A unique, fresh, and always tasty dining experience. Cocktails are sublime and everything on the menu is well thought out and delicious. Great atmosphere and service staff only add to the delight of dining at this fine establishment. One of Dayton's best bets!
(5)
Zeeshan S.
Great to have a new vibe in Dayton! Meadowlark is a fantastic spot to grab breakfast lunch or brunch with a refreshing menu and wonderful choices. We tried to Huevos Rancheros which were awesome! The ranchero sauce was perfect. The praline French toast were also excellent and different while being made with a French bread. We also tried the Japanese omelette with the Bulldog sauce. The sauce was really good, but the fried rice it came with was a bit salty for my taste. This is definitely a gem for the Dayton area and I can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu!
(4)
Karen D.
Last Saturday I caught up with dear friends at Meadowlark for lunch, a sign of a good restaurant is a full parking lot, all of the spaces nearby were full & people were circling around trying to find a spot. I love the artwork throughout the restaurant, they feature local artist artwork for sale and I was greeted as soon as I walked in, they showed me to the table where my friends were already seated. They had a seasonal menu as they use fresh local sourced ingredients as well as their regular menu, so much to choose from, we started with the garlic frites to start, which were served warm and full of garlic & came with two great dipping sauces, one ketchup style and second pesto type. I selected the lemon grilled chicken sandwich with red peppers and side salad, friends selected the fish tacos and grilled cheese with basil. Our food arrived in no time, fresh and hot. Amazing smells from all of the dishes, note their portions are large. I really enjoyed my sandwich, but was messy & the bread somewhat too chewy, as I bit in the chicken and the ingredients oozed out to the side. My friends enjoyed their dishes and the side salad portion was huge, really enough for almost its own dish. Our waitress came by with a dessert menu, but we were stuffed. Good visit to Meadowlark, good food, service, so stop by the next time you're in the Kettering/Centerville area.
(4)
Amanda A.
By far the best place, I've eaten in Dayton! I was in here tonight with my friends for a Mom's Night Out and had a wonderful time. The menu has really great quality food with unexpected twists. With it being a Wednesday night and having reservations we didn't have to wait so I would suggest coming on an off night if you can. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive as was the other staff helping her. Most of my group ordered the Grilled Hanger Steak with Barrel-aged Worcestershire Butter. It comes with a fresh vegetable and small yukon potatoes. The whole meal was to die for! I really wish I had taken a picture beforehand. The steak was cooked perfectly and so tender. I did find they need to invest in better steak knifes, but I managed with what I had. The steak is rubbed with spices, grilled, sliced and slathered with a spoonful of a steak butter made with an incredible, barrel-aged Worcestershire sauce. You can buy it locally at Dorothy Lane Market. It was easily the best steak I've ever had. The potatoes are roasted beautifully and were so good, easily some of the best potatoes I've ever had. The fresh vegetable was broccolini and as everything else cooked to perfection. Someone did order the chopped salad with steak and the tomato basil soup, she loved it and thought it was great. We of course had to order dessert after looking at the menu. The four of us each order one of the four seasonal desserts they offered. I ordered their Beachcomber Pie, which was basically a key lime pie, but it was delicious as well. The other three desserts were cheesecake, blueberry crisps, and an Ohio Apricot Trifle. They all raved about their desserts as well. Overall, this was a great place to try for Moms Night Out! The food was out of the this world and the service was fantastic! Can't wait to come back!
(5)
Benjamin B.
Very good. Consistently one of my top choices in Dayton. I've been to Meadowlark a number of times over the years. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner... I feel like I've got a good beat on what they're about, and what to expect. The closest comparison I could make in the are would be the Winds Cafe, which makes sense given the chef's involvement in that restaurant. The interior is colorful, fairly bright (more so than I would care for at dinner), and decorated with a rotating set of local artwork. The wall next to and behind the bar is painted in chalkboard paint and someone does some rather skillful illustrations in addition to the drink specials that are posted there. It's very relaxed, not pretentious, and to my delight their chosen music could quite easily just be a playlist from my own iTunes library. There are several menus to look at... in fact, there are way too many menus to look at. Just reading through them takes 10 minutes and creates a bit of confusion about how to move forward. Once you do it it sorted out, you'll find that this is the fresh flavors and fresh ingredients prepared fairly simply, but well sort of restaurant. Lots of vegetarian options, plenty of seafood options, and lots of local farms or nationally known producers like Pat LaFrieda. Focus is on quality rather than quantity. Most recently I had a Swordfish steak and my date had Salmon Picatta. Both were cooked perfectly, the sauces weren't overwhelming or overly acidic, and the vegetables paired were just as flavorful as the main proteins. The wine list is full of bottles you won't find at a grocery store or basic wine shop. Focus here seems to be on food pairing. I couldn't find a bottle on the list I wouldn't drink happily, which is unusual for me. The cocktails list has creative cocktails featuring an assortment of bitters, shrubs, less common liquors and mixers. The cocktails I've had here were delicious. Most recently it was a Bittersweet Caroline, which was a grapefruit cocktail with a bitter finish that cut everything just perfectly. All in all I'd highly recommend this restaurant. Every experience I've had has been consistent, the food excellent, and the service quite good.
(4)
Josie B.
Just had lunch here and enjoyed the entire experience! Atmosphere, service, and food were all excellent. We both started with the homemade mushroom soup and entrees were fish tacos for me and the shaved beef sandwich for my husband. We splurged on dessert, since it was our first visit to Meadowlark, and didn't regret it. I had the crack cake and husband had a coconut, dark chocolate combo. Both wonderful! We will be back.
(5)
Kate S.
Five stars without hesitation! Farm to table and delicious!
(5)
Jonathan N.
This is quality food, inside or outside of Dayton. I'm from Houston and was visiting because of work, and my co-worker and I went here on a Thursday. Loved the atmosphere and the food was delicious.
(4)
Jeff G.
A lot of Dayton area people rave about this place. My brother is in town and he is vegan so this was an option for him. They had one vegan option on the menu, they had another dish they could convert to vegan, and the server said "theirs always salad" haha It was not crowded at all which was the first surprise. The second surprise was they didn't have enough menus for the four of us. Odd, but not a huge deal. Once it was my turn to look over the menu I liked the selection and the pricing seemed to be reasonable. Our food came out and my brothers vegan dish was covered in cheese, my moms salad had the wrong dressing, and my wife and I appeared to get what we ordered. I got the portobello Patty melt and my wife got the broccoliini grilled cheese. Neither sandwich had much cheese on them. Surprising because one was an actual grilled cheese and the other was a melt. My sandwich was extremely greasy and my wife's had a few pieces of broccoli. We were both disappointed. The other dishes were redone and the feedback was equal to ours. Everyone felt it was just ok. The service was decent except for the errors in the order but she was quick to correct and it was likely a kitchen error more than the server. It's not likely any of us will be breaking the speed limit to rush back anytime soon. I like that it's local, it could have been a very off day, I just didn't experience what others rave about. To each their own I guess.
(3)
Ramya B.
Super quality of food,friendly staff and good ambience highly satisfied..,,, fresh food all the people who serves food are friendly
(5)
Beth S.
Totally over rated, I have been there multiple times And never had a dish that I would like to order again or could recommend. :(
(1)
Jonathan E.
we were delighted with this small gem. it's tucked away from the main road, and for years i had no idea it was there. just about everything we had was great. (possible exception with the greens.) the homemade ketchup is great, as is the lark burger. we'll be back. recommended.
(4)
Glenn W.
This has to be one of the best restaurants in Dayton. The atmosphere is great, and the food is outstanding. The wait staff knows the food and can actually make excellent and helpful suggestions like the caper mayo for the fries. You can tell they this place really cares about providing great local food and a complete dining experience. It's not inexpensive, but you'll not regret spending the extra few dollars here.
(5)
Barb F.
If you want a salad with vegetables go home and make one! The "salad" was 80% shredded cabbage, some iceberg lettuce, carrot strips and terrible service. I've had better at Wendy's!
(2)
Denise D.
It's been a long time since I go to Meadowlark, and they've moved to a new location with much bigger room. Tonight is the first time I eat at their new location. So here it goes! Before I go to a restaurant, I always call first and ask for suggestion on whether or not a reservation is needed or just call ahead. So, it was suggested to me that I should call ahead 30 minutes prior to our arrival. I did, and my girlfriend told me that she arrived early and when she mentioned that we called ahead for a table, the response was "it's not busy, there is no need for call ahead!" OK! Point taken, we were just doing what was suggested!! I just think the response could've been a bit more friendly instead of snobby! Anyways, the menu is brand new but the flavor was epic!! I ordered Crispy fried tofu cutlets with summer vegetable curry. It was excellent. The flavor was well balanced with a hint of spicy from the curry. The golden fried tofu was crispy outside and nice & firm inside. I had one small bite of my girlfriend's Roast chicken thighs with Jamaican sweet spices. On the chicken were two small strips of caramelized banana. You probably think that won't taste good, but to our surprise, it was a perfect match!! The food was so good that we "cleaned" our plate. For dessert, we shared the buttermilk chocolate cake! It's so moist and very light - with light drizzle of caramel, which complete this dessert perfectly. Overall it was what I expected as how they've done at their old location - their own signature flavor, which is something you have to experience.
(4)
Jim S.
This place is incredible! The lark burger was fantastic and so was the tomato soup. Their ketchup..wowzers! Yum!
(5)
Ashley S.
We came in and sat at the bar for a couple of drinks. We were completely ignored by the bartender. She greeted guests that sat down long after we did. I finally asked if we could order a couple of drinks and she rudely said "Well, you can... in a couple of minutes.". I looked at her and she ended up taking our order but when my mom ordered she sneered and goes "Oh that's easy! Uh huh..mmm". She took my order, sat my mom's wine down without saying a word and never brought my drink. We walked out. This was our first time at Meadowlark and we will never be back. Attitude goes a long way. We ended up getting drinks at Carmel's... very pleasant experience.
(1)
Hannah M.
After having a negative experience here with a large group of Family members I felt it's imperative to come on here to say how impressed I was with their efforts to make it right. And they did definitely make it right. I absolutely believe they addressed the issues with myself as well as their staff with which I had a complaint. I was disappointed but feel confident this wouldn't happen again. I will go back again, and I can't say anything bad about the quality and taste of the food.
(4)
Carrie C.
We were here the last weekend in January for my gramma's 80th birthday. There were 15 adults (age 30-80) and 5 kids (age 10 mos - 11 years). It was wonderful. We made the reservation about a month ahead of time, so we were able to reserve their private dining room. This was perfect because we had toddlers running all over the place and didn't have to stress to try to keep them quiet in a chair. Our waitress was wonderful and very patient. We have some very picky eaters in our group (I'm talking about the adults), and everyone was very happy with their meals. We had some great drinks, too. My recommendations from the night are the hanger steak and the cosmopolitan. I would definitely go back again, especially if I had a large group.
(5)
Louisa E.
Delicious lunch and great service! I had the hoppin' john over brown rice with pepper vinegar and hot sauce and it was great! Spiced perfectly especially with the sauces. My coworker had the lark burger which he said was great and had a nice red wine flavor. Our other coworker had the vegan version of the Thai noodle salad. That came out without the sauce on the side but when he got that he said it was good. Overall a great experience. Lots of options for vegan, vegan, gluten free and meat eaters!
(4)
Lindsay K.
Waited over 45 minutes for our food and they brought us the wrong meals. They took them away with no explanation of what happened. Overall service is horrible. Food just ok.
Positives: The food today was great. We started with a chilled roasted beet and dill soup. It was so delicious and refreshing. I can't recall having a better soup. We also had the garlic fries, which had a nice garlicky flavor and came with two nice homemade sauces. The fries were crisp and better than last time. I then had the fish tacos. They had a nice flavor, though I didn't enjoy them as much as the sandwiches I've had so far. For desert we had the dark chocolate Mexican pudding. It was rich, but not too sweet. I thought they combined the chiles and cinnamon well, so it hit those notes without overpowering the chocolate. Our server was great too. I need to get his name next time. We've had him twice. And each time he's been engaging and spot on with his service. We took our kids this time. They both enjoyed the kids' grilled cheese. Good quality bread and cheese toasted well for the right crunch and only $6 each. Negatives: None really. The greens that came with the tacos on the side weren't anything to get excited about, but were fine. Conclusion: Highly recommend for lunch. We need to make it there for dinner sometime.
(5)
Debbe T.
I have now been here twice. I liked this place alright the first time but at the time, it didn't stand out. Maybe because it was over the holidays and it was crowded. Both visits have been on Saturday afternoons. Today's visit was outstanding. We were seated promptly and greeted by our server, Ryan, within less than 5 minutes. I had my usual Cosmo and was impressed that they had a detailed description of its contents on the menu and doubly impressed that they use Cointreau instead of some other lesser orange liqueur. Ryan was very knowledgeable about their wine selections. He recommended a Pinot Noir for my husband which turned out to be amazing for a young (2012) California region wine. Our meals arrived. I ordered off the lunch menu which featured a cream cheese, pecan enchilada. The combination had me intrigued. It was served with fresh greens and a very light vinaigrette and rice. It was delicious. My husband had the tomato bisque and a grilled cheese sandwich that had grilled onions. I had a taste of both and thought they were flavorful. My entree was not huge so there was room for dessert and their menu had some interesting things to choose from but I decided to forgo the extra calories and settled for a cup of black coffee. One of the most notable things about Meadowlark's is the decor. I would put in the trendy category. The tables are well-spaced apart and the walls are decorated with what I assume is a local artist's paintings that have an impressionistic look to them and they are for sale. But not cheap. You would never guess from the rather plain outside that such a charming restaurant was inside.
(5)
Lin G.
While in Dayton visiting family, I was beginning to lose hope of finding a great dining experience. Then I found Meadowlark. The food is fantastic, and the ambience is relaxed but hip. For lunch, my husband and I both ordered from the list of daily specials. He had a phenomenal fried eggplant sandwich, and I had a wonderful grilled pub cheese sandwich. As a side, we both got fries, which were spiced with a hint of curry (unusual but delicious and strangely addictive) and served with Meadowlark's delicious house made ketchup. The service was consistent but not intrusive. Full disclosure: I wrote the above in 2012 (!!!), but never published it. We've been back many times since. In fact, we've gone for dinner one night and then breakfast the next morning. Love this place!
(4)
Johanna A.
Great Sunday brunch. I'm a New Yorker so I am very picky but I had the eggs ranchero and my bf had the buttermilk soaked pancakes. This was probably the best mimosa I've ever had. Fresh squeezed oj and champagne. Loved this brunch my favorite in Ohio so far. Guess if you compare it to NYC it's not expensive but compared to Ohio guess eggs and pancakes with champagne 4 glasses shouldn't cost $58 but it was worth it. Nice and clean and great food not a franchise, just fresh home cooking wins me over.
(4)
Michelle L.
Nice atmosphere, plenty of options (including vegan), knowledgable and friendly waitress, yummy food! A little on the pricey side but not outrageous.
(4)
Gary W.
We came in for a late lunch. The staff was very friendly and helpful as this was our first time. I ordered a chopped salad with steak and my wife ordered a chicken salad sandwich. Both were excellent. We will be coming back for dinner or brunch.
(5)
Julie E.
Eating here tonight is amazing! The smoked trout Brandade appetizer is worth the trip. Get it before it's gone - to die for. Really.
(5)
Doug S.
Very nice dining experience. We had a groupon which made it sweeter and they treated us great. Food was most Bueno! Trout was delicious. Pork tenderloin also delicious.
(4)
Jen H.
The food is worth the wait. They make everything to order. They have the best brunch in town. They use great ingredients using local producers like DLM. The pasta carbonara and huevos rancheros are sure winners.
(5)
Matt G.
Another great evening at Meadowlark! Love Luke behind the bar, you have to try his "Rosemary's Baby" drink, amazing! We had a special (fish & shrimp with grits)... The mahimahi with the shrimp and grits worked fabulously together. Why go anywhere else?
(5)
Carleen T.
We decided to come here to celebrate pur 25th anniversary. Told the host we would like a "special" table and he replied" they're all special". We certainly enjoyed the tiny table for 2 right by the lovely fire extinguisher on the wall- but we were in the patio room. Our waitress was nice enough but when we shared our news- no big deal. She couldn't have cared less. Not asking for special treatment but did expect some enthusiasm! My husband ordered the salad with grilled salmon. Salmon was the thin tail-end and 1/2 of the thickness was the gray fishier meat. Salmon also over-cooked. Terribly disappointing and had she checked back- he could have explained why he didn't eat much of it. I ordered the risoto which was good but nothing that would make me want to order it again. I noticed a woman stopping at most of the tables around us but not ours. Hmmmm. Guess you have to be a regular for any type of special attention. We found this place to be snooty and full of themselves. Overall, we were rather disappointed that we chose to celebrate a very special occasion here. We enjoy dining out but won't be back.
(1)
Jennifer H.
I still really like this place but they just don't have enough vegetarian options and specials so we don't go as much. The meat/fish- and NO fish is not a vegetarian option switch out much more frequently. I am tired of getting the ricotta tacos every time. More veggie variety (and not just boring played out risotto or mushroom dishes- blech!!!)! Still the best fries around :)
(4)
Jared K.
I love this place. Can't beat it in the Dayton area. Great food, great people. Awesome for Sunday brunch. Try the granola.
(5)
Ravi C.
Really good and small but good craft beer selection. Nice open bar seating, too and very friendly staff.
(5)
Mark W.
One of the area's best! Wonderful fresh, home-made food, local when possible. Great for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Also very kid friendly. We have never had a bad dish here. I highly recommend checking it out.
I really like this place. Every time i come they seem to have new art on the wall. So not only do you get fresh food, but you get an art show as well. I had the lark burger and I can honestly say that it stands and a category all by itself. I really have not had anything quite like it. I liked so much that I have been stopping by every several weeks because I get a hankering for one. I will say that every time I am there they are super busy and there might be some wait time on getting the food out, but it doesn't bother me that much.
(5)
Nancy H.
I have mixed feelings about Meadowlark but yesterday was only my third visit since it opened. Think the acoustics have improved since my first visit, and the bar looked inviting for evening cocktails. I had lunch and ordered a glass of Kris Pinot Grigio. Kris is an ordinary inexpensive wine, so I couldn't believe that the charge was $7.50 for something that I only drank half of because of the unpleasant taste. It is disappointing that restaurants are over-charging for wine because it is so popular. Ordered the portobello sandwich which, to my palate, was greasy, but I enjoyed the accompanying salad. Think that the meat and other food is well prepared and unusual, so will return sometime and avoid the wine and portobello.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Mike S.
A unique, fresh, and always tasty dining experience. Cocktails are sublime and everything on the menu is well thought out and delicious. Great atmosphere and service staff only add to the delight of dining at this fine establishment. One of Dayton's best bets!
(5)Zeeshan S.
Great to have a new vibe in Dayton! Meadowlark is a fantastic spot to grab breakfast lunch or brunch with a refreshing menu and wonderful choices. We tried to Huevos Rancheros which were awesome! The ranchero sauce was perfect. The praline French toast were also excellent and different while being made with a French bread. We also tried the Japanese omelette with the Bulldog sauce. The sauce was really good, but the fried rice it came with was a bit salty for my taste. This is definitely a gem for the Dayton area and I can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu!
(4)Karen D.
Last Saturday I caught up with dear friends at Meadowlark for lunch, a sign of a good restaurant is a full parking lot, all of the spaces nearby were full & people were circling around trying to find a spot. I love the artwork throughout the restaurant, they feature local artist artwork for sale and I was greeted as soon as I walked in, they showed me to the table where my friends were already seated. They had a seasonal menu as they use fresh local sourced ingredients as well as their regular menu, so much to choose from, we started with the garlic frites to start, which were served warm and full of garlic & came with two great dipping sauces, one ketchup style and second pesto type. I selected the lemon grilled chicken sandwich with red peppers and side salad, friends selected the fish tacos and grilled cheese with basil. Our food arrived in no time, fresh and hot. Amazing smells from all of the dishes, note their portions are large. I really enjoyed my sandwich, but was messy & the bread somewhat too chewy, as I bit in the chicken and the ingredients oozed out to the side. My friends enjoyed their dishes and the side salad portion was huge, really enough for almost its own dish. Our waitress came by with a dessert menu, but we were stuffed. Good visit to Meadowlark, good food, service, so stop by the next time you're in the Kettering/Centerville area.
(4)Amanda A.
By far the best place, I've eaten in Dayton! I was in here tonight with my friends for a Mom's Night Out and had a wonderful time. The menu has really great quality food with unexpected twists. With it being a Wednesday night and having reservations we didn't have to wait so I would suggest coming on an off night if you can. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive as was the other staff helping her. Most of my group ordered the Grilled Hanger Steak with Barrel-aged Worcestershire Butter. It comes with a fresh vegetable and small yukon potatoes. The whole meal was to die for! I really wish I had taken a picture beforehand. The steak was cooked perfectly and so tender. I did find they need to invest in better steak knifes, but I managed with what I had. The steak is rubbed with spices, grilled, sliced and slathered with a spoonful of a steak butter made with an incredible, barrel-aged Worcestershire sauce. You can buy it locally at Dorothy Lane Market. It was easily the best steak I've ever had. The potatoes are roasted beautifully and were so good, easily some of the best potatoes I've ever had. The fresh vegetable was broccolini and as everything else cooked to perfection. Someone did order the chopped salad with steak and the tomato basil soup, she loved it and thought it was great. We of course had to order dessert after looking at the menu. The four of us each order one of the four seasonal desserts they offered. I ordered their Beachcomber Pie, which was basically a key lime pie, but it was delicious as well. The other three desserts were cheesecake, blueberry crisps, and an Ohio Apricot Trifle. They all raved about their desserts as well. Overall, this was a great place to try for Moms Night Out! The food was out of the this world and the service was fantastic! Can't wait to come back!
(5)Benjamin B.
Very good. Consistently one of my top choices in Dayton. I've been to Meadowlark a number of times over the years. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner... I feel like I've got a good beat on what they're about, and what to expect. The closest comparison I could make in the are would be the Winds Cafe, which makes sense given the chef's involvement in that restaurant. The interior is colorful, fairly bright (more so than I would care for at dinner), and decorated with a rotating set of local artwork. The wall next to and behind the bar is painted in chalkboard paint and someone does some rather skillful illustrations in addition to the drink specials that are posted there. It's very relaxed, not pretentious, and to my delight their chosen music could quite easily just be a playlist from my own iTunes library. There are several menus to look at... in fact, there are way too many menus to look at. Just reading through them takes 10 minutes and creates a bit of confusion about how to move forward. Once you do it it sorted out, you'll find that this is the fresh flavors and fresh ingredients prepared fairly simply, but well sort of restaurant. Lots of vegetarian options, plenty of seafood options, and lots of local farms or nationally known producers like Pat LaFrieda. Focus is on quality rather than quantity. Most recently I had a Swordfish steak and my date had Salmon Picatta. Both were cooked perfectly, the sauces weren't overwhelming or overly acidic, and the vegetables paired were just as flavorful as the main proteins. The wine list is full of bottles you won't find at a grocery store or basic wine shop. Focus here seems to be on food pairing. I couldn't find a bottle on the list I wouldn't drink happily, which is unusual for me. The cocktails list has creative cocktails featuring an assortment of bitters, shrubs, less common liquors and mixers. The cocktails I've had here were delicious. Most recently it was a Bittersweet Caroline, which was a grapefruit cocktail with a bitter finish that cut everything just perfectly. All in all I'd highly recommend this restaurant. Every experience I've had has been consistent, the food excellent, and the service quite good.
(4)Josie B.
Just had lunch here and enjoyed the entire experience! Atmosphere, service, and food were all excellent. We both started with the homemade mushroom soup and entrees were fish tacos for me and the shaved beef sandwich for my husband. We splurged on dessert, since it was our first visit to Meadowlark, and didn't regret it. I had the crack cake and husband had a coconut, dark chocolate combo. Both wonderful! We will be back.
(5)Kate S.
Five stars without hesitation! Farm to table and delicious!
(5)Jonathan N.
This is quality food, inside or outside of Dayton. I'm from Houston and was visiting because of work, and my co-worker and I went here on a Thursday. Loved the atmosphere and the food was delicious.
(4)Jeff G.
A lot of Dayton area people rave about this place. My brother is in town and he is vegan so this was an option for him. They had one vegan option on the menu, they had another dish they could convert to vegan, and the server said "theirs always salad" haha It was not crowded at all which was the first surprise. The second surprise was they didn't have enough menus for the four of us. Odd, but not a huge deal. Once it was my turn to look over the menu I liked the selection and the pricing seemed to be reasonable. Our food came out and my brothers vegan dish was covered in cheese, my moms salad had the wrong dressing, and my wife and I appeared to get what we ordered. I got the portobello Patty melt and my wife got the broccoliini grilled cheese. Neither sandwich had much cheese on them. Surprising because one was an actual grilled cheese and the other was a melt. My sandwich was extremely greasy and my wife's had a few pieces of broccoli. We were both disappointed. The other dishes were redone and the feedback was equal to ours. Everyone felt it was just ok. The service was decent except for the errors in the order but she was quick to correct and it was likely a kitchen error more than the server. It's not likely any of us will be breaking the speed limit to rush back anytime soon. I like that it's local, it could have been a very off day, I just didn't experience what others rave about. To each their own I guess.
(3)Ramya B.
Super quality of food,friendly staff and good ambience highly satisfied..,,, fresh food all the people who serves food are friendly
(5)Beth S.
Totally over rated, I have been there multiple times And never had a dish that I would like to order again or could recommend. :(
(1)Jonathan E.
we were delighted with this small gem. it's tucked away from the main road, and for years i had no idea it was there. just about everything we had was great. (possible exception with the greens.) the homemade ketchup is great, as is the lark burger. we'll be back. recommended.
(4)Glenn W.
This has to be one of the best restaurants in Dayton. The atmosphere is great, and the food is outstanding. The wait staff knows the food and can actually make excellent and helpful suggestions like the caper mayo for the fries. You can tell they this place really cares about providing great local food and a complete dining experience. It's not inexpensive, but you'll not regret spending the extra few dollars here.
(5)Barb F.
If you want a salad with vegetables go home and make one! The "salad" was 80% shredded cabbage, some iceberg lettuce, carrot strips and terrible service. I've had better at Wendy's!
(2)Denise D.
It's been a long time since I go to Meadowlark, and they've moved to a new location with much bigger room. Tonight is the first time I eat at their new location. So here it goes! Before I go to a restaurant, I always call first and ask for suggestion on whether or not a reservation is needed or just call ahead. So, it was suggested to me that I should call ahead 30 minutes prior to our arrival. I did, and my girlfriend told me that she arrived early and when she mentioned that we called ahead for a table, the response was "it's not busy, there is no need for call ahead!" OK! Point taken, we were just doing what was suggested!! I just think the response could've been a bit more friendly instead of snobby! Anyways, the menu is brand new but the flavor was epic!! I ordered Crispy fried tofu cutlets with summer vegetable curry. It was excellent. The flavor was well balanced with a hint of spicy from the curry. The golden fried tofu was crispy outside and nice & firm inside. I had one small bite of my girlfriend's Roast chicken thighs with Jamaican sweet spices. On the chicken were two small strips of caramelized banana. You probably think that won't taste good, but to our surprise, it was a perfect match!! The food was so good that we "cleaned" our plate. For dessert, we shared the buttermilk chocolate cake! It's so moist and very light - with light drizzle of caramel, which complete this dessert perfectly. Overall it was what I expected as how they've done at their old location - their own signature flavor, which is something you have to experience.
(4)Jim S.
This place is incredible! The lark burger was fantastic and so was the tomato soup. Their ketchup..wowzers! Yum!
(5)Ashley S.
We came in and sat at the bar for a couple of drinks. We were completely ignored by the bartender. She greeted guests that sat down long after we did. I finally asked if we could order a couple of drinks and she rudely said "Well, you can... in a couple of minutes.". I looked at her and she ended up taking our order but when my mom ordered she sneered and goes "Oh that's easy! Uh huh..mmm". She took my order, sat my mom's wine down without saying a word and never brought my drink. We walked out. This was our first time at Meadowlark and we will never be back. Attitude goes a long way. We ended up getting drinks at Carmel's... very pleasant experience.
(1)Hannah M.
After having a negative experience here with a large group of Family members I felt it's imperative to come on here to say how impressed I was with their efforts to make it right. And they did definitely make it right. I absolutely believe they addressed the issues with myself as well as their staff with which I had a complaint. I was disappointed but feel confident this wouldn't happen again. I will go back again, and I can't say anything bad about the quality and taste of the food.
(4)Carrie C.
We were here the last weekend in January for my gramma's 80th birthday. There were 15 adults (age 30-80) and 5 kids (age 10 mos - 11 years). It was wonderful. We made the reservation about a month ahead of time, so we were able to reserve their private dining room. This was perfect because we had toddlers running all over the place and didn't have to stress to try to keep them quiet in a chair. Our waitress was wonderful and very patient. We have some very picky eaters in our group (I'm talking about the adults), and everyone was very happy with their meals. We had some great drinks, too. My recommendations from the night are the hanger steak and the cosmopolitan. I would definitely go back again, especially if I had a large group.
(5)Louisa E.
Delicious lunch and great service! I had the hoppin' john over brown rice with pepper vinegar and hot sauce and it was great! Spiced perfectly especially with the sauces. My coworker had the lark burger which he said was great and had a nice red wine flavor. Our other coworker had the vegan version of the Thai noodle salad. That came out without the sauce on the side but when he got that he said it was good. Overall a great experience. Lots of options for vegan, vegan, gluten free and meat eaters!
(4)Lindsay K.
Waited over 45 minutes for our food and they brought us the wrong meals. They took them away with no explanation of what happened. Overall service is horrible. Food just ok.
(1)Libby V.
This is a inviting little place, and you'll know you love it when you see they sell t-shirts that say "beets, eggplant or kale" which are 3 of my favorite things. But as much as I love the décor and food, they make the best mixed drinks I've ever had....in my entire life. I'm stuck on the cosmos - made with fresh lime juice, homemade cranberry juice, buckeye vodka and fruit in the bottom. So pretty all layered up like that. Loved sitting at the bar to dine and watching them perfect their art with those special drinks...all of which are made with homemade juices and syrups. The Bloody Mary is the prettiest deep purple and is made with beet juice and even spinach juice. Sound awful....even hubby who hates beets was one happy fella sipping this. We were celebrating our 41st Valentines Day together, and we were so happy we didn't even care Mother Nature was dumping on us again. This was worth being out in. I had the Vietnamese Noodle Salad made with chilled rice noodles, thinly-sliced vegetables, hot grilled chicken, and a showering of mint, basil, cilantro and peanuts. Served with the chile/lime juice/fish sauce condiment called nuoc cham - I can't say it but I adore it! This was a wonderful dish and I would highly recommend it. , Hubby had a Lark Burger (isn't that a surprise?) Lark Burger that was seasoned with red wine, coarse salt and fresh rosemary, served on a buttered, toasted kaiser roll with white cheddar, mustard-mayo and lettuce. He inhaled it. We finished up sharing Banana Fritters, drizzled in honey and served with Vanilla Bean ice cream. These are so good they should be illegal. One serving was plenty for two, and there's something so romantic about sharing a dessert. I could have stayed and drank all afternoon, educating myself on their trade secrets behind the bar. But the snow really was getting bad, so sadly we headed home where we arrived safely, and spent another night in front of the fireplace. Screw you Mother Nature, you slipped up and let us out for awhile.
(5)Jei R.
Positives: The food today was great. We started with a chilled roasted beet and dill soup. It was so delicious and refreshing. I can't recall having a better soup. We also had the garlic fries, which had a nice garlicky flavor and came with two nice homemade sauces. The fries were crisp and better than last time. I then had the fish tacos. They had a nice flavor, though I didn't enjoy them as much as the sandwiches I've had so far. For desert we had the dark chocolate Mexican pudding. It was rich, but not too sweet. I thought they combined the chiles and cinnamon well, so it hit those notes without overpowering the chocolate. Our server was great too. I need to get his name next time. We've had him twice. And each time he's been engaging and spot on with his service. We took our kids this time. They both enjoyed the kids' grilled cheese. Good quality bread and cheese toasted well for the right crunch and only $6 each. Negatives: None really. The greens that came with the tacos on the side weren't anything to get excited about, but were fine. Conclusion: Highly recommend for lunch. We need to make it there for dinner sometime.
(5)Debbe T.
I have now been here twice. I liked this place alright the first time but at the time, it didn't stand out. Maybe because it was over the holidays and it was crowded. Both visits have been on Saturday afternoons. Today's visit was outstanding. We were seated promptly and greeted by our server, Ryan, within less than 5 minutes. I had my usual Cosmo and was impressed that they had a detailed description of its contents on the menu and doubly impressed that they use Cointreau instead of some other lesser orange liqueur. Ryan was very knowledgeable about their wine selections. He recommended a Pinot Noir for my husband which turned out to be amazing for a young (2012) California region wine. Our meals arrived. I ordered off the lunch menu which featured a cream cheese, pecan enchilada. The combination had me intrigued. It was served with fresh greens and a very light vinaigrette and rice. It was delicious. My husband had the tomato bisque and a grilled cheese sandwich that had grilled onions. I had a taste of both and thought they were flavorful. My entree was not huge so there was room for dessert and their menu had some interesting things to choose from but I decided to forgo the extra calories and settled for a cup of black coffee. One of the most notable things about Meadowlark's is the decor. I would put in the trendy category. The tables are well-spaced apart and the walls are decorated with what I assume is a local artist's paintings that have an impressionistic look to them and they are for sale. But not cheap. You would never guess from the rather plain outside that such a charming restaurant was inside.
(5)Lin G.
While in Dayton visiting family, I was beginning to lose hope of finding a great dining experience. Then I found Meadowlark. The food is fantastic, and the ambience is relaxed but hip. For lunch, my husband and I both ordered from the list of daily specials. He had a phenomenal fried eggplant sandwich, and I had a wonderful grilled pub cheese sandwich. As a side, we both got fries, which were spiced with a hint of curry (unusual but delicious and strangely addictive) and served with Meadowlark's delicious house made ketchup. The service was consistent but not intrusive. Full disclosure: I wrote the above in 2012 (!!!), but never published it. We've been back many times since. In fact, we've gone for dinner one night and then breakfast the next morning. Love this place!
(4)Johanna A.
Great Sunday brunch. I'm a New Yorker so I am very picky but I had the eggs ranchero and my bf had the buttermilk soaked pancakes. This was probably the best mimosa I've ever had. Fresh squeezed oj and champagne. Loved this brunch my favorite in Ohio so far. Guess if you compare it to NYC it's not expensive but compared to Ohio guess eggs and pancakes with champagne 4 glasses shouldn't cost $58 but it was worth it. Nice and clean and great food not a franchise, just fresh home cooking wins me over.
(4)Michelle L.
Nice atmosphere, plenty of options (including vegan), knowledgable and friendly waitress, yummy food! A little on the pricey side but not outrageous.
(4)Gary W.
We came in for a late lunch. The staff was very friendly and helpful as this was our first time. I ordered a chopped salad with steak and my wife ordered a chicken salad sandwich. Both were excellent. We will be coming back for dinner or brunch.
(5)Julie E.
Eating here tonight is amazing! The smoked trout Brandade appetizer is worth the trip. Get it before it's gone - to die for. Really.
(5)Doug S.
Very nice dining experience. We had a groupon which made it sweeter and they treated us great. Food was most Bueno! Trout was delicious. Pork tenderloin also delicious.
(4)Jen H.
The food is worth the wait. They make everything to order. They have the best brunch in town. They use great ingredients using local producers like DLM. The pasta carbonara and huevos rancheros are sure winners.
(5)Matt G.
Another great evening at Meadowlark! Love Luke behind the bar, you have to try his "Rosemary's Baby" drink, amazing! We had a special (fish & shrimp with grits)... The mahimahi with the shrimp and grits worked fabulously together. Why go anywhere else?
(5)Carleen T.
We decided to come here to celebrate pur 25th anniversary. Told the host we would like a "special" table and he replied" they're all special". We certainly enjoyed the tiny table for 2 right by the lovely fire extinguisher on the wall- but we were in the patio room. Our waitress was nice enough but when we shared our news- no big deal. She couldn't have cared less. Not asking for special treatment but did expect some enthusiasm! My husband ordered the salad with grilled salmon. Salmon was the thin tail-end and 1/2 of the thickness was the gray fishier meat. Salmon also over-cooked. Terribly disappointing and had she checked back- he could have explained why he didn't eat much of it. I ordered the risoto which was good but nothing that would make me want to order it again. I noticed a woman stopping at most of the tables around us but not ours. Hmmmm. Guess you have to be a regular for any type of special attention. We found this place to be snooty and full of themselves. Overall, we were rather disappointed that we chose to celebrate a very special occasion here. We enjoy dining out but won't be back.
(1)Jennifer H.
I still really like this place but they just don't have enough vegetarian options and specials so we don't go as much. The meat/fish- and NO fish is not a vegetarian option switch out much more frequently. I am tired of getting the ricotta tacos every time. More veggie variety (and not just boring played out risotto or mushroom dishes- blech!!!)! Still the best fries around :)
(4)Jared K.
I love this place. Can't beat it in the Dayton area. Great food, great people. Awesome for Sunday brunch. Try the granola.
(5)Ravi C.
Really good and small but good craft beer selection. Nice open bar seating, too and very friendly staff.
(5)Mark W.
One of the area's best! Wonderful fresh, home-made food, local when possible. Great for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Also very kid friendly. We have never had a bad dish here. I highly recommend checking it out.
(5)Patricia B.
We were in Dayton from NYC to celebrate my mother's birthday and were thrilled to discover the Meadowlark. Spectacular food and clever but not pretentious cocktails. I had a gin cocktail with rhubarb purée, rhubarb bitters and lemon-thyme syrup. For dinner I had 2 appetizers: polenta with king oyster mushrooms and pea pancakes with smoked trout, which they served on the same plate, somehow making the dish more special. Everything was superb. Highly recommended place to dine!
(5)Anthony M.
I really like this place. Every time i come they seem to have new art on the wall. So not only do you get fresh food, but you get an art show as well. I had the lark burger and I can honestly say that it stands and a category all by itself. I really have not had anything quite like it. I liked so much that I have been stopping by every several weeks because I get a hankering for one. I will say that every time I am there they are super busy and there might be some wait time on getting the food out, but it doesn't bother me that much.
(5)Nancy H.
I have mixed feelings about Meadowlark but yesterday was only my third visit since it opened. Think the acoustics have improved since my first visit, and the bar looked inviting for evening cocktails. I had lunch and ordered a glass of Kris Pinot Grigio. Kris is an ordinary inexpensive wine, so I couldn't believe that the charge was $7.50 for something that I only drank half of because of the unpleasant taste. It is disappointing that restaurants are over-charging for wine because it is so popular. Ordered the portobello sandwich which, to my palate, was greasy, but I enjoyed the accompanying salad. Think that the meat and other food is well prepared and unusual, so will return sometime and avoid the wine and portobello.
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