I really wanted to love this place... and thought it had... and still think it might have lots of potential, based on all the raving reviews and diverse menu items..... Pros: very cute trendy casual - non-small town atmosphere attentive waitstaff... lots of menu choices -- food.. wine.. cocktails.... Cons: food was so so .... we ordered the special .. and unfortunately were extremely disappointed.... the pop rock martini...was full of juice.. not alcohol.. needless to say we didn't order another.. the prices were somewhat high for the quality of food/drink I would like to try again.... but not sure that a return visit to Lynchburg is on the horizon! read more

Update: I have to say it was very classy for RA Bistro to reach out to me to make things right. They sent us a gift card to give them another try. We had a delicious dinner (I highly recommend the Tuscan chicken). So maybe it was just the cook that Sunday afternoon or the choice of meals because the food was really amazing again this time. The service was better but still not great. Our waiter seemed to not want to be there and although I totally understand it was a busy Friday night and sometimes things get overlooked (like the drink I ordered and had to ask for again bc it never came) it just seemed more of an attitude issue. I don't know if it was a personal thing or if is due to the work environment but I just feel like the staff could be more friendly. I would consider going back here again sometime. A few months ago I gave this place 5 stars. We loved it so much we booked a private room for our vow renewal. The food for that event was good but the service was terrible. We came back today to try something different and the service and food were equally terrible. It's a shame because we really thought this place was great and maybe it was but whoever is cooking and waiting tables now need some serious retraining. #disappointed read more

The service in this place was very bad the night we went. Everyone was friendly enough, and we were advised that they operate on a business model where we were encouraged to reach out to any server to meet our needs, we didn't really have one assigned. The first thing that happened is that our food came out lightning fast...before our appetizer. Well, so, that's annoying. What's the point? But mistakes happen. So we tell her and she brings the funnel-cake sliders we ordered....with no powdered sugar. So ok, now I'm asking myself what kind of training they're getting. The creme da la creme though, happens when I do just as they told me and grab the nearest server. "Isn't this supposed to have powdered sugar?" Deer in headlights. "I don't know." I was so exasperated at this point, I just said "ok." Then he says "do you want me to ask?" Yes of course I do. "Yeah, do you mind?" Within 30 seconds, someone comes out from the back with the powdered sugar shaker and a look like "why did she pick this up before I finished it?" This place charges a 20% automatic upcharge for dining in rather than relying on tips. I get it. I do. It's a tough time for the restaurant industry and I want people to be paid fairly. But if you're going to automatically push a service charge on me, I expect TIGHT service. This wasn't. I really feel bad for one server who was obviously hustling when someone else didn't know the basics of the menu, yet the business model seems to indicate they'll be paid the same. There appears to be no incentive for superior service. My husband did enjoy the creole shrimp and grits and my Tuscan chicken and Brussels were good. It was just an overall disappointing experience, the opposite of every other dining experience we've had in Lynchburg. Those funnel cake sliders: totally underwhelming and caused a lot of hassle with their failure to be presented correctly and timely, as an appetizer. I will give 3 stars because we generally enjoyed the food, just not the experience. read more

After being highly recommended from a friend, our party with guests from out of town visited RA bistro on Thursday, June 21 for dinner.Our waiter (Ezra) was very efficient and knowledgeable as he took our orders. After that we never saw him again.After along wait,different staff brought our orders,obviously confused as to what went where.Then we had to get up and find a staff member for refills on our water only,daughter went to the bar to get wine refills bartender looked at her did not speak turned around & left! Some of our orders never made it to table,just very poor service!Along with the poor service,the quality of the food was below par, as many in our party attested.To top it all off,the next day my daughter attempted to eat her steak and cheese sandwich,and ended up chewing on a piece of plastic that was in her sandwich!I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone! No Stars! It was also my 59th birthday! No STARS, could not get rid of all of them!!!! Top it off, my 59th Birthday!! read more

The reviews were good so i went with a friend on our road trip. Took the spinach dip but it was actually a cheddar dip, I did not see a leaf of a spinach... Strange. The soup of the day was potato soup which was really good and the black bean veggie soup which was okay. After I got the seafood with pasta. The seafood was pbb frozen at first so not so fresh and she got the Louisiana dish that was good. The waiters were very pleasant, it was good service. read more

It's my 4th visit, and I'm still loving it. The food, the service, the decor, and (this trip) the outdoor patio. I had their grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and BBQ sauce with waffle fries and a sweet tea. The sandwich is huge! I took half back to the hotel with me. read more

RA Bistro - Chicken BLT - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia

Inconsistent, delicious one day and then terrible the next. Would recommend it though, if you don't mind terrible customer service.

Before I say anything else, I will say that I will be going back at least once more to make the most well-rounded review. This review is based on my first visit to Robin Alexander... First, yes, the parking is atrocious. I felt like I was thrown into the perfect environment to witness a drug deal gone bad. Ya know, first impressions...BUT, the outside of the actual restaurant was very modern and inviting; me liked. Atmosphere; Top Notch in my book. Very modern, yet relaxing and inviting. A weird side-note: I actually liked that there was no guessing where the bathrooms were located. Clean, obvious, and inviting. :) We had a dinner party of 6. Although our waitress was super-pleasant, sweet, and helpful, we did have to ask for a few things multiple times before we got them. ie: bread that we ordered, silverware, etc. Overall, the service was pleasant and good, but not great. And the Food, well, it just kinda fell flat for all of us. No one was actually impressed. I had the Tuscan Chicken (I think that's the correct name) which was tasty, but the chicken itself needed tenderizing, or was perhaps grilled a bit too long; it was a tad dry and stringy. My wife and sister-n-law both got the Filet Mignon. BOTH were improperly cooked; one was over done and my wife's was the rarest Filet I had ever seen. She ordered it medium. And, the Mac'n'Cheese shouldn't be called Mac'n'Cheese. It was more like "Buttered Pasta with some melted Cheese on top". I would've preferred Kraft. :/ The positives: I had the Shrimp and Crawfish appetizer and loved it! It was the best cooked and seasoned shrimp that I can remember having, and the crawfish were tasty as well! :) AND, my mother-n-law and her sister had Shrimp Scampi over pasta with Steak Medalions and they ate every last morsel! So, that was my initial visit and impression of {R:A} I will be back though. It was a beautiful place overall. :) read more

Even more than 5 stars!! I declared the RA burger the best burger I've ever had, seriously. The GF bun was sturdy, TOASTED, and flavorful. Burger was juicy and cooked perfectly. Fries were super fresh. My husband equally enjoyed his Garbage Burger and sweet potato fries. In town for only a few days, we were easily convinced to return for weekend brunch. Unfortunately their signature French toast and waffles are not available GF. But only because it was a slow morning (I.e. don't ask or expect on a busy Sunday brunch or at prime time), the manager asked the cook to prepare French toast with the hamburger buns. It was great! Mine was the Lumberjack with cinnamon apples and chopped bacon. My husband had savory grilled chicken with his improvised French toast. Both were so good. A different manager visited our table each visit. Excellent service from all involved. Outstanding food. Highly recommend. Go there!! read more

The service was amazing! Our waiter was so nice and prompt. The food was excellent. The perfect place for a date night! I will definitely be going back. read more

This is a great restaurant! We walked in - no reservation and there was a bit of a wait so we went to the bar and there were seats! They have a great local beer selection on tap with some rotation of seasonal beer. Happy hour is great with $4 beer, wine and Tito's or Jack too! We had the boneless wings which were ok.. for $4 so you really can't complain. Then we had dinner- Whoohoo! The Mahi Mahi was very good-- and the crab cake on top was great! My husband had the Chx Parmesan and it was awesome too! Prices were very reasonable! The bartenders were both great and we will choose the bar next time too! We will come back when we are in Lynchburg!!! read more

This place has a really good steak pasta. The price is not too high but definitely not cheap. It's good price if you're getting any steak on your meals. The fried calamari is also very good. Not very fast at serving dinner, but great service and fast meals for brunches on the weekend. read more

The food and service here are superb!!!! I'll definitely be coming back!!! They offer a wide variety of very tasty dishes, that are by far the best I have had in a long time. Their craft beer selection, as well as awesome bar selection, make this a fantastic place to take everybody for dinner! read more

RA Bistro - Oysters Rockafeller - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia

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Always great at RA. Tuscan chicken with goat cheese my favorite by far. Specialty Burgers always loved by all. Cocktail selection amazing. Waitstaff always wonderful. read more

I really wanted to like RA. I wanted to go out to dinner with my family but wanted to skip Wards Rd chain restaurants. Decided to make a reservation at RA and while the staff was pleasant and super accommodating with our changing reservation (we ended up having more people than expected), The food was soooo underwhelming. The menu does not have any direction at all. you can find pad thai and jambalaya and both of them are not done well at all. I think they need to trim the selection on the menu and focus on doing fewer dishes but doing them really well. Right now they have a large menu with a variety of dishes that are poorly prepared. my wife was disgusted with the pad thai and she is someone who will pretty much eat anything lol. we had a bottle of wine that was good. Prices were great. The desserts were huge portions and I enjoyed the mocha chocolate mudpie with icecream. I will not go out of my way to come back. read more

Went here for Valentine's Day and we were seated downstairs in the basement with a few other couples. The food was excellent, however, the door that leads outside was constantly being opened and closed created a super uncomfortable draft. I think that door should be locked or people need to be more respectful. The fact that we were freezing while trying to eat is not okay. Again food was good as always, but service was slow and the door opening and closing during the winter months is absolutely brutal. read more

My wife and I love this restaurant! Incredible selection of beer and great prices! Food is top notch and servers are knowledgeable. Thanks RA! Cant wait for Tap Out Tuesday! read more

RA Bistro - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia

I had high expectations coming with my family about 2 weeks ago. The reviews on this place seem great but from my experience, I can't figure out why. We were excited to try the offer presented here on Yelp. When I asked the waitress about it she said they couldn't accept it. Didn't give much of a reason as to why. But if you're going to advertise something, stay true to it. Throughout the night the waitress didn't seem knowledgeable about much going on in the restaurant. Every time she was at the table, it seemed like she had to ask either the manager or kitchen for an answer to our questions. I know sometimes there can be a dud server but the food wasn't good either. I had tilapia fish with a crab cake on top. It was so unbearably dry and flavorless. Someone else had the fish and chips which was a good portion, but not a hard dish to mess up. The atmosphere of the place was absolutely lovely though. I can't say that decor makes up for the rest of the restaurant that was lacking. read more

Excellent calamari, steak pasta and jambalaya. I was cautious of jambalaya in VA, but I was impressed. Loved the peppers in the steak pasta. Steak was very tender and seasoned very well. Our primary destination was closed - I'm glad we happened upon this place instead. Service was a bit slow considering business was also slow, but not bad by any means. Very friendly staff at all levels. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. I literally just ate here abd had under cooked chicken. No real apology and no compted meal. Another at my table had even more undercooked chicken. The waiter just said, "Oh yea we have a new cook tonight and that's been a problem. " What?? If I get sick, and I pray I don't, the restaurant will pay for any costs. Unbelievable. I won't eat here ever again. read more

RA Bistro - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia

This was bar far the best meal we've had in Lynchburg! Service was outstanding, and the food did not disappoint! The Chicken and Shrimp was to die for! read more

Great restaurant really enjoy the meal , atmosphere and the service.. looking forward to returning soon

Good apps. Food is okay. Desserts are awesome. I wish the regular food was as good as the apps. I still like to go for a casual lunch. Service is always good. read more

Great food, great service. I had the bison burger last night and the creole flat bread for brunch and all of it was amazing! read more

RA Bistro - Best brunch I've ever had. This is the creole option for the flatbread without hollandaise sauce. I highly recommend it. - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia

Great food, great atmosphere. Very good service. Got seated pretty quickly on Saturday for dinner. Had ribs and chicken as my meal and key lime pie for desert. read more

RA Bistro - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia

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Everything was perfect: drinks, food, dessert, service and atmosphere. My wife and I went there for our 30th wedding anniversary. They had an excellent beer selection, and the menu was pretty deep as well. I had a burger that was done perfectly medium rare. The wife's salad was so large that she couldn't eat it all. And they threw in the dessert for free in celebration of the occasion. We live about 75 minutes from this place but we will definitely be making this trip to eat here again...frequently. read more

Very popular & busy! -Not happy with our two appetizers but the two entrees were good. -Crab dip was thin & soupy. Came out tepid. Hard chips. -Cajun bites drenched in Buffalo sauce and that is all you tasted. Unless you love buffalo sauce don't get this. -Shrimp scampi with Alfredo pasta was tasty and not overly creamy thick with sauce. The small feta cheese garnish added a nice unexpected flavor. -Ribeye was generous, lots of butter garnish. Perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful. -Tiramisu was ok. Came from a box and still a little frozen. -Service was good and attentive. read more

the one thing that my big slop hog loves to eat is little fingers. come on by. see the biggest slop hog in hog town. dont forget to say hello to amy read more

Overrated I will only give it a three because it's in Lynchburg and the other options are weak. Any other "major" city in the south it's a one and a half. Go for Sunday Brunch! The price to quality of the food is better during Sunday Brunch. read more

Subpar. Food could use seasoning. Very bland often times. Service is off and on good.

Food could've been tasty if served hot. The server showed up in 20 minute increments. Twenty minutes to order drinks. 20 minutes later, order food. 30 minutes later get food, 20 minutes later she follows up as the last bite goes in. I would've returned the nachos we ordered as one of our meals as the cheese was solidifying when it arrived but as she didn't return, I didn't want my daughter to have to sit and eat nothing while we all ate our meals. The Glam Burger had potential but it was cold too so hard to give it a good rating. The other burger my other son ordered was given rave reviews by him. (Chipotle burger I believe). The place has potential but poor service ruined it for 2 out 3 of us. read more

Selected this restaurant due to previous reviews, but was highly disappointed in the quality of the service and food. After a significant wait, I received the wrong meal. My wife ordered the steak street tacos which contained three small pieces of tasteless meat with a significant amount of inedible griselle. In addition, the forced 20% gratuity, due to Covid 19 issue, was unacceptable. We tip, based on service and food quality. This location did not deserve the tip. We will not return, nor would we recommend this restaurant. read more

Such a good place to go with friends! Drink specials Monday - Friday and everything I've tried on the dinner and brunch menu is delish!

Very poor service. Called to get a reservation and was told they did not take them, for us to call 15 minutes before we arrived to get on the "list" so we did. After arriving and checking in I was told it would be another 15-20 minutes as they were waiting for a table to be cleared. And she pointed to the larger tables and the next one was ours. Then two parties walked in and were almost immediately seated. When I asked a different hostess she said they had reservations???? The rest of the meal was just average. WILL NOT RETURN! read more

Great Atmosphere, Fantastic Food, Excellent Service. Sunday Brunch was very good. Tap out Tuesday is my favorite beer night in town. Looking forward to watching sports in the remodeled bar. Love this place. read more

Came here for dinner Friday night, and had to come back Saturday morning for brunch. Mariah and Tyler were are servers, and they killed it. Mariah specifically was very personable and attentive. As for the food, the burgers were outstanding. The brunch was really great too, and the drink specials were a steal ($2 and $4 for regular and large mimosas, respectively). We spoke with the manager, Chelsea, who was also very personable. We will definitely be back. read more

My husband and I dined here with two of our friends for "Wine down Wednesdays." Our waitress Jasmine was fantastic! She was knowledgeable about their menu and able to provide some recommendations. She also checked in on us frequently to ensure things were going well. When our food was delivered, another waiter brought it but knew who ordered what and delivered it to the right person. They are very organized and provide excellent service! The food was delicious - they have a huge variety of options, and is very reasonably priced as portions are large! read more

Generally, I have always been a huge fan of RAs. I've been a number of times, and it's generally good. I'm a fan of a lot of the dishes, and I like the drink specials. Today though I had horrible service at the restaurant. I ordered the pad thai for lunch, which I would never recommend. I understand it's not a Thai restaurant, but this dish in no way resembles Pad Thai. I literally took one bite of the lunch and didn't eat any more than that. The server's response was really what was more troubling than me not liking a dish. The server was informed the dish was unsatisfactory, and he didn't do anything. The server neither apologized nor offered to bring out any other food. I would have expected the server to ask if I wanted something else brought out or send a manager over to speak with the table. I've never had any type of issues with RA before, and I've been quite frequently, but this really stuck out as an issue with bad service. read more

Food and drinks are good but the last 2 times I've gone , the quality of the food and presentation had gone down the drain

Cool atmosphere, friendly staff but bar service slow. Paella was awful but waiter warned us, burgers were amazing and loved the Tuscan chicken. Got the free appetizer with our food and it was gross. I would still come back. read more

RA Bistro - New American Near Me - Lynchburg, Virginia