49 Best Restaurants in Virginia, USA

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.

Brunch lovers unite over this lively Del Ray restaurant, serving French toast, eggs and waffles, and biscuits and gravy all day long. But there are plenty of other menu items as well, including lunchtime salads and sandwiches, and heartier comfort-fare dishes for dinner, including fried chicken and pork chops. Mimosas are de rigeur (though the “brunchy drink” menu has some interesting seasonal alternatives, including spiced pear mule and cassis spritz). Locals know chef Todd Miller as the originator of Ted’s pop tarts, a D.C. phenomenon.

Be prepared to wait in line at Richmond's favorite diner. Locals often bring lawn chairs and games to pass the time while waiting for their chance to try the upscale, contemporary selections at this quirky eatery. This is the place for brunch, serving everything from huevos rancheros to the signature Devil's Mess kitchen-sink omelet. Although the vibe is straight out of the '50s, with personal jukeboxes in every booth, the food is strictly 21st century, and includes contemporary takes on Southern classics as well as global offerings. The dinner menu changes every three weeks, but the most popular lunch and breakfast offerings are always available.

This soft-serve shop is a local favorite, serving cones, slushes, milk shakes, and sorbets.

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.

Reminiscent of old-fashioned Virginia tearooms, this Colonial-style restaurant has delectable goodies served in an 18th-century dining room. For breakfast there's Virginia ham and eggs, made-from-scratch biscuits, country bacon, sausage, homemade pancakes, and grits. Lunch brings Brunswick stew, Virginia ham biscuits, chicken and dumplings, fruit salad, and homemade pie. There's a gift shop adjacent to the restaurant. It's a great, inexpensive, and filling place for families on a budget; lunch reservations are recommended.

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.

The Down East architecture of this local favorite with double-deck porches hints at the seafood that's available. The restaurant has a bar, a raw bar, and alfresco dining in good weather (in cool weather, the large window wall still gives you a view of the water). Seafood, pasta, chicken, and beef share the menu with salads and sandwiches. Rockafeller's (and several others) are on Rudee Inlet. Go on a Thursday night for the lobster special, the best their menu has to offer. To get here, go south on Pacific Avenue and turn right on Winston-Salem immediately before the Rudee Inlet bridge. The street ends at Mediterranean Avenue.

Proprietor James Shields served the lesser gentry and upper middling ranks of locals and travelers in the 1740s. Today, the largest of the colonial taverns now serves more than just light fare, though soup, salads, wrap sandwiches, and pie are still popular. This tavern closes at 9 pm.

This elegant steak-and-seafood house is in the converted tobacco warehouse district known as the Bluffwalk. With warm exposed brick walls and an urban sensibility, the restaurant offers a wide variety of steaks, chops, and classic seafood dishes. Think traditional, with a variety of cuts and preparations, in addition to seafood standards from surf and turf to shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque.

The Vintage Kitchen focuses on local foods, artisanal cheeses, and microbrews. It's a place where you can order five-spice duck breast and also a superb cheeseburger. All the spices and sauces come from an outdoor herb garden. A special seven-course tasting meal is available by appointment Monday through Wednesday. Huge windows with tables facing the Elizabeth River make for great ambience.

Housed in what was once a feed house in the 1800s (now beautifully restored with reclaimed wood, antique bricks, and glass panes), this lively American tavern serves an all-day menu and weekend brunch, and has a club-like feel on weekend nights. You can sample a wide variety of selections with a seasonal bent, from red wine–braised short ribs and pasta puttanesca to a grilled chicken BLT or a quinoa salad.  Make reservations, especially on weekends, because the large space gets packed quickly!

Part of a complex of five historic buildings, this restaurant is in a gristmill that dates from 1700. A walk-in wine cellar, set among the gears of the original waterwheel, has 100 wine selections; diners may step in and choose for themselves. The dining area is decorated with Currier & Ives and Audubon prints. Some menu favorites are fresh smoked trout and chicken Fantasio (breast of chicken stuffed with wild rice, sausage, apple, and pecans). Desserts include such Old Virginny recipes as a deep-dish apple pie baked with bourbon. On Sunday, try the hearty but affordable brunch.