The Red Onion Restaurant & Bar

The Red Onion is a true gem! In short notice (just 3 days warning), Jeff and his team were able to accommodate our group of 20, in from NYC, for a Saturday dinner reservation, hooking us up with a private dining room as well. The service was swift and thorough, especially considering our size, the food was fantastic (I really enjoyed my Thai steak salad!), and the prices were a great bang for your book. Our whole party was super pleased with the experience, and we can’t wait to come back to this cozy establishment the next time we’re in town.

One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. The grilled calamari is out of this world. I wish I could get my hands on the recipe. I had such a had time choosing from the delectable items on the menu, I wound up getting some pork dish which was amazing. My husband got the burger and the French fries were literally the best I’ve ever tasted. The décor is a little… strange to say the least… but I like something different and unique. The waiters were very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu items, and the busboy kept our water glasses filled with ice water all night. A very enjoyable experience all around.

Had my husbands bday here on Friday night. Katie our server was delightful. She put a candle in the brownie sundae.
The food:
Bread and butter to start was exceptional.
Pierogi were good but a little too wet. Would not order again.
Husband loved the fish and chips and I liked my veggie goat cheese ravioli.
Drinks were great especially the ginger gin drink and I don’t even like gin.
Although I think the food is a 4, the service Brought this to a 5 for me!

Have been there many times and usually get a great meal. took my nephew there for his 21 birthday since it was a special occasion. When the food came out my niece had a piece of plastic wrapper in the spinach. Looks like it was from the packaging. I very nicely called over the waiter and showed him. He apologized and said he would tell the chef. He came back and said the chef was sorry. That was it. Not even a free dessert for our experience. He said happy birthday to my nephew and I paid the check. It was a little disappointing. Not sure I would go back.

I love this place. You will love the skillet mussels and the fish and chips. They fry their chips in duck fat, so they are thick and crispy with a tender center. The cocktail list is excellent as well. My only gripe is the static dessert menu. A place of this quality should have a rotating selection of excellent desserts. After all, we are upstate.

I booked a reservation here for my husbands birthday. We came from out of town and there was a mix up with my reservation time. They still gave us a table and made room for us. We ordered the pierogi, eggplant, and goat cheese ravioli, and apple crisp for desert. The food was tasty. I wish the portion sizes were slightly larger but since it is considered a fine dining place their portions would be a little less. Setting wasn’t unique but it was clean and comfortable. Overall food was so delicious and service was good.

Nice classy place to visit. My wife and I came up to Woodstock for our anniversary to visit. We were told the Red Onion was a great place for a meal. I’m glad we did, this place did not disappoint. If your in town and looking for a nice place to eat, give this place a try.

Great food home made pasta, great seafood and salads! Loved it! Noise level fine and just a great place to connect with friends

Great local restaurant with a nice bar for friends. The food rocks and this is a must visit for dessert.

If you have food allergies… DON’T EAT HERE! Well you can they will just charge you extra for making things so difficult for them. It is written in tiny red print on the menu that they don’t make substitutions. They just need to add even if it will cause death. To be clear I am fine with an up charge but the answer by the manager at this joint was «You will have to pay for two Entrees «…Sir $ 16 for ground beef formed into a patty and placed on my bed of $ 14 greens I THINK NOT! Food quality was average but over priced and under seasoned.

I have fond memories of my first legal drink here so many many years ago. The bartender was so impressed with my order that he shared a glass with me, no charge. Back then it was a bar, with gourmet pub fare but the focus was not on the food as the menu was quite limited. Fast forward and a change of management.
Red Onion today still has a great bar. My father’s martini was reported to be fantastic. The menu has expanded and thank goodness. We shared the pierogi app and the guac. Admittedly the reason this isn’t a five star review is that guac was a little bland, and my husband’s steak cooked medium when he ordered medium rare. But these are quibbles. I shared the rib eye for two with my father; it was perfectly seasoned. My mother raved about her sea scallops.
I couldn’t eat any more food but I was told the crème brûlée was great and the espresso my father had was quite good. Service was excellent, and plenty of attention was given to my mother who was the birthday girl!

We’ve been going to the RO for years, at least once a week. It’s the best restaurant in the area.
The chef is amazing! However, we are bored with the menu. It’s stagnant. He needs to change it up, especailly with the appetizers and salads. It’s the same month after month.
A new entrée does not a great menu make. Please don’t make up go to other places (which we did last weekend and were so happy with new choices). You’ll find that your loyal customers won’t be that loyal anymore.
Rose

Wow. Just wow…
Was here several years ago when the building was actually red — has obviously been far too long since I’ve been back.
Sat on the front porch on a picture perfect summer evening. Wait staff was on point — even if there was a random waiter consistently asking how everything was…
Had the chicken liver mouse for an app (recommended by our waitress) and could’ve licked the dish clean; that good.
Had the beet salad w arugula and ricotta (something I can’t spell) that was so
Good I may dream about it for life.
Main dishes — roast duck w asparagus and cabbage and a seafood risotto. I don’t eat a lot of butter and will have to run my normal 6 miles tomorrow but let me just say; melt in your mouth. So. Damn. Good.
Delicious — delicious — deliciously delicious.
Oh — and the jalapeño mint Julip was… SO. GOOD!
The bill–
Not cheap.
The food and service —
Worth every penny.

This place is a far cry from what it used to be… And what a shame because it used to be a real gem! I have enjoyed meals at Red Onion with my family and friends on a number of occasions (including some very special ones like birthdays and holidays) but our last meal was absolutely horrible — and I mean horrible!
Our night started with a glass of ice water being spilled on my sisters lap by the busboy — which would have been forgiven (had there been an apology). When ordering, we were told that «the chef doesn’t like substitutions» but excuse me for not caring for mashed potatoes! Here’s an idea… leave the cooking to the chef and the food choices to the customer — and we’ll pay the bill. To cap off the night, my steak arrived looking delicious (as it has been in the past) but it was anything but. After a second bite, it was clear that the meat was rancid and when returned (with my appetite gone the way of the dodo), the manager proceeded to argue by telling me that both he and the chef tasted the steak and thought it was fine. I was shocked at his response to my experience and at the end of the day — that’s why we won’t be back.
Mistakes happen — water spills and food spoils — but genuine concern for the customer experience rules and poor management (both culinary and service) seals the deal.
Sad to have lost a favorite from my list.

I have visited this restaurant two times and I must say I love everything I have ordered. The dishes are all delicious and taste so fresh. I was there with my sisters last night and they also enjoyed their meals. The service was on point. Our waitress was very sweet and patient with my very indecisive sister. Our food came out quickly and our cosmopolitan cocktail was the best we ever had. The restaurant is classy and cozy. I highly recommend stopping in at the The Red Onion if you are in the WoodStock area. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Such amazing service! Thanks to Jeff for making our night so special. Beautiful atmosphere… Very romantic although there seemed to be a mixed crowd. The beet salad was incredible and I treated myself to the French fries (as an appetizer). Limited vegetarian entrees, so I went with the ravioli. Delicious. :)

Was in Woodstock for Valentine’s Day weekend so we decided to try the red onion for dinner on Saturday night. Was snowing when we arrived and figured it would not be crowded at all. Boy was I wrong. Packed. The interior of this place is very warm and inviting. We had a 6pm reservation and we were seated approximately 6:05. We had a table for 2 that was cozy but a bit close to our neighbors. The host who happens to also be the owner was very friendly as was the whole wait staff. They can’t do enough for you. We started with the cast iron mussels. Fantastic flavor and a generous portion. I had an arugula salad that was huge loaded with cheese shavings and had a fantastic flavor. My GF had a Caesar salad that was also huge and awesome. For my main course I had the NY strip steak. I eat my steak black and blue to rare only. This steak came out medium rare. I won’t eat that sorry. The owner came over and quickly apologized and had a new one out to me in no time. The new steak was cooked perfectly. Thank you. Although I did enjoy it it was a very small steak. I would not get the steak again. This is NOT a steakhouse so I say stick to anything else to be safe. My GF had the Red Snapper. It was a generous portion and extremely flavorful. She loved it. We shared some ice cream and cookies for dessert. Overall it was a great dining experience. It is a bit pricey but well worth it.

Red Onion won the great Battle of the Suppers (Woodstock, January 2015). And it did so with street squid.
That cephalopod got the grill after an Asian-​inspired soak in garlic and sesame oil, and before getting tossed around with pungent kimchi and toasted peanuts. Bitter char, piquant cabbage, nutty, um, nuts, and tender squid felt like it should be served in a box and eaten in traffic on a scooter. A wonderful starter, or pair it with a massive Red Onion Caesar (surprise — there’s avocado in that thurr salad!), and you’ve got a more than tremendous meal.
The environs scream dinner-​by-​the-​hearth, and the only thing warmer than the fireplace (and the spice on that kimchi) was our server, who’s attentiveness seemed to be the standard. I launched in to a coughing fit on the way out and a bartender launched from behind the oak with a glass of water. Well played, good sir. Not as well played as your Spencer (a balanced concoction of Bombay Gin, apricot brandy, fresh squeezed orange and bitters), but y’know, respect.
It’s inventive while being commonplace, it’s made for blustery winters and it’s got more layers than it lets on. It is, after all, The Red Onion.

Great place — very warm, friendly and inviting atmosphere, a welcomed reprise from the cold rain on the night we went.
Food is wonderful — I had the scallops with creamed parsnips and spinach and was in heaven. My husband had the duck with glazed carrots (with mint!) and bacon/​cabbage (forget the name) — he loved it.
So we are obviously not from Woodstock, and my husband’s phone battery was almost dead, but we were staying in a house in a very secluded area so we needed the navigation to get back! The server happily found an employee there with the same charger and she charged his phone for us — really cool.
My only complaint — very loud. I actually got a bit of a headache.

The food here was amazing. I had the roasted duck and couldn’t imagine it being better prepared. The skin crackled with taste and paired with great veggies. All and all that was top marks. The time it took to get the food was another story. My girlfriend and I waited an hour from the time we sat until we got our entrees. We only ordered entrees. The waitress while nice, clearly didn’t feel like making us a priority.
I would return again, who knows maybe the service was just a fluke. But waiting an hour plus for entrees seems a bit excessive to me.