There’s a lot to say so thanks for your patience.
Not sure if we got a bad day, but our take away is that the wait staff could use some more training at this Ashburn location.
I ordered a Filet Mignon and my husband ordered the Trio of Medallions. I liked how the Filet was cooked, medium and the sauce was very good. But…I only ate half of mine and the waitress (first name starting with “Ste”) came by and said something like “would you like me to box it up”. Not thinking, I said “yes”, but she took it from me while my husband was still eating. And she also took away my wine glass which had a little bit of wine left in it. So weird. First of all, the proper etiquette is that the waitress should ask how the meal is, but not offer to take your food away while the other person is still eating. This is a nice restaurant but it turned “low rent” with a black bag sitting on our table while my husband finished his meal. There was a manager walking around pretty sure he saw the bag on the table. I almost called him over but didn’t want to make a scene.
Also when my husband’s food was brought out, the server almost spilled the sauce all over him, but caught it just in time. How the waitress went about everything just left a bad taste in our mouth.
We had reservations at 4:30pm on a Saturday and it just seemed very rushed for no reason. Like they didn’t take their time allowing us to properly have our meal. The area where we were sitting was not that busy, there were lots of empty tables.
When we first arrived in the parking lot, there were people leaving from some type of party and it was a loud group. We got into the lobby and again, it was loud. There were tons of folks at the bar which is in the lobby area.
We really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately we won’t be returning any time soon. Note to management for future customers, please train your wait staff a little better, these meals weren’t cheap (mine was $44.99) and would expect better etiquette from the wait staff.
Also, I almost took a photo but didn’t, the carpet was fraying close to the edge that touches the non-carpet area on the right side after you head from the lobby to the booth/table area. It would be a good idea to fix that as it makes the decor look less appealing.
I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a NY Strip or Ribeye on the menu. I had a sample of their wine: BIN 93 and it was perfect with the Filet.
The total of 4 stars is because the food was...
Read moreI am very appreciative of the management sending coupons to give the restaurant another try. I had a bad experience at the Reston location and decided to try Ashburn. I came in wanting to have a great experience, but again I was disappointed overall. Wine and food- The create-your-own-wine flight was amazing! This is something that you can't get at other restaurants in the area. This was a major plus. It allowed us to try 8 different wines and purchase a few bottles of our favorites. The food was so disappointing. The pistachio-crusted grouper absorbed the scent of everything in their refrigerator. It had a weird taste like it was left uncovered in their fridge for days. The Wasabi mashed potatoes were good but cold, and I would present them differently. They were scooped out like this was a high school cafeteria. My wife had the soy ginger salmon. Again the presentation wasn't very appealing. Their plates are too big, but I discovered something far worse. The sauce had formed a skin, was over-reduced, and was salty. Compare that picture to the new salmon and you can see the difference. The 2nd plating was also different. Why wouldn't you present and serve the best the first time? The second salmon was so much better. The sauce was fluid and you could taste the umami flavors. The salmon was buttery and crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. We had to go through two bad entrées to get to this good one. Service- It started slow. We were seated for approximately 12 minutes before we were greeted. He was very knowledgeable of the wines. I did have to get up to talk to him about the grouper which I sent back. There was another waiter who I spoke to first, but he didn't help at all. The gentleman did try to make things right and even gave us a complimentary dessert. He was empathetic and that goes a long way with me. I made sure I left him a large tip. I tried to give this restaurant a second chance, but I think this is the last time for my family. In northern va you have so much competition. The Great American Restaurants like Sweetwater Tavern and Coastal Flats are so consistent with their food and service. I think they are a little more casual, but still far better than...
Read moreHey Cooper's Hawk, your online profile was appealing, and I was really looking forward to our first date.
Unfortunately, it just isn't going work out.
Your overly gimmicky focus on all things wine seems to work for the typical Northern Virginia suburbanites who dont mind paying inflated prices, but I'm a whisky girl with different needs.
For atmosphere, I need a place that doesn't feel like a confusing combination circus/nightclub/fancy Cracker Barrel when I walk in the door.
After I complete a long trek to a tiny table, I am usually thirsty and prefer to not have to wait fifteen minutes for a glass of water.
When my meal is delivered, I need a food runner who, after they drop off the main dishes, actually removes the numerous dirty appetizer dishes taking up precious real estate.
Although Joe was super nice and friendly, it was only his fifth shift, and I need an experienced server who doesn't leave the wine specifically selected for our meal until we only have two bites remaining.
While your fancy pretzel bread sounded appealing, it turned out to be bland, and if I'm going to eat carbs, they really need to be worth the calories.
To be fair, your effort with the bacon wrapped shrimp appetizer was valiant, but unfortunately a complete miss on both the bacon AND the shrimp. 😔
I'll admit I'm a softie for a nice cut of beef, so I gave you the benefit of the doubt and held out for the Churasco steak with parmesan fries.
Alas, the fries were lukewarm and limp upon arrival.
I think they make a pill for that...
As for the steak, one bite was all it took to learn it had not been cooked to the temp ordered. Had Joe stopped by the table in a timely fashion, the date may have been salvaged.
As it stands, while your online profile looks great and plenty of other women seem to like you enough to spend time with you, I'll be swiping left.
Don't feel bad - it's not...
Read more