Ambiance was good. Food was good. Did take a while to get it brought to table but it was worth the wait and very hot. The fried Catfish was unevenly cooked. The this end was well done the thick end wasn't done enough. Would have been better butterflies to make and even slice. The batter was seasoned. The okra could have used some salt.. thevcorn bread was sweet and good. The cheddar grits was perfect and hot. Thick without being to thick. The shrimp and grits was delightful. read more

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Delicious Southern style comfort food right in the heart of Downtown Winchester. I've never had a bad experience at Water Street. I adore their Chicken Fritters and the sauces they have available. The side options are also fantastic. The outside seating (weather permitting) gives som great vibes as you can people-watch the walking mall and no matter how busy, the service is always on point. Also one of the best beer selections at any restaurant downtown. read more

Water Street Kitchen - Chicken Fritters - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

A lovely location on the downtown Winchester walking mall with an outdoor patio. It was chilly today, so we opted to sit indoors. They don't take reservations so be prepared for a wait during busy hours. We were able to get right in and sat at a booth in the front window. Such a great view and amazing service to match. They have a nice selection of beers rotating on tap. I ordered the Chicken Fritters entree which comes with two sides. The chicken was excellent - moist inside and crispy on the outside. Perfection. My sides were a side salad and country green beans which were very good as well. Overall a really solid southern cooking restaurant, will def be back! read more

Water Street Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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Lovely place for lunch or brunch outside on a sunny fall afternoon Food -5/5 We enjoyed the Reuben sandwiches with kraut and with slaw substituted for kraut. The brussel sprouts are very tasty. Friends enjoyed the turkey sandwich -the club sandwich, think Service- 5/5 Our server was very pleasant and also very efficient -advising on the menukeeping our beverage glasses full Facility 3/5 This building has some beautiful old aspects and the outside umbrella-covered seating is very nice -but really, if you want to be a 5-star restaurant -my advice would be to spend the money to give your customers nicer restrooms ! Location 5/5 Great location downtown along the old main street, (converted to a strolling area now) read more

TLDR: Favorite brunch place in Winchester. This is my favorited place to get brunch & lunch. I bring people here all the time to see the alcohol wall and to try their amazing chicken & hush puppies. During beautiful days, Water Street is PACKED & there is a wait time. You can add yourself to their waitlist to get a call when you're next in line. On really busy days, I'll put my name on the list, walk down to the Hideaway Cafe or Espresso Bar & Cafe, grab a coffee, and wait for the text saying my table is ready. It's a "seat yourself" establishment. Parking is always difficult since it's city parking, but you'll find something. Paid meters ($0.75 per hour for red-label meters and $0.50 per hour for blue-label meters) during the week (M - F 9am - 6pm) & free on weekends. There are parking garages, but they're more expensive than the street (obviously). Food (4/5): The food is always so delicious. Love the Sweet Corn Hush Puppies ($8 app), Chicken & Waffle ($17 entree), Sunday Fried Chicken Sandwich ($14 entree), Orange Crush, Ruby Red Crush, and the Blackberry Lemonade! Fav sauce: Georgia Gold. I've been coming here for years, and I can't say I've ever had something I hated. Though I CAN say that the portions are slowly getting smaller and smaller. The Chicken & Waffle is now at 1/4 a Belgium Waffle. The menu says you get a Belgian Waffle, don't let them trick you. It's the IDEA of a Belgian Waffle in the form & texture of an Eggo frozen waffle. Service (3/5): Ok, service is hectic. It's a "seat yourself" establishment. It takes time for someone to come to your table, and when they do, ORDER. If you're inside, don't expect the server to come back soon OR once your food has been delivered. SOMETIMES you get a quick "everything ok?" from your server in passing, but don't expect it because they're always so packed, and they have to keep moving. You won't be getting a water refill if you're inside. Outside is a different story. Outside, it's a lot more laid back and you see your server more often. You can order more drinks & more sides & apps. The vibes are very different. Sit inside or outside based on your mood: hyper (inside) or relaxed (outside). Ambiance (4/5): Water Street used to have CANS and BOTTLES of beer, cider, seltzers, and wine on all the available wall space. It was amazing how wide a selection they had. But now, it's 1 wall half full. I'm not sure what happened or if they moved it or is bringing it back, but that was disappointing to see. They have a can chiller though, it doesn't make up for the missing alcohol wall, but it's really fast. read more

Water Street Kitchen - Chicken & Waffle $17 - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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Right on the walking mall with delightful outdoor dining area. We have visited twice to have breakfast there and have not been disappointed. Pleasant servers and just good food. The breakfasts there are delicious and the portions are generous. We'll be back to check their other meals. Give this place a try. I think that you will love it... read more

The food here was good but not great - a solid spot if you're in the busy area of the city and don't want to wait a long time. The service wasn't the best - probably because they were busy. Ambiance was great. read more

We had brunch there on 1/26/2025. My wife had the chicken and waffles. Chicken was crispy and tender. Delicious. Waffle was very good but she found the shape and size to be odd but nonetheless very tasty. I had the country fried steak with roasted potatoes and sunny side up eggs. I would not order this again. The steak itself was crispy and tender. The sausage gravy was tasty. Eggs were cooked perfectly. The oven roasted potatoes were disappointing. They didn't seem to be made from fresh potatoes. They had a weird texture. If I go back, I will not order the oven roasted potatoes. Our server initially brought me the wrong order. I informed them of their mistake and they brought me the correct order in a few minutes. read more

Water Street Kitchen - Country fried steak - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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We tried the Ruben & Chicken Salad sandwiches, both were huge portions and delicious. I really liked the side salad with poppy dressing. I enjoyed that they only sell vintage styled sodas and they have them on display on the walls. read more

Water Street Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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I had chicken with waffle and eggs as side. Quality of food is very good. Service is excellent. Menu has quite a bit of great choices. Lots of great side dishes. read more

Water Street Kitchen - Chicken with waffle - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

Server "lost" the paper she wrote our order on. After 15 minutes, a different server took our order again. Food arrived 90 minutes since we walked in and didn't come out together. I left with mine in a to-go box. Unimpressed. read more

Excellent service and generous, fresh menu selections. This has become a favorite place.

5 of us went to Water Street for lunch on Sunday 9/7 early in the day. My friend said her reuben sandwich was great! AND all 5 of us really appreciated the wonderful server. Unfortunately, others of us did not have a good experience food wise. The grits were very cold, the tomato soup (3 of us had it) was honestly too thick to even eat. One person received 2 side items she had not even ordered. Eggs ordered over medium were runny. Seems the kitchen was NOT running well. We will try them again but it sure was not a positive experience. read more

This might be the best restaurant we have in Winchester. Everything is cooked beautifully every single time. The selection of entrees is small so I could see where some people might prefer this as more of a brunch or lunch spot for sandwiches or salads. However the entrees they do offer are all outstanding. Tonight my mom had the crabcakes (she asked for them extra well done and they came out perfect). I had the fried shrimp, absolutely delicious, and a large enough portion I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Whatever you order you have to get a side salad and try their poppyseed dressing, it's SO good. We've been here many times and never had a bad meal. Service is outstanding. Whether you sit inside or outside on the patio you will be well taken care of. We've had some pretty disappointing meals downtown but Water Street is one place we will continue to come back to again and again for the excellent food and service! read more

A great option for lunch in Winchester. We had fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. I had catfish with brussels sprouts and green beans, with some cornbread. It was all very good. The place was very busy, and our server didn't check in with us as often as we would have liked (she did apologize for being MIA). I would go back though. I didn't have any alcohol but they had Bourbon County Stout on draft! Quite unusual. Cramped space but homey at the same time. read more

Water Street Kitchen - Beer menu - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

More like a 4.5. Ambience was a 5, with its location on Winchester's Loudon street/ traditional downtown walking mall. Food was a 4.5, with excellent crab cakes and a decent shrimp cocktail, accompanied by an excellent local beer. The chocolate dessert torte was out of this world! Service was also very good. A new favorite! read more

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Visited this restaurant again when coming to town to visit friends. Our first visit was excellent. This visit was meh. We were seated right away (party of 5) in the back room with another party of maybe 12 people. It was so loud in there we couldn't hear each other. The acoustics were terrible low and really hampered my ability to enjoy myself. The food was also meh. My husband had meatloaf and I had a crab cake meal. The crab cake was tasty but it was less crab and more breading. Not what I was wanting for what I paid. The meatloaf was dense and not very flavorful. The PB pie was nothing special though tastes good. It was like one you buy from the frozen food section. Frankly disappointing this go and not sure we'll go back. The server was great though. Kept us refilled on drinks and was attentive. read more

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We stopped here for brunch on our trip to Winchester. It's a cute, historic cafe with good-sized portions and a homey bar. You can have a drink there or buy a mixed six of beer or wine with a host of selections from local wineries and breweries. Whenever I travel south, I need to get some grits and biscuits. Water Street had both along with a special daily quiche. I had the crab quiche, which was fluffy and cheesy and perfect for a light brunch. I'm not sure if this can be validated or not, but our tour guide at the Patsy Cline museum also said the original restaurant had been owned by Patsy's mother, if you want to add it to your tour of Winchester. read more

Water Street Kitchen - crab quiche with cheese grits and salad - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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Great food and service. Cami was great. Atmosphere was good as well. Thoroughly enjoyed our selves

This food is great!! and last time I went my server FANTASTIC her name was Ashley!! And she was the best she honestly was fast and so sweet to my 3 kids and it's so good read more

Wandering Winchester Old Town. Out of aaalll the interesting places we could have lunch, we picked this place. Nothing above and beyond to impress as a "wow" factor. Food is decent. Nothing real fancy but what they have is good quality. Service is prompt. Nothing especially remarkable. Just "good enough "service. It. The ambience is interesting with giant windows that are open to the Old Town walking mall. Not sure this is a big call back place for me but no regrets. read more

passing through Virginia from Tampa was staying in Winchester and wanted a healthy option. Food was very good and the server, Jamie was attentive and extremely personable. He accommodated my dairy allergy and was super friendly. read more

We love visiting Winchester! Food: Cobb salad was soooo good. Huge, fresh salad with freshly grilled chicken (actually on a grill). Best Reuben sandwich I think we've ever tasted (lean corned beef and not overly buttered). Corn bread gets two thumbs up from hubs (who I particular about cornbread). Drinks: margarita was perfect, salty and not sweet. Hubs old fashion was a bit too sweet for our taste, so that's my only ding. Service: Friendly, quick Such a quaint homestyle restaurant that doesn't skimp on portions, is clean and the menu is superb! Can't wait to visit again! read more

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Great location, great staff (mostly), great decor, and most importantly, great food! I've been to this place quite a few times now most of the time I get a really good host or hostess. There was two times where the hostess were a little rude and short. But overall great staff great service very friendly. The food is absolutely delicious! I've had the crabcakes, the fried shrimp platter, fish, and chips, and their tater tots. Easily the best thoughts I've ever had in my entire life. The crabcakes were super delicious. You can tell that it's made with fresh crab. If it's the imitation crab, they're doing a great job impersonating a real crab lol. Their drink menu is pretty great as well. Highly recommend the black walnut old-fashioned. There's some indoor seating, which is good as the weather changes. Great outdoor seating. Only downside is the parking situation. Generally have to park pretty far if you get there at certain times, but it's a nice little area to walk around in. I highly recommend this place for any occasion read more

Fantastic food. Friendly service. Best hush puppies we've ever eaten. Good value too and quaint interior.

In town to house hunt and our agent suggested we have lunch here. It.did.not.disappoint! Lovely little place with inside and outside seating, ciders one 1 wall, wines on another, along with various other items. Full bar. Service super friendly. Food was epic! I had the quiche and it came with a salad and a side(I chose fruit). Ginormous portions. We also got their hush puppy appetizer and hubs got the grilled cheese and soup combo. He's a grilled cheese snob and he said it was exactly how he likes his grilled cheese and the cup of soup was completely emptied - I'm sure he would have licked the sides of the cup had we not been in public Definitely check this place out! read more

Love the food and prices here! The outdoor seating is nice. Indoors is a bit tight as far as seating goes. They have a wine wall which is cool. Service can be hit or miss - which could happen anywhere, I guess. The portions are a great value and the food is homemade! read more

Service is phenomenal and the food is even better! I do recommend being prepared for a wait, but it's 100% worth it

We went to Water Street kitchen as an early Easter dinner with our distant family. We all met in the town of Winchester, which was almost the midway point for everyone. At water Street they gave us a private room that was cozy, had a small fireplace, and very eclectic art. The service was absolutely amazing...I wish I could remember our servers name... the food could be classified as southern, and everything was wonderful. The menu range from collard greens to chicken and waffles to BLTs. The town of Winchester was adorable and we explored it a little bit with our free time. There are quite a few small shops and places to get ice cream surrounding the restaurant, so check it out if you have a chance. read more

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Some of the best down home southern inspired comfort food can be found at Water Street Kitchen in Old Town Winchester VA. They have craft beer on draft, in bottles and cams OH MY! The food is spot on and the service is better. If you are a craft beer fan like me, this is a good stop. They have some very awesome brews on draft. Was most impressed by the walls of craft beer. Okay, maybe more impressed by the food which surprised me. And when I say southern inspired I mean it. Great food here. As I was making the rounds in Winchester, many I spoke to said I shouldn't leave Winchester unless I stopped here. So glad I did. If you are in Old Town Wichester, within 20 miles of Winchester and want some solid comfort food accompanied by great service and an awesome election if craft beer, you should stop here. read more

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Wonderful staff and amazing food! Best reuben I've had in a decade! And the fries are quite the treat!!!! Definitely will be back!

We loved everything about Water Street Kitchen. The staff is super friendly and attentive, the sauces on the table are delicious. Highly recommend the fried green tomatoes, crispy Brussels sprouts and the collard greens. Wish they would open for dinner because we would have all of our meals there. I would eat an entire basket of corn bread with that good butter if it was place in front of me. This is the only restaurant I would return to in this area. read more

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A local friend recommended this place for lunch as we head down to Skyline drive. Haven't been in Winchester since high school marching band days. The pedestrian mall was very nice. This place had great outdoor seating. Grabbed a table for the six of us. Promptly brought waters. Great service. Interesting menu. Starter: hush puppies. Some of the best I've ever had. Small. Perfectly fried. Meals The kids split a side dish plate which was perfect. Bacon, eggs and Belgian waffle Reuben sandwich was devoured. Split the avocado toast and fruit. You didn't break your teeth on the toast. That's a nice. Tomato basil soup was great. read more

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Out of Pilsner and out of meatloaf... complete disaster when you make a special trip for the meatloaf

Busy day for this place today but still food is 100% on par!!!!! Compliments to the servers (Sydney was ours) All are turning over tables fast as possible but without a "rush" to get out. Awesome stop on the Bloom walk today!! read more

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Walked into this place 5 minutes before closing. They were so welcoming! Super cute and cozy place right in the middle of the pedestrian historic district. Superb black walnut old fashion, fried green tomatoes and blackened catfish! read more

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Simple, Southern-style food, reasonably priced. We started with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes. Hard to go wrong with these, and they did not disappoint. And the variety of house-made sauces at the tables added interest. I especially liked the "Boom Boom Sauce". In addition to the sandwiches and salads there are the entrees that come with 2 sides and cornbread. There are 21 sides to choose from - plenty of variety. Another option is 3 sides plus cornbread for $14. I got the fried catfish with collard greens and roasted potatoes. Good size portion (a large piece and a small). The batter was extremely crunchy and slightly too thick in relation to the fish inside. That's a minor issue. The bigger problem was my own doing: I liked those sauces so much that I overwhelmed the flavor by using them to excess! Collard greens were unimpressive and a bit overcooked. The roasted potatoes were excellent and a surprisingly large portion which I didn't finish. The cornbread wasn't to my liking: fine-crumbed and too dense. Others may disagree. The DW got country style meatloaf with brown gravy. Sides of mashed potatoes and crispy brussels sprouts. She liked it. I can't comment on meatloaf or mashed potatoes (not a fan of either) but I did try the brussels sprouts and they were excellent: crispy without being burnt or dried-out. They have an amazing beer collection and two of the walls are covered, nearly floor to ceiling, with bottles and cans. I wish I liked beer. I did see several varieties of hard cider of which I am a fan, but by then we had both ordered glasses of wine. These are only identified by the variety (Cabernet, Pinot, etc.), not the vintner. They should work on their wine offerings, though both of our glasses were above average for house wines. The beer walls add a lot of interest to the room, truthfully. Overall it was a cozy, attractive room; intricate woodwork, tin ceiling, a nice, relaxing place to eat. There was a TV but thankfully it was not turned on. I'm giving this 5 stars in spite of the food which was not quite up to my ideal of perfection. The reasons include the excellent waitperson, very reasonable prices, plenty of options for next time, and the fact that they didn't change to a "special" menu for the holiday (New Year's Eve) which many places do for their own convenience, to the detriment of the customers. read more

What a very nice experience. Had a fun time at lunch. the quiche was very tasty. I also enjoyed the Brussel sprouts. thanks for having those as an option. read more

This is a great breakfast location! Six of us walked in when they opened at 10am on Monday. There is some outdoor seating and indoor seating. The breakfast menu is not extensive but quite good. My wife got a large waffle with a topping and I had eggs, bacon and fruit. It was a large serving size for both and they were really good!! They also keep all the coffee mugs full. The waitress was very nice and attentive. This is a really good place to give a shot if you are looking for a sitdown breakfast. They also have a LOT of different beers on shelves to buy as well! read more

Water Street Kitchen - Inside view - Southern Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

On our travels from TN back to home in CT, we stopped for the night in Winchester, and found this little gem for our dinner. It's in the historical section of town which is a short ride off of the interstate. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and our server Edee made us feel right at home. Started with some cocktails (black walnut old fashioned and a Ruby Red Crush) and then the main event - fried chicken and a grilled cheese with tomato soup - two excellent choices on a cool evening. Everything was delicious!! Definitely looking forward to our next road trip and a stop here! read more

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