What a treat to find Valley. I never thought I'd see a place like this in Valpo. Don't get me wrong, there are now a lot of great places in the downtown area but as someone who went to college here, I still think of it as a town where King Gyros was a gourmet night! Digressing, Valley is a a fairly large space but it seems intimate, which is nice. We arrived shortly before the opening time of 4, to find them already open for a pub crawl. The staff was extra nice and seated us by the front window and fireplace for our drinks. The crawlers left about 10 minutes later and we were able to enjoy a nice dinner for four. Everything we ordered was superb- bursting with flavors and freshness. My only complaint, if I had to make one, would be that the menu is pretty short. They don't have a lot of selections and of course, it's mostly local and seasonal. Our server was a trainee who seemed very unsure of herself. She didn't get anything wrong because she was under the close supervision of either the manager or some other capable guy, but she didn't have much of a personality and did not offer many opinions or suggestions when asked. That said, the whole experience was really pleasant. The place was rocking with people by the time we left. We probably spent close to two hours there. I had the walleye, which was outstanding. Others in my party tried the chicken, the pork chops and a salad. When they offer to put chicken on your salad, it is an entire Amish breast! For dessert, we had scoops of one of my favorite ice creams, Valpo Velvet. I'm so glad so many local businesses are now carrying it. It's the perfect topper to a delicious meal. Our server didn't even offer dessert, though. We had to ask. I'm not sure what else they had. I will also say that the bar selections here are really well done and I even noticed a special martini list. Didn't try it this time, but we'll definitely be back. One suggestion- I'd love to see a bread basket. Maybe some sort of locally sourced bakery would make it five stars for me! I wanted to buy a cool t-shirt but they were out of them, the hostess said. You don't pay your server, which is interesting. You pay the host. Kudos to Valley for bringing local/organic to Valpo!
Review Source:My wife and I went here and shared the Chicken Skewers appetizer which we liked very much! The mushroom soup was very flavorful also. I had the Rib eye Steak and she had the Cowboy Pork Chop and we both enjoyed our meals and our Salad was also very good and everything was
In good portions but we sat across from one another and had a hard time hearing each other however we both said we will go back!
Goddddddd, I really wanted to like this place. I really did.
Was in Portage for work and found Valley on yelp. The farm to fork concept got me and I drove out for dinner. I sat at the bar. Bartender was friendly and attentive throughout. They have a good selection of martinis and specialty draft beers.
I ordered the truffle fries and the chicken 3 ways. I opted for the spinach salad with apples, cheese and nuts for $4 extra instead of the house salad.
The Salad came out quick. It was really good, the only thing was the dressing was a little too tart for me, however I still managed to devour the whole thing.
As other Yelpers have suggested, the rest of my meal did take a while to come out. I say about a good 30-40
minutes. The couple next to me at the bar actually ordered 5 minutes after me and received their dishes first. Not sure of the process there. Also there were 4 cooks in the kitchen and at times 3 of them were sitting around. Â I kept looking over my shoulder every time a waiter walked by hoping it was my food! After doing this for a good 35 minutes my plate arrived.
Chicken three way came with rice and carrots. The dish was just blah. It was good but wasn't great and not as good as it should be for a 30 minute wait.
The truffle fries never came. The bartender told me she forgot to put it in.
If I lived here, I may give it another shot, but since I only come and go for business there's better places for me to go.
I really love the concept of this restaurant: fresh, locally-sourced food prepared simply but elegantly. Â I've visited twice and look forward to returning. Â The truffle fries and pork chop are quite delicious. Â Most recently I enjoyed a skirt steak special with a chimichurri sauce. Â The flavors in each dish are interesting and combined with finesse, and are a welcome reprieve from the other boring dishes served in Valpo. Â The price-to-portion ratio is good and the restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere suitable for a date for two or a night out with friends. Â In short, I would definitely recommend Valley to family and friends for its small but nicely executed menu and its charming atmosphere and downtown setting.
Review Source:Drove an hour and a half to meet friends driving same - for a FABULOUS evening together - what a delicious meal - blew me away. Â I had the Steak, my husband had the chicken, friends had pork and chicken. Â All locally sourced, all prepared beautifully, wonderfully delicious. Â Decor is trendy and charming. Â Side salad was huge. Â Homemade icecream was excellent. Â I am gluten free and they were completing accomodating. Â Wished I lived closer - would visit often!
Review Source:Love that Valpo has a restaurant focused on eating local! Â In general, Valley's attention to detail is impressive. Â The decor is trendy yet charming. Â The service is attentive. Â Valley's food is delicious and indeed fresh, and the presentation was great, too. Â My husband and I shared the tomato and zucchini soup, fried green tomatoes, side salads, pork chop, and twice baked potato. Â As a bonus, we happened to go on a Tuesday and enjoyed their $5 Tini Tuesday martinis. Â Definitely give it a try -- I don't think you'll be disappointed!
Review Source:We have been to this restaurant 4 times and every time it was wonderful. Â Beautiful decor; upscale. Â The $ should only be $$ because it is so reasonable. The bar is comfortable and charming! Â Â All our meals were excellent including the blue gill, pork chops, and chicken. Â Mostly local, and very fresh ingredients.
Review Source:My husgand and I are regulars here.
They have spectacular Martini's and on Tuesday they are only $5.
These are tiny, weak ones that others on the square serve up either.
Best fries I have ever eaten and best Cucumber chips ever! This isnt fried crap you can get at any other place in town its fresh battered and fried!!!
Everything is nice and fresh, and served by a very nice staff. The owners can both
be found in house every day checking in on you, and there to thank you for coming.
Someone complained its too noisy and not romantic? Every time I have gone there, there is great Indie and rock music playing...as for Romantic, my husband and I make sure we meet up there after a long work day for a nice, intimate dinner and drink. A must visit when you are in town!!
This has to be my new very favorite place to eat in Valpo! Been there twice and both times the food was really good. The eggplant parmesan is really good, as is the pork chop! Phenomenal. Â For dessert we got the fried banana which was really really good! Champagne vinaigrette for the house salad is a must try! Highly recommend!
Review Source:New favorite Valpo restaurant! Have been there a handful of times and the food is always good- plus the farm to fork concept is fantastic! Also, a great selection of beer on tap. Pickle chips are an app worth trying and don't leave without getting the fried bananas or fried oreos for dessert.
Review Source:In light of some of the reviews on here, let's start with the basics: this is an organic farm to kitchen restaurant. That translates to a bit of a different price point and experience than you might get at your local Applebee's.
That said, there are some great things and some okay things here. The service was spectacular, very attentive and happy to handle a specialty request for my order. The salad (yes, it's just salad but you'd be surprised how much crappy salad you can get) was spectacular. Bar offerings are good but seems like the one bartender can get a bit overloaded.
Alright now to the not do good. The kitchen needs some work on efficiency. Two pieces of chicken should not take 45 minutes on any night, but particularly not if the place isn't all full. The food looked delicious and was plated very attractively as I would expect in a place along these lines. Portions were larger than normal for a "foodie" place.
One last thing, the place is noisy. Don't expect to have a quiet intimate dinner here.
Overall I'd say a good experience. I hope some of the lagging things can be addressed, because I really want to love the place, but it's just not quite there.
Service was great, as was the food. Would've given it 4 stars had it not been for two things. First, the place is noisy as hell inside. Certainly not a place for a quiet dinner. Secondly, the bar is understafffed. Had to wait a bit for our table, so decided to grab a drink. 15 minutes later, I was finally served by the single person who fufills all waitstaff orders and orders from patrons at the bar. Seems waitstaff orders (for tables) take precedence too.
Review Source:Sat near the chef's station which is highly recommended. Â Â We enjoyed watching the guys do their thing and the chef and his staff were so friendly and enjoyable to talk to and observe. Â Â There are only a few items on the menu but that is to be expected with a farm to table concept like this and the items they do have are executed well. Â Â We tried the truffle fries, which were phenomenal and split the blue gill and chicken 2 ways. Â Both were fantastic. Â Â The fish was light and flavorful and the chicken was so moist. Â Â We also had the spinach salad as well as the house salad. Â The homemade dressings were perfect. Â Â I cannot wait to return to try the steak and those fried pickles!
Review Source:Much Kudos for the concept from farm to fork. Â HOwever, i would like to see their menu improve with choices. Â The drinks were very good. Â I had two martinis and my husband had a micro brew beer. Â I had the Amish chicken two ways. Â I found the grilled breast extremely salty. Â And i love salt! Â The fried leg was ok. Â I wasnt too fond of the batter. Â I would not order it again. My husband had the special perch offered that night and he thought it was good. Â Our bill was $90 which i thought was way too expensive for the meal we received. This was 4 drinks, the meal and dessert for two people. Â For that price I would goto a restuarant with more choices.
Review Source:My family met for dinner here on a Friday (all adults) and my husband and I loved it so much we returned on Sunday for dinner again! I had Blue Gill both nights and it was fabulous. I am a vegetarian who eats fish and this was the best Blue Gill I have ever had. The second night they did put bacon on it and when I told the server I wouldn't eat it she brought me a new dinner in no time. The first night we all ordered and Blue Gill and the second night we brought friends who order the steak. They were very impressed with the steak and it was cooked exactly as ordered. The potatoes are very good as others have commented. I had a grape pop martini that was tasty as well. I don't care for very sweet drinks and this martini was just right. We will be returning again and again to this restaurant
Review Source:A very nice place with locally sourced/grown food. That, in itself makes a difference in the quality of the food you receive. All the servers are in flannel/plaid for a farm-like "feel". An awesome bar with upland being the iconic beer. No adjuncts here.
Must have appetizers: Baked Brie, Truffle Fries. Absolutely delicious. The Broccoli Soup was very Pilsner heavy. Tasted like I was eating warm broccoli soup with half a bottle of Pilsner Urquell in it.
I have had the Pork Chops - Which were pretty good, a bit chewy in the middle, the Blue Gill - which was only... okay, and the Ravioli - also very good. The double baked potatoes were... beyond amazing.
There are some changes that could make this place a bit better. The iceburg lettuce side salad is pretty ridiculous. It needs to go. Another reviewer said they'd had better salads at Burger King or something - Funny and somewhat true. And the menu. I understand it's seasonal, but more options would be really nice. Five things (entrées) on the menu limits you if you have the taste for something else.
Before you go, make sure you check their menu on their website. Being that you are, indeed limited in what you can order... Make sure something on their menu actually appeals to your palate.
I really want to like this place and have given it two tries. Â However, when I walk away $55 poorer, to go home to cook a second meal, I just have to give up. Â The wait staff, while friendly, is amateur and the food is mediocre. Â My boyfriend and I came in starving and actually left with food on our plates. Â I hope that this restaurant fixes these issues, Â because I'd like to see it survive.
1. The menu should be rotated. Â There are only five options and they haven't changed for three months. Why would someone come back?
2. If they are going to splurge for nice proteins (bluegill, local chicken), they should not put ICEBURG LETTUCE on the plate! Â I have had better salads at Burger King.
3. If there are five people in the kitchen, it should not take a half hour to get a meal
4. If a patron asks whether the soup is vegetarian, then warn him if you're going to put bacon on his fish.
I'm sure there is a talented chef somewhere beneath the mediocrity.  At the moment, however, I feel I could cook the same or better food at home and  not spend $20 a plate.
Some positives:
1. My glass of wine contained about a half a bottle--not the classiest move but I'm not complaining
2. Â The beer selection is solid
After reading all other reviews I thought it might be a great place to try. They proved me wrong! In all fairness I can't review the food because we didn't stay long enough to eat. The bartender treated us horribly, very off putting almost conceded. When we asked the drink specials he simply pointed to the sign as if I was an idiot. As watched the staff walk around like zombies we noted one big thing, the staff looked miserable! Based on staff alone I will not go back simply because a dining experience is just that, an experience not just food alone.
Review Source:I have eaten at Valley twice for dinner. Â The first time I had the pork chop. Â It was a lovely, thick cut, on-the-bone pork chop and it was cooked nicely. Â It could have used some more seasoning (even if it was just a little salt and pepper before searing). Â All the dinner items come with a salad and two twice baked potato slices. Â The potatoes were very tasty. Â I ordered my salad with ranch dressing (I am not a fan of sweet dressing and the house dressing sounded sweet). Â When my meal arrived, our server told us that the were out of ranch dressing so they put the house dressing on my salad. Â I did try the house dressing and as I suspected it was on the sweet side and I didn't care for it. Â Knowing how I feel about sweet dressings, I would have preferred the server tell me that they were out of ranch and have me choose a different one.
My boyfriend ordered the steak, once again it was a lovely cut of meat, cooked very nicely...but again kind of bland. Â Needed seasoning before searing. Â
On our second visit, I was not particularly hungry so my boyfriend and I shared the pork chop and I felt the same way about my second pork chop as I did my first. Â However, this time we ordered appetizers, the table shared fried pickles (very, very yummy) and truffle oil fries (very yummy but a bit heavy for me). Â Â Â
We also started with their special martini which was a spiced apple....mmmmmmmmmmm gooooooood! Â And then my boyfriend followed up with a Nerds Martini (how fun, but super sweet!) and I had a glass of wine. Â Our cocktails were a treat!
I think the service is quite polite and friendly...but clearly novice. Â I think with some more experience it will be a place where I really enjoy the service.
I love the concept of locally grown and raised food. Â I love the decor. Â The dinner menu is quite limited and my opinion is if you have so few items on your menu...you better bring it. Â They are almost there.
My wife and I had dinner there the other weekend. We sat at the Kitchen Bar where we can watch them cook (cool concept). The cooks were friendly and let my wife try some of the fish. I had the pork chop, which was a good thick cut, but a tad dry on one side. I tried my wife's chicken and I thought it was excellent. It did take a while to get our food, but as it's a new establishment, I'm willing to let that slide this time. You do have to go to the hostess to pay which I found a little weird, but that isn't even enough to complain about. We will certainly be returning.
Review Source:Had supper at Valley tonight. Â Will not be in a hurry to return. Â Bluegill was plain. Â It did not have a sweet bluegill flavor. Â Potato was nothing special. Â Salad was some romaine mixed with iceberg. Â Really? Â Iceberg lettuce? Â My wife said she will try lunch but with the limited supper menu she is not in a hurry to go back either. Â Nice interior but not enough to bring me back in.
Review Source:Really enjoyed my first visit and I plan on returning...only tip to chef would be to have some sort of sauce sprinkled on the plate when serving your bluegill and potato dish. A little dry. Also, how about some nice bread served with dinners?? Â Not exactly a cheap dinner and would be a nice touch. Just saying. Â :-)
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