Fast service. Food absolutely no flavor. Place is older and rustic. Will not return.

Love love love to come to five forks for brunch. Weekends have long waits so come early or be prepared to sit outside for a bit to wait for a table!! Must-try items include loaded hash browns, corn cakes, and pancakes. Haven't had anything I haven't liked, really solid diner menu. Definitely on par with the abundance of breakfast places in the area but beats them out on atmosphere and southern charm. I miss living in Williamsburg where I could go regularly!! read more

Darn! I've been there 3 times prior to breakfast today. I bragged to my son who was visiting me, how great this cafe is! Too soon. I do not know what happened but today was bad service, really bad greasy food. Over medium eggs were actually over hard! Sausage dry and almost burnt! Hash browns dripping grease. Side of gravy was tasty but greasy again! Had to ask waitress, who seemed mad, for water. I give her credit for refilling coffee without having to ask her. I was so disappointed I probably won't go back. She took my 27.00 plus tip. Still frowning as we left. Everyone has a bad day so I feel kinda bad for complaining but HEY! I'm the paying cu read more

I go to William and Mary and I've been wanting to come here for 4 years and I finally stopped in at 4:00 pm. My friend and I were the only ones there and the service was impeccable. They didn't seem bothered by our presence in the slightest. Our server was quick to tell us the specials and even brought us out a sample of a lesser known soup they were serving that day. That soup changed my life. The Mulligatawny soup at Five Forks is one of the best soups I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I liked it so much that I bought a bowl to go! I highly recommend this place for its top notch service, food, and value! read more

Husband has dubbed this place "Diner Legit." Actually, I should have him write this review. I picked Five Forks for *his* benefit, based solely on the fact that they offer corn cakes (thanks, Yelp!). See, husband has a minor obsession with IHOP's [now extinct] corn cake pancakes. And when I say "minor," I mean "all-consuming." Ever since IHOP discontinued these flattened cornbread concoctions several years ago, he's lamented their loss every time we pass an IHouse. Frankly, it's lost its charm. So when I was Yelping good spots to eat breakfast in Williamsburg, Five Forks Café caught my eye when I read about the "corn cakes" in so many reviews. This diner wasn't around when I was in college here (thank god, I'd be 3,000 pounds), and it's pretty far removed from the tourist areas, so it was definitely a new one on me. When husband and I showed up around 9:00 on a Saturday morning there was already a bit of a wait for a table. So we grabbed two stools at the counter. This turned out to be our best move of the morning, since it meant we got to watch the line cooks working their magic. The guys at FF are a well-oiled machine of flat-top cooking. Watching them whip up meals at the griddle was like watching a carefully orchestrated symphony of fat and carbohydrates. Husband and I were completely riveted by the show as we waited for our breakfasts. I had the Greek Omelet (fresh tomato, onion, 'shrooms, spinach -- yes, *fresh* baby spinach -- and feta) with home fries and rye toast. It was quite good and packed to the gills with filling. Next time I'd sub stone ground grits for the home fries, tho, because the grits looked ah-may-zing, and the home fries were just okay. Husband had, of course, the Corn Cake breakfast: two corn cakes, bacon, and eggs his way (over easy). The corn cakes come with a generous dollop of honey butter and a jug of syrup. I think I saw tears glinting in husband's eyes as he savored his first corny bite, but he cleared his throat quickly and declared in a very manly tone, "These are f---ing amazing." Maybe it was nostalgia over IHOP's long-gone corn flapjacks, who knows? I have to agree that they were delicious: slightly sweet, pleasantly grainy, moist enough, and golden crusted. The honey butter pushed them over the edge. As we were paying at the register, I asked husband if we were going to have to come to Five Forks on every trip to Williamsburg from now on, just so he can get his corn cake fix. He shot me a look that said, "Do corn have ears?" read more

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It was a little joke in the wall but the burger was great. The seasoned fried were also good. read more

Five Forks Cafe - Cheeseburger and fries - Diners Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Really, all the positive reviews? I don't really get it honestly. Yelp's hours for this diner were incorrect and our first attempt to visit at 8pm on a Saturday was thwarted. We decided to check it out for lunch the following day. After a 15-20 minute wait at 2pm (the place was packed= always a good sign) we sat down to eat. I went with their "award winning" Reuben and it was really soggy - only the top side of my bread was toasted. The upcharge for feta garlic fries was completely not worth it- stick to the regular fries as mine were...you guessed it, soggy and the flavor wasn't there. Overall the server was a little grumpy and rude and my poor niece found a hair in her food. On top of this all (not the restaurants fault) but the table closest to us had children with them that repeatedly said "mom, mom, mom,mom" and the mom refused to answer, I wanted to rip my hair out at this point. Sadly, I just didn't see what the rest of the reviewers saw. Not a gem, not even a rock. It seems a lot of restaurants in this immediate area are closing down or are closed already so perhaps this is why it's a popular spot as there aren't a whole lot to choose from. something on the positive - I'd say it has a cute diner feel, and it was open. read more

THE BEST greasy spoon in Williamsburg. Love, love, LOVE this place. From the diner environment to the specials to the regular menu items, you absolutely cannot go wrong. It's quality food, reasonably priced, consistent in quality, with stellar service! My personal favorites are the fried chicken gyro with greek fries (zomg, greek fries!) and the club sandwich. My son loves the pancakes. Everyone else loves everything else; literally, I've never heard any complaints. There's generally a bit of a wait, so go with that expectation if it's a weekend; but do go. You won't be sorry. My one suggestion is that you go for breakfast or lunch and not dinner. Dinner is the only meal of the day that's kind of meh. read more

3.5 - 3.75 for this local favorite diner. It's my go-to breakfast joint for a quick causal breakfast. A bit on the pricey side for a simple menu, but the pancakes and omelets are great and worth a try. Service is ok depending on crowds. Hit this place up if your nearby, but probably not worth going out of your way for. read more

This has been a great stop for breakfast on our frequent visits to Williamsburg. The food is good and great portion sizes with reasonable prices. The service is great! I think it is the owner who waits on tables, interacts with customers, rings up customers and is always very friendly. The atmosphere needs some work. Very dated interior. This place always seems to have a very steady customer flow, so investing on the interior wouldn't be a bad idea. Overall, great breakfast place! read more

Five Forks Cafe - Veggie omelet with hash browns, grilled pita bread and a huge side pancake ($1.99) which was very good. - Diners Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

I happen to be in the area for the weekend and was looking for a good and different kind of place to eat. I saw all the great reviews Five Forks Cafe received from people on here. The wait time was about 15-20 min but turned out to be more like 30. Let me start off by saying....I was not impressed at all. The service wasn't very good. The waitress came to our table and didn't even say hello. She just asked right away what we wanted to drink. When she came back to take our order, she seemed to get a bit irritated because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted. I asked her about the blueberry pancakes and the corn cakes..if they were any good and the response was..."They are popular". Thats not what I wanted to know. Once we ordered our food, she didn't come back to see if I wanted a refill on my coffee (which was pretty much dirty water) that I had been done with for a while. I had to wait until she came around to ask HER for a refill and more cream...she literally brought out a bowl full of those little creamers. I think she did that so that she didn't have to come back for something else. Once the food finally came out...she pretty much dealt the plates of food like they were cards. My sons whipped cream went all over the table and I had to clean it up! She came back ONE time to ask us how the food was WHILE she dropped off the check. She left before we could even answer her question. I understand that it was busy, but this isn't a truck stop!!! So needless to say, I thought the service was horrible. Now on to the food....which was just ok. I'm glad I tried the corn cakes with the honey butter though. Now those were good. Reminded me of corn bread but made pancake style. Good with syrup! My blueberry pancake I thought was just so-so. I honestly think IHop does a better job. Nothing on the menu was anything out of the ordinary. I'm not eating here again and I think 60% of that is because of the bad service I received. read more

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We went here because of all the positive reviews, We're in Williamsburg probably 5 times a year and like to try new things. I really wanted to like this place because I love local mom and pop places vs. the usually lame national chains. I don't get what people are talking about. Our waitress was very nice, but forgetful. Didn't get a coffee refill until we were done eating. Never brought my OJ. Patty sausage was as dry as a bone, and the corn cakes, which I was really looking forward to, were almost as dry. Even all the honey butter they came with couldn't perk them up. On the plus side, my better half did say the corned beef hash was good. And the eggs were nice too. The locals pour in. God bless them. It's a very friendly place. I just can't see going back. And I feel bad about that. Maybe lunch and dinner are better. read more

Diner-tastic. Fast, friendly service and solid breakfast food make this a good stop in the morning. It's a bit cramped, but bustling with locals and visitors alike. A plate of biscuits and gravy gets you a couple fluffy buttermilk biscuits smothered in peppery/salty sausage gravy with surprisingly non-greasy home fries on the side. Hot sauce is readily available, which is always a plus when choosing your greasy spoon destination. Eggs are cooked properly to order. Pancakes are light and fluffy and not gummy, and corn-cakes (crispy-on-the-outside pancakes from a cornmeal batter) are a tasty variation on the usual. A bit too much salt in the grits for my liking, though. But hey, you're gonna get out of here pretty cheap so I'm not going to complain too much, especially given that the rest of breakfast was pretty competently delivered. Breakfast without the usual pancake-house stickiness. Fast and cheap. Never a bad thing. read more

Hard to categorize. It's sort of like a diner. it's sort of like a breakfast place. You decide -- but I've never had a bad meal there. Their breakfast is awesome. Classic items without the grease. Biscuits and Gravy. Excellent breakfast specials. The joint has been there for years, but has been under new management since middle of 2006 and I'd swear that the food is even better. Daily specials, and a 25% discount to men and women in uniform. God Bless America! Update 4/11/2009: Try dinner there Tues-Sat till 9:00pm! read more

Breakfast diner, local favorite Friendly, folksy food service Delicious breakfasts e.g., omelettes Loved the blueberry pancakes read more

Pineapple Upside Down Pancake. Holy mouthgasm. Corn cakes were essentially cornbread pancakes, which I wasn't expecting. Being a cornbread fanatic, I was pleasantly surprised with how moist they were. It looks like a hole in the wall, but these places serve some of the best food around. Don't judge a book by its cover! read more

I try to eat here whenever possible. I love the food....and the staff is amazing! Signature Greek Fries are always a must. Best place in town to eat. Esp since the staff knows me ....and yes...I am the cartoon/comic guy. read more

When looking for a classic diner with an old school vibe Five Forks definitely lives up to this. We stopped by for a breakfast and found just what we were looking for. The diner offered a great selection and combos for traditional classic breakfast items. The big breakfast combo had the perfect selection of everything and was filling. I would highly recommend this diner to anyone visiting Williamsburg looking for a PD school diner with great food and staff! read more

See other reviews. Local and yummy. Not too far from Jamestown so we could have gone back but it was raining. Nice spiced French fries.

After seeing all the good reviews and the location being about a mile away from where we stayed, we decided to try it out. We went on a Saturday night for dinner, it was not busy. The diner is on the older side, and there was a cleanliness aspect that was missing. As we sat down, noticed a couple of ants, which I quickly took care off, so my wife wouldn't freak out. I pushed on...based on the reviews, what are a couple of ants if the food is good. The waitress was semi-friendly, was quick to get our drinks. I ordered the meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes, my wife ordered a burger with fries. Portions were very nice, the food was okay. I can say we tried it, but by no means we're we impressed. I have had much better diner food. I see most of the reviews are for breakfast, maybe it's a better breakfast place. read more

Holy moly what a delicious dinner! Okay, here's the story. Friend and I were looking around Williamsburg for dinner but every place seemed to be incredibly busy or overrated based on the reviews. Ended up on the outskirts of town at this place and were not disappointed! We had the fried oyster special and for $16, we are able to share a huge plate of fried oysters, hush puppies, two side dishes, and corn bread. It was amazing! Waitress was also very friendly. Come here if you're looking for a good place without all the rush of the city. A good hole in the wall! read more

We asked a half dozen people in Williamsburg where to get breakfast, and every single one recommended Five Forks. Now I know why. The big omelet is something to behold, and the cornbread is practically a religious experience. If I lived nearby, I'd weigh a metric tons, but I'm glad I got to try it once. read more

Five Forks Cafe - The Big Omelet lives up to its name. - Diners Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

I've only been here once but seems like a good place. Definitely classic diner feel to it. Went for lunch and had the open faced turkey sandwich. It was very good and I'd gladly order it again. See a lot of good things about their breakfast. They're now open for dinner as well. Can imagine it's hard to go wrong here and if imagine most of the food is very good. read more

Five Forks Cafe - Open faced turkey sandwich with veggies of the day! - Diners Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

We came to Virginia for a week on vacation. We ate mainly at mom and pops locations. This is by far the best place we ate I wished we would have found this place first. If I'm every in Virginia again we will eat there again! read more

Corn cakes with honey butter, as others have said...awesome! Not exactly what I was expecting. They're like smaller versions of their gigantic pancakes, and delicious. Prices are great and the portions are huge. We way overestimated and got too much food. There is additional parking behind the shops next door. read more

Great local spot for breakfast! A group of my motorcycle friends and I stopped here before heading out for a ride. I'll be back!

We ate breakfast at this local, small diner. They have applied to "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and they would fit right in. The corn cakes mentioned in other reviews are fabulous. Other outstanding dishes included the welsh rarebit (creamy cheese sauce over eggs & toast), crispy thick-cut bacon, and apple cobbler pancakes. The malted milkshake (yes, with breakfast) was totally perfect. The coffee was and had a metallic taste - possibly due to the water quality as the water itself had a similar taste. Unfortunately coffee is the most important part of breakfast, so this one detail cost them a full star. The hostess and waitress were warm, funny and so efficient. Our large party of 6 was seated within 20 minutes, and the waitress appeared at our table almost instantly. Great service! read more

Four of us stopped for lunch. Excellent Ruben, good open face roast beef, very good bacon cheeseburger, good steak & cheese; fries were crinkle cut, hot, crisp and tasty. Food was 4 star Bathrooms needed cleaning and kitchen was messy. The tile, tables and chairs are worn. Decor and cleanliness earned 2 stars. Hence 3 star review. read more

Breakfast is always my favorite, yet risky, meal to eat out. All too often I've gotten cold or overcooked eggs, greasy, pasty potatoes and cold toast smeared with motor oil. It's not the sort of meal you want to send back and then eat alone while others at your table are ready to go! Five forks shines on all points! This review reflects on 3 visits: every breakfast has had perfectly cooked eggs and sides, excellent coffee, served by a cheery, attentive waitress. They join our list of must visits on our frequent trips to the area! read more

Went here Sunday morning for breakfast around 9AM. Had about a 20 minute wait, no big deal since I read such great reviews about this place. We were seated and placed our orders without incident. I ordered the special: apple french toast. For nearly $10, I expected to receive a mountain of french toast - not two, barely warm pieces. The hash browns and bacon were fine. My wife's breakfast sandwich looked amazing. My kid had the rainbow pancake which had whipped cream and colored sprinkles on top - was just ok. There were flies everywhere - on the blinds, flying around our table, and in the bathroom. My wife even decided not to use the rest room. I don't know what these other reviewers see in the place, but it's definitely not worth the hype. read more

THIS PLACE IS A MUST!!!!!!!!! It's nothing fancy but the food is amazing! The food is by far the best I've had in Virginia. I had the open face turkey sandwich with mash potatoes and gravy and I swear it was the best I've ever had! I wanted to lick the gravy right off my plate. It doesn't look fancy by any means but the food is above average of any diner I've been too. read more

Five Forks Cafe - Open face turkey sandwich with mash potatoes and gravy - Diners Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Classic old-timey greasy spoon with lots of love in the cooking. We went for breakfast. I'm a big biscuits'n'gravy hound, so I had the B'n'G with fried eggs and hash browns. My spouse had the corn cakes with hers, since so many reviewers rave about 'em. Everything was real tasty. The sausage gravy needed a few extra shakes of black pepper to help it out, but had plenty of sausage and no "cheater" shortcuts. The biscuits were outstanding, and eggs were done to perfection. Hash browns were long on flavor, but I would have liked them a bit crispier. The famous corn cakes were delicious, a trifle dry but that's what the accompanying honey butter is for! The coffee was nothing special, tasted percolated from not enough grounds, but then again it brought me back to my days of drinking gas station coffee in the '80s with my hot-rodder friends. The joint was packed to the doors, so service was slow but not out of idleness! And our waitress was apologetic and sweet every time she had to go a while between visits to our table. They're only open for breakfast and lunch, but they have a sister restaurant (Honey Butter's Grill) that serves dinner, and helpfully have its address painted on the glass of their front window. I'm hoping to come back soon to try their house-roasted corned beef hash, or (if I miss the breakfast hours) sample their fish'n'chips. I'm sure the Five Forks is a popular hangout for W&M students, with such good food and reasonable prices, but only for them as have access to a car. It's pretty removed from the college/tourist hub. read more

Wouldn't know how the food was because it looked virtually impossible to get past the front hostess stand in a wheelchair. Turned right back around and left. read more

*****I have changed my mind yet again about this place since I amended my last statement. The portions are large and the pancakes are delicious. Also, rumor has it that the homefries are back. Can anyone confirm this? I guess I'll confirm myself."**** ***Since I wrote the following review, they have started serving frozen hash browns instead of the delicious home fries and everything else tastes a lot cheaper too. It is just a forgettable diner now.This place can go to hell.*** If I were to compare this place with the other restaurants in Williamsburg, it would certainly get 5 stars. Unlike all other Williamsburg restaurants, you get the impression that this place's existence hinges on more than just turning a dollar. As far as I'm concerned, serving a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on fresh toasted sourdough bread qualifies as visionary in this city. I've never had "home fries" before but they were very good. The waitress called me darlin' and needed to be reminded to refill my coffee. This is how a diner is supposed to operate. Screw it, I'm giving it 5 stars. read more

This place is absolutley awesome! The food here is 100% southern and 1000% delicious. I recommend the chicken fried steak, the country gravy that accompanied it was perfect. I even tryed some of my girlfriends scrapple, and I think scrapple is fried toxic waste. Five Forks baby! read more

Five Forks Cafe - The goods! - Diners Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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Seriously good. Cute little cafe. Good service and diner like atmosphere. I didn't think much of the sausage and biscuits..oh well. But the corn cakes and hashbrowns were some of the best I've ever had. read more

When I lived in Williamsburg this was always the go to place. Extraordinarily fresh and always well prepared. Never had a bad meal there. Even with high price very good restaurants in the area, this is where I miss most! read more

Used to be great, the perfect diner food. New ownership (spring 2021) has gone from high quality ingredients to cheap pre made stuff. Burger patties (used to be delicious and homemade) are now obviously frozen... maybe from Walmart? Biscuits are half the size they used to be. Grits are instant, the amazing specials have disappeared. Went from a fabulous local place to a poor IHOP clone. The sad end of a great era. read more

Friendly service and solid diner food. Crowded in the morning.

I base my breakfast on how good their biscuits and gravy is. At Five Forks, its really good. Service is great and friendly. They give you a pot of tea! I had more than my usual one cup a morning. Wait isn't so terrible. It was a busy Saturday morning despite how cold and rainy it was. It sure didn't stop anyone from coming in and enjoying the breakfast here. One awesome thing about this place, 25% discount for active military-you don't see that great of a discount anywhere usually. read more