Jimmy Madison’s has recently opened up a rooftop dining and bar area atop the Free Clinic. I had the opportunity to meet the general manager, Scott Stephens, and he showed me around their beautiful newly renovated space – with great views of the courthouse and downtown.

What inspired you to open the rooftop patio?

Since we took over this location we have always wanted to do something with the roof but we didn’t have the lease. Fortunately, the lease became available to us this year and the owner (Jeff Ramsey) jumped on the opportunity! There are other places downtown with outside / patio seating and we know how popular they are. We wanted to be included in the outdoor seating game! We made a lot of upgrades and are now happy to have the 4300 square feet open!

What makes the Rooftop special?

So many people love to eat outside. Now that we have upgraded the bar and furniture, we think it is a comfortable place to eat and have a drink. We totally remodeled the bar and ran draft lines up to the roof so that our guests could enjoy the same draft beers or whiskeys that they can at our inside bar. The space is wide open and uncluttered so you don’t feel cramped or packed in like a sardine.

What do you hope to see in the future at the Rooftop?

 We are excited about the future with the Rooftop! We expect this fall to see a lot of people using it as a pregame to the JMU Football Games or Friday night High School Football! We think that it is a great location to bring friends or family to either dine or to just enjoy some adult beverages! When it comes to what you might see up there in the future, we will just have to wait and see!

…and something else really unique?

They grow their own herbs on the rooftop to use in their drinks…can you say fresh and refreshing?!