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  • Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill

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Reserve at Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill

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Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill
Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill
  • Address:
    5641 Indian River Road
    Virginia Beach, VA 23464
    Neighborhood:
    Virginia Beach
  • Cuisine:
    Contemporary American
    Price: $30 and under

Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.foundersinn.com/dining-en.html
  • Email: swanterrace@foundersinn.com
  • Phone: (757) 366-5777
  • Hours of Operation: Breakfast: Daily: 7:00am - 10:00am; Brunch: Sunday: 11:30am - 2:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 2:00pm; Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Contemporary American, Afternoon Tea, Steak
  • Executive Chef: Scott Simpson
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Chef's Table, Entertainment, Farm to Table, Fireplace, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, High Tea, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Special Events & Promotions: During special holiday events such as Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the award winning team of chefs at Founders Inn, led by Executive Chef Scott Simpson, create magnificent feasts to include premium dairy products, the freshest seafood, lamb, pork and aged prime rib, locally grown fruits and vegetables and tempting treats for dessert all prepared to perfection.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Centerville Turnpike
  • Parking: Hotel Parking
  • Parking Details: Convenient and complimentary parking
A word from Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill
Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill presents an American Grill House menu combining the freshest product from Virginia’s best artisans, prepared with traditional cooking techniques featuring the signature Rotisol Rotisserie, Montague Grill and J&R Smoker. Our Award Winning Culinary team expertly… creates dishes inspired by the culinary heritage of Virginia and the Eastern Seaboard. Locally sourced ingredients are from the most notable regional farms such as Graham Rollins Crab, Avery Branch Farms Poultry and Certified Virginia Hereford Beef. Specialty dinner items include our signature Cedar Plank Crab Cake, Beef & Bone and Virginia Apple Goat Cheese Crumble. The Founders Inn Swan Terrace Grill is committed to delivering Sustainable and Organic ingredients whenever possible. Dine by the fireplace or alfresco on the lakeside terrace.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerGood for Groups
  • Diners' Choice WinnerGreat for Brunch
  • Diners' Choice WinnerSpecial Occasion
Diner Reviews
  • "Our waiter seemed very inexperienced. He was not picking up on our cues at all. Was disappointing. Food was good, but fell short of what I would expect for the prices. Roasted vegetables were burnt, then underdone at the same time. Lamb chops were average. Garlic - Parmesan mashed potatoes were terrific. Overall, I was disappointed with the dining experience...for the money. "
    Dined on 4/19/2014
  • "It was our first time going here and our last. Our reservation specifically requested a gluten free menu because we read they are available. The hostess acknowledged the special menu request and promptly took us to our table since there was only one other family in the whole place at the time. Instead of a gluten free menu, she gave us the vegan menu and said some of the dishes could be made gluten free but did not say which. Sorry, vegan does not equal gluten free. I asked the waiter for a gluten free menu, his response was the same. We asked to speak with the chef for more info. The chef came out 15 minutes later & was great! The food tasted wonderful except my meal was completely wrong. Waiter just said, "Oh sorry." Fail. "
    Dined on 4/19/2014
  • "The lunch buffet is delicious. The was a variety of well prepared food and the service was good. The coffee was included in the buffet which was an added plus. I would definitely visit again. The food provided was well worth the cost."
    Dined on 4/17/2014
  • "Food was mediocre and our server didn't seem too enjoy being there."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "Looking for a better place than just the normal Sunday Brunch", that is different, then this is it - it has elegance, great service, good food and is really inexpensive for what is provided. We'll be back. This place made our Sunday escape from the day to day - just wish we had the time and weather to explore the gardens."
    Dined on 4/6/2014
  • "I planned this event for a girls day out and it was fabulous from the time we walked in. This was the first of many girls gatherings for my friends and I"
    Dined on 3/23/2014
  • "The Prime Rib was left over from the week before and heated up on the grill. It was dry, tasteless and unappetizing."
    Dined on 3/20/2014
  • "The food is always excellent with a good variety of flavors, etc. The service is also excellent. The crab cakes are thoroughly enjoyed by my family."
    Dined on 3/16/2014
  • "First time visiting the resort and restaurant and I was blown away by the food options and the service. What a great place to go for a regular brunch or when celebrating something to give you that special edge. Love this place and will return every time I am in Virginia Beach."
    Dined on 3/9/2014
  • "had a family brunch here and everyone loved it. amazing food and service. enjoyed everything about the brunch. would definitely recommend and come back!"
    Dined on 3/9/2014
  • "Overall the staff was very friendly- the food was very good. My only concern was the shrimp appetizer upon arrival had a very fishy odor. This indicated to me that they were not very fresh.we were celebrating our daughters bday and did not want to ruin the moment by sending food back or complaining. Other than this it was a great experience."
    Dined on 3/8/2014
  • "Meet with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. The setting was great with exceptional service. My friend just had a birthday, and Emily took that info and surprised us with a nice birthday dessert. Would go back anytime!"
    Dined on 3/5/2014
  • "Great food, great selections, fantastic atmosphere with a wonderful staff."
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "Nice brunch spot with a warm, friendly environment... fireplace, mimosas & bloody marys, great selection of items, and everything we tried was very good."
    Dined on 2/23/2014
  • "Food was average and service was slow. I appreciate that the server recognized the service was below par and discounted our bill. It's a toss-up if I would go there again. If I do give it another try it's only because Emily the server was so gracious and accomodating."
    Dined on 2/23/2014
  • "Probably the freshest salad bar in VA BCH. When dining out in medium size groups (5 to *8) it is nice to have large round tables so everyone has face time. It promotes groups conversations rather then private ones. Wish more restaurants would have this feature. Service was on the slow side but we weren't in a rush, so it sort of added to the ambience and a relaxing atmosphere and as most of us were eating off the buffet, it didn't matter."
    Dined on 2/19/2014
  • "Good food and drinks. The table and the chairs weren't very comfortable. My husband mentioned his chair was wobbly. Overall it was okey."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "My Husband and I enjoyed our buffet very much. The entire meal (and my 2nd's and 3rd's) we're delicious and filling. I was really impressed with the entire staff, how polite and friendly they were, and this being my second visit the warm staff never changed. They were so nice and very friendly. They were very good about defusing an unpleasant customer who in our opinion (just my Husband and Myself) was elderly and displayed significant signs of Demencha. To the Server's Credit being on the receiving end she handled it with a smile and very pleasant demeanor."
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "Food was amazing. Very friendly and responsive wait staff. Would definitely return."
    Dined on 2/16/2014
  • "We came here for Valentines Day & was our first time here.It was truly anexperience.We arrived & were greeted w/a table of champaign & stuffed strawberries. We walked through the garden w/our champaign.It was beautiful & romantic. The ambience of all the lights in the garden & fountain in the background.We had a wonderful waitress that gave us excellent service. We had the 6 course pre-set menu and it was wonderful. It was themed around different love story movies. Some of my favorite things were the first course was this oyster app that we found out was the recipe from the original titanic ship, the pallet cleanser was in a corked elixer bottle & the chocolate covered marshmello that I got to melt it in my hot chocolate - yum!"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Took my wife to Valentines Dinner 2/14/2014 to Founders Inn Swan Terrace. First Impression was large cafeteria setting. The waiter and serving staff did not communicate. We were seated and started the dinner course for Movie themes dinner. We started with 4 oysters shared, shared seafood melody of 2 crab legs, 2 jumbo shrimp, 2 small red potatoes, a half-dollar size slice of corn on the cob. The venison was good however everyone around us received 2 small pieces of venison but we only received 1 small piece of venison each. The elixir was floral scented water and the desserts were fine in the fact we did not have to share. Overall we received courses out of order and the obvious 1 small piece of venison on our plates was embarrassing."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Unfortunately, the first two courses were seafood to which my wife is allergic. However, the wait-staff was well prepared, bringing us instead fruit & crackers with brie, and a wonderful salad. The venison was absolutely delicious, as was the chocolate mousse and hot cocoa. We will most certainly return on another occasion to order from the regular menu."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "My husband and I went to this restaurant for Valentines Day. They had a 6 course meal based on romantic movies. They had several dishes out of my comfort zone like Venison but it was very good. It is not something I would ever order again but being that this was a set menu, it is hard to please everyone. The dessert was a magnificent. We sat in front of the fireplace overlooking beautiful gardens decorated in white lights. They setting is beautiful."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "First I like the parking free and convenient with cover to let out guests. Very nice lobby a short walk to friendly welcoming staff at the entrance to the restaurant. Out table was ready when requested and very nicely prepared. The napkins were fresh and not smelly like some other eatery's have provided; it's the little things that matter to me. The dinning area was fully staffed with managers and servers; they were very attentive, efficient and pleasant. Our every request for special deviation from the fixed menu was accommodated with a pleasing smile. Food was well presented and very tasty and in some cases fun; we attended the Romantic Movie Dinning event. Desserts were Academy Award winners. We had a delightful dinning experience."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "My wife and I went here for my birthday. The food was good. The pork belly was excellent, but could have used a bit of acid to cut the richness. The smoked steak was very tasty. Both of our entrees could have used a vegetable, so our side order of aspargus was perfect (& perfectly done). The servers seemed very inexperienced and unprepared for the relatively full dining room. We waited several minutes before anyone stopped by the table...even they decided it was long enough to comp us a glass of wine. The rest of the evening was equally poorly paced. They acknowledged that by also comp'ing us dessert & 20% off. Bottom line, the service was bad enough that even they knew it. I would not recommend this restaurant except for the very patient."
    Dined on 2/6/2014
  • "I've always enjoyed taking family and friends to Founders Inn. Atmosphere is always welcoming and great selection of food!"
    Dined on 2/8/2014
  • "I've never had a bad experience at The Founders Inn. Everyone is so polite and hospitable. The food is fresh and local. I love the fact that the kitchen is open for you to see your food being prepared."
    Dined on 2/7/2014
  • "We were seated in a dark corner - far from the beautiful fireplace (even with our reservations and empty tables adjacent to the fireplace area - when I asked, they were "full up"), where my wife had to keep her jacket around her shoulders to stay warm. Service was exceptionally slow - but once Kai got started, we had a pleasant glass of wine (not crazy about single glasses being poured at the table from previously opened bottles. Anyway, long story short - food was ok at best (strip steak for me, brisket for her) - restaurant was nice and comped us a second glass of wine for the extraordinarily long wait for our apps and food."
    Dined on 2/7/2014
  • "Started with Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad which was delicious, best salad ever - just wish there were more of it. I had the slow roasted brisket which was ok, great sauce, but about 6oz. - wish I had ordered the NY strip. Wife had Scallops w/roasted tomatoes and creamy polenta - taste really good (albeit scallops slightly grainy from shell), polenta tasted great but it was more of spoonful and consistency of a sauce, tomatoes just a garnish, for the cost I would expect more than 3 scallops. Dessert was apple goat cheese crumble and red velvet cheesecake. Both good but the cheesecake was more of a mousse and cookie underneath difficult to break up (still frozen?), apple goat cheese crisp was ok but the goat cheese barely noticeable"
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "I tried the Founder's Inn based off their #2 rating in the Hampton Roads Magazine Platinum Plate Awards. I try and visit the Top 10 every year. I found my experience lacking and would have never put them in the top 10 - anywhere. First off, I had a 7:15 reservation on Thurs, their Prime Ribe night. They were already out of the Prime Rib and it wasn't THAT busy. The Smoked Chesapeake Shrimp was fantastic as a starter! My main course was the beef brisket and it tasted more like pot roast than brisket. The grilled asparagus was on the raw side. The garlic parmesean mashed potatoes were very good. Servers were very good and personable and very apologetic over lack of the special. Food was fair but not worthy of a #2 rating."
    Dined on 9/19/2013
  • "This was restaurant week menu, the dish I had was too sweet both appetizer (crispy port belly which wasn't as crispy as it should) and the beef brisket (over-cooked and very sweet). Then the desert wasn't what I thought it would be... a small cup container with baked apple slices on bottom and skimpy amount of crisp as top layer. I've gone to couple of restaurants this week and this was the least of my favorite and probably will not return..."
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "My wife and I dined there for the first time, during VA Beach's Restaurant Week - a bit of a drive from our house, but as it turned out, well worth it! The meal was far superior to what we expected of a "reduced rate" special week meal - the portions were large, perfectly prepared, served timely and hot. Our server, Emily S., was cordial, helpful with menu items, and very attentive throughout the meal. We were also visited by the manager to ensure we were enjoying ourselves, which we were! The ambiance of Swan Terrace is first rate, with high ceilings, lovely view, and a live pianist playing traditional favorites. This was a first class restaurant experience, and we've already booked a future visit in a few weeks."
    Dined on 1/16/2014
  • "The offerings were good. My wife had fish which she said was tasty. Her beet salad was okay beets were a little to firm for her likes. I has the beef brisket offering. Brisket was tender and had a flavorful sauce. Mashed potatoes had great garlic flavor. Desert was tasty. I had a goat cheese and apple crumble. Wife had a fluffernutter desert which she did not care for the whip cream on top but the base was tasty."
    Dined on 1/15/2014
  • "I have had brunch here several times, and although a little pricey...the food is fantastic, the restaurant is clean and the staff is amazing. If you're in the area, definitely check it out!"
    Dined on 3/10/2013
  • "Went for lunch buffet. Best lunch meal I have ever had. Great quality, plenty of selections, and healthy choices."
    Dined on 12/30/2013
  • "Always good food. Price on the high side. Newer menu does not have as many choices as the old one."
    Dined on 12/28/2013
  • "There was a problem computing the final bill because we used 2 gift certificates. Otherwise I would rate the experience as a wonderful place to dine with family at the holidays."
    Dined on 12/24/2013
  • "Nice experience for all of us. Dined with 3 grand daughters. Ages 7 - 25. All enjoyed it"
    Dined on 12/24/2013
  • "How wonderful to find our table ready and waiting. It was tucked in a corner with a view of the landscaping. The setting was perfect for us to catch up on each others lives and enjoy our lunch. And we did!"
    Dined on 12/17/2013
  • "Dinner with friends at Swan Terrace was a joy. During the Christmas season, the grounds of The Founder's Inn are lighted and provide a very enjoyable view from the restaurant. The server, Heather, was excellent. For appetizer we tried the Mini Crab Cakes (2), Shrimp (3) and the Beef Tortolini Soup. We enjoyed The Country Game Hen, Beer Brined Pork Chop and the BBQ Brisket of Beef for the main course. Although we found the appetizers very good, the shrimp were large and a little tough. The pricing on appetizers seems a little high for the serving size. The main course was delicious and plentiful. We did not partake of desert, but the selection looked wonderful. We have never been disappointed on any visit."
    Dined on 12/13/2013
More reviews ›
  • Afternoon Tea
    Saturday 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM›
    Join us at the Swan Terrace for the classic English tadition: the taking of afternoon tea. Every Saturday from 3pm-4:30pm. Classic afternoon tea is $20 per adult and Champagne tea is $29 per adult. Enjoy tea while listening to our resident pianist. Excludes Tax and Tip. Reservations are suggested. With reservations parties are welcome. Special valid Mar 15, 2014 - Jun 14, 2014 on Saturdays from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM. Offer valid March 15, 2014 - June 14, 2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Virginia Winners
  • Great for Brunch
  • Norfolk / Virginia Beach Winners
  • Good for Groups
  • Special Occasion
Learn more ›