Ovations Restaurant

Honestly the food isn't that great. I think more than anything for charging $45-50 per person for the buffet and for the quality of food, it was not worth it. All the meats were dry, the rice tasted like it came out of a box. Fried chicken and macaroni and cheese? Honestly do better or change your chef, if you charge such high price for eating there. Never again will I spend that kind of money for such below average food. The atmosphere is nice, and our waitress was ok.

The restaurant was great. For the Sunday Bar b que buffet expect to spend about $50 per person. Jack our server was on it ! Owner was on site and attentive to the details. The food was very good and its a great covered patio setting. Great place to eat dinner before attending a concert at wolftrap.

It has been a long time for me to give a one star rating. However, this place deserves a bad review. The price is $45 for supposedly an American buffet. The food choices are so limited and not eye pleasing. For this price we should get a good choice of bbq, steaks and more. But there are foods that I didn’t recognized by name or look. Petty choices of deserts too. I wish that was the worst part of it. I had read Some reviews about their bad food safety and hygiene , I didn’t believe it until I experienced it. Immediately after we left the place, 3 out of four of us had stomach cramps and two of us experienced diarrhea an hour later. I am sure their food had bacteria staphylococcus Aeros(staph. A.). This usually comes from personnel’s bad hygiene like not washing their hands. Please be aware🙁

You're definitely paying for location here. Buffet style dinner at $45 a person before tax, $22.50 for children. Honestly avoid it if you can. However, they did have short rib and salmon. Service was also excellent.

All the food came in a box. I expected more from Wolf Trap. The food was quite delicious, I could only order for a party of two or more. I was happily a party of one , but this was incompatible with Wolf Trap's approach to ordering.

Really disappointing. Very limited gluten free options. Towards the end of service, the waitress remembered that she could request two gluten free proteins from the kitchen. Caesar salad had croutons, but was marked as GF. When I asked two servers, they said they weren’t sure if the croutons were GF or not. They don’t give free refills on sodas and they charge $5 a soda. So as the DD, I paid $15 for Diet Coke! Highly over priced and would NOT recommend.

Two thumbs up for the pulled pork (which you definitely have to sauce b/c it dries on the hot table), the potato salad (personally I needed salt but that's just me), and the raspberry sorbet, which tastes like real raspberries. Convenient for a show, but I just don't see how you can eat 43 dollars worth of food, especially if you're going for traditional BBQ. Slaw was ok, and I'll bet there are people who like their mac n cheese they way they do it, but I thought it was too soupy and squishy. Very nice staff.

Buffet food was good, nothing to write home about, except the dessert. The brownies and apple strudel were excellent!

The restaurant was closed after the loss of the owner/chef. Be advised they created a pop up that has great protein boxes and some other items but I never saw that on the website. So you can order canned cocktails, beer, and wine. Then order your food and pick it up at the serving window. The great thing is you can still sit under the same ovations roof with beautiful view!

Operated by The Fermented Pig. The reviews I have seen are all over the place. I will get my one huge complaint out of the way upfront. It's expensive. $42 per person which doesn't include beverages of any sort save water. But it's a National Park and a performance venue. What else would you expect? The food was better than average for a high throughput buffet. There were some hits -- the fried chicken and fried fish were both crispy, moist, and well seasoned -- which is an achievement! The potato salad and coleslaw were top notch. And some misses -- the pulled pork and bratwurst were a bit dry. So do a sampling run and then go back for what is best that particular evening. It is a buffet, after all. The facility is beautiful and overlooks the Wolf Trap meadow. And last night the weather was perfect. So thumbs up for ambiance! Would I eat here every night? No. But it's a good place to come every once in a while if you just so happen to be at the park.

I'm Shook by the reviews!! My friends and I had an amazing time before our concert! The food, desert, and ambience was so nice as we celebrated a friends birthday! The service was exceptional and I look forward to returning this summer! Yes, the Wolf Trap is very expensive but they do not deserve low ratings based on pricing alone. Be Well.

Complain all you want- we liked our food. The BBQ was great, the sauce great, the Mac n Cheese, good! The BBQ portions were a tad smallish.... And the cookie tasty but maybe 3 days old on texture. Overall, it's fine. The building is fantastic, the views great...

Picked up 2 picnic meals for my concert and I was disappointed. The pasta in my sesame noodles and sausage pasta entrees was way undercooked, almost to the point of it being inedible. I was also a little disappointed in the quantity of food provided. The meats (lamb and sausage) were the highlights of the picnic meals. For the price, I don't think I'd get another picnic meal from here.

We made reservations at Ovations for 6:00 pm before our Wolf Trap show at 8:00. The receptionists couldn't find our reservation and neither could we. Problem with the Ovations reservation system. They refused to seat us, claiming they were sold out. At 6:15 the restaurant was half empty. Receptionist claimed they were short staffed, but the servers were sitting around talking. In short, this was a VERY frustrating experience. We will NEVER go to Ovations again. The young receptionist claimed she was the restaurant owner. Very doubtful. We eat out often. This is the first time we have been turned away. Receptionist was extremely rude.

We ate at The Fermented Pig at Ovations and it was bland and not worth $48 pp. Buffet or not. The baked beans tasted like Bush's from a can. The mushroom ravioli was very dried out. All of the meat was very dry and flavorless. Except the pulled pork. That was dry but had a good Smokey flavor and made better by the NC vinegar sauce. The Mac and cheese tasted like white American cheese/velveeta. The potato salad was not kept cold enough to be safe. The breadsticks were stale. The Rice Krispie treats were not. I will not recommend this place to anyone. The staff was friendly but we never got refills on our waters or drinks.

Their website says reservations suggested but not necessary and they didn't answer a phone or have a message informing that they were full as I was informed they were " booked out a month ago because this a big show" I am aware how poplar Little Big Town is dah!!!! that why I am here,

If this wasn't *in* Wolf Trap nobody would go. This is the kind of food and presentation I would expect at an upscale federal minimum-security prison, NOT a $50/plate not-including-beverages restaurant. A seemingly endless row of chafing dishes (occasionally) filled with potentially good food save for the tepid temperature and heavy-handed seasoning. I realize they have a lot of people to feed in a short time and those prisons I mentioned are faced with the same issues. Add to the above a selection of funky tasting custom cocktails and lukewarm beer for a dining experience that is memorable but not in a good way. The place is certainly convenient and still a terrible value. Maybe their $20-each picnic lunch provides a more palatable option and I'll give that a shot on my next visit. However, I don't expect to be gracing their buffet line anytime soon.

We saw the second movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy on Aug. 28th at Wolf Trap - "The Two Towers." Beforehand, we grabbed dinner at Ovations before seeing the movie. Things are pretty much the same in terms of the buffet as they were last year in terms of selection - I think it may have been a dollar more than last year. The food was just very average. Lots of options - I had a little of this and a little of that: Lasagna with Italian sausage, Macaroni and cheese, Asparagus spears, pork loin, bay scallops, a greens salad, corn, Roast Beef, and a Peach iced tea. Of course I felt afterward as if I had eaten to much. So for whatever reason, I don't feel the food was as good this evening as it was last year when we first visited. Service was decent. Not sure that the cost of the buffet is worth the price - but it's the only game in town at Wolf Trap. They do offer the option to order ala carte off a menu - you can see the menu options here: http://www.mealsbeneaththemoon.com/components/pdfs/ovations-menu.pdf I may try ordering something off the menu at some point in the future and see if the food is of higher quality.

Ovations was a great experience for at least once at Wolf Trap. The buffet was $45, which had I realized ahead of time I may not have gone simply because I don't feel I eat $45 worth of food to justify the cost. That being said, the food was absolutely delicious. You couldn't beat the convenience factor of parking early for a short walk to the restaurant and venue. The weather was particularly great that night so we enjoyed the open air experience, however wish I didn't have as many flies and bugs to swat away, but hey that's nature. Lastly we wish we had better service. As I mentioned it is a buffet so the server only served beverages. I had a fountain soda and the server asked if I wanted a refill then when the check came he charged me for each. When I said to him I wish you had told me it did not include refills, I would have not ordered more than one to which he simply shrugged off and said sorry. I gave him cash for the beverages so that the check could be split evenly in half and he went off to swipe the cards. I called over a manager to state that his staff should inform patrons which puzzled him since refills are included. The server came back with change but he was still a dollar short (charging me $5 instead of $4). He apologized and said "he's been making that mistake a lot often." ?!?!? Long story short, check your bill!

I thoroughly enjoyed our reasonably priced cheese and cracker picnic box for two. It included cheese, crackers, grapes, salad, gazpacho, cookies, mini key lime desserts, and drinks for two. It was absolutely delicious and probably cheaper than it would have cost to buy a picnic or eat separate items. Though we did not dine in the staff went above and beyond by offering drinks as we waited and were patient with my son while he decided what he wanted (even physically showing choices). I will come back for my next Wolf Trap concert!

I'm sorry but if your poor review includes the term 'concertizing' it should not count. Reader, take a few minutes to look over several reviews, and I think you'll find that most of the 'poor' reviews are pretty ridiculously unfair. So - this is a buffet restaurant in the middle of a national park. It's open to the elements on three sides so yes there's a chance of rain sprinkles, bees, horned owls, and loudmouth tourists being part of your experience. That should not discourage you. My silverware and water glass were dirty when I sat down, I switched them out with the next table over. Problem solved. Yes, the tables are packed a bit tight. For $32, in a national park with an amazing view, this buffet is completely worth it. The food was delicious, dessert decadent, staff was attentive, and overall my guest and I completely enjoyed the experience and would return anytime. I don't really need to review the food as everyone pretty much hit the nails on the heads. The salads were tasty, the night we attended the beef skewers were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. I personally avoid mayo based salads in the heat but other guests seemed to enjoy them. The adult beverage options were a lovely touch. So go, spend the money, remember where you are and enjoy the experience, then enjoy your concert. Yay!

Sorry to see Ovations has such a bad rap on here. While it is true almost free food always tastes better (came here courtesy of free buffet coupons that covered all but $15 or so of the meal cost) I do feel Ovations deserves more credit and realistic expectations. Beautiful view, lots of food, lots of variety, decent service. If you dont have time to plan ahead and make your own picnic in advance or want someone else to do the work and you want the convenience of not having to always lug food to the shows, it might be worth considering Yes, the buffet is certainly on the pricey side, but then one should consider the steps-away convenience to Wolf Trap shows. Also its competitive pricewise with any smorgasbord you might go to in, say, in Ocean City but certainly with more upscale-minded patrons at WT...(which may explain the lower ratings here with their fussiness) I was impressed with the variety of food they offered considering its all outdoors, the size of the jumbo shrimp, and dessert table spread. Particularly tasty standouts were the antipasto dishes--grilled veggies, mozzarella ball tomato basil salad, the watermelon feta salad, fresh fruit--as well as the salmon, button mushrooms with chicken so tender it was like salmon. The mac n cheese was rich, Southern comfort food- filling but very creamy, so good. I tried a bunch of desserts and the banana whipped cream vanilla wafer pudding was by far the most satisfying and perhaps most loved by others as well. I got seconds! The mixed drinks looked good but I didnt get one. Food choices I wasnt crazy about: the seafood bisque was too salty, the roast- bland, cucumber salad- tasted too pickled/vinegary for me. All in all, I still feel like there were enough good food choices to more than please everyone. Some reviewer here complained about the close proximity of the tables. This didnt bother me but I could see how very large/obese people could have difficulty with this--seems more like a personal problem to me. Also, there were fans running high up above the tables tonight, but not enough of them or powerful enough to ward off the annoying little gnats, mosquitoes, etc. Stuff like this and it potentially being hot outside in the summer are part of dining in the elements people!

Opening night at Ovations tonight as we (3 adults, 1 child) decided to forego a picnic meal in favor of "no prep" dinner prior to the Friday night showing of Prairie Home Companion on the Memorial Day weekend with Garrison Keller. One liner review: The "ketchup council" could have been summoned for the meals served. The food was passable, and better than what the previous entries seemed to offer from last year. However, I do not expect a Gazpacho to be so hot with tabasco that I do not want to eat it. And I like tabasco. Fortunately, the vegetables were all fresh, and kudos to whoever made the fish/palm heart broil and the steamed asparagus. Fruit was kept cold and was freshly cut that evening. I wasn't overly impressed with their BBQ brisket or the "sour pork" - but then I am on a fish/vegan diet so I didn't eat any. Desserts were basic, in the cake, pie, chocolate pudding mousse, and brownies were served. Again, nothing extraordinary. If you have little ones, make sure to bring them something from home. The herb and spices used will not be appreciated by young tasters - although they did provide white 2% milk (only thing the have except half & half.) But I think I would have issue if the summer heat was up in the 90's, the bugs were out, and I was spending $28/person for a second seating of the night. The four meager fans provide no real airflow inside the open sided tent. If it was raining, it would be squalid and 100% humid inside with the flaps down and drawn. The food quality just isn't that good to merit that price tag. If you're stuck for time, then by all means dine there - just do not expect a four star experience. The wine list is good, but limited, and nothing really notable. Go with something basic and inexpensive, and consider sharing a cheap bottle if more than two are drinking. Oh, and a "VERY BAD MARK" to the dish cleaning crew and the wait staff. My wife's coffee cup was served - stained with red lipstick... and she wasn't wearing any. That earns an "Eww." The wait service is by summer intern help, and they are young and likely stage hands or seasonal help. Make sure they write down any "unusual requests." Many look like college acting students, working their way through the summer. Good, but not great. They did earn their tip with us though with talking to our daughter, and being willing to get most things for us when we needed help. And yet, the food selection is rather limited. Don't be looking for pate', or even a strip NY steak cooked to order. Forget anything cooked to order. Expect a deli type sandwich with some waffle fries, and a buffet line with good filling foods that is as much as you can eat, and overall you'll not be disappointed. I did clean my plate. (And yes, the plates this night were all "clean" otherwise.) And don't complain that it's too expensive, as you had every chance to buy a meal at one of the many Tyson Corner's fine eateries and bring it to one of their free picnic tables and nosh away... or on a picnic lunch on a blanket on the lawn. You could even bring your own bottle of "good" wine... (just don't let them catch you bringing it in the cooler.) Bottom line: Three stars, but not four. Eat, drink, enjoy the show - that is why you really went to Wolf Trap anyway. And don't be afraid to send something that is not right back. And if the weather wasn't predicted as 100% good, consider it potentially three or two stars - but if you're in a rush, the food is good, basic, and filling. And I've paid more, gotten less, and enjoyed this a whole lot more.

I don't really understand all of the bad reviews--this is a pre-theater buffet, set in the open air environment of an enormous park. The convenience of being on site early alone should be worth at least one star! The day we went, the offerings were: a really great, creamy shrimp and grits, a Wagyu beef carving station (melt-in-your-mouth tender), fried chicken, a variety of sandwiches, cheeseburger sliders, poached salmon salad in mason jars, potato salad, Caesar salad, Caprese salad, chicken salad, fruit, and a variety of mezze-type dips and pita. Dessert was an ice cream station which offered chocolate or vanilla, along with hot fudge, caramel, and something else, sprinkles, crushed Oreos, mini pecan pies, coconut cake, chocolate chip cookies, blondies, and huge wedges of baklava. How on earth could anyone say there isn't enough food from which to choose? Everything was tasty, and the smaller portions made it easy to nab a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Service was reasonable, given the number of customers. We never had to wait for water refills and asked for our check early so we wouldn't have to wait for it later. Don't let the negative reviews sway you. For $32, this is a good deal if you come hungry and really take your time to enjoy tasting a wide range of dishes.

Four of us enjoyed both the wonderful setting and delicious food from the buffet before making the short walk over for the Wagner concert! The buffet offered several appetizers. I skipped the salads and had gazpacho and a shrimp ceviche. There were also small hush puppies that were melt in your mouth delicious. Next, perfectly cooked brussels sprouts and greens went with the chosen salmon. There were chicken and beef selections too. For dessert, I shared a peach tart and lemon meringue cup which were just a perfect ending to a really great meal. The cheese selection was a little disappointing but did have honeycomb, grapes and fig preserves to accompany. All of us enjoyed our food and bottle of wine from a local Virginia winery. I would love to repeat the experience!

The GF and I had tix for the Goo Goo Dolls show at Wolf Trap. Since we didn't eat before leaving for the concert or pick up anything to eat on the way, we were left with the options of concession stand food or Ovations. We chose the latter. Ovations is an open air dining facility just outside of the Filene Center. It offers ala carte or a buffet option. As a "captive audience", we expected to be charged a premium for the convenience. Our expectations were soon reality when we opted for the buffet ($29 per person) since the price differences between the two options were negligible. Ovations offers a fairly good amount of cold and hot options to include gazpacho soup, peel 'n eat shrimp, caprese salad, pesto penne salad, pasta in marinara sauce, roasted chicken, ham, etc. and even has a fajita bar. While the food selections sounded promising, the execution throughout left a lot to be desired. All restaurants must keep the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold. If it's not the number one food service rule, it should be. None of the cold items on the buffet line were served on ice or refrigerated...just serving plates/bowls on a table. It was a warm summer day. Needless to say, I bypassed the shrimp which is a shame since they were good-sized and looked like they were cooked in a spicy boil. The hot foods fared better since it was such a hot day, but I didn't notice burners under the hot food trays and the sliced ham wasn't under a heat lamp. Our server, a young kid who looked like he was just trying to earn a few bucks before heading off to college for his freshman year, was friendly and certainly was trying to do a good job, but was a bit hit or miss on keeping the water glasses filled and clearing the empty plates. In all honesty, we should've walked away before sitting down and just had something from the concession stand. We're probably somewhat lucky that we didn't get food poisoning. As I forked over my money for the bill...about $75 for two people including tax and tip...I almost shed a tear thinking what that money would've gotten me at any number of fine dining places in the area. I felt violated. Now I know. Run! Stay far away and avoid this place like you'd avoid a member of Congress dressed in a tiger suit. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/02/picture-of-the-day-david-wu-in-a-tiger-suit/71611/

We were gonna get the $32 buffet dinner, but we really weren't all that hungry. If I ever get involved in a food related challenge, this will be the place to do it. Enjoyed a nice table on the rail with a beautiful view. Our waitress was super friendly fun and helpful. The signature drinks we tried were really nice. We were semi-dressed up for the night since out seats were in-house. Was a little bummed out seeing all the people walking around in the restaurant dressed in shorts, flip flops, casual wear, etc. However, I would not enjoy wearing a dress and having lawn seats, that's a recipe for disaster.

WORST experience ever! With nearly 90 degree temps, it was comfortable in the seating area but no fans to help keep flies away. None of the salad bar items were on ice. Warm potato salad, soupy cole slaw, wilted greens, none of the salad dressings were chilled. Flies everywhere. Dessert table was another disappointment. Choc chip cookie bars were hard as a hockey puck, red velvet mini cupcakes w/ melted icing, flies all over the fruit. For every 1 clean plate, there were 6 dirty ones. We were expecting the menu that was posted at the website, NOT SO! Limited menu, highly OVERPRICED sandwiches that looked like they were thrown together by a 3 yr old, wait... that's an insult to 3 yr olds, my apologies. Dirty uniforms, dirty tableclothes. Next time, I'll pack a picnic. Very DISAPPOINTED, do NOT recommend! This place doesn't even deserve a one star rating...

I came here with Ash and Sis before seeing the Pirates of Penzance. We all had the buffet. Overall, I think the buffet was not terrible (Does "not terrible" qualify as high praise?), except for that price: $27. Note that the buffet price doesn't include any beverages except tap water. Sis' coffee had dregs and grounds in the bottom, so it was strong enough but also left a strange aftertaste. They do keep a selection of Tazo teas, so that would be OK, and they appear to have a full bar. We were among the first sitting down for dinner that evening. It was a muggy day and had just rained a bit before we got there. The large canopy over the deck seemed to keep out most of the water. But still, the humidity meant that the rolls, breads, and pastries were slightly softened--the baguette slices actually felt a bit clammy. The butter was very salty and had a hint of rancidity. They had a cream of vegetable soup, I think broccoli (wasn't labeled); it was pretty good. They also had gazpacho but I didn't try it. Their salads and other antipasto dishes were good, particularly the Mediterranean ones. That is, the hummus was good, the feta/cucumber salad was good. The main dishes were not quite so satisfying. Well, to start off it seemed like only 1 of 5 of the dishes was accurately labeled. It took a while to figure out which chafing dish contained the "seafood de mare" (mixed fish, bay scallops, and shrimp in a very orange-colored veloute sauce), when that sign was in front of the "chicken roasted with pumpkin seeds." The teens running the show were less helpful than a group of us diners who were willing to open the trays and move signs as needed. Sis said the seafood de mare was good; Ash felt the roast beef was bad. The lasagna with Italian sausage was not good, mostly because the sauce was essentially warmed over canned, diced tomato among layers of overcooked pasta (although it didn't help that there was no sausage in it to add spice and flavor). Their mashed sweet potato wasn't bad. They had shells in cheese (updated mac & cheese), and that was very good. Desserts were slightly better. They had a dish of chocolate mousse that was passable, and the petite red velvet and carrot cakes were quite good, as were the brownies. Pecan pie was a disaster. I'm not sure if I want more pecan pie to erase that bad memory, or to avoid pecan pie for weeks. Overall, this place had the feeling of a high school "gourmet foods" class taken to the big time before anyone was ready. There is a lot of food available, but overall it doesn't merit the cost. Just eat something at home before you come to a show, or bring your own picnic if the weather permits.

We were initially pleased with the changes we saw on the Ovations menu this year and as season ticket holders have attended a number of events at Wolf Trap this summer. However, over the summer Ovations quickly became stale. The buffet never substantially changes. Sometimes there would be shrimp, but otherwise, the buffet seems to be designed for the single concert attendees. There are a few food highlights in an otherwise unremarkable menu, the olive salad with Jalapeños, and the fried catfish are two stand outs. However, the other dishes were just so so. Given the $32 price for the buffet, they could do much better. Ovations in the past, would have a number of menus a la cart as well as buffet offered on different days so you could have a bit of variety over the summer concerts. We have not found that this to be the case this season. A la cart dining is no longer offered, only the buffet and only it seems one menu. The beauty of Wolf Trap is dining and concertizing out doors. The venue is surrounded on three sides with trees over looking the vales below. However now the tables have been jammed so closely together it makes getting out of your chair difficult and usually can only be accomplished by apologizing to those around you that had to push their seats in to allow you to exit. Since this is a buffet, this dance usually goes on a number of times each meal as you progress through your courses. For the price of the buffet it should at least offer a decent ambience - not that of a middle economy seat on Spirit Airlines. There were a number of occasions this summer where the restaurant was so poorly attended that it was less than half full. However, they choose to close half the tables and still push the remaining tables together so it stayed a congested mess for the diners and wait staff. Wait staff, while earnest, are usually young untrained students, and usually have way too many tables to watch. Given that they only have to provide drink orders, fill water glasses, and collect the bill at the end, they seem to be overwhelmed all the time. Some of this might be due to the difficulty in getting through the mass of tables and diners so closely crammed together. Some may be a cost cutting measure of not providing enough wait staff. We have learned to ask for a table on the edge or even in the small bar area. just so we could have a bit of room. However the real solution would be to place the tables far enough apart to have a decent ambience as was done in the past. Wolf Trap for all it's glory and great summer concerts really falls on it's face when it comes to food options - Ovations being the only sit down establishment there. I hope that Wolf Trap/Ovations uses the winter break to re-vision the restaurant and make it an attractive place for concert goers to dine. This year was certainly a miss.

As others have posted about the venue, it's a great view and very convenient. There's a big tent over the tables and we opted for one of the outlying tables to enjoy the sun and view. We tried it out since we weren't familiar with the surrounding area and wanted to not have to rush between dining and the event. The food was unremarkable, though the $28 buffet offered lots of choices. Most of the items were devoid of complex tastes. For example, other than by sight, it was hard to tell the seared tuna was, in fact, tuna. For a convenient bite prior to the show, the location can't be beat. For a culinary experience, look elsewhere.

A huge disappointment! The website stated that the buffet at the ovations restaurant was $32, but an hour and a half before the show as we arrived, my friend and I were told that the buffet was $45! And there were no other options!. That being stated, my friend and I decided to eat there as there are no other restaurants at Wolf Trap. The food selection was limited, and plain and disappointing. $45 worth... Absolutely not!. We also opted to have wine, again way overpriced!!. And then when my friend and I got up to have dessert, the table was being cleared with our expensive wine still in the glasses!! Bring your own food before the show and enjoy sitting on a picnic bench. Huge, huge mistake if you choose to eat at his restaurant!!!!! Thank goodness, the show with Barry Manilow was fabulous!

5 stars for location. You feel like you're in the lodge at Dirty Dancing. It overlooks a beautiful view and is right next to the concert venue. As most of the reviews confirmed, the food isn't good. Came here with a group of 40. Even the shrimp had a chlorine like taste to them. If you're coming here to just get drinks, this place is great. The server although not the most professional, was friendly and attentive. bottom line - beautiful view, literally walking distance to the concert area, and great for groups. Just come for drinks. Don't eat here.

Completely unorganized operation. There were only 2 people working at one window handling pre-ordered picnics as well for walk-up orders. I stood in line for 30 minutes to then still have to wait 7 more minutes for the 2 individuals to assemble my pre-ordered picnic. The hour I had for a pre-show picnic wasted away to just 23 minutes to wolf down food which was mediocre at best. Certainly not worth $21.95 for dry chicken shawarma on stale pita with basic Lays multipack potato chips. The explanation...college kids went back to school and they were short staffed! Why weren't the pre-orders already assembled? Why didn't the restaurant bring in more staff to cover this show? Why didn't they cut off walk up orders at an earlier time...before the woman ahead of me, who also waited 30 minutes, got to the counter? I chose Ovations for convenience which they failed miserably to provide.

The good news is that the staff at Ovations was terrific. We initially were seated along the rail but when it started to sprinkle, I asked to be moved one table in. They were happy to accommodate the request. Our server, Chris, and the trainee, Luke, were extremely attentive. Our beer and wine orders were delivered as ordered. Water glasses were refilled numerous times and dirty plates removed promptly. They The bad news is that the food -- particularly the Mediterranean side of the buffet was mediocre, at best. The first mouthful of lamb shoulder could not be chewed it was so tough and was spit out. The beef skewers were largely tasteless. The chicken shawarma was so dry that it shattered at first bite. We did enjoy the Greek salad. Our table's collective complaint was that the "hot" food on the entire buffet just wasn't hot (temperature) enough. On the southern side of the buffet, the chicken was good (but not great). And it was not particularly appetizing to see a chicken leg bone (no meat) sitting on top of the other chicken pieces in the chafing dish on the 2nd go-round through the buffet line. The potato salad and cole slaw were tasty. The hamburger sliders were hard from overcooking and the shrimp and grits were stone cold. The dessert portion of the buffet was better than the main courses -- the sorbet, the flan and the rice pudding were delicious. It really is a shame that this venue doesn't have better food. The setting is lovely and comfortable, conducive to sitting and enjoying a pre-show meal. It is, at the most, a $16 not a $32 buffet. We will have to think long and hard about eating at Ovations the next time we attend a Wolf Trap performance.

This was my first time to Ovations, and I have to admit, I was worried when I read the really bad reviews. I think it helped that I knew, going in, that it would be a buffet. We had a reservation, and arrived exactly on time. It had just started to rain (pretty heavily), and the workers were scrambling to help the customers who were sitting outside, move under the canopy. They had to set up some additional tables, and all of this activity did cause a slight delay in seating - probably no more than 5 minutes. When you're seated, you're given a menu that includes a list of what is on the buffet as well as drink options. We did not see any servers, so we decided to go help ourselves to the buffet. The buffet had a great variety of items. There were a lot of different salad types ranging from a plain garden salad, to some things that were more unusual. There was also fresh fruit salad and lots of berries. We tried almost everything and I don't think any of it was bad. The chicken was great, and so was the beef. We did not try the cheeseburger sliders, although we saw a lot of people going back for seconds and thirds for those. We did not even see our server until we sat down with our places, and she brought us water. We did not order drinks, and at that time, we probably should have asked for our check. Our server came by two more times to fill our waters. On the third time (when we were eating dessert), we asked for our check. And then we didn't see her again for more than 30 minutes. We asked a different server if she could find out what was going on, and she went into the back to check. Shortly after that, our server came out and told us she was sorry for the wait, and she'd be with us soon. Another 5 minutes passed of not seeing her, and we went in search of a manager. The manager was not at all apologetic, and it turned out he had our check with him. We handed him our credit card and went to wait at our table. At that point, our server returned, and handed us someone else's check, along with their credit card. She was surprised to find out that it was not ours, and started going from table to table asking people if it belonged to them. Several more minutes passed and the manager came and dropped off our check without a word. It was a disappointing end to what would have been a very nice meal. I would not hesitate to go back, but I think I would make sure I got my check early in the meal so that they have time to do whatever it is they do with it that takes so long. I noticed they also offer picnic lunches that you order in advance. That may be the best option. There are a lot of picnic tables in the area, and then you do not need to worry about the poor service.

We ordered a picnic lunch for a Wolf Trap concert in advance. It gave a lot of food, which was good because it was a bit on the pricey side. Everything was tasty. I got the mozzarella panini and my husband got the Georgia Brown's fried chicken. There was one big problem, though: we had to wait in line with everyone else who HADN'T bothered to pre-order their picnics, so ordering online is pretty much useless, since our picnic basket wasn't even assembled until we got to the window. Also, the signage for the picnic window is very misleading -- it looks like you are supposed to go to a second location to get your pre-ordered picnic, when in reality you need to wait in line with everyone else. So: Pretty good food, no real benefit to ordering in advance that I can see.

Simply ridiculously overpriced and shoddily run. Who charges $32 for a sad buffet with untrained teenagers staffing it? Have strong recommendations to up this lackluster situation that is so full of potential to something stellar, cared for and thoughtful. You can do great things, Wolftrap!

Very pleasantly surprised! You might think that being the only restaurant at Wolf Trap (at least for non-members), they might get a little complacent, but this is not the case! The caprese sandwich was delicious, and Middle Eastern / Mediterranean dip package was very tasty. They let you bring in your own drinks, so it's easy to make a great night of it. The desserts were especially noteworthy. The Red Velvet cake is a little morsel of deliciousness, and the baklava is on par with any place around here. The buffet smelled delicious, too, if you want to sit down and eat. The picnic option is great though-- bring your own beer or wine, and you've got a great night!

Awful food and too expensive. We had the buffet last night and the only thing that was edible was the pilaf rice. The rest was either too dry (roast beef and turkey) or too overcooked and old (salads) The desserts were just high corn syrup with butter and flour (no taste). We will never come back again.

Ovations has really improved since last year. The caterers are now Neyla Mediterranean Bistro in Reston, and, Georgia Brown's Fine Southern Cuisine. Last night there were old favorites from Georgia Brown's such as shrimp and grits, fried chicken, cheeseburger sliders, and salmon. Neyla's served beef skewers, lamb shoulder, chicken shawarma sliders, vermicelli rice, and batata hara fried potatoes. Each restaurant also had various salads. For dessert, ice cream, raspberry sorbet and cookies. I thought that the variety and quality of food was well worth $32.

Have gone to Wolftrap for decades never eating at Ovations, till tonight. I was impressed with the number of buffet options and with the quality of the food supplied by two local restaurants. The fried chicken was juicy on the inside with a nice crispy skin. Beef skewers were so tender and delicious. I had 2 helpings of the potato salad (don't judge). There were four salads, coleslaw, and a fruit salad. Entrees were a lamb dish, chicken shwarma, beef kabobs, grilled salmon, a lamb shoulder, and wonderful cheeseburger sliders! The wait staff were excellent as were the staff manning the buffet line. Those on the buffet line knew the food. I had no reservation, but they jiggled some seating and voila I had a nice little table. Dessert, at Ovations was also good, the brownies were easily the best I've had, and the cookies raced to a close second. It will not take decades for me to return.! Ovations also sell wonderful picnic baskets that can be ordered and picked up prior to show. Enjoy!

My wife and I attended the Paul Taylor modern dance show last week and made 6:30pm reservations for dinner at Ovations. Having not been there, we weren't sure what to expect, but frankly, reality disappointed. The "restaurant" is nothing more than a big-top tent with tables underneath. The tables and chairs are essentially outdoor furniture, and the food is organized in a string of buffet warmers strung together across a series of tables. Given the heat we've had this summer, it made the experience all the less desirable, noting that many folks were fanning themselves with whatever they could while eating. Long and short, unless it's a really pleasant evening weather-wise and you're in the mood for a rustic outdoor meal, I'd bypass this restaurant and hit one of the other better restaurants just minutes away from Wolf Trap on Leesburg Pike in/near Tysons Corner.

When we arrived at 6:15pm, we were only the 2nd party there and only about 1/5 of the place was set up for service. The hostess was wearing "Juicy" brand sweats and seemed more interested in her phone -- kind of depressing first impression, overall. The buffet had a good selection and even some interesting options, but I imagine the food is being brought in and is not cooked on-premise. They need to figure out how to keep everything hot -- Most items were room temperature at best. The (cold) spiced shrimp were decent and the fried catfish too (catfish was not hot, but still crunchy and tasty). Desserts would have been better if purchased from Costco -- very lackluster rice pudding, cookies, and brownies. My wife was even more disappointed than I -- I trusted this place would be nice for my wife's birthday before heading over to the concert ... but sorry to say that we won't be returning.

It was a lovey night making the venue great, close to the theater and parking with a nice breeze. Chris, our "server" was very nice as were the rest of the very young staff. I am generally not thrilled with under-dressed for the situation people and was not here either, short shorts, tight dresses, flip flops, chewing gum etc. As to the food....the hummus was VERY mild to my taste and the babaganouj(sp?) was a overly smooth paste lacking the distinctive smokiness that makes this dish. The Caesar Salad used boxed croutons and commercial, vinegary dressing, the salad in a mason jar was interesting but not interesting enough for the effort required. The Ginger Beef was quite good, Curried Chicken was tasty but not very "curried" Shrimp and Grits was bland and the Wagu Beef over cooked and salty. The fruit was fresh and desserts not bad. At $32pp plus drinks ++ is is only a value in the location and the all you can eat component. Not a destination on it's own

With the price point being $32 for the buffet, and the verbiage on the Wolftrap website stating that "The newly-designed elegant buffet features fresh new flavors, with offerings that satisfy the foodie and comfort the buffet lover. " while the buffet and settings were elegant, the food was lacking on the "foodie" quality. They did have beautiful fruit and wonderful hummus as well as a lovely dessert bar. But it was not worth the $32. Order a picnic and bring your own beverage and find a spot of grass on the hill.

Service great, but reservations practically a necessity, especially for a sold-out show. Nice salad selection on the buffet, but that's where the good news stops. For $28, one would expect something more than medium-sized peel-and-eat shrimp, dried-out pot roast, soggy fried chicken, lumpy mashed potatoes, etc. Wife and I opted for the menu choices, she choosing the NY strip steak, which was quite good, cooked as ordered, albeit rather smal for $28. My coconut shrimp ($22), however, left much to be desired. Five scrawny skewers of shrimp that were more coconut than shrimp, the same lumpy potatoes as on the buffet, and 3 sprigs of undercooked asparagus. If you don't mind overpaying for mediocre food just so you can go early so can park in a proper parking lot instead or a half-mile from the theater in a cow pasture, and to have a place to sit while waiting for the show, go for it -- but I'd recommend stopping at a good deli first and getting take-away food.

Very disappointed in the food and service we experienced last night while waiting for the YES concert to begin at 8 pm. The buffet lacked a display of non appealing indian food and the Russian servers with thier attitudes reminded us of being in the Kremlin. A very non-enjoyable experience before a very enjoyable concert. $80.00 thrown down the toilet. Never again.

This buffet is a terrible value for the money. For nearly $30 a person, I expect a better quality - it's not like some of the local dinner theaters, where the price of admission includes the buffet; this was $30 in addition to the ticket price. Some items had run out and not been refreshed, including rolls, soup, and desserts. Most items were dry and tasteless. Save your money and get a hot dog at the snack bar - or better yet, eat before you arrive.

My husband & I have a shared birthday. To celebrate, we had 6:45 PM reservations at Ovations at Wolf Trap with our son, daughter-in-law & her mother. Afterwards, we were going to see "Dancing With a Twist." We had been at Ovations before & it was phenomenal: excellent service; plenty of good food; something for everybody. We raved about Ovations to our family but--that night-- we were disappointed. First: our reserved table was given away. Second: It was so crowded, we were put outside the tented area. Two tables were pushed together with only one umbrella. (2 umbrellas would have collided). Many of the buffet stations were empty. By the time we got back to our table with our food, the sky opened up & torrential rains ruined our food. We scurried to the tented area for shelter. Our waitress called Lenny -- the owner-- to us who listened to our experience. Afterwards, he deeply apologized & admitted the turnout of people was far greater than anticipated & he agreed some food stations didn't have enough food although they were trying to replenish as quickly as possible. He knew we were waiting too long for food that should have been there. He knew it was our birthday & that we had a benchmark of excellence from our previous visit. We were impressed that he told us the truth. He told us dinner was "on the house" & brought us to an inside table where we made new plates of food to eat. As if that weren't enough, he made us two extra special desserts. We were treated with dignity & kindness. Sometimes things go awry at restaurants. It's hard to be angry at an owner who bent over backwards to make our dining experience pleasant. All 5 of us will def. return. Thank you Lenny for making ours a birthday to remember! Five stars to Ovations at Wolf Trap! :-)

Face it, a buffet is a buffet be it at the Helmsley Palace or any given Holiday Inn. Having been to Ovations last year I assumed that I knew what I was in for, the Holiday Inn version, with very pleasant surroundings & just a bell away from my Wolftrap seats. Boy was I wrong. The management & overall concept has changed since my last experience. What was at best the mediocre buffet that I was expecting had now become a total joke, but not funny at all. "The newly-designed elegant buffet features fresh new flavors, with offerings that satisfy the foodie and comfort the buffet lover. There's something for everyone." What does that mean? In my estimation it means that ridiculously small portions of horrendously envisioned offerings are served up at room temperature with no oversight by management at all. The initial plates are round & offer no purpose other than to shuffle the silly little plates of various sizes & shapes to your table. It goes down from there. The concept has the cold dry chicken served in a small paper tubs, the horrid lukewarm "signature" salads offered in bell jars, a tablespoon of chicken salad, brisket or risotto in yet another oddball vessel fill up your plate as you wrestle it to your table. Then the fun part! It totally sucks! Like cold mashed potatoes? Got 'em.. Like cookie dough? No problem here! They couldn't even bake a cookie right.., an entire plate of cookies had become one big multi layered mess. I could go on & on but suffice it to say that this was the worst dining experience outside of a Golden Corral that I have ever experienced. I will certainly go back to Wolftrap but I will never go back to Ovations.

This place is extremely overpriced. $32 should include more main dish options. The silver wear and glasses were very dirty. When we asked for new glasses we received more dirty glasses. We had things floating in the water once he poured it. Our waiter was very slow. The food was bland, the restaurant was very loud, and the staff seemed very unorganized. It was very disappointing for the amount of money we spent. The only highlight was the dessert and that was just ok. I would never return to Ovations and would never recommend to anyone.

We have been going to Wolf Trap for years, and we used to go to Ovations a couple of times each season. However, the vegetarian options started to diminish and the quality started going down hill for my wife. But we had a night where making a picnic just was too big a pain, and they are under new management so let's give it a try. Well, they had NO vegetarian entrees, and vegi appetizers were very limited. They DID offer me a discount since I couldn't eat much of the buffet, but apparently they weren't supposed to - so I wouldn't count on that again. The waitress sounded surprised that I even asked. In the past they had an option for just the "cold appetizers" and "dessert". So, first the vegetarian options: "Caesar" Salad - romaine with croutons, shaved parmesan and dressing. Salmon Shaker Salad - probably the best option, but a little precious Caprese Salad - a few mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes, small but tasty Hummus - I've had better, it was okay Mohammara - nicely spicy, one of the other good choices Baba Ghanouj - the worst I have ever had. Not even oven roasted, likely steamed eggplant Ma's Potato Salad - it wasn't the worst I have had, too much dressing though Marinated Olives - Fruit Salad - Standard pineapple, honeydew and cantaloupe - tasted fresh at least. Mixed Berries - I loaded up on these also. They also had pita chips, and were supposed to have gourmet chips and marinated vegetables - they didn't. There is also supposedly ONE entree that is vegetarian: Paolo's Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula on a toasted baguette. If there was, I couldn't find it. Tried to ask, the staff person went to look and never came back. I hope they send a search party. They also have a Spicy Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad as an appetizer, wife didn't try, so I can't say. As for the Meat Entree's that the wife tried: Carved Wagyu Beef - Nothing special, and way too fatty. Georgia Brown's Fine Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Not too bad. Biggest problem is that they didn't have much of it. They would bring out a few pieces, and then it was a 15 minute wait for more. Desserts: Sundaes were fine. If the ice cream isn't melted (and it's halfway decent), you can't mess this up. Baklava - ugh. I didn't know it was possible to make brick hard baklava that was too sweet, and too doughy tasting. Basically, I ate more berries for dessert. Drinks: Wife had a mojito. It was pretty, but she couldn't swear under oath that they actually had put rum in it. I had the Starr Hill Grateful IPA - they called it an APA on the menu, but at least the waitress knew it was a typo. Pricey, but I liked it. Wine list is unimaginative, and super pricey. I expect a 200-300% markup, I get a little excited if the markup is less (and thus order more wine - hint hint). Here however... One example, the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, which I can get locally for $8 retail (and taxes are higher in Maryland than Virginia), was $40. That's at least a 500% markup! Staff: Perhaps it is because they aren't a regular restaurant, only being open for dinners on the nights that there are shows, but the staff really seemed lost. This hasn't always been the case. In the past we had some pretty decent wait staff and buffet staff. Not this night. The staff was terrible. Polite and pleasant, but they seemed completely overwhelmed and untrained. We sat at out table for nearly 10 minutes before we saw our waitress. We didn't see even water for another 15. When I asked about a discount on the buffet, she vanished for a long time telling us she needed to ask the manager. Later she did appear to bring things to other people. Finally she came by our table to tell us she needed to ask the manager about the discount. We were probably waiting at the table for 25 minutes just for that initial answer. So grand tally of our interactions was about 1-2 minutes over 90 minutes, with about 30 plus minutes of just sitting around waiting for her. Not good. She had about 10 tables, but it is all buffet! All she did for us besides check with the manager, was drop off the buffet menus, get the drink order and drop off 2 drinks (we never were asked again if we wanted more to drink), and drop off the check. There was one quick drive by where she asked how everything was. The buffet staff seemed just as overwhelmed. Several times I asked questions, or asked about missing items. In each case the staff member disappeared never to reappear. Not sure what that was about. And the whole night there were huge gaps in the available food. That doesn't work when you have a buffet. Bottomline, it's kind of sad. However, if you are an omnivore, and you just have regular person standards (and there is nothing wrong with that), then the venue is nice, and it certainly is convenient before a show, so this place is fine. Just don't go expecting them to live up to the claims, you will be sadly disappointed.

Great for a buffet. Shrimp and grits were outstanding. Salmon was just right and not over cooked. Amazing variety. They had all my favorite deserts.

Ate at Ovations prior to Chaka Khan/Kool and the Gang this past Saturday night. So sorry to see that Ovations has changed their buffet items so drastically. The waiter said they have a more "foodie" menu. I am a "foodie" and this was absolutely not. We didn't even have drinks and the check was almost $70 for cheeseburger sliders and fried chicken. All of the burgers were marked rare because "they had no way of knowing the actually temperature." Really? I definitely did not feel like I got my money's worth. The only good thing is being able to eat in the park and go straight to your seats. I am not a picnic person and usually take advantage of the "dinners on the deck" but there was not one offered for this performance. I can honestly say I may never eat there again unless they change the menu to better reflect the price they are charging. Completely disappointed.

My date and I ate here while attending the. Lionel Richie Concert. This might was should good night and they served collard greens. Fried chicken, Mac and cheese, etc. the food was really good! As we say in my family, "it had some love int it." Al. The food was great and there as a large variety including stemmed spiced shrimp, tacos, etc. the dessert table was fabulous. Since it is outside, there is an occasional annoyance from flies but that is minimal. I recommend if you are going to the show so you can beat the traffic and have a relaxing meal.

We went to our first show of the season last night (Weird Al) and chose Ovations because it forces us to get to Wolf Trap before the parking lots fill up. In past years we've liked the food ok but this year it was a home run for us. The wife and I are in weight-watchers so the small plates is a welcome distraction from the overloaded plate I usually succumb to at buffet lines. The curry chicken salad was awesome, The spiced shrimp were very good. The fried chicken was a little dried out as was the burger slider but those were items I should have passed on anyway. The salads were all fresh and tasty. The dessert table was the exact recipe for what I shouldn't be eating which is to say, chocolate rules the day and everything was really good. We have reservations twice more this season and we can't wait for round 2. The servers tell us the menu changes every 3 weeks in their attempt to stay fresh and local. We're excited about the return.