Everything was great but it was a little upsetting that we were seated at a corner round table with…read morethe last chair sitting partly in the entrance door of the room. It was even more awkward because there were many empty tables in the bigger dining room and only one other party was seated there. We were also a party of 4. But the service and the food were awesome. We had appetizers of a very savory and huge pretzel with beer cheese and mustard sauces to dip it in. And sausage sampler's. Also very tasty. We decided to go there to honor my youngest son, Shane, who passed away a few years back, for what would have been his 52nd birthday. It was a wonderful experience and memory of past visits there with him and his family.

The hostess asked if we had a reservation. We didn't. She said she would seat us at the last open…read moretable they had. We were seated right by the kitchen (noise & server traffic). The entire meal I was looking at three empty tables across the dining room. The area is cramped. The wallpaper is peeling. There is grime on the bathroom doors. The view into the kitchen is unglamorous. Our server was reserved and underwhelming. I asked her what she could suggest for a vegetarian. There is one dish - with mushrooms. I asked if the green beans were cooked with ham. She said no and asked if I had food allergies. No allergies - I said I don't eat ham. The server said the beans had stewed tomatoes & mushrooms. I asked if they could leave the mushrooms off. She said, "Yes, if you pick them off." What? I ordered the French onion soup. I told the server I don't eat meat but I can tolerate beef broth. That was her invitation to say they use pork broth in the soup, but she didn't. Hubby ordered the Jager Schnitzel. He enjoyed the veal. The red cabbage was his favorite (he pulled out a bay leaf). The French onion soup tasted off. The creamed corn had three huge pieces of what I assume were husks. Otherwise it was good. The green beans were decent. I picked out the mushrooms. We were overlooked in the back. Hubby asked for a manager when he noticed I wasn't eating my soup. We were surprised that our server was the manager. There wasn't anything in her demeanor that demonstrated leadership or being outgoing. She removed the soup charge off the bill. When we had gaps in service, we asked another server for help (sharp knife, bag, lemons). Paying was a challenge. It is easy to be overlooked in the back of the restaurant. When we left, the hostess asked how we enjoyed the meal. I started to share. She said, "I'm still talking." I wish we hadn't gone inside. The idea of visiting the Bavarian Chef was much better than the actual experience.

They stayed open for 15 minutes while we finished our dinner, very much appreciated! The hush…read morepuppies were a little well done, but the butter/margarine combination had great flavor. The mashed potatoes were great too. The steak had a lot of fat on it, but it's not like this was a 5 star $100 steakhouse.

I would like to update my review from 7 years ago. We went…read moreto lunch at Southern Kitchen yesterday. The food was great and the service was spot on!

So glad a friend recommended this spot after camping. Had the best huevos rancheros on the east…read morecoast! The woman that greeted us was very kind as was our server. And have to mention the beautiful rosemary bush outside was the right dose of aroma therapy I needed, that and my delicious dirty chai latte! Perfect experience. Wish I lived in the area to keep trying everything on the menu. Highly recommend!

coffee full of grounds and discovered a lovely little hair stuck to the bottom of my potato boat…read more service was awkward and inconsistent. weird vibes

We came in on a Sunday morning after church, great food, great service, everyone was super…read morefriendly. The waitress ever brought out little toddler fork for our daughter to eat her breakfast with. The sausage gravy was the best I've ever had! The atmosphere was very homey and we loved all the pictures on the walls. Definitely a family friendly place. We will be back.

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.

Cute little shop and restaurant with apple cider donuts…read more They have some outdoor seating and indoor seating. The food is classic breakfast and diner food. There is a long line to order food but there is also a second check out line that moves faster if you're just buying drinks and donuts. Lots of cute stuff around outside to look at too. Friendly staff.

Delicious food, very cute and big gift shop, and the other side has a pub that actually was very…read morecharming. The food was super good and the price is also good. I would recommend not going near closing time we got there at 7:15 and they close at eight. The lady who took our order was affable enough, but the people who brought out the food were obviously grumpy that there were orders coming in still. Some people ordered takeout at 7:45 and I think I saw steam come out of her ears. The barbecue pulled pork sandwich was great and it comes with two sides - the mac & cheese was delicious and so was the coleslaw. My friend got the grilled cheese brisket, which was great, but only came with prepackaged chips. My other friend got a BLT, which did not have mayonnaise on it, but luckily there's a condiment bar.. Her potato salad did not have much flavor.. We did get apple cider donuts to go and they are delicious

Every time I am up this way, I make sure I come to Thunderbird Cafe. Service, atmosphere and most…read moreimportantly the food is excellent as always! -Thank you Cheyenne, great service.

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

Seriously amazing sandwiches. Be forewarned: you will have to wait, but it is so worth it! Plus,…read morethe place is charming

When they first opened I ordered (take-out) a burger cooked rare. When wife brought it home I…read morefound that they had burnt it to a cinder. It was so inedible that I threw it in the trash and ate just the bread. I later complained but they ignored my complaint. I live a mile away but why would I ever go back there again?

There's just something about a small diner that draws me in. I love walking into a place where…read moreyou're greeted with a smile and a friendly hello--almost like you're Norm walking into Cheers. It's that feeling of being welcomed, appreciated, and treated like more than just another customer. Hawksbill Diner is just that kind of place. My family doesn't get there very often, but every time we do, we are treated with such a level of respect, kindness, and friendliness that you just don't find everywhere anymore. The food is good--nothing fancy, just good, old-fashioned, home-cooked country cooking. My only complaint would be that the diner is small inside and parking is limited. It's often busy, so definitely plan ahead. But even when they are very busy, the wait usually isn't long, and the service is still wonderful. I really appreciate places like this--good food, friendly people, and that comfortable "come on in and sit a spell" feeling. That's what keeps people coming back. If you're looking for a little hometown diner with good country cooking and genuinely friendly service, Hawksbill Diner is worth a stop!

Pretty solid diner! Service was quick and our waitress was very attentive! Their breakfast sausage…read moreand biscuit with gravy were delicious!

Just moved to town and have been twice because of the value. Salad bar is great and the servers…read morehave been friendly. Inside is dated but for the value it's a good old school salad bar!

1- when you walkin and front door is filthy. It puts a bad taste in your mouth…read more 2 - the waiter we had was kind of aloof. He did not mention that the salad bar came with our meal and we sat there for a good 10 minutes that we could've been enjoying a salad. 3-. Extremely dark in the restaurant. 4- only saving Grace the food was quite good, the country fried steak and the meatloaf were acceptable pics. 5- bottomless soup was advertised, but we could not find soup on the bar, which was disappointing 6- $47 for lunch for two people was a bit pricey for the amount of food that we received

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?

Sumac is such a neat concept! It is a wood fired kitchen just steps away from the Pen Druid…read morebrewery. You can grab some yummy beers and then partake in the Sumac menu. We came in early May and sat outside because it's so scenic there. The timing didn't quite work out for us to do the tasting menu, but we tried the potatoes, boo chop, black bass and pork belly. Everything was delicious and so interesting! My favorite bite was the perfectly seared black bass with such tender and flaky filet. It was served over a berry vinaigrette that was as pretty as it was yummy. My husband's favorite bite was the pork belly, which was smoked and decadent. It was served over a whey caramel and fermented oats, which was similar to a natto without the funky smell. It was jam packed with umami flavor and super interesting. I also liked the potatoes, which was cooked in pork fat and delicious, and the bok choy.