Doug G.
Yelp
Our hope for Varner's was that it could become our new neighborhood place after we moved to Smyrna a few months ago. So, I really want to like Varners...shoot, I really want to LOVE the place, but after multiple visits in the recent months I have to accept that it's just not happening. I don't want to say that I dislike Varner's and I won't be back, but I will say that I have been consistently disappointed with my experiences thus far.
I'll start with the positives, because they have several for sure! For one, they literally have a different special and activity each night. The best of the deals are 2-4-1 wings (boneless and bone-in) and $6.95 burger night! In addition to the food specials, they have bingo, trivia, karaoke, darts, etc...Additionally, I would be remiss if I didn't give them props for changing their sign every night - it takes commitment for sure! So, in addition to the specials and events, the food is decent here. I have had the wings, boneless and bone-in along with a burger and a few sides and apps. For the most part, I enjoy what I get. They have a wide variety of wing sauces, and while my go-to's are usually lemonyaki and medium - I have branched out here as they have sauces such as hot honey bbq, hot house, lemon pepper and ranch. I will say that while the hot honey bbq are solid in flavor, they are lacking anything that makes them "hot". In addition to the wings themselves, the sides are quite important! I am a tot guy and Varner's has some pretty legit, crispy and crunchy tots.
In addition to the wings and tots, I have had their burgers. I have had the Big E's Ranch burger on a few occasions. It's a good sized American style burger topped with a ranch sauce and onion ring. I have also had the Widow Maker - topped with a fried egg, bacon and a garlic aioli, this burger is one of my fav's on their menu for sure! Additionally, they always have a good variety of beers, lots of local, as well as a solid supply of liquors and cocktails.
Now for the not so good...the first thing is the service. The service has been absolutely hit and miss, inconsistent at best every time we visit. The latest visit brought a few issues with service. The first being that our server was not available much and didn't check in much. We had our drinks delivered by another server, in which we asked if they had a particular beer. She was unsure if they did, but stated she would let us know. She never circled back around and our server was absent so much, by the time he came back we had already moved on from wanting another drink. In addition to the actual service, we ended the night with requesting the ticket be split evenly between the three of us. The waiter seemed confident, took our cards and stated he would be back shortly. He returned, quickly dropped the tickets off and disappeared into the night once again. The tickets were off, way off...one was $26, another $8 and the other $16. It was the oddest math for splitting a check - we simply signed and moved on, as we didn't feel like fighting it.
Outside of the service being spotty, the food has it's moments as well. While the wings are good and the burgers are yummy, the one thing I do have issue with is that at least 3 out of the last 4 times we have been, the wings have been luke warm at best. I have sadly never been served "hot" wings at Varner's and that is a bummer! Outside of the normal menu items, they run specials on a monthly basis. This past month was a taco dip. I LOVE all things taco dip/Mexican, so of course we order it. A few minutes later they bring out a small plate with a mound of "dip" on it. I have never had a dip served on a plate. Additionally, it was ice cold. As a taco dish, you would think it would be warm at the minimum. Either way, it was served cold in an ill-advised serving dish.
Lastly, I want to make sure to mention that the bar area does still allow smoking. So, be strategic with your sitting.
Overall, Varner's is a decent place. I definitely don't hate it, but am disappointed for sure. If they could tighten up their service and make sure the food hits the table hot, they would be in a good spot. Until that happens, I feel we will relocate our weekly dinners.