Woodruff Inns

We stayed at the Skyview cabin which is run by Woodruff Inn. The cabinet itself was nice, but that’s where it ends. The AC unit wasn’t powerful enough to cool the cabin so we had to sleep on the couch under the unit for the 2 nights we were there. The cookware was so bad that it was impossible to cook with — a trip to a yard sale would have gotten better cookware. There were tons of knick-​knacks and dried flowers that were covered in dust. The towels smelled sour. The knobs on the stove and whirlpool tub were broken. Half of the light bulbs in the entire cabin were burnt out. Of the 3 track lights in the kitchen only one worked. We couldn’t even enjoy being outside on the deck due to the lot next to us being filled with RVs and tents and gobs of people partying into the night. We spent A LOT of money for two nights and it wasn’t worth half of what we paid. We won’t be back.

The food was ok but the service was lacking and the kitchen was slow. v:

Under the great new management team, we had one of the most unexpected big city, gourmet dinners in a small town. We wandered up 3 min before they closed and yet jessi and her strapping young chef husband provided us 5 star service. Highly recommend lump crab and fresh blueberry tart. Enjoy the great wine selection but keep an eye out for the local law dog on your way home.

The new chef arrived on April 15, 2011, and his food is absolutely outstanding. Generally the dishes are straightforward, the ingredients excellent and allowed to shine. A few things are incredibly creative and utterly wonderful. Either way you cannot go wrong. I would go fifty miles out of my way just to eat dinner here.

We visited Luray Caverns yesterday, and then wandered around town looking for a decent dinner. Well, we hit the jackpot with this one! The inn/​restaurant has a charming atmosphere, but it’s the food that knocked our collective socks off. From appetizers to dessert, each one of us (in our party of five) was surprised and pleased at how tasty everything was. The chef came out to chat with us, and we learned that he’s only been there about a month or so. He and his wife had recently relocated from Florida. He was a very genuine, personable guy and we enjoyed our conversation with him very much. We wish this place wasn’t such a far drive from DC!

Service was a little inattentive, but the food was quite decent. A little too much fat in my steak, though. It was heartbreaking to see a young boy (the owners’ son, I presume) bussing tables well into the night, but the sleepy youngster remained polite throughout his ordeal.

Where to start? Well, first we didn’t stay there. They have a restaurant besides the B&B and we experienced the restaurant. What a disappointment. The Chief & Owner, Lucas Woodruff specializes in International Fusion cuisine, what is that? It makes me think «jack of all trades, master of none». I know its harsh, but if you had eaten you might feel the same. The Fresh pasta of the day always has rose sauce, to me that says its either frozen or jarred. The menu did look good, however we got steamed spiced shrimp and Alaskan King Crabs legs since they were the special of the day. And I saw a lot of both come out of the kitchen. Plus a lot of salads come out of the kitchen. And nothing cooked, I mean you steam shrimp and crab. So no real cooked food was coming out of that kitchen when we were there. Service was slow since there was only 1 waitress for the dinning room and the front porch was filled with people having happy hour. Maybe they knew better since the dining room has several flies buzzing round. The front porch seemed to be filled with locals who were outside enjoying live loud music and smoking. It seemed to be the place to be if you lived in Luray. And they seemed really familiar with the place, even going up to the bar themselves when service was spotty. The music outside was loud sorta a mix of Aerosmith and Bonjovi, not appropriate for a romantic, cozy dinner. The heavy iron chairs were uncomfortable and linens looked worn. Also we were there for 90 minutes on a Thursday night at 7pm and only 1 other couple were in the dining room too. When they arrived they had reservations (didn’t need them) and the hostess had no record of it, we could over hear the conversation. Since service was so bloody slow we skipped dessert & got ice cream down the block. I just can’t believe this place is AAA approved, they need to come & review it again. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, like its waiting for a holiday or special occasion. But they have no customers to serve besides the locals for happy hour. The management needs to decide are they going to be a bar, or an upscale white tablecloth restaurant? What’s it going to be, one or the other.