AVA Restaurant and Wine Bar

The concept here is interesting (a restaurant set up like a home dining room), and the menu is eclectic. The execution just seems to be off. And listening to ‘60s Motown tunes while dining is just bizarre. The steak seemed to have been cooked with a George Foreman grill kept behind the bar and the steak was just bland compared to the steak at Byers Street. Decent local beer and wine list, however. I hope they find their way.

We dined here on Valentine’s Day and it was very good. They offered three prefixed menus and we selected the fancier of the three which included a delicious beef Wellington for the entrée-​it was delicious. We were skeptical of the soup, creamy beet, but it was surprisingly fantastic. The chocolate torte cake was amazing. I look forward to returning.

I have not been disappointed with service and food. Limited menus changes on daily basis and always delights. Love that I can have a glass of wine and homemade soup while waiting for a case of wine to be built to my taste. Very friendly.

For a place that calls itself a wine bar, AVA sure seems to care very little about its wine… or its service. Food is OK.
Came on a Friday night with my husband, parents, and brother. There seemed to only be one waitress in the entire restaurant. We waited for 15 minutes before she came over to take our wine order, then another 15 minutes for the wine to come. When the wine came, it was the wrong vintage, and instead if replacing the bottle our waitress offered up: «oh sorry, the menu was wrong, enjoy the 2014 instead of the 2012». Any place that serves wine… and especially a wine bar… should understand that a 2014 can be completely different from a 2012. It’s insulting to gloss over this difference. Also, why does this «wine bar» serve wine in the same thick, heavy glasses used by TGI Fridays… but I digress.
The food was ok. The menu is small and the kitchen had already run out of 2 or the 5 non-​veggie entrees by 8 pm, so our choice was limited. My crab cake was flavorful, but the asparagus was completely soggy and the «wild rice» tasted instant.
Very disappointed overall.

Understaffed. One server, lots of diners, took a full hour to get our entrees (seems chef arrived late) — and this was during the music festival when there are evening performances to get to. We started with a cheese plate and wine — but the cheese arrived without the wine, which came about 15 minutes later, after we reminded our server. A real letdown — you want wine with your cheese. The vegetarian fettuccine was as bland as they come. No vegetables in it, despite what the menu says — no garlic even, that I could detect. I asked for pepper, to at least give the pasta some zest. Took 10 minutes for pepper to arrive — server put salt & pepper on table without even looking at us. (This was regular table pepper, not the kind you grind atop your food.) Told our B&B owner about our experience; he said he’d gotten lots of negative comments and wouldn’t have recommended Ava to us had he known we were going. Also happened to be our wedding anniversary. We decided not to count this dinner as our anniversary celebration and instead celebrated a day later at Zynodoa, a much better place.

The waitstaff was extremely friendly and helpful when advising on food and drinks. This place has a great feel and I will definitely return next time I pass through through Staunton.

Dinner and service were wonderful. Cumin Zucchini soup was so unique and delicious. Menu is changing so I missed out on the cumin roasted root veggies but the sweet potato fritters were very good. Great time had by our entire party.

AVA really surprised me in a good way while driving through Staunton, returning from a WV ski trip, in March 2015. Their food selection is well balanced for meat-​eaters and vegetarians alike. Their wine selection has fine offerings of the Old World and New World with some interesting finds that are not usually offered in most wine bars/​restaurants.
Aesthetic Appeal & Atmosphere: Was very nice and cozy inside. Atmosphere was very inviting and gave the impression that one is welcome to stay awhile.
Service: Was friendly, excellent, prompt, and attentive. Our waitress even gave me a bit of a wine tasting to help determine if I would like a Bordeaux red or a Spanish Rioja.
Meal & Drinks Quality: Their duck breast is very savory and delectable! It was accompanied by just the right amount of sauce and vegetables. Their Bordeaux was delicious and brought out the flavors of the duck breast very well.
Aesthetic Appeal & Atmosphere: 5 of 5
Service: 5 of 5
Meal & Drinks Quality: 5 of 5

So-​so from start to finish. Dinner service was almost amateurish. Ava kept my wife & me waiting around 10 minutes even though we had a reservation and the table we were eventually seated at was empty and clean, just not set. The waiter gives us food menus but no drinks menu; he comes back to take our food order — didn’t ask about drinks — at which point we had to ask for the drinks menu. The wine we bought was good, but at one point, a waitress obtrusively reaches over my wife’s head for a bottle of wine on the shelf near my wife.
The food was alright but underflavored and a bit weird. My wife & I each had a cumin carrot & avocado salad. At first I thought carrots — squishy pellets — we some sort of soaked croutons. The avocado didn’t pair well with the goat cheese in the salad. The main dishes were accompanied by pureed vegetables; next day, I can’t even remember what mine was. Remembering the orange color, maybe my wife’s were sweet potatoes. The duck breast she had was pretty good, but my roasted cauliflower dish was boring with not a lot of cauliflower. Finally, my wife got cheesecake for dessert. It reminded me of the no-​bake, from-​a-​boxed-​mix cheesecake my mother used to buy when I was a teenager.

This was an awesome find, especially for a vegetarian/​meat eating couple. Both of us were very happy with the suggestions provided by our waiter and Mary Beth is amazing. This will now be a regular stop on our way through Staunton!

I only went for the wine so I can’t speak to the food, but this is a great little spot to relax with some good wine. The staff seemed knowledgable about the selections and there is a pretty respectable wine list with local, Californian and international wines (as well as some great craft beers). They have comfortable lounge areas and the space is small enough that it doesn’t get too loud. This is a great little gem for downtown Staunton and I will be sure to return when I am next in town. I only wish they stayed open later, however the staff were very gracious and let us hang out well past closing, which was an extra plus!

As I’ve prefaced a previous review or two, wish I could be more encouraging here! We went with such high hopes.
First, know that I hate writing negative reviews. Any of us who know how hard the staff works in most restaurants, or how much most servers want to please, want to write positive reviews. Second, when any of us encounter problems at a restaurant, we need to be thoughtful about what happened. Did the restaurant get hit with several unexpected large parties? Was it a holiday? Could something else explain poor service?
I’m not sure what resulted in our experience at AVA. Traveling from SC to PA for a family gathering, we overnighted in Staunton. Checked Unilocal!for reviews. AVA was almost all 5 star. Add our enthusiasm for wine and their great name (not «Ava» for a woman’s first name, but AVA for «American Viticultural Area,» the USA’s classification of wine terroir), and we were thrilled we could get a reservation on short notice.
Readers should know two things — because they will help you gauge whether YOU will be happy, when we were not: first, I’m a sommelier, a wine geek. But anyone who names a restaurant AVA knows more about wine than most. So expectations were high. Second, my wife and I have worked in the hospitality industry, so our standards are high.
Let us offer a list of bullet points, rather than doing a narrative review, we’ll do +‘s and -‘s.
— We ordered a 375 ml bottle of Cava before our meal. The server removed the cage from the cork (the cage is the wire «basket» that restrains a Champagne or sparkling wine cork) without ANY control over whether the cork might exit the bottle prematurely — which can be dangerous to eyes, the server’s or the guest’s.
— One empty flute from the Cava apéritif was not removed from the table until the END of the meal. Stemware should be checked/​changed with each course, even in an informal wine bar. Similarly, flatware (silverware) was not checked and replaced or supplemented between courses. Have you ever wanted a fork, when you didn’t have one?
— The first wine we ordered to accompany our entrées was 86’ed (restaurant lingo for out-​of-​stock). It happens, but it often means the wine list should be reprinted more often.
— The second wine (a white) was brought to the table, opened, and served, but AVA had no ice buckets. So the option, if we wanted the temperature maintained was to «take the wine back to the cooler.» That meant we could not control our pours or the pace of the meal.
— The stemware was heavy glass, with a rolled rim at the top of the glass. Most fine wine bars use Riedel, Stölzle, Schott Zwiesel, or some equivalent. The stemware doesn’t need to be (shouldn’t be) $ 100 per stem Riedel Sommelier-​series glasses. But for a serious wine bar, glasses shouldn’t be «drop me on the floor, throw me in the dishwasher» heavyweights with rolled rims.
— Water refills were missed throughout the meal, tough for any of us who try to hydrate or to balance our wine consumption with water.
— Our entrée order was taken. .. and missed. One of us ordered the hearts of palm corn cake. What was delivered was the hearts of palm salad. This meant we shared the entrée that was correctly delivered, while we waited for a replacement of the one that was wrong.
— The food itself could have made up for the incorrect wine list and service shortcomings. But the mussel broth and pasta was almost tasteless. It was supposed to include garlic, which is a fairly strong flavor, but we didn’t detect any. The ginger sweet potatoes had little taste of ginger. Worst of all, the mushrooms and kale veggie entrée was served lukewarm. When we asked to have it at an acceptable temperature, apparently it was nuked in a microwave. It was returned steaming hot (and wilted). In our view, it should have been re-​prepared.
— A light was out in the entryway and lampshades were crooked across from our table. This is a small thing, but professional restaurateurs notice and correct small things like burned out bulbs and lamp shades askew. These small «misses» were carried over into big misses in our meal.
What were the +‘s?
+ The concept is fabulous. A spot like this in an unexpected place is a wonderful surprise. We hope, hope, hope that next time we return, AVA will have addressed some of these issues. Maybe they had a no-​show in the kitchen, which would account for the food. Maybe the server was untrained, which would account for the service issues.
+ The wine list is eclectic and interesting! Congrats to whoever selected the wines. Unlike so many restaurants that emphasize mostly fruit-​forward California Cabs and Pinots (because they sell), AVA’s wine list was balanced and very thoughtful in terms of red and white, New World and Old World, and it included adventurous wines an enthusiast will enjoy.
C’mon AVA friends! As the Army TV commercials used to say, «Be all that you can be.» The name AVA deserves better, and we think you’re capable!

Bangin vegan meal with fabulous beer, friendly service and comfy seating. We were immediately welcomed. I felt right at home as a vegetarian minutes after walking in the door. I had the pickles, vegan chicken and waffles (so stuffed! Had to share), and some excellent beer (it’s not just for wine lovers). I’d travel back to Staunton just for that meal.
An excellent way to spend a birthday.

This is a great little gem in urban Staunton with a staff that is eager to please. The wine list is great and the food is very good. The menu is not large, but what they do have to offer is superb. We brought the kids and everyone was able to find something they liked. I had the quiche and then enjoyed the kid’s chicken and waffles. Husband had the fish of the day and other kid had pasta.

Stopped in here halfway through our road trip, based on reviews. This place lived up to all the raves. Cute décor, excellent knowledgable waitstaff, delicious food. We had — and highly recommend — the spinach salad, the chickpea fritters, and the salmon (fish of the day). If we didn’t have to get back on the road definitely would’ve tried dessert. We’ll be looking for a reason to come back.

Every meal I’ve had at Ava has been fantastic. Everything was great, from service to wine to lighting. I look forward to being there again soon!

After a 12-​hour car ride to get to Staunton, we were in need of a delicious dinner (and wine, lots & lots of wine). I stumbled upon AVA thanks to everyone at Unilocal,and we headed over as soon as we got into town.
I now realize they closed at 9 on a Friday night, and we were there until 10 (sorry, AVA!), but they never once said anything and didn’t rush us at all. We had the Brie as a starter, and a delicious bottle of white wine. They were out of the wine that we had selected, but we were offered up some other choices that were similar and still in our price range.
For our entrees both of us wanted the fettucini & mussels, and it was so so so good. They were in a white garlic sauce that was crazy-​filled with garlic, but absolutely delicious.
Our server and everyone working that night was very friendly, and gave us tips on where to find wineries to visit the following day. AVA was a great start to our trip, I’m so glad we found it!

This place was exactly what we were looking for… nice ambiance without being pretentious, good food with decent portion sizes, and excellent service. After our lousy experience at Emilio’s last night, this was the salve to our chapped asses.
My friend and I both had the eggs Benedict; I had the traditional style, she had the salmon. Both were tasty! The only issue was that the eggs were poached too hard, and the hollandaise was a tad scarce (rectified promptly by the server). My friend’s young daughter had pancakes, and the kitchen was able to accommodate her request for chocolate! The mimosas flowed upon request ;-) The service was prompt, efficient, and considerate/​kind. A live acoustic guitar player was unobtrusive yet added to the pleasant atmosphere.
Good stuff, lots of character.

Awesome wine bar and food. Mini menu at most hotels is not up to date but thats ok, because it is seasonal. Correct address but star on map is a block off from where it should be. They have 4 beers on tap, no crap on tap. Many bottled beers and an extensive wine list. Many teas and French press coffee. Bunch on Sundays, menu has many vegetarian and vegan options too. This place is worth a try!

This place is a little gem tucked away in Staunton, VA. The food is incredible, as is the service, wine and décor at AVA. My husband, baby, and I were visiting family in the area and decided to stop by for dinner. I had the salmon dish and he had a chicken special. He really liked his dish and my dinner was one of the best meals that I’ve had in a long time.
They happened to have flamenco dancers performing that night, which we really enjoyed and (surprisingly) our little baby LOVED!
Just check it out, you will not be disappointed!