The Golden Pony Review

Fun place, mediocre people, enough alcohol to counteract the second part.

The food is good but unless the server gets better at his job with less cheeky attitude, I won t go there to eat again. I simply requested one slice of toast with my meal. He didn t like it and he announced it out loud in the middle of the restaurant saying SHE WANTS TOAST! It made me feel uncomfortable and my company was not happy at all. Unacceptable

The food is good and the bands the come around aren t bad either. However the bouncers are pretty rude to everyone and literally shove their way past you, especially the one with the ponytail. One of them made a super odd comment about my fishnet tights. Honestly I probably won t be coming back here just so I don t have to deal with the super rude security.

I've been to Golden Pony twice now and I'm considering making it my regular spot. The draft selection is a little limited compared with some of the other places in town, and the upstairs/downstairs happy hour specials can be a little confusing, but otherwise the wait staff is friendly, food is good and the drinks aren't watered down.

Quick note to those who haven't been before, there are two levels to this restaurant. Street level is the traditional sit-down style, basement level is more clubby/loungey. Both have bars, downstairs has an open dance floor and they often have live music or a DJ. The bartenders are a lot of fun. So kids, have dinner with your family upstairs, then go party downstairs when they leave.

Went there w my family for my bday good food different nice people! * bacon is a side dish!!* not expensive

I like a lot about it - incl the live music. The bands. And management. The decor. The brunch. The staff. Here's what's not so swell. Inflexibility to accommodate 1) wanting one of each taco (chicken, chorizo, potato) - you can only have one kind of filling for all three. 2) There's only one kind of bread for your sandwich (e.g. cheese steak on a burger bun). ..... Dear kitchen manager/menu planner - could you consider increased flexibility?

The nachos here were awesome. My girlfriend and I stopped in for Sunday brunch. It was after 1pm and the place was pretty much empty. It took several minutes to get a table. It seemed they only had two wait staff working and one had to get a booth cleaned so we could sit down. Other than the wait and the service being just a bit slow the great tasting food made up for the service. I had coffee with was lack luster and a bit weak but when the food came out this was what it was all about. We had the Nile nachos which were very tasty and so delicious. We also had a side of biscuits and gravy and the biscuit was prepared to perfection and the sausage gravy tasted great. We also shared a chicken and waffles. The chicken tenders were good and the waffle okay but it was nothing special. We got some of the golden sauce and that really worked well with the chicken tenders. I'm not sure if I would get chicken and waffles again but definitely get the nachos and the biscuits and gravy. I would go back to try some of the other items on the menu. My girlfriend got orange juice. It was good but again nothing special.

In the front as you walk in they have pinball and arcade machines that you can play. They have a nice bar at the back and they also had outdoor seating on the back deck.

All in all it was a good visit.

Love everything about this place. Food is good, the bar is fun, their live music is great, very diverse mix of acts that come through to appeal to different tastes. A real Harrisonburg staple.

Fun bar with good drinks, happy hour specials, music, and a friendly staff.

I really liked the Golden Pony. Our server was a kinda spaced out dude but he cared about our experience, and even though they were out of this or that, he guided us toward the foods that would make us happy. So I can recommend: the Frida Kale-o pizza, the cauliflower wings (super good), and the very non-vegan burger. The cocktails I had were good too. Don't be put off by the steady death metal soundtrack. They make good food and are food people. Stay golden, pony boy.

Visited the Golden Pony for the first time a month ago. Excellent 1/2 price HH specials. Loved the wings. Came back last week. Loved it again. Tonight we brought the whole family, in-laws included, and had a terrible experience. Biggest problem was half of us ordered the wings id bragged about and were told it would be longer than usual. After a few minutes, server came back and told us wings would be 40 minutes. Very disappointing that wings would be underprepped early in the evening on a slow Friday. We changed our order.
My father in law wanted a dark draft. Server said the one draft that was out for the evening was their only dark one, a porter. He offered a double IPA as the next best thing, but a few minutes after ringing it in, he came back to say that was out for the night too. Nachos were not fresh, warm or timely. Chicken sandwich was ok. Overall, it was a big letdown, especially after we talked it up so much. Maybe the thing that bothered me most was that we never had a manager come by once to talk about our table's issues. Never saw anyone in the place resembling a manager during entire visit. We might be back bc we liked it so much the first two times, but probably won't bring guests with us.

Great food, great drinks, great shows, and a great vibe! The staff at The Golden Pony give some of the best customer service in downtown Harrisonburg. I can't wait to be out of quarantine so I can hang out at the upstairs bar again!

Whenever I come back to visit JMU, I make sure to stop here for brunch. Great food, atmosphere and outdoor patio area

A great place for lunch or dinner. The service is top notch and the food is excellent. Join us for breakfast on a Tuesday morning at 7am for our weekly Rotary Club of Rockingham County.

Always a great breakfast for our Rotary Club on Tuesdays at the Golden Pony. Paul and his staff do such a great job!

Stopped in after work with coworkers.
It was very clean and had good vibes.
The owner was actually our waiter.
He was very friendly.
I will be returning!

Excellent optics for everyone. Great burgers, including an awesome bean burger.

This place has so much character. Really good food ( with a good array of meaty, vegetarian, and vegan options to please everyone) and drinks. I'm always surprised more people aren't there whenever I go to meet some friends in the upstairs restaurant area. It's a great hang out place.

Still my favorite joint to hang out at when I stop in Harrisonburg

This place is super cute, and the menu sounds fantastic, however, the brunch foods seemed really lazily prepared and took forever to arrive. It seemed like they were having kitchen issues or something. The staff was very positive, but it was a disappointing breakfast, plus 3 of the 4 pinball machine were out of order. Seems like dinner or bar would be good, but look elsewhere for brunch

Visited for lunch on my way through town and we had the place to ourself. I can't speak to the types of people who were there but the staff were awesome and the food was great. The decor and the pinball machine made for a good atmosphere and I got the sense that it is a fun place once it gets busy.

Typical college twin eatery. Pizza, burgers, salads. Food & service very good.

Food was a bit cold and it could have been more affordable. Nice environment in a very small hole in the wall. But it's in a college town; should be cheaper or larger portions.

The Golden Pony does an amazing brunch. The food is fresh, well prepared, seasoned well, and the portion size is ample. Add in a mimosa for perfection. Delish - a great place to bring out of town guests to showcase the quality of our downtown dining.

Great karaoke with friendly bartenders and staff. I had a blast! I will definitely return here if I'm in the area again.

Food was okay but nothing special. Alright crowd I guess...but awesome pinball machines

There is a reason why it was voted best venue in its first year. Food is simple, but done right. Drinks are tasty and cost effective. Most of all, the staff is down to earth and friendly, always looking for ways to make your experience great!

I love their brunch. Mimosas and the chicken tacos please!

Great service, decent food, and good drinks. A good place to go if you are meeting a group of people or want to listen to some live music to spruce up your night life.

Great service! Simple food well done. Great back patio! Dog friendly and then some - brought water for dog without asking.

Amazing as always! The vegan buffalo cauliflower sandwich is quite possibly the best sandwich I've ever had. So good!

Server ignored our lunch party of 6 after about 10 minutes. We had to send someone to retrieve her to take our orders. Ordered a basic burger w/ fries. Burger meat had a rancid smell. Could only eat a couple bites. I returned with no questions asked and was not charged. I can't recommend a place that screws up a burger.

Lovely place to relax with friends.
Enjoyed playing some pinball, too.

Really cool venue with great prices. Pizzas and drafts are half off downstairs from 7-9 so you can end up paying $8 for a pizza and a beer. The pizza was delicious as well. They have vegan options as well that comes with a tofu cheese which was intriguing to me. As far as music goes, the atmosphere was awesome. However, it can be tough to see the artist on stage from further back but you can definitely still hear just fine.

Fun! Good selection of vegetarian/GF options at the upstairs restaurant. Great live music downstairs. Has a super relaxed atmosphere. Helpful staff and polite crowd. Would definitely go back!

Good for seeing shows and grabing a snack. The bar is very nice.

Great vibe and food! Found this place on accident and so glad I did, because my friends and I had an incredible brunch.

They hold good concertsI've never been there to eat or anything else but I plan to I heard it's a good place to go and they have really really good metal shows hoping that my favorite band comes back this year awesome place to go

Drinks were not great. They were drinks though. Room always feels dirty.
I will say this: Establishment knows how to treat patrons correctly. Great staff, awesome attitudes. Decent scene overall, with live music playing on weekends.

Ethiopian nachos? Yes please!! Great menu, American standards but with yummy twists. Great drink menu and vibe.

The food was good and prices were fair, the service was not as good. We were the only table and it took quite some time to get our food. Two girls came in after we ordered and their food came out in half the time.

Frequently has live band in the evenings, lunch buffet is reasonably priced, young vibe.

Um, yummy!!! Ethiopian spices on the blue Nile nachos were taste bud inspiring, the golden point sauce was a smoky/tangy/sweet mustard flavor, and the pray/Orange blossom cider paired well with all of it! Go in for the happy hour (mixed cocktails & 1/2 price apps) and leave satisfied. Can't wait to indulge again for this low priced yet appealing benefit.

Awesome place to catch some live music, grab some drinks, and get some decent food. There is something for everybody on the menu. The upstairs area offers a bar and restaurant seating. The downstairs area is a lounge and bar. Performers and style varies by the night. There s also a lot of cool murals on the walls.

I liked it alot. Good vibes and a good place 2 listen to some bands

Best place in down! The food menu is amazing and it's a great spot for brunch, lunch, dinner, and late-night food. The basement is the best music venue in town, with acts coming in from all over the country. They have a great happy hour and an awesome patio area both upstairs and downstairs, too.

Bartender wouldn't accept my Canadian drivers license. Said it was illegal unless I had a passport. Which is false. I've lived in the US for 3 years and never have encountered this. I'm absolutely blown away.

A fun and unique local restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg. Golden Pony has a tasty and unique menu and has a awesome happy hour specials! A great place to socialize with friends and family.

Such a relaxing evening on the patio of the Pony. Happy hour really rocks with half price drinks and appetizers. New menu with great food and friendly staff.

A lot of people know it as a music venue, but its my personal favorite spot for brunch in Harrisonburg. Good food and drink options, with a really chill patio area. Highly recommend.

Good burger, but I miss the lunchtime pizza buffet.

Tuesday 4 23 2018 Great food nice atmosphere I will be back

Very average food- nice atmosphere but with all of the awesome brunch places in Harrisonburg, brunch was disappointing.

Great drinks.... at least what I can remember if it

A great place for any mood, from entertainment to edutainment, or if you re just plain hangry, the pony is the place. Check out their socials for more info!!!

This place was ok - Service was fine and food was solid but nothing too memorable.

Went for brunch. Priced slightly high for what you get. Biscuit was dense, gravy lacked salt, home fries were dry, eggs had runny whites. I ate it, but it wasn't great. I won't be back.

Downstairs is a great bar with music that's just ok most of the time, but has great prices on drinks. Upstairs is a pretty good restaurant that has a couple of pinball tables. Get the Moscow Mule!

Delicious food, pleasant staff, and a beautiful location

One of our favorite restaurants in town. It's a little off the beaten path, so it's normally easy to get a seat. The food is excellent! I recommend trying the cheesy bread.

Fantastic spot for food AND incredible live music in downtown Harrisonburg. Consistently so impressed by and thankful for the great music they bring to town. The sound quality is always great and the staff are consistently wonderful. Love the Frida Kale-O pizza. The Pony is welcoming, friendly, rad, and dependable. Make it a go-to if you're local, and don't miss the chance to visit if you're passing through town :)

Great service, great location and atmosphere, inviting, great food, reasonable prices. Parking is the only drawback but it's a short walk.

Real fine cuisine. Filets, lobstas, caviar, if that's your thing. Could eat off the floor. Cigs inside. It's like Ruth's Chris meets master splinters lair downstairs. Even saw a few of the Ninja turtles. Could have been the bar tenders, not real sure..