This place is fabulous!! The rustic antique feel of the place and the southern variety of the menu. From the rolls, to fried green tomatoes, to the casserole and peach sangria...everything was delicious. The service was great, quick and friendly! This is a little gem that makes you think you've traveled back in time and might be saying out a scene from Fried Green Tomatoes!! (That could explain why they don't have any BBQ dishes) The basement is cool, but does have basement smell. So try to get a table outside or upstairs. However, no matter where you sit, the food will be phenomenal read more

May, 2025. Per their Facebook page, Tavern on the Rail RESTAURANT (2001-2024) is now closed. However, the EVENT BARN, the unique event venue, is in full swing. A new restaurant, Lions Den Restaurant, is now in the space that previously housed the Tavern on the Rail restaurant. They're open for dinners Wednesday-Sunday, 4:00-9:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations suggested. read more

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Our friends had driven past this restaurant in a very rural area and wanted us to try it. I am glad we did. The restaurant is adorable and very quaint. There is an upstairs restaurant with linen table cloths and a lower area that is more casual. We sat upstairs. The food was delicious. Our waiter was not great. He was sporadic in showing up and never came around to see if we wanted to get a second drink. We enjoyed chatting with the manager who was delightful and provided a lot more information than our server. The burger is cheaper downstairs so be aware of that when ordering. I didn't know that. The burger was tasty and I would definitely get it again but from downstairs. read more

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Great place to take a date! Very nice inside And food is great. The owner greeted us and was super sweet. The service is very good. Will be bake soon! read more

Fiends, they are open for lunch again and they do a great job. Beautiful surroundings, friendly staff and good food...a perfect trifecta! We shared fried oysters, frittata, salad, and fries...all were very good, especially the oysters, yes the oysters. Drinks are reasonably priced and all in a bust makes a great experience. You should give Rail Tavern a try! read more

Tavern On the Rail - The outside - American Near Me - Mineral, Virginia

We had high expectations because of what we've heard from various friends. I ordered salmon with a baked potato and marinated fresh vegetables. The salmon was a bit overcooked, the potato was a bit under cooked. The vegetables were good though. For the price I would have put them on the plate vs in a plastic cup. My dining companion ordered prime rib. We were shocked by the price ($50), but I'm sure that's because of Covid. He ordered the garlic mashed potatoes which were very good. The beets were also served cold and in a plastic cup. Honestly, I made fresh beets for dinner tonight and they were much better. We ordered the train wreck dessert. That was really good...ice cream in a waffle bowl with chocolate and caramel drizzle and toffee bits. The ice cream was REALLY good. We're guessing it was Blue Bunny? The service was very good and we will definitely go back. We're thinking about going downstairs to the bar and having burgers. :-) read more

Five stars doesn't seem sufficient for this hidden gem! Don't be fooled by the old, western, general store look of the outside. The inside is intimate and lovely with dim lighting and perfectly set tables. The absolute perfect way to spend a slow evening with plenty of conversation. Our party of six included two kiddos. The bread and butter that came out with our drinks was delectable. The adults all ordered seafood, which was fresh and prepared perfectly. My seafood casserole was unbelievable. My husband's fried oysters were the best we have ever had. As good as, or better than, dinner was the perfect peach sangria. I have never, ever had better sangria anywhere. And finally... dessert. We had cheesecake, which was expertly made with delicious sauces and whipped cream. Our waiter was attentive to our needs, friendly, and knew exactly when to return to our table. The food was all prepared perfectly. The atmosphere is one of a kind. Don't look any further for an amazing, unexpected place to enjoy good company and good food off the beaten path. read more

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Upstairs is "fine" dining, and downstairs is 'casual'. Wonderful food and service either way. Priced well. read more

Finally, they are open for dinner with a full menu! Most of the old favorites are back, including crab cakes, my personal favorite and salmon, my wife's favorite. Service was excellent, the food was great and the decor is still fun. My advice, return or go for the first time. Enjoy. read more

Good just expensive Good for date nights Actually on a rail haha Owner is cool Sea foods a good choice read more

This was an amazing find! We were at Lake Anna Winery for the Renaissance faire. After the faire, we stopped by the visitor center, the guy that worked in there said we must try this place. It was 15 minutes away from where we were. I was sold after he said everything is good at this restaurant. When we first got here, from the outside it looked like one of those typical American restaurants. But the building was historical and the inside atmosphere was very nice and classic. I almost feel like we were so under dressed. All the tables were set and seem like a fine dining place. Our server was very friendly and helpful. she went over the special with us and was very attentive. Bang Bang shrimp was the appetizer on special. I am not exaggerating, this was the best BANG BANG dish I ever had. The crunchiness and sweetness was on point! I ordered the Casserole. It has baby lobster tails, crab meat, shrimp. The flavors were so tasty and all their entrees come with 2 sides. Even their fries was amazing! I don't know who the chef is. At the end of the day, I felt like I just ate at a 5 star restaurant and pay for a fair price. All their entrees price ranging from $17-$25. I would pay more for the quality and the taste of the food here. I had a great meal and definitely recommend give this place a try if you have within 10 miles radius. read more

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Felt like stepping back in time to dine at a civil war era tavern. My group enjoyed the country fried steak and seafood casserole. Sides were delicious. We enjoyed the pickled beats. The flower garnishes were delightful. Service was fast and friendly. read more

Went to the Tavern for dinner on a Thursday, and enjoyed our meal. Kind of feels like a step back in time when you walk in. It wasn't too busy, and service was good. I had the rib-eye steak special, which as the server advertised, was mostly meat and very little fat. For the price, it was one of the better steaks I've had in the central VA area. The side of onion rings was disappointing though. My wife had the seafood platter, with crab cake and shrimp. Shrimp was very good, the crab cake okay. We also had the bang bang shrimp appetizer, which was okay. They have a pretty extensive list of wines by the bottle, and we enjoyed a very good Cline Zinfandel. This place is the definition of the "middle of nowhere", but make the effort and enjoy the drive. read more

Went to half price burger night with friends on a Friday night. It had been a while since I had a burger anywhere and was so happy that this was as good as it was. The ambiance in the newly renovated bar area downstairs was charming and cozy. I have to say the server (there was only one) did an amazing job of covering the bar and the outside guests. She had to go upstairs to get all food-she was fabulous! This burger was delicious, it didn't need anything but salt and pepper. Crispy fries and another side were included (I chose the picked beets; a locale specialty from way back). DJ Chris Rock was playing music and on the terrace, karaoke was in full swing. A nice addition. read more

Very good food, but bring a thick wallet, you will need it. Very pricey. Their barn in the back for special events.... is exactly that, very special. Would highly recommend their barn venue. read more

So finally...we found it...the best restaurant in the Lake Anna area! From the moment we crossed over the railroad tracks and saw this little gem, to stepping inside the year 1837 to eating the food, we were hooked!!! Think the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes"... "Whistle Stop Cafe"! Tavern on the Rail was actually a general store on the rail tracks/stop in 1837. It was remodeled some, though go downstairs to the pub and you will see the original ceiling and walls. The atmosphere and decor in Tavern are so great! Very Civil war era..ish! Loved the cloth tablecloths that are changed out after each customer leaves their table. Our server was very sweet and friendly and brought us a photo album with the Tavern's history as we were asking a lot about the history. I ordered the fried green tomato sandwich which had a slice of cheese and bacon. I did not eat the bread so I could eat my mashed potatoes. Both were amazing!! Hubby ordered the thinly sliced prime rib sandwich with potato salad. Sooo good!! When I saw the dessert tray I knew we had to share a piece of something. We (I) opted for the chocolate caramel turtle pie...chocolate ganache crust...homemade whipped cream on this decadently rich, amazing dessert. The prices are also very good. We were there for lunch...we will go back again...for lunch and for dinner! Cannot wait and are so excited to have found this wonderful gem. read more

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First time here and cannot wait to come back! Service is outstanding. The owner is very friendly and answered all questions we had. My meal was amazing. Grilled shrimp skewers, mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was all cooked perfectly. Looks can be deceiving, upon walking in I was pleasantly surprised. You'd be ok dressing casual here or dressed up. read more

Tavern On the Rail - American Near Me - Mineral, Virginia

How is it possible to go from giving a 5 star to a 2 you ask? It's very easy. The service. I would've given just one star but the food was good. Since I've been to this location before, I'll just keep the details short. We made a reservation for 6:30pm on a Saturday evening. It wasn't busy in comparison to our first visit which the whole restaurant was full and we didn't have a reservation then. Since the restaurant wasn't busy, the hostess asked where we would like to sit, so we sat in the section off the main floor. Now to the service: - we were not greeted by our server - It took ten minutes for our server to get to our table but only because we asked one of the bussers where our server is - She took our drink orders: 1 water, 1 hot tea, 1 red wine. Water was given when our server finally greeted us; 8 minute wait for the red wine; an additional 5 minutes for the hot tea. - After the hot tea, she took our food order; prime rib, salmon, porterhouse - Food arrived about 20 minutes later (which was good) - Our server never came to our table asking how everything was - No water refills or even an offer for refill - We ate as much as we could and were officially done and ready to box our food about a half hour later. - Our server was nowhere in sight so we had to ask another server if we can get some boxes and our bill; at this point, I saw our server come into the restaurant and it looked like she was on her phone during the whole time while we were eating. - Our server came back with boxes and our bill. No offer of dessert. - We boxed our food, paid the bill, and then left. I'm very disappointed that this happened and I was really excited to go back after my first visit here! After this visit, it does not want me to go back.This restaurant could be amazing, but they need to get things straight with their service, more specifically with the server we had. read more

Great place. SO great to be back out in a date with my wife with no masks! Super wait staff and food was very good. Fried oysters were some of the best we've ever had, and couldn't have been more pleased with the pickled beets. And I hated beets as a kid! Less than 30 minutes from Montpelier - it's a great drive. Next time we will have dessert and a drink downstairs. read more

This restaurant never disappoints! The ambiance is amazing. We go there many times without reservations and go to the downstairs. It's wonderful food and service. I think they have an awesome team of wait staff and management. It may be a bit of a drive for some, but entirely worth it! read more

A great experience. Service was excellent and food was delicious. Portions were more than ample. We greatly enjoyed our dinner here and if we are back in the area we would definitely eat here again. read more

Tavern On the Rail - American Near Me - Mineral, Virginia

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Only giving 4stars because it's slightly too expensive for us. The food was good, but the environment and people were what made the experience. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. We had the chilled shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and it came out quickly and was very good! The cocktail sauce was perfect, not too much ketchup but not too spicy either. My husband had the roast beef special, it was a little tougher then he would have liked, but the french fries totally made up for it! He couldn't stop bragging about them! Overall our experience was great and we will certainly be returning! read more

Tavern On the Rail - American Near Me - Mineral, Virginia

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Recommended by a local winery. It was a country store dating back to 1837 and opened as a restaurant in 2001. Great wooden floors and wooden beams in basement bar/dining area. Two divided dining areas in the upstairs with country store decor and a few squirrels, fox and deer heads. We stopped just in time to get a bite at the end of brunch at 2:30. We had the crab cake sandwich and the Smokehouse burger, both came with fries. Sandwiches not overly large, tasty burger with bacon and mushrooms and a good crab cake without filler. Fries were hot, crispy and slightly spiced with old bay. Atmosphere casual, service pleasant and quick. read more

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Came for dinner with a friend...early evening reservations. Seated right away. As we are elderly and don't eat large portions we asked to share a Bang-Bang shrimp appetizer. They were happy to do so and brought it in separate plates (Covid!) I was delicious! I had prime rib, done perfectly--med.rare and my friend had soft shell crabs. He said they were delicious. When I saw hummingbird cake on the dessert tray-- I had to have some. As we were both full, again asked to share. Our cake arrived on separate plates, each individually decorated. As we are not eating out very often these days we are careful. T.ot R. made us feel comfortable. Only question salt and pepper shakers (glass) on the table, not paper throw away. Can't wait to come back. Don't know how we missed you all these years,as we live in Ashland. Will try for lunch also. read more

I went to this restaurant last night for the first time. It might be my new favorite place. The staff were wonderful, the historic building has been beautifully restored and the food was exceptional. You can always tell a consistently good restaurant when the place is full of locals, as this was.i highly recommend it. read more

Been there twice and have loved both meals. We have experienced the prime rib, salmon and shrimp, fried green tomatoes and bang bang shrimp. Food quality was outstanding. Prime rib and salmon cooked to perfection. Love the bang bang sauce - it appears homemade. read more

We went here our first night vacationing on Lake Anna. There were six of us and we were starving and this place happened to be near the lake house. The service was pretty slow, and our server was very unfriendly. She was very impersonal and it appeared like she had better things to do than wait on our table. I don't know if she was having a bad night or what, but it made for a bad start to our dinner. We were sat without a wine list, and the server did not know what kind of beer they sold, so she had to leave to get that info. After we placed our drink orders it took more than ten minutes for them to arrive, and the restaurant wasn't all that busy. The menu had some Virginia classics like ham and ribs, as well as some other steak and seafood items. Most of us got the ribs which were decent but the sauce was a bit off. I don't know exactly what it was, and I'm open to all sorts of BBQ sauce, so for it to not taste all that good says something. When we were finished eating we had to wait quite some time before the server came over. In fact, she never stopped by while we were eating to see how everything was going and if we needed anything. I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're in the area. read more

This place is absolutely amazing; don't be driven away by the outside appearance! The inside is very nice with some interesting decorations. The food is great with very large portions and the desserts are just as good! It's a little off the beaten path, but is absolutely worth it! read more

I have been here twice before and have never felt welcomed. The staff always seemed put out that someone actually made the long drive to come to dine at this restaurant. The food is okay and the only reason we return is because the interior is cute and there are very limited options in the area for dining. We went on Valentine's Day for brunch. We were greeted by "do you have a reservation" by a wait staff member. I said we didn't as we looked around in bewilderment at the almost empty restaurant. They said they had a 'big party' coming in so they couldn't accommodate us. I mean, I understand that if I brought in a party of 8 but, seriously two people? I guess my feeling of feeling unwelcome at this spot were correct. I won't be returning. Further, I'll give that same advice to the many guests we have down at our home. read more

It had been several years since we had dinner at the Tavern. We called @ 5 pm on a Saturday, just to check availability and we were so pleased that they had tables open. The welcome, food and service were all excellent. Although traffic increased shortly after we arrived, the staff was on top of it. Packed when we left at 7 pm, the staff was so gracious when we left. We hope to try brunch. read more

We stumbled on Tavern on The Rail after taking a last minute overnight trip to Spotsylvania. It was a bit of a drive. But well worth it. We arrived on a busy Saturday night around 7. The gentleman who greeted us at the door quickly found us a table. The place is very unassuming from the outside. But inside has a casual elegant vibe. Our server was prompt and knowledgeable. We started with the warm brie. Outstanding. We especially liked the raspberry Chile jam. My wife went with the Mediterranean salad and I With the fried oyster meal. The salad was fresh, crisp, and flavorful. The oysters were cooked perfectly. And I know oysters. We took the chocolate cake back to our air bnb. We are foodies...this place is well worth a visit. We will be back. read more

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We stopped in here for lunch during our travels. It was such a cute and nice place. The food was quite good and the staff were very nice. We will be going again next time we go through! read more

We enjoyed our dining experience very much. The food was good though a little more expensive than expected. Evidently they have a downstairs bar area that you can get burgers and such as well. What really set them apart though we the service, we came in fairly late but they were all friendly and inviting. One warning, this restaurant is in a large house originally built in 1832. read more

Cozy tavern, tucked away. Considered pricey, but entirely worth it! Don't cheat yourself, treat your self, and get dessert!

First time visit was very nice. I'm not a meatloaf fan but my husband is and said it was BEST he has ever had. The mash potatoes were awesome. I had fish and chips and was very good just would of like a little bigger portion. The wait staff was very attentive. Definitely go back again read more

Great food and people were very polite, food was very nice. Just wish they were open more days to give me more options

What a wonderful find!! The food was amazing, service pleasant and attentive. The ambiance is really cool. We walked through the downstairs on our way out and found a charming bar area. And, a resident cat kept sneaking in. Added to our experience seeing the host continually booting this savvy kitty out. read more

Really enjoyed our visit. Went for lunch Saturday. It's a small place and seems like a local gathering spot. Food was delicious. Really cool inside but the outside patio looked very inviting. The food seemed to be cooked when ordered which was great and all desserts are homemade. There was only one server so it moved quite slow but gave us time to chat with family. read more

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Tavern on the Rail is a nice looking place that forgot about the food. this is the best looking restaurant in the Lake Anna Area. a bit dark on the inside for me (I saw one gentleman use his cellphone to read the menu) , but very nice. you will feel underdressed in lake wear (wear short and a t-shirt). The wait staff was excellent and I don't give "excellents" away. But the food was, well, ok. The mussels in herb butter was ok. Some of the mussels were fresh, some were not and a few were not open. The steak was ok. I liked the grilled onions and fresh tomatoes, but if that beef was Angus, I am Thomas Jefferson. The mashed potatoes were great. But the Chicken and white wine gravy was straight from Denny's. thin, dry chicken Mcfillet fried hours earlier. I know this is central Virginia, but Tavern on the Rail shows like a fine dining restaurant, it should serve like one too. read more

Best prime rib ever! Love Friday nights. Wonderful atmosphere!! You have to visit. read more