Great Food! Great Service! Hot and served fresh and with lots of warmth , Ambience was inviting and…read morefriendly and welcoming

The kid was home from college, and after we hit the local thrift, we were looking around for some…read moreOxford grinds. The street situation precluded a few spots downtown, and since we weren't in the mood for our go-to taco place, we decided to head out to the Family Diner. The walk-in was awkward on our part- cash register or hot bar line first? A sweet call from the kitchen of "Y'all's first time?" got us headed in the right direction. Full disclaimer: I've been nostalgic for the southern cafeteria lately. While talking to some food industry friends last week, we realized there is something powerful about the food we all remember from K and W. And while Family Diner doesn't have a giant dining room or a 5-snake velvet rope line to get to the counter, it does take me back. Here's how we made our choices: the hot bar was a choice of three types of chicken- the baked and fried were tempting until the gentleman serving us says: "We can fry you fish to order. Flounder, trout, and catfish." The chicken got skipped for a plate of flounder (plentiful plate, btw), and a side of the Mac and cheese and cooked cabbage. The kid sampled the catfish plate, same sides. Sweet tea. And yes ma'am, I'd like the cornbread. Done. We sat down at a table in the main, cozy dining room. The first thing that I noticed: this place is clean- tidy, even. There was a super polite young man moving around and busing tables, tidying up unassumingly and doing it in a way that is lacking in some finer dining places I've been in recently. The food came out, piping hot. I used one of the malt vinegar packets to douse my flounder (a cafeteria habit) and dug in. The first bite was light and flaky, cooked perfectly. Nothing greasy-tasting, at all, just clean. The sides were great- nothing over seasoned, and like cooking at home, there was room for you to season things to your taste. Well played, Family Diner. The owner (I think? She was the one who guided us down the right path when we walked in) came out to make sure that we were happy, and yes ma'am, it's great, and holy cow, you just dropped this cornbread into the skillet and fried it? Yes, we will be back. It's unassuming, and it's just what the doctor ordered. It's a cafeteria, but it's clean and polite and makes you feel good that you ate there. It's soul food, but not just from an ethnic standpoint- it makes me happy and full and feel welcome and I'll be back.

Permanently Closed. Good place while it was open. Good breakfast. Sorry to see it go.read more

Came by on a weekday lunch, and it was very quiet with only a couple of other people in the…read morerestaurant. This place is definitely more on the casual end, and there aren't any actual servers. I ordered at the register and got my food pretty quickly - I ordered the Bang Bang Chicken and Chorizo, which was good! The portions were absolutely huge, and I had enough to bring home a good amount of food. The rice itself isn't great without the sauce, but is quite good with it.

This was the first time coming here and it was very good. The service was exceptional!!! The food…read morewas hot when it came out. The table had Ribs, corn pudding, collards, baked beans, hamburger steak with onions and gravy, macaroni and cheese and gizzards. All was said to be delicious.

This is definitely a hidden gem! The food was delicious. My entire party enjoyed their food. You…read moremight give it the side eye- doesn't look like a typical lil spot you might go too. We said- let's give it a try and we were so glad we did. I walked in and said- that man is lickin all his fingers- lawd must be good! He didn't lift his head up from his plate! We left happy, satisfied and full! Just before we left- another table ordered ribs- man...fallin off the bone! The wings are cooked fresh- breaded in house. The collard greens season with pork meat- delicious. The good folks were so nice- very pleasant and helpful. The restaurant has a quiet small setting. Not loud but comforting. Please go in order some food and enjoy! Prices are fantastic too. We will definitely be back!

We went here because they offer a variety of food for people requiring special diets including. Our…read moreserver wasn't good. She gave me a long death stare when I asked for my fish without aioli and lemon instead. Initially I thought she didn't hear me so I repeated the request for just lemon. She finally spoke and it was to tell me that "aioli is sauce." Yes, I am aware. It's a mayo based sauce and I don't like mayo. My husband ordered unsweetened tea which she forgot. After 20 min we requested it again which she promptly brought sweet tea. He took one swig and almost vomited. He then politely asked for UN-sweet tea and she kept pointing to the glass insisting "That is sweet tea." Instead of arguing just do your job and don't assume that we don't know what we are talking about. He finally got the UN-sweet tea. We saw another table had an issue with her. Half the food on people's tables came out in cafeteria tins, the rest on plates. It was very OK food with poor service.

We were in town for a concert and the reviews sounded good. When we arrived a rather sketchy guy…read moreaccosted us in the parking lot. We told staff about it and they said they would handle it. They said it would be about a 45 minute wait but we were seated in about 15. We had a lovely dinner. The food was very good and it was a pleasant upscale but not fussy atmosphere.

Every time I dine at this restaurant I have a memorable dining experience. One of my favorite items…read moreon their summer menu is their R&R Hanger Steak. A Hanger steak is a long, flat, flavorful cut reminiscent of flank steak and skirt steak, only more tender. In the US, hanger steak is most commonly called "hanging tender" or "butcher's steak." It gets the latter nickname because it was historically a "secret" cut that butchers would keep for themselves rather than sell to the public. Other names you might see on menus for this cut are Hanging tenderloin and Bistro steak. All that I know is that it's the best piece of meat that I have ever eaten and it has been at this restaurant. So that was the main reason I came to dine here today and my expectations were completely fulfilled. When I arrived, I was greeted by a friendly, young lady with the warm welcoming of a regular guest. She happily took me to the table I had requested when I made my reservation online. It was a table facing the bar with their open kitchen on the right of me. I like to watch the bartenders and chefs in action as they create their amazing drinks and culinary masterpieces. Immediately after I was seated my server Tim came by with the usual familiar greeting, welcoming me once again for returning to dine there and thanking me for being such a loyal customer. I had the usual cold water and this time started off with one of their Butterfly Kisses Mocktails. It both looked and tasted amazing. For appetizer I had their VA Oyster Wraps, followed by their special salad of the day. And for the main entrée I had their R&R Hanger Steak. Everything was timed appropriately and was served at the right timing. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their food and drinks. For dessert I had my favorite, their Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta. What a way to end a spectacular dinner. I highly recommend this restaurant for an exceptional fine dining experience.

While The River and Rail has many things going for it: great location, adorable atmosphere, fancy…read moreand delicious cocktails and delicious food, one thing they don't have going for them is their ability to stay true to their operating hours. My friend and I walked in at 9 o'clock EXACTLY on a Thursday night to have a drink. The sign on the door said they were open until 10:00. There were 4 or 5 tables seated, enjoying dinner and cocktails. 5 or 6 people at the bar. There was no one to start with at the actual hostess stand and servers saw us standing at the door but did not approach us even though there was an hour left on their operating time. So we walked directly to the bar and sat down. We had just eaten at Fork in the Alley so all we wanted was one drink and we figured an hour was plenty of time to get that done. The first thing the bartender said to us was "The kitchen is closed." Not "hello" or "Hey what can I get you?" but the kitchen is closed. I said "oh I'm sorry I thought you closed at 10:00." He said "well, that's up for debate we were actually discussing that right now. We're basically closed but you can have a drink because it's not like the rest of these people are going anywhere." What do you mean that's up for discussion? Your hours say you're open till 10 o'clock, it's 9 o'clock I have an hour to eat and have drinks! The other bartender, or perhaps he was only a bar back, gave us a very disapproving look. I get it, I work in the food service industry. I'm a server at a 4 diamond restaurant, and I hate when people walk in minutes before we close and want to sit down. But if we post that we're open until 10 and you walk in at 9:45 I'm going to serve you and treat you like anyone else that walked in at 6:00 because it's your tips that pay my bills and put food on my table. It's definitely not the hourly wage I get from my employer! And as a server I never walk into a restaurant with less than 30 minutes to close. And it's more like an hour if I'm looking to eat a meal. I know you want to go home. When it's the end of the night and I'm at work, so do I! But there's an hour left and I wanted one drink. That's it! We continued to get disappointed looks from a few other employees even though we weren't the last people in the place. I told my friend (it's 9:45 at this point) that we obviously need to go since servers are standing around looking at us like we've got the plague. We paid our bill and promptly left. Two couples still at the bar. It's 9:59 right now as I'm writing this at home (you're still technically open btw) but I left feeling like I had stayed hours past your closing time. It's a real shame because we really enjoyed our drinks! They were super yummy! And I'm always getting asked by guests where's a good place for a late night cocktail and I used to recommend The River and Rail right along with Lucky's because we had a shuttle that would take guests out, but after tonight I won't be doing that anymore. Because there's nothing worse than feeling unwelcome at a restaurant that is still open.

I have been to this place a wide variety of times, and every single time they have impressed me…read more It's beautiful inside, the staff are wonderful and accommodating. For the food, everything I've had has been a 10/10. My go to is a half order of the biscuits and gravy! It is always so flavorful, the biscuits are giant and fluffy. The gravy is seasoned perfectly. My second go to, as well as my girlfriend's is the hot honey fried chicken biscuit. Portion wise that thing is hugeee, most of the items are so they are absolutely worth what you pay! The chicken is so tender and crispy, breading is amazingly seasoned as well. This paired with the jezebel sauce is heaven on earth. I cannot express how much I love this place, their food is wonderful, their biscuits are massive, and their service is great. Only issue I've ever had was my delivery order never showing up (not their fault but the delivery drivers) and they immediately comped and replaced my meal. 100% recommend.

Love the seating area outside, dog friendly! Nice large biscuits- super hefty that'll keep you full…read morefor a long time. Wait wasn't too long. Nice variety on the menu for everyone, from breakfast tacos, plates, French toast to biscuit sandwiches. Loved it for a casual group breakfast.

Food is finger licking good, all you can eat buffet. Buffet is small but consists of fried chicken,…read morefried fish, green beans, cabbage, mac & cheese, salad bar, peach cobbler among other delights. Waitress was a very nice, efficient young lady that kept our drinks refreshed and checked on us often. There was a steady flow of customers while we were there. Bathrooms were clean. This restaurant has a nice mom and pop feel to it.

Great food, a little loud but good service. The waitress…read morewas amazing. Just need to have a space that people can actually talk without being drowned out from all the kitchen noise

We had never been to Virginia and saw this spot at lunchtime and got the last of their brunch/lunch…read moreon a Saturday......soooooo delicious! The green beans were awesome, cheesy broccoli was crispy on top and awesome, wonderful chicken, salmon patty, and biscuit (I put jam on it) too! We split a plate and it was plenty! Irene does all of this and has been for decades we were told by the lovely server who has worked Saturdays for her for 36 years! Loved the food, people, and story!

The best home cooking in town! I absolutely love the breakfast here. My wife and I go as often as…read morewe can. The salmon is second to none and the potatoes and gravy will have you in heaven! Great food, good people, reasonable price. If you like down home southern cooking, you will not be disappointed!

Good southern food. In a lot of ways, a trip down memory lane. Very nostalgic and great atmosphere…read morewhere people are talking to each other instead of glued to their phone.

It's conveniently located downtown and parking was not an issue. It's small with a long counter bar…read moreand booths. We sat ourselves in a booth and ordered the scrambled eggs, bacon l, and hash browns along with a BLT (add cheese). The breakfast was delicious and bacon cooked nicely, The BLT would have been much better if the cheese would have been heated instead of cold. I prefer it all heated together. We enjoyed the atmosphere and home town feeling.