I came in forlunchh and picked up a Friday special plate with meatloaf, green beans deviled eggs, and Cole slaw. Good ole southern food. The green beans needed a little salt but everything else was perfect right off the plate. Out waitress was super nice and the meal was a great price. The Derby is old school inside and outside, but I tend to have decent food here and always good service. read more

Derby Restaurant - Meatloaf, green beans, slaw, and deviled eggs. - Steakhouses Near Me - Mount Airy, North Carolina

We arrived around 3 pm on Saturday afternoon. For that time of day, the restaurant had good number of customers, at least 50% occupied. The walls were adorned with a variety of mounted fish. Home cooking! Food was good. Ordered "all you can eat" salt and peppered catfish. Plate came with to large pieces of fish, two sides and hush puppies. Catfish was lightly battered and delicious. Waitress asked if we'd like more catfish... we had to say "no". My partner finished his plate. My fish was so big that I was only able to eat one piece! Service was good, and prices were more than reasonable. I highly recommend The Derby Restaurant. read more

I love this place,the food is great! They have the best coffee around. When it comes to good friendly service this is your place!

The Derby Restaurant in Bannertown, NC has truly stood the test of time! This place has been around since 1937, and I honestly can't believe it's still here. I used to come to The Derby with my grandfather back in the late 70s and early 80s--it was his absolute favorite spot. I hadn't been here since the late 80s, but I'm in town visiting family and we decided to stop in for dinner tonight. Walking through the door immediately took me back. The inside looks almost exactly like it did decades ago, and that nostalgic charm made the experience even more special. It's like time has stood still here in the best way possible. I ordered the Thursday Special--chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, applesauce, and hushpuppies. The food came out quickly and was just as delicious as I remember. Great food, great value, and a truly special place that still feels like home. If you're in the area, this is a must-visit--classic comfort food served with a side of sweet memories. read more

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Went with my family for lunch on 12/12. Everything was great! From the tea to my country style steak and veggies... all was excellent. The price point was equally as pleasing. I don't understand the negative comments on here. Coming from a definite food snob this place is great! Try the good ole derby dressing on your salad. It doesn't disapoint read more

A true Classic! We visited Mt. Airy for the day and stopped in at the Derby for dinner. This place has been around for years. Food is very inexpensive; I don't think there was any menu item over $11. It's a small circular restaurant. Staff was attentive. I had the chicken fingers and fries and a side of bacon. He had the country fried steak. They offer dinner specials every night so if you look online you can see what the special is. For example- Thursday special is meat and 3 veg under $10! It was like this place is frozen in time. My only issue with the place is that is VERY dark inside. You can't see the floor. So if you drop something, consider it gone...... read more

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I don't like none of the options they are dry and unseasoned and it's just nasty overall

Food is always great, breakfast lunch or dinner. Many different selections for home-style food. Building is historic and really cool. Building does show its age but not in a bad way. Just a nice, home-feeling diner. Staff have always been fast and courteous. Young man named Leeland was exceptionally courteous. read more

My visits to the Derby Restaurant are too few and far between! On this weekend, my Mount Airy High School class was holding our Class Reunion, so I seized the opportunity to go to The Derby for lunch! This photo shows you the view of our awesome lunch, of Veggie Egg Omelette, Grits, Black-eyed Peas, Applesauce, Wheat Toast, Hushpuppy's (all my lunch) and Meatloaf, Cooked Apples, Green Beans and (the other lunch)! Plus, we both had iced tea to wash it down! IT WAS ALL TERRIFIC!!! In addition, we had a fantastic waitress, Candace, who answered all of our questions, delivered our food in a timely manner and made sure that we were pleased with everything we had! And all of this was at a most reasonable price. Finally, the setting was fun, so that everything added up to the perfect meal and visit! read more

Derby Restaurant - This is the meal we received! - Steakhouses Near Me - Mount Airy, North Carolina

Service was very good. Food meh. Chicken fried steak was flavorless. I've never added so much salt still couldn't taste it. Greens came out of can. Macaroni and cheese was mediocre. Cantaloupe was good. I won't go back. read more

This restaurant has been around since 1937 and I can see why. It's home-cooked food. Think comfort foods your mother or grandma made while you were growing up. The person I was with is a picky eater and was picking off my plate after he stuffed himself from his food which is one of the highest praises I can give. The portions are very generous and there's a good selection of things to choose from. We dined here twice and both times the service was very excellent. Most of the people here are regulars and it reminds me of an old diner. read more

Derby Restaurant - Old menu - Steakhouses Near Me - Mount Airy, North Carolina

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Very friendly staff, though she did not know the answer to any questions we had about items on the menu. Place is really clean on inside and very nostalgic with the interior given how long they have been open. The meat and pick three are something I wish we had in Indiana.. originally from Indiana I lived in south for around 14 years. The ham was a huge piece cooked on the grill adding more flavor than other ham I've eaten. Fried Chicken had a wonderful very crisp light breading, it does take around 20 mins . The 'Hot Chips' are fresh homemade potato chips, unfortunately they are not 'hot' as in spicy.. but were still good. read more

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We recently visited the derby on a trip with friends to mt airy the food was great and a great value. A plus was the server who made you feel like you were a local and stopping by for a regular meal read more

When you first sit down in a Derby booth, you feel like you should be planning a heist with Bobby D in a Scorsese movie. There's a retro feel to the Derby that is so GENUINE and cool. Everything in this place is "as it was." Rare these days. Impossible to fake, you can feel (and taste) the history. Service is ZERO nonsense, to the point, and gets the food out fast. If you're unsure, just order a skillet and build from there. Portions are big and will erase your hangover immediately. It's also nice the kitchen is open to additions and customizations. The Derby is so much more than a diner; it's an institution. We look forward to our next visit! read more

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We had a nice meal here today. We are from out of state and wanted to grab a quick bite before we hit Mount Airy to sightsee. I was surprised at the inexpensive price and quantity of my meal. It tasted great too. Service was fast and friendly. I am all for keeping traditions and love the decor and pictures, but a good deep cleaning, new flooring and bathroom overhaul would be awesome. read more

Derby Restaurant - Lunch - ham- Mac cheese, okra, apples and hush puppies- yum! - Steakhouses Near Me - Mount Airy, North Carolina

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This was our first time at this restaurant. I loved the interesting history. It first opened in 1937 and appears to have been in the current location since 1947. An original newspaper article displayed in the lobby area reports the new building as Mount Airy's newest and most modern restaurant. Appears from the picture that they sold gasoline as well....and probably around $.20 a gallon. I ordered the chicken and dumplings with coleslaw, Mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes. My husband had fried chicken livers with salad and baked potato. The sauce in the chicken and dumplings was fabulous! Reminded me of my grandma's recipe. The dumplings were a little doughy but then grandma made small dough strips not balls. Mashed potatoes were great as well. My husband wasn't crazy about the fried chicken livers but I think it was more about not having the fryer dough chunks removed before the actual food was put on the plate. Our waitress was super! Very attentive and helpful. Probably nothing has changed here in the past 75 years so just know it's no longer new and modern. It's a quaint diner offering traditional southern food and charm. read more

The service was ok. The coffee was ok. Packaged creamer was not. We both had the Derby special with eggs. The so call butter was nasty. Sausage patties were dry and mealy. The bacon was tasty but overcooked. So I would pass on breakfast for sure here. read more

Hush puppies as an appetizer #Excellent! Features Meat & Three since the 1940's. Price has changed since then, but quality food is still served. Classic waitress using technology to place order table side on electronic tablet. Paper menu under plexiglass cover on table. Booth slightly pie shaped around exterior wall of round building. Historic building in good condition. read more

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Such a cute restaurant! Their hush puppies are the best I had on my North Carolina trip. I visited this location with a friend because it reminded us so much of the old Brown Derby. They have some awesome photos inside that show what the original look of the building was. Lots of great BBQ here and some wonderful sides. I still dream of their amazing candied yams! read more

Food was good, but the serving size as really shrunk. I was still hungry after eating this take out meal

Great food. Very personable service. Thought it was a tourist stop, but I was wrong. Good country folk serving really good food with a good atmosphere. read more

We were heading home from a weekend in VA and after reading the Yelp reviews and not finding much open on Main Street, we headed over here. I thought the name connection with the one is Hollywood was cute too. This is one where it's clear the locals go cos it seemed like the staff knew everyone who entered as the place quickly filled up on a Sunday. I was delighted when I walked in and saw old time wooden booths and realized if this place has been around since the late 1940's they must be original - cool! Yes, things can seem a bit dated at times, but that's the charm of it all. We were quickly greeted by a friendly staff person who gave us our menus and took our drink order. I opted for the fried chicken with a choice of three sides. From a good long list I choose the mac and cheese, green beans and a side salad with Derby dressing. The chicken was delicious, just like something your granny would make. Perfectly fried, juicy inside and not too thick a coating on the outside. The mac and cheese had a loose sauce that was light in color, but very cheesy in flavor. The greens beans were tasty too! I was intrigued by the Derby dressing name and found out is a tomato oil and vinegar base with an oniony flavor. That was good too. Add in a couple of soft dinner rolls and I was filled to the brim when done! My dining partner had eggs, bacon and toast with three of the biggest pancakes I've ever seen! She loved it all and made yummy noises though out. In fact, she said the pancakes were some of the most flavorful she's ever had! Between the tasty food and the friendly staff, we both agreed we can't wait to come back again and try more of the wonderful choices on the menu. We thought, we've gotta tell Bob Garner from UNC tv's NC Weekend show about this place and then saw a framed review by him on the way out the door! read more

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Quiet Friday morning .. Service was superb.. Coffee was strong and plentiful.. Food was delicious and fairly priced. Welcome to the Mountains Ambiance.. Lots of old pictures but don't think I saw one of Andy which was slightly disappointing.. read more

Keep on going. I ordered the Daily Special. Spaghetti with meat sauce. No meat, just watered down red sauce. I could not eat I .Bread was inedible because of it's horrible taste. Very slow service. Waitress forgot half my order and I never got the lemon for my tea. Chicken and dumplings was ok. Onion rings were ok. read more

Derby Restaurant - Watery spaghetti. No meat. - Steakhouses Near Me - Mount Airy, North Carolina

Great breakfast options! Loved their omelet. Biscuits were nice and soft. I will be back next time I visit. Reasonably priced

This restaurant has been in Mount Airy "forever". Still looks the same inside and out. Meat and veggies are a solid pick. I had meat loaf, slaw, mashed potatoes and fried squash. Hush puppies on the side with a glass of ice tea. Yum! Yum! read more

The food was good for the most part. Don't waste your time on dessert. Our waitress, who seemed quite harried, said they made the pies homemade but not the cobblers. The coconut pie was basically box pudding mix in a crust. The service could've been better but I think they may be short staffed. They need to improve their sanitation grade--it's only a 90.5. I had baked ham, collard greens, Lima beans and corn. I enjoyed the meal, but the collards were cold. We'd eat there again. read more

This was our first visit and we were looking for breakfast. The waitress greeted us quickly and got our coffees. I ordered 2 eggs, sausage, and bacon. My husband got this giant egg dish with everything loaded in it. My eggs were hot and ready to eat but the bacon and sausage were cold. I have no idea how that even happened unless the meat sat a bit while waiting for the eggs. The waitress checked on us frequently and was very polite and friendly. We probably won't be back. read more

Good food and very nice atmosphere. We got flounder and shrimp dinner, shrimp was a bit salty but eatable. And the hamburger steak with onion and green pepper and it was very good! Will definitely be back when in town again. read more

Best hamburgers in western NC! The food was great and the service was even better. If we lived closer we would definitely become regulars. As it is, The Derby is now on our list of favorite places to go when traveling!! We give it and read more

This place has the best food , but the gravy and biscuits are so good you need to try them if you haven't. Everything is hot fresh and the coffee is great!!!! read more

We ate there on a Saturday afternoon that was not very busy. The wait staff was nice, personable, and attentive. We knew we were going to a 'dive' but sometimes those are hidden gems...not so in this case The food was really, really, bad. Like Golden Corral or Waffle House bad...maybe slightly worse. We had the pork which tasted like it was made off premises. That may have been the best thing. The collards and beets had no flavor and tasted like they came straight out of the can. The box tasting mashed potatoes were flavorless. The country fried steak was soggy with gravy and not at all crispy. The hush puppies, which are apparently famous, were OK, if you are OK with hush puppies like you get at a long john silvers The french fries tasted like they had been sitting under the warmer for a good hour, my 1 year old child wouldn't even eat them. They have been in business for 80 years, and some of the decor looks like the original articles. The food is awful. I'm genuinely confused by the reviewers who claim they have 'never had a bad meal'. Next time, we will stick to the places on Main street. read more

The food here is excellent! The service however, is not. The only two times I've been here I've had a young waitress named Ali. This waitress left us with no drink, no coffee, and no return whilst returning to other tables several times. Seeing as how the grown ups don't seem to care either, this will now prohibit me from returning and I will no longer recommend that friends and family eat inside. The owner/manager not sure, stood at the counter and looked out at the tables. Twice he looked at my empty tea glass. Very frustrating to go somewhere with good food and such terrible service. read more

The food was good. my wife and I ordered the flounder and shrimp plate with mash taters,green beans and slaw and mac n cheese. the hush puppies were awful. the waitress was in her late 40's and rude. she came to our table and said, "I guess I'll take ya'll's order since the other girl is busy." then she came back and tossed the hush puppies at me and my wife and kept walking then when she brought our plates out she dropshoved mine and my shrimp fell on the table and she said " lol you're food fell off I'm sorry". and left. she walked by our table a thousand time but only going to the table behind us flirting with a senior citizen who was there with his wife. the waitress was a real class act..I won't be back, she ruined it for me. the place itself needs updating, the bathrooms stink and very outdated and the whole place is so dark and unclean looking but the food was good but that woman made the whole dinner stink. I' would fire her. read more

This place is a greasy spoon at its finest. Read about it, its history and such. The food was bland. Mashed potatoes, ham, mac n cheese, literally had no defining flavors. Added butter, salt and pepper made them palatable. My date had the Thursday night special of country style steak and fried squash, hush puppies, Mac n cheese and agreed his food no better. Fried items were too greasy. We were both miserable by bed time. Steak was more filler than beef. Needless to say, we didn't finish the meal. read more

Breakfast was good. I used to go there as a kid and have many fond memories of the place. I won't go back now as an adult because of the bathrooms. Anyone who has eaten there lately knows what I mean. read more

I have only eaten there once, this past Saturday, and it was for breakfast. We (the Mrs. and me) were meeting someone in Mt. Airy and this was where he wanted to eat. I was actually excited about eating out on a Saturday morning. The parking lot was crowded as was the restaurant. We sat ourselves at one of the tables by the front windows. The table had been cleared from the previous diners but the chairs were still askew, as with the other table. We sat and waited. We were eventually seen and our orders taken. I had the Derby Special. Two eggs any style, choice of meat, potato, and bread. $4.32. Coffee was $1.29. My two eggs were scrambled, bacon, hash browns, and a buttermilk biscuit. The biscuit was good. The eggs had a smooth consistency and led me to believe they came out of a box. Next visit, I'll ask for fresh eggs. The bacon was well done, thin (as in about a half inch wide) and wavy. It reminded me of microwave or pre-cooked bacon. The hash browns were, well, how can I say this....sparse?, crispy?, slimy? Maybe I should just say the hash browns were having a bad day. Did I mention the biscuit was good? It was $20.00, with tip, for the three of us to experience a Derby breakfast. An hour later, I still enjoyed my Derby breakfast as I could still taste that nasty bacon in the back of my mouth. Two stars. I was really hoping for a much better start to the day. On the good side, the rest of the day could only be better. The Mrs. Just proofed this review. Her comment "If this is the only place you go for breakfast and you don't know any better, it would rate five stars". read more

As far as I know, the Derby must be the oldest restaurant in Mt. Airy and somewhat of a local landmark. Great food and great service. If you are looking for something off the beaten path, try the Derby. There you will find AUTHENTIC home cooking. read more

We had to stop eating there. It is too dirty which is sad. I would like to support local businesses but it is disgusting.

I'd like to give it a higher ranking, but I judge on the whole experience. Food - 4 stars. My food was good. My wife seemed to enjoy hers. My 2 year old son enjoyed his. Service - 4.5 Stars Our service was very good. She checked on us often. Ambiance - 3.5 stars Has the character of an older diner. Unfortunately, not upgraded in any way. Doesn't seem to be any pride in upkeep. Cleanliness - 2 stars We were hungry, it had good Google reviews, and just wrote it off as "Greasy Spoon". We've been in worse. Floors are swept. If they mop them, then they need new mops! Highchairs are sticky. Tables and booths are sticky. This is when you use the same rag over and over, without rinsing or using any cleaner. Did have some flies around. This can happen anywhere...but when a place is dirty and/or messy, it sinks into your mind more. Restrooms - 1 star. I'd say 0 stars, but they did actually function. However, all I can say is, "Wow!" I've been in dirty biker bars with cleaner and fresher smelling bathrooms. Outside of these metrics, the patrons there were exceptionally nice. An older gentleman came over to our son and gave him 2 quarters, after doing the same for another child in a wheelchair there. Quite thoughtful. He's from the old guard, you can tell. A very different and easily argued, better generation. Parking was plentiful. Two doors to enter/exit. Prices were inexpensive. A little outside the tourist area, but, there's potential here. Some elbow grease, some paint, some renewed enthusiasm and vision from the owner, and I could see this place being one of those "must visit" stops. The food was good. So if it wasn't for some, then just some consistency makes the hardest part done. The other things I mentioned are easy and inexpensive to take care of. read more