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    Car Wash Cafe

    4.4 (169 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Car Wash Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    CAR WASH CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Car Wash Cafe

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    She crab soup for the WIN!!!
    Robert M.

    All the rave reviews and stellar write ups of this spot are all too subtle & under whelming compared to actually going there! This is a real-deal gem of a spot. The parking is a bit wonky and the dining area is tight & tiny, but all of that is well worth the pilgrimage to the top of the mountain for what you receive. What you receive (or actually what we received) was an amazing staff, wonderful people around you, and absolutely divine food from the cook team. I can not say how much I enjoyed this and am drooling thinking of returning. Based on the advice of my bank teller down the street (thanks, Tanya!) I went with the tuna sandwich and she-crab soup. Yes, it was a splurge. Yes, it was more of a lunch than I was intending. Yes, I would do it again every day of my life and enjoy the indulgence. The she-crab soup was SO rich and creamy with just tons of chunky crab meat in it. I'm in love with anything that has crab in it and this just made my day. I ordered the ahi tuna sandwich and probably gave the cook a disappointment. I do not like things lightly seared. I had it well cooked and they did exactly what I wanted which is rare. With the wasabi mayo it was just perfect. I didn't realize I had a side choice (plan ahead if you are reading this! read the side items before you have to order) and went with a great coleslaw. All in all - this is an awesome place. Just be patient if it gets crowded and be as warm hearted as your new friends/neighbors when you are seated.

    Exterior- breakfast time
    Mary Y.

    Great food! Plus awesome customer service... we got the eggs Benedict with crab cake & a side of grits. softshell crab, BLT, delicious and crispy! Plus a cup of the she carb soup! The soup was fresh and delicious! The service is always spot on! this location very welcoming and has a small town home feel. Do not let the outside fool you! The cooking is delicious ; like eating in your grandmother's kitchen.

    Frittata with spinach and onions and sour cream, and it was good!
    Kim H.

    I definitely ate when I was in Kilmarnock, VA. This cafe was close to where family and I stayed for the weekend, and found this cafe. The staff were friendly and just a nice vibe. Usually I do not eat all my food, but I did that day! The food was really good and no take out box for me! Thanks for the great service and that hometown vibe!

    the counter and chairs
    Austin G.

    While staying at nearby The Tides Inn from Washington, D.C., Yelp directed us to Car Wash Cafe, a cafe attached to an actual car wash. Walking in without a reservation on a Saturday around 10 a.m., we snagged their last open table. The menu is massive and has plenty of country food to pick from. My wife ordered their hash and LOVED it. It's worth every dollar. The space itself is perfect- no frills and a throwback to the 1950s. Service is very kind and fast. Our server treated us like family! The only con was the coffee. It's literally Folgers or some brand like that. It tasted like water. For better coffee, go to The Local in Irvington, VA.

    Side salad with homemade blue cheese
    Meredith S.

    Absolutely spot on! Such a cute place. It's located in a former gas station/car wash? Super well done with an open kitchen. Nothing hidden here. We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday in July. It's definitely a popular spot, but lucky us, we got a table right away. I started with a side salad with blue cheese dressing. Super fresh and the dressing is definitely homemade. I appreciate the blue cheese chunks. I ordered the burger with cheddar and I'm a mid-rare kind of girl. You can't scare me - I have kids. The burger was cooked to perfection! Hubby had a BLT and it was packed with bacon. And hello? Who doesn't love shoestring fries when they are fried perfectly (not too crunchy, not too limp)?! So hard to find a place with shoestring fries anymore. And definitely harder to find a place that does them right. The service was fast and oh SO friendly!! This is just a great, unique place to eat. And if you have to wait, I promise that it's worth it. We will definitely be back when in the area again!

    Triple Chocolate Cake
    Danny L.

    We were visiting Kilmarnock for the weekend and had no idea where to eat. While driving and exploring we came across this little gem. As the name indicates, it's attached to a car wash. As we walked up, we noticed six well-distanced outdoor tables, two of which were empty, but needing to be bussed. We were greeted promptly, but told it would be a few minutes. We quickly noticed why. There are only 2 servers on during the Saturday shift. We were seated after about 5 minutes and the wait staff took excellent care of us. They were busy, but attentive to all their tables. She explained to us the daily specials and we chose the grouper sandwich. It was lightly fried to perfection and delicious all around. The homemade potato salad was a nice compliment. The only complaint was the serving of sweet potato fries with the second sandwich were a bit scant. Don't leave without getting a dessert, even if it's to go. We ordered and shared two - the triple chocolate cake and the triple c (carrot cake, cheesecake, carrot cake). The former was fudgey and the latter was simply brilliant. This place is worth a stop of you find yourself in town.

    Crab Cake Benedict

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    1 month ago

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    3 months ago

    Food is always good service very friendly sometimes hard to get a table, stays busy. It's great when the weather is good to eat outside.

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    7 months ago

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    5 months ago

    The food is good and the service is great ! The fresh flowers really added the touch.

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    1 year ago

    I had the blacken grouper it was excellent. The service is always 5 stars. N ever had anything but 5 star meals at the car wash.

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    2 years ago

    The food is fantastic. Best place to go for breakfast. The servers are the best and are always smiling.

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Price $$$. Small cozy inside atmosphere. A little loud. Friendly staff. Awesome food and best deserts around.

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    Ask the Community - Car Wash Cafe

    Lee's Restaurant - I adored these hush puppies.

    Lee's Restaurant

    4.0(84 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Came to Lee's for dinner with my son on an early Friday night in December. Pro-tip: this place gets…read morepopular full quick! It is popular, for all the right reasons, so take that into your planning. We were seated quickly because we arrived before 5:30! By the time we left there weren't many open seats. The waiter was great, well timed and very competent. Inside it was cozy and ready for the Christmas holiday's. Something possessed me so I ordered a margarita. Pretty good! I have crazy margarita standards and this one hit the mark. We also started with hushpuppies. Since I used to have a summer job where ALL I did was make hushpuppies at a fish fry shack, I can personally rate hushpuppies and these were outstanding. I'm a sucker for crabcakes. So, of course, I had to have a crabcake sandwich. I didn't want to go all in on the meal and the sandwich seemed the perfect fit for me. And it was! Just the way I like them and wouldn't have it any other way. I went with mashed potatoes gravy as one side. It was very good and will be my new staple. I wanted a good vegetable that I could identify, but the only option that appealed to me was the cucumber salad. I don't remember the last time I ordered that. After the edition, I should order it more! The reason this has been a successful family run business for the last 80 years is because it is reliable, tastes great, and would be the poster child of a place that excels at "comfort food". And I write that with pride.

    I've not been here in a while and had forgotten how good this place is. The locals know a good…read moreplace and there is a reason this place is packed. The food was delicious. I love their fried okra and the butter beans. Our waitress was hilarious. We had fun. They are famous for their pies. Get an entire pie to go!

    Photos
    Lee's Restaurant - Surprisingly empty at 5:20. Wasn't empty later!

    Surprisingly empty at 5:20. Wasn't empty later!

    Lee's Restaurant
    Lee's Restaurant - Outside of Lee's

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    Outside of Lee's

    Salt and Meadow - The view

    Salt and Meadow

    2.8(23 reviews)
    4.7 mi

    My husband took me here to celebrate my birthday. This is one of the fanciest restaurants in the…read morenorthern neck area. We got the reservation at 8:45 pm (slightly late for our liking as we like early dinner), as the restaurant hosted a mahjong dinner event in the evening. The host was very friendly and gave us good recommendations as we waited to be seated. Ambiance is very nice. We had been here before when it was a different restaurant. It's beautiful during the daylight as they have nice water views. Food was great. We ordered crab cakes on coconut sauce for the appetizer. It was once of the best I have had. I am definitely going to try crab cakes with coconut ginger sauce again. For entrees, my husband has the beef tenderloin and I had the beef short rib with risotto. So delicious. Short rib was very tender and the risotto was very creamy and flavorful. For the dessert, we had peach crips with vanilla ice cream. Presentation and the taste was amazing. Overall, a great experience. The only reason I gave them a 4 star is because of the pricing.

    We had a great, laid-back experience at Salt & Meadow while visiting the Tides for an anniversary…read moretrip. The staff were friendly and very flexible, the food was tasty, large portions, and reasonably priced (considering it is a resort restaurant). For those concerned about price, I'd say there are more than a few value options and small plates like the cocktail shrimp. We ordered the catch of the day (halibut) and duck which were very high-quality. Buttered rolls were also dank - No notes for the chef! Our favorite things about the restaurant were: 1) The finishes - all the furniture is thoughtfully curated with beautiful wood pieces throughout. The prohibition era lockers when you enter are so cool. 2) The lighting/ambiance was perfect for a date night and the music was chill 3) The wine station in the middle of the dining room was unique and refills were immediate. Staff suggestions were great without pushing us to order more expensive wines Only suggestion is that it was cold AF in there... usually NBD but we were ready to get out of there! Would have probably stayed longer if it wasn't freezing Overall would recommend to stop by especially if you are staying at the resort!

    Photos
    Salt and Meadow - The bar

    The bar

    Salt and Meadow - The bar

    The bar

    Salt and Meadow

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    The Dining Hall at The Hope and Glory Inn - Reception and Meditation

    The Dining Hall at The Hope and Glory Inn

    4.7(20 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$$

    Such a special evening! The waitress saw to our every need and request. The beautiful Inn provided…read morea wonderful setting for perhaps the best meal we've had in years! All 4 courses were such a culinary delight. Thanks Chef Messeret for sharing your beautiful food magic with us!

    My wife and I had dinner at Hooky, which is Hope & Glory's outdoor dining space (during Covid), and…read moreare extremely disappointed with our experience. When my wife called to make a reservation, she made it a point of telling the woman she spoke with (Chef Meseret) that it would be our anniversary, and that wasn't even acknowledged at any point during our meal, even though they recognized another customer's birthday. The meal itself was fine, but not exceptional, from oyster appetizer to crab cake entrée to cheesecake dessert. Everything was more or less good until the meal was finished. The waiter asked us if we wanted "to review your charges", which we thought was odd, since we figured we'd just get the check. Instead of that, the guy came over with an iPad and showed us the charges. In addition to the fixed price meal ($80 per person) we ordered two cocktails ($28 total) and a bottle of wine ($52), and then they had the nerve to charge us another $16 for an alcohol service fee. WHAT?!?! You can bet that they made plenty of markup on both the wine and the cocktails, but to charge us to serve it too...WTF?! I questioned the guy about the charge, and his answer was "I don't know, I just do what I'm told". As if that wasn't bad enough, he then put us on the spot and asked if we wanted to add a tip, and how much? What an annoying end to an otherwise fairly pleasant meal. All told, the tab was over three hundred bucks. Totally not worth it. While we were eating, we discussed the possibility of staying at Hope & Glory for a future visit to the area, but after getting nickled and dimed for a service fee, they're not getting any more money from us.

    Photos
    The Dining Hall at The Hope and Glory Inn - Beautiful wife and I in front of the awesome fireplace.

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    Beautiful wife and I in front of the awesome fireplace.

    Car Wash Cafe - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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