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| - When I first started in the construction industry 15 years ago, before SouthPark was packed with every kind of restaurant imaginable, the place to see and be seen after work for my crowd was the Village Tavern patio. Good times! Flash forward to 2014...
I have been maybe 3 or 4 times in the past 10 years. With my visit in June 2014, I noticed that they have remodeled extensively (my waiter said Labor Day 2013). Gone is the heavy wood paneled wall that separated the bar and the dining area, the area is now very open and quite lovely. As another review stated, the parking lot was deficient to begin with and now that construction barriers are blocking off one street, it is even worse. Luckily, I was early, so I was able to find a spot. Had I needed to search for a spot, I would have crossed the street to SouthPark.
My waiter was pleasant enough, I recognized him from a previous visit, so it would seem he has been there for quite a while. My drink was kept filled, food was brought promptly and smoking hot.
The food:
Spinach Dip ($8.75) - Just as I remembered it - this is not your typical spinach dip. While creamy and loaded with spinach, there are chunks of tomatoes and a definite jalapeno *zing* under the melted cheese topping. I would like the tomatoes to be a little smaller, but that is a personal preference. Served bubbling hot with tri-colored tortilla chips, this made a decent starter. 3.5/5
Gastropub Burger ($11) - Well, I didn't love it. The caramelized onions were kind of tasteless. The flavors didn't do it for me, it just tasted rather mushy and off. With that said though, the burger itself was very juicy, cooked to medium perfection, though maybe someone was a little heavy handed with a peppery seasoning. The bun also held up pretty well to the messy toppings and juicy beef. The potato salad that I got as a side (they also have fries or sweet potato fries), tasted exactly like the red skinned potato salad that Harris Teeter has, but it was sprinkled with bacon - it was good, and not overly mayo'ed. 2/5 (I would not order this burger again, but I would try another of their burgers, those coming out of the kitchen looked quite good).
Overall it was a nice visit. With all of the food choices in the area, I don't know that I would rush to return, but it was a nice enough meal with good service.
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