3.5 stars for Lodge Restaurant, the restaurant at Williamsburg Lodge…read more
It's actually 3.5 stars for the Friday seafood buffet dinner. It was good. It wasn't the best, or most inventive, seafood I've had. Considering this is Williamsburg (a destination not known for its marine cuisine), the Lodge Restaurant does a pretty nice job. It's pricey, however. I believe it was around $35 per person -- add in the requisite alcoholic libations, and you're dropping a pretty penny in this joint.
The food abooooounds here, which is nice. There's a huge variety of hot and cold items to choose from. There are nicely prepared salads, and a decent crab bisque to start you off. There are king crab legs, peel-and-eat shrimp, and oysters on ice. There's lemon tilapia, dill salmon, mussels, and fried cod in the warmers. I thought the crab legs were really good, and the peel-and-eat shrimp were lovely: firm, and plump, and juicy.
Aside from the seafood, there's a selection of fruits and cheeses, salads, side vegetables, a bread station, and a smorgasboard of tempting desserts. There's also a sushi station staffed by sushi chefs, but I found the sushi pretty typical and uncreative, and the rice was hard-ish like the sushi you get out the refrigerated section in Giant. Not to mention the wasabi was graying, which is never appealing.
The ambiance at the Lodge Restaurant is a bit formal and classy -- still, this is a resort town, so you don't need your finery. They say the dress is casual, but I definitely wouldn't want to show up in my Disneyworld tee and torn jeans...lord knows some fools certainly do, tho. The dining room is nice, quiet, and upscale.
The service is professional, if cold. I found our "server" (cuz on buffet night he didn't have to do much but uncork our wine and keep it coming) a bit aloof, but maybe they're trained that way to be in-keeping with the more formal atmosphere. Still, it probably wouldn't have killed him instantly to smile or exude some warmth.
All-in-all it was a pleasant experience. I wouldn't be adverse to coming back for the buffet, or maybe stopping by for brunch.