Located at 10372 Martinsville Highway in Danville, Rustic Barn Restaurant serves Asian fusion cuisine. It is open from 12-9 on weekends, 3-9 Tuesday-Friday, and closed Mondays. Online ordering is available.
Housed at the end of a highway strip mall outside of Danville, Rustic Barn is neither rustic nor a barn. It is, improbably, a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant. Yes, you read that right.
The idiosyncrasies do not stop with the name. Inside, The Rustic Barn offers an intimate space with low lighting and some interesting décor: random photos of locomotives adorn the wall. The menu skews Thai albeit with some Japanese dishes (gyoza, teriyaki, yaki udon) and a few (a burger, a steak and potatoes) that fit the establishment’s rurally suggestive name.
The proprietor, Jeb, is gracious and accommodating as well as a showman who likes to joke with his guests. His promise of “everything fresh, everything homemade” is a lot to live up to, but the kitchen here has the chops to deliver on that promise.
Our group
went with a pair of starters (crab rangoons and gyoza), a pair of curries
(roadhouse and green), and a pair of noodle dishes (yaki udon and pad Thai).
Everything was attractively plated and delicious. The rangoons were hand-formed
into delicate shapes and contained plenty of filling while the gyoza were nice
and crisp. My entrée was the roadhouse curry: the house version of Massaman. A
hearty dish, it boasted thick-cut vegetables and a rich sauce done to the
desired (a little bit spicy) level of heat. Prices are moderate (entrees start
in the upper teens), but portions are plenty filling.
Given how
many Danville restaurants were closed on a Sunday evening, I count myself lucky
that The Rustic Barn was not among them. If you come here seeking country
cooking, you’ll be confused and perhaps disappointed. But if you know what you’re
getting yourself into, the combination of personable service and tasty food in
an offbeat location makes this the epitome of a hidden gem.
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