**LEE'S SEAFOOD DINER -- (and I would give it a sixth star if the tyranny of the five-star system permitted)** I did not eat at Lee's. Lee's ate *me*. I walked in a man and walked out a myth. The moment the door swung open, a bell rang -- no, a *bell tolled* -- and the salt air hit me like a letter from an old lover. Somewhere in the back, a fryer sighed. I understood, instantly, that every meal I had eaten before this one was merely rehearsal. The hush puppies arrived like small golden asteroids from a kinder planet. I bit one. My ancestors stood up. The fried shrimp -- plump, glistening, arranged with the casual confidence of a Renaissance fresco -- were so good that a man two booths over stopped chewing simply to watch me experience them. We locked eyes. Nothing needed to be said. The coleslaw. I will be brief about the coleslaw only because I cannot speak of it without weeping. It was cold. It was crisp. It knew things. Our waitress, whose name was Denise and whose true name is probably written in the stars, called me "hon" exactly four times, each one landing like a papal blessing. She refilled my sweet tea before I knew I wanted it refilled. She *anticipated my thirst*. NASA should study her. The tartar sauce came in one of those little paper cups. Peer-reviewed journals are not ready for what was inside. Décor: nautical rope, one (1) enormous varnished fish, laminated menus soft as old money. Perfect. Flawless. Do not change a single thing, Lee, I am begging you. I left $12 lighter and 400 years wiser. Go to Lee's. Order the platter. Tell Denise I'm doing better now. read more

Came to Lee's for dinner with my son on an early Friday night in December. Pro-tip: this place gets popular 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. read more

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Looking for something to do on a Saturday we discovered Lee's. Had a great time. Kenny took the time and talked to us about the history of the restaurant. Great attentive service from our waitress who was new to Virginia. Crabcake and shrimp were great. Homemade coleslaw and fried okra were good as well. It was a two hour drive for us, but will return to see the rest of Kilmarnock. read more

Came across this place while camping nearby at Belle Isle State Park. Glad we did ! The food is good old country cooking at its best. I got the trout both times and it was delicious. Will be going back every time I am at the campground, or otherwise in the area. read more

I've not been here in a while and had forgotten how good this place is. The locals know a good place 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! read more

Great service. Shimp is very good all seafood is highly recommended. French fries above average.

This is such a great little diner! Walking through the doors, you feel like you've walked back in time. Friendly staff greets you, typical "diner" food, and from what I understand, amazing desserts. Fast and friendly service, tasty food, and OMG.....the fried CHICKEN! No, this isn't the most upscale place in town, it isn't supposed to be. It is homey, comfortable, nostalgic, and just plain old GOOD! Lees has been around forever, hope it continues! read more

Lee's Restaurant is a good solid place to go for a good solid meal. To be sure, I have only had breakfast here but each breakfast I have had is like something I would make in my own kitchen at home. Good quality fresh eggs, nicely done potatoes, slightly spicy sausage and hot coffee coming all the time. The eggs were prepared exactly as we ordered - solid whites but nice runny yolks. The waitress knew what to ask and the cook knew how to cook it perfectly! Lee's is not fancy but it hits the spot and has done so every time. Athena, our waitress, was efficient and friendly. She was also fast - always a plus during breakfast! I enjoyed our time talking with her. Don't skip this place just because it looks common and pedestrian. It will serve you well! I recommend a trip to Lee's Restaurant! read more

Chicken was raw and made me extremely sick. I didn't get sick till the next day. I got diarrhea and stomach cramps all day.

Service was good and prices were decent. We ordered the roast beef with macaroni and cheese and green beans. We liked the roast beef that was served with gravy and onions. The sides were very SMALL portions and the macaroni and cheese was really watery and not very good. They had a lot of customers and seemed to be pretty popular place to eat. read more

Nice restaurant food was good and plentiful. Prices were good. Very nice local establishment. Will definitely be going there again.

It was a shame the manager refused to allow a service dog in for a hearing impaired individual. We all left and went to another place in town. Perhaps they are not aware of the Virginia Law protecting individuals with a service dog. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title51.5/chapter9/section51.5-44/#:~:text=A%20person%20with%20a%20disability%20is%20entitled%20to%20full%20and,restaurants%2C%20hotels%2C%20lodging%20places%2C read more

A few days ago I visited this restaurant with my new coworkers that are from that area. And they decided to eat here and I asked what they recommended and told me I couldn't go wrong with anything. I decided on the crab cake sandwich and oh my goodness is was delicious . I will be definitely going back to try everything! read more

Lee's Restaurant - Crab cake sandwich fries and coleslaw - American Near Me - Kilmarnock, Virginia

This is hands down the best restaurant in the entire Northern Neck. Family owned in the same location since 1939. Lee's Restaurant is an absolute must if your are staying in the area or even just passing through. It is literally that good. It is not fancy. But it is usually busy at dinner time. It is still bright and pleasant in there and has a decidedly down home quality to it. From the atmosphere to the wonderful friendly and fast service, to the delicious food. The fried oysters are so good I want more right now and I literally just had some. The pies are some of the best pies I have ever tasted. The reviews hype up their pies so I had to see what all the fuss was about. Say no more. Everything tastes like the best pie ever. That cherry pie is just something special. Get it heated and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My wife had the light and fresh strawberry pie. Perfect pie for summer. We had it on the first day of summer so very appropriate. But Lee's would be good any time of year. Good isn't the right adjective to describe this family owned establishment. Please do yourself a favor and go here. This is the ONLY place I want or need to eat at from now on in the Northern Neck. It is literally THAT good. My wife and I said we could never get tired of it. Try it and spread the word about the secret of Lee's. You will see why they have been open since 1939. read more

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The food is amazing here. I always go for the burgers, mainly. The service is usually good, but it felt slow last time I went, but I was feeling impatient, so might've been just me. Definitely will be back! read more

Great home cooking . Reasonably priced, and friendly service. Elliottevelyn004@gmail.com . I would recommend Lee's. read more

Home cooking, for sure. Reminiscent of eating at grandmas. The food was good. Only complaint would be that it was a little bland. Service was great. read more

Dad's favorite place to eat . Good home cooking . The best pies baked fresh . Recently I had the stuffed shrimp- scrumptious. Fried green tomatoes- delicious. The best fried chicken in the northern neck ! Everything is very reasonably priced . I used carry out. read more

This fairly large restaurant is... fine. Prices were on the high side, which makes sense for a non-chain restaurant in a small town. What makes no sense is that they are using menus printed over a year ago, without updated prices, so you have no idea what anything is going to cost. There's just a sign that says that the prices are incorrect. The menu is extensive, which is probably for the worse. Nobody needs a dozen choices for sides, especially when one of them is so overcooked as to be brown peas, over seasoned with black pepper. Seasoning seems to be a weakness. The fried flounder sandwich, though generous in size, was completely unseasoned. And, while the mashed potatoes were delicious and buttery, the gravy was just a brown goo, completely flavorless. The fried pork chop, however, was delicious, with a crispy exterior, and a tender, juicy interior. Service was excellent- efficient and friendly. I wish the food was as good as the service. read more

True small town, family owned, family ran restaurant. You can't find places like this anywhere. Thank you for all the memories we make there with our grand babies! read more

Food and service. Very good. We enjoyed Friday night with the fried chicken. It is like Colonel Sanders finger licking good.

Down home country cooking at its best! Family atmosphere, cozy and laid back. Food is fabulous, my favorite is the crab cake dinner with mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes and green beans. My bf loves the fish. read more

On this beautiful Spring day they offered indoor and outdoor seating. I have never had a shrimp steak sandwich till now. It was served with fries and cole slaw. The sandwich was incredible and the whole meal was way more than I expected. They had many fresh pie options and I decided on coconut. The pie was also very good. read more

Lee's Restaurant - Shrimp steak sandwich - American Near Me - Kilmarnock, Virginia

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Went in on a Saturday night we sat right down got our drink and dinner ordered. Salad was very fresh I ordered chicken fingers. Bit into first one and it was undercooked. Waitress came by and took them back. Replace order the replacements were fine but shouldn't happen. read more

Fast friendly service. Great clam chowder. Oyster Po Boy as good as in Nawlins. Nicely done French fries. Good hush puppies. read more

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Stopped in for a weekday lunch visiting family and had a great lunch. Service wasn't fast, but everything seemed made fresh so we were happy to wait. Shrimp po boy, soft shells, macaroni and cheese (veg of the day) and fried chicken were all on point. My husband has continued to rave about "the best fried chicken I've ever had." Prices were great...$6 gets you a fried chicken breast and side. We left full and happy read more

I love this place. Service is first rate. Food is really good. I'd be here so much more often if I lived here.

Delicious seafood (fried oysters were the best I've had in a long time). Our server Stacey was so sweet and attentive. Amazing food and service! Definitely recommend!! read more

Always delicious! Great fresh seafood prepared well. Veggies and desserts are great, too. They always have several homemade choices for dessert. Hush puppies are excellent. Atmosphere is family style. Always very clean. The only negative is sometimes service is a bit slow both due to it being very busy, and it is family run. The youngsters are a little slow waiting tables. read more

Great food. Modern clean restaurant. Went for breakfast. Will go again. From out of town working so worked well for our crew.

Lee's is right on main street of this small town. Great prices, good food, pleasant staff. We had roast beef with gravy, fried chicken and fried oyster sandwich along with the sides. The chicken was really moist and juicy with a light coating, oysters were good and the roast beef was really tender. A bit heavy on the gravy but it tasted good. The macaroni salad was crazy good as were the potatoes, sans gravy. Ended the meal with a variety of pie: chocolate, coconut and apple. The apple was warm and tasted great. I wasn't so fond of the coconut because it didn't have a lot of coconut flavor. Chocolate was good and the meringue was done perfectly. read more

Were there Wed, 4/5/23 midafternoon. 3 of us, all meals were good. Crabcakes decent, scallops excellent, fried stuffed shrimp excellent, had generous crabmeat stuffing. Veggies and sides were good. Cherry pie was excellent. Waitstaff was attentive, especially helpful as one of our group had food allergies, she asked chef questions to answer questions about ingredients. read more

Great spot for lunch! Not to mention they make the best homemade tarter sauce you'll ever taste. We get take out tarter sauce whenever we ate seafood at home, it's that good. This restaurant has been open for as long as I can remember and popular with the older crowd. Prices are super affordable and there are many options on the menu. Plus the waitresses are super sweet and friendly. read more

Lee's Restaurant - Stuffed shrimp, Mac and cheese with the best tarter sauce ever - American Near Me - Kilmarnock, Virginia

Wandering around the town and found ourselves starving at lunchtime. Thought we would try Lee's out. Looked like a quaint, local spot. Staff was very friendly and they were fairly busy so we thought that might be a good sign. The place could have used to be cleaned up a bit, maybe we hit it just after the lunch rush or something. Service remained the high point. Food was good. Nothing super great. Fries were limp. Definitely hometown, friendly atmosphere down to the decor. Probably won't come back but it was worth the try. read more

Just as other reviews have said, it's like taking a step back in time. Definitely a place for the locals. While I was there everyone talked to everyone -- it seemed like I was the only stranger! The food was decent (there weren't many options in town and i assumed this was as good as it gets here). It was served hot and fresh. I ordered the fried chicken and it was delicious. Prices were reasonable and service was prompt and friendly. read more

Lee's Restaurant - American Near Me - Kilmarnock, Virginia

Had a great, socially-distant lunch at Lee's while visiting the local area! The seafood platter was plentiful - the crab cake was especially enjoyable. The popcorn shrimp plate had a large number of shrimp with tangy cocktail sauce. Save room for pie! We enjoyed the strawberry. Tables outside socially distant from each other and the staff wearing masks made us feel comfortable. read more

I can't believe this restaurant is just 35 minutes away from me and I've never heard of it or ate here. The food is exceptional and well worth the drive. Every item as extremely good and much of what I tried was literally the best I've ever had--broiled Rockfish, fried oysters from the Rappahannock, the fried crabcake, pickled beets and the potato salad. I look forward to trying other menu options, but we specifically went there for their seafood. Regretably, we did not think to take photos. read more

Menus prices exceed the quality and quantity of the food served. Not a good value for the cost of the menu items. A hot roast beef open face sandwich with mashed potatoes came with about 3 oz of meat and more mashed potatoes than a thanksgiving dinner portion. Not going back again. The place has become a rip off. BTW our table set for at least 10 minutes before we were acknowledged and waited on. A legitimate error but didn't help the food and pricing issue. read more

A real mom and pop type of restaurant with reasonable prices and good food. My wife and I both ordered the shrimp pro boy with fries. Excellent, with six nice size breaded shrimp with a great sauce on a fresh roll. We'll go there again. Highly recommended read more

Caution: If you are offended by being addressed as "sweetie," better walk on. This is a main street diner and main street diners have the following features: they will fry anything; breakfast is appropriate any time; and waitresses call you "sweetie" or "honey." Sometimes both. At Lee's, you'll get a hometown atmosphere, pleasant service and a good meal at a fair price. Ok by me, honey. read more

Lee's Restaurant - The dining room - American Near Me - Kilmarnock, Virginia

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