Amber Ox Public House

Wow! I wish we could just pick up this restaurant and drop it in my town along with its staff. My friend and I sat at the bar and had some drinks and dinner. The bartenders were super friendly. I ordered the Chesapeake Bay Rockfish. It came with butternut squash puree on the bottom, topped with farro, some veggies, the fish and what appeared to be craisins on top. Wow that dish was delicious and very filling! I also ordered a side of biscuits with the honey whipped ricotta. The ricotta was ok but it was extra and not worth it in my opinion. It was nice to chat with the staff and get recommendations on some local night life. Will definitely come back whenever I'm in town again. Loved it!

The restaurant is tucked away near the William and Mary campus, off street parking was available at the time of my visit. Matt, the bartender was friendly and attentive.I ordered the wings with a side order of grits.The wings had a nice smoky flavor which was flavorful. The shop stopper were the pickles that came with it. They were sweet and crunchy. The grits were nice and creamy.

Blue Talon Bistro to the rescue! We had a party of four plus a baby who ventured out on 12/30 to explore the lights in colonial Williamsburg and found ourselves in search of somewhere to grab a quick bite around 4:00pm. Amber Ox Public House turned us away due to sold out incoming dinner reservations with little sympathy, though not a single table appeared to be filled at 4:00pm... we were told it's the holidays/what do you expect/were absolutely slammed and in no way can accommodate you/better luck next time. So, around we turned, exiting the restaurant and letting other hungry folk on their way in know what we had been told to save them some disappointment as well - this started a bit of a group adventure in search of someone/somewhere that could accommodate us (given the holidays, a very Mary & Joseph situation if you will!). We nearly gave up on our festive evening until we found our safe haven at the beautiful and delicious Blue Talon Bistro, who not only could accommodate us without a reservation, but could seat us IMMEDIATELY despite having other patrons in the restaurant. Yay! We enjoyed a delicious meal, wonderful friendly service, a warm baby and a happy heart after our experience here and we will not soon forget it. We scooted out of the way in time for their dinner service to pick up at 5:00pm and thanks to BT, enjoyed the rest of our festive evening rather than ending on a sour note. From now on, Blue Talon will always be our first stop and they have gained a family of customers! To the other restaurants, I truly hope all of your reservations showed up. To Blue Talon, kudos for keeping a stash of tables that do not require a reservation, even during the holidays and even when it gets busy. These locals appreciate you and perhaps the others could take a page out of your book. Bravo!Two stars to Amber Ox rather then one since we have had other nice experiences here before. Unfortunately, we likely won't be looking to bring our guests here again to save ourselves the embarrassment and shame we experienced.

How have I missed reviewing this gem?! My family and I have eaten here many times. We've even brought friends and family to Amber Ox since it is one of our favorites in Williamsburg.We are always greeted warmly by staff. I highly recommend making a reservation and checking the menu because it does change. Our meals have always been delicious. My husband always thinks about the wings they have because there just hit the spot. I'm in love with the biscuit board! They have wonderfully cooked meats, and breakfast items the desserts are also amazing. The interior is really neat. Browns, leather, and industrial. They have an outside area to eat which has also been nice in good weather. Parking is on the street or a nearby garage. We generally opt for the garage. Overall, it's a great place to eat.

We almost didn't dine here - glad we stuck around.Long story short, the one and only entree item I could have had as a vegetarian was apparently no longer available despite saying so on the website - amazingly, the chef came out and asked us to stay and said that they would love to accommodate and whip up the dish. How kind!Onto the actual dining experience:The She Turned Me Into a Newt cocktail was perhaps one of the tastiest drinks I've had in a while - perfectly balanced and refreshing. I can't stop raving about the biscuit board (the honey ricotta was out of this world), and the Roasted Carrots veggie dish was very tasty.Sadly the Mushroom Tortelli pasta was a tad underwhelming, as was the Mac and cheese - just needed a bit more flavor and salt. I give 4 stars because of the deliciousness of the things I did mention and how kind and accommodating the whole staff was.My main suggestion is to please add more vegetarian options beyond a few salads and sides. By not having veg options, you may loose many potential diners! If this happens, you bet I'll be back and be ready to inhale more biscuits too.

The food and service at Amber Ox was impeccable. I ordered a blue cheese salad and it was absolutely delicious. I also had the fried roasted wings! They were very filling and cooked to perfection. For dessert I tried the chai cheesecake and it was to die for! The server was very friendly and personable. Her recommendations were great. I truly enjoyed the overall ambiance of the restaurant. It was very clean and welcoming. The next time I'm in The 'burg I will definitely be stopping here!

I was super excited to visit Amber Ox during my trip to Williamsburg with my family. We were greeted by very kind hostesses and servers. Our server was especially nice and provided us with great menu recommendations. I really liked the farm-to-table concept of the restaurant, and there was plenty of seating, which is great for larger groups.We ordered a variety of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Some were definitely hit-or-miss, with a few having a very bitter or acquired taste. I ordered the Seared Diver Scallops, which came with three jumbo-sized scallops and street corn succotash. The scallops were delicious, but the succotash was too grainy. My other family members ordered the Shrimp & Grits, which was not good at all, and the Seared Duck Breast, which was pleasantly nice.I feel like a lot of the dishes here were hit-or-miss. However, I did enjoy the appetizers, especially the Biscuit Board and Poutine. You might want to skip this restaurant if you have kids, as most of the dishes are not very kid-friendly.

We were seated right away when we arrived. Our server was the best-she (and the staff) took very good care of us! The food was amazing and so creative, and the beer and cocktails were magnificent! Don't miss out on their monthly food specials. This place is has a very relaxed and yet modern ambiance. They had a great kids menu and a high chair for our daughter. Every time we visit Williamsburg we will be dining at Amber Ox!!!

Great food with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and creative dishes! We had spent the day at Colonial Williamsburg and wanted to check out Merchant Square and Amber Ox had wonderful reviews which I completely understand now.We hit it in between lunch and dinner so it wasn't too crowded. Weren't worked out well for us. Wonderful service. Ordered: Panko Fried Deviled Eggs Fresh Citrus & Beet Salad Biscuit BoardEverything was so good, can't wait to go back

Wonderful experience. Madeline was a wonderful server. The hostess staff was friendly. We had the biscuit board - fabulous. The pear and Gorgonzola and pear salad - with grilled chicken - was scrumptious. And the burger truly lived up to the reviews and we appreciated the substitution of sourdough for the bun as we try to avoid yeast. A 10/10.