My wife made reservations for my birthday at Mount Ida Reserve. We enjoy traveling to Charlottesville to visit the wineries and spending the day with our friends. We had a 1:00 PM reservation. We arrived about 12:45 and checked in with the hostess who told us that it would be a few minutes as they were resetting from a morning activity and recommended a drink at the bar. We proceeded to the bar where we ordered our drinks. I asked the hostess if the tables on the inside were available as we waited so my wife and daughter had a place to put their flights. She said “no” but that there were chairs outside. (It’s now 12:55, five minutes before my reservation) As my wife and daughter stood at the bar tasting their flight one of the gentleman behind the bar said that we could not stay there and needed to find another place. This is the first place that I have been that you can’t stay at the bar. Isn’t that where you do your tasting? We decided to check-in the hostess and was able to get seated.
Service at the table wasn’t much better. We ordered appetizers but when the appetizers showed up we had to flag down our server to get appetizer plates. We ordered the chicken skewers which didn’t show up. When we inquire the server, He said that he would check on them. (We all assumed at the table that he didn’t place the order). We had to constantly flag down our server for bottles of water and check on our dishes. One of our friends order the chicken skewers which never showed until after we asked for them. We even had to go inside and order another bottle of wine because our server was no where to be found.
Virginia wineries are not cheap. For the price that you pay and the tip that is expected on the tab, the service was no where close to acceptable. The staff was not engaging or cheerful. No one from management walked around to check on your experience. The food was descent, but was not memorable. The winery itself is beautiful and scenic.
I’m sure many people enjoy Mount Ida and have a great experiences; Unfortunately our first experience was a bust and we will probably not go back.
Amanda's Touch Bridal & Formal
We have always heard great things about Mount Ida!! It is such a beautiful place for a wedding and the views are breathtaking! We have many brides come in that are getting married there and they are always raving about this place, definitely a 10/10!
Britne Podruchny
This place is absolutely beautiful. Love the inside decor and the amazing patio. The soup course we ordered was amazing. Unfortunately it took over 40 minutes to get our first course and the entire three courses spanned over 2 hours. The rest of the food was average. The beer was good and the wine was tasty. Pretty small pours for wine. I would not return to get food based on the service and lack of quality for the price. I would go back for the views and to purchase wine by the bottles.
Shawn Wood
Great luck to you and your family!
Anthony L.
The absolute, worst brunch, I've ever been to. The only thing that is decent about this place is the view. Seems as though someone with a lot of money, bought a restaurant, and has no clue how to actually run it. My party got seated and waited 15 minutes before even being greeted by a server to get a drink order. When we were finally greeted, the server definitely had an attitude as though he did not want to be there. Was not polite. Was not courteous in anyway, a very simple order taker. Fine. Not every server in this industry is bursting with personality or a desire to actually be of service. My sincere hope was that the food would be decent $20 for bananas Foster French toast gives me an expectation of something that has gone through a Process to be delicious. It was mostly underwhelming. There was maybe 1/4 of 1 single small banana on four large pieces of French toast. The pastry tray that was ordered, had biscuits that were literally dough in the center. Not some sort of fancy new way of making biscuits or muffins just simply undercooked. The manager came by to apologize for all of the terrible things and informed us that they were "working the kinks out". This was the worst dining experience I have ever had especially when considering the amount of money that it cost and the fact that they do not give free refills on regular drip coffee. That's where I figured out that the place is owned by somebody who has a lot of money and no clue how to run an actual restaurant understands you need to pay off your investment. But when you're so cheap as to charge for another 8 ounce cup of drip coffee, during brunch, that just comes across as greedy. And charging $2.50 for sparking water in an 8oz juice glass, that's 90% ice shows the same level of greed. Clearly money was not spent on training and hiring a competent staff. Nor was money spent on quality of food and beverage. All the money here is in the building itself situated on top of the hill with a gorgeous view. So if you're someone who favors style over function and doesn't care if the drinks and food are absolute garbage, then go here for brunch. It's surface level beautiful. As far as I'm concerned, I will remember this brunch for the rest of my life as one of the biggest waste of time and money I've ever been a part of. The entire bill should've been comped. When I'm on my deathbed, I'm going to remember this brunch, and I'm going To be hoping that is a few people as possible have to endure such a bad experience for a simple meal on a Sunday between 10 AM and 2 PM. I'd recommend not spending time or money at this place to force current ownership and management to change to people that actually care about their guests experiences and not simple an investment vehicle.
Megan M.
First time here and wow I cannot say good enough things about this place. First of all, you can bring dogs into their enclosed patio which is amazing. Tables aren't too close together which gives you space to just relax and connect. Menu has beer, wine, and cocktails. Gluten free pizza was maybe the best I've ever had. Views are incredible. Will be back!
Nichole Bryant Stanton
Service was poor, wine was swill and kitchen that claims to be open for on 11-7pm didn’t open until 5pm even though we saw other tables get food. Big thumbs down.
Anthony LoMonaco
The absolute, worst brunch, I’ve ever been to. The only thing that is decent about this place is the view. Seems as though someone with a lot of money, bought a restaurant, and has no clue how to actually run it. My party got seated and waited 15 minutes before even being greeted by a server to get a drink order. When we were finally greeted, the server definitely had an attitude as though he did not want to be there. Was not polite. Was not courteous in anyway, a very simple order taker. Fine. Not every server in this industry is bursting with personality or a desire to actually be of service. My sincere hope was that the food would be decent $20 for bananas Foster French toast gives me an expectation of something that has gone through a Process to be delicious. It was mostly underwhelming. There was maybe 1/4 of 1 single small banana on four large pieces of French toast. The pastry tray that was ordered, had biscuits that were literally dough in the center. Not some sort of fancy new way of making biscuits or muffins just simply undercooked. The manager came by to apologize for all of the terrible things and informed us that they were “working the kinks out“. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had especially when considering the amount of money that it cost and the fact that they do not give free refills on regular drip coffee. That’s where I figured out that the place is owned by somebody who has a lot of money and no clue how to run an actual restaurant understands you need to pay off your investment. But when you’re so cheap as to charge for another 8 ounce cup of drip coffee, during brunch, that just comes across as greedy. And charging $2.50 for sparking water in an 8oz juice glass, that’s 90% ice shows the same level of greed. Clearly money was not spent on training and hiring a competent staff. Nor was money spent on quality of food and beverage. All the money here is in the building itself situated on top of the hill with a gorgeous view. So if you’re someone who favors style over function and doesn’t care if the drinks and food are absolute garbage, then go here for brunch. It’s surface level beautiful. As far as I’m concerned, I will remember this brunch for the rest of my life as one of the biggest waste of time and money I’ve ever been a part of. The entire bill should’ve been comped. When I’m on my deathbed, I’m going to remember this brunch, and I’m going To be hoping that is a few people as possible have to endure such a bad experience for a simple meal on a Sunday between 10 AM and 2 PM.
Edgar Edwin
Overpriced & poorly managed. Disappointing at best, we found large chunks of broken glass on the patio, rude bartender, long wait for food, they ran out of some items by 2pm which seems normal for them. Both my wife and I got sick from the bacon cheeseburger. I hope it sells, because the current business IMHO is a shambles.
Katrin Bassi
Years ago Mount Ida used to be a magical beautiful place to come - but don’t bother anymore.Previously lovely dining room is crammed to brim with gaudy furniture, waitstaff has no clue what you have ordered or even to describe the wines. And this is a winery, right?The food used to be great but now is just so soDisappointed..
Had an absolutely wonderful time; marvelous food, remarkably friendly and professional staff even though they were "ambushed" by an unexpected huge party. Incredible view; fine beer and wine all locally sourced. A first class place with a relaxed and happy feel. Heading back this Friday for an encore!
Mark Schultz
Signs and Directions. Wow. Attended a wedding at "The Lodge" yesterday - which Google Maps identifies not as The Lodge but rather as "Tasting Room and Tap House." Note the "Tasting Room" is in fact a different location, so ambiguity is assured. For the new arrivals, be warned there is a second wedding venue altogether called the Event Barn, and this is also available as a red herring to make certain travelers are confused. Don't fret though, it only takes you fifteen minutes out of your way. And here's a topper - a quarter hour before the ceremony a sign was posted on the Lodge road that read: "event in progress - do not enter"! Had we obeyed we would have missed the event entirely. Unreal. All that is needed to fix this is a decision to actually care, followed by the installation of a simple signpost out on Blenheim road listing the three options. You have 6000 acres and worse signage than most campgrounds. Get your s*** together.
David V.
Beautiful views but the service was so bad it was nonexistent! I checked in with the host and was seated. I was seated for 20 minutes and didn't even have any waitstaff come and even take our order. Got up to go to the bathroom and when I came back they gave our table away! We left and went to Trump up the road.
A.E. Amador
Judging from our visit in August, this place is in hard need of: 1) A good chef, 2) A good service manager, and 3) Better training to employees. This place banks of attracting people for its impressive views, grand patio and beautiful building - but other than that, there's just little to no substance.
Arin O.
Long drive out there. Best to keep your posted hours. Wrong to just close. One might say rude.
My wife made reservations for my birthday at Mount Ida Reserve. We enjoy traveling to Charlottesville to visit the wineries and spending the day with our friends. We had a 1:00 PM reservation. We arrived about 12:45 and checked in with the hostess who told us that it would be a few minutes as they were resetting from a morning activity and recommended a drink at the bar. We proceeded to the bar where we ordered our drinks. I asked the hostess if the tables on the inside were available as we waited so my wife and daughter had a place to put their flights. She said “no” but that there were chairs outside. (It’s now 12:55, five minutes before my reservation) As my wife and daughter stood at the bar tasting their flight one of the gentleman behind the bar said that we could not stay there and needed to find another place. This is the first place that I have been that you can’t stay at the bar. Isn’t that where you do your tasting? We decided to check-in the hostess and was able to get seated. Service at the table wasn’t much better. We ordered appetizers but when the appetizers showed up we had to flag down our server to get appetizer plates. We ordered the chicken skewers which didn’t show up. When we inquire the server, He said that he would check on them. (We all assumed at the table that he didn’t place the order). We had to constantly flag down our server for bottles of water and check on our dishes. One of our friends order the chicken skewers which never showed until after we asked for them. We even had to go inside and order another bottle of wine because our server was no where to be found. Virginia wineries are not cheap. For the price that you pay and the tip that is expected on the tab, the service was no where close to acceptable. The staff was not engaging or cheerful. No one from management walked around to check on your experience. The food was descent, but was not memorable. The winery itself is beautiful and scenic. I’m sure many people enjoy Mount Ida and have a great experiences; Unfortunately our first experience was a bust and we will probably not go back.
We have always heard great things about Mount Ida!! It is such a beautiful place for a wedding and the views are breathtaking! We have many brides come in that are getting married there and they are always raving about this place, definitely a 10/10!
This place is absolutely beautiful. Love the inside decor and the amazing patio. The soup course we ordered was amazing. Unfortunately it took over 40 minutes to get our first course and the entire three courses spanned over 2 hours. The rest of the food was average. The beer was good and the wine was tasty. Pretty small pours for wine. I would not return to get food based on the service and lack of quality for the price. I would go back for the views and to purchase wine by the bottles.
Great luck to you and your family!
The absolute, worst brunch, I've ever been to. The only thing that is decent about this place is the view. Seems as though someone with a lot of money, bought a restaurant, and has no clue how to actually run it. My party got seated and waited 15 minutes before even being greeted by a server to get a drink order. When we were finally greeted, the server definitely had an attitude as though he did not want to be there. Was not polite. Was not courteous in anyway, a very simple order taker. Fine. Not every server in this industry is bursting with personality or a desire to actually be of service. My sincere hope was that the food would be decent $20 for bananas Foster French toast gives me an expectation of something that has gone through a Process to be delicious. It was mostly underwhelming. There was maybe 1/4 of 1 single small banana on four large pieces of French toast. The pastry tray that was ordered, had biscuits that were literally dough in the center. Not some sort of fancy new way of making biscuits or muffins just simply undercooked. The manager came by to apologize for all of the terrible things and informed us that they were "working the kinks out". This was the worst dining experience I have ever had especially when considering the amount of money that it cost and the fact that they do not give free refills on regular drip coffee. That's where I figured out that the place is owned by somebody who has a lot of money and no clue how to run an actual restaurant understands you need to pay off your investment. But when you're so cheap as to charge for another 8 ounce cup of drip coffee, during brunch, that just comes across as greedy. And charging $2.50 for sparking water in an 8oz juice glass, that's 90% ice shows the same level of greed. Clearly money was not spent on training and hiring a competent staff. Nor was money spent on quality of food and beverage. All the money here is in the building itself situated on top of the hill with a gorgeous view. So if you're someone who favors style over function and doesn't care if the drinks and food are absolute garbage, then go here for brunch. It's surface level beautiful. As far as I'm concerned, I will remember this brunch for the rest of my life as one of the biggest waste of time and money I've ever been a part of. The entire bill should've been comped. When I'm on my deathbed, I'm going to remember this brunch, and I'm going To be hoping that is a few people as possible have to endure such a bad experience for a simple meal on a Sunday between 10 AM and 2 PM. I'd recommend not spending time or money at this place to force current ownership and management to change to people that actually care about their guests experiences and not simple an investment vehicle.
First time here and wow I cannot say good enough things about this place. First of all, you can bring dogs into their enclosed patio which is amazing. Tables aren't too close together which gives you space to just relax and connect. Menu has beer, wine, and cocktails. Gluten free pizza was maybe the best I've ever had. Views are incredible. Will be back!
Service was poor, wine was swill and kitchen that claims to be open for on 11-7pm didn’t open until 5pm even though we saw other tables get food. Big thumbs down.
The absolute, worst brunch, I’ve ever been to. The only thing that is decent about this place is the view. Seems as though someone with a lot of money, bought a restaurant, and has no clue how to actually run it. My party got seated and waited 15 minutes before even being greeted by a server to get a drink order. When we were finally greeted, the server definitely had an attitude as though he did not want to be there. Was not polite. Was not courteous in anyway, a very simple order taker. Fine. Not every server in this industry is bursting with personality or a desire to actually be of service. My sincere hope was that the food would be decent $20 for bananas Foster French toast gives me an expectation of something that has gone through a Process to be delicious. It was mostly underwhelming. There was maybe 1/4 of 1 single small banana on four large pieces of French toast. The pastry tray that was ordered, had biscuits that were literally dough in the center. Not some sort of fancy new way of making biscuits or muffins just simply undercooked. The manager came by to apologize for all of the terrible things and informed us that they were “working the kinks out“. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had especially when considering the amount of money that it cost and the fact that they do not give free refills on regular drip coffee. That’s where I figured out that the place is owned by somebody who has a lot of money and no clue how to run an actual restaurant understands you need to pay off your investment. But when you’re so cheap as to charge for another 8 ounce cup of drip coffee, during brunch, that just comes across as greedy. And charging $2.50 for sparking water in an 8oz juice glass, that’s 90% ice shows the same level of greed. Clearly money was not spent on training and hiring a competent staff. Nor was money spent on quality of food and beverage. All the money here is in the building itself situated on top of the hill with a gorgeous view. So if you’re someone who favors style over function and doesn’t care if the drinks and food are absolute garbage, then go here for brunch. It’s surface level beautiful. As far as I’m concerned, I will remember this brunch for the rest of my life as one of the biggest waste of time and money I’ve ever been a part of. The entire bill should’ve been comped. When I’m on my deathbed, I’m going to remember this brunch, and I’m going To be hoping that is a few people as possible have to endure such a bad experience for a simple meal on a Sunday between 10 AM and 2 PM.
Overpriced & poorly managed. Disappointing at best, we found large chunks of broken glass on the patio, rude bartender, long wait for food, they ran out of some items by 2pm which seems normal for them. Both my wife and I got sick from the bacon cheeseburger. I hope it sells, because the current business IMHO is a shambles.
Years ago Mount Ida used to be a magical beautiful place to come - but don’t bother anymore.Previously lovely dining room is crammed to brim with gaudy furniture, waitstaff has no clue what you have ordered or even to describe the wines. And this is a winery, right?The food used to be great but now is just so soDisappointed..
Restaurantji Recommends
Had an absolutely wonderful time; marvelous food, remarkably friendly and professional staff even though they were "ambushed" by an unexpected huge party. Incredible view; fine beer and wine all locally sourced. A first class place with a relaxed and happy feel. Heading back this Friday for an encore!
Signs and Directions. Wow. Attended a wedding at "The Lodge" yesterday - which Google Maps identifies not as The Lodge but rather as "Tasting Room and Tap House." Note the "Tasting Room" is in fact a different location, so ambiguity is assured. For the new arrivals, be warned there is a second wedding venue altogether called the Event Barn, and this is also available as a red herring to make certain travelers are confused. Don't fret though, it only takes you fifteen minutes out of your way. And here's a topper - a quarter hour before the ceremony a sign was posted on the Lodge road that read: "event in progress - do not enter"! Had we obeyed we would have missed the event entirely. Unreal. All that is needed to fix this is a decision to actually care, followed by the installation of a simple signpost out on Blenheim road listing the three options. You have 6000 acres and worse signage than most campgrounds. Get your s*** together.
Beautiful views but the service was so bad it was nonexistent! I checked in with the host and was seated. I was seated for 20 minutes and didn't even have any waitstaff come and even take our order. Got up to go to the bathroom and when I came back they gave our table away! We left and went to Trump up the road.
Judging from our visit in August, this place is in hard need of: 1) A good chef, 2) A good service manager, and 3) Better training to employees. This place banks of attracting people for its impressive views, grand patio and beautiful building - but other than that, there's just little to no substance.
Long drive out there. Best to keep your posted hours. Wrong to just close. One might say rude.