Catherine’s Restaurant

This is our 2^nd time here. We did not enjoy it as much as our first time, but a nice restaurant all the same. First time we sat indoors. Love the ambiance and décor. In an old barn and very quaint. Entrees are good, service is great. Second time around we sat outdoors and it was just such a nice evening and a quaint patio. Such a romantic place for a date… The only thing one might complain about, which our friends did not like but I did not care — the sides for all entrees are the same. In order words, everyone receives the same sides no matter what entrée they order. I don’t mind because I like the sides and they were tasty and well cooked, but some foodies may not like this when they visit a restaurant. Pricey for a BYOB but worth the trip.

We drive past this place a lot and always wanted to try it. Unfortunately the service was pretty terrible, barely a hello and we had to ask for more water. Food was not worth the amount we paid, we had the burger. The bread was very stale, they didn’t attempt to even toast it. It’s a shame, the location is so pretty.

I love it at Catherine’s, esp the patio, but that is certainly NOT a slight to the inside of the restaurants. Get the mushroom soup and the crab cakes. I hosted a 13-​person party (during Sunday brunch) and have been back many times. Each time has been a delight. Easy going, delicious food — so good. I love the use of upcycled windows, church pews, and tables. It’s just wonderful. We also ordered a birthday cake… my goodness, one of the best I’ve had. It was on the expensive side, but very worth it. Everyone in the party loved it and there so much to take home. It’s clear that someone working at the restaurant is a professional dessert chef. And It think that’s what is so interesting about this place. It’s an easy going, causal place but the food is top notch.

I made a reservation weeks ago for the Valentines Brunch. I called to confirm my reservation and it is just a recorded line, so I left a message asking for a call back. I looked for an email when I didn’t get a call back after several days. No email can be found and once again when I called a second and third time, no one answers. I never received a call back so I had a bad feeling that my reservation was worthless today.
I walk in, and they do not appear to be requiring or honoring reservations since no one asks if we have one. We are seated and handed their standard brunch menu. I kindly say to the waitress,“We made a reservation for the Valentine’s Day brunch.” She says she will go grab the menu. A second waitress sees that we have the menu for the Valentine’s Day brunch and tells me that they are sold out. I tell her that we made a reservation specifically for that and she tells me that unfortunately they were busier than expected, but that she will let the manager know we are disappointed. My wife and I order off of the standard menu. It was good. And I think very reasonably priced for what we got. But it was not anything close to the Valentine’s Day brunch that we were looking forward to. The manager never comes to apologize or explain. Even on a busy day like today, If my staff let me know that a person was upset because of a reservation made and not honored, I would at least give some sort of apology or explanation.
I asked for the manager or owners email when the waitress takes our bill. I know it is a busy day and I didn’t want to stress either the owners or the manager out today. But I did want to let them know how disappointed I was that a reservation I made weeks ago through open table was completely ignored/​overlooked and more importantly that I never received a call back to my message left. The waitress says she will bring me an email. When she brings my change I ask her for the email and she says the manager wants to come speak with me. I wait a few minutes, the manager does not come. I think she realized that I was the same person as before. And I make the decision that I will probably never be back. My wife and I have celebrated here numerous times but Catherine’s let me down completely today. We purchased numerous gift certificates that we have out at Christmas. I am hoping none of the people we gave them too have such terrible service.

Valentine’s Day Brunch, eggs, multi grain bread, farm eggs and bacon with amazing potatoes and peppers! Hubby had a wonderful turkey club on multi grain bread. He started with the mushroom and crab soup so couldn’t finish the sandwich!

I always wanted to go here and it lived up to expectations.
Pros: Very romantic setting, conscientious staff and good food. Menu isn’t overly long but there’s something for everyone. Waitress was very solicitous and engaging, had the sort of friendliness you find in a diner, not a higher priced restaurant. She recommended the Sunday brunch for which this place is supposedly liked. I probably won’t but it sounded nice.
Cons: Prices were high and $ 7 corkage was annoying given overall prices, and parking situation was awful (had to wait for someone to leave –later found out a second lot was behind the first but it was blocked by an improperly parked pickup truck).
Will probably be back but only on special occasions

Outstanding service, décor, and food! We love Catherine’s and make it a point to visit each time we are in the area. The ambiance, whether you are seated inside or outside, is so warm and inviting, it’s the perfect place for a date night or gathering with friends! The food was prepared to perfection, the desserts were delightful, we can’t wait to set up another visit!

My wife and I had dinner here after spending the day taking pictures at Longwood Gardens. This was our first visit to the restaurant. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was very good comparable to some of the gourmet restaurants in the Washington, DC area. Would definitely recommend this restaurant to friends and will return on future visits to the Gardens.

Great local place with awesome outdoor seating. Catherine’s is located in an old house and is such a charming place to eat. I went for Mother’s Day brunch and glad we made reservations as it was packed. We got a table on the patio in the back and the staff was nice enough to pull up an umbrella to keep us out of the sun. Our waiter was great and the best part of the meal was when he shot the cork of our champagne bottle onto the roof and got a round of applause. By the way it is BYOB and their famous blueberry pomegranate juice went perfectly with the champagne we brought for a tasty mimosa. For my entrée I went with the spinach, cheese and prosciutto omelet which came with home fries and toast. All was very fresh and tasty– they really loaded the omelet up with ingredients. Others in my party get the eggs Benedict and banana fosters Belgian waffle all with rave reviews. If you have a sweet tooth recommend the waffle which is served with a scoop of ice cream on top. Def want to go back for dinner.

My most recent visit has taken my review from 4 to 5 stars! Very delicious meal. Filet was excellent, salad tasty, desert wonderful (and complementary!). They still honor the
certs (thank you!) Ambiance was nice, not crowded, not loud. Candles at dinner. Overall, a top notch experience. Will be back soon again!

This is my new favorite place! The owner is very personable and pleasant. It is BYOB and we brought two bottles of wine. They had the freshest bruschetta I’ve ever tasted on the table when we arrived. There was also a little appetizer that we shared on the table that was on a crostini. It was fresh and delicious. I ordered the scallops and risotto and my friend ordered steak on top of a salad. Both entrees were perfectly cooked and perfectly proportioned. For dessert we had blueberry champagne with a slice of Keylime pie and a slice of chocolate chip fudge cake. It was a taste of heaven! I cannot wait to go back. I live 40 minutes away and it’s worth the drive.

We drive by there frequently, and have seen their crab soup advertised on their bulletin board, so we decided to try it for Christmas. We ordered three quarts @ $ 30./quart, we were expecting delicious. It wasn’t awful, just tasted like pepper. Ninety dollars for pepper soup, never again!

A lovely, charming byob! Amazing brunch, we had goat cheese ravioli, bananas foster Belgium waffles and filet Mignon eggs benedict. Need I say more? Cozy patio with eclectic décor. For brunch we brought our young children and sat outside but for dinner I would suggest more of a date or small group. We have eaten dinner many times here. The low candle light, friendly service and local menu capture you. I can’t say enough about how this place is just a slice of paradise.

We treated ourselves to dinner at Catherine’s for our anniversary on a weeknight. We sat outside in the patio which was great with a casual atmosphere. The food was excellent, we both enjoyed the mushroom soup to start, then I had a scallops and shrimp special that came with delicious risotto. My husband had the short rib pasta which he enjoyed and we both had enough to take some leftovers home. Since it was our anniversary we shared a dessert, a slice of cheesecake that was so big we even took half home!
Overall a really nice place for a special occasion. A little pricy, but the food was delicious and the service was great.
We took advantage of the BYO with a bottle of wine, but I was surprised at the corkage fee of $ 15… seemed high to me, but maybe I just haven’t been to that many nice BYO restaurants.

Great casual atmosphere, although it could be a little more formal if you’d like. Excellent service and wonderful outdoor seating. Traditional menu items with a fresh spin. All the food is fresh and perfectly prepared. Would absolutely recommend for a romantic dinner. BYOB.

My husband and I dined at Catherine’s for our wedding anniversary. It was a Wednesday night and we had a 7:30pm reservation.
The restaurant was fairly quiet when we arrived, only about four other tables when we arrived. I thought the interior was decorated nicely, lots of candles, fresh flowers etc. We sat at table near the front of the building next to a window. As other reviewers have mentioned, the lighting was low, but I did not find it difficult to read the menu or to see my food. I would describe it more as mood lighting than anything else.
They started us with a few slices of warm bread and a tomato basil dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was very good, sort of a very finely chopped bruschetta with a good amount of balsamic vinaigrette in it. My husband really liked it and I’m going to try to recreate it at home. (we’ll see how that goes!)
I ordered the mushroom and crab soup. It was quite good and very hot. If you like mushroom soup, you will like it. My husband is not really a fan and said «It tastes like mushroom soup» when he tried a bite of mine. So there you have it :-P. He started with the goat cheese salad. The salad was very nice, the goat cheese was fairly mild and served warm.
For entrees I had the blackened tuna steak medium rare. The portion on the tuna was extremely large, I could only eat half of it. It was cooked very well, and I liked the poblano pepper crema it was served with. It also a risotto and sautéed green beans. The green beans I think had Chinese five spice powder on them. I liked them independently, but didn’t feel that they really paired well with the tuna.
My husband had the braised short rib pasta. The pasta on the menu was replaced by a different kind. He really enjoyed it, but I thought it was a bit on the bland side. Of course, I was directly comparing it to my spicy tuna steak, so probably partially the contrast.
We had the key lime pie and flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Both were excellent, though I think I would split them in the future since by that point I was very full!
Service was attentive and friendly all night.
My only real complaint is that one other table was seated as we were going into dessert. The restaurant was otherwise empty at that point, and they seated them right next to us. I feel like a little buffer room would have been nice so that we could quietly enjoy the remainder of the meal.
Our bill for three courses each + corkage fee (BYOB) was a little over $ 100 which I feel was very reasonable for the quality of food and service provided.

On peut passer devant ce restaurant sans s’en apercevoir… Parking à l’arrière qui donne l’impression d’un certain abandon en hiver. En passant devant la terrasse, on se dit cependant qu’il doit y faire bon de prendre un repas à l’ombré…La salle vers la rue est grande et décorée légèrement donnant une impression de cantine-​self service. Cependant, les verres à vin sur les tables montrent que nous sommes dans un restaurant… mais, hélas, pas de vin au service, il faut l’amener…Tant pis…2 Crabcake commandés très copieux et excellents tout comme le sandwich au poulet. 1ère surprise pour moi pour la première fois depuis que je visite régulièrement les USA: il n’y a pas suffisamment de viande pour faire…2 hamburgers… C’est de la viande Wagu, meilleur que l’anges, ceci explique peut être cela. En tout état de cause, le steak était excellent mais le pain brioché était froid et je n’aime pas… En revanche, 2ème surprise: avec ce burger étaient servie une salade de pâtes au basilic! Mais elle était bonne. Bilan mitigé pour ce restaurant alors que la serveuse était hyper sympathique, efficace et prévenante. Comptez 25 $/​personne, boissons et TIP compris

We had lunch at Catherine’s on a weekend after visiting nearby Longwood Gardens which worked out well. It was not crowded at all.
The restaurant is a mixture of ‘old world’ architecture and modern and vintage décor. Seating is comfortable and the table is attractive (although the bird-​shaped pepper shaker was nearly empty).There is also outdoor dining on a back patio too, which we declined to even consider on a blazing hot July afternoon.
The food was excellent. I had what may seem like a boring choice — A chicken salad sandwich on multigrain bread. But it was the best chicken salad you could imagine. Ingredients were all fresh and tasty and the side salad of bow pasta and spinach was also a good compliment. Ice tea was served in a heavy glass and was deliciously cold. I have forgotten what my dining companions chose for lunch, but we were all quite satisfied with every aspect of the meal, including a cup of hot and full-​bodied coffee to top off the meal.
Service was very good but perhaps a bit slow. It took a good 15 minutes to get the order placed, but we were not in a hurry. No other complaints except while exiting the parking lot I noticed a rather large pothole that really needs to be filled in by someone.

I didn’t realize the restaurant had two seatings — one at 6:30 and another at 8. I switched our reservation to 7:15 and when we got there the place was packed.
It took a minute to get someone to give us menus and get the attention of our server, but once we did she was efficient and friendly despite being crazy busy. It’s super dark inside and they give out flashlights to read the menu.
The mushroom soup with crab was excellent although it could have been a bit hotter. I ordered the salmon — and I judge a place by how well the salmon is cooked — and it was perfect.
My girlfriend ordered the shrimp with noodles and she loved the flavors. We skipped dessert.
CON: The noise level in the room was high. We were tucked into a little corner and I noticed it was a lot louder in the rest of the room.
BYOB if you want wine.

Rare find. You drive through the rolling countrysides, then come to this oasis. Lovely, quaint, unassuming charm, and then such wonderful cuisine! An excellent time for you and your significant other, but also a great to be with friends. I have been there for dinner as well as brunch numerous time because I can always count on having a wonderful experience.

To celebrate my mother’s birthday, we had lunch reservations at Catherine’s on a Friday at 1pm. When we got there, we were surprised that there was only one other table occupied, and they were finishing up their meal. I guess it was nice that we had the place to ourselves, though! The outdoor area of Catherine’s is beautiful– there is a nice patio with umbrellas, and an outdoor garden. They have both a restaurant and a small art gallery next door. Walking in to Catherine’s, the entrance is exactly what I expected to see. The dining room also had some gorgeous pieces– for example, stunning windows with window covers, and some old church pews for seating– but I hated the tables and chairs. The tables were tiny and round, with light wood, and the chairs matched. They looked strewn around the room and didn’t match the décor and feel of the place. They should have some dark wood farm-​type tables instead– all of us agreed the tables looked out of place.
Our server was very nice but also very relaxed. We brought a half bottle of champagne with us (it’s a BYOB), and she brought us wine glasses for our champagne (guess they don’t have champagne glasses) and also didn’t open or chill our champagne bottle for us, which I thought was weird for a BYOB. Also, on their website it states that there is a $ 7 BYOB fee per table, which is kind of ridiculous.
The lunch menu looked amazing, and I wanted so many different things. I ordered the sirloin burger ($ 10.95), my mom ordered the chicken salad sandwich ($ 8.95) and my sister ordered the crab cake and salad ($ 11.95). All the food was amazing and was definitely a great value for the price. My only slight disappointment was that the sides aren’t listed on the menu, and we ended up getting pasta salad with the burger and chicken salad sandwich. To be fair, it was the best pasta salad I’ve ever had, but I’m not a huge fan of pasta salad and was really hoping for some french fries or potatoes. My mom said the chicken salad was the best she’s ever had, and all of us cleaned our plates. For dessert, we shared a chocolate brownie mousse cake and a key lime pie. The key lime pie was amazing and probably the most memorable thing I ate– will definitely be craving it in the future! After lunch, we strolled through the art gallery. It was small– about two rooms– but there were some interesting pieces in it.
Overall, a great lunch. I think there are a few things Catherine’s could do to be even better, but we liked the food so much that I’m sure we will be back!