Yesterday was Fathers Day, & even though my husband is only a "step-father" to many furred, feathered, & finned "kids", we decided to visit Iron Bridge for dinner - especially since they were running a Fathers Day special where adult males who visited with at least one other guest, & all ordered entrees, "dad's" entrée was FREE.  Really a nice deal.  This would also be our first visit since the restaurant changed ownership several months ago.
Arrived promptly for our 6:30 reservation & were seated immediately. Â And at one of their two window alcove tables for two overlooking old-town Warrenton Main Street, which I consider the best seats in the house.
We started off with two Tanqueray & Tonics ($7 ea.), served in elegant narrow tall glasses, garnished with the requisite lime (although we were asked if we'd prefer lemon), & perfectly potent. Â Were also brought 2 squares of crusty foccacia bread in a slick of extra-virgin olive oil for dipping. Â Very nice.
Hubby didn't feel like having a starter, but one of the day's specials was "Gazpacho" ($9), & since I'm somewhat of a Gazpacho whore. . . . Â It was delicious! Â Perfectly balanced flavors instead of the frequent too much garlic or too much cucumber, etc., etc., that one often gets with this lovely summer soup. And instead of the usual big chunks of veggie, this one was finely processed. Â Not exactly a puree, but relatively smooth. Â Finished with what appeared to be a touch of extra-virgin olive oil & had just a little bit of "zip". Â Extra nice touch? Â Served in a large icy-chilled soup plate. Â Perfect.
For entrees, hubby ordered the Cioppino ($27.00), which consisted of 6-8 mussels, one or two sea scallops, 2-3 jumbo shrimp, & pieces of some type of white fish in a savory tomatoey broth.  Served with several slices of grilled sour dough bread to do justice to that lovely broth.  He cleaned it up.  I went for yet another of the day's specials, the Sea Bass ($35).  A nice portion of perfectly cooked Sea Bass filet, served leaning against a mold of  aromatic Jasmine rice, with a small pool of creamy saffron-infused sauce.  Small portion of sautéed whole-leaf spinach completed the plating.  With our meals we also ordered & enjoyed a bottle of Caposaldo Prosecco ($26), which was properly chilled & served in an ice bucket/cooler, along with elegant flutes.
For dessert, hubby chose the fabulous Crème Brulee ($9) that we've enjoyed here several times before.  I decided to try something different, & went with the chocolate Pot de Crème ($9).  The Crème Brulee (with its chocolate ganache bottom & topped with a fresh strawberry, raspberry, & blackberry) was wonderful as always.  My Pot de Crème - while rich & delicious, & served with 2 buttery shortbread cookie bars - was NOT a Pot de Crème at all.  Rather it appeared to be the exact same chocolate ganache served at the bottom of the Crème Brulee.  Pot de Crème is an intensely- flavored, but VERY soft & delicate custard.  This was intensely-flavored stiff chocolate ganache in a cup.  Good, but the chef needs to look up "Pot de Crème" & rethink offering this dessert as one.  Either offer an authentic Pot de Crème, or change the name of this dessert.
Service (by "Sarah S.) was everything service should be - even with it being a busy Fathers Day.  She was knowledgeable, attentive, & friendly without being cloying or overbearing.  Bill after husband's entrée was deducted but before tax & tip came to $100 even.  The ambience, food, & charming service made it worth every penny.
Bottom line: Â Nice to see that nothing has changed with new ownership. Â Looking forward to many more visits.
The food here is amazing, and they have great wine selections. Â The staff is extraordinarily kind, as well. Â The atmosphere is double-decker (maybe they even have roof seating?) galley style and reminds me of an old architectural library or something, with wine on all the walls. Â
Their fish dishes are delish! Â Oh, and don't forget to try the lobster mac n cheese and the deserts!!!
Tell your date to quit whining and go here for a glass instead.
I love wine with food and fine atmosphere. I love beer with ....well, I love beer...just saying. The wine selection in this venue is top notch. Better yet, it comes with great food to pair it with. If you are a sommelier of fine wines out of a box or screw cap bottle (go ahead Wikipedia "sommelier", I'll wait).......the knowledgeable wait staff can steer you in the direction of an excellent glass to pair with your dinner selection.
It should be noted this restaurant is on the Northern Virginia Magazines "Top 50".
There are choices for most budgets. My wife had a $39 steak (cooked to perfection and almost hanging over the sides of the plate), I had a $17 meatloaf that was not anything like what you had at Golden Corral last night. The Asparagus was truly the best I've had in any restaurant.
Get there early and score one of the VIP seats that are in the windows up front. You and your date can look down on the poor saps that had to sit closer to other patrons (this place is cozy) and eaves drop on each others conversations. Me, I love watching the toothless mouth breathers in their jacked up Bubba Trucks rumbling up Main St (toward Culpepper). Â Bonus entertainment!
I lived in Warrenton in early 2000's and we had no fine dining. I would put this up against any fine dining establishment in Arlington, Tysons or D.C.
Looking over the menu, there was a whole lot of other choices I want to try so going back is a no brainer.
Plan on spending at least a hundred bucks for you and a date ( unless you only do one glass of the $7 house wine). Seriously....that cougar you picked up should jack you for a least a bottle so take your change jar to the Coin Star at Wal-mart before you go.
Side note...if you like beer, after dinner you can shed your dinner jacket and be-bop across the street to Molly's Irish Pub for beer and bangers.
Bottom line: Â Banger? Â I hardly knew her.... Â No excuse...give this place a try.
I just realized I have never written a review of Iron Bridge. My husband and I come here often, we have never been disappointed. Everything is always perfect. They are always changing the menu and adding new items and offer different specials each night. One of my favorite nights is the Thursday wine tasting, if you do the wine tasting you also get a discount on your meal if you have dinner too. You can't leave here without trying the Creme Brulee (with Chocolate Ganache bottom), yum!
If you sign up for their mailing list they also mail some great coupons. Can't say enough good about this spot. So glad that we discovered it!
I don't live to review, I live to eat, which means for me to review someone, it had to really exceed expectation or really miss it. Â
In the case of Iron Bridge Wine Company, it certainly exceeded it. Â Julia, you did VERY good! Â
Now, the ambiance. Â We went early. Â The restaurant is a beautifully redone building on Main Street Warrenton. Â The rooms are decorated in a way that any couple would enjoy, and has warm accents throughout. Â True to the name, the restaurant has a wonderful wine collection, but one that is accessible and not so pretentious that you feel relegated to house wines. Â Both the main floor and upstairs dining area are beautiful large plank hardwood floors, and can make the dining slightly loud, but none of the tables are large, allowing for an intimate environment even during peak hours. Â Make no mistake, an early or late reservation is where we would still book.
The food... Â After one dining experience, it is difficult to provide a truly complete review, so we will say that without any hesitation, we will be back. Â The mussels were extremely good, the pork tenderloin was phenomenal, and the brussels sprouts (yes - brussels sprouts) were unimaginably good. Â The meatloaf had a little to much char, but the flavor was incredible, and the root vegetable roast was perfect.
There are so many hit-and-miss restaurants out there, and you can't fault someone for not experimenting. Â If you are in that fold, or really just want a change-of-pace, give it a try. Â We certainly will be.
Why can't you give a 4.5? Hubby and I took the parents and their friends for a birthday/post Valentine celebration. Laura took the time to give me the full wine list and confab on 2 great Virginia wines, one Chardonnay, one meritage to have with the cheese plate. As we wined, every permutation of menu choices was patiently and inventively presented to us. I nearly teared  up with the food presentation-- my pork tenderloin was wonderful with the bed of killer shaved Brussels sprouts. My husband loved his shrimp ( they were by no means small) and grits. The family friends live on the Rappahannock and walk out to get their own oysters. They said the fried oysters were the best they ever tasted. Thanks to Iron Bridge, Laura and Virginia wine, we were heroes.
Review Source:We had heard great things about Old Bridge, but were VERY disappointed. Â The dinner started out by the hostess letting us know that they had another reservation for our table in 2 hours and we needed to be sure to be finished by that time! Â Who does that? Â I have the lamb chops and they were OK, but the veges with it were less than desirable. Â My husband had the steak and frites. Â His plate smelled like something was terribly spoiled - the steak was tasteless and the smell was repulsive. Â We both left feeling sick to our stomachs. Â It was not worth the time and effort to get there and eat. Â Definitely would not recommend this place.
Review Source:I really like the Iron Bridge - I come here semi regularly.
I've had some damn good meals here recently! A roasted pork loin with shaved brussel sprouts with Pancetta; another time a Caesar salad with crab cakes - both were really good!
They also now carry a really good local craft beer - Snake Dog IPA (Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD). I also am a big fan of their current Malbec - Zuccardi - an Argentinian Malbec. A well rounded wine, with nice dark fruit notes, a spicy aspect and nice mouth feel. And they are now also carrying Lagavulin 16 year old single malt scotch - one of my favorites!
And of course the staff is awesome!
The decor is this place is super cute and it's in this little downtown that is like a movie set it's so cute (lots of historic building markers)
The food was good, we got three different wine flights and sister's hubby got a glass of sav blanc. All were good, but my sister said she ordered a flight once before when they came here and the wines were not drinkable.
Food :
Scallop = UNDERCOOKED. I know it's bad to overcook a scallop, but this was sushi. also said there were figs on this plate, there were no figs
Apple Bacon Mascarpone pizza = Sounds bad, actually very yummy, also a little undercooked
Calamari = underseasoned
Fondue Plate = My favorite, but FONDUE should have some kind of heat source under it (like a candle or something, and be in a fondue pot) this was just cheese dip.
Mussels = WHAT MUSSELS? WE ordered them, and they were never brought out
Dessert menu was lackluster, and they didn't give a decent portion of one of the sorbets, looks like they scraped it out of the bottom of the edges of the container
Yet again, I was in the area for work training. Â It was super intense and on-site, so I took a little side trip to Iron Bridge. Â What had been disappointing last year was quite good this year. Â
I sat at the bar, enjoying my solitude. Â The restaurant was even a bit empty, strange for a Wednesday night. Â
I had a couple of appetizers. Â The oysters were ok, but quite few for the high price tag. Â Then, I ordered the shrimp and grits which were FANtastic. Â Had a glass of prosecco to help wash both down.
A quite happy one hour respite from grueling, residential training in Warrenton. Â
See you again next year!
Mussels were awesome and we will have to return for the all you can eat mussels Monday nights. The organic grass fed beef was outstanding and lobster on prime rib was a wonderful meal. Only wish they put more than one and a half brussel sprouts in the plate, shaved or not! The Northgate Meritage was worth a
second pour and service was top notch.
I happily recant the first 3 lines of my previous review. Tonight we found more tasty vegetarian options than ever before. The preparation of our meals was PERFECT! So good, we're heading back tomorrow for lunch!
This food just melts on your tongue. We began with a fresh cranberry & pecan salad with blue cheese and a basil vinaigrette. My husband mentioned he never had blue cheese that good. I know I haven't because I don't eat blue cheese - anywhere else. He choose the special: Fettuccine Alfredo with fresh asparagus. The pasta was hand made! I opted for the portobello mushroom risotto with parmesan cheese. Smooth! (It's served with shrimp which I didn't have.)
We selected a beautiful bottle of Adelsheim Pinot Grigio from Oregon and couldn't have been happier. Catherine was our server tonight and was great. We had another young man who delivered our food & again, excellent service all around.
And Bonnie, I told my husband how much you raved over their house made Creme Brulee'! We shared that & he was smiling from ear to ear so thank you for your wonderful Yelp review. Because of it we are now fans of The Iron Bridge Wine Co.
5 STARS!
This is a MUST try restaurant in Warrenton.
I've driven by this place several times with no idea what sort of surprise was awaiting inside.
A real GEM in beautfiul downtown Warrenton, Va.
I was there for lunch on a weekday and was greeted by the delightfully friendly and bubbly April. She told me she's worked there for two years.
She certainly knew her craft well. She walked me thru the menu and several lunch specials.
I opted for the swordfish special, grilled and served on a bed of couscous mixed with spinach...it was fantastic!
I learned they have three levels. In the basement they have what's called the Chefs table which is a privates dining room which can be reserved. The also have another full bar.
On the upper level they have another dining room with an outside pato...very nice!
A very impressive wine list with many local vineyards represented.
They also have an interesting spin on wine tasting. Up stairs they have an Enomatic Wine Tasting machine. You purchase a card with any value, insert into the machine and dispense one, three or six ounce pours from the wine bottle of your choice.
I will def return for lunch and dinner opportunities!
Yes, they have FREE wi-fi.
Second time here today and I'm done. No mas! The ambience is supurb and the levels lovely. Our service was very good, but the FOOD! Blech! The first time I went, I had a burger. It was barely edible and the bun fell apart with each bite, and I don't know how you can mess up a burger! Today I had the French onion soup, which was BY FAR that worst I've ever had. I swear it tasted like a powdered soup mix! The quiche was sub-par as well. My dining companions were equally unimpressed with the food. I posted on Facebook asking WHAT it is about this place that makes it popular? Do people like it because of the ambiance and the wine selection? If they drink a lot, I'm sure the food wood taste better, but for anyone who knows good food, they will NOT find it here!
Review Source:Went there with wife and a couple of friends. Â I feel like the reviews of people raving about the food either went to a different restaurant or fell for the price smoke screen. Â I find people often want to like food priced highly, or want to be the type of people that know about quaint restaurants off the beaten path. Â This food was mediocre at best at any price point, let alone the one they have.
To start, we ordered their Gouda Fondue. Â It completely failed. Â It lacked a consistency to adhere to any of the components and the flavor was watered down. Â The explanation was that the rue had failed, this explanation included that the rue includes chicken stock, which would explain why it tasted so watered down. Â What is baffling is that it actually left the kitchen. Â They replaced the dish with a calamari with a basil aioli. Â The aioli fell completely flat lacking sufficient basil or salt. Â If you happened to let the calamari hit your tongue first, and that piece of calamari happened to be one with some salt on it (which most did not), then it was acceptable. Â Calamari shouldn't require instructions to enjoy.
The entrees were mostly tolerable with the best one being the pan seared scallops. Â This dish also wasn't amazing, particularly at the price point. Â The pan seared pork tenderloin and the lamb chops could also be classified thusly.
The butternut squash risotto, though.... Â Well, that was a disaster. Â The risotto was terribly overcooked to the point it was nearly a paste. Â They pureed the butternut squash which results in just a giant, homogenous, boring single texture, single flavor, single appearance dish. Â When asked about this, the explanation was that cooking cubes of squash is too difficult. Â Then many places (including my own kitchen) apparently take a difficult road with much success. Â There was too much cheese mixed in with the risotto. Â The bottom of the dish was saturated in a red wine which would not have been a flavor match or accent no matter what the quantity. Â I am baffled as to why it was there. Â And again, just a dash of salt would have done wonders. Â The explanation included something about two cooks and a new cook that doesn't do stuff well. Â Sounded like many other stories I've heard made up in the kitchen. Â The reality of this dish is that it needs to be reworked from the beginning.
Which points to the reality of the food at this restaurant. Â If there are new cooks that cannot adequately prepare dishes, or two cooks are failing to communicate, or they are trying to close up at the end of the night (all reasons given that night for why the dishes were the way they were), then don't serve the food. Â The kitchen needs better cooking and better quality control. Â I wouldn't let these dishes come out of my kitchen at my own home for myself. Â And at the price point they are asking, they cannot both provide small quantities (which I'm generally just fine with), and poor quality.
The food at this restaurant was not worth the price at 1/3 the price.
Unfortunately, their wine selection wasn't terribly interesting either. Â They are so near so many Virginia vineyards and yet they do not seem to be capitalizing on this at all. Â I can't imagine the scenario in which I would return.
Been twice. Roast duck with apricot glaze... perfect. Blueberry bread pudding with orange sauce... heavenly. Both times have been less than satisfied with my wine selection and it was immediately replaced with no additional cost. It is expensive and can be loud. A lot of locals go here, so everyone at the bar knows everyone else. And the service, eh, its a bunch of kids and some of them dont know their head for from whole in the ground, but sit at the bar and you will be well cared for!
Review Source:A great place! A bit pricey for the area, however the food is really good. Their wine flights are to die for - get the Virginia one.
My normal selections:
Rosemary Crusted Lamb Lollipops Â
Goat Cheese and Potato Rosti, Dijon Crème Frâiche Â
$12
Grilled Bistro Steak Â
Thick Cut Seasoned Steak Fries, Julienne
Vegetables, Cabernet Sauce, Fried Shallots
$20
My wife and I visited the restaurant yesterday with friends for lunch. Â My wife and I had the meatloaf and our friends had different selections. Â The food was very good - meatloaf was VERY good as were the potatoes and asparagus that accompanied it. Â The wine was very good. Three of us had different reds and we were very pleased with them. Â
The only downside to the place was the service. Â The waitress served customers that were seated on both sides of us but did not appear to notice that we were there. Â It took 20 minutes to get her attention - we had to call her over. Â Three of us ordered wine, she gave two of us our wine and forgot the other person's. Â She looked at her notes and said "Oh, I should have remembered that". Â When our wine was near the bottom of the glass we had to call her again to ask for another but she didn't even ask my wife if she wanted a refill on her soda. Â
Our food was delivered by another employee and not even five seconds after he had put it on the table the waitress came over as the employee was leaving and asked how our food was. Â We all sort of dropped our jaws and in unison said, " It's just been delivered!"
Would I go again? Possibly, but I would hope that management will have better trained wait staff.
With better service I would have given them another star.
I went here Sunday night with my husband and two of our friends. We've heard great things about Iron Bridge, so we were excited to try it. They have a 3 for $33 deal where you can order an appetizer, entree, & dessert for $33 - or you can sub the dessert for a glass of wine (under $9). We opted for the appetizer & entree with a glass of wine.
For appetizers, we ordered smoked salmon, smoked gouda fondue, caesar salad, & calamari. The salad left much to be desired - lacked flavor & didn't have much dressing at all. The fondue came with pretzel pieces, apples, & grapes. It was good, but not great. The smoked salmon came with crackers & cream cheese spread with little add ons - another good dish, but it didn't stand out. The calamari was the best - a light batter with the perfect amount of seasoning. It wasn't served with marinara like most places, it was served with a limey type sauce.
For dinner, the guys ordered shrimp with rice. I ordered the fried chicken with lobster mac & cheese. My husband wasn't overly impressed with the shrimp & rice. My dinner was pretty good - the mac & cheese was rich & the chicken was well breaded. I wasn't able to finish all of it, so I got a box to take the rest home.
Our server was brand new, but she did a good job & anything she was unsure of she went to ask to be sure. I do have to say, though, that overall we were disappointed in our visit. Though I seemed to choose the best menu options of the group - unfortunately, it didn't live up to what we had heard about it - especially for the money spent.
Food here is decent, but service and management leave a lot to be desired. Â I was planning to host a private party here for ~50 people, and when I visited Iron Bridge I was showed three separate rooms that were bookable for private events. Â However, when I followed up with via email to book the balcony the event planner changed her story, giving me excuses about the upstairs and saying I could only reserve the (unpleasant) cellar, which didn't appeal to us.
The manager then emailed me offering to "put together a package" for the party, but my response was ignored, and when I called him a couple weeks later he was extremely cross with me on the phone and said they were trying to be polite by ignoring me before! Â I'd rather have a manager tell me a space is unavailable, or be rude to my face, than pretending they were being "polite" by ignoring me. Â Won't be coming back or recommending it to anyone. Claire's is just down the road and has considerably better food and MUCH better service & management if you're planning an event.
My wife and I have eaten here several times, but this is my first review. We even have our favorite table that  we reserve in advance, however that would be the end of our consistency with this particular restaurant.
Our first time going there we had a fair dinner, I had the NY Strip and she had something vegetarian (unfortunately neither of us remember what it was).
The second time was FANTASTIC! My steak was perfect, charred nicely, moist and meaty, I could not have asked for better.
The third time was a disaster, meat was cooked well when I ordered medium-rare, her veggies were soggy and cold, the bread was actually burnt.
Fourth time was another pleasurable meal, the angus burger was great.
Fifth time another dud, meatloaf was dry, way overcooked and tasteless, mashed potatoes were some kind of mix between household paint and drywall paste...terrible! My wife's cranberry pecan salad was average at best, her words.
Anyway, I could go on and on with the hit and miss food. It doesn't seem to matter if it is a weekend or weekday, lunch or dinner they can't seem to keep up the same quality food on a regular basis. Although I will have to say the service is OK, every time we go, the staff is pleasant and very knowledgeable on the local wines, but a little inattentive at times and we can hear the bartender cursing and laughing with his barfly buddies and having a good time from across the room, very unprofessional.
Makes you wonder what is going on with the management and how long it will be before Gordon Ramsey visits Warrenton!
I returned to Iron Bridge this weekend for the first time since I stopped working in Warrenton a few months ago, and I'm still quite happy with the food, the wine, and the atmosphere. Â I used to come about once a week with colleagues and we were never disappointed by any aspects of our visits. Â This time, however, I was bummed out by the service.
I had a delicious wild mushroom white pizza.  While the flavor was wonderful and earthy and garlicky, and the pie *loaded* with tender 'shrooms, the center could have been hotter.  It was definitely lukewarm at best...maybe I should have sent it back, but eh.  Husband had a crab cake with salad -- crab cake was quite tasty with very little filler, giant chunks of meat, and pan fried to a crisp golden on the outside.  Friends sampled the "bacon infused" burger with smoked cheddar and garlic aioli accompanied by frites, an andouille, tomato, and Gruyère omelet with frites, and the fried calamari.  Everyone was really pleased with their food and the very reasonable prices.  The wine selection is marvelous and varied.  We all ordered wine flights, which are the best way to go here, honestly.  The pours are ridiculously generous -- well above their 1/2 glass promise -- and the prices ($11 - 18) are much more cost effective than ordering by the glass.  If you enjoy any of the wines you try, Iron Bridge also sells bottles to take with you.
The ambiance at Iron Bridge is warm and casual, elegant and sophisticated at the same time. Â Deep, luxe armchairs; intimate round-tops; candlelit votives; dark wood booths and walls; sleek, glossy bar; black-clad servers; and the ever-entertaining enotecas, one for whites and one for reds.
The service -- provided by an ever-changing, young, fresh-faced, and attractive crew -- seems to have gone downhill since I frequented Iron Bridge. Â It was frustratingly slow on our recent visit. Â It took a long time for our server, who was just adorable and excellent otherwise, to take our order or bring out the bread (crusty homemade focaccia doused in olive oil and sprinkled with a generous helping of cracked sea salt); and it took awhile for the food to come.
Still, this one visit wasn't enough for me to change my opinion of Iron Bridge as a whole after several years of consistently good experiences. Â For me, Iron Bridge remains a reason to keep Warrenton a destination (and I like it better than the one in Columbia, which gets more crowded and has less charm).
Quite a neat place. I love it when they take buildings in a small town downtown area and re-purpose them. I have no idea what this place was originally, but I doubt it was a restaurant. It was probably a store of some sort and it had two tables in the windows, which I thought was neat, but I would probably feel on display from the sidewalk traffic if I was eating there.
I ordered the Caesar salad ($9) and the pork medallions ($22). They used red romaine for the Caesar which I thought was a nice touch that I don't see too often.
Another thing that stuck me as neat was they were serving the water out of recycled wine bottles instead of pitchers. Probably not that unusual considering the name of the place and all of the wine served.
Food was great and the service was outstanding. I would highly recommend it.
I wish I could give more stars...really I do. I have been there 4 times now. I don't drink so I can't comment on the wines, but there seems an enoromous selection.
I have, however, had the entrees. Yes the portions do not overwhelm the plate but, to me they are the perfect size. Just enough that you have room for dessert and don't waste any food by taking it home and forgetting it the fridge. The lamb chops are small but chubby and succullent. The calmari appetizer is very good. It is not greasy and not at all chewy. They come with an aoli ( fancy mayo with capers) that is also tasty on the french fries. The burger my dining partner had was huge. The all you can eat mussels on Monday Nights are endless and so tasty that I may not need to eat mussles again for a long time. I think I gorged myself. All in all, the food is interesting and they have daily specials and excellent desserts.
That said...the service has left a lot to be desired. All 4 trips it has been spotty at best. We have always eaten in the upper room which may account for part of the problem, out of sight out of mind. My last visit we were promptly seated by the hostess and then promptly forgotten. No servers or anyone to be seen for at least 20 minutes. Once they realized we were there the service was attentive but a tad slow to clean off the dirty plates and no bread was offered. However, that exact scenario has happened everytime we have been there. Perhaps there is a communication problem between the hostess and the wait staff. Whatever it is, it is not our problem and will only hurt business in the long run.
Worth a try, it is pricy but when there are so few choices as in Warrenton, it is an interesting and pleasant choice for a night out. Just be sure to not be shy to  ask for service and to stay on top of them. The staff appears to be generally inexperienced and that is a lot of the problem.
Had dinner here with friends and the food was pretty good. The appetizers were all pretty good. The fried oysters stood out as they were not overly fried and were topped with fish roe.
My favorite entree was the lobster mac and cheese. The lobster was cooked perfectly and the mac and cheese was gooey but not overflowing with cheese. The lamb chops were pretty good, although a tad bit overcooked. I asked for medium and it was more medium well.
All in all the place is cozy and a pleasant place to have dinner. The inside is mostly wood and reminds you of an earlier time. Wines were served by the glass or bottle and the ones I tasted were all pretty good. The price for food is more DC/New York and less Virginia.
Was out in Warrenton on a Saturday night... yes, you know that's a hot night out. Â Anyway, I don't really have anything negative to say. Â It wasn't perfect, but I really enjoyed just about everything about it.
There have been a few good comments, most notably that while the wine selection is varied, you wish that there were more options on the menu. Â Maybe its asking too much, but at a "wine company," you'd expect dozens of wine choices. Â I think there's probably plenty, but I always expect a Brickskeller of wine or something.
The ambiance of the place is both relaxed and comfortable, but its lively enough where you don't have that stuffy feeling. Â Makes sense? Â No, ok whatever. Â
The menu is suprisingly good and they have specials every night. Â Saturday night was lobster night and they find a lot of creative ways to present it. Â Anyway, I had a gruyere mushroom pizza as an appetizer, and it was awesome. Â Great descriptor right? Â Anyway, I ate the whole thing and didn't think I'd have enough room for the main and of course not for dessert. That said, it was much better than I had expected that I had both. Â My main was the fried chicken and lobster mac and cheese. Â Come on, I dare some a-hole to say that doesn't sound f'ing delicious. Â And it was. Â The desserts were much more appetizing than I was expecting (this is starting to make me sound like a pessimist). Â I had the chocolate ganache tower with peanut butter in the middle. Â Just what you'd want... I enjoyed that with a 18 y/o Macallan, and I was done. Â Fantastic night. Â
Another cool thing is the mystery wine, 6 bucks and they have a red and a white. Â Its rotating throughout the day and is a good deal on a random wine. Â You can ask what it is before taking the leap, so you're not really taking a chance.
I really wish I could give five stars... I don't know why I wouldn't, its great value for your money and there's no missteps along the way. Â For what it is, it doesn't have much room for improvement. Â Next time I go, if it works out the same, I'll write a second review. Â And I hope the next time is damn soon!
We headed to Iron Bridge after spending an afternoon at a winery. Â We arrived at close to 6:30pm on Saturday night and were seated immediately. Â The wine we ordered was no longer in stock, so we were recommended a "better" option for the same price. Â It was a great choice, a fantastic pinot noir. Â My husband ordered the beef medallions, which came with haricot verts and mashed Yukon gold potatoes. Â I ordered the NZ lamb, which came with a delicious corn side and grilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. Â Both of our meals were fantastic. Â The meat was tender and flavorful, and the vegetables were great accompaniments. Â We ended the meal with the blueberry bread pudding - to die for!
It certainly wasn't a cheap meal ($98 before tip), but it was well worth it. Â Fantastic!
My sister, brother-in-law, and nieces stopped at Iron Bridge earlier this week for dinner and were very happy with our experience. We were seated outside on the rooftop patio and ordered a variety of wines and appetizers. We came for dinner, but after splitting the cheese plate, steamed mussels with andouille, and shrimp with grits, we were full and ordering entrees was no longer an option. The appetizer portions were generous, feeding three adults and two children (granted, my nieces are very adventurous eaters, not sure most kids would like this food).
Another poster commented on a lack of variety with the wines; I have to say we didn't see a problem with their selection. We sampled wines from Spain, California, and Virginia (and liked all of them). The only thing I found strange was when ordering a tasting flight, they serve all three wines at the same time. I believe their logic is that you can compare all three side by side, but with a half glass of each your whites will loose their chill before you finish them.
The menu is geared towards the wine and appetizers, the entree options are few. Having said that we were happy with our selections and I will count this as a new local favorite.
I'd like to give Iron Bridge something more like a 4.5, but the price of an outing here severely detracts from it's multitude of charms.
The bar (if one can call it such) is located in downtown Warrenton, on main street - which I have to admit I am quite partial to. Â Warrenton is one of those quaint towns where very little happens, but that is perfect when you want to get away to a quieter place, and not have to worry about finding parking. Â The decor of Iron Bridge is chic and trendy, but the casual atmosphere keeps it down-to-earth and unpretentious.
The staff can be hit or miss - I've had a server who was exceptionally knowledgeable in regards to the wines available and pairing with your small plate entrees, but at other times the server has been quite young and inexperienced. Â I've noticed that the more experienced staff seem to work the high-volume nights such as Friday and Saturday, so this is a good time to go if you don't mind the place being busy.
The food in general is exceptionally good, but pricey. Â I often go just for drinks, because adding an appetizer to your trip can easily pad the bill out another $10-12. Â Ordering an entree can be upwards of $20, and since these are usually very small portions, price is definitely the biggest drawback to eating here.
The wine is of course the reason to go. Â The selection is fairly expansive, both in variety and price, and if you don't wish to purchase a bottle, there are a good number of wines available by the glass.
For a more affordable trip, consider enjoying an espresso and dessert. Â Their "Lava Cake" is delectable, and a very pleasant evening can be spent with coffee and dessert up on the rooftop.
Okay, really, 2.5 stars.
Stopped here late Friday night for a little repast on the way to Culpeper. Friend #1 had been here before and remembered that the kitchen might still be open at 10:00.
The place sets itself up as a wine bar, but the bartender had absolutely no knowledge of any of the wines on the list. When asked for some differentiation among the Chardonnays, she just had us taste them all instead of telling us anything about them. Friend #2 ordered a red wine flight, which she poured and proceeded to nearly toss at him ( to the extent that you can toss wine glasses). I believe she identified them, but with lightning speed. We had no idea which was which.
Friend #2 ordered an espresso, which was perfectly executed. He then asked for a bit of honey to sweeten it and proceeded to wait for said honey to arrive until the espresso was nearly cold. Oddly (very oddly) enough, a server finally brought him honey in another espresso cup - more honey than the entire espresso in the first cup. Sigh. Presentation was lacking.
Speaking of presentation, I detested the wine glasses here. So did Friend #2, who was served a red in a glass the size of a small bowling ball. He was offended by this ridiculousness and requested a smaller glass, which seemed to shock the bartender.
As for food, I was starving, and most anything would have sufficed. I ordered the cheese fondue, which was average (though it is fairly difficult to screw up melted cheese). The apples must have been treated with some sort of anti-browning agent, as their taste was floral and completely off-putting.
Friend #2 got meatloaf, which he seemed to enjoy.
In the end, there is not much reason to visit Iron Bridge unless you are passing through at 10:00 PM and are in desperate need of food. Or espresso; the espresso was good.
The experience was not altogether terrible, but neither was it notable.
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