getting the meal. If you are not into the charburger, I also recommend the turkey burger, which has the right amount of sweetness, and is also quite tasty. The ambience is pretty nice here, as they decorate the restaurant for holidays, and offer some unique Vienna souvenirs. Overall, I...