Village Tavern

 

Located at 1903 Westridge Road in Greensboro (with additional locations in Winston-Salem and Charlotte), Village Tavern serves American fare. It is open from 11-9 Sunday-Thursday and 11-10 Friday and Saturday. There is a full bar with daily drink specials. Patio seating, online ordering, and online reservations are available, and a brunch is offered on Sundays.

 

Since opening up shop in Winston-Salem forty years ago, Village Tavern has expanded to include eight locations. Perhaps because of its longevity, the impression I got of it was of a dated brunch/lunch spot patronized by well-to-do seniors, and so it never claimed a high spot on my to-try list. After paying the Greensboro location a visit, however, that perception has somewhat changed.

 

Village Tavern occupies a large building with plenty of seating, and though they keep busy, they seem set up to accommodate the volume. My wife and I showed up for lunch on a Monday and had no wait for a table in the bar area, which was nicely appointed. Think classy without feeling stuffy.

 

Just as the restaurant is sizeable, so too goes the menu. Apps, soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees, tacos, burgers, and pizzas are all offered here. There are gluten-free and vegetarian options, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something not to your liking. We ended up going with fish and chips and shrimp and grits. The food arrived quickly, and our server was polite and responsive throughout the meal.

 

Shrimp and grits is one of my go-to dishes, and no two places do it the same way. Village Tavern’s version uses white grits and bacon rather than tasso ham. Purists may quibble, but I found it excellent. The grits were creamy without being too heavily cheesy, the bacon added a hint of smokiness, they didn’t skimp on the shrimp, and the mushrooms were a nice touch. The fish and chips boasted crisp and generously battered cod. It wasn’t on par with what you’d find in a seafood bar, but it did not disappoint. The sauteed spinach – substituted in for coleslaw – was tasty as well though the fries were only so-so.

 

While I was wrong about Village Tavern’s décor (more appealing than I thought) and clientele (more diverse), I was right about its price point. Both entrees ran north of twenty. While the fish and chips offered a good amount of food for the money, the shrimp and grits felt like a dinner price for a lunch portion.

 

All told, Village Tavern is a solid jack-of-all-trades restaurant. It offers a little bit of everything and seems to execute well enough. It’s more likely to leave you satisfied than impressed, but the service and atmosphere make it worth your while.