Four Years Later... A 50/50 Experience, But That Out of Bounds Keeps Me Coming Back…read more
My last review of Revel was about four years ago, and it was not a good one. Since then, I've returned more than a dozen times, mostly for Happy Hour and my favorite cocktail
Restaurants change, and staff changes frequently. With those changes, the overall experience can change as well. After all of these visits, I would say my experience at Revel has been about 50/50, both with the food and the service. That said, there are definitely things here that keep me coming back.
Happy Hour is my favorite. I'm fortunate to be recognized by a few of the servers, and when I'm seated in their section, the experience is always good. The Happy Hour food is generally solid, but my real reason for returning is the Out of Bounds (OOFB) cocktail--a small-batch Old Fashioned that is absolutely worth the trip.
On a recent Saturday evening, I decided to order an OOFB and give dinner another try.
My dining partner ordered the risotto, and I'm glad they did because this was, without a doubt, the best risotto we've had here to date. It arrived at an appropriate temperature, was a generous portion, beautifully plated, and was a complete flavor bomb. I'm not generally a risotto person, yet I ended up eating half of it!
I ordered the mussels after seeing them being served at a neighboring table. I didn't read the description before ordering, which was my mistake. They arrived at the appropriate temperature, were nicely presented, and every mussel was opened. The flavor was good, but there was a level of heat that I personally didn't enjoy.
I didn't send them back because, honestly, that was on me for not reading the description or asking about the spice level. If you enjoy a little spicy heat along with saffron, these mussels may be right up your alley.
Overall, the food was good, with the risotto definitely being something I would return for.
The service, unfortunately, was another story. Our main server was largely absent, so we repeatedly had to ask other servers for assistance. That's frustrating, especially when you're trying to enjoy a Saturday night dinner. I understand that staffing and service can vary, but this was noticeable enough to impact the overall experience.
So once again, my Revel experience landed somewhere in that familiar 50/50 category. The food has definite highlights, the OOFB keeps me coming back, and when you get the right server, the experience can be really enjoyable. I just wish the service were more consistently attentive.
I feel four stars is a fair overall rating. I'm taking away one star primarily because of the lack of attentiveness from our main server.
Revel is definitely a hot spot in Danville, and with that popularity can sometimes come some inconsistency. That said, I would absolutely recommend starting with Happy Hour if you haven't been. It remains my favorite way to enjoy Revel--and that Out of Bounds is still worth the trip!