Tremendous experience. We did the Kitchen Table seating for a birthday celebration and we both agreed it was one of, if not the best dining experience we've ever had - and we have been to 1, 2, 3 Michelin Star restaurants all over the world. The food was outstanding. Every single dish was an adventure for our tastebuds. Service was excellent. Despite both front and back of house staff being incredibly busy, they answered all our questions and engaged in light conversation. Every staff member was so pleasant. The environment was easy going and felt like you were at the kitchen table in your grandma's house - in the best possible way - it wasn't stuffy, or exclusionary the way a lot of high performing restaurants can be. We were so impressed with every aspect. Hope to dine there again in the future, it is worth the drive from DC!
Michele Burke
JUST BOOK IT. TRUST. Four women, two super picky super foodies (lovely humans but restaurant snobs) and two regular old food lovers. Everyone BLOWN AWAY. We did the four course menu and ended up adding a course. THERE ARE NO WORDS. There are textures and flavors and spices and things bursting and crunching and sauces that you want to BATHE in (looking at you Venison sauce). It is truly an experience- with each new dish you take a bite and then everyone looks at each other in total wonder!!! It was like a magical adventure and flavors you never thought to pair before and actual food shape-shifting (HOLY HELL HOW DO YOU MAKE A SQUASH INTO THE BEST DESSERT I HAVE EVER HAD -shout out to the razmatazz grape!! WHO KNEW?)?? The staff was so patient and gave us so much information and answered sooooo many questions like WHAT WAS THAT??? Also an amuse bouche fried tiny cheese triangle that is now haunting me.
See...words cannot describe it so you should just go.
Erik Leedom
Maude and the bear is a good restaurant that costs far far far too much. Yes, I am accounting for inflation. Yes,I know things cost more these days. Yes, I am happy to pay for expensive meals. I just expect that the meal be commiserate with the price. The food at Maude's good. Very good even. Aside from a very weak tuna tartar (that was an up charge) all of the dishes were very tasty, if pretty straightforward. The wine pairing however was a big disappointment. None of the wines were above average (except for a very cool carcavelos served at the end, though this is a $35 bottle) and a few were down right poor. The wine servings were extraordinarily skimpy. Easily only a third of a normal glass. This means that I was paying for small pours of $60 a glass wines. None of the wines I had were even close to that. The setting is quaint but not luxurious and the service was very friendly but not professional. I suppose the wine pairing is factoring heavily in my rating (and so be it, I care about my wine pairings). If our meal cost about half of what we paid I would recommend this restaurant for the food. If the wine pairing was half the cost and twice as good, I would maybe give it 4 out of 5. All in all a good effort but far from the quality they are charging for. If you do go, skip the wine and stick with the basic menu (ignore the insane up charges) and expect that you will eat well but pay dearly for it.
Suman Gandham
Intimate fine dining with an innovative menu and excellent service.
H T
We had an epic dinner at The Shack a couple years ago so we had high expectations for Maude and the Bear. (Especially after the NYT named it in the top 50 US restaurants.) The restaurant itself is in a charming house but has generic art for sale on the walls and no tablecloths on cheap looking tables. We had the $90 4 course meal. It started with lovely amuse bouche which was probably the highlight of the meal. The main course was a waygu short rib dish that was more fat than meat (yes waygu is heavily marbled). It tasted a little like a disappointing pork belly. Further it was served family style which left a lot to be desired from a presentation standpoint. Since the dinner had very little protein it did leave us a little hungry. We augmented with their bread service--$13 for a single Parker house roll. The menu changes frequently so maybe another time would be better. Service was excellent and knowledgeable.
Corry Chapman
Excellent restaurant, among some of the best I've eaten at.
Lovingly decorated (the drinking/smoking monkeys wallpaper in the bathroom is hilarious), intimate and clean. Beautiful tableware.
Waitstaff were friendly and personable and attentive.
Food was delicious and lovingly crafted. The amuse bouches were fantastic, a totally different taste in every one. Several of the courses featured fresh, delicious vegetables. The final short rib course with cabbage rolls was wonderful.
For cocktails there is a take on a G&T with a bit of dill clipped to edge of the glass. So good. Wine list is also excellent.
Only drawbacks: The restaurant is on a very busy road and its parking lot in front of the building is tiny, and full when we went. There is ample street parking across the street but no crosswalks, so you'll have to run a gauntlet to get to your dinner.
Price point is too high, but given inflation and the cost of the quality of their ingredients -- plus being in tiny Staunton -- it makes sense. Many of the items listed on the menu are add-ons for an additional charge.
We did the four course dinner for two ($90 each), added a caviar on latke dish ($100), and had one cocktail and two glasses of wine. With tip it was close to $400.
Then again, the Inn at Little Washington is $388 per person (not including drinks) -- but the meal there is absolutely epic.
Sami
I will say this place is overrated. It is fine dining and the dishes are well composed, But, i left a 7 course tasting menu hungry. It's super pricey and the portions were insanely small for what you're getting. I mean, supposedly one of mains was short ribs, i swear to god, It was mostly sauce with maybe an ounce of meat, maybe. It was $500 with wine and not worth it at all. I say a B- wich is so disappointing when you consider the prices they are charging. I live in DC and I've way better meals for half the price
Christine Chmielewski
Memorable 4 course tasting dinner! Everything was delicious, unique and beautifully prepared. Really felt the attention to detail and care that went into the entire meal. The whippoorwill peas were amazing as was the sunchoke dish!
Jessica Hill
We stayed one night at Maude and the Bear in addition to enjoying the amazing 7-course tasting menu for dinner on the evening of our stay, followed by their complimentary multi-course brunch for inn guests the next morning. Our experience was impeccable from start to finish. Ian and his wife Leslie are such lovely, down to earth people and what they're doing at Maude and the Bear is truly something special. The space is absolutely gorgeous and the accommodations were luxuriously perfect with no detail spared. It was clear that a lot of thought and creativity had gone into each amenity, just as Ian provides exceptionally creative, delicious, and complex dishes in the restaurant. We were very impressed with the quality and uniqueness of each dish we tried which highlighted fresh, local flavors that all combined perfectly for an unforgettable experience. They were also great about accommodating my food restrictions (gluten). We had such a wonderful time and will definitely be back. If you have an opportunity to stay on site in addition to enjoying a meal, we highly recommend that you do. This place is not to be missed!
Abby Adams
This review is for the restaurant only (brunch). Unfortunately, we had an underwhelming experience here. The service was very good but the food was just okay. I’m a vegetarian, which I left them know ahead of time, and my only option for a main meal was a tostada without the egg. The tostada itself was very greasy and not very substantial. My husband’s grits were too spicy to finish and his burger was also greasy. After reading such great reviews, it was a disappointing meal.
I was part of a party of two that came for Sunday brunch. Overall, I would describe the food as an A minus, which is slightly worse than I'd like at the price, but still an excellent and out-of-the-ordinary experience. The service was wonderful; the waiters were friendly, personable, and attentive.
Second course: - Grits with guinea hen and mushroom
Third course: - Spanish tortilla - Burger
My favorite item was the sweet potato donut, but the grits were also very, very good, and I was told the oyster was delicious. I'm not a squash person, so I can't quite rate it fairly, but the sauce and toppings were excellent.
We both felt that the third course was slightly underwhelming. I enjoyed the burger, but it was slightly too salty, and not all of the flavors of the toppings came through. The fries, though, were magnificent. The review I got of the spanish tortilla was that it was good, but not great, because the taste of the roe didn't come through. As a caveat, it was topped with peppers that were too spicy for him, so he didn't eat them - the dish might have been better if enjoyed in full.
Julia Neyman
I've only eaten here once but based on that visit I would say that Maude & the Bear is not deserving of the accolade of one of the 50 best restaurants in America. In fact, I wouldn't place it in the top three restaurants in Staunton.
First, the good: the burger was absolutely phenomenal. Wow!!! I'd eat it any day.
Then, the rest: we had two cocktails, both of which were fine but not great, a roasted pepper dish which tasted like peppers you throw on your grill at home but cost like $25, and a crudo dish consisting of 5 bite sized pieces of undersalted fish topped with tangerines that had turned.
I would shrug off the mediocre food, if not for the snooty service. The vibe was that we were lucky just to be in this restaurant. When we asked the bartender to describe the cocktails we got two word descriptions, delivered with annoyance that we would dare ask what a cocktail's flavor profile was before ordering it.
Restaurants that delight are ones that punch above their weight on flavors, go out of their way to deliver warm service and display humility. This restaurant was haughty, overpriced, and with bland food.
Hard pass.
Derek Burden
Excellent from top to bottom. Service, ambiance, and food all worth the price point.
Aubree Sales
We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to celebrate my husband’s birthday at the Chef’s Table here. The food was absolutely incredible, the environment homey, and the conversation lively throughout the whole 3+ hour experience. Thank you to everyone at Maude & the Bear and we hope to be back again!
Marion Mahoney
As soon as I read about Maude and the Bear, I told my husband we should celebrate our anniversary four months early - which we did, this past Friday and Saturday.
The renovations to this 1920s house are meticulous. We stayed in a room named The Crow and the Pitcher. It is a gorgeous, very clean suite with every amenity imaginable: comfortable bed, stacks of fresh towels, champagne on ice, cookies...the staff is friendly and interactive, including the chef.
Since his wife is a potter, her bowls and vases appear on the tables. Paintings by a local artist, many of local vistas, enhance the decor, which is modern but also warm and personal.
We chose the four-course dinner. The dishes were artistically arranged using fresh local ingredients. What stood out to me was the lamb. For breakfast, overnight guests are served a three course meal. It began with fresh fruit over a base of a sour cream mixture and topped with nuggets of house-made granola. The second course was a blintz filled with a delectable ricotta mixture and topped with small bitter orange slices. The final course was a matzo/scrambled egg garnished with fresh dill and tiny white garlic flowers. I am still thinking about it!
Keep your eyes pealed when finding the inn - the sign is brown and does not stand out.
Tremendous experience. We did the Kitchen Table seating for a birthday celebration and we both agreed it was one of, if not the best dining experience we've ever had - and we have been to 1, 2, 3 Michelin Star restaurants all over the world. The food was outstanding. Every single dish was an adventure for our tastebuds. Service was excellent. Despite both front and back of house staff being incredibly busy, they answered all our questions and engaged in light conversation. Every staff member was so pleasant. The environment was easy going and felt like you were at the kitchen table in your grandma's house - in the best possible way - it wasn't stuffy, or exclusionary the way a lot of high performing restaurants can be. We were so impressed with every aspect. Hope to dine there again in the future, it is worth the drive from DC!
JUST BOOK IT. TRUST.
Four women, two super picky super foodies (lovely humans but restaurant snobs) and two regular old food lovers. Everyone BLOWN AWAY. We did the four course menu and ended up adding a course. THERE ARE NO WORDS. There are textures and flavors and spices and things bursting and crunching and sauces that you want to BATHE in (looking at you Venison sauce). It is truly an experience- with each new dish you take a bite and then everyone looks at each other in total wonder!!! It was like a magical adventure and flavors you never thought to pair before and actual food shape-shifting (HOLY HELL HOW DO YOU MAKE A SQUASH INTO THE BEST DESSERT I HAVE EVER HAD -shout out to the razmatazz grape!! WHO KNEW?)?? The staff was so patient and gave us so much information and answered sooooo many questions like WHAT WAS THAT??? Also an amuse bouche fried tiny cheese triangle that is now haunting me.
See...words cannot describe it so you should just go.
Maude and the bear is a good restaurant that costs far far far too much. Yes, I am accounting for inflation. Yes,I know things cost more these days. Yes, I am happy to pay for expensive meals. I just expect that the meal be commiserate with the price.
The food at Maude's good. Very good even. Aside from a very weak tuna tartar (that was an up charge) all of the dishes were very tasty, if pretty straightforward. The wine pairing however was a big disappointment. None of the wines were above average (except for a very cool carcavelos served at the end, though this is a $35 bottle) and a few were down right poor. The wine servings were extraordinarily skimpy. Easily only a third of a normal glass. This means that I was paying for small pours of $60 a glass wines. None of the wines I had were even close to that. The setting is quaint but not luxurious and the service was very friendly but not professional. I suppose the wine pairing is factoring heavily in my rating (and so be it, I care about my wine pairings). If our meal cost about half of what we paid I would recommend this restaurant for the food. If the wine pairing was half the cost and twice as good, I would maybe give it 4 out of 5. All in all a good effort but far from the quality they are charging for. If you do go, skip the wine and stick with the basic menu (ignore the insane up charges) and expect that you will eat well but pay dearly for it.
Intimate fine dining with an innovative menu and excellent service.
We had an epic dinner at The Shack a couple years ago so we had high expectations for Maude and the Bear. (Especially after the NYT named it in the top 50 US restaurants.) The restaurant itself is in a charming house but has generic art for sale on the walls and no tablecloths on cheap looking tables. We had the $90 4 course meal. It started with lovely amuse bouche which was probably the highlight of the meal. The main course was a waygu short rib dish that was more fat than meat (yes waygu is heavily marbled). It tasted a little like a disappointing pork belly. Further it was served family style which left a lot to be desired from a presentation standpoint. Since the dinner had very little protein it did leave us a little hungry. We augmented with their bread service--$13 for a single Parker house roll. The menu changes frequently so maybe another time would be better. Service was excellent and knowledgeable.
Excellent restaurant, among some of the best I've eaten at.
Lovingly decorated (the drinking/smoking monkeys wallpaper in the bathroom is hilarious), intimate and clean. Beautiful tableware.
Waitstaff were friendly and personable and attentive.
Food was delicious and lovingly crafted. The amuse bouches were fantastic, a totally different taste in every one. Several of the courses featured fresh, delicious vegetables. The final short rib course with cabbage rolls was wonderful.
For cocktails there is a take on a G&T with a bit of dill clipped to edge of the glass. So good. Wine list is also excellent.
Only drawbacks: The restaurant is on a very busy road and its parking lot in front of the building is tiny, and full when we went. There is ample street parking across the street but no crosswalks, so you'll have to run a gauntlet to get to your dinner.
Price point is too high, but given inflation and the cost of the quality of their ingredients -- plus being in tiny Staunton -- it makes sense. Many of the items listed on the menu are add-ons for an additional charge.
We did the four course dinner for two ($90 each), added a caviar on latke dish ($100), and had one cocktail and two glasses of wine. With tip it was close to $400.
Then again, the Inn at Little Washington is $388 per person (not including drinks) -- but the meal there is absolutely epic.
I will say this place is overrated. It is fine dining and the dishes are well composed, But, i left a 7 course tasting menu hungry. It's super pricey and the portions were insanely small for what you're getting. I mean, supposedly one of mains was short ribs, i swear to god, It was mostly sauce with maybe an ounce of meat, maybe. It was $500 with wine and not worth it at all. I say a B- wich is so disappointing when you consider the prices they are charging. I live in DC and I've way better meals for half the price
Memorable 4 course tasting dinner! Everything was delicious, unique and beautifully prepared. Really felt the attention to detail and care that went into the entire meal. The whippoorwill peas were amazing as was the sunchoke dish!
We stayed one night at Maude and the Bear in addition to enjoying the amazing 7-course tasting menu for dinner on the evening of our stay, followed by their complimentary multi-course brunch for inn guests the next morning. Our experience was impeccable from start to finish. Ian and his wife Leslie are such lovely, down to earth people and what they're doing at Maude and the Bear is truly something special. The space is absolutely gorgeous and the accommodations were luxuriously perfect with no detail spared. It was clear that a lot of thought and creativity had gone into each amenity, just as Ian provides exceptionally creative, delicious, and complex dishes in the restaurant. We were very impressed with the quality and uniqueness of each dish we tried which highlighted fresh, local flavors that all combined perfectly for an unforgettable experience. They were also great about accommodating my food restrictions (gluten). We had such a wonderful time and will definitely be back. If you have an opportunity to stay on site in addition to enjoying a meal, we highly recommend that you do. This place is not to be missed!
This review is for the restaurant only (brunch). Unfortunately, we had an underwhelming experience here. The service was very good but the food was just okay. I’m a vegetarian, which I left them know ahead of time, and my only option for a main meal was a tostada without the egg. The tostada itself was very greasy and not very substantial. My husband’s grits were too spicy to finish and his burger was also greasy. After reading such great reviews, it was a disappointing meal.
Restaurantji Recommends
I was part of a party of two that came for Sunday brunch. Overall, I would describe the food as an A minus, which is slightly worse than I'd like at the price, but still an excellent and out-of-the-ordinary experience. The service was wonderful; the waiters were friendly, personable, and attentive.
Between the two of us, we had:
First course:
- Oysters (add-on)
- Sweet potato donut (add-on)
- Summer Squash
Second course:
- Grits with guinea hen and mushroom
Third course:
- Spanish tortilla
- Burger
My favorite item was the sweet potato donut, but the grits were also very, very good, and I was told the oyster was delicious. I'm not a squash person, so I can't quite rate it fairly, but the sauce and toppings were excellent.
We both felt that the third course was slightly underwhelming. I enjoyed the burger, but it was slightly too salty, and not all of the flavors of the toppings came through. The fries, though, were magnificent. The review I got of the spanish tortilla was that it was good, but not great, because the taste of the roe didn't come through. As a caveat, it was topped with peppers that were too spicy for him, so he didn't eat them - the dish might have been better if enjoyed in full.
I've only eaten here once but based on that visit I would say that Maude & the Bear is not deserving of the accolade of one of the 50 best restaurants in America. In fact, I wouldn't place it in the top three restaurants in Staunton.
First, the good: the burger was absolutely phenomenal. Wow!!! I'd eat it any day.
Then, the rest: we had two cocktails, both of which were fine but not great, a roasted pepper dish which tasted like peppers you throw on your grill at home but cost like $25, and a crudo dish consisting of 5 bite sized pieces of undersalted fish topped with tangerines that had turned.
I would shrug off the mediocre food, if not for the snooty service. The vibe was that we were lucky just to be in this restaurant. When we asked the bartender to describe the cocktails we got two word descriptions, delivered with annoyance that we would dare ask what a cocktail's flavor profile was before ordering it.
Restaurants that delight are ones that punch above their weight on flavors, go out of their way to deliver warm service and display humility. This restaurant was haughty, overpriced, and with bland food.
Hard pass.
Excellent from top to bottom. Service, ambiance, and food all worth the price point.
We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to celebrate my husband’s birthday at the Chef’s Table here. The food was absolutely incredible, the environment homey, and the conversation lively throughout the whole 3+ hour experience. Thank you to everyone at Maude & the Bear and we hope to be back again!
As soon as I read about Maude and the Bear, I told my husband we should celebrate our anniversary four months early - which we did, this past Friday and Saturday.
The renovations to this 1920s house are meticulous. We stayed in a room named The Crow and the Pitcher. It is a gorgeous, very clean suite with every amenity imaginable: comfortable bed, stacks of fresh towels, champagne on ice, cookies...the staff is friendly and interactive, including the chef.
Since his wife is a potter, her bowls and vases appear on the tables. Paintings by a local artist, many of local vistas, enhance the decor, which is modern but also warm and personal.
We chose the four-course dinner. The dishes were artistically arranged using fresh local ingredients. What stood out to me was the lamb. For breakfast, overnight guests are served a three course meal. It began with fresh fruit over a base of a sour cream mixture and topped with nuggets of house-made granola. The second course was a blintz filled with a delectable ricotta mixture and topped with small bitter orange slices. The final course was a matzo/scrambled egg garnished with fresh dill and tiny white garlic flowers. I am still thinking about it!
Keep your eyes pealed when finding the inn - the sign is brown and does not stand out.
Loading...