I went based off of recommendations and a Groupon. four in my party. here's how it went down: 1. we waited 18 minutes for our drinks (4 waters and 2 decaf coffees)... the Mimosas we'd ordered took another 9 minutes. 2. the omelettes we ordered from the omelette station took 28 minutes! 3. service was slow and disheveled. 4. spoke to the owner but she was frantic and did not really respond. 5. on the limited buffet, three of the 7 dishes offered were consistently empty... we were there for over an hour and never saw all the food together. food was decent but not delicious and not enough to have us return. Sunday brunch is not their forte. be warned, ye yelpers! read more

Great place for Sunday supper/family reunion/birthday celebration on the porch. All six of us appreciated Alli's gracious and friendly service, especially the surprise at the end of chocolate mousse cake with candle and round of Prosecco. Everyone enjoyed the meals. Three of us enjoyed the three-course lobster (shelled) special for $39. Others enjoyed the ribeye, the salmon and salad, the spinach beet salad and the crabcakes. We will be back! Thanks for a great evening! read more

We've been to Choices several times now -- with widely differing results -- "Choices" indeed! Our experiences have ranged from "can't wait to return" to "get me out of here now" -- and nothing in between. Whether our experience is at one end of the spectrum or another seems to depend on the attitude of the management and wait staff. The kitchen has been the only constant in the experience equation. Located in a restored mansion, Choices provides a beautiful setting for an intimate dinner. The food is primarily "Southern comfort" food -- lots of starch with the protein, but prepared with an eye toward healthy. The fried chicken, for example, has had the skin removed and appears "flash fried" -- not a speck of grease or fat. Service has ranged from "wonderful" to "college student enthusuastic." We have had wait staff that knew the menu, made suggestions, and offered slight variations on the menu. Then we've had wait staff that could not pour wine without spilling it on the table and floor, served a mixture of water and lemonade (they come from the same spigot on the machine), and tipped the serving plate at a 45 degree angle (visualize a mound of mashed potatoes making a quick getaway off the plate and onto the wine soaked tablecloth). Management seems equally divided on how to seat diners. For example, one time diners were spread throughout the restaurant. This provided an atmosphere of intimacy and romance where diners could easily talk among themselves in privacy and without competing with other tables. On other occaisions, diners were crammed into one room (the other rooms were vacant) where the noise level was anything but intimate or romantic. At our last visit, we were seated at a table in between two parties loudly debating politics -- almost like being on the set of Agronsky & Co.. We asked to move to a quieter location and were quickly moved -- only to be moved back to our original table after we had settled in because "management wanted to keep that table open." And, yes, they finally seated someone at the quiet table, just as we were leaving. So, the high points: Interesting and "healthy" Southern comfort food prepared competently and consistently by the kitchen and served in a potentially romantic restored mansion. The low points: The variability in ambiance and management's quirky way of dealing with it make Choices a no-no for a romantic or "special" occaisions. Choices' management has a great opportunity to develop a following for those looking for a convenient venue for conversation and good food -- they just have to decide on a few of their choices. read more

With our family new to the wheat allergy world, we've been looking for some good local gluten-free dining options, especially ones that specialize in breakfast. Some internet research pointed us to Choices by Shawn, and our first experience was well worth the visit. The restaurant is built into an older home in Fairfax, an effect that makes for a very warm, welcoming environment. The restaurant features a few rooms of tables, as well as outdoor seating that spills onto the porch and out onto the grounds. The treat, though, is the menu, on which nearly all options can be made gluten-free. New to this establishment, we tried a number of the breakfast options, including scrambled eggs, French toast, pancakes, and their more unique take on zucchini pancakes. Our child with the wheat allergy opted for the French toast with bacon, plus a little sprinkling of the home fries. We all came away very pleased, with a exception of the zucchini, which I could do without. Most importantly, our daughter came away elated that she had found a place we could go for breakfast. Overall, as some reviewers have noted, the service could be swifter, but the staff was all friendly, accommodating, and, most importantly, willing to attend to our dietary needs. Most of the breakfast items ranged from $8-$10, with only a modest $2 upcharge for gluten-free items. We were most pleased, and, based on our daughter's reaction, we'll definitely be back! read more

Excellent gluten Free menu, good wine selection and dog friendly! We sat on the porch and enjoyed a great meal with a nice atmosphere. Our 2 small dogs were able to join us which we really appreciated. read more

Excellent place. They truly know their food and are careful to prevent cross contamination. What's amazing is the food is actually pretty good, even the gluten free food, which is extremely difficult to do. The service is also great and they're incredibly knowledgable about gluten intolerance and celiac disease. I'm not GF but my partner is and we go there as often as we can. Recommendations: French onion soup (GF or not), anytime they have salmon, and the grilled chicken salad. Also, you MUST have the raspberry chocolate ice cream. It's GF and probably the best ice cream I've ever had. read more

I love sitting out on the porch here!!! The food is also good - the ingredients seem to be of good quality. I came for brunch/lunch, and I was satisfied. There are many options for different diets. The menu is somewhat basic with soups, salads, and sandwiches. Bottom line: If you want a simple lunch, this place is nice. It would be nice for a day out with the girls or family. read more

My three stars are soley for the wine selection and reasonably priced wine flights. It was by far the best part of the night. I was with a large group for dinner. I ordered the pork chop (asked for 1 but got two) and I could not even finish one because it was so dry and overcooked. And, I really had my taste buds set on a nice, juicy, pork chop packed with flavor. Not so much! We also ordered the deviled eggs, those too were a dissapointment. No taste...bland and dry. Our service was ok! Very slow and a little unorganized for our large party. I think they need to just put a little more focus on the quality of the food. Maybe offer less options...quality vs. quantity! read more

3.5 stars really. Nice location and great homey feel to the converted house and decor, and best of all, really good gluten free options. Our two lunchtime dining criticisms were that the "White Gazpacho" was overloaded with vinegar, which wasn't listed in the ingredients but was basically the only flavor you could taste. The second note was that the pulled pork sandwich was rather dry. It comes on a big thick bun and there is hardly any bbq sauce or any other condiment. My mother ended up just eating the pork. My salmon salad was good, the portion of salmon was really generous and appropriate for the price. When we ordered dessert, they were out of the gluten free fudge cake of course, so I had coconut ice cream while my dining companions had a mini molten chocolate cake and a slice of chocolate mousse cake. The ice cream was a stand out, made in house and creamy with shredded coconut throughout. I would prefer real coconut to the shreds but it was really satisfying. We also tried the black raspberry chip ice cream and I wished I'd ordered that instead, it was a perfect balance of sweet raspberry fruit, cold creamy cream and dark chocolate chips. yum! I will definitely return, perhaps for a formal tea! read more

Decor and service is great. Food is ok and lacks personality. It is more of a coffee/tea and ice cream place. read more

If I can give that place -1000000 I will. It's disgusting and very unclean. Table cloth was dirty, flies were flying around, service is the worst. I couldnt even stay in for a minute and I left. I am sure the food will also be a disaster in such a disgusting place. Pictures also are nicer than reality so dont be fooled. read more

We got a groupon for $50 for $25, so decided to give it a try. The place is quaint and peaceful inside. The decor is tasteful. It's an older restored house in downtown Fairfax. We ordered the mussels as an appetizer. I had the New York Strip Steak salad and French Onion Soup, My husband had the Rib eye steak with potatoes au gratin an fries. The mussels were decent. It was a small portion with a somewhat heavy herb butter sauce. It came with small slices of French bread. I prefer a loaf that I can break, so the bread taste softer and crispy. My salad was small and bland. The tomatoes were old and grainy. The steak was cooked correctly, so I ate that but left most of my salad. The soup was HORRIBLE! The frozen soup at Costco is better. Instead of melting the cheese under a broiler, they sprinkle a small portion on top. My husband said the steak was mediocre. They added 20% gratuity even though it does not state that anywhere. I don't mind paying 20%, but I found it on bad taste. Even with the groupon, I don't think it was worth it. read more

Valentine's 2020. Food and service was excellent. Our waiter was really on point despite the high volume with the holiday and made us feel like valued regular customers even though this was our first visit. The reason for the 3 stars however was the owner had arrived to the restaurant and rearranged the dining area halfway through our meal. We were fine with them rearranging half of the room we were sitting in during our meal but the turn off was a very rude and loud woman at one end of the table that changed the entire vibe of our Valentine's date from quaint and romantic amongst other diners in a charming and romantic historic room to a pompous stuffy experience that we couldn't wait to leave. The owner however, was very friendly and even thanked us on our way out. read more

I have been coming to Hamrock's for a while. Their entrance has disabled parking, right next to a gigantic staircase up to the main porch. When I asked one of the staff whether they had an accessible entrance (I don't use a chair but was asking on behalf of people who do) or were considering adding a ramp, he said no but "there's another entrance around the side with only a couple steps". I was too stunned to reply. read more

Our waiter gets ten stars. I didn't get his name but he's from Chile and awesome!! Our dessert if the berries and ice cream also deserves five stars. The food is just average. We didn't like the green tomatoes because of the cornmeal just tasting like it's thrown on and the coleslaw was weird but the beans were good (only two slices in one appetizer). The deviled eggs we didn't care for the meat on it and their was a good sauce and a generic hot sauce on it. A little over kill we both thought the pecans in it were good and then the pink sauce but the rest was too much. Then I had the lemon chicken which was good but def nothing special. She has the sword fish and thought the same. The dessert was amazing! We even ordered another one. Lastly, I loved sitting outside but a lot of people brought dogs and barking dogs was getting annoying and watching the waiters with their hands hugging the dogs then giving us food was kind of gross. So we wouldn't go back but the waiter and the dessert are great. read more

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First off I have to say this place is DARLING. It's a historic house with charming decor that makes you feel comfy like an old sweater. I went in on a Thursday when they were having complimentary wine tastings at the bar. The place was virtually empty so we went to the bar for 3 wine tastings (all of which were delightful and helped guide us in our wine choices for the evening). There were 6 of us and we started off w/ a few appetizers. Mussels in white wine sauce, duck sliders, asiago dip, and french-styled stuffed eggs. ALL of the appetizers we ordered were absolutely delicious. Seriously I could've killed 3 more duck sliders, but I needed to save room for dinner. Our server was friendly and attentive, just overall fantastic service! If only our meal ended with the appetizers and I could give it 5 stars, but alas the main courses came out.... I had gnocchi with spinach and pine nuts. It was okay... a little dry/over-cooked. My sister had crab cakes with fries (both were decent). A few people at the table ordered the Greek grilled chicken. Apparently this dish was VERY bland and you didn't have to taste it to know it. The chicken just looked sad, over-cooked, and under-seasoned. Now forgive me, I'm going to get all Gordon Ramsey here, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT SOME COLOR ON THAT PLATE. Everything was beige. Beige chicken, beige fries, beige rice.blah. A little garnish might've livened up what was a rather depressing looking dish. I'm definitely going to go back just for appetizers and leave it at that. Good wine, good vibe, good service, MOSTLY good food. read more

I came here for Sunday brunch and it was wonderful. I made a reservation so make sure you do. It was pretty busy. They have an omelette station and in the the room you can get your meats. My friends are meat lovers so they loved the gravy with beef bites on top of their biscuit along with the bacon and sausages. You get a choice of pancakes, Belgium waffles or French toast. And I love the huge endless cup of Joe :) All of this only cost $15 a pop. Very cute brunch place, I would totally come again. read more

The service is good, but food is so bad. The steak is just ok, fried calamari is below average, PENNE PASTA with MEATBALLS & MARINARA is terrible. We were very disappointed, there is no good food selection for kids, my boy just tasted twice of the Penne Pasta and didn't want to eat any more. So I tried to taste it and it was so bad. I just couldn't describe how bad our foods were, the 2 stars was because of the nice service. read more

As someone who has had their fair share of fine dining, the brunch at Hamrock's was average which was surprising given their prices and nice exterior. I have lived in the area for over 10 years and my family and I finally decided to stop by one Sunday. The presentation of the food was what first set us off as it is nothing special. We had the French toast (which was the best thing on our table), crab cake Benedict, and the farmhouse scramble. In all the food was just "okay". I would recommend sitting outside as the small room we were in quickly felt crowded with just one other family next to us. The staff were super polite and nice though! read more

This is easily my favorite restaurant in town. Came last Saturday for the second weekend in a row. The food is amazing. The hostess' are so friendly and inviting.The crab cakes are my favorite thing on the menu. The sweet and spicy chili sauce that comes with the fried calamari seals the deal! I will definitely come back with my kids and husband. Great staff, great food, great time! read more

Hamrock's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

My firm rented the restaurant for our annual holiday party. The space was amazing, the staff was extraordinary, the food was top rate. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

DOG FRIENDLY My husband and I have been to Choices many times, largely because it's one of the few semi-upscale restaurants where we can dress casually, bring our dog and sit on the porch. We always bring water, dinner and a chew toy for him, but the staff has always been good about offering water and even ice cream (which isn't good for dogs, but it's still a nice gesture). The service we have experienced has been good and the food has also been good. In fact, the service has been better since we started bringing our dog, who is admittedly very charming. Some may object to this given that Choices is not the least expensive place to eat and there is generally at least one aspect to our meals there that have been so-so. However, the aforementioned dog-friendliness gives them a pass for occasional mediocrity in our book. We do have two practical tips for other diners (with or without dogs). First, skip any desserts except the ice cream or milkshakes. We've tried them all and none of them have been worth the calories. However, the ice creams are all fantastic. I'm partial to the banana. My husband likes the coconut. Second, get on their mailing list. They send out an email every Friday with the specials for the weekend and we only go when they have an especially appealing-looking special. These specials have been better than anything we've ordered off the regular menu. Considering that we'd been limited to take out from Whole Foods, Hard Times chili or Panera in Fairfax City if we were hungry and didn't want to leave the dog at home, Choices is a good, well, CHOICE for us. read more

Love this restaurant! My husband and I are new to the area and discovered this place by accident on Yelp. We have not been to any other restaurant in Old Town Fairfax since we started going here. We have a few celiacs in our family, so Sean's is great when we have guests. We have eaten breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner here, all with great experiences. They keep their porch seating open as late into the Fall as they can and will let you sit out there if you are willing to brave the elements. They have a good selection of wine and beer but they do not serve any type of liquor. Also: they have constantly rotating specials, they have wine tastings, they have a nice bar area (though small), they get as much of their food from local farms as they can, the service is great (and they recognize regulars!) and they let you order mimosas by the pitcher during brunch if you want. read more

The food and the service is good but the home made ice cream is like none other! They also offer food items for special diets (gluten free). They accept restaurant.com coupons. read more

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Went for lunch on a weekend. Super-duper accommodating for gluten-free diners. All GF food is served on red dishware, so you know for sure that the kitchen has prepared it as "safe" if it's on a red plate. The sandwiches were pretty good. The sides were fine, although rather oily. The coffee was impressively bad - it tasted like dishwater. Overall, it was a much more expensive lunch than it seemed like it should be for what it was. Seems like this is more of a "fancy" place that you go to occasionally and don't mind paying accordingly. read more

Had there Sunday Night Lobster dinner. It was excellent and a big plus is they took the meat out of the shell and laid it out very nicely on the plate including claw meat. They also had a heater next to our table outside. Here is another good restaurant trying to make it through COVID. We definitely will be back. read more

The food was actually quite tasty...but...it was 100% prepackaged. At least that's true for what I got, maybe not all the menu options. So they did a good job picking out their prepackaged foods but I can prepare that sort of thing myself at home! Started with mac and cheese bites which were perfectly triangular and most definitely not homemade (but again, not bad tasting). The rolls were kind of tasteless and I am a huge bread fan. I ordered gnocchi which was delicious but I think that's basically because it was drowned in butter. The wine was quite tasty, I will say that. Service was fine. It was good, I didn't hate it, but I probably won't be back. They do get an A+ for atmosphere/environment but I don't think the food matched the ambiance they were trying for. read more

We went with a bunch of friends for a New Years Eve dinner. It was outstanding! I had the special, a filet and crab cake - both cooked to perfection and the crab cake was legit - not a lot of filler. My wife had baked stuffed shrimp over risotto - "OMG it was so good" was her quote. The table shared a number of apps that were all outstanding. As previous reviewers have stated, it's in a large old home. If you NEED to feel like you're eating in a cookie cutter restaurant then go find an Applebee's. If you're looking for a casual fine dining experience that feels more like a dinner party than a restaurant, this is your place. I hear that they have an outstanding porch in the summertime too. The staff was great and it won't break the bank. read more

I Love the reuben here! It is perfectly cooked lean corned beef every time just the right amount of cheese and dressing and crispy grilled rye bread, paired with a cup of potato leek soup it can't be beat. If the weathers nice enjoy the outside porch in lovely downtown fairfax. I topped my lunch off with a scoop of homemade raspberry chocolate chip icecream. All of the entrees are reasonably priced and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Great place for lunch or dinner if you are in downtown fairfax. read more

Choices is under new ownership (as of some time in the last 6 months or so). They have a nice menu, with real food, real ingredients, and real flavor. (If you're a whole-food lover, you know what I'm talking about.) Good inspiration. Tastey, and filling. I come here because of their quality of food and especially their attentiveness to allergies. Since the change in ownership, their attentiveness to allergies has lessened. They are still able to handle our needs (strictly gluten and dairy-free), for which we are happy and grateful. But if you came here before the change, and now you're back, you'll want to ask allergy questions regarding their recipes and ingredients and make sure they understand your needs. read more

Despite complaining the chicken salad (on stuffed avocado) was dry like cardboard. It was still way over cooked again. The lobster bisque soup too salty and the corn muffins too sweet. read more

This is a great local restaurant! We have been here several times and the service is always good. We have tried a lot of the items on the menu and all are delicious. Good selection of wines. Many gluten-free options including crab cakes. read more

We were there September 2018 and had a fabulous lunch. Great blueberry muffins and other breads were placed on the table. I took my friend for lunch there in April and the food was mediocre - new awful "fried" blueberry muffins with other breads were placed on the table. Tasteless (except the oil) Fried Green Tomatoes and pale lettuce with chicken. We again went Saturday Aug 31, 2019 for brunch. This time, they outdid themselves with mediocre brunch and salad. No bread on the table, Home fries were nothing more than baked cut up potatoes. An order of toast ($2.00) was no more than one 3" slice of toasted bread,with cold butter on the side. Small pancakes and very thin omelet. Very sad because the house is lovely. The same thing happened to the other restaurants that occupied the house - until they left. read more

Went in for dinner the other night, had my favorite, the meat loaf, ladies had fried chicken salad and shrimp provencal, Terry had the fried chicken, another of my favorites. Everyone enjoyed their food and as always the service was great. 5 stars for sure!p read more

Went here for our anniversary dinner. Service was lovely, dinner delectable and relaxing on the porch as as good as it gets. Thanks, Hamrocks! read more

Fried chicken with real mashed potatoes nt box with water were on point. Deff gotta get that. Service was great if you go ask for younger guy named Daniel he was great. Only thing that i can say bad about the place is they need to get some hot sauce or tobasco because they only have siracha. Great homey feeling, check it out. read more

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The waiter was nice, the room is a bit small, but the food was good. There were complimentary dinner rolls and butter, and a tealight candle at the table. I got butter gnocchi and potato gratin and later realized I ordered all potatoes! I also had the white gazpacho soup which was okay. My boyfriend had crabcakes and garlic fries, with salad. If it wasn't so expensive, I might go again. read more

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Lovely old historic home with charm oozing from the wooden floorboards. The food was delicious. I had the filet mignon and seafood soup. Our server, Jeremy, was attentive and nice. Will definitely be back again. read more

There brunch was expensive and the food wasn't very good. Average at best. Our server was nice on the other hand tho. read more

Hamrock's Restaurant - Brunch Selection.... - New American Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Good brunch spot. Did a to go order...Deviled eggs were yum. Had a veggie omelet which was also good. Pretty simple but was good.