Classy. Good food. Professional staff. Decent prices. Small portions. Tasty cup of She Crab Soup, but an expensive $8 for a cup. Grilled chicken on salad was bigger and fresh. Shrimp and grits had 4 big shrimp but only a smaller portion of grits, with an egg on top. Great taste, just small portions. Piano music and classy atmosphere. Worth a try. read more

Haywood's - Entryway - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Virginia

Had a great dining experience at Haywood's on a Saturday night. Went to Red Hen and got turned away. Was so happy to get the last bar table at Haywood's (and watched several parties get turned away after that - must have been a busy night in Lex). I had a delicious kale salad, a perfectly cooked filet, and the waiter steered me toward a blueberry cobbler dessert. All were excellent. Great service. Nice piano player for ambiance. read more

Very nice dinner house given the limited options in Lexington. It seems to be understaffed.

What a fun place! After a hike on the Blue Ridge and checking into the Robert E Lee, we were delighted to find Haywood's! We were expecting a laid back Sunday night but were happily surprised to find a jazz trio paying here. We started with a lovely local Michael Shapps Viognier. Next came sirloin sliders with house hade pickles and pimento cheese! After that, shrimp and chorizo tacos with a wonderful sauce and rice side dish. The music was local and interactive, the food, right size and tasty. I've read some reviews that were concerned with the service on the same night that we visited. Yes, it was a bit slow, but the place was packed on a Sunday night. Relax. Enjoy. We'll be back! read more

Haywoods is an interesting place; small, a little congested, noisy (i would honestly remove the piano player -although proficient, it adds nothing but more noise to an otherwise slightly chaotic space) The food is excellent in so many of the dishes, although with some it is like another chef of much lower quality cooking. The appetizers are stunning; small and full of flavor and subtlety especially the melon gazpacho. We chose a bone in mignon which, like the ribeye, was desperately salty. The meat itself was thin and too dry prior to cooking so achieving a rare was not going to be possible. Service was polite, professional and very attentive. Our waitress, Betsy was wonderful and helped make the evening very relaxing and pleasurable Pricing for this more upmarket establishment was very reasonable and I felt that I had a very good night Having said all this, in summary this restaurant is excellent and the comments i make are as feedback rather than complaint and i would definitely return if i am in the area again read more

Very helpful, service oriented staff. We had our dogs with us and asked if we could be seated outside, they said yes and even went out of their way to bring a container of water for them. Food was excellent, very tasty, excellent service! Definitely will go back. read more

Superb Cuisine & Staff Obliterated by Insufferable Piano Playing We chose Haywood's based on recommendations and reviews. The cuisine was outstanding; best pork belly we have ever tasted. Anywhere. The staff - in particular Stephanie - were top-notch. And extra kudos to the chef, who took the time to visit with all tables. But...WHEN YOU HAVE TO TALK LIKE THIS TO BE HEARD BY YOUR PARTNER, WHO IS LESS THAN 2 FEET ACROSS THE TABLE, SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG. Sadly but necessarily, the remainder of this critique must join those (many) who have noted the ambiance (lack thereof) being dominated -- no, let's say destroyed -- by piano music that overwhelms what could be a cozy dining room. Acoustically speaking, a baby grand piano placed in a room we estimate at 20' x 20' at best (and this includes a bar area) is recipe for an ear-shattering, conversation-stifling atmosphere. Such is the case at Haywood's. And not meaning to pile on, but there was a large chasm between menu offerings on the website vs. the limited fare presented on the menu upon being seated. I suppose this is due to the pressures of being sold out during multiple graduations in Lexington, and I get it that restaurants have overhead to deal with. Still, one does not like to feel "channeled" into limited choices. Thankfully, the exquisite pork belly - and a nice white wine - softened the blow. Another pique: We had asked, due to being delayed in horrendous traffic, to have our reservation moved back, slightly. The reply was a straight "No." Again the graduation card was played. The problem with that is there were several tables left vacant while we were dining amidst the din. Most troubling - we have heard from multiple sources that Haywood's owner could not care less about what folks say about the restaurant. The owner encourages those oft-put by the insufferable piano playing to dine elsewhere. Well, although we would miss the pork bellies we would be happy to adhere to the owner's advice. Sorry, Haywood's, and absolutely no reflection on cuisine and service, but all of us who have dined at risk of hearing loss would agree - P-ersistently I-ncessantly A-nnoyingly N-umbingly O-ffensively loud music does not engender an enjoyable dining experience. "Hear ye, Hear ye. Or at least try to." read more

Terrible croissants. Like bread inside. Bad excuse for a croissant. also weird they leave your food for you on the counter

Went to Haywood's for Sunday Brunch. I was drawn in by a sidewalk board boasting prime rib. I was on my way to a different local restaurant and canceled a reservation to try the prime rib. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! First we were seated and left alone with no drinks or instructions on the buffet for far too long. That was minor. The buffet was small. VERY small! The biscuits were low quality, the gravy overly salty and not as good as I would expect. One item was used up and never replaced though more than 45 min were left for brunch. The salad was sparse, with a large amount of lettuce and carrot shavings and maybe 5-6 total cherry tomatoes. Dressings that were unmarked and unfamiliar. But the biggest disappointment was the featured item. The prime rib was exceedingly well-done. Think extra, extra dry pot roast. That was the end, but my wife asked to see the middle, which was still very well-done, though juicier. I'm not even sure this was prime, but if so, it was very poorly cooked. It was on a white cutting board on a baking tray at the end of the buffet table. No heat lamp, no proper presentation. Even at home I present it with more care. A carving knife was left laying in the middle. A chef had to be found each time to cut us some. The gravy was more like a very thick pot roast gravy rather than au jus. The one dessert item I had was excellent. For this, $35 each. My iced tea was $4 extra and they tried to double charge me. My wife's mimosa was $9. For those prices, drinks are generally included (even mimosa) and the buffet would generally have been 3-6 times bigger and better quality. For the quality, it should have been $15. I might not complain for $20. But $35 plus extra for drinks was obnoxious. I eat more than 50% of my meals at restaurants and frequent many in Lexington. We previously had a good experience at Haywoods, but this made me feel like never returning. Their street sign snagged a customer for one meal, but their performance lost them for good. The server was good and two individual items were up to par and excellent, but I feel at least a few people in the kitchen were waaaay out of their league today. Multiple people asked me how the food was in an almost self-congratulating tone. I assume managers or owners. We lied to be nice and said it was fine. It wasn't. A comment card would have gotten the truth for improvement. Instead I go to Yelp. A restaurant that is incapable of serving a quality prime rib or even present it professionally isn't doing itself any favors by featuring it. Perhaps they struggle with staffing like other places in town, but with so many people floating around asking how it was, I would think at least one of them would know themselves. Apparently not! read more

We had reservations here on Wednesday, 7.28.21 @630pm. Very disappointing. Our waiter, Giovanni was very professional, upbeat and completely knowledgeable. The manager, Joseph was exceptional. Our complete disappointment started with our appetizer. We received One, YES just ONE chicken stuffed ravioli and paid $16 for it, YES $16 for One ravioli. Then we both ordered there only rib eye, (10oz.) and was that a mistake!! Please keep in mind the place was not busy and we don't want to be rushed but when I'm waiting for over an hour for 2 very thin steaks that is a huge issue. When our meal finally arrived is was cold and all cut up. Giovanni returned them to the kitchen to be heated up. Our issues with this is, "What restaurant or steakhouse serves any rib eye steak dinner NOT a sandwich, cut up? We have dined at many, many steakhouses and we have never had any of our steaks cut up. Weird. Long story short, we were not happy with any part of our meal BUT, the manager, Joseph, handled our situation extremely professionally, respectfully and kindly in such a way that he made our miserable experience tolerable. Every restaurant needs a manager like him. read more

I had the pleasure of dining at Haywood's this past Summer and again in the Fall and the experience was wonderful each time! I especially appreciated the great service professionalism and attention to detail I received from Sandra, she was excellent! I would certainly dine there again! read more

Small town charm meets big city prices; Haywood's offers an option for Lexington visitors to have a refined meal that approaches the experience at Red Hen in a more visible location. The Georges has, with help from the Robert E. Lee Hotel, elevated the tourist experience in Lexington to a more distinguished level. The food is local, atmosphere intimate and grand piano lively. The menu changes seasonally and fits on one page, similar to the more casual partner restaurant across the street, TAPS. Haywood's defines special occasion in Lexington with attentive service, small plates and a well-considered wine menu. Bartenders will make you traditional cocktails at a 5-6 seat bar, including a few local on-tap selections. Haywood's has large windows looking out onto the corner of Main Street and Washington Street, two significant pedestrian thoroughfares in Lexington, so be sure to make a reservation. This restaurant is expensive and elegant; I am more impressed with the room at The Georges, but Haywood's certainly provides for a positive experience. read more

One of my favorites in town! The food is so delicious and the serves always ate so nice and professional. I highly recommend this place especially for special occasions and dates. read more

Stopped in after a wedding !! We were pleasantly surprised.. Food, service and ambience a perfect ending to a spectacular event !! We will be back ! read more

Horrible. I have never left a dinner more frustrated and angry than I did tonight. I was not only underwhelmed by the food but felt scammed. The waitress was rude, I was charged an extra $20 for salmon on an $8 side salad without any warning, and was automatically charged a 20% tip without any kind of acknowledgement from the waitress and was subsequently asked if I wanted to tip AGAIN. My meal totaled $40, consisting of a water and a piece of underdone salmon on a portion that mirrors a side salad. Considering this incredibly small portion of this $26 salad, I was still hungry. I asked the waitress if it was at all possible to get another plate of bread (the bread is quite literally white sandwich bread with butter). She told me that they were "out" of the bread. Funny enough, a table next to me got another plate 3 minutes later. I will not be returning. read more

I was very disappointed by this restaurant but my husband was not. I ordered shrimp and grits appy that was the worst I've ever had. Grits were lumpy and it wasn't tasty. Next I had salmon with fennel, cucumbers and something else on top. The combination of vegetables just didn't work together (my husband agreed with this). I ordered a side of cornbread that was the worst I've ever had. Seriously, I couldn't break off a piece to eat because it all crumbled apart when you touched it. No flavor and drier than dry. My husband ordered the sirloin steak with mashed potatoes and that was fine. But who can't cook steak and potatoes? We thought this was going to be fine dining but it was more like bad dining. I gave it two stars because the place had pleasant ambiance and a good piano player. read more

Went recently for a business meeting, great food and welcoming ambience. I will definitely stop by next time I'm in town.

A piano bar concept. Convivial atmosphere, friendly informed wait staff, and some really awesome food. The menu changes all the time. So prepare to be surprised. But it's the good kind of surprise! read more

Haywood's - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Virginia

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Sorry. We ate here a few nights ago. Sat outside. Had to level the table just to start. Ants on the table. The wine menu was wrong. But sadly the 1/2 Roasted Chicken was dry and the cauliflower purée was gray, I mean literally it was gray. And our friend who was eating here for the first time ordered the steak. I was so embarrassed. It was thin, gray and overcooked. And for dessert they were out of the Strawberry dessert but offered a tres leches bread pudding whatever. It was AWFUL. Literally hard as a rock. The drizzle was nice. The carrot cake however was very good. We won't be back and I don't think our new neighbor will either. So sad. read more

Good selection of farm to table food, with a fresh feel to the menu that lets the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. Some innovative dishes - loved the "mini burgers" starter and a nice twist on gnocchi as entree. Staff attentive, knowledgable and able to leave you to enjoy your meal. Add to that the pleasure of live music ( local band on Wednesday with piano other evenings ) and you've a nice restaurant standing out from others in the town. Why not five stars? Only thing that let them down for me was the desert menu. At three items it was limited and the coconut tart was, for me, far from the fresh local food ethos and tasted very processed. Would not stop me recommending or returning another day. read more

Very nice restaurant with great wait staff. Pork belly was superb my wife said was best she's ever had. I had a small bite it was delicious. I had the scallops and pasta.. I'm pretty fussy about scallops but these were excellent as was the sauce. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone. We're from out of town and are used to good vs bad or poorly prepared food. This place is top notch in my book. read more

Although I've frequented Haywood's, I've never been more disappointed in a restaurant in my entire life. After waiting at least 20 minutes for the glass of wine I ordered, we were waiting at least another 40 minutes for our meals. (We also had a VMI rat who needed to be back by 10pm but the kitchen did not seem to meet our pace.) We then received all of our meals at different times, not all at once. The beef stroganoff was WAY over salted. We took one bite and brought it to the attention of the waitress who took them back. Then the chef brought out a better sample for us to taste. We were then brought new "full" dishes that were less than half the size of the original ones (seen in picture). It was still too salty and I could not even eat mine. Then we had to leave and when the waitress brought the bill the stroganoff was only discounted. That is when I asked to speak to the manager, Stephanie, who approached with an attitude stating "is there a problem here?". I told her I was upset with the service we received and the quality of the food. She simply said "well we did discount it". Then after discussing more, she came back to the table and very condescendingly said "we took care of it, please come back soon". We payed the bill and left. Minutes later we noticed one member of our party forgot their cell phone on the table and we returned to the restaurant. We were greeted with condescending Stephanie saying "Oh, NOW you want your phone back?" It was all very rude and belittling. Almost as if she was getting great joy that we had forgotten the cell phone. Overall a terrible experience. Would not recommend. read more

Haywood's - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Virginia

Great food, friendly service. I always visit Haywood's when I'm in Lexington. The Brussels Sprout appetizer is particularly good. Love the live piano music. read more

Very nice looking older restaurant. I had the shrimp etouffe when the entree arrived I almost said I ordered the dinner not an appetizer. Ut was served in a bowl about 6 inches long and about 3 inches wide. 4 shrimp no sauce on the small amount of rice. Very dissatisfied. The side dish was brussel sprouts and it was about the same size. Spouts were $5 and the very small entree was $19. First time I left a restaurant hungry after dinner. I would recommend the Bistro next door. read more

Was rather disappointed in my experience at Haywood's. My wife and I did a short, weekend trip up to Lexington as a Labor Day weekend getaway. I made a reservation, as I'd heard their steaks were incredible - I was most looking forward to a tomahawk ribeye. Upon arrival, we found that they only had a prix fix menu. Offering a prix fixe menu without prior knowledge, especially with a high cancellation fee, is certainly not a good policy. I ordered the deviled eggs, a ribeye, and a chocolate torte for dessert. The deviled eggs were fine; the ribeye was cold, and with the exception of 10 grains of kosher salt clearly sprinkled to one side, lacked any seasoning or sear. The chocolate torte was delicious and redirected our negativity toward the end of a very lackluster meal. The staff was kind, and explained that they were short staffed. This is the case everywhere; offer an a la carte option, or upgrade the quality of the meal if you're going to lock customers into dinner and then gauge them. read more

The hostess/front manager was very rude. Very disappointing because everyone else was very nice. Sad that one person can ruin an otherwise good experience. read more

Piano is TOO LOUD. Multiple reviews say this yet they don't fix it. Not sure why. It doesn't seem that hard. Food is good but would prefer more veggies and not just potatoes and rice for sides. For the price, you expect some actual vegetables. With these changes, the place would be amazing!!!! read more

I went there last weekend. I didnt realize it was parents weekend. The food was fabulous. From appetizers through desserts, the food was plated beautifully and just as tasty. Between me and the rest of my party, we tried half their menu (abbreviated menu). Not a single thing I wouldn't order again. Despite the crowd, the service was on it and and the servers were knowledgable about the menu. I can't wait to go again. read more

Beautiful, sophisticated, but definitely not stuffy, at all. Georgia at the bar is welcoming and makes you smile with her effusive way. Our waiter continued the great feeling of being among people happy to make you happy. The food was fantastic. Wish we had eaten all our dinners here! read more

Went there last night for my wife's birthday. We were seated in the back room which was very noisy with people talking and the piano from the bar. The menu presented was not the same as the "fall 2019" menu shown on line. The short ribs were not shown so I ordered the scallops. What seemed like 20 minutes later the waiter came and told me they were out of the scallops so I ordered the steak which now had to be prepared. I was never asked how I wanted my steak cooked. Luckily it was cooked as I like it. We waited way too long for our food due to this. We should have been told they were out of scallops when we ordered them. Might come back again but it will be awhile. Lots of other good restaurants in Lexington. read more

Lamb Burger - I don't want to think about cute little lambs - but holy moly, they taste SOOOOO goooooood!!!! Capitalism is awesome! - WTG Haywoods, 1 less restaurant for Virginian's to go to (RH) Just hope that nearly all your competition makes that mistake!! read more

a classy place to dine with live music. the lamb chop was good.

I literally just created an account to warn people of how horrible their service is. Went with a group of friends and the food was decent (despite the small portions), but we literally had to call on the waitress for everything or else she would've never came by.. We came in a group of 6 and they gave us one check telling us to write the amount we wanted on each card, which is totally fine. We did, and they literally charged us all wrong amounts. I paid way more than what I needed to while my friends paid less. It's not a big deal since they can pay me back, but it made everything so much more complicated than it needed to be. The waitress didn't even care to ask what was wrong after quickly tossing our receipts with a short, "I tried my best to get the numbers close." For the price I paid for my food, I'd say the service was very disappointing. Never coming here again. read more

We went to Haywood's for the first time on July 27, 2014. The food was divine. We've had the good fortune of dining all over the world, and this restaurant can hold its own in any league. There is a large room where there's a piano bar and tables. There's a second room, much smaller, which we preferred because it was pretty quiet, but we could still hear the first-rate pianist. The menu changes daily, so I'm not going to describe any dish in particular. It is a 'small-dish' place - tapas, if you will. They are reasonably priced - $7 - $12. Everything we had was first-rate, even dishes that my bride, who doesn't eat 'new' food very easily, had. She loved Haywood's, as did her brother (in from the San Francisco bay area, and he couldn't stop singing Haywoods' praises. I loved it, too. Not including the bottle of wine we had (a very nice burgundy) and tip, the bill was about $63. DON'T miss the cornbread. It's to die for. This is a first-rate fine-dining restaurant at far below fine-dining prices. Each dish is an unusual combination of ingredients, but trust the chef. Believe me: TRUST THE CHEF. You won't regret it. Lexington is a small town (pop. 7,000) with at least a half-dozen really, really excellent restaurants. Haywoods occupies the top rung of the ladder, though. The food is extraordinary. read more

The food was great, but the kitchen fumbled out order and we did not receive the food that we requested. The waitress also was very slow, and did not accommodate us as we had expected from a high end restaurant like Haywood's. I would give them another try, but I was fairly disappointed read more

Like other reviewers I found this restaurant severely lacking. Presenting itself as an upscale, classy eatery, when in fact the food is sub-par and over-priced. Compounding this is the terrible service (or lack thereof). I ordered the steak rare, and I was brought a small steak medium-well done. There are much better (not to mention more reasonably priced) places to eat in Lexington. I highly recommend Roca for a similar price range and much better food (served to order). Other options include the Bistro on Main and the Southern Inn. read more

Great locally sourced steak salad and curried sun choke/leek soup. Wonderful ambiance and live music!

Perfection!! A foodies dream! Staff were attentive and the presentation was beautiful..

Looked forward to going to Haywood's during our stay in Lexington. The waitress was like a robot and interrupted us on numerous occasions. Our salads were served with our entrees and our entrees were cold. Pricey and not worth it. . read more

An uneven experience. Entrées were fine, service needs work. Our second glass of wine was ordered after our appetizer but actually came after we had finished our entrées (not really what I want to have over dessert...) This was attributed to a busy bartender, though it looked like a typical Saturday night at the bar. Crème brûlée arrived without any Brulé - was just a cold custard, I think they forgot to caramelize the sugar on top. Never seen anything quite like that. So all in all, just ok-- this place needs more supervision read more