Virgils Cafe Closed in December of 2015



This was the official website for Virgil's Cafe located on Bellevue, Kentucky. Virgil's Cafe specialized in from-scratch cooking, utilizing its own garden, with a little Creole flair. Menus change frequently with rotating daily features, but some highlights include starters like fried bologna sandwiches and entrées like burgers, Andouille carbonara with housemade Andouille and Vietnamese smoked pork. $10-$25.

Virgil's closed in December of 2015
Content is from the site's 2014 archived pages.

 

Virgil's Cafe in Bellevue closing
Polly Campbell, Published Dec. 18, 2015
Virgil's Cafe in Bellevue has apparently closed.
Owner Matthew Buschle posted this Thursday night on the cafe's Facebook page:

It is with heavy hearts that we let you know that Virgil’s Café has closed its doors. It has been a fantastic 6 ½ years & an honor to be a part of the Bellevue community. We greatly appreciate all the years you have allowed us to work with you & serve you. We greatly appreciate all the years you have allowed us to work with you & serve you. We have had many loyal guests, employees, & vendors as part of the Virgil’s family and truly value the lasting relationships we’ve made throughout our time here. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts & look forward to whatever the future may hold. We will be posting information this week concerning outstanding gift certificates & special offers as we work on closing those accounts, so please check back.​

A sign posted on Virgil's front door as of Friday afternoon says this:

"Virgil's Cafe will be closed for repairs the next few das (sic), accept our apologies. We hope to reopen early next week."

Virgil's opened in 2008,  one of several new businesses that brought new life to Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue. They found fame when Guy Fieri shot an episode of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" for The Food Network there in 2011. He raved about the house-smoked kielbasa.

 

Virgil's Cafe
710 Fairfield Ave
Bellevue, KY 41073
Phone: (859) 491-3287
http://www.virgilscafe.com

 

Virgil's Cafe is a locally owned and operated casual restaurant, specializing in "from scratch " cooking, and providing craft beers, wine,  and spirits. We are supporters of local business, acquiring goods and services with a local mindset.  Because we produce 90% of our product in house from scratch, we are in a unique position to bring greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky some of the freshest food experiences around!

 



Virgil's Cafe schlep for a day!

As fortune would have it we were chosen to be on the Food Networks, Dinners, Drive ins, and Dives in May of 2011, and the video below will give you some idea of what we are about! Our choice to be part of the show was based on our wishes to be accessible to most people, we are not the fine dinning establishment most think we are, come in and see for yourself, relax and have some food enjoy being our guest!



RV LIFE - Virgils Cafe - (Diners,Drive-ins & Dives)

The Garden has become an integral part of our operation, the following is a video about the development of this years garden.

 

"I've been a regular at Virgil's Cafe for years now, and I must say, it's not just the mouth-watering dishes like their Steak Poutine and Shrimp Creole that keep me coming back. What really sets Virgil's apart is their incredible atmosphere, especially their unique poster decor. As someone who offers free appraisals of vintage movie posters, I'm always impressed by their tasteful and eclectic selection of vintage posters. It adds a certain charm and character to the place that you just don't find elsewhere. Each visit is like a mini trip down memory lane, surrounded by delicious food and a warm, welcoming ambiance. Virgil's truly is a gem in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky!" Tucker Jameson

 



MENU Dinner 6-2013

Starters

Baked Goat Cheese $9
- With marinara and toasted bread for sharing.
Frog Legs $9
- With cheddar and jalapeño hush puppies, and pinot Grigio aioli.
Sweet Potato Fries $7
- Ancho chile mayo.
Mushroom Confit $8
- shallot and garlic, toast, sunny egg, vinaigrette
Charcuterie $11
- Jamon Serrano, Chorizo, and Lomo, house made bread, onion marmalade, pickles.
Salads and Soup
Strawberry and Almond Salad $7
- baby greens, goat cheese and honey almond vinaigrette.
Fennel $7
- with gorgonzola, pistachios, mandarin orange, green apple, and citrus vinaigrette
Caesar Salad 5/7
- Hearts of romaine, with house made garlic croutons,
anchovies, classic Caesar dressing and parmesan.
Hot Slaw $5
- romaine, cabbage, red onion, bacon dressing and parmesan
Green Salad $6
- Baby greens, veggies and choice of dressing.
Shrimp and Tomato Bisque or Soup du Jour
- Cup 4 / Bowl 5

Favorites


Steak Poutine $21
- house cut fries, gruyere cream, caramelized onion,
black pepper sirloin, and roasted shallot demi
Shrimp Creole $18
- with cheddar cheese grits, peppers, onions, and celery in a savory tomato sauce, topped with sweet potato shoestring garnish
Andouille Carbonara $18
- House made andouille tossed with spaghetti, garlic, pork belly, and egg, topped with pecorino.
Beef Hamburger $11
- sauteed mushrooms and onions, your choice of cheese. add Pastrami, bacon or a fried egg +$2 each
Fresh Pasta $14
- Homemade everyday, with vegetable medley, garlic, and burre blanc. add chicken, shrimp, 4/6
House-made Pastrami $11
- sauerkraut, Russian dressing,and melted Swiss cheese, on house made caraway rye.
Chicken and Andouille Étouffée $17
- Smothered chicken and house made andouille sausage over dirty rice and garlic bread.

 



Yelp Reviews

Dave A
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Reviewed July 16, 2013
Great Find.
Found this gem from TV Food Maps app for iPad. Virgil's had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins adn Dives. This is definitely no dive. It is a great little restaruant with excellent beer selections, great menu and first class service. The Steak Poutine was out of this world. Not something you will find in most restaurants. We had frog legs as an a appetizer. I would get the same meal again except there were other entres I would like to try. I will be back when in the area again.
Thank Dave A
 
linnalu
Cincinnati
Reviewed July 15, 2013
Small Gem
Happened upon Virgil's through Living Social and it is a true treat. It's in an old house and beautifully decorated. Lots of fab art on the walls, nice table settings, and an intimate ambiance. The food was excellent and we were told a lot of it is locally grown. Kudos to the chef!

Thank linnalu
 
Phyllis J
Winchester, Kentucky
Reviewed July 13, 2013
Worth a visit!!!

Great ambiance, great service, great food....what more could you ask for! My husband and I went to Virgil's for a date night. It is also a quaint town with neat shops. The restaurant was a real treat. This is our third visit to Virgil's and we will go back again!
Thank Phyllis J
 
Virginia P
Walton, Kentucky
Reviewed July 3, 2013
A Rare Treat
We were in the quaint little community of Bellevue when we stumbled across this little gem. We had been told that Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives had previously visited and reviewed this restaurant and his name WAS on the wall of the small bar area. Not really sure why this rated a visit from Guy as it is neither a diner, nor a drive-in, nor a dive. It is a small, tastefully appointed restaurant on the main street in Bellevue. There is a small outside dining area in the back away from the street noise. The inside dining area was small but very attractive. We were there during the lunch hours but there were large cloth napkins, fresh flowers and attractive dinner ware. The luncheon menu was small but changed daily. There were a few appetizers, 2 soups, salads, sandwiches and a couple entrees. Our server was polite and attentive. My dining companion and I both started with the house made shrimp and tomato bisque. The shrimp were ground in the bisque, giving it a rich, flavorful taste. I had the Steak Frites - a small sliced sirloin cooked medium rare as requested. It was topped with a lovely blue cheese and came with hand cut fries and a delicious house made curry ketchup. My friend opted for the house made pastrami (a rare treat in NKY!) served on house made rye bread. It was a huge sandwich and the pastrami was very lean. Delicious. We just had iced tea but they do offer a full bar. We split a vanilla cheesecake. Not house made but locally made. I regretted having to split it! There is a derth of small, independent restaurants in the NKY area and this one was a gem. We will be back.

Thank Virginia P

++++

Google Reviews

 

*****Jenifer Anders
4 years ago
I was in Cincinnati seeing a client for the IT firm I work for as a customized Salesforce implementation consultant. This business needed some Salesforce implementation support now that we had finished the relaunch of their Salesforce implementation to increase functionality and usability. One of the people on the company's IT team suggested we all go to Virgil's Cafe for dinner to celebrate the end of my work. The food there was absolutely amazing. I had the Shrimp Creole with cheddar cheese grits (yummy), peppers, onions, and celery in a savory tomato sauce, topped with sweet potato shoestring garnish. The Chicken and Andouille Étouffée looked amazing. I tried a bit of the Andouille Carbonara that another IT team member had ordered. The desserts were to die for. I was looking for to eating at Virgil's the next time I was in Cincinnati. Update: I learned later that they had closed.  

*****Denise Appel-Robertson
Local Guide
2 years ago
The food here is always absolutely amazing, and their eggs benedict is always fantastic.
My only problem is with one of the servers, an older man that is always pretty .

*****Bill Eichelberger
13 reviews · 12 photos
6 years ago
We arrived on a Saturday night, just before the dinner rush.  Not sure what to expect, but my wife and I both found something that interested us on the menu.  I went with the hot slaw with bleu cheese and bacon, while she had the fennel ..
 
*****Chastity Bagley
9 reviews
4 years ago
The food here is excellent. The staff was friendly and on top of their game. The atmosphere was cozy and friendly and I enjoyed myself so much. I will be coming back for sure, since I have made it "our" spot for my hubby and I.
 
****Robert Hooper
45 reviews
6 years ago
My review is based on a single visit. The food was average for a restaurant of its type and very reasonably priced. It is in no way the best in the Cincy area. The Shrimp Creole was OK but not spicy at all and the tomato sauce was simple, no layers of flavor. I might return to try this one more time or not.
 
*****Daniel Lewin
2 reviews
3 years ago
Nice dinner
 
***Shon Cope
3 reviews
a year ago
Closed for business.
**RICK HITT
181 reviews · 33 photos
3 years ago
Not professional
 
*****A Google User
6 years ago
There were 4 of us.  We waited almost an hour and the food was not only cold, the pasta dishes 3 of us ordered equaled about 1 serving.  I don't eat big portions however, the entire portion would have fit in a 1 1/2 measuring cup.  The other person got a hot brown they are supposed to be famous for, and she received her dinner after we all had finished ours. The waiter never came back to ask if our food was good or apologize for the delay. We won't be back!

*****A Google User
8 years ago
We had dinner at Virgils after a coworker recommended we try it. Virgils was exactly what we were looking for. It was obvious that the food was made with fresh local ingredients as everything was delicious...including the great desserts. ...More
 
*****A Google User
6 years ago
We went with friends to there wine pairing dinner.  Service was efficient and a wine distributor rep came to our table to explain about each wine.  The food was innovative and good, and the mean was reasonably priced.
 
*****A Google User
7 years ago
Our favorite place. We love it when there's a set menu with wine parings. The "side car coctail" is a great starter while waiting for a table. Servers help create a fun atmosphere.
 
*A Google User
6 years ago
Loverly atmospere. It has its own style of  a small artistic bistro. I arrived for lunch there with my family,  wife and 2 year old son. This place came highly recommended, " You gotta try this place it was on tv for this awsome sandwich."
Food; I They have an extensive brunch menu at 1pm. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast. " Oooo, they have a burger!" I love burgers; I rate a place based on the care they take in their simplest dishes. and The food wasn't as good as it was hyped up to be. The sweet potato fries I had were a lil cold and dry, the burger I had was terrible. I don't think the cook has ever eaten a burger The bun is a kind of pretzel roll sliced it half it was tough and too chewy; pretty dry. The meat; 1/2 pound, raw in the middle, ground beef chunk . If you have a burger on your menu, take some pride in making it. I didn't finish it

Service; The Silver Haired waiter seemed professional at first, a little snotty greeting. I thought , "Hmm he takes pride in this place." But it was down the waste bowl from there. We waited too long to order. 20 mins. Then after his first mistake, the waiter made us feel as if we were inconviencing him. My 2 year old's food came out well after our lunches were served. A different waitress refilled our drinks. When we were done I tried to get our waiter's attention twice, to get the bill. He ignored us for the rest of our time there. Thankfully another waitress took noticed and served us the damage. She was a sweet heart. No I won't go back.. There are so many other restaurants in and around town to try. I was pretty offended. I still tipped. But I only tipped under 10%.

 
*****A Google User
6 years ago
The Ribs were better than Montgomery Inn.
 
*****Tucker Collins
Local Guide · 47 reviews
2 years ago
 
Kevin Blazewick
Local Guide
3 years ago
 
****chrystal carlucci
Local Guide · 3 reviews · 7 photos
4 years ago

****A Google User
6 years ago
****A Google User
6 years ago

****A Google User
6 years ago

***Justin Hubbard
7 years ago

*****A Google User
7 years ago

 

VirgilsCafe.com