Locavore

Great high end addition to downtown. Note: I recommend going Sun-Thu to take advantage of the prix fixe option (otherwise this place can get pricey fast). Visited with a friend and we both went with the prix fixe option ($48 for any starter, entree, and dessert) which I appreciate being open to the whole menu rather than limited selection. Our waitress was an absolute joy, she made recommendations and was a great chat throughout the visit. The food came out with reasonable spacing between dishes and was plated beautifully. The beef skewers with phenomenal and my friend loooooved the potato soup. The fish was great (though the skin was maybe a little scorched) and the petite fillets looked impeccable. I admittedly did not like the peppercorn pavlova but my friend liked it so much we swapped - and I really enjoyed the cheesecake (nice and tart). The interior is very warm and welcoming and despite being a little tight we never felt like we were bumping elbows with our neighboring table. Very excited to try this place again when the me I rotates and to come back in warmer weather to check out their upstairs bar (which apparently has a separate menu).

We came in as a family of 3 for brunch on a Saturday soon after they opened. The place is quaint and nicely setup/decorated. The brunch menu has a nice assortment of delicious items to choose from. They also have a full brunch cocktail list (Bloody Mary, Mimosa, etc). I was interested in a Bloody Mary, but service seemed to be a little amiss while we were there as the bartender wasn’t there and the server wasn’t able to tell us about the Bloody Mary (do they make their own mix, description, etc), so we just opted for water with brunch. The brunch items we got were all amazing! Their sausage gravy is made with chorizo, which adds a very nice, smokey touch to the typical biscuits and gravy and it came out with a pair of perfectly poached eggs. Their burger was beautiful and perfectly made and the beef was a very tasty, nice blend. The buns was incredible! Their fried chicken sandwich was excellent as well. Great batter, tender and moist chicken, and the toppings were great too. French fries were piping hot and flavorful too. So, the food was great, but the service was amiss. Would we return? Most definitely! I just mark up these services issues to having freshly opened for the day and maybe being a little short staffed. Hopefully the next visit would hit on all cylinders.

The food was absolutely delicious. I had the beef skewers, tuna and the rice with mushrooms. Highly recommend all three. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I love what they have done with the old Vivify. The rooftop bar is a great spot especially with the new mural added. Kristen is an excellent bar tender it was a happy suprise to find her and Malachi working here. Perfect for a date night! Will definitely be back!

Chef Daniel Perron uses fresh local ingredients to create amazing dishes. The different flavor profiles through all three courses blended flawlessly for the perfect meal. The pork and steak were expertly prepared and flavorful. The portion sizes are perfect if you want to enjoy all three courses. We can't wait to go back!

What a gem in downtown! This restaurant is exactly what the area needed—fresh, flavorful American food with a creative twist. You can really taste the difference with the locally sourced ingredients; everything was vibrant and delicious. The atmosphere is inviting yet modern, making it perfect for a night out or even a casual dinner. The menu features seasonal ingredients and I believe will change based upon the ingredients seasonal availability, making every dish truly exceptional. Chef Daniel Perron is truly talented—you can feel his passion for food in every dish. Each plate was beautifully crafted and full of flavor. I can’t wait to come back and try more from the menu. Highly recommend!

$48 dollar three course meal absolutely phenomenal. the atmosphere is amazing with a beautiful color scheme and sensual lightening. Our server Antiove was exceptional with attentive service and a wonderful attitude. The bartender Teddy made the most delicious cocktails I’ve had downtown so far! Definitely great for a personal dinner, fun date, or just a dinner to take yourself out and enjoy. Dan the chef can make a full course meal to take your taste pallet around the world in one chair.

Great new spot in downtown Fredericksburg. We will definitely be back. We did not experience the service issues that others did. Food was delicious. Their burger is truly really great. My wife tried their trout dish and enjoyed it.

From start to finish, this restaurant delivered one of the most memorable dining experiences we've ever had. The starters, the Badger Beet Salad and the Outer Banks Tuna Crudo, were nothing short of a flavor journey. Each bite layered with freshness and creativity. Both dishes easily rank among the best we've ever enjoyed. For the main courses, the Locavore Burger stood out as a masterpiece. Perfectly cooked, bursting with flavor, and impeccable balanced, it set a new standard for what a great burger should be. The flank steak followed with equal excellence tender, expertly seasoned and prepared with true precision. The Rocinate cocktail rounded out the meal beautifully. It struck just the right balance, not overly sweet, but refreshingly nuanced, complementing the dishes without overpowering them. Dessert was the perfect finale. The Espresso Martini Tiramisu and Pipe Dream Goat Cheesecake were absolute perfection, both indulgent yet refined showing the same thoughtful craftsmanship as the rest of the menu. Behind it all is an incredible Chef partnered with a seasoned general manager, whose passion for locally sourced ingredients and seasonal menus shines through in every detail. The frequent menu changes ensure that each visit offers something new and exciting, making it the kind of place you'll want to return week after week. Highly recommended for anyone who values culinary artistry paired with genuine hospitality. The restaurant is true gem that just opened in the downtown Fredericksburg. 5 Star Update 9/14/2025 - went back to Locavore this past Sunday for dinner. I selected the Badger Beet Salad & Locavore Burger. Unfortunately the Beet Salad was average missing several things from my 1st experience. Both the Beet Salad and the Locavore burgers presentations were unimpressive and represented what I would see in a diner. I suspect the main chef was off and someone else was preparing the dishes. Downgraded to 4 stars.

Great service and good food. We were heading to a different restaurant and saw that there seemed to be available tables. We were immediately seated and our server was more than helpful picking a wine for dinner. We settled on a "pre fixe" menu and ordered warm cauliflower salad, roasted tomato salad, pork chop, burger and for dessert tiramisu and cheesecake. All good all delicious. We will be back.

I really wanted to enjoy Locavore. I attended Chef Dan's secret dinner parties and went to the Italian restaurant in DC that he was at for bit. Every experience I've had with his food has been phenomenal. But sadly, locavore was a huge disappointment. First, I originally had reservations for the regular dining room. But my friends and I decided the limited menu was more expensive than what we wanted to spend, so we went to the rooftop where happy hour includes 50% off all drinks and all the starters (plus a few entrees) that are on the main menu. What a great deal, right? For dinner, we decided to share 3 starters: the hushpuppies, the catfish dip, and the beef skewers. These were the worst hushpuppies I've ever had. They had no flavor and were dry and doughy. The catfish dip showed me why most people don't do anything with catfish besides fry it. The dip was bland and unexciting. The beef skewers were good in comparison, but I would not have wanted to pay full price for them. As for ambiance, the rooftop is clearly not ready for showtime yet, which I'll give grace for since it hasn't been open that long. But it's desperately in need of space heaters and some kind of decorations besides just the cluster of patio tables that's there now. The bartender was super friendly, excellent personality. But he was as clueless about some of the wines as we were. I don't blame him, but I do blame whoever was supposed to train him on the drink menu. If Locavore is going to succeed, there are many many things that need fixing, starting with the food.

I've been waiting a long time to experience Chef Daniel Perron's food. I first heard about his secret suppers, only to realize I'd missed my chance when they shut down. So when I heard about his new restaurant, Locavore, I knew I had to try it. I'd seen some mixed reviews, but honestly, that's expected with any new spot--it takes time to work out the kinks. After tonight's meal, though, I can confidently say: every kink has been worked out. What We Ordered The Working Man Sourdough Tartine Autumn Olive Farm Grilled Coppa Roseda Farm Flank Steak Coconut Milk Panna Cotta Drinks & Starter My boyfriend started with sparkling water while I ordered the Rocinante with Tito's. The brûléed pineapple syrup in my cocktail was such a thoughtful touch--sweet and balanced. To start, we shared The Working Man Sourdough Tartine, which set the tone for the rest of the meal. How can you go wrong with pepper jam, creamy cheese, and grilled fruit? Absolute heaven. The Meal Both the pork and the steak were showstoppers. Each cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The flank steak paired beautifully with the smoky charred eggplant purée--I kept stealing bites from my boyfriend's plate just to get more of it. The pork was elevated by a fig gochujang sauce so good I wished I could take home a jar. Dessert The Coconut Milk Panna Cotta was a dream. Every bite felt magical--the cardamom gently lingered and danced on my palate. A perfect finale. Service & Atmosphere Our server, Tyler, was fantastic--warm, attentive, and knowledgeable. If I had one small critique, it's that the music was a little too loud, making conversation a bit difficult at times. Overall, the experience exceeded every expectation. Locavore delivered the kind of meal you don't just eat--you remember.

Great place for a date night! Food was light but filling with an excellent cab sav. Will definitely come back to try more dishes.

All the food was excellent from our appetizers to desert. I had the Swordfish entree and loved it. I think the ambiance could be improved by lowering the lights a bit. It was too cold to enjoy the outside bar space and I didn't see outdoor heaters, but it looked great and I look forward to trying it out someday. I plan on returning again in a few weeks and have told everyone who will listen about this place as I had a great dining experience there.

Excellent food and attentive service. Great place to dine in downtown Fredericksburg for any occasion

Food was good. Our waitress was very nice . I cannot comment on dessert as I could not enjoy it. As we were waiting for dessert our party was approached by a lady telling us that we were to leave as the next party was waiting . we offered to decline dessert, but were told we could finish. Needless to say that are not going to come back to this restaurant as we like to take our patronage a to more welcome venue.

Tried Locavore for the first time and was impressed. Had the burger which was made from braised short ribs and it was filling and tasty. The toppings were appropriate for the dish but a little messy, and the hand cut fries as the side were crispy and hot, not overseasoned like some restaurants but otherwise not exceptional. Our server was friendly and the service was prompt. Limited selection of draft beer and there was no drink menu available other than on the full menu. No condiments were on the table, however the food was seasoned well and didn't need enhancement. I am looking forward to another visit to try some other of their offerings.

Everything at Locavore was top shelf. The service was spot on and the food was impeccable. We had the Kalbi Beef Skewers with house pickles to start and that alone made the meal remarkable. You will crave these! They alone justify a second visit to this restaurant. The second appetizer was the Whipped Lardo with spicy pepper jelly and that was spectacular blend of flavors. We shared the swordfish and the squash soup for our main and the swordfish was the most perfectly cooked swordfish I've had in years, if not ever. We will definitely be back.

We were a group of four who decided to try out Daniel Perron's new restaurant on a Thursday evening. We elected to eat downstairs and not eat at the rooftop. The atmosphere was very nice as was the decor. Our server was top notch and very pleasant as well as professional. We were greeted by Daniel upon being seated and engaged with him about the menu as well as a variety of other topics. He was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, and very nice and polite. We reviewed the menu and decided upon the chilled corn soup, tuna crudo, and beef skewers as appetizers. Every one of the appetizers was exceptional. For the entrees we had the grilled Denver pork with charred cabbage. What a treat and the charring on the cabbage was amazing! The Cabernet Sauvignon made the meal complete, and it was reasonably priced too! For dessert we opted for both the espresso martini tiramisu and the goat cheesecake. Both were excellent but I think the overall verdict was that the cheesecake was slightly better. All in all a wonderful time, great meal, fantastic service, and fun experience. Daniel Perron is an absolutely amazing chef and has outperformed. I highly recommend eating here as you will thoroughly enjoy the delicious food and experience.

Beef skewers, trout and pork were all awesome. Great service. Need more places like this in F-burg!

Wonderful place, excellent food, great ambiance, attentive service. A must-try location in downtown fxbg.

After a lovely dinner at this chef's DC restaurant last year we were eager to try his new restaurant in Fredericksburg. However I can't give this restaurant high marks based on our recent experience. While our waiter seemed to be all over the dining room and there seemed to be a huge congregation of waitstaff at the service bar two feet away, we found it hard to get our waiter's attention. The manager seemed to mill about, but never came over even we encountered problems. A simple iced tea order took some 20 minutes and our dinner order was not even taken until we had been sitting for more than 45 minutes. We got to watch four tables go from drinks through desert before our entrees arrived. When they did we had to send one steak back due to improper doneness. Even after that the waiter did not stop back by to make sure everything was ok once the dish came back out. All told the dinner with one shared appetizer, mains and no dessert or coffee lasted an hour and forty five minutes. The steak I had was a $38 flank steak and was just ok and not noteworthy. If a diner is to be presented with only five possible choices, all should be above average. I am afraid this restaurant appears to have a long way to go.

Just awful. The service was very poor but the food was much worse. The vegetarian option was supposed to be hen-of-the woods "tempura." It was more like overly crunchy fried calamari, without the calamari. I could neither locate nor taste any mushroom flavor at all. The server never bothered to come by to ask how the food was, so when I finally tracked him down he claimed that this mushroom has "a very mild flavor". Apparently he thought I was stupid, because Google says: "It is popular for its rich flavor and firm texture, which holds up well in various dishes,". Locavore's dish had no mushroom flavor or texture and it did not hold up at all. When I noted that fact, my server said, "Well you already ate most of it, so...." Of course I ate most of it- there was so little of it to begin with. I don't eat fried batter. I was hungry after waiting so long and I never like to waste food. In fact, when restaurant food is reasonable I never leave anything on my plate, or I take it home, by habit- to a fault. But at Locavore I left a lot of salty fritter on the plate. The sauce was like a mediocre ranch dressing. The salad was all kale- not very good, but at least nutritious. Everything was too salty. I might have gone for a substitute- polenta, swordfish- but the service was so slow we didn't want to sit any longer. The music was too loud for the acoustics of the room. (Some songs were OK, but they were cheesy covers- "Eyes Without a Face", sung without any substance, like the menu.) One of my party ordered a glass of wine. The bottle was emptied into a glass- maybe 3 ounces, tops. No apology. Someone had the flank steak ($36!), medium. It came out too pink. The server claimed that "grass-fed beef has more iron" (hence the brighter color). The polenta was minimal and the side vegetables reportedly tasteless- like the steak. There was a $24 hamburger on the menu, and some duck that did not look promising. Tempura is supposed to be light and delicate, so that the underlying food remains chewy and tasty. Locavore has no clue how to prepare tempura. When you have only 5 entrees on your menu- one of them being a hamburger- two of them should not be really poor.

Food was delicious and we had an amazing dinner. Went upstairs for a drink afterwards and service quickly plummeted. Bartender with beard was so rude and clearly has no customer service skills. Bar was only half full and refused to acknowledge us for 20min. He would literally turn his back and read receipts instead of serving customers. We then gave up and sat down and the waitress was nice and doing her best but overwhelmed.

I have been missing Kybecca since it closed, and Locavore has finally matched that vibe. The atmosphere skews upscale, without being fancy. Ordered the Butterkin Squash soup and a farro dish, and both were perfect fall dishes. The goat cheese cheesecake was a great way to end the meal. The only small critique is that I wish the bread and butter plate had been more balanced. With only four thin pieces of bread, we sent a lot of expensive pork fat butter back to the kitchen! Will definitely return and hope to try their brunch soon.

My wife and I dined there in Fredericksburg, va this evening. I purchased the braised beef ribs. The portion size was for a kids meal. The entree was bland, the meat was overcooked and could of been from the night before. Also purchased the squash soup and it tasted bland and came in this big bowl, but the portion barely covered the bottom of the bowl. Will not eat there again.

We were excited after reading all the glowing reviews. We made a reservation but I am not sure why. There were only 2 other tables with diners. The decor and furniture are Vivify which I admire repurposing, but we were taken aback as this is not Vivify! We hoped more from our server, but nothing. No real welcome other than obligatory, no suggestions or talk about the restaurant. We would have welcomed that. The drinks were good, but beyond that, we were not too impressed. Started with the beef skewer. It was fine. 2 diners ordered the steak, one the burger, the other the pork belly. Both diners enjoyed the steak but the accompanying sides were unenjoyable. Same to be said for the pork belly. Main was delicious, but the sides? Just odd and not yummy. The burger was fine, a bit dry and again the fries were good, but cold upon arrival. I wanted to like it and I may be back, but at least one diner said never again. I want local businesses to thrive. Downtown seems to be difficult, but for the prices the dishes need to be a bit more.