The Henry Clay Inn

We had lunch at the Inn on a Saturday with my mother and a former neighbor, both in their nineties. Getting around was easy for them with their rolling walkers: there was room between the tables and in the halls, and the rear lot has accessible parking and a ramp at the entrance. The staff was accommodating and attentive, keeping my tea topped up. The dining room wasn't full. I don't know whether that was because the local college was on spring break or for some other reason. The hamburger, pimiento bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich, and squash soup were great. The corned beef in my Reuben was a little gristly. There was a good selection of desserts, and the meal for three came to under $75 with tip. Two trains passed during our hour and a half there, so there was some noise. The Inn is next to the Amtrak station, which has its own charm if, like us, you have good memories of train travel. Google Maps took us on a pleasant rural route from western Henrico County. This was my second great restaurant visit here. I hope there's enough business to keep the place going until my next visit.

We were just passing through Ashland for the night, and dinner at your restaurant turned out to be unforgettable. The lamb rack and trout were exceptional, and the pastries and desserts were fantastic. The staff and service were top notch too. Thank you for such a great evening.

The pastries we got were amazing, but the service was so frustrating that I doubt we'll be back. I'd eaten here over a year ago and both the food and service were good. This time my family and friends came for Train Day. The dining room was empty when we arrived at 11, and they even had to turn on the lights, yet with three servers we waited ten minutes just to ask for menus and drinks, then at least another ten for the drinks. We went to the bakery for pastries while waiting for our server. The man there said he hated Train Day and told us to wait, even though we'd already been waiting half an hour. After ordering, I had to ask another waitress for a coffee refill and a pastry. My dad said his Reuben was the worst he'd ever had; my husband thought his burger was okay. Our friends gave up waiting and went into the bakery for pastries. The staff seemed unhappy to be there, and the place still wasn't busy. We made the mistake of returning that afternoon to sit on the porch. We tried ordering pastries and drinks at the bakery again. The same man said he was leaving and would send a server out. The same young man from earlier came out, took our drink order, and we waited ten minutes with no drinks. It wasn't busy, so we left. Having to wait over an hour and not being checked on in an empty restaurant is ridiculous. I could understand delays if it had been packed, as I would have hoped for on Train Day, but it wasn't. That should have been a red flag. I hate leaving a negative review, but I'd be surprised if this place stays open.

We had brunch or lunch on the front porch, with a live jazz duo playing nearby. The building is beautiful, full of character, right by the train tracks. The food was tasty, though the blueberry cake was dry.