Amber Carpenter

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Burrata was amazing!

Kathy Wright

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Three of us decided to try this new restaurant and we are glad we did. Reservations are a must and we did not have one. We were able to sit out on the deck and order our dinner from the bar. Everyone was so pleasant and the food was delicious and fresh. Even though we weren't supposed to have table service on the deck, they managed to bring our dinners out. I highly recommend this place!

Jordan Shelburne

3 out of 5 stars★★★☆☆

We visited the restaurant for our anniversary on a Monday evening. Being familiar with the location, we found parking and navigating to the rooftop quite easy. As frequent patrons of the Tavern, we arrived with high expectations at 6:00 p.m. and were seated promptly with water provided. In hindsight, we perhaps should have gone to the Tavern instead after being informed that the staff was short-handed and our server was occupied with a large party. Shortly after, our server approached us appearing quite rushed and asked if we would like to order drinks. We requested their version of an old fashioned. Thirty-five minutes passed without any check-ins or water refills before the drinks arrived. I found them slightly frothy, which suggested they were shaken rather than stirred, though this was acceptable even if unusual for a bourbon-based cocktail. We initially attempted to order the garlic knots and meatballs, but upon being told the knots were unavailable, we switched to the fried mozzarella with marinara and two 11-inch pizzas. The cocktail was satisfactory but unremarkable, and our appetizers arrived twenty-five minutes later. I would like to start by saying that the meatballs were excellent and certainly the highlight of our dinner. However, the mozzarella was quite disappointing in contrast. While the presentation was lovely, the cheese arrived cold and appeared to be partially frozen, making it difficult to even cut. We attempted to get the attention of our server to clarify the situation, but we were unable to do so for approximately 35 minutes. During this time, our water glasses remained empty and our cocktails were running low, so I placed the empty glasses at the edge of the table in hopes of receiving service. When the server eventually returned, she apologized for the mozzarella and offered to reheat it or remove it from the bill; we chose to forgo the appetizer entirely. About 10 minutes later, the hostess kindly refilled our water. Sometime after that, our server returned to inform us that our pizzas would be out shortly and asked if we would like to order additional drinks. I ordered a draft beer and my wife ordered a bourbon and coke, hoping to simplify our request and expedite the service. After being at the table for a little over an hour and a half, our pizzas and bar drinks arrived. We ordered the Rustico and The Butcher pizzas, which were nearly as impressive as the meatballs. The pizzas were sliced perfectly, allowing each piece to be lifted without disturbing the toppings on the others. The crust was phenomenal, featuring an ideal crunch and a clear freshness. We debated which was our favorite, but we ultimately decided they were equally excellent. Our experience was unfortunately underwhelming, particularly because our high expectations were shaped by our many positive visits to the Tavern. While we recognize that this is a new establishment with room to grow, we are uncertain about when we might dine in again and will likely opt for takeout in the future. Although it was not the ideal way to spend our anniversary, we managed to make the best of it, even if we briefly considered leaving early to head to the Tavern instead. Founders Keep offers a promising menu, and we hope they gain the necessary experience to refine their service so that we might enjoy a better visit down the road. I hesitated to share this feedback as I dislike complaining and understand the challenges of opening a new business, but I offer these thoughts in the hope that they help improve the experience for future guests.

Edward Carwile

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

The upscale ambiance, picturesque views, friendly service, and especially the elevated Italian food were all 5 stars. Not to mention the creative presentation of the food . . . you eat with your eyes too! We were also impressed that the service ran so smoothly considering they had only been open for 2 weeks with every table full plus half the bar seats on a Thursday evening. We had the appetizers . . . Burrata and Skillet & Meatballs (served in cast iron!) . . . as well as the Tuscan Sausage & White Bean soup, Italian Salad and Panna Cotta for dessert served with a scrumptious blackberry compote. The meatballs and salad were our favorites! And the bread served with the burrata and meatballs was garlicky and toasted to perfection! It was a great accompaniment for dipping in the soup too. Our only critique was the noise level made conversation a little difficult, but there was a group heartily celebrating a birthday. Also, the Tuscan soup was very flavorful, but it was more broth than beans. We didn't know all the food is scratch-made until we read the newspaper article about the restaurant. However, that explains why everything was delish! Next visit, we are trying the pizza. It looked like perfection being served to the tables. Overall, it was a very unique and pleasant experience, a little pricey, but well worth it. We'll definitely be repeat customers for special occasions.

Sharon Malone

4 out of 5 stars★★★★☆

We had dinner on a Friday before a show at the Barter. We had reservations and were seated immediately. Our group of four shared the meatballs and burrata. Both were very good. The server recommended the Rustico pizza and chicken Parmesan. Each couple ordered the pizza and the fettuccine Alfredo and added chicken to it. Both couples had leftovers. The meatballs were large and our favorite item from the meal. Our server was very attentive, and the food came quickly and hot. The restaurant is only a few weeks old and has a lot of potential. We ate in the cellar location (the rooftop is the other option). They need signage on the street- we did not see anything outside with the name Founders Keep on it. The listing by the elevator lists Summers Cellar - which I believe was the name of the last restaurant in the location. Also, our table was VERY dark. We had to use our phone flashlight to read the menu and we couldn’t even see the food well when it came. There was only a small battery candle on our table. Overall the food was good and so was the service, but there is some opportunity for improvement to make this a great option in Abingdon. We look forward to trying it again.

Katherine Keene

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Had a reservation. Was seated immediately. Staff very friendly and kept a check to see how things were going. The food was great and the portions were very generous Will definitely be going back

Angela Jordan

3 out of 5 stars★★★☆☆

Atmosphere is great although the pasta is to dry. The meatballs are delicious.

Andrew Neese

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Beautiful setting, excellent food!

Jane Lee

3 out of 5 stars★★★☆☆

Limited menu and difficult to find. They are relatively new so no signs