Customer Reviews

Small-Town Restaurants in Virginia

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though a fun book to refer to, I would advise anyone to call ahead to make sure the restaurant still exists. In the 1998 edition there were several restaurants that had closed down, so I was eager to see what the newest edition contains. As I reviewed the new edition's table of contents, I noticed that some of these same closed restaurants were still listed (for example, Fiddler's Green in The Plains has been gone for years, and in it's place is Just Breakfast/Just Lunch. Magpie's in Middleburg has also closed; Maxwells has replaced it); I'm surprised the editors did not make quick phone calls prior to reprinting to see if restaurants were still operating. Also, I was interested in the quality of the restaurants that were listed; I noticed that quirky, fun, local restaurants were sometimes bypassed in favor of a restaurant that lacks atmosphere or appears trendy. That said, I still found the 1998 edition loads of fun, and take it with me whenever I go on Virginia road trips. I'm also looking forward do the 2000 edition.

As a fan of small town eateries, I applaud the author of this valuable guide to the Old Dominion. Highly rated!

This guide is fantastic for navigating your way through the many wonderful small restaurants that are hidden away throughout Virginia. It is too bad that updates to this book are not made more often since restaurants open, close, rename, or relocate so frequently. Virginia is a beautiful state, and a great way to top off a drive through its scenic countryside is with a visit to one of the great restaurants recommended by this guide. I have tried several new places solely based on this book's recommendations and I have never been disappointed. The book divides Virginia into five regions and then lists stellar restaurants for various towns in each of those regions. The guide tells you about the style, cost, atmosphere, etc. so that you will not be unpleasantly surprised. The guide even lists the special dishes for which particular restaurants are noted. One note of caution- some of the restaurants, particularly in the northern Virginia section, are not at all in rural areas. For example, Chantilly and Herndon are in the midst of very congested suburban areas. If you are already there you might as well try the recommended restaurants, but don't travel to these places expecting a dose of small town charm any greater than you would expect to receive in northern New Jersey.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Small-Town Restaurants In Virginia by regional writer Joanne M. Anderson features 240 restaurants in almost 150 small towns and villages throughout Virginian and ranging from Abingdon in the Blue Ridge country, to Leesburg near Washington, D.C., and from Monterey on the western edge of the Shenandoah Valley, to Williamsburg and Chincoteague in the eastern area of the state. Each restaurant is provided with basic information included price ranges, meals served, styles of cuisine, local history, dining atmosphere, decor, and variety of foods offered. Whether a local gourmet in search of regionally authentic, or the family out on a day trim, or passing through vacationers and business travelers, Small-Town Restaurants In Virginia is a wonderfully recommended resource for itinerary planning purposes. It would also serve as an ideal template upon which other state restaurant guides could be developed.

This book was recommended to me by a co-worker. We love this book. My family goes driving around Virginia on the weekends and then we pull out the book for a local small town restaurant experience. We have not been disappointed. Ever! We have gone to over 50 places and everyone was a dining experience. We leave the book in our car for spur of the moment expeditions. We usually try the "recommend specials" that are listed in the book. It's a fun adventure!