Anyone who knows coffee and lives within a 50 mile radius of Trager Brothers in Afton (also a…read morelocation in Lovingston) has literally zero reason for not making this roaster and coffee shop a regular pilgrimage site. To paraphrase the Beatles, there's nothing I can say that can't be said, but man do I love, love, love this place. Excellent whole bean offerings, roasted to perfection by expert roasters. Delicious hot and iced coffee and espresso drinks that simply can't be replicated anywhere nearby--including, sadly, in my home town of Staunton (hey, Trager Brothers! There's a huge opportunity for expansion in the Queen City!). And top all that off with sublime, informed, and incredibly friendly front of house staff. Yeah, it's a little hard to find, but anything worth having is worth looking for. And in this age of googling and Apple mapping and whatnot, there's no excuse for not availing yourself to the BEST coffee in central Virginia. Y'all who might have read some of my other reviews will know: I usually have a minor nit to pick with even my five stars. Not so with the Brothers Trager, fam. Enter their shop and be greeted by the heavenly aroma of roasting coffee, the whir of a burr grinder, the quiet scream of a steaming wand, the genuine smile and friendly greeting of the barista. Now, you tell me: how could you possibly find a quibble worth the scribble?

Absolutely fabulous coffee. We drive this road in the way to visit family and we will stop there…read moreEvery Time going forward. Spouse had Sumatran coffee and I had a latte. Highly recommended. We watched someone roast coffee while we waited for my latte. I will order their beans online. Yum.

Super cute little market with lots of yummy desserts and food prepped in house. Definitely…read morerecommend the edible Reese's cookie dough (in the fridge). I didn't try a sandwich but the menu looked good.

Love Love this place. So much goodies to choose from. The sandwiches are fabulous! I'm tempted to…read morestop there daily. Gotta use self control.

Good coffee and pastries. Pizza and salad was great as well! Friendly and helpful staff! The…read morequality ingredients are evident. Exceeded all of my expectations! We will be back!

Another great pizza and dining experience. Such a great place. I have owned property in…read moreWintergreen for 30 years. Several businesses have occupied this space. Fire and Frost are doing a great job and I hope they last.

Devil's Backbone, like a good story, doesn't try too hard--and that's exactly why it works…read more We wandered in for an early dinner, the kind of stop you tell yourself will be quick and sensible. But the beer had other ideas. As expected, it was excellent--cold, confident, and clearly in no mood to be rushed. Everything was clean and orderly. The burger arrived and did not disappoint. Honest, well-made, the sort of meal that reminds you why you ordered it in the first place. My wife's brisket sandwich, meanwhile, was everything brisket ought to be--tender, rich, and just indulgent enough to feel like a reward rather than a mistake. Fries came alongside, hot and crisp, doing their job without complaint or ceremony. And then, on the way out--as these things tend to happen--we stopped at the bar. That's where we met Vance. What followed was less a quick cocktail and more a conversation with drinks attached. The cocktails were excellent, but the company made them memorable. Vance makes a great adult beverage. All in all, Devil's Backbone isn't just a place to eat and drink. It's a place where a simple plan quietly turns into a better evening than you expected.

Devils Backbone has more business going on in the warmer weather. We visited at Christmas. The main…read morerestaurant and gift shop was open. There were outside fire pits. During the summer, there are BBQ areas and lots of out door seating. A large outside stage has bands and entertainment. There is a campground and RV area with shared shower houses. The camping area is year round. The gift shop has outdoor colors (forest green, browns) tops and sweatshirts. The long sleeved t-shirts are $29. The short sleeved tye died shirts were my favorite. The restaurant has the "resident" stuffed bear. At the entrance. We were expecting a 15 min wait but were seated earlier. The menu has a beer and beverage menu. The dining menu has burgers, fries and vegetarian items. We enjoyed hot chocolate. Our friends had sandwiches and fries. I enjoyed the vegan chili. It was delicious. Spiral noodles didn't work in the Mac and cheese. The place wasn't crowded. I bet that the grounds would be crowded with guests during the summer.

The mountains will do a lot of things for a marriage--fresh air, quiet, perspective--but they will…read morenot, under any circumstances, fix bad coffee. We were tucked in down near Devils Backbone Brewing Company, enjoying the kind of getaway folks put on postcards. My coffee, however, was less postcard and more field exercise--Army strong, boiled on a camp stove, poured out of a percolator that's likely seen more campaigns than I have. My wife took one sip and gave me that look... the one that says, "I love you, but this is unacceptable." So we broke camp early and pointed ourselves back toward civilization. About three miles down the road she spotted Belties. Now I've driven past that place more times than I can count, back when it looked like an old house that had just given up on things. But somebody got hold of it and turned that sow's ear into something you'd be proud to show company. We pulled in, and right off the bat--you could tell--they knew what they were doing. Service was quick, friendly, no fuss. The kind of place where nobody's trying too hard, which is usually when things turn out just right. The food? Lord have mercy. Every bit of it. And the atmosphere--well, it had character without trying to beat you over the head with it. That's a rare combination these days. Most places either feel like a museum or a storage unit. This one felt like the establishment wanted you to relax. And the coffee... now that was coffee. Not punishment in a cup. The kind you sit with for a minute and reconsider your life choices--like why you ever thought campfire tar water was a good idea. We'll be back. For the coffee, sure--but I've got a feeling we won't be leaving empty-handed next time. There'll be a goody bag involved. Maybe two. Some lessons you learn the hard way. Others come with a good cup of coffee and a smart woman who knows when to say, "Pull in right there

Located in Nellysford, VA on the increasingly famous Rt 151, Belties is about the only place you…read morecan find breakfast food outside your own kitchen. Being near Wintergreen Resort it draws a diverse crowd of tourists and locals, and the prices reflect that. The day we visited (Sunday at noon) there was a steady flow of guests. The line would get long but diminish quickly. The staff was super friendly and brought the food out quickly. The menu includes biscuit and pastry centered creations. The biscuits are huge and flaky. The pastry I tried was also delicious. The atmosphere they are going for is farm chic. The downside is it all comes off a little contrived. A pen with 4 Scottish Beltie cows and a small barn in the back by the parking, but a glance to the left you see not a rolling farm, but a standard ranch style house that must endure the constant traffic. The food is good, but not $13 chicken biscuit good. I ordered the Whoa Nelly ( biscuit with fried chicken, fried tomato, pimento cheese, and habanero jam). Thankfully I got the jam on the side bc it was a bit too spicy for me. I also fear that it would have been the only thing I would have tasted. The biscuit was good as was the chicken, but I could not taste the tomato or the pimento cheese at all. If I had added that jam it would have overwhelmed everything. The Chicken Pot Pie featuring a biscuit as the crust was a good choice. A crusty biscuit resting atop a rich creamy chicken and veg filling. It could have used a bit more savory seasoning, but overall a solid choice. The big question: would I return? Yes, but I am not going to go out of my way. It's decent food but overpriced for what it is.

Seriously a hidden gem! We attempted to go to breakfast across the street and it was mobbed, so we…read morewent across the street here. It's hidden in the plaza and was not crowded at all. They have scones and muffins on display, as well as quiche and some pies, and a few other savory breakfast and lunch items. They also have a huge cheesecake listing that gives the Cheesecake Factory a run for its money. I got the bacon Swiss quiche. It was delicious! It had a ton of seasoning that was almost pizza like, with oregano. The owner is very nice. There's not a lot of seating inside but there are tables outside.

Sweet Bliss Bakery is located down a little alley besides the IGA. It isn't easy to find, and it…read moreis easy to miss in the plazas sign. But, it's worth it. I wandered in here because of the excessive lines across the street on Mother's day. It is a smaller bakery, though they have an amazing selection of cheesecake. I grabbed a muffin and a tea, while my wife got a quiche. The muffin was good. They've got an interesting selection of teas, which was fun -- I got a black tea, Scottish breakfast, which tasted just like English breakfast. Everything was good, the staff are friendly, there's no wait, and the prices are good. Find the place.

The seasonal options are awesome here every time we come and the service is exceptional!read more

Brandon was an amazing bartender!! Made the night worth the drive :) Veronika, Ian, and Leah made…read moreus feel so welcome!!

We have stopped at this store several times and it's not been the cleanest bathroom, but we still…read morecontinued making this our halfway point when traveling to Lynchburg. This past weekend we were shocked to find a quarter machine on the public bathroom. Who carry's cash anymore? I went back out to my car to find a quarter to use the restroom and thought ok this must be pretty clean now. Oh no it had paper on the floor. Toilet was disgusting. If you're going to make people pay to use a public bathroom, then I would suggest making it cleaner. This will be our last visit there.

Went in with my three year old REALLY needing to use the bathroom. Rude woman behind the counter…read moreabsolutely refused to let us use the bathroom. Sign said out of order and she wouldn't let us use the employee one. I begged her for my sons sake and she couldn't have cared less. Didn't even apologize. FWIW we were clean, polite and respectful. WHAT is wrong with people? Who lets small children have accidents when they know they're the only bathroom in the middle of nowhere??

Delicious food! Delicious wine! Amazing cheese! And they…read morespoiled my puppy! The staff was so nice too! 100 percent will make the drive again!

This adorable & quaint cottage is tucked between a hardware store and a barbecue truck directly off…read moreof Highway 151. I had been excited to visit this restaurant since hearing such great things about it - it did not disappoint! The menu changes daily so check the website to ensure you like what's being offered. Most often you will. All entrées are served with a salad and bread, and the same sides of a starch and vegetable. This Saturday night I had the yellowfin tuna and it was so tender and cooked perfectly. M husband had the chicken, and while he does not prefer chicken thighs he really enjoyed his meal. We enjoyed a glass each of "house" Pinot noir and since wine is what they do very well it was a great choice since we didn't want a whole bottle. The ambience is country comfort and the service was charming and welcoming. This is after all a small town; the food quality was fresh and delicious. Will be back, and next time with friends.

We are staying across the street in our RV at another brewery and we saw on yelp that there was a…read moreCidery close by and it turns out it was less than half a mile so we absolutely had to check it so we walked over. We are not sad that we did. This place is amazing. The cider is top notch and the barbecue is spot on. Definitely try the ribs and if you're a collard green fan, they are pretty fantastic. They're not like the collard greens in the deep south, but they got game. The cider is very well done!!!

The Blue Toad Trip was the maiden voyage for my wife and me in our recently completed cargo…read moreconversion--and it set the bar high. The hosts were super communicative and easy to work with. The setting was exceptional: perched beside the cidery with a pasture stretching out nearby, it had that perfect mix of open space and laid-back charm. For a first outing, I don't have much to compare it to, but it's hard to imagine a better start. Connectivity was surprisingly excellent--we were pulling 5G UW, which felt like a small miracle and made everything easier. The location couldn't have been more convenient, with trails, venues, and restaurants all close at hand. The cidery itself offered around two dozen options, and the Imperial Peach quickly became our go-to libation. And yes, they've got a happy hour at the cidery--and you already know that's my favorite time of day. Within three miles, you've got IGA, the ABC store, and Beltie's, while Devil's Backbone sits right across the street. The on-site BBQ Beast delivered exactly what you'd hope for--no surprises, just solid, satisfying fare. We lucked into something special during our stay, landing right in the middle of a migration path. One morning alone brought the sights and sounds of over 25 bird species--nature putting on a full show. All told, it's a fantastic place to boondock. We enjoyed it enough to tack on an extra night, which says plenty. Here's hoping the rest of our adventures measure