This location opened this past June and I hadn't had a chance to check it out. They've got some…read moregreat cocktails! I went with the vadka mule, which was very well-made. Vibes are different than most similar establishments around the area. Mostly older folks here. There's plenty of seating, and the ambiance is quite modern. Service was good, except one of the bartenders was a bit sassy with one of my friends. One great aspect is that they allow you to eat food here from outside, as they don't serve food here. As a result, you're only allowed to order two drinks per day according to VA law. Overall, still a good spot and I definitely would come back.

Great whiskey bar in Blacksburg A little of the eaten path so don't miss this wonderful place…read more They have been making some very good bourbons and a terrific atmosphere Highly recommend for any bourbon lover visiting Vt

Of your then owner off this pace not your best employee letting no one in This place could be so…read moremuch better Ok well found out getting in only 2 bartenders barely able to keep up This has to be the worst run bar in blacksburg

Found them on Yelp while looking for a place open past 10pm. We wanted a full meal and this place…read moredelivered. Staff: awesome service! Kudos to the main guy taking our order and bringing it to our table. He was the all around order taker, drink maker and very patient guy. Food: Bar food at its finest, and I say this with all appreciation. The fries are the best we have had in a long time. Perfectly seasoned and fried fresh and a huge basket. Most of our group ordered the generous portions of French dip. We also got the pirogies with house made onion dip. His cocktails were yummy and a nice heavy pour. Ambiance: straight up bar atmosphere complete with a front room dart area. Bathrooms are clean, tables are high tops with lots of seating. Would be nice to have more lighting but hey it's a pub. Crowd looks local and a bit older than the average college demographic. We will definitely be back.

Was met by owner at door. The waitress was very polite and jovially helpful. The atmosphere was…read morehistoric and told the story of returning home. The art work done by Aunt Lizzy was grand. We had meatloaf and brisket with a Stout and Porter. Remarkable experience and we will return again. A plus was a street festival outside.

I'm in town visiting a childhood friend and we came here for dinner. As we were walking to the…read moreTavern, I noticed a cute little house that didn't match the other architectural designs of the other establishments in the area (brick and "modern" looking buildings). I was caught off guard when my friend walked up the stairs to the house because from initial appearance, I wouldn't have thought this was the restaurant! Upon walking in, the host greeted us and told us his name was Dan and that he was the owner of the restaurant! It was really cool to see that the owner is truly passionate about his restaurant and will show up to put in the work, even during the later hours. In terms of the food, I went with the Hungry Hokie which was a mashed potato bowl with with bits of meatloaf and chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese. It also came with a biscuit or cornbread, I opted in with the cornbread. The food was absolutely hearty and had pretty good flavor! The one wish that I had was that it came in a bigger portion as it didn't fully fill me up. If I was in town again, I'd definitely consider going back to try the other items on the menu!

We can't say enough of this place. We had a wonderful visit for Sunday brunch. Ty (bartender and…read morehost) was excellent and very friendly. This was our first time here celebrating our son's birthday. I got the chicken biscuit which was excellent. The chicken and waffles were really good to. This really could be for two people. The drinks were excellent. We will definitely come back to try their lunch/dinner menu.

It was ok. Service was a bit slow and not as attentive as I would like. The steak was okay a bit on…read morethe fatty side and the broccolini was sparse. It looked like portion sizes varied by person. We were seated upstairs in the private section so it was very peaceful. Downstairs and outside was pretty packed.

Just had dinner here. Been wanting to go for a while and was not disappointed at all. Appetizers…read moreand sandwiches were amazing. The wine choices incredible!

Get the duck breast salad with pomegranate. Out of this world. Visiting my family for the first…read moretime in Blacksburg and they took us to Wine Lab. It was so fantastic we went back again on last night visiting. Atmosphere was great. Terrific wine selection. And the owner is soooo nice and helpful. The duck stole the show. Will be back for sure!

The price here is an amazing value for what we thought was a really good Japanese meal…read more The sashimi Deluxe was a work of art, and really good variety of sushi. The fried rice that came with the chicken katsu don was great, smokey and flavorful from the hibachi. The unagi don comes in a nice wooden box with a lot of fish and tamago. The chicken katsu was even better than the typical katsu found at Japanese restaurants. Overall I would highly recommend Ocean Samurai, it was a great value and really great food.

Travel for Blacksburg! Ocean Samurai has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. It's rare to…read morefind a place that balances quality, creativity, and community the way they do. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is warm and inviting -- not too flashy, just thoughtfully designed with a clean, modern aesthetic. It's the kind of place where you can just as easily bring your family for a quiet dinner or meet up with friends for a casual night out. The sushi here is consistently fresh and beautifully presented. I'm not someone who's easily impressed by rolls -- but Ocean Samurai's signature rolls are something else. You can tell they put real care into each dish, both in flavor and presentation. Even the rice is seasoned just right, which says a lot. I also appreciate the range of options for folks who don't eat raw fish -- their bento boxes, hibachi, and cooked items are just as good. One of the things I really love is how they've made an effort to connect with the community. It's clear they care about the people who live here, not just the students. The staffs are friendly and down-to-earth, and they always greet returning guests like family. I've had several conversations with the owners and it's obvious they're passionate about what they do. Whether it's a lunch break during the work week or a relaxing dinner on the weekend, Ocean Samurai is the kind of place that makes you proud to support a local business. I hope it stays for a long time.

I rarely eat food after 9pm, but you make exceptions for places like this. My top-tier chum who…read moreliterally went to the school of hospitality (down the street at VA Tech!) and I came by here this past Tuesday night after a few other potential dinner spots fell through - the week after graduation is not the best for college town restaurant reliability. This was one of the few businesses with a kitchen still open, and had the distinction of being the only restaurant she'd actually been to when she was in college here over 20 years ago. Certainly a testament to the power of Mexican food and the young pups who will eat it any hour of the day and night. Unlike her last visit, El Rodeo apparently isn't as dark and divey as it used to be. A shame in my view, but it is what it is. The walls are painted a bright white, and if you didn't have the menus and margaritas roaming around, it could have hosted any genre of cuisine. There was an outdoor dining area that was pretty hopping but we opted for indoors and were immediately seated in a spacious booth with views of giant TVs showing a wild Cavs/Knicks playoff game. I wasn't obscenely hungry so I avoided eye contact with the burritos and instead went for a chicken/cheese quesadilla and a large glass of water. The quesadilla showed up within a few minutes and honestly really hit the spot. It was SUPER cheesy (in terms of flavor, not quantity, which I liked - I'm all about an ingredient equilibrium with my food), and I loved the crispness of the tortilla. The chicken was nicely shredded and seasoned, and it was generous portion to the point where I was only able to eat about half of it. The rest came back to the hotel with us to be consumed at a later time. The service was excellent. The turnaround time of the food was insanely quick, and the only noticeable delay was when our waiter understandably needed to attend to a wild 21st birthday celebration at a nearby table. Happy Birthday to her, and I hope the margaritas treated her well. College town restaurants kind of are what they are - it's not really the land of bougie gastropubs but rather affordable tasty shizzle that you might impulsively eat in the middle of the night. Solid recommend.

I got the Arroz Con Pollo, along with a Jumbo Pina Colada Margarita…read more This dish isn't a traditional Mexican dish - it's actually more Caribbean - but due to the massive demand for it in the South, it's a staple of menus here but not really found anywhere else in the US - that's why I had to make sure to get it while I was here as I hadn't had it before and I know this place is known for it This food was absolutely fantastic The dish came with a TON of grilled chicken pieces on rice, along with a lot of vegetables, and a cheese-like dip Starting with the chicken, it was really good, and as I mentioned, there was a lot of it it was also soft and not quite juicy - but definitely not overcooked/dry either. it was really satisfying to bite into it wasn't super well seasoned - but there was enough that it was detectable the rice itself was pretty nice and well-flavored. it wasn't anything too special but it served as a solid base for the rest of the toppings the vegetables were pretty fantastic - and served as a great complement to the chicken. I was especially a big fan of the grilled onions and the peppers, as these were cooked really well. however, the tomatoes weren't great. charging extra for these was a little strange, but I didn't mind it what really brings the dish overall together and takes it to another level is the cheese dip that mixes throughout everything if this was too cheesy - it would ruin the entire dish by making it practically inedible if it didn't have a strong flavor, the entire dish would basically feel plain however, this was just perfect. It had a hint of cheese, but most surprisingly, it had a bunch of other flavors in there too that created a sauce that coated every part of the dish and significantly increased the flavor of everything it touched this resulted in the overall meal having a comforting, deep flavor profile that was really, really good The margarita was also decent - it was super sugary and you couldn't taste the alcohol that much, but it was enjoyable to drink For the price, this was a pretty great deal. When adding the vegetables onto the ACP, it came out to around 15 dollars, and this was a really nice portion size given that price. The jumbo margarita was also a really large drink for around 9 dollars

My ideal pizza - very soft and delicious, even the cheese is unique too. Service is not bad but not…read moreoutstanding. Nice view with both indoor and outdoor seating.

I'll give it a 3/5 because the food we ordered was decent. However, the customer service was a…read morecomplete turn off therefore it dropped the review down. The waitress tried to pressure us into feeling bad for giving her over 10% tip stating she expected 20%. M'am respectfully, if you don't do anything beyond your job why do you expect 20%?! Last I checked, tips were meant as a bonus for doing an exceptional job. Just dropping off our food with a smile or taking our order with a smile is the bare minimum when you're in a service oriented job. Not sure when people started becoming so entitled, but if you received a tip worthy of the work you did that should be enough. Definition of what a tip should be: A tip (or gratuity) is a voluntary, discretionary sum of money given by a customer to a service worker (e.g., servers, barbers, valets) as a token of appreciation for a service performed, over and above the base price. Overall, food was good. The staff just made a scene and made everyone at the table feel uncomfortable. It was a party of 4 we got a few drinks and appetizers I think in total we spent like $60. So it's not like it was a gigantic group and she was working her arse off.