Uni

We'll be in Colonial Williamsburg this Christmas, and I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of a good place for breakfast and/or dinner. Do the taverns serve good food, or is it all ambience? What about the Williamsburg Inn? This is our first time away for Christmas and I'm trying to get it all right. Also, what is the Capital Concert like? Thank you for any help!

Lois

This post reminded me of a wonderful family vacation we took years ago with kids age 7-13 and grandparents. Part of what made it special was our reservations at a few of the taverns and related hotels. We checked out the different menus beforehand to see what would appeal to everyone and all 7 of us were happy with our choices. Colonial Williamsburg is great this time of the year. I would plan at least a meal or two on their grounds or associated hotels and motels. They all have special 'traditional' holiday choices and many have the added bonus of a unique atmosphere.

Joy in Virginia

Williamsburg Inn is right in historic area, it got remodeled extensively this past year, easy walk or drive to lots of good places. Great restaurants in Williamsburg! We live nearby and go there to eat every so often. here are just a few favorites. The Whaling Company for seafood - it is very popular and caters to groups, has kids menus. Second Street Restaurant and Tavern is modern, casual, open daily from 11A - midnight, great for quick lunch, very family friendly. The Trellis near Merchant;s Square is French cuisine, pricy, great food, famous for desserts like Death by Chocolate. The taverns in historic area have good food and ambience - have one meal there at least. The Lo-Dog on Scotland Street is terrific for quick & relatively inexpensive lunch, they have hot dogs, BBQ, chili. I like their Hawaiian Dog with pineapple and BBQ sauce - sounds strange but tastes great! For quick, basic, reasonably priced, filling breakfasts try Cracker Barrel or Shoneys. DO NOT go to the Williamsburg Friendly's - service is SLOOOOWWWW. If you have time take a drive down I-64 East to the Mariner's Museum in Newport News. Open every day EXCEPT Christmas and they have special events Dec 26 & 27. One of the most extensive nautical collections anywhere. Drive the Colonial parkway to Yorktown and Jamestown. Nick's Seafood Pavilion in Yorktown is an institution! If you go down Route 60 West toward Richmond and the outlet shopping centers, keep going until you see the Candle Factory on your left (about 10 miles? from historic area) - there are lots of international flags flying. The Candle Factory Restaurant there is very basic, good home cooking, VERY CHEAP, and good place to stop for quick bite when shopping. The outlet malls don't have any good places to eat. Of course there is practically evey chain restaurant in America up and down Route 60 if you want to eat there.

bob

One place comes immediately to mind:

A-Colonial Bistro; Across from the William & Mary campus, 3 blocks from Merchant's Square. Very good, creative contemporary American/French/Pacific Rim. Moderate pricing and good service. Seems to attract a local crowd because its off the beaten track.

Merilee

I went to the Kings Arms Tavern a few years ago with the team I was coaching then and we had a wonderful time there. As I remember it the food and the ambience was very good. There was even a storyteller (although he wasn't called that but I can't remember) and he strummed a guitar. Funny thing about the Friendly's in Williamsburg. We were a group of 20 and the hostess said she couldn't seat us because there were too many of us. We told her it was okay if she split us up but she said it wouldn't matter because we were too large a group to accomodate. When I asked her what she would do if 5 groups of 4 or 4 groups of 5 came she said that would be different! True story.

E.

The above posts are pretty comprehensive, so I'll add just one observation, which is that the Colonial Willimasburg (CW) eateries, i.e., the official ones inside CW (Chowning's, Kings Arms, the rest of the names escape me at the moment), are actually quite good, and not cheap. The atmosphere isn't too hokey, and they serve quality period cuisine--lots of meats and "puddings," but all fresh and tasty. They make for a fun evening out.

E.

Whoops, I lied--I have more observations! The Trellis and Berrett's Raw Bar on Duke of Gloucester Street are both great choices for lunch or dinner.

Ellen

I also highly recommend the Trellis restaurant. The food was wonderfully and the service was very, very good.

curious

My mouth is watering thinking of Pierce's BBQ. Definetely not fancy or special but man is it good! Not the place to go for Christmas dinner, but maybe the day after, or for lunch. Just do not leave Williamsburg without stopping there! Great Barbecue. You won't regret it.

Joy in Virginia

HOW could I forget Pierce's Pit-Cooked BBQ? UGLY yellow building, off beaten path, definitely local hangout. Get directions from hotel, it is not too far. ONLY restaurant in VA with license from Dept of Health to do REAL outdoor pit cooking of their hams for BBQ. BBQ sauce here is more tomato, not as much vinegar as North Carolina style. You order at the counter, come & get your food when your number is called, sit in yellow formica booths or outside if weather is nice (and when you are here it might be - today was in the 70s!) Inexpensive. Have a great trip! Gvie us a report when you are back.

Chris

I too highly recommend dinner in one of the Colonial Williamsburg taverns. It was a highlight of our trip this past summer, and I'm pretty picky. DON'T do Shoney's or Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Find The Gazebo, just minutes from the Visitor's Center, for the best breakfast in town.

lisa

Personally, I thought the food at Williamsburg was the worst part of our trip -- it was mostly mediocre and at very expensive prices (NY prices, with not-NY quality).

That being said, we enjoyed the Trellis for a special evening. The food and service are good and worth the price.

We also enjoyed Barrett's seafood, although it's a little pricey for the atmosphere.

We had dinner at Chownings Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg just to do it once. The atmosphere was fun (not too hokey), but the food was very mediocre. Also, not cheap ($20+ entrees). One thing we really liked about Chownings, though, is that they have "Gambol" at night -- this is where they turn the downstairs of the restaurant into a tavern, seating you in groups in the booths, and they have period entertainment like musicians, games and magicians. It was a very enjoyable evening (we even sat with and enjoyed conversing with locals) and about the only non-family oriented entertainment in Colonial Williamsburg.

Nick's Seafood (also mentioned here) was entertaining just for the kitsch value. The food was okay (mostly fried or broiled seafood), but the 1950's decor and waitresses are hilarious! (caution: this is the kind of funny that is not to be laughed at out loud since many don't think it's funny).

Enjoy your trip.

Dick

Another vote for the Trellis Restaurant.

Even if you don't eat dinner there, get a dessert to go. It's not that they serve death by chocolate( almost every restaurant has a variation of this) ..but the owner had a cooking show on TV called Death by Chocolate.
He (marcelle DeSaulnier (sp)) literally wrote a cookbook called Death by Chocolate...his reputation is international

jo ann

Another vote for Berrett's (easy walk from historic area) - we live in Richmond, and when we and various friend go over to Wmsburg, we seem to head there. Last time I ate at Trellis, I was very disappointed in service and quality, but could have been a bad evening for them.
The taverns are fun, especially since I would assume you chose Wmsburg for the Colonial mood - you really should experience that part of it. Caution, though: if you don't already have a reservation, call the Wmsburg reservation # immediately (!!!) and see what you can get - this is a very popular time there, and they book quite in advance!
Have fun!

Uni

Thank you all so much for all your help, I wish we were going to be there long enough to try all the restaurants you've mentioned! I'll write when we return. Thanks again!

Susan

If you do try the Trellis and are disappointed - join the club. Quite a few of us think it is overated. Don't go to any of the chains. They're all here but there are so many good locally owned places. For a nice dinner, I like Cities Grille on Rt. 5 at Ironbound better than the Trellis. Ford's Colony for the ultimate dinner. Sal's by Victor in the shopping center with Books a Million on Richmond Rd. for Italian. Also good Italian at Giuseppes on Richmond Rd. near the outlets and Carmellas on Bypass. Great casual Mexican at Casa Maya on Bypass. Good breakfast with a nicer atmosphere than the pancake houses at Eagles in the clubhouse at Kingsmill. I think A-colonial Bistro closed unless its a restaurant I don't know about. Have fun!

Marlene

Absolutely best place to eat in Williamsburg is the Trellis restaurant which has been there for more than 20 years - great atmosphere, delicious food. Don't miss desserts - the chef is the Death by Chocolate guy you see on TV who writes cookbooks. Lunch or dinner.