McLean Robbins, Contributing Writer

The day: Wednesday
The time: 6:30 PM
The mission: Dinner at Village Tavern with three girlfriends, with an attempt to make it back to campus by 8
We knew we were going to be on a tight schedule, but Sarah was desperately craving steak, so we piled into the car and headed up the road to the Village Tavern, a popular local restaurant with the mission of getting a hot meal before heading back to campus for a meeting.

The Village Tavern (located in Reynolda Village as well as on Hanes Mall Boulevard) features a hearty American menu, a pleasant atmosphere, and reasonable pricing. A popular place to dine when parents come into town, The Tavern serves a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, meats, pastas, pizzas, and seafood. Appetizers start in the $5 range and the most expensive entrée hovers around $20.

It seems we had arrived just in time- most of the inside seating was already full, so we decided to try our luck with the outdoor patio, which was full of diners by the time we got our meals. It was pleasantly toasty, and we were promptly greeted by a waiter asking to take our drink orders.

The Tavern does not take reservations, but I would recommend getting there early, as it fills up quickly, even on weeknights. Bar seating is available, as is the popular outdoor patio, which is conveniently covered and heated when the weather grows cold, making for an outdoor dining experience even in the winter. Service is quick and efficient, and the request for separate checks doesn’t bring any annoyed huffs or eye-rolling.

I thought to try my luck with an appetizer and dessert, (good bruschetta) while my roommate opted for the fried Catfish, Katie got a gourmet pizza, and of course, Sarah got her steak. We all loved our entrees, although my roommate did complain that her coleslaw was on the dry side.

The food is excellent, with hearty portions and a good variety of foods to choose from. Popular appetizers include homemade potato chips (with ranch dressing for dipping) and fried calamari. Seafood fans recommend the Maryland style crab cakes, while my meat craving friend said that the flank steak sandwich was to die for. For dessert, try the apple cobbler…it’s even better than home cooking.

The wait staff was pleasant and efficient, willing to make menu substitutions (rye bread, no onions on the flank steak sandwich) and treated four college girls with the same respect as a group of four adults.

Overall, The Village Tavern is a great spot, perfect to take your parents when they come into town for the weekend, but within the price range of most Wake Forest students.

After a great meal (and fulfilling Sarah’s meat craving) we piled into the car and made it back to campus with minutes to spare.