Boxwoods offers a superb dining experience, including the highest level of service, seasonally changing food and drink menus, and a wine list featuring local Virginia wines. Based on our core belief, we utilize sustainable, eco-friendly, and organic foods and beverages. It is our pleasure each day to offer our guests innovative and imaginative cuisine, presented with traditional values and unsurpassed care. In addition to our daily features, our menu highlights signature dishes such as New York strip steak, mussels, and jumbo lump crab cakes. We believe in using the freshest ingredients, sourced locally, and presented tastefully, while retaining the natural flavors and character that nature has instilled. Open daily to the public for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.
"I probably wouldn't like the inside as it was very "hotel-looking," -- It is an Inn after all, but the small outdoor patio was absolutely perfect. My parents were in town for graduation at GMU, and I wanted a nice place to introduce them to my boyfriend. This place was perfect as my graduation was at the Art Center, and we had an early dinner at Boxwoods. The outdoor seating was comfortable with trees and except for a little noise from the road, it was pretty quiet. Perfect for all the introductory conversation.
Service was alright, food was quite good, and overall it was just a very nice, outdoors early dinner (5pm) place. If you have stuff to do on campus, this is a good option, otherwise I can see why people might choose elsewhere.."
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, great for lunch, special occasion
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"We made reservations at this restaurant because of the good reviews on Open Table. People were right!! In the first place, we did not know this Inn was even here on the GMU campus. The variety at the brunch was extensive. There were seafood items (shrimp, mahi mahi,) breakfast items (crepes, fruit, eggs, sausage, bacon) an omelet station, a Belgian waffle station, a salmon/roast beef station, endless mimosas, coffee, tea. And two tables of desserts ranging from mini cupcakes to cakes, pies, and strawberry shortcake, for instance. The wait staff was superb and attentive. The price, considering it was Mother's Day, was very fair. I would recommend this to anyone that wants a delicious Sunday brunch."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: great for brunch
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"Quality of food and ambience are very high. Good variety. Great place to bring guests with different tastes. Egg dishes were particularly good as were the "appetizer" foods (smoked salmon, tomato & mozarella, olives, etc.). Good variety of desserts. For us, it has become a Mothers' Day tradition (book early)."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for brunch
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"Excellent brunch! We had a wonderful time. The food was excellent with enough healthy choices to keep everyone happy and full. Our server was pretty slow but other staff helped us when we asked, not bad enough to keep us from returning! Will be going back for another Sunday brunch!"
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: great for brunch, kid-friendly
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"Went here for Mother's Day brunch. It is in a hotel / convention center so I was hoping that it wouldn't be bad. I was pleasantly surprisef. The food was great, it was clean and the service was good. I will definitely try it again."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch, romantic, special occasion, kid-friendly
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"Lunch at Boxwoods is relaxed and to an extent understated and although located on the campus of George Mason University, off the beaten path. The menu is modest but complemented with a buffet which covers a wide range of items. But the lunch has excellent and with healthy choices for those who must watch their waist lines or return to work. Good wine list and prices are modest. And the service is great, never fawning over you and allows one to eat and converse at their own pace. I've never had a feeling of being rushed. In closing, a great luncheon venue that I look forward to returning time and time again."
Dined on 5/08/2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
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"My fellow teachers and I were given an opportunity to leave school for lunch during Teacher Appreciation week. We chose the Boxwoods. The service was great. The food was fabulous. Though we did not choose the lunch buffet, we did check it out. The theme was Greek. The food on the buffet smelled wonderful and was like looking at artwork. We totally enjoyed our lunch out. What a glorious treat that was."
Dined on 5/07/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, romantic, neighborhood gem, great for lunch, special occasion
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"We ate at Boxwoods prior to a performance at the GMU Center for the Performing Arts and thought it would be nice to park once, eat and walk to the venue. Service was slow and we were late to the theater even after telling the server our schedule. Food was fair to great depending on what was ordered but not worth the aggrevation."
Dined on 5/04/2013
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"We have been to this restaurant several times. Noticed some changes... The food was ok this time, it used to be more exquisite. I found it to be quite bland and the attention to quality was not there this time. It kind of lost the "wow" factor. I will go back one more time. If they fail to impress me when I return, I probably won't go back again."
Dined on 04/19/2013
2009
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"More than 20 minutes to get dessert when we asked for an early check because we had theater tickets. The check was processed much faster than dessert. Had to leave without dessert. Location to GMU performing art center is best thing they have going."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2008
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"Despite good experiences in the past, this last dinner was not up to par. The restaurant was not busy, yet the waitress seemed hard to find and not particularly attentitve. She failed to bring one of the salads despite a gentle reminder. The food took too long to prepare. Then six came out together and the seventh was about five minutes behind. The missing salad still hadn't shown up. The two guests who order the acorn squash bowl found it inedible and no effort was made to fix the problem other than to offer to cook it longer. To top things off, the bill was not correct. While I have recommended Boxwoods in the past, after this experience I no longer can."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2005
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"The Boxwoods is mostly a convenient place for a meal. The retaurant has no special ambiance, seems set up more for group events. Since it is a training facility for hospitality students at George Mason, it seems to be missing the flair of a great resaurant but has tasty food and earnest servers wanting to please. The menu offerings are not large but has some nice choices. It does have a nicce outdoor area which might be great during the summer months."
Dined on 03/22/2013
2009
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"The restaurant was great but Open-table really messed up (although it worked out fine). We wanted reservations at 6:00 and open table only offered reservations for 5:45 or 6:15. We took the earlier to give us time prior to an 8:00 concert. Boxwoods called us to alert us that they were only having a buffet because of a charity event. When we got to the restaurant it was empty and only three other tables eventually were taken by 7:30. When we told our server he mentioned that all their reservations that night were for 5:46, which seemed strange so it must have been an open-table glitch. That said, the food and service were great, the atmosphere was wonderful and we even had a a beautiful sunset. We will go back."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2010
Special Features: good for groups, great for brunch, special occasion, great for lunch
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"As a venue for Valentine's Day, I would not recommend. For casual dining perhaps. Unfortunately, my expectation was set high after reading reviews and the website. While I expect this is a teaching establishment since it is associated with the University, I had no issue with the greeter or waiter as they were put in a situation where it was difficult to succeed given the volume of patrons.
One of the points of appeal on the website was the business/smart casual dress. Unfortunately, jeans, belly shirt, sneakers, flip flops, and tee shirts were prevalent which changed the aura of the restaurant. Noise levels were higher than anticipated for what was expected to be slightly more towards the romantic."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2007
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"We enjoyed the serene ambiance and good service at Boxwoods. The breads, salads, crab fritter appetizer, and jambalaya entree were excellent. The shrimp and grits entree had a good portion of shrimp but was a bit too spicy for my taste. Also, the consistency was almost soup-like and I would have preferred it firmer."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2007
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"I had reservations and we were seated in a dark corner outside the main dining room. When I asked if we could move into the dining room we were told no because there were no more tables for two, but many tables remained open up to the time we left. There was supposedly a limited menu because they were short staffed and had many groups to serve, but the dining room seemed at least 1/2 empty the entire night. I looked forward to the crispy sea bass on the website, which was not on the limited menu. It took a long time to be waited on initally and a long time to get the drinks and then the meal. A food item was incorrect and it took too long to correct."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2010
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"Went there before a show, as it is on campus and close. There never seems to be enough staff and there was a wait even though they weren't at capacity. Told about the show service was slower than I would have liked. The price was reasonable."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2008
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"Boxwoods provides excellent food, attentive service, and a great bar to make a better-than-average hotel restaurant. The food was top notch - one of the most tender NY strip steaks I've ever had, and the acorn squash bowl was an exciting and inventive vegetarian option. The staff was attentive and eager, but their inexperience showed in the details - reaching to take not-quite empty plates making us feel rushed and filling the water glasses too often (when they had barely been used) showing off what felt like a newly acquired skill but interrupting conversation with their awkward attempts to get the water at exactly the right level. The restaurant itself felt like a catering hall, lacking the intimacy you come to expect on a night out."
Dined on 02/22/2013
2012
Special Features: good for groups
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"I took my Wife there for Valentine's Day dinner. I am a long time resident of Fairfax City and have never heard about this restaurant or The Mason Inn till now.
The Valentine's Day menu at the Boxwoods was a four course dinner for two with a glass of champagne for $99. The salad, appetizers and desserts were very good, but the main course; filet and lobster were only so-so. The filet was on the thin side and the lobster was very salty.
About the ambiance, the restaurant was nice but for Valentine's Day, the management could have made it a little more romantic like dimming the lights and more candles.
The Boxwoods has the potential to be a local gem. We will definitely go back for another meal."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2010
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"We ate at Boxwoods on Valentines Day and their prix fixe was our only option. When we walked into the restaurant we both felt like we were in a cafeteria. This is due partly to the decor. or lack thereof, but mostly the lighting, which was a total fluorescent washout. It is the exact opposite of intimate, more like a pancake house ambiance. The prix fixe menu was nothing fancy, and every course was brought to our table late, and at room temperature. Unfortunately the best part of the night was leaving."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2010
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"The drinks took forever and the service was spotty. Granted it was a Wednesday night, but there were times we felt like we were crazy because our drink orders would take 20 minutes or were incorrect"
Dined on 02/13/2013
2010
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"The Valentine's Day menu was delicious. The ambiance didn't match the very high-quality food, but since we were dressed casually, we didn't mind. The service was very good."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2010
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"Service was excellent and great parking with free parking in the garage. Ambiance was good and kudos to the staff and manager who were polite and professional. Meal portions were very small. Lobster tail was smallest I ever had and smaller than an appetizer. The filet mignon was not a good cut of beef and very small potoion. Too much on presentation and not enough on content and portion size. Lobster bisque and velvet cake were excellent. Coffee and tea were warm and not hot. The restaurant has excellent potential but they need to provide meals that are worth the price in quality and quantity. Don't plan on returning."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene
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"Good overall but they need to hone their service and protocol skills. You get the impression that the restaurant is a training class for George Mason University students. They also need to improve the decoration to make it look more appealing. It looks like a classroom."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2008
Special Features: special occasion
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"Ate at Boxwoods before a concert in February at the Patriot Center. Nothing fancy, Decent food and service. Best part was being able to relax with friends at the restaurant and then walk to the concert after meal and drinks. No other options around without driving after the meal and rushing to find parking. Good restaurant, great experience."
Dined on 02/13/2013
2007
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"The website makes it look like its a decent place to dine with a great menu. When we got there it looked more like a high class dining hall than a restaurant. The service was horrible, out waitress was no attentive at all and I saw the lady filling our water far more than the waitress. I had to ask her for the check. The food was also not as expected, the menu online looked AMAZING but when we got there the menu was completely different, nothing from the online menu except the salads. The dish I order was WAY to spicy for my either of us to eat. I would not recommend this place for dining. The bar that is near the Boxwoods looked to be a little more peppy and Im sure the food/service couldn't be any worse!"
Dined on 02/13/2013
2007
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"Not the five stars some have so awarded, it is a nice restaurant and was certainly worth the visit. The hosts were warm and welcoming; the ambiance had almost a zen quality; food was nicely prepared, well presented and delicious; while the waitstaff were attentive and pleasant, but a bit green in terms of pace and knowledge of menu particulars. We will return."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2006
Special Features: special occasion
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"It was surprisingly under used the night we dined there. There are so few nice restaurants in the Fairfax area. We were one of three tables seated at dinner. The waitress was sweet and friendly. Dinner was good, but a bit expensive. We were told the menu is changing soon, and were invited to try items from the new menu. Unfortunately, the new menu seems significantly Cajun, but I am told a few of the non-spicy options will still be available. Sadly, the item I ordered from the old menu (and enjoyed, Chicken Morel) is one of the items to be replaced. Too bad. Nonetheless, I would recommend giving Boxwood a try."
Dined on 01/20/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for brunch, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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