The Tavern — Restaurant in Virginia

We decided to give this a try because my 10 year old stepdaughter liked the kid's menu. The kids got Mac and cheese bites and the 14 year old got French toast with potatoes and bacon and the 10 year old got chicken fingers and fries. I got a tuna melt with mixed greens with vinaigrette. My BF was the smart one and didn't eat.

The sauce for the Mac and cheese bites was listed as siracha aioli but tasted like thousand Island dressing with siracha.

The chicken fingers looked like they were baked and the fries were a strange texture... Almost like when you try to reheat fries at home. This one got sick when she got home.

The potatoes with the French toast were home fries I think but looked like potatoes boiled in corn oil. This one got sick when she got home.

The highlight of my tuna melt was the muffin it was served on and the vinaigrette on the side mixed greens. The tuna tasted old and was dry and cold. It was way too sweet, yet had an odd old fishy flavor, and tomato was a typical cafeteria style pink non flavored dry tomato. The "melt" looked like it was flashed in a broiler to semi melt the cheese. Luckily I did not get sick.... Yet...

My BF killed a flying wasp like insect on the window and we were dive bombed by fruit flies and other unidentified insects.

This place may have a nostalgic appeal for long term residents but I will not be coming back. If you're going to serve bar type food at least make sure it's edible and that your establishment is clean. I'm sorry. I really wanted to like my lunch and this local "restaurant."

PS reading the other reviews just reaffirmed my growing understanding that people in Richmond don't understand good food.

PPS update... I...

I do enjoy coming to my son's place of employment. He works in the Kitchen as a Chef/Cook with others he works beside that I've come to know and love. To name a few... Davina, Mar'Sai, Raquel, Kenny, Lauren, Pam... All great people! I was invited today for Mother's Day Brunch! Needless to say, I was met with love and care. The love they put into the meals and desserts they cook/make is Everything., Awesome., Sinful even! They give you more than enough to fill you. So more than likely you'll be going home with a box of leftover food. I know I did! I see plenty of people come to eat here. Some people even show up at literally that last second to get take home food. If you don't know the patience it takes for these Cooks and Staff to be held up like that... not to be able to clock out and go home to rest up for the next day, then clearly there is no appreciation for their dedication to providing Best Customer Service on a Platter! I am more than happy to regale others about the wonderful experience I was welcomed with Mother's Day as well as any other day. Many may not see or even meet those who work in the Kitchen. But they do have the luxury of eating the meals prepared for them by these uniquely gifted people. If there are names that I have not mentioned, I apologize... The Staff here is commended and appreciated for their part/position for the effort put in to provide for their customers. Stellar work Guys! Especially,...

Service was good, but the food was typical bar fare — nothing special. If you're planning to add a slice of bacon and cheese to a $15 sandwich, be prepared to pay an extra $6. I wasn’t expecting those kinds of prices at a place with grimy carpet and outdated wood paneling. Hopefully, those markups go toward paying staff a livable wage.

Edit: My original review was rated 2 stars, largely because the service was decent. Unfortunately, it seems this business — or a disgruntled staff member — couldn't handle honest feedback. Since posting my review yesterday, someone associated with the establishment has contacted my employer with slanderous claims and has begun harassing me on my personal social media platforms.

All of this over calling out an unreasonable upcharge for cheese and bacon!

After reading the business’s snarky responses to other reviews, it all makes more sense now. Oddly enough, another reviewer previously accused the business of racism — interesting, and possibly telling.

Sincerely, Still employed — and respected by the people who...