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Since Charlottesville is a college town, most restaurants are very casual. You will need reservations for popular fine-dining options like the C&O, and business casual is more appropriate for these upscale venues.
You may have to wait in line at this locally owned establishment (which has three locations), especially at breakfast, but locals swear these are the best bagels south of the Big Apple. In true New York style, bagels are boiled before being baked, and all 10 varieties are true water bagels made with no fats or preservatives. Lunchtime is also popular, and the low prices appeal to both students and visitors. There are also locations at 505 Preston Avenue and 1609 University Avenue.
A neon sign reading "Get in here" sits in the window of this intimate local favorite. The menu is Southwestern cuisine, with quesadillas, burritos, spicy pork tacos, enchiladas, and potent margaritas. Cactus plants decorate the front window, and the booths have funky lights. It can get crowded and convivial, and customers like it that way.
It may look like a shack, but this red clapboard restaurant 12 miles west of Charlottesville has been serving up what is renowned as some of Virginia's best pizza since 1977. Choose from about three-dozen toppings, including seasonal items such as snow peas and asparagus spears. Matching the outside, the interior is rustic, with portraits of the owners' forebears and one wall covered with business cards from around the world. On weekends, takeout must be ordered hours in advance.
Get a bird's-eye view of Harrisonburg from the rooftop dining area at Dave's, an award-winning and family-owned local favorite. Like many casual Greek eateries, the menu runs from American classics like burgers and pizzas, to Greek and Italian fare like souvlaki, caprese salad, and linguine. But vegetarians need not worry as veggie pitas and burgers round out the menu.
The enormous growth in seating since 1980, from 10 to 250, testifies to the popularity of this establishment in downtown Salem, as does its continual title as "best local restaurant" in an annual poll. Sports memorabilia line the walls of the attractive redbrick building near Roanoke College, and sporting events are likely to be on the many TVs near the bar. The menu runs from hamburgers to steak to seafood to pizza. If you have a big appetite, try a fully loaded calzone, which flops off the sides of your plate.
A homey restaurant with plenty of booths, Rowe's has been operated by the same family since 1947, and still maintains a rock-solid reputation for inexpensive and delicious Southern meals. The fried chicken—skillet-cooked to order—is a standout. A local breakfast favorite is oven-hot biscuits topped with gravy (your choice of sausage, tenderloin, or creamy chipped beef). For dessert, try the mince pie in fall, or the rhubarb cobbler in summer.
A gathering place and watering hole near the Virginia Tech campus, this storefront restaurant serves eclectic, inexpensive dishes. Try the Greek spaghetti with sautéed feta, garlic, and olives, or the "Mac Daddy": a single large meatball in marinara sauce and Parmesan. They also offer an extensive list of domestic and imported beers, and local bands perform here often. You can also purchase their craft beers to take home.
Bring a big appetite with you on the drive up and over Catawba Mountain to get to the Homeplace. Famished Appalachian Trail hikers and diners in their Sunday best eat side by side family-style in this farm home in a tiny country hamlet—so come as you are. Old-fashioned cooking is dished up with all-you-can-eat fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pinto beans, baked apples, and hot biscuits. It's a popular spot, so be prepared for about a 30-minute wait.
The original building, circa 1836, served as a public library and debating hall before becoming a retail space. In the Victorian era it was an ice cream parlor, and today it houses a full-service restaurant with both indoor and alfresco dining. Wood booths line the walls of the plant-filled room; the pressed-metal ceiling is original. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and the menu features traditional salads, burgers and sandwiches, and steaks and pasta.
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