The Cabaret is located at the same site as the popular wedding venue Inn at Fredericksburg Square,…read morebut the Cabaret is located upstairs and performances are sometimes held in the Washington Ballroom. This is a lovely place, and is probably the nicest and most upscale venue in Fredericksburg. It offers live music performances (such as jazz or big band) with couples dancing, along with dinner or hors d'oeuvres, drinks for purchase, etc. The way it works is you purchase a ticket through their website - cost is typically $35 - $45 for the performance alone; when optional hors d'oeuvres are offered it's an additional $15, or if they are including dinner with the performance the cost is typically around $70 all-inclusive of performance, dinner, and gratuity. If you purchase wine, beer, mixed drinks, etc., that is paid on a separate tab at the event. The food served in the past has been excellent. Why do I give only two stars? I have attended several performances at Cabaret, and honestly this place is not ready for prime time. Most recently I attended the Doc Scantlin and Chou Chou performance on Saturday, Oct 1, 2016. The show started at 8:00 PM, and upon arrival at 7:30 we found the front entrance door locked! This was extremely puzzling and we looked around for another entrance but there was none. We went back to the main front entrance and actually had to knock on the door - they opened it and let us in. The server we had was very nice and courteous, but not knowledgeable at all about the limited wine and beer selections that they offered. Twice she had to go and check for an answer about their wine and beer. We each ordered an alcoholic beverage and we knew we would be dancing so we asked for some water - she brought two $3.00 glass bottles of fancy spring water with glasses. I said, "Oh no, we just wanted regular tap water in a glass." She told us they don't serve that! I'm sorry, that is just RIDICULOUS that this establishment does not provide regular, complimentary ice water to its customers who have already purchased a ticket for the performance. In any case, we said we would keep the glass bottled water. However, about 10 minutes later when we wanted to pour the water into our glasses, we discovered that the bottle caps were not the twist-off type and required a bottle opener! So here we are in this fancy place that doesn't serve regular iced water and makes you purchase the fancy glass bottled water and I had to flag down our server and ask her to open our bottles. Along with the locked door I feel that this is simply tacky and not an acceptable level of service for this type of establishment. Additionally, a friend that came with us on Oct 1st decided he wanted to partake in the optional hors d'oeuvres which we had not purchased tickets for and did not come early for. When he inquired if he could purchase the hors d'oeuvres buffet, Cabaret said yes and took his $15 but failed to mention that the buffet was ending in 20 minutes. So he ended up paying $15 for one small plate of hors d'oeuvres. Upon leaving the ballroom after the performance, the manager asked me how everything was and I mentioned this incident. No attempt was made by Cabaret to remedy the situation or offer a refund to my friend. Poor business practice, for sure. In summary, this is a very nice venue that has a lot of potential, however for the ticket prices they charge I feel that the service level is severely lacking. (Carlyle Club in Alexandria is the same type of venue, yet they typically charge $25 - $30 per performance ticket.) I feel that Cabaret is not quite ready for prime time and has a lot of bugs to work out before it can merit five stars.

Here to see music. Its set up like a theatre and not a music venue. Made for a poor experience…read more There is the stage with live music which was most excellent. Then in prime real estate are folding chairs set up in rows perfect for quiet viewing and we'll mannered zombie audience as the band plays. Hemming in the space with the chairs are church pews emphasizing the 'be quite' behavior of the crowd. Behind this set up are tables for dining from the food truck. Nice but bad placement. There is a food truck who will bring you your orders which is good. Any dancing or moving to the live music has to happen on the fringes or behind the people having dinner. Nothing about this set up let's you enjoy a crowd, to dance, or to get close to some really good live music. Such a shame. such a waste. Then after the first set the house lights got turned on. Totally killed any good vibes

From the owner: Music & Spirits is a concert series performed in the unique setting of the A. Smith Bowman…read moreDistillery at 1 Bowman Drive in Fredericksburg, VA. We feature old time, blues, jazz, bluegrass, folk, and Americana music. The red brick buildings that house the A. Smith Bowman Distillery, just minutes from downtown Fredericksburg, provide the perfect setting to listen to timeless music. Our goal is to provide concertgoers with an enjoyable listening experience, free of the noise and atmosphere of the bar scene, in a unique setting. Feel transported to another time and feel a connection to our uniquely American culture, surrounded by a group of people who are there to enjoy and respect the artists and other patrons in a listening room setting. Concessions are available for sale at the shows.

Came here to celebrate my birthday with a friend and I was not disappointed! Place has an amazing…read morefeel inside... cute lamps at tables, great colors, art work, etc. Our server was attentive and friendly and made some great recommendations. Had some happy hour drinks and a crab pretzel... amazing. Then we tried a flat bread and I got a piece of cake for my bday. All were awesome and well prepared. I can't wait to go back!!

A charming historic building with a much more charming and attractive bartender. She's got the…read moregift of gab and serves beers faster than a vet in line at the bank on payday. Would close the place down again any day.

Date night to see comedian Kathy Griffin at the National Theatre in downtown Richmond. Great show…read morehowever after 2-1/2 hours of sitting on a hard uncomfortable folding chair I was ready to go home!!! My butt is still numb, lol!!

I have been to The National numerous times over the years. It is a decent mid-sized venue that…read moregets some decent acts. But I am not comfortable there becuase of the audience space. When it is set up as standing room, as it is for most events, it is too crowded and "atmospheric" on the floor when everyone has been availing themselves of the bar's wares. When I was younger I would not have minded as much, but now standing for an hour or three is not my thing. BUT when they set the hall up with seating, as they did for Patton Oswalt's show last night, you have to deal with very cheap plastic folding chairs that put pressure in the wrong places and strain to hold folks of any above average size. I know, it's hard to please some people. Accoustically the hall is good. Bathrooms are cleanish. Ticketing was easy. Parking is a challenge.

Caught a show at The Canal Club in Richmond last week for the first time, and it was such a fun…read moreexperience. From the outside, the building has this classic warehouse vibe that fits right in with the historic feel of the area. There's a big sign so you can't really miss it, and the overall look is super inviting if you're into that old-school industrial style. When you up to the entrance, you'll go up the stairs to find the staff checking your tickets. Once you're inside, the place opens up into a big, open floor plan with a solid mix of standing room and a few spots to sit along the wall. The layout works well for concerts, the sightlines are good, and everything feels close to the stage even if you're not right up front. The inside keeps that warehouse feel going. It's exposed brick, high ceilings, just a bit gritty in a cool way. The bar is off to the side and stretches pretty long, so grabbing a drink was quick! Bartenders were friendly and the drink selection covers the basics. Nothing wild, but you'll find everything you need for a good night out. I went to see Jutes for the first time, and it was such an awesome show. The energy in the room was electric, and the sound quality was surprisingly clear for a venue this size. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and you could feel the crowd's excitement the whole set! This was definitely a solid spot for live music in Richmond. I love a small concert venue, and would definitely go back for another concert!

The venue provides an environment where you feel that "live music" connection with the artist as…read morewell as the other spectators. The bar staff moves the patrons through efficiently.

Great size venue and the food was actually pretty good!! The tater tots and quesadilla were done…read morewell. The drinks were a little expensive but it's dc. I'd come here again

Was here this past weekend and watched JVB and Joshua Raw. The venue was great and staff here very…read morefriendly. I got my husband a tea and his brother and espresso shot and spent less than $5. For DC idk how that was even possible. Crowd is dependent on the show but I was upstairs cuz im an old lady and can't stand anymore.

The live music scene was impressive. We saw Billy the Kid and the Regulators and that band packed…read morethe house. I recommend getting there early and going to the second floor bc they put the tables up at 10 and it's standing room only. In other words - very difficult to get your drinks. The bathroom was pretty grubby... Overall- a cool, live music spot.

I have been here long time ago. I was drunk and dont remember…read more.. This time I came sober and early for happy hour. Let me say that I had a great experience. The server was WOW...very nice and profesional. Had a a cracked glass and she replaced it. Great live band. Food was not the best nor was it the worst. Fried Chicken had no soul. Fried fish was good. Will try something different next time.

I love the intimacy of this venue. There is not a bad seat in the house. I love the standing…read moregeneral admission option as well. The old architectural details of the building are BEAUTIFUL! There are plenty of parking options nearby. Just wish there were more bathroom options for a concert venue.

Love this venue! We came to Charlottesville to see Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The general admission…read morearea is sloped so you get a great view even if you were in the back. There are three levels - the second level has seats and still a great view. The beer lines were busy but quick and there were plenty of cocktail, beer, cider options available. Coat check is available for only $2. The staff were all friendly - we were even given free tickets to the show the night before to see Blackberry Smoke by just simply passing by on our walk to dinner. The venue is located right in the center of the downtown mall so there are plenty of places to grab a drink or food before/after a show. It's only an hour from Richmond so worth the drive!

The ambiance was great, food was good, and the service was on point…read more It was an all around great evening.

Been back several times. I would say the food is better than OK. In fact, it's damn good. Friendly…read morestaff intimate environment. My favorite venue and now my son's favorite venue as well.

We tried this place out this past Saturday. The weather was awesome that day. We stopped in just…read moreafter 11am. Too early to drink, but we checked out the place. Very very cool vibe. We briefly chatted with the staff and said we would come back later. We came back after 1pm the same day. My wife got a flight of four wines. I got a glass of Meritage. We sat out front near a fire pit. It was so nice just sitting there, letting the sun warm your face. It got crowded as we "people watched". They had live music @ 2pm but we didn't stay for that. One of the owners chatted with us for a bit. She was very nice. The staff inside were also very kind and helpful. They young lady from Ohio who served us was super helpful and we would like to say thank you to her for great service! The wine was excellent. We bought three bottles of the 2019 Meritage. Very good. We will be back !

What a great place to enjoy some wine, beer or cider. I stopped by yesterday and was greeted by…read moresome very nice women who explained how their tastings work. You can choose how many wines you'd like to taste for different prices. They took the time to tell me about their wines and give advice on which ones I might enjoy based on my taste. Their wines were a bit dryer than my liking but weren't bad. The best part was enjoying my wine on a comfy couch on the porch, which overlooked some of the vineyard. It's a welcoming place and I'd definitely stop in again when I'm in the area