In my top ten as far as terrible service I've gotten in my life, the Dahlia was fairly disappointing. We were there two and a half hours for entrées only. We got our own silverware, had to ask three times for a glass of water, and never got iced tea refills. I would have loved a second beer, but was never asked and it has already taken almost two hours to get the first beer.
The Dahlia gets two stars even though we never got our salads and were charged for then anyway, because those were the best shrimp and grits I've ever had... and I've had a lot of shrimp and grits.
I wanted to like this place, but so far my experience has been lackluster. On my first visit, I ordered the fish and chips (one of my favorite dishes). The fish was pretty good, though it seemed heavy on the batter. The 'chips' seemed like overly-salted, frozen french fries. For $12, I was expecting something much better.
In my most recent visit a few days ago, I tried the SOB Burger (swiss, onion, bacon). I ordered it medium with fries. What I received was a well-done burger with oddly melted swiss cheese and the same frozen french fries.
All-in-all, not a great food experience, but the staff is friendly. The atmosphere is cool and has a lot of things going for it. The food just needs some work.
Looks are deceiving! Â From the outside this place looked like a dive but walking in it was warm and inviting. Â The service was outstanding, the Ruben Egg Rolls were awesome but the Lamb Shank was "Grand Slam out of the Park!" Â I highly recommend this restaurant and will return if I come back to Lynchburg!
Review Source:We stopped by here for a couple drinks and apps. Â The place was not busy at all that afternoon - only one other couple.
The bartender was friendly enough. Â We ordered the oysters, the beer cheese soup, and the Reuben spring roll - I had a beer and she had a bloody mary. Â The food was good - I was pleasantly surprised. Â The drinks were good too - a nice selection of beer, and her bloody mary was spicy as she asked.
I'd like to come back and check this place out at night - the bartender told us it gets pretty lively, and that there is even another floor to the establishment that opens.
Had the pleasure to eat here twice recently both times for a late lunch .. so the place was not crowded at all.. Nice small bar and a handfull of tables in the place. Really fresh and tasty seafood. Â Had fish and chips and they were very good. Scallop and Fried Oyster appetitizer were both very good also. 5 or 6 good beers on tap, like Fat Tire and Legend Brown Ale and a good 30+ bottles to choose from also. Â Very friendly staff and met the manager also, made me feel welcome and thankful for my business. Â If I had one complaint is the need for a door into the kitchen as you can look directly in and what you see is the dishwashing station.. not the best view when you want to enjoy a meal. Â
My lunchmate had a burger with a fried egg topper and it was reportedly very good also.. so it seems all the food is good! Â Give it a try if your in the burg... Lynchburg VA that is..
Good restaurant. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of a pub in London and the service was very good, maybe because we were one of only a couple parties at the time.
For the appetizers the oysters were great. It's hard to find a place in Lynchburg that serves fresh raw oysters. The friend pickles were also amazing. Many places try to have them but The Dahlia does it right.
The steak was a little bit over cooked but well seasoned and enjoyable. Swordfish was on special and was fresh and flavorful. I would recommend getting the hash browns as a side. They were fried very well and it was nice to have a different side besides the usual french fries.
All in all I would recommend The Dahlia for a casual dining experience.
The new Dahlia is a great addition to Lynchburg. Our server has always been friendly, though sometimes a little slow. Try the scallops, oysters (both types), cheesy grits, lamb shank and bread pudding. The scallops are my favorite. Fried oysters are the only decent of the type I've had in the city. Cheesy grits are a fantastic side. Lamb shank was huge and really tender with a great sauce. Bread pudding has some kind of fabulous bourbon-based sauce.
I wasn't as impressed with the salmon, and have been told the brunswick stew was a miss. I'd like to try something different, maybe a burger, but I always want the scallops too badly to stray. Overall, a must-try because of it's uniqueness here. It's nice to step inside and almost feel like you aren't in Lynchburg anymore.
There's also a good, though fairly small, beer selection.
Went on a date here tonight. I love the new english style pub thing thats going on here. The food was great, the beer was great and the bread pudding will get you drunk, soooo yummy. Best fish and chips we ever had. The bangers and mash were soso but compared to my boyfriends epic fish and chips anything is mediocre. The service was great and although i heard bad things about the mean shouting owner, there was none of that this evening . My new favorite place in town.
Review Source:I had a bad experience by being skipped over for seating after waiting an hour. Having waited tables for over ten years I am the first person to be willing to give the benefit of the doubt to a restaurant staff member. That being said the owner/manager was less than compassionate, probably won't go back since there are other (better) restaurants in the area.
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Longer review:
Meh, poor management, seating is not only crammed but they don't know how to keep a seating list. I wouldn't recommend it for a date, only drinks. Food is okay, but there is much better in the surround area.
We waiting for an hour and half for a table. It is a small place, so you can clearly tell where you are "in line". We were skipped over for our seating, grabbed the waiter before they took their order, he promised to "look into it" with management, only to return carrying out their drinks.
Upon speaking with the management (owner!) he politely tried to explain, and I am quoting here, "You are the Dahlia, you have to understand". Have to understand what? That keeping a list and crossing names off a list is too much to handle? Without any effort to remedy the situation other than a "I'm sorry", the real punch came when he said "Well, if you never want to come back I'd understand" with a hand extended for a handshake. I felt that a handshake was no more "insult to injury" and an attempt to rub my nose in his pretentiousness. I would really like to know why someone would want to shake the hand of man that was just so arrogant.
Having worked in the restaurant business for most of my life, and having a head on my shoulders, I understand that this is not how to effectively quell bad situations. I just can't believe the OWNER would handle it this way. I mean, an offer of a free appetizer or a beer would have gone a million miles in their favor. Clearly has a lot to learn about running a restaurant.
On principle I will never return to this restaurant. Their food is decent, but nothing to write home about by a long shot. There are better restaurants in the immediate area with much better management.
I have eaten at the new Dahlia 3 times and have been very happy with all the dishes I tried, fish tacos, crabcakes, and salmon. Â I especially enjoyed the cheese board. It had a great variety of cheeses and the flat bread it was served with stress fracturewas light and flakey, unlike any cheese plate I have had. Â You can't go wrong with any of the salmon dishes either. Â I can't wait to go back, I just wish they still had that juke box!!!!
Review Source:Yes, the waiter is a bit slow, but it's excusable since they only (re)opened in the last month. Â Last time I stopped in they were still training people.
Everything i've had here was great, and given it's cozy, neighborhood vibe the Dahlia is definitely my favorite new restaurant in town. Â Thumbs up to the blues on the stereo as well. Â Its tiny and seats about 45, but seating is going to increase in a big way when the basement is done.
Last night, my bartender recommended I head to this place. Â I took my team and headed over, confident at the recommendation and the prior Yelp review, and expected greatness.
I ordered Shrimp and Grits. Â My boss ordered Salmon tacos, and my co-worker ordered a lamb shank.
I was completely disappointed at the shrimp and grits. Â In fact, I've made considerably better at home myself. Â The portion was meager, the grits were totally non-cheesy, and the shrimp were "blackened" in generic cajun spices (maybe Emeril's? Â Maybe Tony C's? Â Either way, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts Sysco sells it.)
My boss ordered the fish tacos. Â It looked great, but he said it was only meh.
My co-worker, however, ordered the lamb shank and was totally thrilled. Â Either she's easy to please (that's what she said...teehee) or it was really that good. Â As a pescetarian, I'll never know.
The service totally sucked. Â Our waiter didn't have an answer for every question he was asked:
Q: Â "What beers do you have on tap?"
A: "They're over there..."
I got up and went to the bar to study the "list" myself.
Q: What's in the creamed spinach?
A: Â "Uh, Spinach and Cream"
Q: Â Are the scallops heavily spiced?
A: So you like things spicy, eh?
It's great that a place that was once regarded as a dump has rebranded itself into something upscale. Â However, doing it only halfway is a severe disservice to both the old and new incarnations of the establishment. Â Good luck.
Wow, new venue, great feel. I am a regular of the former incarnation, may it RIP. The rejuvenated one is like a phoenix, rising from the ashes to new heights. The draught selection is nice and a full bar supports it well. Dinner menu is delicious and affordable (I ordered fish tacos and the lamb shank, take out, even after sitting while putting the kids to bed, it was really, really, good). I'm looking forward to them opening the "cellar" - the internal stairs were a necessary add. Â The ambiance is suiting, and comfortable for an evening with friends or loved ones. Limited seating, but worth the wait. Highly recommended.
Review Source:
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