I had an excellent, generous, gracious meal at the Bavarian Chef this afternoon for my birthday…read more I'm still groaning! The food was fabulous and we got the full complement of sides--whipped potatoes, green beans, creamed corn, spaetzle, carrots and apples, potato dumplings, zucchini, braised red cabbage, German potato salad, maybe more (my belly's so full, I'm not remembering well...)--rye rolls, red pepper soup with crab, trout with almonds (yum!). We had a very nice dry German Riesling and. German Pinot Noir. The five of us shared a piece of the amazing German chocolate cake. Our server, Nick, was very pleasant, efficient and professional--good at his job and possessing a beautiful, warm smile. I had an Asbach Sidecar that was very well made. I see a negative review from a couple of months ago (~February 2026-ish?) that sounds like it was written about another restaurant, not the delightful Bavarian Chef I know and love. The writer of that poor review seems to have been enjoying the sound of her own writing (which leans toward the overly dramatic and away from anything like an honest review) more than trying to express anything real about the Bavarian Chef. She seems to have an ax of some kind to grind, as she could find not one nice, decent thing to say. I disagree with her with every well-seasoned, perfectly cooked vegetable and flavorful rye roll digesting in my belly right now. The Bavarian Chef is a treat. You'd be a fool to miss it!

it was a little busy at the lunch time of our visit. we ended up in the tiny tables in the bar…read morearea. quite cramped. it detracted slightly, but only slightly. the service was a touch slow, but very gracious, friendly, and helpful. a party of about a dozen were seated immediately after us, so that probably accounts for a lot of the delay. the food was quite exceptional. delicious!! snail appetizer was delightful. the breading seemed over the top, but it was very tasty. we had scheinhaxen & alpine schnitzel, the latter was a daily special. both were perfectly prepared, and we each took at least half of the portion home for later. the sides we selected were potato dumpling, spätzle, rotkohl, and glazed carrots. all were excellent - the rotkohl heavier on spice than we are used to. in all, we were very happy with the choice we made for lunch.

We came across this hidden gym on a trip to the Shenandoah. This place really reflects what…read moreSouthern Hospitality is all about. The service was top notch. The waitress was very friendly and very accommodating with recommendations for dietary restrictions. The fried chicken is an absolute must.. perfectly fried and crispy and good balance of flavors. We tried a few other things that was pretty average like the open faced turkey sandwich and the salmon and mash potatoes. I would also recommend getting the gravy on the side and eating everything with it... not exactly sure what is in it but keep doing your thing Southern Kitchen. Will definitely be coming through again the next time we are in town.

Horrible. Waitress was drunk and food was bad as well…read more Went on Friday Nov 28 for lunch. We like this place as it is local and has ( had) good food and service. We were seated quickly and we noticed our waitress was Slow on getting to the tables for drinks and after about 10 minutes she came by and got our drinks. Upon her getting close and speaking it was very apparent she was very intoxicated and I remarked that it was sad about her condition. As we waited for our food we watched her interactions with other tables and she had problems remembering what table was which. She delivered food to the wrong tables and dropped other food on the floor trying to deliver it. Her fellow waitresses were actually calling her out in the middle of the dining room telling her to get her act together. When she delivered the food the hamburger steak platter was literally a dry hamburger patty that was old and had a thimble of gravy. the mashed potatoes were instant and had been poorly mixed because the powder was still dry in the middle. The glazed carrots were old soggy and brown ( see the picture) . We never got a bill because she just disappeared completely. We went to pay and the cashier was able to look up the order and we spoke to her about the waitress needing some help and her condition and all she would say is " we will try"

Tight space but very fun interior. Eclectic food all done well. Lovely staff make you feel welcome…read more The biscuit was a highlight and the grain pancake had a lovely cinnamon kick.

I feel bad giving this a lower rating because it's a cute little spot and we probably just came in…read moreat an unfortunate time. My pancake came out overly hard and bordering on burnt and cold.. I got the hearty grain short stack and it just alright as far as pancakes go. The canjun-spiced potatoes my partner wanted must've been the tail end of the batch, with a lot of little burnt bits. My chai was delicious, however, probably the best I've had in a while. I'll give em a 3.6 for this visit, with the caveat that we'd definitely give them another try.

I was told to try this cute little hike in the wall. I was not disappointed…read more I ordered the 2 eggs, fried oysters, potatoes, and toast! Everything was delicious. The oysters were fried to perfection. Very crispy. The potatoes added the perfect balance to the slightly salty oysters. The food was hot and fresh! Our waitress was amazing. She brought everything out with a smile. Overall, I would highly recommend!

In a virtually empty restaurant it shouldn't take 45 minutes to get lunch. There was hairs in my…read moredaughter's sandwich. The food wasn't good. The fries weren't even salted. Our server didn't seem to care and when my daughter said she didn't want a remake of her sandwich you could hear them say just throw that sh!t in the trash. Wouldn't recommend. This happened yesterday we arrived about 11:50 served after 12:45.

Fun little place! Very much an old country style diner, like a local version of Cracker Barrel,…read moreright down to the store with everything you could ever want with their name on it! We ordered the Rueben and the brisket grilled cheese. Both were outstanding! I had the potato salad which was OK but my son got the onion rings which were very good. We grabbed some of their apple cider donuts for the road which were excellent. The staff was friendly and helpful and we really enjoyed this place.

The Apple House Review Looks can definitely be deceiving…read moreand this spot proves exactly why you should never judge a book by its cover. If you're anywhere near Luray Caverns, Shenandoah, or Massanutten, make sure you stop by The Apple House. This hidden gem is a perfect blend of a local shop, diner, and local bar tavern all wrapped into one cozy experience. Because the food is just that good, expect a line but don't let that scare you. It moves quickly and is absolutely worth the wait. The staff is friendly and helpful which adds to the country experience. Whether you're stopping in for breakfast or lunch, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the flavors, portions, and overall experience. You'll leave full, satisfied, and already thinking about your next visit. If you're in the area... trust me, you're going to want to come back.

Shoot Swiss burger was delicious Fries, too key. Perfect…read morespot stop for lunch, or just passing by. Cheyenne had her birthday today, she's still a beast. All the love. This 85 character deal is folding me

Thunderbird Café, a local gem right off the main road and super close to Massanutten Resort. The…read morediner-style vibe is lively, fast-paced, and welcoming from the moment you walk in. Kevin (yes, we're naming names!) was hands down one of the best servers--friendly, attentive, and full of great recommendations that had us ready to come back before we even left. Must-haves: Chicken tenders, Waffles,Fried potatoes, don't skip the variety of mimosa flavors--they're the perfect brunch bonus

Not a great sandwich lover. I tend to buy their local eggs…read moreand bread. But: Had their brisket tips with sides - on special. Wow. Unexpected yum. They just might do it again. Please put your specials on your web page. Enquiring hearts want to know. Thanks

Had guests this weekend and a near empty fridge. So glad that I could send them to Polly's Folly…read morefor lunch sandwiches which they raved about. Much better than anything I could have served even if I did have a full fridge. Grateful for this little gem!

What an amazing delicious diner! Went here in December as we celebrated our 30th anniversary and…read moreour food was delicious and the service was impeccable! Highly recommend!

Cash only establishment!!! Don't go here if you don't have cash on hand, they don't accept any…read morecredit cards or any debit cards at all.

Went to Country Cooking in Culpeper again today. This time for lunch. I think the buffet is $13.99…read moreso I ordered a fried fish with baked potato to to for $16.99 and ate all my salads and lunch there. A great deal really. The salad was delicious. I had 2. Then a plate of fatty American sides but I liked those too. :) Doesn't have to look like a palace to me. The food was good. My waitress was at the table, everytime I went back to the bar, to collect my plate.

Great salad bar and excellent mashed potatoes and gravy as part of the all-you-can eat servings…read more Also good soft ice cream! I got the chicken strips which were very tasty. Service was friendly and helpful! Lighting was a little dark for my tastes. Very affordable. Went away full and happy. Will definitely go again.

KenScale: 8.25/10 Visits: October 2025…read more Since moving to the DC metro area with my wife Jun a few years ago, one of our favorite fall activities has been to drive to Shenandoah National Park to enjoy the fall foliage. We made the same trip recently but it turned out to be a bust. Due to an unusually warm fall, the leaves have not turned color that much, and also with the government shutdown (meaning the park office could not collect entrance fees), the crowd was absolutely packed around hiking trails, with cars parked all over the roads where they were not supposed to be. After a quick hike to the Stony Mountain trail, Jun and I decided to call it a day and head over to get dinner at Sumac, a trailer operation inside Pen Druid Brewing. Little did we know that our experience at Sumac would turn out to the highlight of our trip! Run by chef Dan Gleason and his wife Abigail, Sumac has both a la carte options and a tasting menu at a reasonable $95 per person. If you want to explore the full range of dishes from the trailer, I highly recommend going with the latter. The food comes out in paper plates and you get plastic utensils, but there is nothing modest about the high level of execution displayed by the kitchen, using local ingredients from rural Virginia in a very skillful manner. A starter dish of tomatoes (playfully named Tomatoes' Last Waltz with chewy millets) was a nice surprise, and the grilled eggplant with pepper mayo and XO sauce was one of my favorite dishes from the tasting menu with its smoky flavor and texture that was spot-on. Who knew that a humble combination of napa cabbage, butternut squash and ricotta could create such a wonderful effect together? I certainly gained a renewed appreciation for the delightfully sweet butternut squash from the dish. Picanha steak with Amarosa potato fingerlings as well as black cod with lobster sherry sauce also wouldn't have felt out of place at other high-end restaurants. The desserts from the tasting menu were even more memorable. I was very fond of the pear cake with bay leaf cream (and pear is not even one of my favorite fruits), while Jun savored the acorn squash sundae with apple cider that more or less perfectly captured the fall flavor. If you are inclined to try the tasting menu, advance ticket sales last until the night of Wednesday for the upcoming weekend from Friday through Sunday so definitely plan ahead. You can complement your meal with beer, cider or natural wine options coming from Pen Druid Brewing; a glass of cider that I ordered turned out to be quite a nice pairing to the food. You can either grab an outdoor table behind the kitchen trailer or an indoor table inside the brewery and a staff member will deliver the dishes to you. Sumac was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, and Jun and I are very excited to go back for a constantly changing seasonal menu for more. Who knew that you would find one of the most delicious food trailers in the Virginia countryside?

Amazing pop up (not pop up) behind Pen Druid Brewery. Had the 6 course tasting menu which changes…read moreevery week. Hyper local ingredients and a beautiful location make this a unique and special dining experience. Nice service as well.