I've eaten here numerous times with other faculty and staff at Wake Forest as well as personal meetings over lunch or dinner. I've found the food to be quite tasty and prices reasonable. There seems to be a lot of takeout orders that can slow the kitchen down , but never to the point of being upsetting.
Review Source:Was passing through town- it was awesome food!! The service was great! And my hubby was doing some business there and asked him some questions about the town and the guy was spot on, on every question he answered for him!! They even had Sazaraks like in New Orleans and geezus they were just as amazing!!
Review Source:I have been to MANY village taverns and this one is ABSOLUTELY the BEST! People I don't know what goes down at this location, but they have made me realize that Village Tavern can actually be very superior. Prior to this restaurant, I never considered a village tavern to be a restaurant that can produce above average food. I have tried their shrimp scampi pasta, it is absolutely HEAVENLY, it has succulent shrimps, just the right amount of seasoning, al dante pasta, served over a warm plate, the sauce was super yummy, I seriously thought the food was so good I almost cried from joy. I also tried their turkey burger, absolutely marvelous as well. I asked for sweet potato fries and they were cooked just right, I detest over cooked fries. They nailed their burgers, the patty was just the right consistency, toasted bun. I think this place delivers the BEST American food in town. There is usually a wait if you come during dinner time, the restaurant is not very big. There is also an outdoor patio seating area which is quite cute. I think the waiters are pretty good, although not anything memorable, the service is satisfactory. The restaurant is clean but a bit cramped because it is quite small. Definitely come here if you want great American food!! The price is consistent to village tavern elsewhere, $10-18 per entree, steak will be more.
Review Source:I have only ever been to this location & never tried the other locations as a chain. This one is always a solid place to bring out of town guests, or clients. The food is usually really solid. The atmosphere in Reynolda village is great. The service is always nice & can sometimes be slow, but they get really busy. I have enjoyed this location since high school. It probably won't be a bad experience & I like places like that.
Review Source:This place was of some damn fine culinary excellence! The place reminded me of Tavern on the Green (an old restaurant that was in Central Park), and it was very nice. My group of eight waited a significant amount of time (about an hour) for a table for us, but that was our choice due to not wanting to sit outside. The staff was very nice and handled our orders very well!
Drinks were made very well - I enjoyed my Jameson with coke very much as we waited patiently. Every meal has the option of getting a salad as a side for a few extra dollars - get it! Totally worth it, and delicious (real bacon!).
My meal was a 10-glazed salmon with couscous and veggies and it was incredible! So incredible! The salmon was a perfect size (4 oz roughly) and the flavor was totally delicious! Wow! And it was perfectly complemented by the couscous. Yummmmm!!
I tried a piece of my co-workers filet and it was prepared perfectly as well! Rare, bloody, and full of delicious red meat flavor. Excellent!
I will be back, but I will make reservations next time!
One of my favorite restaurants in Winston! Everything's really great here, there is a good wine list, great service, and a comfortable environment. I prefer to sit on the patio out front, which is lit up with white Christmas lights. The appetizers (crab dip, hot chips, etc.) are particularly good!
Review Source:I am not a huge fan of The Village Tavern chain just because of the in consistency of the food and service. Â One visit will be okay and then the next will cause you to think...."Should I even bother with this place again?"
If you have eaten at the one at Hanes Mall Blvd then you know what I am talking about. Â I wont even visit that place. Â Anyway, this location is by far the best out of the 3 in the triad. Â (One in Greensboro) Â Please note that my stars for this place are at a 2. Â So this is no knock out by any means....
It is a typical local "Cheers" type of place with many locals and college kids.  I would say that most things on the menu are typical Bar and Grill type of things.  You will be able to please most people in the party by coming here, I just don't  know that the food and service will please your pallet or expectations.
Everything is just average and prepared by a chef that doesn't really specialize in anything.
The reason this place is the best of the ones in the triad is the atmosphere.
Went there twice during my two week stay at Wake-the first time we went the food was phenomenal I had the chicken and spinach salad and my friend had the chicken Colorado. Â Both were huge portions and neither of us finished our meal-we also got sweet potato fries which they serve with a honey mustard sauce. Â The salad was delicious but when I went the following week the spinach was a little wilted. Â Overall great food.
Review Source:I was here with co-workers. No wait. We were sitting in the outside patio. Very quaint , they have outdoor umbrellas with christmas lights around it.
It's good american food. The side salad/dressing was delicious and they were generous with their portions.
If I was ever in North Carolina again, I would check it out again.
This is the perfect place for Wake Forest students to bring their parents (or an aunt as was the case with my trip) - assuming the parents are paying as prices may be a bit out of a student's budget.
In the heart of the historic Reynolda Village, the tavern has a warm and friendly feel. Â Lots of wood paneling give it an English club feel. Â There is a nice patio to enjoy dinner or drinks as long as the weather is cooperative. Â
Overall, the atmosphere and the service deserve 5 stars. Â The food, however, doesn't fare quite as well.
I enjoyed our calamari with sweet chili sauce. Â But the Thai Chicken Salad was surprisingly bland even thought it seemed to be loaded with lots of interesting ingredients. Â
If you find yourself there, I would recommend sticking to the traditional pub grub, like a burger, or their apparently famous crab cakes (which the server made a point to tell us about).
Same great food as the location on Hanes Mall Blvd, just seems a bit more like a neighborhood hangout. Â We were seated at a tiny table inside a doorway close to the bar and I felt we were in the way during the
entire meal. Â People coming and going constantly bumping into our table.
I'll keep going back to their other location.
Fantastic service. Went on a Friday night and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. We found seats at the bar to have a drink while we waited, and the bartenders were extremely friendly and helpful. They introduced themselves, conversed with  us a little, and steered us towards some great wine picks. All of this on a night when the restaurant was totally full - and we had great, quick service.
We sat at a table on the patio, which was quite nice. Our server continued the excellent service we had received at the bar. My mussels capellini was good, but the mussels were a bit tough. My husband had the trout and really liked it. The bacon wrapped shrimp appetizer was terrific.
It started to rain, and the staff was extremely nice and accommodating moving us inside. We ended with some really yummy martinis.
Good food, but even better staff. They made us feel welcome the instant we stepped inside, as if we were regulars instead of this being our first visit. Stellar service will definitely keep us going back.
Years ago we used to go to Village Tavern when we lived nearby. Recently have rediscovered and I really love it. Service is always good--really good. I always get the same thing--crabcake appetizer and then the filet. Crabcake is utterly delicious and the appetizer comes with a small salad with miso dressing--the dressing has that 'umami' thing going and it is SO GOOD. I almost lick the plate. The steak is always cooked exactly how I order it (med. rare) and it comes with tasty mashed potatoes (and admittedly somewhat boring steamed veg, but what with the crab and miso dressing, martinis and steak, does one really care?!). Nice patio area but I love to sit inside. It's dark & cozy and in fall or winter, tucked into one of the big, comfy booths, it's altogether perfect.
Review Source:friendliest waitress ever!!!!!!!!.....i forget her name but you will know who im talking about...........whenever i visit good old WAKE i beg my bf to take me there........he cant drink.....but i sure do......drinks are inexpensive and damn good .....
The restaurant does not take reservations so you may have to wait.....but who cares there is a j.mac across the street
The original Village Tavern... Â Reynolda Village was originally a community of outbuildings and servant's quarters for Reynolda House, the winter home of R.J. Reynolds' family.
The food is good, the prices are fair, and the ambiance is wonderful. Â In winter, this is a great bar to nurse a beer and make a new acquaintance in a warm pub-feel place. Â In summer, sit on the outdoor patio and nurse a beer while people watching the customers as they come and go.
Okay, I'm not a lone wolf stalker. Â I really do go there with my wife. Â We both love the place. Â But I remember fondly the years when I was alone and seeking female companionship, and this was a great place to find them. Â It's the closest nice restaurant/bar to the Wake Forest campus.
Wifey and I ride our bikes over, have a Saturday or Sunday brunch, and then ride back. Â Wonderful times.
The atmosphere outside is great (flowers, fans, white xmas lights at night) - you don't get the same experience sitting inside. The trout, vegetarian dishes, steak sandwich, and chocolate torte are amazing (especially the chocolate torte). The wait staff is usually inattentive and rude, but as long as you know that going in, your experience won't be ruined. Avoid the older lady with a buzz cut if at all possible. Expect a wait during peak hours (they don't take reservations). DO NOT come here if you are in a rush. This is a true Southern experience.
Review Source:When I first moved to Winston-Salem a lot of people were recommending Village Tavern as to be one of their favorite places to dine. I'm not sure if my expectations were too high, but it just seemed like a regular American restaurant, but with a mix of Southern style in it.
The only thing I was impressed was with their portion size. However, I have to say the same for anywhere in South because they are quite generous with the portion serving.
The salad was mediocre. The nacho was just a hot mess with too much junk in it and the cheese started to get hard and stale which made it less appetizing. The main dishes we ordered were okay, but nothing too fancy smanchy to back to.
After about a year of bitter winters and a not so hot summer, I ended up going back south. I took a weekend visit to Winston-Salem and ended up in this little food venue in Reynolda Village.
My first impression was that I remembered all the accents... Y'all had never sounded so beautiful after being in Chicago. About every person in the restaurant had a perfect southern draw. The waiter was friendly and we got rather quick service on the food.
I was highly impressed by the huge amount of meat that was on my lunch sandwich. Of course I finished it all, but I couldn't get through the generous portion of potato salad.
The potato salad was delicious. It was almost like whole sliced baby potatoes with the fixings mixed in. Not too soft and just right. I would say they are the best, but I don't think they top grandma's.
Everyone there seemed to be regulars, so its a relaxed... "how have you been... how are the kids... kind of place." I liked it and will stop in next time I go through NC!
My cousin and I went here after touring the Reynolda mansion when we were visiting relatives. The Village Tavern is located in a shopping center outside the gardens of Reynolda, in which what used to be some of the outbuildings.
We had a great dinner here-sat outside and had a nice meal-fantastic service, and lots of families meeting for Sunday supper. We didn't have much of a wait, which was nice, even though the place was fairly hopping.
We both ordered the special of the day-Shrimp and Grits, which was so full of shrimp that I actually left a few shrimp on my plate. Amazing. The shrimp were sauteed with peppers, garlic, and onions and served over creamy grits. It's my new favorite southern meal-if I had known how good it was, I would have ordered it in every restaurant I went to, to see who had the best!
It was a nice meal, for about fifteen bucks each including iced tea. When I come back in the future for a tour of Old Town Salem, I'm looking forward to eating here again.
I'm a little surprised by the bad reviews here. Nostalgia may bias my opinion, but I can safely say that I haven't had a legitimately bad experience here. They have a wide variety both in terms of food and of cost. It's a little nicer than your standard fare - entrees are generally in the $10-$20 range, but you should by no means expect fine dining. I keep going back to the crab dip, fresh chips, and the shrimp & grits. They've begun to franchise, but this location still has a very local feel. Their staff sticks around, and they remember their repeat customers. Be prepared to wait if you come during peak hours.
Review Source:I agree that the food here is hit-or-miss. Â Some things are tasty, some things are passable. Â They have some good apps- their crab cakes are good, and the handmake cocktail sauce if you ask for it. Â I also like the fresh potato chips.
I usually order the spinach salad or the shrimp and grits for dinner and both are delicious. Â I had another chicken dish there (chicken colorado i think it was called?)... something with cheese and bacon and beans. Â It was only ok.
Its fun to sit out on the patio for drinks, but the food is pricey. Â I'd rather eat at Putters or Bibs.
We ate at the Village Tavern recently due to some nostalgic reasons - it had been a while since we dined, but had fond memories.
I guess our palattes were not as complex the last time we ate at the tavern. Â It was ok, but that's it - nothing to write home about and nothing to really yelp about it.
I came here (the Reynolda location) with a few friends last week, where we dined on their outdoor patio. It was a lovely day but there were, in my estimation, about 100 flies buzzing about inside the patio tent.
The food was average, and was only a step above pub food. Perhaps it was because we were there on a Saturday afternoon? The spring roll appetizer was a strange egg roll concoction with an assortment of mayonnaise-y sauces. The burgers looked good but not extraordinarily fresh or delicious.
Our server, while quite friendly, clearly had too many tables to wait. Some of the staffers seemed irritated to be there. Overall, the ambiance reminded me of a sports bar pretending to be a restaurant.
I do not see the draw to this restaurant, personally. I think I might have to try it once more to be sure. Perhaps it is my growing frustration with the number of "modern Southern" restaurants in Winston-Salem.
This place is pretty decent. Â It's somewhere way below fine dining but certainly a couple steps up from typical bar grub. Â The food is very simple, but usually pretty good. Â At this location, I've had the chicken Colorado which was decent, but not particularly great - it really could have been better. Â Service was good. Â This location is a bit more out of the way than the one near the mall and feels smaller. Â Having gone to both, I think I actually prefer the other one. Â Still, it's a chain so it's pretty much the same at either place. Â
2.5
Probably my favorite restaurant in Winston-Salem. It's one of the better places that's right near campus too. The food is generally good, if pretty standard fare. But that doesn't mean it's not good. My personal favorite thing there, which I order EVERY time, is the Wedge of Iceberg salad- which is a wedge of iceberg lettuce with bleu cheese dressing and diced tomatoes. It's one of the best things I've had to eat... ever.
The entrees have proven to be good as well. I've had the Chicken Colorado twice and it's pretty good. If you come here though, bring your appetite because the portions are very big. I don't recommend it for a light lunch or dinner but if you, instead, want a big and hearty meal.
But this is definitely one of the best places to eat in all of Winston-Salem. I haven't been to the other location but I'll have to check that one out too. But the Reynolda Village location has earned very high marks in my book.
One of the better restaurants in Winston-Salem, which I suppose doesn't really say much. Â The food here is pretty typical fare for a slightly upscale restaurant and bar. Â Good steaks. Â This review is specifically for the Reynolda Village location, which I enjoy more than the VT near Hanes Mall (better atmosphere and better prepared food, IMO).
Review Source:When I was a student I went here all the time, more times than I can count! The service is always friendly, and yes there will be a long wait on the weekends, but it's worth it. If the weather is nice try and sit outdoors. The burgers, Deacon club sandwich, steaks and mexican salad are all very good. But the real reason I used to come here was to get the potato chips served with ranch dressing, seriously they are addicting.
I would have given the Village Tavern 5 stars except the Maryland crab cake is not in fact Maryland style (it's breaded and has a lot of filler). I was raised on MD crab cakes and their version is bleccccch.
A nice experience - a bit hard to find in the dark since it's in a village, we ended up just parking and hiking up a hill to go through the back of Village Tavern.  We were seated outside in the tent with warmers since the place was so packed (we showed up at 9pm on a Wednesday night) and started off with some glasses of wine (the waitress  convinced me to try their North Carolina winery) which was decent enough.
For food, I split the crab cake which was pretty decent - it had this miso dressing which was different but good. Â She ordered the fish daily special and said that it was a bit spicy but good. Â I had the 6 oz. filet which was mediocre (well, compared to my Chicago meats) and the side salad, I had their miso dressing again which I liked.
Overall, a decent experience - I didn't like being out in the tent though - my feet got cold and there were flies around us and our food that we kept on shooing away. Â But, friendly service and good food.
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I make it a point to drive down to Winston Salem every year and eat here. The food is amazing - I espeically LOVE the crab dip. The service? Top notch! Everybody is so incredibly nice and welcoming. It may be packed from time to time but they also have heated seating outside. I highly recommend this place.
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