Goodstone Inn & Restaurant
36205 Snake Hill Rd.
Middleburg, VA 20117
(540) 687-3333
https://www.goodstone.com/dining

American | $$$

The setting is beautiful, the restaurant, not so much.

We arrived for our 25th wedding anniversary dinner and were told the restaurant was making changes, so the main dining room was unavailable. On all of our pre-COVID visits, we had always dined in the main room, so this was disappointing. As we were leaving, I noticed a party of five seated there, which added to the confusion. Perhaps the main dining room is now reserved for Inn guests, but that was never explained to us.

I also was not aware there was a downstairs dining area. Unfortunately, the furniture there appeared quite worn, which took away from the overall fine dinning experience. Our waitress was very capable and friendly.

Our first course was this tasty Baked Brie with Goodstone Honey, Berries, and Toast Points. The best part of the meal.

My wife ordered the Steak Au Poivre. It had a sauce my wife described as “almost flavorless” on a bed or ordinary mashed potatoes. Her steak, like mine, was lukewarm.

I ordered the 12 oz NY Strip with Frites and Garlic Aioli (misspelled on the menu), but the entire meal arrived lukewarm. While the steak had decent flavor—reminiscent of a solid meal at Outback—it quickly went cold. Worse, the fries became unappealing as they lost what little heat they had.

For dessert my wife had a decent Crème brûlée.

I ordered the chocolate tart with chocolate mousse. The outer shell was so hard I struggled to cut it with a spoon, and the mousse was unusually dense. It wasn’t what I expected, though the rich chocolate flavor was the one redeeming quality.

Calling this experience a disappointment feels like an understatement. We chose this restaurant based on past experience. Our anniversary fell on a Monday—already limiting fine dining options. On any other night, it likely wouldn’t have been our first choice, especially given the hour-plus drive. We arrived with high expectations based on past visits, but they weren’t met.

The menu was surprisingly limited, offering only basic options of chicken, fish, pork, and beef. Prices felt excessive for the quality and simplicity of the dishes: $49 for a plain steak and fries, $16 per dessert, and $28 for a burger or chicken sandwich.

For guests paying over $400 a night to stay at the Inn, this level of dining is hard to justify. I hope the restaurant can return to the standard it once delivered.