Ashburn Reviews

Restaurant Reviews from Ashburn Virginia

Archive for the ‘2 Stars’ Category

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Good Fortune

Posted by ashburnreviews on May 28, 2009

stars-2

Update 05/28/09: We tried Good Fortune again yesterday and I’m happy to report that it was enjoyable. I think I am still going to keep the rating a 2 because the experience did not exceed my expectations… but think of the rating as a high two (instead of a solid one). My favorite thing was that the food came out just the perfect temperature. So many places serve cold food these days. I don’t why. It was nice to see them get it out to us hot. The waiter was also very nice and entertaining.

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Update 02/19/09: As November last year, Good Fortune has gotten a new owner. My husband and I tried the food for the first time in a long time earlier this week. Although the food wasn’t bad, we didn’t love it as much as we used it. The General Tso’s Chicken and Beef was a bit too sweet for us. And the dumplings weren’t bad but they seemed a bit dry to suit our tastes. I recognize that it could be that my husband and I just aren’t very good with change.

On the plus side, the new hostess and waiter were both very nice. Even having a waiter there – as opposed to getting the hostess’ part-time attention was a welcome change. The new owners have build a half wall and arranged the furniture in a new configuration which seems more conducive to people staying at the restaurant and eating. On that subject – there seemed to be a lot of people eating there (which you would almost never see from before) and enjoying their meal. So the new owners must be doing something right.

We will try the new Good Fortune again and if we find food that we enjoy more I will raise the rating. In the mean time, don’t let my 2 rating keep you from going there. I am a big fan of the small business owner. Go support them.

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43330 Junction Plz
Ashburn, VA 20147
(703) 729-8228

Location: Just before you hit Claiborne.

My favorite Chinese restaurant in the area is Good Fortune. They almost never have people eating there. Nearly all their business is take out. But it is pleasantly decorated (the inside is painted yellow) and never feels like one of those neon fast-food Chinese restaurants. The background music is pretty horrible but that is part of its charm.

The woman who is behind the counter every time we are there, I assume runs it or is one of the owners. She is the one that waits on us and is always very friendly.

The food is good. I love the fried wantons and the egg rolls. They have good pan fried dumplings. And good wanton soup. For entries we jump around but we have gotten and enjoyed: roast pork with snow peas, general cho’s chicken, and all sort of other dishes that are escaping my head now.

First Published on: Sep 25, 2007

Posted in 2 Stars, Ashburn Farm, Chinese, Delivery, Junction | Leave a Comment »

Logan’s Roadhouse

Posted by ashburnreviews on April 6, 2009

stars-2

Logan’s Roadhouse
46321 McClellan Way
Sterling, VA 20165
703-421-3860

Location: In that shopping center with the Home Depot and Pier One and Famous Dave’s. Behind the movie theater.

Web Site: logansroadhouse.com

I imagine this will be the most friendly 2 star review that I have ever given a restaurant. Logan’s never exceeds my expectations, so how could I give it more then a 2? But for some reason every once in awhile I do like going there. There is something this place has that I just cannot put my finger on.

And it is that want – every once in awhile wanting going to Logan’s Roadhouse that has kept me from writing a review on Logan’s. It is not that good – truly – but I just haven’t wanted to scare people away from eating at Logan’s. It isn’t really a bad place. Maybe some people will like it?

Logan’s is a chain and it feels like a chain. I would compare it to an Outback but with a slightly more casual flair. It is one of those – throw peanuts on the floor places.

Logan’s features steaks on its menu – but they are never real good quality meat or cooked well. I have a tried a few of the food they serve and it is all just okay.

I did like the fried shrimp that we had as an appetizer the last time we went there. It was crunchy and flavorful.

And they do have excellent yeast rolls – which come out warm to the table. the rolls are probably the best food product they have there. Yummy.

What I can say best about Logan’s that I like their staff. They are always attentive and quick.

Also the outside seating is very nice. You can sit right by the water and they have a fire pit out there.

The thing about Logan’s is that it could be a good restaurant. It just isn’t. But I wouldn’t rule it out – there are certainly worse places to go.

Posted in 2 Stars, Outside Seating, Sterling | Leave a Comment »

Sweetest Chef Cafe (Bean Scene Cafe)

Posted by ashburnreviews on January 14, 2009

Note 1/14/09: Within the last 5 days, I have received 5 comments about Sweetest Chef Cafe. At least 3 of them were obviously from the same person. One comment – from this collection – I posted. The rest of the comments, I marked as spam and will not be publishing them.

I suppose that I am supposed to believe that it is a lucky/happy coincidence that 5 people love Sweetest Chef SO much that they found the need to independently seek out my little review web site and post wonderful things about SC (and 3 of those people say nearly the exact same thing in their comments and share an email address). But I’m just not buying it nor do I feel like arguing about it.

SC fans (and owners/staff/friends), for an undetermined amount of time, no matter how much you love SC, I will not be accepting comments to the SC post. For those of you who have an honest opinion of SC that you are dying to share, I’m sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause you.

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Note 10/29/08: Looks like the new name is actually “Sweetest Chef Cafe”. I drove by and saw the sign today.

Website: sweetestchefcafe.com

——–

Note 10/19/08: It is called the The Sweetest Chef now. I don’t know much more about it. Looks like new management and new name. Any one know any more about it?

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Sweetest Chef Cafe
44260 Ice Rink Plaza, Suite 117
Ashburn, VA 20147

Location: Behind the shell, near the ice rink. Take Route 28 North to Route 625 (Waxpool Rd) west. At the 5th traffic light, go straight onto Farmwell Rd and take the next right at Ice Rink Plaza.

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This restaurant was formerly reviewed when it was Bean Scene Cafe. Here is that review.

I came here right after they opened quite a bit. And I enjoyed it. The owners we always nice and friendly. And they breakfast and lunch sandwiches were pretty tasty. The coffee unfortunately was never very good. Sorry, it just wasn’t. But I came here anyway because I like to “support the little guy”.

Then the hours of the Bean Scene drastically changed. And if you got there at 6:00, you’d be smelling cleaning fluid by 6:30. Ugh… which I hate. Nothing ruins my appetite more then the smell of cleaning fluids.

So I stopped coming to the BC; Annoyed that they cut their hours as much as they did and made me feel so unwelcome in the evening.

Lately I have noticed that after dark their shop appears to be open. So maybe I’ll try it again?! In looking at the web site however, I see no mention of their current hours. I wonder if they keep changing?

Originally Published on: October 16, 2007. Edited on: Oct 19, 2008

Posted in 2 Stars, Breakfast, Cameron Chase, Coffee, Ice Rink, Wi-Fi | 12 Comments »

Fuddruckers

Posted by ashburnreviews on November 3, 2008

readerschoicestartof20091 Update: 11/03/08 I corrected the phone number for Fuddruckers. I had the wrong one on here previously. My apologies.

————

Fuddruckers
44036 Pipeline Plaza
Ashburn, VA 20147
(703) 724-0990

Web Site: fuddsashburn.com

Location: In Pipeline Plaza

Fudruckers opened on the 14th. I ate there with my husband last week. I’m giving it a 2 but it is a low two. The food there is so salty. My husband had a hot dog (which he liked somewhat) and I had a chicken sandwich. We split onion rings. The chicken and onion rings were loaded with salt.

The very best thing of the meal was that we both got milk shakes – they were so good! The staff gave us so much extra. We could have easily split just one milk shake between us.

The very worst thing of the meal is tied between two things. One – the extra slow (dumb?) guy who took our order.. whose most classic line was – when I asked for a fried chicken sandwich – he said “We have grilled and we have crispy, which do you want?” The other bad item – had to be the rice crispy square that we got that was very large but old and mushy… it was just horrible. At Fuddruckers they call the treats, “Fuddruckers Famous Crispy Squares”. There was nothing crispy about these. Ewww.

Now in all fairness, we didn’t try the burgers, and that *is* what they are known for. Well that and their fixin’s bar. But from trips to other Fuddruckers – In the past I haven’t liked their burgers. In my opinion, I think they always have a funny taste to them.

To order at Fuddruckers, you order at the counter which for us there was a bit of a wait but then again they just opened so maybe they are working out the kinks. After ordering, they give you a buzzer for your food and a number for your shakes. Shakes are delivered to the table. Food you pick up at the counter when your buzzer goes off. In addition to the buzzer going off, they also call your name when the food is ready.

First Published on: January 14, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Posted in 2 Stars, Pipeline, Readers' Choice | 4 Comments »

Magnolias

Posted by ashburnreviews on September 24, 2008

9/24/08 Update: I had an experience recently that has brought Magnolias down to a 2 star for me. The food still is about the same but some of the customer service really sucks.

I had made reservations a month in advance for one of their private rooms for a group of 6 of us. When we showed up to eat there, they told me that our room was given away to a larger party. I told the manager/hostess (the people that were at the front) how upset I was with this, and the guy said – Patrick I believe his name was – said that people need to put a deposit down for the private rooms if they really want one – which of course when making the reservation I was NOT told. He also said that it wasn’t that the people in there were “better then us” that there was just “more of them”. When I made the reservations, they had offered me that room and I took it – they never asked for a credit card deposit.

So trying to be okay with being treated like second-class citizens, we went along with it. We were seated a a small dimly-lit table (i.e. a table for 4 people that they added 2 chairs to). From our small table we had a good view of the 2 private rooms. One – the smaller one – had people in it about half of the time we were there. The other larger room REMAINED EMPTY until they sat a party of 5 in there later in the evening. I was horrified. I don’t like being treated like that. It just felt really crappy. Why make reservations if the restaurant don’t stick to them?

Like I said prior, the food was still pretty good – which is – along with our waiter being pretty great and the decor still being fun to look at – why Magnolias isn’t getting bumped to a 1 star for this poor service. One thing that we had that was good was the asparagus fries – which were breaded and fried sticks of asparagus. They were much better then I would have expected.

So if you don’t mind being treated however Magnolias feels you should be treated – maybe you will have better luck then us – and your are in or near Purcellville, check out Magnolias.

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Magnolias at the Mill
198 North 21st Street
Purcellville, Virginia 20132
Phone: 540.338.9800

Web Site: http://www.magnoliasmill.com/

For a few fancy dinners, I have been to Magnolias.

The food was always good although I recall the prices were expensive.

The decor was fun. The building looks very “barn” like. I believe it is an old grain mill.

From Ashburn, Magnolias is a bit of a hike (30 minutes) but if you are looking for a nice meal (maybe to take out some friends or family that are coming into town) then Magnolias is a good choice.

First Published on: October 9, 2007 at 4:37 pm

Posted in 2 Stars, Fancy, Purcellville | Leave a Comment »

Treviso’s

Posted by ashburnreviews on August 26, 2008

Treviso’s Ristorante Italiano
43330 Junction Plaza
Ashburn, VA 20147
Phone: (703) 858-9911

Web Site: trevisos.com

Location: In the Junction Plaza shopping center with Good Fortune.

Treviso’s reopened June 23 with its original owners.

The decor is very pretty and the owners have obviously have worked hard on the new look and feel. In atmosphere, it reminded me of a fancier more-modern Ashburn Cafe. It looks like Loews (for lights) [9/5/2008 EDIT: In a comment, the owner told me that the lights are actually imported from Europe], Home Goods (pictures and art) and AC Moore (for flowers) all worked together to create this new look and feel.

The restaurant was empty – and it was just at dinner time.

The staff was relatively friendly. I’d call the service average. We weren’t waiting for anything.

The quality of the food and the enjoyment we got from it was mixed.

The meal started with bread and olive oil. The oil didn’t have a lot of flavor to it. It was hard to taste it.

We then got salads – which consisted of some lettuces and tomato slice and one carrot curl. It was nice that salads came with the meals. And they weren’t bad – but they also didn’t have a lot of flavor and were a little small.

As an appetizer we split a medium cheese pizza – cooked well. The pizza actually was the highlight of our meal. The pizza was very good. My husband agreed that if they will deliver to us (we are a bit far away) that we will use them as our pizza delivery place. Yum.

For our entrees, my husband had baked Zita and I had the spaghetti and meatballs. Neither dish was something to write home about. Again… just not a lot of flavor. I think the meatballs might have been steamed – bleh. But I should note here that the sauce for entrees was very good. Maybe we ordered poorly? Maybe the Chicken Parmesan or Calzones would have been better entree choices?

I’m giving Treviso’s a 2 because it was really just okay. But I would like to give them a 3 eventually because this is the kind of place I want to like. The owners really seem to be making an effort. For now anyhow, think of this rating as a 2 and a half – the half point being given for the look and feel and also the yummy pizza.

Posted in 2 Stars, Ashburn Farm, Italian, Junction, Outside Seating | 3 Comments »

The Dock

Posted by ashburnreviews on June 23, 2008

The Dock
19286 Promenade Drive Suite P101-102
Leesburg, VA 20176
571-333-4747

Web Site: thedockatlansdowne.com

Location: In the Lansdowne Town Center, across from Joes.

We tried the Dock the other night for a friend’s birthday.

I was glad to see that were was outside seating available and a stand heater for chilly nights. I really like that. For this trip however, we ate inside.

Probably the oddest thing about this place for me was that the menu seemed lacking. For a place called “the dock” they had very little sea food. Bonefish definitely exceeds the dock in variety.

Also the food wasn’t anything to speak or brag about. I ordered the pork chop (which I think of our 3 entrees was the best). Our birthday friend order the Swordfish. And my husband had the Fish and Chips. Everything was just okay.

We also got the blue cheese chips for an appetizer. They were fine, but nothing I would crave.

Our waitress was friendly, but not amazing. She seemed a bit ditzy. We asked her to check on the price of the market price of “Today’s Fresh Fish”, and she just never came back.

All and all I am not sure what this place has to offer – that we don’t already have in the area. I would return if some one wanted to go. But I don’t see me ever picking the Dock as my restaurant of choice.

Posted in 2 Stars, Outside Seating, Seafood | Leave a Comment »

Omia’s Pub & Grille

Posted by ashburnreviews on June 2, 2008

Omia’s Pub & Grille
1015 Dranesville Road
Herndon, VA 20170-2004

Location: Omia’s Pub seems to be more in Sterling to me then it is in Herndon. It is on the line. Down 7, near the Glory Days. The key here is Dranesville.

Note: This is NOT the Omia’s on Church Rd (near 28). I haven’t eaten there yet.

In our mail box, we got a coupon for Omia’s so one evening last week or the week prior, my husband and I drove out to Omia’s. For the type of place it – a local joint – it was a bit of a hike from Ashburn. It is the sort of place that needs to be in Ashburn though. Friendly staff. Good prices. Okay food – i.e. I probably wouldn’t crave it but it was a rather easy meal to have.

We sat inside and shared wings. My husband has the lasagna and I had the spaghetti and meatballs. It was all decent food. Our entree’s came with salads. The ranch dressing was good.

We sat inside at a both… it was a bit loud. There also was outside seating which looked like it would be enjoyable.

Omia’s is what I would have wanted that new Grill place in Ashburn to be. It doesn’t try to be more then it is. And it is an easy place to eat at.

Posted in 2 Stars, Dranesville, Herndon, Outside Seating, Sterling | Leave a Comment »

Coffee Bean

Posted by ashburnreviews on January 10, 2008

Coffee Bean of Leesburg
110 S King St # A
Leesburg, VA 20175
(703) 777-9556

Location: Go up 7 to Leesburg, take a left on King, just after you pass the pie place. It will be shortly down on your left.

My husband and I were able to try Coffee Bean yesterday evening. On the outside it is a cute blue house on king street.

I should start by saying that I thought the coffee was good. So know that this rating is not a reflexion of the coffee. Is it better then Greenberry’s Coffee? Well no, not in my opinion, but if I was walking around Leesburg and happened by the Coffee Bean, I wouldn’t hesitate to stop by here and pick up a drink. My husband had the drip coffee (which I think had a bit of that ashy aftertaste but he likes that), while I had a vanilla latte (which was not mixed as well as it could of but was tasty one it was stirred).

I should also mention that the woman behind the counter was nice and friendly.

What I didn’t like about this place was the atmosphere. It is made up of two rooms, one where you get the coffee and one with 2 kitchen tables (with chairs) and a couch. And although it has the great potential to feel cozy it didn’t feel like way. In fact being in this small coffee house was very uncomfortable. It felt like we were in some one else’s grandmother’s kitchen. We both had trouble relaxing in there. We sat on the couch (think extra soft thrift store find) first and then when the other people that were there left, we switched to one of the tables. I don’t see my self making any extra effort to return. Maybe it just had bad Feng shui?!

The other disappointment – and it is minor but we noticed so I’ll mention it – was that it looked like on first glance behind the counter had bins of coffee beans, but actually there were bins that had paper photos of coffee beans in them. Slightly less cool.

Posted in 2 Stars, Coffee, Leesburg | 2 Comments »

Silk Road

Posted by ashburnreviews on December 18, 2007

Silk Road Afghan Cuisine
19385 Promenade Dr
Leesburg, VA 20176
(571) 333-4930

Location: Lansdowne Town Center – the shopping center with Joes. The one with the fountains on route 7.

A friend, my husband and I ate here this weekend. I am struggling on what to rate this place because my husband got very sick from eating here. Unfortunately he is very allergic to yogurt (so probably shame on us for going to a high-content-yogurt place). When we got there, I told our waiter that he was allergic to yogurt and asked what items he should avoid on the menu. A woman (maybe the owner or manager) overheard this conversation and came over to tell us that he should NOT get the kabobs and that ever other item on the menu may have yogurt as a sauce but they could easily not include it.

As we are waiting for our food to arrive, a basket or bread comes out with butter. We are all enjoying the bread, including my husband, when the lady runs out to tell us that the bread has yogurt in it. STOP!!!! He had already eaten a piece and bread so I told her that. She said they used, “very little” and asked if it mattered if the yogurt was cooked because it was cooked. My husband and I said, “We’ll see.”

Then our appetizer arrives, a yummy eggplant spread served with bread. My friend asks if they may have some crackers for my husband to try it. They do not and point out that the eggplant spread in it has yogurt as well in it. This upsets me, because they knew we had ordered it to share and I think should have mentioned that when we ordered. My friend and I enjoy the appetizer while my husband looks on.

Our food comes and I am pleased to see that they have not put on any obvious yogurt on his plate. He ordered the Braised Ribs. I ordered the lamb chops. My friend ordered 2 appetizers… I forget which. All food is pretty tasty and I was also glad to see that the lady pointed out what was what on the plate (carrots, rice, etc).

Halfway through eating the main course, my husband excuses himself to visit their rest room. The rest is pretty obvious. Between that visit to the rest room there and one when we got home, he lost all his dinner and everything he had eaten earlier that day. I felt absolutely horrible for him. Poor guy.

The lady apologized but took nothing off the total bill. I’m not sure what the right protocol for this would have been, but I feel pretty bitter that even though we made it VERY CLEAR that he cannot have yogurt, they didn’t tell us about the bread until it was too late. As we were leaving, the lady said that if we called ahead they could make whatever we needed them to without yogurt. I told her, as my husband was walking outside to get some fresh air, that there is no way we would be returning.

So, knowing that the yogurt, was just a unique situation to my husband, how do I rate this place?

The inside of the restaurant was very pretty. Fancy. Nice dishes. Kept clean. I didn’t use the restrooms, but both my friend and husband saw they were nice.

The staff was friendly and attentive, except for unintentionally poisoning my husband.

The prices of our main courses were very high ($24 and $21) but I don’t want to rate them down for this because there were cheaper items. We just went with the most expensive ones.

The food had good flavor.

I’m going to have to stick with a solid 2. Another rater will probably go higher – but for our experience, that is the highest number I can give it.

Posted in 2 Stars, Afghan, Landsdown | 7 Comments »

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