Valley Kitchen & Bar

This place is a gem of a restaurant in Valparaiso. It has a California farm to fork feel. My family and I just came for cocktails & appetizers. We ordered strawberry mojitos which were delicious. The strawberry rhubarb flatbread, Mediterranean cheese dip with jicama, carrots and ritz crackers plus the truffle fries. Everything was great! The service is fast & I like the relaxed atmosphere.

I honestly can not say enough good things about this restaurant!!! It is my very favorite place to go in Valparaiso. My husband and I actually got engaged here. We love to take friends here when someone is visiting and have yet to have any food that we didn’t like. The streaks are always cooked to perfection and the soups never disappoint.

My mouth is still watering from my delicious dinner at Valley. This is a true farm to table made to order restaurant. Many other reviewers commented on long food times but I did not experience that, plus I feel that if you want good healthy food it is worth the wait.
I sat at the bar and had my meal there on a Sunday evening. It was busy but not packed. My meal was in front of me in less than 15 mins. My fish was cooked perfectly and the portion size was huge, it was literally enough for two meals. My salad was delicious and their balsamic dressing is outstanding. The hot spinach with bacon dressing was very unique and quite delicious, and I was skeptical! I also had a glass of their Tempernillo that was stellar. Service was attentive without being annoying, I was never rushed, there were some nice folks at the bar to chat with and overall it was a pleasant experience.
Stop in on a Wednesday for half off select wines also! They had some very unique cocktail options that also sounded very tasty.

Perfect dinner, my husband and I sat at the bar and all of the kitchen staff were professional, friendly, and helpful. We will definitely be returning very soon!

This is — at least at the time of writing this — my favorite restaurant in Valpo. Everything I’ve had –steaks, pork chops, asparagus, salad, broccolini, twice baked potato discs, orange chocolate cheesecake, appetizers — have simply been delicious. Always great service by servers who know the menu well and are eager to find out what you like and make appropriate suggestions. You can tell everything is fresh and made from scratch right on the premises. Definitely give this place a try.

My wife and I went there for dinner on Saturday. It was the second time we ate there and I was impressed again. I had the pork chop and my wife had the New York steak and they were both cooked to perfection !!! I was a little skeptical on the food pairing along with my dish which was the pork chop, black eyed pees and wilted kale in some kind of sauce. I cleaned the plate ! It was soon good. My dish was the market priced steak that came with garlic potatoes and horseradish garlic sauce. She said it was out of this world cooked the way a real chef would know how to cook a medium rare steak. I also a cup of the broccoli cheese soup that definitely homemade and awesome. For desert we both got orange chocolate cheesecake that is made in the restaurant. Damn! It was good. It wasn’t thick like you would normally think of a cheesecake but it was lighter and delicious. Our waitress Kiefer said it was one of her favorites and I can see why. The restaurant itself sits right across the street from the court house there is a ton of parking we got a spot right in front of the building. When you walk in the restaurant there’s a seating area to the left with couches and then the hostess right at the door. If you look up above the hostess are there is a sign that gives you a list of the the product they make and where they get it from which is pretty cool because it’s all local. The restaurant is long with plenty of seating and can handle a decent group easily. The cooking kitchen in the back is open with seating at a counter so you get up close to the cooking action. The waitstaff are all college age and very respectful and responsive to you questions. The uniforms are jeans in a flannel shirts which is cool. There a huge full service bar which probably can make anything you want. My wife got a dirty martini and said it was perfect. I got fresh brewed ice tea which was really good served in a Mason jar. They have an insane wine and craft beer list mostly from local breweries. Northwest Indiana has exploded with microbreweries in the last several years so if you’re looking for local microbreweries northwest Indiana is the place to go. Price wise it’s very compatible for a higher end restaurants. Everything is fresh and homemade with a good atmosphere. They had several families with little kids, and I’m not to sure of a kids menu though I wasn’t paying attention for one. Personally. anybody who has kids knows how kids are picky and wasteful. The food is two expensive for smaller kids to waste, that’s my point. Besides parents need a date night so enjoy an awesome meal for adults. Yes we will be going back and I highly recommend you go check it out.

Had the grill pork chops, was cooked perfectly, had fried pickles that were the best and finished off with a deep fried oreo. yum!!!
Truffle fries is a must next trip.
Great affordable wine list

Not impressed with the market price beef. Both my husband and I had it. The taste of the sauce was very good; however, the beef was FAR from tender, and some prices were too chewy to even attempt to swallow. The pickle appetizer was very good and a very generous portion too .
Fried Oreo (s) was so so .
For an appetizer, two entrees a dessert and two craft beers it was just around $ 100. WAY over priced in my opinion even if the beef would have been edible!
I will not be back at least anytime soon .
Last time I was there (maybe about 2 mother’s days ago) I had the same feeling. I can’t remember what I had to eat (not a good sign of amazing food) and I left feeling as if the place is simply over priced for what it is.

My first impression when I walked in was very relaxed tone and was seated almost right away. I came in here on the Eat Up Wine Down night where they had five dollar specials on certain foods and drinks.
The chile chicken tacos were very flavorful. All the food here is made with local fresh farmed goods. That to me is a big plus mainly being the fact that you food is made is a little bit more healthy than the average restaurant.
I will definitely have to come here again and try an entrée that they serve.

Easily the best restaurant in Valpo. All the ingredients are locally sourced and the chefs do a masterful job merging them into creative and cohesive dishes.
The menu changes regularly and usually includes a fish/​seafood, chicken and vegetarian option. Often there’s a grass-​fed beef choice as well. I highly recommend the chicken or cowboy-​cut pork chop options.
Everything is made to order, so don’t expect your meal in 15 minutes or less. Relax, have a cocktail, bottle of wine or one of the many craft beers on tap. Or order a delicious appetizer to hold you over, but don’t fill up and miss a dessert special!
I can’t understand why any reviews are less than 3 stars. The only explanation I can come up with is that they were expecting something entirely different. Though, if you were expecting a Chevy and got a Cadillac would that be a reason to complain? If you’re looking for frozen chicken or plain burgers, there’s a wing chain just 2 blocks away.

Is there anything glaringly wrong with Valley? Certainly not. But is there anything that will make me hurry back for another try? Probably not. Some pros, cons, and general observations:
Pros:
–Service: Granted, we came during a very slow time, but our server was quite attentive and helped to answer some of our questions about the menu.
–Décor: Valley does a nice job of blending classy with farm-​y with cutesy. Rather than the typical black plastic folder in which most restaurants deliver bills to tables, Valley has an adorable collection of little watering cans that hold the bill. They’re really quite cute. The kitchen also rings a farm bell to alert the servers when an order is ready.
Cons:
–Price: Look, I get it. Truly fresh food that is cooked from scratch is just going to cost more. I absolutely understand that. Nonetheless, compared to the restaurant market elsewhere in the Valpo area, Valley is quite pricey. Entrees ranged from $ 18 to $ 29. The fried Oreos were $ 3 for 2 Oreos. (Pretty sure that I could just go buy an entire package of Oreos for less than that. I’m not convinced that a bit of extra dough for frying them jacks up the cost of production all that much).
–Hit or miss taste: Some of the things we tried were very, very good (e.g. Salty Karamel martini, fried pickles, twice-​baked potatoes, pork chop). Some things were ok (e.g. vegetable soup, truffle fries, fried Oreos). Some things were just not doing it for us (e.g. walleye, cabbage). Maybe that reflects more on our taste-​buds than on the quality of the restaurant. I don’t know.
Other observations:
–Dining pace: If you are looking for somewhere to get in and out in a hurry, Valley will not be the place you want to go. Because everything is prepared fresh, it takes some time. A meal with drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts took the two of us nearly 2 hours. We had been planning on a relaxed pace, so that was great. If you’re in more of a hurry, this might not be the place for you
–Limited options: As other reviewers have noted, Valley has a limited menu. If you want lots of things to choose from, this probably won’t be your favorite place ever.
Conclusions:
I’d have to say that Valley is a solidly «meh» restaurant. It’s not actively awful or offensive by any means, but I also have the feeling that it won’t quickly become my new favorite dining establishment. All of that is to say, it’s worth at least checking out once, even if it won’t be a place to which you’ll necessarily return.

Stopped here en route to Ohio from Chicago. Ordered the fried pickles, potato soup and split the Ribeye special with my husband.
The fried pickles were the best I’ve ever had! Light, crispy and full of flavor. The potato soup was luscious and would have been enough to eat with the pickles!
Our steak was cooked to a perfect med-​rare and served with twice baked potato slices that were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The entrée did taste a little over salted but that’s the only bad thing I can say about the entire meal.
Would definitely come back next time we drive through!

Omg! This place is way over rated. For only having 14 tables with patrons, it took 20 minutes to take our order, 15 minutes for 2 drinks, 35 minutes for a soup and salad, and a total of an hour for our food! The food wasn’t even worth the cost! Red Lobster and Lone Star have better quality food and flavor for far less money! The server Zach was extremely rude and dicourteous!

After two years since we moved here we finally made it to Valley! i’ve heard so many people say it it is their favorite restaurant and we were not disappointed. The whole ‘farm to fork” movement is fascinating the experience was part of the evening.
My wife had the rib eye and I had the Yard Bird, chicken with a rub on it garnished with sweet potato hash among other things. Absolutely marvelous on the taste buds and with the presentation! It will be shorter than two years before we go back again.
It’s certainl

I was hesitant to try this place cause fine menu was small and I was afraid I wasn’t going to like anything but boy was I wrong! The food is EXCELLENT! I got a ribeye steak topped with mushrooms and had these amazing double baked potato cakes on the side and it was perfect. We got truffle fries to start and OMG were they good! I would seriously go back there just for the fries and I wouldn’t want to share them! I didn’t have dessert but I had coffee which was French pressed at the table and I love that cause it was actually good. Others at my table had dessert and said it was great though… I mean who wouldn’t like a fried Oreo?
The place is super cute and trendy and the staff is friendly. It’s not the best place for kids cause it takes time to eat there-​definitely not a quick meal-​and I could tell the kids at the table on the other end of the restaurant were getting antsy.
Love this place and definitely recommend it to try. Pricey, but worth it!!!

Excellent service, incredible food & one-​of-​a-​kind cocktail menu.
We finally made our way to trying Valley & wish we had sooner! We actually has reservations elsewhere on the square & left after taking a look at Valley’s menu on line.
They were packed but we were seated right away. Learned of the specials & received our drinks very quickly. We learned that we could split our entrée for an extra $ 2.00 & they would be separately played with larger portions which was a wonderful surprise.
Our food was INCREDIBLE! A sweet corn soup that was to die for, & perfectly cooked local salmon over a cornbread salad.
We were very satisfied with all aspects of our experience & cannot wait to go back & see what other menu creations they have in the future.

Food is what you come for at a restaurant and here it is AMAZING! I’ve been here twice now and have tried several dishes and everything has been a home run. So much flavor and always cooked to perfection.
Service had always been good. I got Francisco both times he’s a excellent waiter. Described and sold the specials very well so much that I got one both times.
Only downfalls are price and wait. Both not horrible but a entrée salad without any type of protein is $ 20. Yikes!
Everything is made from scratch and local. Love the board over where you pay that shows where all the ingredients come from. GREAT LOCAL BREWS AS WELL! I love 18^th Street and Burn ‘Em and they always have a beer from both breweries. Will be back again and again

I’ve been here three times now with very mixed results. Recently we had by far the worst experience, one that was just unacceptable. We waited at least an hour for our food. The restaurant was busy but not slammed. The entire time, the christian rock radio station next door was blaring their music. Yuck. No offer was made to buy our drinks or otherwise take care of us. We never had a manager approach us and offer his or her thoughts.
Upon realizing that we hadn’t seen our server in at least 30 minutes and the order was at 60 minutes, I went in search of staff. The hostess eventually made her way over and informed us that the kitchen was backed up. The waiter later also told us that they had a small kitchen and everything was made from scratch.
Do I look like some kind of refugee from Long John Silvers who doesn’t understand fresh made food? I just can’t stand patronizing excuses and I probably won’t be back.

I’ve been meaning to write a review for this wonderful restaurant for quite some time now. And so, without further ado, allow me to sing the praises of Valley Kitchen and Bar.
I’ve dined at Valley numerous times and each and every experience has been a delight. It is, without a doubt, my favorite place to eat in Valparaiso. Although I wouldn’t call it fancy, it is a very cozy place and I think the décor pairs well with their farm to fork ethos. Another plus is that I’ve found the waitstaff to be very friendly and knowledgeable.
However, the food is the main attraction here. I usually have the fish but I’ve also had the pork chop and a ribeye. Every dish I’ve had has been cooked perfectly, plated beautifully and bursting with flavor. After each bite, I’ve thought to myself, «Oh my gosh, this is so fucking good!» (pardon my French). Chef Jason and his team work magic with the freshest local ingredients. On a recent visit, I was lucky enough to have the special, which was Indiana Game Risotto. The risotto was cooked perfectly and the rabbit and quail were both crispy and tender. This was probably the best meal I’ve ever eaten. How they fit so much flavor in there is beyond me.
On another recent visit, my girlfriend and I were out for drinks and a light dinner to celebrate her birthday. In spite if the impending rainstorm, we opted for outdoor seating. I tried several of the drinks from their cocktail menu and all were very good. The truffle fries were out of this world. They were so crisp and flavorful. The weather held out until I was halfway through my dessert, which was a strawberry shortbread. Then the rain came down, hard. My back was getting soaked but I refused to move from under the umbrella for fear of my dessert getting rained on. Well, I couldn’t just abandon it! Despite the rain and being drenched, we had a great time and another wonderful experience at Valley.
If you enjoy excellent food at a reasonable price made with fresh local ingredients by people who care, stop in and see the fine folks at Valley Kitchen and Bar. By the way, I recommend having at least one meal at the kitchen bar. It’s definitely worth it and you won’t be disappointed.

Excellent! Fried pickles are great! Steak, pork chops, soup was fabulous! Service very good. Nice place.