4. Restaurants

American Tap Room

1601 Willow Lawn Dr,840, Richmond, VA, 23230
  • (804) 308-9013
  • Store is closed

American Tap Room Menu

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  • Stephanie B.

    Absolutely terrible. To start off, once we got our meals, the sauce that was served to us had clearly been sitting out for quite some time. The surface of the sauce was so hard I couldn't even stick my fork through it. Next a side of peas came with my fish and chips, but the peas were cold. They were so cold it was as if they poured frozen peas from a bag 3 hours ago and neglected to heat them up. Topping it off, there was a huge beetle crawling across my lap/napkin. Even after complaining about the sauce, peas and beetle, we were just offered dessert.... No thank you! After tasting the food I rather not. Never going back!!

    (1)

  • Dave S.

    I've been really surprised by all the negative reviews on this place! I've been there quite a few times and have been pretty well satisfied each time. I don't know why a previous reviewer mentioned the staff is always drunk! I haven't seen any such thing. The hostess and servers have ALWAYS been incredibly friendly and attentive, even at busy times. Their Phoenix dry rub wings are by far the best wings I've had in this city. Everyone I've brought into the restaurant has LOVED them! Their burgers have always been delicious. Last night I was there with three other people. I had a Reuben sandwich. It was a bit soggy through the bread but it was delicious. I could only eat 1/2 the sandwich. the fries were crisp and hot. My only complaint on the fries is that (like some other restaurants) they just bring a tiny bit of ketchup. It would be nice if they brought out more. Someone else in my group had pecan crusted trout and she said it was fantastic. A third person had fish and chips which she said was good, though could have used a bit more seasoning. We shared a lava cake and mint chip ice cream dessert last night and I highly recommend it! Again, I'm surprised at the negative reviews. I'll continue to go there!

    (4)

  • Cowan N.

    Nice beer selection. Food is more expensive than it should. Only sat at the bar and the bartender(matt) on this Wednesday afternoon has to be the loudest and most boisterous in the place. He was louder then anything going on in a relatively quiet restaurant. And I don't give a crap if he is in the solar business, I don't want to hear 30 ft away.

    (2)

  • Steven C.

    We had a rather large party, so I know its a challenge to get service right, but this was bad. This is how things went down, We had two waitresses taking our order, and from the get go things did not seem organized. it took 30min before we got our drinks and another 10 before the waitress came over and told me my drink was unavailable. Some entree orders were taken during drink orders some were not. It seemed like they took orders a quarter of the table at a time, with wait times of 20min inbetween taking orders. Half the entrees had been served, before a waitress even came to take my order. Everyone had finished with their meals before four of us even were served our entrees. No one came by to refill drinks. Also, got chicken and waffles. The breading was crisp, it was fried well. Absolutely no seasoning though so super bland. The waffles were waffles, and it definitely wasnt maple syrup like they said. Probably just regular aunt jemimas syrup.

    (1)

  • Caitrin C.

    We went on a Friday night, around 8:30 after running errands in the area. It was perfectly busy, bustling and happy, but not too crowded. The atmosphere is great. Kind of a modernized, classed up Midwestern 50's steakhouse/lounge type place. (Lower the lights and you can totally envision men in suits with big mustaches smoking cigars and slicing into giant steaks). The service to begin was EXCELLENT. Allison was pleasant and personable and attentive. She was knowledgable and offered suggestions without being pushy or attempting the always irritating up-sell. We each had a beer and the Bavarian pretzels. The pretzels were hot and soft and very delicious. The cheddar ale is served cold (as many people mentioned/complained) but that's proper as it's more like a bar cheese than a dip, which we liked. The honey porter mustard was a total winner also. (Bacon cheddar was too bacon-y and the stone ground mustard was good, but standard). I had a steak sandwich with green beans, my friend had a steak with drunken shrimp. My meal was exceptional! That sandwich melted in my mouth. Warm, soft bread, melty peppery ground steak, sautéed mushrooms and that onion dip- amazing combo. Don't add a thing to this sandwich! My friends steak was super rare, like she enjoys it and is unable to find it so rare elsewhere. The shrimp was ok, but that was made up for with the potatoes and green beans. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner. The beer list extensive with lots of local choices, and only a little pricier than comparable places. The service fell off at the end when Allison left? (We don't really know. She offered is dessert, we asked for a few minutes and about 15 mins later, Bryan was asking is about dessert and we never saw Allison again). It was long waits at the end to pay- but not really a big deal as we were content talking still. Good place for dinner with friends or parents. Hopefully the existence and success of ATR will make Capital Ale House up their standards too.

    (3)

  • JP E.

    Probably the worst meal of my life. Meatloaf was like dense meat steak slathered in BBQ sauce; certainly not glazed. The burger was overcooked (for a second straight trip) , and the server never brought mayo or ranch sides, nor did he bring the beer my wife ordered. I would have asked him for all these except he never checked in after our food was delivered until we were clearly done and rattling around the ice empty water glasses and ready to leave. I'd have been better off throwing $50 into a ravine and then eating a pile of cactus. I'd give one star, but I assume that's reserved for restaurants at which you get murdered. Seriously, don't waste your time.

    (2)

  • Christina O.

    The first time I went, I thoroughly enjoyed the burger, fries, drink, and desert that I had. I went today eager to try the greek burger but, as it seems to be the case in my situations more than enough times, today was a brunch buffet only day. Disappointed I canceled my drink order and went somewhere else. I am sure the brunch was fine I just did not have a taste for what they were serving. I plan to go back when I can order that greek burger. I hear it is really good.

    (4)

  • Angela C.

    Sorry to say I won't be back to this establishment. I wanted to love this place, given the nice patio area. Unfortunately, my friend and I had a horrible experience with our waitress. We arrived hungry and thirsty for an alcoholic beverage. Our beer arrived without issue but our fries (app) took forever to come out. Enough time elapsed that we had both drank our entire beer before any staff walked by. We grabbed the staff member and inquired about our app. A few minutes later ice cold cheese fries arrived. We asked to have a hot order made ( my first time ever sending food back) and we received attitude from the waitress. She then stated she didn't appreciate us talking to her manager (the manager was the staff member walking by that we inquired about our app). The waitress was incredibly rude to us and simply never returned to ask us for another drink etc. My friend and I left out of frustration. We simply walked next door and had a wonderful experience at Travinia. I've never had a staff member lecture me when she is the one providing VERY poor service.

    (1)

  • Maggie P.

    This place is an armpit. They serve beer in cans like what the hell get some class. I think I just saw a roach on the floor. The food was not very good at all and I would never recommend this to anyone. I also think that it was way over priced. The music was super loud and waiters and waitresses had terrible BO. The service was extremely slow. I think I'm going to get salmonella from the chicken that I had. I will never be coming back. Ever.

    (1)

  • Jess B.

    Whitney was very accommodating after we sent a chopped salad back to the kitchen. Apparently, some cooks are better than others...we came late night so I guess we got the new late crew. Don't get the crab omlette. But DO get the grilled chicken tacos.

    (3)

  • Laura P.

    Met friends today and was hesitant since our 1st time was horrible. When we sat at the bar the place reeked of "frat house" beer smell. Ordered wings which were horrendous!! Pretty sure they were from earlier and refried, then doused in a nasty buffalo sauce. Our male bartender was nice but was working too much to cover for the WORST female bartender ever. The female bartender had to have been the most miserable person I've ever met. My boyfriend was looking at the beer listing, which happened to be on the back side of the lunch menu. She came up and abruptly grabbed the menu and took it away because it was a change over from lunch to dinner menus. It took at least 10 more minutes for her to walk around the bar and gather all the remaining lunch menus. Seems like she was never in a hurry until her shift was ending. Never were we offered a new menu, we waited patiently and had to ask another bartender for a new menu, who also had a bad attitude. We were very interested in all the local craft beers, however no one on the staff was knowledgeable of the inventory of beer, nor were we offered to purchase a flight. One of the guys in our party frequents this location and is constantly disappointed that they run out of the same keg beer. Our honest recommendation is: Plenty of other places in RVA have earned their reputation for dedication to their patrons. ATR has failed consistently. P.S. Undercover Boss

    (1)

  • Barrett B.

    Bottomless mimosas were super slow. I expected more on a day when it was not busy in the restaurant. As far as I'm concerned, the more mimosas I drink, the more the server earns in tips. The mimosas were quite delicious, but we had to do a Wolf of Wall Street and tell our server to keep them coming...please don't make a promise you can't keep. Food was great. Thanks for a tasty meal! Just keep up with the mimosa refills, and y'all will be 100%.

    (4)

  • J. DeRon W.

    A great place to go for happy hour. Several food and beer specials to woo you in, however, that is not enough to keep you around. The atmosphere is amazing with the right mix of pub and chic decor. Yea, all of the working hipsters are here, so this place really appeals to me. On top of that they boast that they keep over 100 beers on tap! My date and I sat at the bar and looked over the inciting happy hour menu, great prices and good food. Planning that we would stay through happy hour into dinner, we thought we would pace ourselves and really see why this place was special. Well it turned out, our bartender set our pace for us. By the time I could order a beer and ask about its uniqueness, she was gone! Quick one word answers and her nonchalant attitude really had me perplexed. I would have like to sample some of the offerings I was not familiar with. Maybe her perfectly coiffed blonde hair wasn't flowing correctly or she thought the guys next to me would leave her a bigger tip, may have distracted her from providing all of the wonders the American Tap Room could offer. We tried to order their Burbon Ribeye and Surf and Turf after our apps, but hey, thanks for saving us $60.00! Fortunately, they have a bartender named Marlon. I highly recommend Marlon, due to his knowledge of beers and how to upsell items. He was very conversational and actually took time to discover my preference in hops which led me to discover a very good chocolate IPA and Belgium Wheat. Great pub munchies like the TapTap Shrimp and Thai Chicken Wings prove they're not just average. I'll be back, but I will call ahead to see who is working and who is not!

    (3)

  • Krystle E.

    The beer selection is definitely the only thing that would get me to come back to this place. I was really looking forward to the food. I heard that the chicken and waffles was something to die for. The bartender himself was ranting and raving. Even a few patrons at the bar were talking about it being the best thing on the menu. I was tempted to try. But staying true to myself and not eating fried foods, I did not order, but a person in my party of 12 did. Our server was polite and suggested the best things for us one the menu, she said she had tried everything and you couldn't go wrong with anything you ordered. Which made us all feel pretty good, since this was the first time 11 out of the 12 of us had been to eat here. Some that were looking at the drink menu that got told that the bartender that is working is the best, but the drinks themselves were nothing special. The food all came out at once and correct! I ordered the Crab Omlette which was served with a side of fruit. It was satisfying, but would not come back for it. I thought it would have actual crab meat in it, turned out to be imitation. Cooked well, fruit was OK, just not what I set myself up for prior to coming. My friend who had the chicken and waffle entrée was not very pleased either. He said the flavors were good, but his chicken and waffle were both over cooked. Waffle was extremely hard and so was the chicken. Not something that would make him come back and eat it again either. Overall the service was great, the beer was delicious and the restaurant itself was comfortable, but wouldn't recommend it to any friends to try if they are looking for an amazing experience.

    (2)

  • Wayne H.

    ahhhhh I really wished it to be good. but you know the old saying: wish in one hand, piss in the other and see which fills up first. Taproom would imply an awesome beer selection,wouldn't you think? I think the beer selection at some local restaurants (like Joe's springs to mind) is better. And, you've got to have balls to open a restaurant in this microbrew crazed city, put Tap in your name, and then kinda stink at beer selection and worse- beer knowledge. I'm no beer snob by any means, but that also indicates that I'd need a lot of guidance with selection. Alas, very little guidance to be found here. And the least exciting of all? the food. extremely overpriced for what you get. It's at best almost average, but priced as if it was five stars. Too bad, because I'm really rooting for Willow Lawn to be a fantastic Richmond comeback story... and this restaurant isn't hurting. But, importantly, it certainly isn't helping either. Also, I can't find a reason for any rating above 3 stars, unless for some reason you're sitting at the bar right now already drunk and working on your 4th beer while wearing your rose colored glasses.

    (2)

  • Andrew A.

    I've been here a couple.of time and I've had a great experience. I had been wanting to go for a while to try their Bourbon beer. It was amazing their burgers are great and the calamari is pretty darn good. The staff is very nice here and all in all I've had 3 great experiences here..I love the atmosphere although it get a little rood on Fridays but then again what place doesn't . I totally suggest you trying this place out

    (4)

  • Katie B.

    Way to go American Tap Room, you've got the perfect mix of fun happy hour outdoor setting, and chic comfy restaurant side where I can dine with my family. Two very different atmospheres that are very hard to combine. On this visit we were getting dinner with friends on a Friday after my daughters swim lessons. The staff quickly accommodated our party of 4 that changed to 5. I would highly recommend our waiter, Dean. From the beginning to the end nothing that we asked for was ever an issue and we were a little needy on this night. I got the crab omelet but the tap tap shrimp appetizer is definitely my favorite. I've visited this restaurant a few times and haven't yet found my favorite entree but I really do enjoy the large beer selection and ambience. 5 stars for customer service this time though!

    (5)

  • Niki K.

    This was my first trip to American Taproom. I thought the atmosphere was great for a fun Friday night. The weather was nice so of course the bar patio area was the place to be. On this particular visit I was with some other moms and we had the kids, so, naturally we opted for the dining area! I think a lot of people are afraid to take kids to places like this, but there is a good segregation between the bar and dining area so it was perfect! As far as food, we mainly stuck with the appetizers. I tasted the Maryland Crab Soup and the Tap Tap Shrimp. Both were good but didn't wow me. The shrimp was semi-spicy which I don't mind but also served on a bed of lettuce so that cools your mouth off well if you are not a fan of spicy. Strangeways' Albino Monkey is always a goos choice so I was glad to see it on the menu. I would have to say I would definitely go back. I truly enjoyed the service, especially our waiter Dean! He was friendly, funny, and attentive which is exactly what you need on a Friday night! Next time I will probably try eating something else.

    (4)

  • Matt B.

    8PM, Saturday. No rotating tap list, had to order from waiter's recommendation (tap room?). Recommended beer was cool, but not cold. Ordered a medium burger, it came out well done. Everything took forever since 2 behind the bar employees took their break at once, leaving 1 bartender (again, 8PM, Saturday??). Finally found a rotating tap list. It was old, dirty, and half the beers were crossed off. 1 draft beer and 1 bottle beer came to $15.xx. Nothing special either, just a couple craft beers. Very expensive, especially when nothing was done better than anywhere else.

    (1)

  • Michael K.

    Raw chicken on my grilled salad. Hamburg raw with funky lettuce wrap. No qc in the kitchen worst ever.

    (1)

  • Kathy B.

    We have been here 3 or 4 times and always enjoyed our meal. Tonight was not great. The waitress gave us the beer list and informed us it was very out of date and she didnt have many of the beers on there. No non alcoholic beers available. The crab soup turned out to be a red vegetable soup with a few shreds of crab, and one of us sent it back. Caesar salad sour tasting. It was hot in there and the waitress informed us that the AC was having problems. All service extremely slow. When the bill came we were charged for the soup we sent back and the $5 check-in coupon I got from Yelp was not deducted, so the waitress had to fix that for us. We all agreed we probably wont be back, the quality has really gone down within the past few months.

    (2)

  • Christina D.

    I was a little disappointed because I've heard great things about the American Tap Room locations in northern VA. It was by no means terrible, but it wasn't great. I can see this as a place to go for just drinks if you're in the area-they have a lot of beers to choose from and happy hour from 3-7. The bar is spacious. We decided to try their "Tap Tap" shrimp since it is $6 on Tuesdays. The description reminded me of Bonefish Grill's "Bang Bang" shrimp, and I was excited because that stuff is Delicious (with a capital D), but ATR's tap tap shrimp were disappointing...the shrimp were practically shriveled and it just wasn't tasty. We also got an order of the loaded fries($4), that was decent. Presentation for both dishes was sloppy. Again it wasn't awful, but I've experienced some really great happy hour drinks and food elsewhere for around the same prices.

    (2)

  • Courtney B.

    We stopped by for lunch on a Saturday. Huge mistake...the service was horrible and the food was okay, but pricey for what you get. Shockingly, it seems as though they just don't care about service and making customers enjoy their experience. Too bad as they could do really well at this location.

    (1)

  • Andrea J.

    If you like bar food, you'll be just fine eating here but it you are looking for a nice evening with a great meal, you better head next door to Travinia. The service is consistently slow and scattered. My friends and I went to ATR last Saturday for the UVA vs VT basketball game. Hardly anyone at the bar area and it appeared that there was a change of shifts. It took us about 15 minutes to even get acknowledged that we were sitting there, waiting for service. They have a nice selection of beers on tap but they need to work on their servers and bartenders. Just because there is a change of shift doesn't mean that there won't be any customers in your establishment.

    (2)

  • Johnny H.

    If there was an option for 0 stars that is what this place deserves. Our waitress was clearly under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. She disappeared for about 30 minutes and the manager comes over to re-take our orders. Other wait staff did ok. Then 30 minutes in the orginal strung out waitress comes back and is mouting words and rolling her eyes at her to the point we asked for checks. We were then informed by her that she "doesn't front" and has been "waiting a long time" in an effort to intimidate us I suppose. After 3 attempts the checks are finally right with no discount from the manager or apologies. This place is a joke and I will certainly never return. I advise you all to do the same. If you go, I hope the non fronting career waitress from ATL does not threaten anyone in your group.

    (1)

  • Brian M.

    Was looking for a lunch place in an unknown area of Richmond and happened to come across American taproom. Great spot for a sit down lunch. Had the BLAT (avocado) and it was fresh with great bacon and soft wheat bread. The fries that came along as a side were the best I've had, besting the cheese waffle ones at king street grille in Charleston. The service was outstanding as well. Sharika was personal and professional.

    (5)

  • Wanda F.

    Horrible dining experience! I ordered a hamburger medium rare, it was crunchy well done. I had to ask for a water refill, he stood at the bar talking and never returned! My guests had equally bad meals. My first and last visit, from food to service!! Awful

    (1)

  • Mathew W.

    Extremely overpriced and not filling at all. Very bland. Personal recommendation is to skip or just grab a beer. There is not much excitement here.

    (1)

  • Stacy W.

    My experience at this place was comically bad. A friend and I had never been here and were in the area so we checked it out. Our waiter came over and ran us through all the beers they had on tap, and in bottles, and specialty beers. He ended with "what kind of beer do you usually drink?" I am a milk stout fiend so I replied "I love milk stouts, do you have any milk stouts?" He laughed and said "uh, yeah, we have a lot." This never happens! I said "nice! Which ones?" "Well, we have Guinness." Ok... Not a milk stout, barely a stout. Then he told me they used to have another one, but we're out. So I just got something else. My friend asked if they had Mad Dog, and he told her they had Flying Dog. In no way the same, except they have the word dog in the name. I mean, it was just funny for a place that is all about beer. I think the food is really over priced and subpar, not a lot of selection. Save your money

    (2)

  • Mike F.

    Overpriced and underwhelming.... The service is horrible, servers do not know anything about the product. The crab soup had minimal crab in the salads were WAY overpriced. Tuna salad had three to four thin slices of tuna. And $10 for an average Caesar salad. Ridiculous. Simply just don't go

    (2)

  • Bryce C.

    I really hate giving this place such a low review, but it really is quite terrible. I had high hopes for it when it opened to be a nice neighborhood location for a decent meal, but oh boy was I wrong. The food is your standard New-Southern/bar food mashup that is all around Richmond, but not done nearly as well. It's still a chain at heart and a mediocre one at that. It will never be able to capture the spirit and flavor of other Richmond restaurants while still being family-friendly. When I went I found everything to be incredibly blah and extremely overpriced for a family-friendly chain. I honestly would give the restaurant one star just for the food, but I had a decent server. I cannot ever see myself coming back to this establishment. I can get much better meals at just about any Richmond restaurant.

    (2)

  • Casey T.

    The atmosphere and decoration was really appealing. The smells as we approached the front doors were phenominal. In fact we were not heading here, but it smelled so delicious we came in to try it. Service was great. The host was kind and polite. The waitress and waitress in training were freindly and attentive. I had the half turkey-avocado club and the Manhatten crab soup. It was uhh. One side of the bread was hard, which was okay I just removed it...it saved me a few cals. But once I removed it I saw one slice of avocado. The soup was kind of bland. Added salt and pepper and it was still just okay. I still give it a 4 out of 5 overall. I would try it again. The food was just okay. Nothing memorable. Hopefully the next will be better.

    (4)

  • Jessica M.

    First time at American tap room - not impressed! The atmosphere is nice but that was about it. The food was expensive and not that great. The service was good. I would rather spend my money somewhere else.

    (3)

  • John G.

    Very average, a bit disappointing for the high price. The first three(!) beers I asked for on tap were unavailable. The food was hit and miss. The Buffalo Chicken Dip tasted like something I could have made in my microwave with Tostitos dip. The Fish and Chips were good but doesn't stand up to the comparable (and superior) fare at say, Penny Lane. The Steak Sandwich was a hit, but again, nothing that stands out in a city with comparable (and less expensive) fare on every corner. The portions seemed a bit parsimonious considering the price. The dining hall was nearly empty on a Sunday night, yet our seat was by a window where the sun blinded me during the entire meal. The open kitchen with its' raucous din often broke the ambience of the the dining hall area. The service however, was excellent, otherwise this would have been a 2 star review. Overall, a miss.

    (3)

  • Tre M.

    Not a beer drinker - went for happy hour food... The atmosphere in the bar area was pretty nice. There was a pretty prominent scent of beer hanging around, but i supposed that was to be expected. The food was acceptable for the price. Buffalo Chicken Dip - Pretty good - Could have used more and might be better with small toasted bread or pita slices rather than chips Hot Dog - Eh My only advice to management would be to get a little more help serving in that area when it is busy.

    (3)

  • Jada J.

    I love love love this venue, especially with the big open windows around their bar. I went there for the first time yesterday and ordered the Crab cake entree. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the crab cake was actually in fact crab and not a lot of filler. The french fries were perfectly crisp & I ordered a side of ranch which made them that much more amazing! Oh, and telling from my friends responses and what I saw others ordering, the burgers are a hit with the customers! They have a large beer selection and a small specialty cocktail list. One that caught my eye was called the 'Sidecar' cocktail. Made with Hennessy, Cointreau , & lemons, it sounded like the perfect drink for me! When the waiter brought it out to me I jokingly asked "Where's the rest of my drink?" LOL. I was surprised to see how SMALL the serving was. In my mind a cocktail normally comes in a short or tall glass, filled to the top...but not this one! Wish I would have known before I spent $10 on two sips.

    (3)

  • A.M. D.

    Stopped by for a quick cocktail with my date on a Thursday at 8 pm. The restaurant & bar were both fairly empty. We decided to sit at a high top table in the bar area. After about 5 mins, no one took our order so I went up to the bar and requested a couple vodka tonics. The woman asked what type of vodka I wanted. I said just the "rail" vodka was fine. She then proceeded to rattle off a list of vodka brands (Absolut, Smirnoff, etc.) so I asked, "Are they all the same price?" She grinned and said, "Oh, no." I repeated what I stated earlier... that I wasn't picky and would take whatever vodka was the least expensive. She mixed the drinks in two short glasses and told me the cost was $6.50 each. REALLY?... for a small rail drink... on a Thursday night, no less? $4.50 would have been much more appropriate. I wasn't happy, but I paid & tipped her. Not planning to go back to American Tap Room anytime soon. They have a lot of interesting beer spigots so I suppose if you're a beer drinker, that could be fun. And they do have a Happy Hour that runs until 7 pm, but I don't know what's discounted. Be advised, the bar area smells like a brewery (sort of like spilled beer that's been left on the floor for days). You'll notice it as soon as you walk in.

    (2)

  • Kate R.

    American Tap Room is what you imagine when someone tells you it's a dark, cozy pub. The menu is a bit monstrous in size, but the food I had was pretty good. Spinach salad with chicken. It came with candied pecans and mandarin orange pieces, and unfortunately the dressing was a sweet orange, which only reinforced the overall sweetness of the dish - vinegar based or grapefruit dressing would have been dynamite. It did have (some) goat cheese which for me is always a plus. ( grumble, grumble could've had more) The chicken was fine, cooked properly, but flavor-wise underwhelming. I didn't have a chance to try any beer or wine as I was driving that afternoon. But looking at their selection there were a few beers that did catch my eye, and I would be willing to go back to try something else on the menu and maybe have a delicious beer or 2 or 5....... You never know. :-)

    (3)

  • Kari O.

    So today we came to Willow Lawn for the craft beer fever. When a friend went to the food tent to order something, a managerial employee approached me and asked if I had ever eaten at ATR before. I raved and raved about my previous experience with brunch and how much I loved it, despite the negative yelp reviews. I was subsequently introduced to the chef and another manager - yay, thanks! They were so awesome! Unfortunately, we came in to get out of the sun and to have some big beverages. We started at the outside of the bar due to no seats at the bar (no biggie, they're busy - it was all ok). We moved to the bar a few mins later and a young man stated he had "walked in to a cluster f*ck" when he arrived for shift about 30 mins prior. I sympathized and said "I hate when that happens but y'all have been busy, I'm sure" he responded with "yeah but everyone on the shift before me is incompetent so it happens all the time. I can deal with it when I'm part of it buuuuuut...." I noticed my friend had ordered a flight so I asked the same bartender how the flights work. He said "we have pre-order ones or you can pick your own" great! There's a lot of beers...I don't wanna pick them all, so I said "can I please have a flight of hefeweizen?".....this is where it goes downhill. His response? "Girl do you SEE enough hefeweizen on that menu for me to make you a flight?" Excuse me? Wouldn't it have just been enough to say "I would love to but we only have 1 so let me find you something comparable that you may enjoy!" No. Not at all. I want to love this place. Everyone else was awesome. But TOMMY is the worst bartender I've ever encountered (and I've sure encountered a lot). I'm not sure where they scraped this guy up - but it may be to their benefit to fling him back off. Absolutely the wrong way to treat a customer. Especially one who knows how to tip because they've been in the business. You, Tommy....bring shame to an otherwise good business. It's a very sad thing.

    (1)

  • Navia G.

    Service was top-notch. Food leaves A LOT to be desired. Everything is priced as upscale fare, and the environment is truly beautiful and warm and inviting, but the food just did not deliver. My husband liked his burger and fries alright, but he said it was nothing special. I ordered the pappardelle pasta with mushrooms and mascarpone over a celery root puree and the lack of flavor was astonishing. It took me a long time to decide what to eat because I wasn't impressed with the menu or it's pricepoint. Also, my husband ordered a flight, and I thought the sample size of the 4 beers was much too small. Each sample was probably about 2 oz, served in what was basically a fancy shot glass. While the beer choices were solid, I haven't seen such a small serving size for a flight before. If invited, I would go to have beers with friends, but I would not eat here again.

    (2)

  • Andrew B.

    Gf and I came in for a Sunday afternoon hoping for a couple pints and a snack. Sat on the patio in hopes of enjoying the beautiful afternoon. But the patio gets no sun: that option is out. Anyways we sat at a table in front of the bar. Place didn't seem busy. We waited five minutes. No acknowledgement. Waited a few more. Said fuggit and left. Oh there were some children crawling around on the floor near the bar. So I guess it is kid friendly.

    (1)

  • Ed C.

    I've been a couple times. Its been meh. Food is pricy and uninspired. OK beer menu but no one there knows anything about beer. Nice space nice fixtures nice patio. All these places all kind of blur together in a corporate haze. Capital Ale House is pretty much the same. They really seem to bring the hate out of people but to me its just meh. The I read the comments others leave just for laughs

    (3)

  • Casey Q.

    Scored an invite to their soft open last year (2013), and have been back a few times since. Really enjoy the beer selection, and the food's been pretty darn good. I've seen some other reviewers kvetch about watching sports in the bar - it's not an ideal football viewing place, but then it's not a sports bar. It's a beer haven. Willow Lawn desperately needs some real restaurants, vs. the QSR rodeo that's been there for ... ever. This place is a good start. Hope some others show up soon, too.

    (4)

  • Lisa G.

    Came back to American Tap Room RVA after being invited back by a manager and... my opinion is still the same. Not blown away. Nice atmosphere for Willow Lawn (great patio), great service (this is a step up), and still overpriced food. This time, I got the scallops (3) with sweet potato puree and Brussels sprouts. It was good enough, but a small portion for $21. I'm still hungry. You can't balance that by saying, "Keep in mind, it's just a tap room," and present a $21 entrée that's more like an appetizer. Also kinda lame that happy hour only applies to bar seating :-/ This will not be a regular spot of mine. There are too many other GREAT restaurants in Richmond. Maybe a spot for a drink when in the Willow Lawn area, and I don't feel like driving somewhere else, but that's about it.

    (3)

  • Rob S.

    Ok, I am a fan!!! **Rule #1: No 5-stars on the first go around, PERIOD. I need to visit more in order to try more on the menu in order for this place to EARN my 5th star. Sorry. Now, this was our first visit. We were there for a late lunch and were REALLY hungry. Now, I knew this was a beer establishment, so I already knew what to look for to drink beer-wise, so I was ok there. My wife and I like to order appetizers and also order an entree and split it in or to save money and potentially watch our portion control. We ordered the steak and cheese eggrolls (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! OMG!!!), pretzels with 5 dipping sauces (found out later, you can get 'em sans salt) and for our entree, the meatloaf sandwich. What part of "HOLY **** THIS IS AWESOME!" do you not understand?!?!?! I was NOT disappointed! The food was hearty and delicious. If your order has the option to substitute for onion rings, DO EET!!! DO EET NOU!!! The onion rings are ultra crispy (how I like it), but not heavy! Do you know how rare this is to find?!?! This is the perfect food to soak up the alcohol that you are going imbibe in and believe me, they have a killer beer and wine menu! So, what is your poison?!?! The service was friendly and they looked after ever detail. This place is worth every dime you spend. GO NOU! DO EET! DO EET NOU!

    (4)

  • Erik M.

    I really wanted to like this place but underwhelming is probably the best word to describe this place. The place itself is great. It has good atmosphere and location. I really like the outside patio and the beer list is really good but the food is just ok and the prices are way too high for what they have.

    (2)

  • David H.

    Tried American Tap room a couple of days ago with 2 friends for dinner. Figured with two of my favorite words, Tap and American, I couldn't go wrong. Big mistake. All three of us were unhappy with our meals. The steak had to be sent back because it was dangerously raw. The ahi tacos were tasteless and the chicken pot pie was not worth finishing. On the plus side, the beer selection was great and our server did a good job.

    (2)

  • Ryan M.

    Not a fan. Friend and I went to their Sunday buffet to see what they had to offer. "Bottomless mimosas" are somewhat like 10-12$ for the first one (in a small flute glass) and then .25 cents for every one thereafter. But in our experience, we had to practically jump up and down to flag down out waitress to have refills on the "bottomless" mimosas. It actually got to the point where I asked her to please bring a refill every few minutes. The buffet was ... seriously sub-par. Chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, salads, fried chicken slices, waffle quarters, "stuffed" french toast, prime rib, bacon and sausage, and an omelette station. The stuffed french toast was seriously under cooked and was gooey. Not a pleasant texture what so ever. The prime rib was delicious, and the omelette station was nice, but my two omelettes were SUPER runny, so if that isn't your thing, you might want to check it first. Overall I just wasn't impressed for the 60$ I spent for my friend and I. The atmosphere is nice, and our server was over-the-top friendly, but we had to wait constantly for refills, and the food offered was not good.

    (1)

  • Bo B.

    The taproom has a great atmosphere for beer and apps. I have eaten lunch here a few times and the food has always been top notch. I will caution you about the wings, they are heavily breaded and the flavors are underwhelming. Taproom has the best calamari in Richmond hands down. The bartenders can move a bit slowly at times and a couple are somewhat disengaged but most of the staff is excellent. I have never had a bad experience here. Definitely worth putting in your dining rotation.

    (4)

  • Ashley T.

    The same friend had me come here twice. The second time was for her birthday, so I had to kind of take back my vow to never go there again. :( The first time, my $16 mac and cheese was FAR from $16 delicious. It's not the kind of place I normally go to anyway so I wanted to completely write the place off from existence in my brain. The second time, we had a party of 9 or so for her birthday. She called ahead and reserved a big nice booth. We walked in and her boyfriend said to the THREE guys at the hostess station our name and number in the party. One of them pointed to where our table was. As I was walking 2 feet from him, another one of the guys said fairly loudly: "Ugh! I love how people don't even say hi when they come in. They just walk up and tell you what they want." Wait, isn't the restaurant paying you to say hi and walk people over to our table?! I mean, I'm a firm believer you should be generally friendly and cordial to strangers, but damn dude, that wasn't really called for! I tried my best to skate out of there on the cheap this time, but ended up paying $18 (before tip) for a side of fries, a cup of soup, and a super weak mixed drink. The fries were damn good! If you find yourself in a situation like mine just get a side of fries (or two if you're really hungry), TRUST ME! Our waitress (we had the same one both times) was nice and did an ok job. I hope my vow to not come back is actually solid this time.

    (1)

  • Rob B.

    - Decent food - Bar Tenders poor poor good drinks - Ok for groups 8-12 max - few tvs by the bar if you'd like to watch a game

    (2)

  • Andy E.

    I've been there 3 times because I like the outdoor seating area and I think the beer list is one of the most diverse in the area, but the food is marginal (at best) and the service is absolutely horrible. The last straw yesterday was getting a beer served in a hot glass - like just came out of the dishwasher hot. Unacceptable.

    (2)

  • Don K.

    Worst service. Waited 10 minutes sitting at the bar before bartender even came to me. And this is mid afternoon with maybe 10 people at the bar. Order wings immediately. Had to wait am additional 20 minutes to get the wrong order out. Too many choices in town for me to try this again.

    (1)

  • Tom P.

    Excellent Food, Beverage and Service! I had the pumpkin beer. It was great. All the appetizers were excellent.

    (5)

  • Allison R.

    Came here for dinner as a group of 4. Right away, loved the interior and bustle of the place on a Thursday night. The service started out great - very friendly and attentive - but quickly declined once our order was taken. Our waitress seemed to drift off, and we had to ask for water refills multiple times before one of us final got something to drink. We had the Bavarian pretzel app to start with cheddar ale and spicy mustard to dip. I absolutely love soft pretzels, and this one was delicious, but the cheddar ale sauce was cold which was a bit surprising and less than ideal. For dinner, I had the chopped salad with dressing, and it lacked anything special and was soaked in dressing. My husband had the jambalaya and it was good, but nothing spectacular. Overall, I wanted this place to be so much more! We may go back to see if it is better a second time around, but I think I would rather eat dinner at the Yapple around the corner instead...

    (2)

  • Keith W.

    Great, chill place to come to socialize and grab a beer. Menu is a bit limited, but the food offered is tasty! Reasonable beer prices with a good selection.

    (4)

  • Thomasine S.

    We ate at American Tap House for Easter Brunch. The positives thing about the restaurant was the staff. Everyone was very nice and pleasant. I liked that the place wasn't crowded because you never know when you eat out on holidays. The not so nice things about the Brunch was that it was overpriced and the food was "okay" at best. The selection was very slim given the price. Certain things like waffles should be cooked to order versus cooking ahead of time and putting in a pan. Waffles tend to get cold and hard very quickly. Chicken and waffles are a good addition to any brunch however this meal needs to be done right. Overall, I think the American Tap House is probably good for happy hour but eat before you get there ( or after).

    (2)

  • Chris M.

    Its always one issue or the other. Rude managers, terrible service, over and over and over. Lack of knowledgable bartenders, lack of bartenders all together, and "Managers" that have insulted myself and my friends on more than one occasion. I, nor my friends, will not be back. Plenty of places in RVA that feature craft beer and dont treat their customers like trash.

    (1)

  • Dominic B.

    I went to American Tap Room with my family during March Madness. We watched some basketball games and had a couple of drinks. I like how American Tap Room separates the bar area from where you dine. A portion of the bar area can be opened for fresh air. There's a variety of beers on tap (great selection). There wasn't a cocktail menu but the staff can make most drinks you request. Our cocktails were higher than expected. The bartenders were attentive and polite. Personally, I will stick to beers on tap next time. I liked the lively atmosphere and multiple televisions. I didn't have anything to eat. I would go back for beers and to watch sports. I give American Tap Room RVA a 2.5 rating on my first rounded up to a 3.

    (3)

  • Matt M.

    This review is based solely on my lunch eating experience here. I did check out the bar and the beer list, though partook in neither because it was the middle of the workday. They definitely have potential in both departments.... I ordered the turkey burger. It was Greek style, with a tzatziki sauce, greens, and hummus on it. The hummus and sauce were barely present on the burger. I can excuse a turkey burger for being slightly dry, which this one was, but the accompaniments better be solid. The burger came with a side of a onion, olive, and tomato salad which was okay. The burger with tax came to $13. Not at all worth the price. The restaurant ambiance was nice and comfortable, and our group of seven was very well taken care of. Our waitress was clearly new and had a few problems, but I'm willing to chalk that up to inexperience, plus she was really trying. I'll be back for beer because I love beer and this place is in between my office and my home and also right next door to my gym. Not sure if the food situation is rectifiable and I'm not sure if it is worth trying again given all of the other options in Richmond.

    (2)

  • Gary H.

    Let me start by saying I came in for a reason. I was looking to drink a local brewery's beer that was doing a tap feature/takeover. I sat at the bar. It was happy hour Two stars because of the following reasons: Pros: bartenders are incredibly friendly. They know their beer and talk to you buy name. They always asked how I was doing. The pretzels are good but the dipping sauces (seriously the marshmallow was amazing). At $3 bar happy hour special it awesome. Service was great. Cons: the pretzels are super salty. Beer prices. I had a $34 bill for two 10 oz beers, a flight and two $3 pretzels. Are you kidding me? They don't correctly advertise their special for happy hour which lists $3.50 beers but since their taps rotate daily you need to ask what is on tap. Nope that means you need to ask the special taps. I am not impressed with their beer prices. Lastly, their happy hour menu makes you pay more or just as much on some items. A happy hour burger is $8. But add cheese and bacon that is $10 due to $1 each. However the regular burger? It is 8.50. Overall, not impressed. One foursquare review said go to Sedona. I disagree as I feel both are incredibly overpriced. At least device and quality are good at American Tap.

    (2)

  • Scott H.

    BUSINESS OWNER, if you are wondering why you are hemorrhaging money, it's because YOUR management team SUCKS total ass, the bar service solidifies the management choices you have made. I work across the street and have suffered 4 visits with clients - NEVER, EVER AGAIN. How can you read these reviews and not make changes? Tonight, my experience was the last - I won't be back ever again. The "bartender/waitress" girl, Leanna is the worst employee you could ever have, PERIOD. When we arrived at 4:15 pm, there were 6 people at the bar, this Leanna and the English-ish bartender guy, closed out lunch tabs/tips at the bar for over 8 minutes before they would even begin to lower themselves to serving us. Pitiful fail. When we tried to get Leanna's attention on the service floor, to order another round, she was suddenly hearing-impaired - this bothers me on so many levels, especially because I have hearing problems. When I asked the English-ish guy what her issue was, "deaf or rude" he said, "go with deaf (which I am) tonight." Really? Are you kidding me? Think about the rent - 6 people at the bar, 3 new people come in and can't get served. I can't even begin to explain what a miserable portrayal of your business the bartenders were tonight - if you need to fire them both, I will testify for you. We had two rounds and all bets were off, we headed across the street to MeKong where we were appreciated. I am sure you have heard this over and over again about your piss-poor management team, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. If you had a hidden camera shopper experience tonight at your establishment, you would cut your losses and close down effective immediately.

    (1)

  • Jeff H.

    This review is for lunch. Wow, awesome interior! Black trim, comfy booths. The calamari appetizer was lukewarm (read cold) and over covered with a Thai dipping sauce. Serve it hot and the sauce on the side, guys. The fried chicken salad had nice chunks of fried battered chicken, shredded cheese, cherry tomatoes sliced in half, bacon crumbles and lettuce chopped in square form. I had it with an orange vinaigrette, and it was good. Friend had the Maryland Crab Soup, and enjoyed it, lots of crab, tomato based, veggies, etc. Our server was friendly and attentive. She described items well and was timely. It would be worth while to go back and try the dinner menu. It had some good stuff on it. The beer menu is extensive, with lots of local and regional selections.

    (3)

  • Lynda C.

    Went there with a group of colleagues from work for a hoilday happy hour in December. Got there kinds late , around 11 pm on a Friday. Place was packed!. Bar scence was pretty cool and appetizers were good! The wings were rocking!!! Work close to this place, have been back 10 times already.

    (4)

  • Skip H.

    Go. Drink beer. Everything else is meh. The staff is not craft beer knowledgeable per se, but their beer list is large and diverse. Richmond breweries are represented and they also have international standouts. Nice addition to the craft beer scene in the Willow Lawn area.

    (4)

  • Leslie C.

    We were really hoping that American Tap Room would turn out to be a great neighborhood place which is why we have given it three (yes, three) chances to impress us. Sadly it's been a bust each time. All of the food we have eaten there is either bland or tastes like it just spent 5 minutes in the microwave. Really unimpressive. Did I mention it's pricey? Note to self: you can get a frozen bag meal for $5.99 at Kroger next time and call it a day. The one thing that ATR got right is the atmosphere. The dining room has a very rich feel to it with its large red leather dining chairs and low lighting. Plus it's pretty cool that it is in the old Miller and Rhodes building - a little RVA history for those who are interested. However, it is weird that the bar is in a separate room. I am assuming that is so people can smoke in there, but it really segregates the restaurant and makes it feel choppy. I should also mentioned that our service has been good at each of our visits so no complaints there. All in all this may be a good place if you are just looking to grab drinks and dessert but that's about as far as I would go.

    (2)

  • Rebecca S.

    I have never posted a review before, but felt this time it was necessary. This has got to the WORST restaurant ever!! Went for dinner and ordered the crab omelet ($12.50). It was small, had a very small amount of crab and was open-faced and very DRY. Not good at all. The fruit that came with it appeared to be frozen, not fresh. My friend got the Fried Chicken Salad ($14.25).. There was a very small amount of burnt, dry chicken on the salad. She did not eat but a couple of bites and told the waitress who offered nothing. The waitress came back about 15-20 minutes later and asked if she wanted more chicken to take home. She said no. At the end of the meal, my friend mentioned that the salad was not good and I said it should have never been served with chicken like that. The waitress took $5.00 off her meal. The food was AWFUL and extremely overpriced.

    (1)

  • Danielle W.

    Very nice atmosphere and great service. My husband and I ordered the Phoenix and Buffalo wings and calamari as an appetizer. The calamari was good...lightly breaded and had a sweet flavor. The Phoenix wings were extremely salty...so much that I was unable to finish eating one wing but the buffalo was good. We ordered fish/cod and fries for our meal. Both of us took one bite and it had absolutely no flavor. My husband loved the beer and the selection. He will definitely go back for drinks. We did give feedback to the manager about the food experience. We would not rule out going back to give it another try.

    (3)

  • Victoria F.

    If you're just popping in for a drink, this place is great. If you're eating more than appetizers, I'd skip this place. The pot pie is bland, the osso bucco is salty and chewy. The service is nice, but still not worth the price.

    (2)

  • Ryan W.

    Alright, so I had been to The American Tap Room at Willow Lawn numerous times (probably around ten) since it opened last fall. The first time that I went, I did have a positive experience, but it has gotten consistently worse since then. I was unclear as to why there are so many negative reviews until lately. The staff is drunk, rude and tries to charge exorbitant amounts of money for simple mixed drinks. I went here on Saint Patrick's Day with my girlfriend and some friends and we ordered Irish Car Bombs after being told that the price would be around $7. When we received our bills, we had been charged $12 for each drink, unacceptable. We talked to the bartender with the manager standing just feet away, and we're informed that that was the price and there is nothing that he could do. $12 for a small Irish car bomb? Absurd. Add that to the fact that their "extensive" beer list is usually about half sold out, and that the bartenders are usually drunk and rude, and I will not be coming back here anytime soon. Go here for the bar food and the happy hour beer specials, but otherwise stay away.

    (2)

  • Rvafoodie 8.

    I have had brunch here a few times before making this review. The food and the service here is very hit or miss. But today was the worst service of all. We both ordered brunch and when The food came out the orders were mixed up on both plates. Instead of taking our plates back and remaking our orders we were told to just pick the food off Of each other's plate on to our own plate. the potatoes had no seasoning and taste if this they were cooked before and microwave and just brought out to us. Bacon was overcooked. Nothing on the plate tasted fresh and just made. The only star I give is for the beer.

    (1)

  • Addie B.

    I will start this off with: we left as soon as we were seated. The hostess was a incorrectly programmed computer; personable & aware were not her traits. She quoted a 20 minute wait and after a 35 minute wait, and 3 other parties seated before us (which we thought was because we needed a hair chair, which is totally fine) she called our name, then immediately called someone else...huh? We asked what happened and her response was "oh yeah, sorry guys" to the others and we were seated at a booth that was not able to accomodate a high chair. The response was "umm do you want to wait for a table?" Ummmmm... There are far too many fantastic restaurants with great beer lists to waste time on this place.

    (1)

  • Charlie E.

    First time to go in American Tap. Visiting Richmond from Albuquerque. Sat at the bar on Sunday night. Not very crowded. No one offered to serve us. After 15 min we left and walked next door where we had prompt service and a great meal. Will not return to American Tap.

    (1)

  • Amy S.

    Loved the atmosphere of the bar. What a great place to grab some beers on a warm spring day! The bartender was very friendly and helpful. We had the pretzels, which were average, and I had the turkey burger. The burger was not impressive, especially for the price, but I could see that my friend really enjoyed her salad. I'd definitely go back for the bar experience, and I would probably return to give the menu another shot.

    (4)

  • Anita C.

    Review for lunch only. This seems to be the type of place that takes on a completely different atmosphere at night, so keep that in mind as you read. Friday lunch is generally pretty busy in Richmond, especially when the weather is as gorgeous as it was today. The restaurant seemed fairly full from the street but looks can be deceiving. The place is very large and we barely saw another guest even though there were plenty. There is plenty of seating both in and outdoors, which is good to remember for warmer months. Our service was pleasant and very quick. We ordered a mushroom swiss burger with fries and a crab cake sandwich and fries. Burgers are generally one of the dishes we order to 'test' if we like a new place, especially here in Richmond. The burger was probably the best I have had in Richmond. It was cooked perfectly. I ordered a medium rare burger and it came out 100% medium rare. Right on the nose. The meat was fresh and tasty, seasoned and portioned well. The swiss, mushroom and onion dip combination on top was very well executed. The bun was great - not too small, not too big and it didn't fall apart in my hands. The only thing the burger lacked was salt. Other than that, this is definitely something I would recommend and order again myself. The crab cake sandwich was a total fail. The crab cake itself had the consistency of warm, bone-dry tuna out of a can. It was not really even reminiscent of a crab cake. The flavors that you expect from a crab cake were all sadly missing. It was served on the same bun as the burger, which was still just as good. This sandwich came with the addition of a wilted, sad little tomato slice and side of a remoulade that made it taste even more like tuna than it did already. Trust me when I say that I'm a lover of all the edible creatures from the sea - especially crab. This was a sad attempt. Do not order it. Just don't. The fries were food service twice dipped fries. These are generally the only type of frozen fries that I don't roll my eyes at - I like a crunchy french fry, what can I say? :) The dining room itself was very dark. Honestly, it was too dark for 1:00 in the afternoon. It was so dark that I caught myself feeling tired while I waited for our food to arrive (which was very quick, by the way). The sunlight coming in through the dining room windows was such a contrast to the dim lighting that the glare was almost unbearable. During the day people should be able to see the person across from them at the table. Overall the experience was fine. The burger was outstanding and I'm sure I would go back just for another one. Just stay away from the crab cake. It's really not great. And certainly not worth $15.

    (3)

  • Toshia B.

    Beautiful atmosphere but staff isn't super knowledgable. They didn't get my order correct, and my chicken wasn't cooked all the way through. I feel it was because I was in a large party, so I would like to give them a second try.

    (2)

  • Jennifer H.

    Im not impressed. We ordered the steak and cheese egg rolls and they were just ok. Then I ordered the Truffle Chicken Mac & Cheese and that was very bland, switched to a burger which came out warm...to say the least. Finally I ordered the brownie which was just plain horrible. The cake had no flavor and wasn't warm at all.

    (1)

  • Christopher H.

    If mediocrity is what you're looking for American tap room is just the spot for you. We sat at the bar area on the rail on a recent unseasonable sunny Sunday afternoon in February. We waited a good while for our waitress who seemed uninterested in taking our order or offering basic feedback when asked about menu choices. We settled on the cheese steak egg rolls and a $13 burger. My lady ordered a sprite which was flat and I had a DFH 60 min which tasted off like they needed to clean the tap lines also it was $6 kinda pricey I think . The egg rolls were decent pub fare not great but good. The burger was not good at all stale bun,cold meat and not seasoned. Also it took a good 25 min to arrive The uninterested server popped over after someone else brought our food and asked how things were after I went to the bar to get salt and pepper we told her that the burger was not hot or tasty she looked blankly at us and mumbled she would let a manager know. We sat for 10 minuets waiting on a check when a manager stopped over and asked if everything was ok as I stared at the $13 dollar burger. She offered to take it off the bill which we accepted. The upside was the onion rings hot and crunchy would return for a beer at Happy hour on a sunny day maybe if the lines get cleaned but TJs at the Jefferson is the only burger worth $13

    (2)

  • Roosevelt T.

    Great atmosphere, even better bar! Happy hour is fun and vibrant. Lots of professional types frequent ATR. New life at Willow Lawn!

    (4)

  • PizzaTheHut X.

    All I can say, is that it was a bad experience. I wanted to like this place SO bad because the bar area is cool, and the interior of the dining room is cozy. I wanted this to be a new spot to catch a game, have some food, and drink some beers. No chance. Half of us sat in the bar, and half sat in the dining room to get brunch. It was probably the worst, most unorganized service I have EVER experienced. It took 15 minutes for the drinks to arrive, 10 minutes to get ketchup (after asking 3 times), the bill was completely wrong, the check came with no pen to sign it, it took 10 minutes to find someone with a pen... I felt like I was in one of those reality shows that pays you for each minute you don't lose it on the staff. The brunch was sloppy with food all over the place, spoons for mashed potatoes in the hash browns, omelet toppings spilled in all the dishes. The platters were so small they had to constantly be refilled, causing everyone to stand around waiting. Service at the bar was atrocious. A burger never came, even after asking for it 3 after everyone else's food came. After an hour we just asked them to cancel it. The servers were all so nice, but they really have no idea what is going on. The managers were spending more time refilling the buffet than helping the servers and the guests. This place needs A LOT of work, and the managers need to be retrained so that THEY can train their staff properly. It was a nightmare of an operation. And the food was a 5/10 at best BUT I only had the buffet... The beer selection is very good, but not worth it when you have to deal with that service...

    (2)

  • jason s.

    Slow service, inattentive bartender, expensive food, tiny portions. I'll be shocked if this place lasts a year. I don't understand how an investor pours millions into a business like this and then lets the staff run it into the ground.

    (1)

  • Eric M.

    Terrible service. We sat at the bar, which was mostly empty. Had empty beers more than we had beers at all. The bartenders were just oblivious and paid no attention to us. The beer list was out of date. They had 7-8 beers on the menu that they no longer served. The overpriced BBQ burger was OK. The fries were typical frozen seasoned fries that I could buy at the grocery store.

    (1)

  • Chris T.

    What this place has going for it is location and it's also a beautifully appointed space, broken into a dining room and a front bar. We ate in the former and there is very little to recommend: Overly chatty waitress verbally went through what felt like the whole menu, telling us what SHE particularly liked. No one had asked her. Honestly, aside from burgers there isn't much that's compelling about the menu. I finally chose the hummus, my table mate onion soup. Waitress returned 10 minutes later to tell us they were out of onion soup. More waiting. The hummus arrived, very small portion for $9, accompanied by totally burned pita "crisps." Crisp all right. We'd been waiting for quite awhile by that time so I didn't say anything. While we had just started eating, Chatty Cathy returns and asks us if we want to fill out a questionnaire, if so we each get a $5 gift card. OK, figured it was online. Oh no, we were to fill it out there at the table. Well ok, what's it gonna be, four questions? Try 37 questions, all written in tiny type on a fold out sheet. No, that's really not why we came to this restaurant, crazy as it seems, we came to eat. Long wait to get bill, longer wait to get bill returned and naturally checks were mixed up. This place deserves better service and food. Maybe the bar is the place to be, but I'd definitely avoid the dining room.

    (1)

  • Ms. L.

    A friend and I got there about 8pm on a Saturday night, sat at the bar. Female bartender took our orders pretty quickly. I ordered a pumpkin spice ale which was good. She knew we were ordering food but never came back to check on us and we tried to get her attention to no avail. The bar wasnt even packed. A male bartender noticed us and took our order. I ordered a pretzel and buffalo wings. It took about 30 minutes for food to come out. Male bartender apologized for the wait. When food was brought out he game all the sauces for the pretzel instead of just the two it comes with. It seemed like the food had been sitting because it was lukewarm at best. The pretzel was not soft and the sauces were cold. The buffalo sauce was basically just sitting on the wings. Also the male bartender totally seemed drunk or high or something. Him and the girl were playing around and she is dropping stuff. It was ridiculous. At that point I just wanted to leave. I've gone to the brunch before which was decent but the bar no bueno.

    (1)

  • RP M.

    Super friendly service. Great staff, beautiful place and awesome food! It's been worth the wait. Great outdoor space and extensive beer and wine selection

    (5)

  • Kendall D.

    So many beers to chose from. Get the Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. Unreal. But otherwise not so keen on their food selection.

    (3)

  • Arnold G.

    During my first visit I sat at the bar to order an appetizer. The bar was full and everyone seemed to be watching College Ball on the numerous TVs around the room. The atmosphere was nice, I didn't check out the Restaurant side though. It took a while to get my Phoenix Wings and I was slightly disappointed in them. First they had a Dry-Rub Seasoning and second not hot. When I think of Phoenix I think of "Out from the Fire!", wrong. They didn't even make my nose run. A guy came up to the Bartender voicing how he'd been sitting at the bar for 10 minutes and no one has noticed him. That would be in line with most of the Yelpers but I didn't have that experience. I had 3 people that keep my water full and checking to make sure everything was alright. Even the Manager said, "The Phoenix are my favorite wings but if you don't like them I'll get you something else". I didn't see alot on the Menu that caught my eye but was told the Dinner Menu was better. I thought it was a nice place and satisfied my reason for stopping there. If you like beer this is the place to go. People around me keep getting samples or would discribe what they were looking for and the Bartender would bring them samples of what he thought they were discribing.

    (2)

  • Sam I.

    Great beer selection is all that gets them any stars. Food is awful. Ran out of hamburger buns and gave one of us a burger we nicknamed the "pocket burger" because it looked like it came out of someone's back pocket. All four of us got burgers and none were worth $10-12 should have gone to Five Guys right by there and then come over for drinks only. They were nice enough to comp us a free beer but this is my third visit eating there and don't think I'll do that anymore. They do have a wonderful beer selection with lots of VA brews.

    (1)

  • Michael C.

    Great beer. Mediocre food. Underwhelming service. They only have 2 soups and they brought it out wrong 3 times. Bartenders are more interested in washing glasses then serving guests. First time I have tipped less than 20% in years.

    (1)

  • Brian E.

    I think I ate the blandest cardboard tasting grill chicken sandwich tonight. And nice to wait till I am done with my meal to offer a tea refill. Absolutely no flavor. Had high hopes for this place but yet another chain failure?

    (2)

  • Chelsea W.

    Good atmosphere and great beer selection. Food is not impressive. Best to stick with something easy like the soft pretzels appetizer. Have always had great service though.

    (3)

  • Chelsea F.

    Hostess and Manager service are always awful when I go. The bar is great but they sometimes kick people out for private events...at a bar? Very weird and rude. Also, one day a bunch of co-workers and I went here for lunch and they shooed us away because their computers were down. We received no explanation as to why they could not seat us down and write our orders down....so rude and not sorry for the mishap at all. The only reason I go back is that it is a good location from my work and has good beer on tap. Also, all the food I have ever tried is really good. Hoping that since they are new they will work on their service A LOT!

    (4)

  • Sandra J.

    Pay attention to the negative reviews-went Monday night (7/21/14) "2 for 1" burger night. First-It's Happy Hour time (5:30) so I ask the server about that. Guess what....you have to leave your table in the dining room to go out to the bar then bring it back to your table yourself.Wine by the glass was about $5 for Happy Hour. This takes 10 minutes. It's back to the table...... Next- order the 2 for 1 burger special. Ordered it cooked Medium with mustard, ketchup, onions. Came out raw and cold in the middle; and YES, I actually mean raw. Nothing on it. Wait another 10 minutes to get waitress so I can ask for the mustard, ketchup and onions. Mustard and ketchup arrive, onions do not. Wait 10 more minutes for the onions to come back. IN THE MEANTIME, have to jump up and run back to the bar to get my own beer. ($3.50 for a SMALL if you get one on the list) Wait....wait...finally get my beer....(had to open a tab in the bar too).... then back to my table in the dining room with the cold burger and 10 fries and tiny bit of ketchup. Had to ask for more....10 more minutes pass. HERE'S THE GOOD PART....... On 2 for 1 burger night (even though it is now cold) YOU CAN NOT TAKE the 2nd burger home with you!!! If so, you CAN NOT get the special price and now end up with 2 burgers on your table. Instead of paying $5 (regular price is $10) for the one burger, if you take the 2nd home with you, that one will cost you another $10. You either have to leave it or find someone else to give it to or take someone else with you. Server also advised that the 2 for 1 price has to go on the same check. You can not split the price onto 2 checks. In short....you can get 2 burgers on Monday for $10 but you have to eat them both there and be on the same check. I had to run back and forth from room to room, wait to long for the server to return to correct the items missing from my order, food uncooked, had to track manager down to get a check. WILL NOT GO BACK

    (1)

  • Courtney B.

    Beer selection is great and they have a good happy hour. However, the service is horrible every time we go. We stopped by this afternoon to grab a quick beer at the bar and it took us an hour from start to finish. It has so much potential but the service keeps us from going on a regular basis.

    (3)

  • Shannon G.

    I had high hopes for brunch today. The staff was super amazing and the location is great atmosphere wise. Looks like a fun place for beers. The brunch was pretty lacking for the price of $16.95 a person. There were only a few options and I just expected more, some of the food was great and some had been sitting out for a while.

    (3)

  • Sean M.

    This rating is solely because of their ridiculous beer prices. $8.50 for an allagash white? C'mon guys

    (3)

  • Lenna W.

    Overall, not very impressed with this restaurant. The food was just okay, and the location is lackluster. BUT I will say, our server Greg was wonderful. He had an impressive knowledge of the beers on tap, was very attentive and was super friendly.

    (2)

  • James L.

    Very poor service after being seated waited 15 minutes without a waiter we left won't be coming back

    (1)

  • Tyler F.

    My wife and I went to ATR for dinner on Saturday. We arrived and we were blown away by the atmosphere. That is where my positive experience ended. We were seated immediately, but the server did not greet us for about ten minutes after we were seated. Also, as soon as we looked at the menu we noticed that all entrees are expensive (more than 15/plate). After the server took both our beer and food order, she disappeared for the next 15 minutes. Approximately 20 minutes later, our appetizer came out. We still did not have water or plates on the table. We needed to get plates for the appetizer, so I flagged down a manager. I told the manager what had occurred at this point, and her response was minimal. She did get plates and waters for us. It was then after she dropped off the plates and water, that the beer showed up. The beer was not cold enough and both beers were a little flat. We left money, and walked out. We had intentions of eating dinner there, but we settled with an appetizer and decided we had seen enough. We will not be back.

    (1)

  • James R.

    In the hopes the tap room sees this- 4/15/14 table 46, 6:16pm check#339, server 164 Hands down worse meal and service I've received in RVA in years. We walk in and was greeted by bubbly and friendly hostess, wise we knew her name because this is the only reason they got a STAR. Got sat, and ten minutes goes by and no waitress, she gets there and we get a coke and a draft. Over ten minutes this time goes by and a lady with no name tag on or branding of the tap room sees us all turned around in our both trying to find anyone. She comes up to us and ask if we are ok, we said yes and asked if she was ok? We had know clue who she was and didn't look like an employee at all. I asked do you work here and are you a manager and she did say she was one of the managers. Told her we ordered drinks and been sitting her for twenty minutes. She waves to our waitress and she runs to the bar and brings back our drinks. Forgot to say with the drinks we started with onion rings for the appetizer. The appetizers came by a totally different person before the drinks. That's when we started looking around and the manager saw us, we had no plates, silver wear nor the drinks. Got ahead of myself. So we have the drinks and onion rings all three are nice and cold, yes the rings too. Placed our order when server 164 came back with drinks, one salad with a cheese burger and fish and chips. I wish I could show you the photos we took of the food, I have them and mailing them to the restaurant. The hamburger was smaller than the tiny metal ramekin that the sauce came in. That's no joke and it was so burnt as was one side of the fried fish. We gave up after that. The manager came back and looked at the table and the food and said she was sorry and offered us two dessert on her. We both were a little shocked, and said we were done and asked for the check, when we got the check she did take off the onion rings but that was still just a joke to us. Bill came to $50.75 and we should never have left a tip but we both put ourselves through college and just felt bad and bad at the same time and left a ten spot. Long winded I know but that's all the details in that order and just how bad the service was and the food. Rarely do we complain, but when we do we would except a refund or a gift card to come back for mistakes BUT we would never go back hear ever it was that bad.

    (1)

  • Samantha K.

    Came in on a Sunday evening for food. I've heard about this place since it opened in Willow Lawn. We decided to sit at the bar - huge mistake. It took forever for the bartender to come greet us and after she did it took another ten to fifteen minutes to have our drink order taken. After getting my drink after about 30 minutes of sitting here we ordered the calamari. Came out promptly and would HIGHLY recommend this Asian spin on fried calamari. Sadly I didn't see anything worth buying from their entrees and by comparing the prices to the looks of what people were eating around us they didn't seem worth it. We closed out after the calamari and our first beer. I don't know if I will ever come here again because of the poor service.

    (2)

  • Jessica H.

    Definitely a great place to have a good beer! And Happy Hour til 8pm... I'll take it! The service was good and so were the prices. I'd definitely recommend it as a drinking spot.

    (4)

  • John B.

    Been twice now. Had a burger the first time which was par for the course for this kind of place. Recently went for brunch with a large group (about 20 people). It was a complete and utter disaster! We had reservations, so in my mind there is no excuse for poor service. We had two waitresses who were very nice but simply were overwhelmed. I was one of the last couple people to arrive, and was pleasantly surprised when the waitress recognized I had recently arrived and promptly took my drink order. 45 minutes and a couple friendly reminders later I finally got my cup of water and coffee. I realize that with a table of 20 people your service is not likely going to be as good as if it were a table of 4, but an hour and a half to get your food is unacceptable in my book. Refills on mimosas were few, far, and in-between. The food was bland and disappointing for the price. We would have been much better off going to a Denny's.

    (1)

  • Ernest S.

    My wife and myself decided to try ATR this past week for lunch. Having not read any previous reviews, we really did not know what to expect. First of all, the place looks great and the service was outstanding. The problem seems to stem in the kitchen. My ATR burger (medium-well) was actually charred on one side which ruined what could have been a really good burger. The fries were extra crispy. My wife had the fish and chips and the fish seemed to be very good but again she did not eat the fries. This could be a great place for food if they find some cooks who take more pride in their food preparation.

    (3)

  • Robert K.

    Beer selection outstanding. Mouth still burning from the hot wings. Special kudos to Greg. An outstanding server. Very attentive and helpful. 5 stars to him.

    (4)

  • Michele B.

    So around a month ago my friend Cheryl and I went to the new American Tap Room at Willow Lawn. The next day we noticed we each were charged twice on our debit cards I sent them a complaint on their website and we received our money back and gift cards.Tonite I took my daughter there for dinner so I could use my gift card. I paid the balance with my debit card and told the girl she better not charge me twice. I got home and not only did she charge me twice, she charged me the entire tab and didn't use my gift card.I will never go there again.I'm calling the better business bureau tomorrow.

    (1)

  • Susan B.

    Decided to go for dinner as we are moving to the area. I had previously stopped for a quick lunch while house hunting- food was ok & service was slightly slow- they were busy so thought it might be that. My husband & I took our small dog (had called & asked if it was ok to bring the dog on the patio & was told yes). We were seated at a table that had not been completely cleaned up. After about 10-15 min got up to ask the hostess if there was someone who was going to wait on us. He showed up a few minutes after that. We ordered 2 appetizers which we received without any plates, napkins or utensils-- had to request those 2 times before receiving them. Guests seated at another table on the patio asked to speak with the manager as they were not getting their order. The manager spoke with them, and walked past us, didn't ask if things were ok, didn't notice that we did not have plates/utensils. Service was ridiculously slow- the servers seemed to be quite disorganized & no one seemed to know who was supposed to cover which tables. At one point our server came to the table asking us what we had ordered as the computer had "lost" our order! The burgers were ok- nothing to write home about. We will definitely not be going back- don't waste your money or your time- they don't have anything you can't get somewhere else with better service.

    (1)

  • Jen D.

    My fiancé and I have been here three times in the last few months. They have really good customer service. I'm not a drinker, but my fiancé says they have a nice selection of beers to choose from. The menu, eh....the food is decent, but over priced. We've had the burger, grilled chicken sandwich with fries. One time I just wanted a grilled chicken breast with a side of whipped mashed potatoes. Disappointed that the $4 mashed potatoes were the serving size for a child. Overall, it is a cool place--but not much to choose from on the menu and a little overpriced.

    (3)

  • Chau S.

    Any extreme reviews like 1's or 5's at this stage in their lifespan would be pretty emotionally based as they have just opened. I feel this area has been waiting for something like this for a while. They have tons of potential. The food pricing ranges from very appropriate (Chicken and Waffles) to a tad bit overpriced (Fried Deviled Eggs). Their selection they have on tap is varied and from what I was told by their bar manager, should be shifting towards a domestic microbrewery feel, with more beers from Charlottesville, Leesburg, Ashburn, and other VA cities. Their service when we went was excellent and I could tell they had a ton of staff who looked cluelessly lost as it was their first week running, but they worked diligently and surprisingly had little to no errors with our order the entire night. Overall, I'm reserving judgement on their restaurant until a second visit in the next month, as they will show themselves to be more of a 3 or 5-yelp star establishment. But for right now, they seem to be doing the key things right, which is cranking out food fast, and providing a very warm and hospitable environment.

    (4)

  • Glen A.

    We went back for lunch on Friday to give them another shot. When we arrived, I'd say the restaurant was 75% full and there was a party of 8 and a party of 6 already seated. I ordered a BBQ bacon burger and my friend had the club sandwich. After a while, the server came by to apologize that the kitchen was backed up--no worries on our end as we were chatting over beers. A little bit later the server comes by with a dessert tray, hoping we would save room after a meal we had yet to see. He again apologized and indicated our desserts would be on the house due to the wait for our food. When the food finally arrived, they had brought me the wrong burger as it had neither bacon or BBQ. Everyone apologized profusely and the right burger was brought out a few minutes later, whereupon the manager advised they were picking up the tab for our entire meal. We certainly appreciated the gesture and the food ended up being good. I hope they can get their act together.

    (2)

  • Amy K.

    Food was great (i had chicken tacos and friend had salad with salmon). Service before 8pm was great. But after that, the bartenders get pissy. Don't bother for late night drinks.

    (3)

  • Sir B.

    We ate here last week. There was not much wait for a seat. The atmosphere was comfortable. Food was great. Waiter should have come by a little more often to refill drinks. I would eat here again.

    (3)

  • Alan L.

    At first glance this place looks like it could be really good. Then you get your food. I got a hamburger that looked like it was cooked from a frozen party. My wife had a salad that was very overpriced for what we had. The restaurant was not busy and the service was poor. I would not recommend this place.

    (1)

  • Carolyn A.

    I love the idea of a huge beer selection including options from local breweries, but sadly the service wasn't the greatest. Very slow to get a drink at the bar, and refills weren't offered until the glass was empty. There was NO interaction with the bar tender. As an out of towner I often prefer recommendations from those who should be most intimate with the product. Especially when there are so many options. Give me two minutes to tell you what I like and for you to recommend something that will knock my socks off. Like I said, great concept just poor execution.

    (2)

  • L T.

    I want to like this place. I really do. However, we just went for the 3rd time, and I don't think we'll be back. The 1st time was when it first opened and my husband and I went for lunch. It was just fine. The 2nd time was soon after that with our kids, and it was crazy busy. Service was super slow, but we chalked it up to the craziness of having just opened. We went again early Friday evening and were seated very promptly. While the bar seemed pretty full, I think we were the only ones seated in the dining room. It took quite a while for our appetizer to come, and when it did arrive it was one pretzel instead of the two that we ordered. We had the wrong dips, which isn't the end of the world, but our server seemed to be MIA, so we didn't really get a chance to let her know. Honestly, she just didn't seem to be too interested in being there at all, which is a shame because we're pretty much one of the easiest tables ever. My husband and I are pretty low-maintenance and our kids are well-behaved. And for a while, we were her only table, so it's not as if she was swamped. All of our meals were good, though my green beans tasted as if they were from a can. After dinner, we waited quite a while for her to take the bill/ credit card. She walked by at least twice and tended to other tables. I hate to sound so nitpicky. We weren't in a huge hurry, the food is decent and most everyone there is very friendly. But when we go out, I don't want to feel like we're a pain in the server's ass, which is definitely how we felt the other night. We won't be rushing back :-/

    (2)

  • Matt C.

    Wait, so people go to Willow Lawn now for reasons other than Gold's and Old Navy? I guess American Tap Room is a blessing for that shopping center. They have a good layout, nice decor, excellent beer selection and a menu that has more options than I expected. My gaggle of (nearly-former) Redskins fans and I went here to watch a game; service was very, very good, but it was kind of tough to see the screens. The bar is long and fairly narrow, but I guess it does engender a good atmosphere. I can see this being a nice alternative to the congested Libbie/Grove area.

    (3)

  • Brittany W.

    We were in town for the holidays, absolutely beautiful restaurant, atmosphere is wonderful. We sat at the bar, chase was our bartender and service was great! the burgers were excellent and The beers were delicious, they have a wide selection. We definitely recommend you give them a try!

    (4)

  • W Ryan W.

    Went with family to check it out prior to tree lighting event. Kinda wish we went to the food court. Started out well. Space was well organized with what seemed like too much staff. Seated quickly then waited, and waited. Smile and nodded at most every wait staff till ours arrived. Asked about the advertised specials, to which we were met with "deer in headlights" stare. She was apologetic that she wasn't aware but would check. 9 minutes later after she rang out one table and greeted and took drink orders for another she came back and said, I asked all the managers and they have no idea what you're talking about. Sorry I guess I won't show her the web page describing it. Ok, moving on. Food and drinks ordered without much fanfare. Staff recommended the pretzel as a house speciality. We both got burgers. Kid got kids meal. App arrived as a lighter less dense version of a ballpark super pretzel. Dipping sauce was a jelly like cheese sauce in little metal cups that don't fit in the holders. Thank god the sauce was cold and congealed if not the tablespoon portion would have been lost under the metal rack. Not sure if this is a food service item but it wasn't served hot and butter like an older more familiar CAH. Dinner arrived quickly and was cooked to order on both plates to a warm, pink center. Fries. Meh. Kinda like the hollow, over cooked fries from middle school. Kids had sliders and Chic fingers no complaints from them. Hot butter noodles as a side could have been a meal in its self. The fireworks came with the included dessert for the kids. Half way though my 3yo's dirt desert, he started to make a funny face. He has a few texture issues, one being lettuce. Imagine to his surprise, a little hidden gem in his chocolate pudding. A layer of lettuce. Waitress was called she came over was pleasant enough and offer to replace item or get different we refused and asked for the check. Items were not removed from bill. Didn't protest, no manager checked in nor was one offered. I guess because it's the routine she gave us a comment card and speech of we're a new restaurant and good reviews help, to let's know how we are doing, take time please to fill it out. Ok Done.

    (1)

  • Joel D.

    Meteoric rise has reached its apex. This place is falling fast! Third experience in a row where the food is just horrid! The impressive beer menu, wait staff and decor cannot compensate for the need to fire their entire kitchen! 3 of four plates at our table were just plain burnt and dry. Three strikes you're out!

    (1)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 11

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dessert
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

American Tap Room

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