meadowlark restaurant

excellentfood/ worth the wait. small place in a strip mall - excellent food, though. closed mondays.

very good experience. i live in nyc and was in dayton for business and candidly we weren't expecting much in the way of dining so meadowlark was a pleasant surprise.

when we went the place was in the middle of a mall (i believe they're moving) so that didn't help our expectations but all that aside thefoodwas delicious. the menu was inventive but not trying too hard. all of the dishes, apps and entrees were fresh and very flavorful and the desserts were great. staff was very friendly, portions generous and prices reasonable. even my snobbish foodie colleague was impressed!

if you're looking for a good place in the dayton area i highly recommend.

upscale lunch with unique combination. great salad with authentic asian flare. we were there for a fast business lunch.foodwas good, fast and great service.

best way to enjoy dining at meadowlark. i posted this before, but it's the best way to enjoy dining at the meadowlark.


we always sit at the bar.
we never expect to get waited on for a few minutes.
we never expect any urgency on drinks or the time it takes to get our order place.
we never expect ourfoodto arrive at any particular moment.
we leave happy.


-----06 nov, 2014-----

meadowlark how to hate/love this place..... since being back a few more times, thefoodis always unique, well prepared, we have how developed a routine.

we always sit at the bar.
we never expect to get waited on for a few minutes.
we never expect any urgency on drinks or the time it takes to get our order place.
we never expect ourfoodto arrive at any particular moment.
we leave happy.


-----10 may, 2014-----

service sucks: i love all.... service sucks:

i love all of the unique beers, great coffee and thefoodis spot on..
but the service need some real attention!!!
bartender very very well versed on the offerings bravo...

back again for lunch, great salad and lark burger, as usual sat at the bar perfect service!

overrated.. first of all, why do hostesses think the more condescending attitude they can give,the better the restaurant is. what an air of superiority. we visited the restaurant for the food, not the rude treatment of the hostess. second, thefoodis hit and miss. the beet salad was great, fries not real favorable. the entrée of pecan/cream cheese enchiladas were creative, but pairing it with plain rice garnished with pumpkin seeds. (bland and unimaginative) maybe a roasted pumpkin rice with apple tidbits and pumpkin seeds. the salad with the plate was very bland. with all the accolades everyone has bestowed upon elizabeth and her restaurant, i feel it just falls short of the accolades and the potential of the restaurant. the hostess is the first impression, most times they can make or destroy the overall experience. when is a hostess job the top of all occupations??

my surprise 80th birthday party. 19 of my family surprised me saturday, jan 31st with a party at meadowlark for my 80th birthday. thefoodwas exceptional, service impecable, and we were allowed to remain in the private room for over two hours with noone making us feel uncomfortable. there were my two daughters, five grandchildren, two great grandchildren along with respective spouses. i will remember my night in this lovely restaurant forever. thank you for helping create such a special evening. judy ireton

okfoodbad service.. just wish they wouldn't tell me the wait was 45 min and had to wait an hour. then had to wait another 45 min forfoodwith no refill.

this used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but over the years the service has become unbearable. our server was not very friendly and it took us ( a party of 2) 20 minutes before we got out drinks. after the drinks finally came and we ordered and it was at least another 50 minutes before our good came! my dish ( fried haddock) was pretty good; my mother however ordered the spaghetti appetizer which was terrible! over all thefoodwas not worth the excruciatingly long wait. will most likely not be returning unless the service improves greatly!!

creative cuisine. the menu is a story of travel. a traveling foodie who brings it back home. i'm critical andfoodthis place puts out really does make the grade.

meh. that about sums it up.foodwas............meh. i was with a large party and our biggest complaint was that the service was soooooo slow. and the server wasn't friendly or really even nice. none of the staff seemed to be pleasant. usually, with big parties, a manager will come over and ask how things are going, not here. the prices were fine, aptly represented i think, wide variety, nice menu with blurbs about each dish that was quite enjoyable. my salmon was overdone (and i like it well done but hadn't asked for that), the pork was overdone. the duck was very good and the spaghetti carbonara. chicken thighs and the sides were good, a little bit too spicy, but good. i would try it again to check out menu changes but i do wish they would be friendly and nice!

eclectic excellence. i have been coming here for a long time, i am so happy with their new location since not only is it a lot bigger but it's now much closer to where i live! the first thing i ever ordered here, and consequently my favorite go-to menu item, is their lark burger. it is unlike any burger you will ever have, its marinated in herbs and red wine which imparts a superb and unique flavor. they make everything, from the pickles to ketchup in house and everything just has a bit of a twist to it. i suppose if you like yourfoodto be the same ole same ole then you will probably not enjoy this as it not ordinary food. some of the menu items can be on the pricey side, but i have never had a bad meal here so i was certainly recommend it for a nice night out or a special occasion. i would suggest reservations, and i also will say that i have always found the majority of their staff to be on the snobby side. it has always irked me a bit but i find thefoodmore than makes up for it.

beep beep beep. love thefoodhere - had a great dinner last saturday night with friends, but this will probably be the last time i go. the computers in which they enter the orders sit on opposite sides of the dining room and they make a loud beeping noise with every entry (yes, you have it in stereo when servers are at both computers). when the place is crowded, the sound is a bit muffled, but still annoying. i deal with electronic noises all day long and don't want to hear that while out trying to relax. we asked the server if there was any way to turn down the beeping, and she said no. what a shame.


-----15 may, 2011-----

great brunch!. love the huevos rancheros!

service was terrible! we stood a good 5 minutes before anyone even acknowledged our presence. this was a non-peak time with only 3 tables maybe seated. from there it didn't get any better. everything was slow. it took every glass on the table sitting empty for multiple minutes before the waitress even stopped to ask about refills. again, the resturant was not busy at all. i wonder if our waitress was also severing a full bar area to account for her behavior. alas when we finally left she was just occupied with chatting to other servers and kitchen staff. thefoodwas excellent but the service left a bad taste in our mouths. if we go back we may just get take out.

place just isn't the same since the big move. such a major disappointment. i have been to the old location a several times and really enjoyed each time. the food, wine menu, service, atmosphere. i wanted to check out the new location and brought my husband who has never had the meadowlark experience. everything has changed. the eclectic ambiance is gone and it is loud! a completely different clientel. it has lost the simple, casual and relaxed feel. as for the food, i can't believe this was the same chef. is it? while waiting at the bar for a table and sipping wine, we decided to order to go, we didn't have far to travel.foodwas still plenty warm. they forgot both of our soups, gave us one app, not two, both of our fish with summer vegies taste was overwhelming of red pepper and way over salted. we both ate half and thru the rest away. can't believe i am saying it but i will not be back. too disappointing in too many ways. oh, they still have a great wine list.


-----11 aug, 2010-----

worth the wait. we had to wait almost too long for a table but it was worth it. the menu was very interesting. we needed help from our server deciding what to order. he did not do us wrong with suggesting the fish sandwich. i look forward to trying other items. there were too many to choose from. though i am still having cravings for that fish sandwich.

simply the best in the area. excellentfoodand a wonderful environment. in a sea of chains serving factoryfoodthis place really stands out. they get busy and the place "for now" is tight. but thefoodis worth the wait.

we live in tipp and you would think with harrisons and the coldwater cafe that we wouldn't have to drive to the dayton mall area, well you would be wrong. harrisons has fox news blaring when you hit the door and theirfoodis blah, and the coldwater is so hit and miss with a bizzaro owner who will ask people to leave for laughing.

give the meadowlark a chance, you will like it.