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    Thunderbird Cafe

    4.3 (680 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    THUNDERBIRD CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Thunderbird Cafe

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    Sausage biscuits and gravy, wish I could stock in my freezer, so good!
    Liz D.

    This place is super popular and I can see why. The menu isn't huge but it's got some heavy hitters for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don't expect too much healthy options here but you could get an omelet with veggies and cheese and be very happy. Expect some wait times but they move tables pretty quickly. I'm surprised they don't leave coffee carafes at the table but service was consistent and pleasant. I had the sausage and biscuits and yes- the biscuits ARE that special. It's rare you get a fluffy huge buttery biscuit that's really as good as they say but yeah worth getting some to freeze. The sausage gravy was well balanced but I think maybe getting old. Our whole table was well fed. Expect to pay premium prices for everything, but getting an espresso martini with breakfast is a lovely experience! Would stop again anytime.

    Christina Y.

    What a great find in the area. We were told our wait would be 40 minutes, but it ended up taking only 20 minutes for our table of ten. Cute decor! Kids seemed happy with their kids menu option. I never had a burger in a sandwich wedge, but it worked well together! The corn beef was also delicious. Our server got everything in our order right, and the food came out fairly quickly even though the place was packed.

    Outside Neon Sign
    Rob K.

    The majority of my family (9 of us) stopped by the Thunderbird around 9am on a Sunday morning. When we arrived in town the day before and I spotted the Thunderbird and felt that was a place we should certainly visit. I'm glad that we did. Service was truly outstanding. Our waitress was amazing and attentive. The restaurant is a decent size but not huge. I was surprised they were able to accommodate our party of nine. I had the sausage with two eggs over medium, a biscuit, and home fries. Food was fantastic and everyone in our party enjoyed their meals. I highly recommend the Thunderbird for breakfast or lunch. Great place!

    This is the cinnamon whipped waffle without the whipped cream.
    Kerry H.

    The food was amazing. Nice staff and service. Rustic and homey. We will be back again.

    The garbage and sticky chicken.
    Terri K.

    Great food great service. Would eat "the garbage" anytime. IT was awesome Sticky chicken great!

    Omelet platter.

    Food was excellent. Service was a little weird. Even though the restaurant wasn't crowded, it took way too long for someone to acknowledge we were waiting to be seated (we almost left), and then it took way too long for the waitress to make an initial appearance at our table. However, once the waitress appeared at our table, everything went fine. I think they were understaffed. My dining companion noted that the omelet was overstuffed, which is a good thing. Eggs are cheaper than the filling, so she felt like she got a very good value for her money. Last time we were there was a few years ago, and it felt like it has a different vibe now. Maybe it's under new ownership. Total for three chocolate chip pancakes and an omelet platter was $26.40 cash, not including tip.

    Dana M.

    Loved the style of this vintage diner with traditional American breakfast foods. The waitress was great and attentive and the food was delicious. Reasonably priced and you can look outside at the mountains of Massanutten.

    Blueberry waffle
    Patricia G.

    Came to Thunderbird for a quick bite to eat before hiking in Shenandoah. Definitely has that small town diner look and feel. We were seated promptly and Lou was our server. She was very sweet and attentive. We ordered a cup of coffee, the sausage and eggs meal and a blueberry cream cheese waffle. With the sausage and eggs meal, I also got toast and homefries. The homefries were nice and crispy, the eggs were fluffy, the sausage was nice, had a little kick to it, and the bread was thick cut with not too much butter. The waffle was a standard run-of-the-mill Belgian waffle, the blueberry cream cheese almost had a cheesecake taste. Creamy, light and a mixture of whole and blended blueberries. Overall, this was a nice meal to start the day before a long hike. However, the meal was $32. Seems a little steep for how small the portions are. Also important to note, you do pay a little extra if you pay with a card. So if you want to save a dollar or two, you can pay with cash.

    Before and after
    Emily G.

    We just looked up places to get some brunch while out of town and my boyfriend picked this one!! Our clean plates say it all. Happy plates. Happy couple. I got country fried steak, mac, and baked apples. He got fried catfish, collards, and mac. Everything was so so good! The mac was phenomenal. Service was good. 10/10.

    Half Menu
    Christopher W.

    So the food was satisfactory but definitely not worth the price. I got a waffle, 7.99$ thought it would be thick like a Belgian but no. Wife got French toast, and neither came with sides. Then got a "kids breakfast of eggs, bacon. Got an OJ, and coffee. This all came to a grand total of 42.39!!!! Didn't realize either the drinks were $3.99 a piece so that's my bad. Am I the only one that think this was ridiculous for breakfast? I think not, we ate at long horn the night before, both got steak meals and was barely 60$. Won't be going back unless I hit the lottery lol

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    The service was great. Cheyenne was a wonderful server. Great food. And the atmosphere was inviting.

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    Friendly staff & food was great . Definitely recommend stopping here . Was a cool little spot in a dense location lots to do

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    Great food and service! Another great restaurant near Massanutten. You won't regret going there.

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    Page 1 of 17

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    We came across this hidden gym on a trip to the Shenandoah. This place really reflects what…read moreSouthern Hospitality is all about. The service was top notch. The waitress was very friendly and very accommodating with recommendations for dietary restrictions. The fried chicken is an absolute must.. perfectly fried and crispy and good balance of flavors. We tried a few other things that was pretty average like the open faced turkey sandwich and the salmon and mash potatoes. I would also recommend getting the gravy on the side and eating everything with it... not exactly sure what is in it but keep doing your thing Southern Kitchen. Will definitely be coming through again the next time we are in town.

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    I am so happy that we have a new New Orleans restaurant in town! Oh my gosh! I have only been to…read moreNew Orleans once, so long ago, and the people I was with had us eating Italian. I have wanted Gumbo and Creole food and all the New Orleans goodness, but haven't experienced it in New Orleans. Oh my gosh, I walked in and was greeted by Andreas. (I hope that's how he spells his name.) He was very kind and patient and helpful with me. He pointed out the fun atmosphere inside. I looked at the menu and picked out: World Famous Gumbo over rice, Shrimp PO Boy, and the Sweep the Swamp PO Boy (Oysters, Shrimp, Crawfish, Gator) with Bayou Sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. And I got an order of the Fried Pickles too. YUM! I wasn't sure if my younger son would like his shrimp Po Boy. He loves shrimp, but he can be super picky about things. He wolfed it down. I am not entirely sure he was even hungry. But he ate it all. I ate part of my delicious Sweep the Swamp PO Boy. I am so full, I couldn't even eat 1/2. I will be having the rest of it probably for 2 more meals! So good. Wow. My other son isn't home and will have his Gumbo later. I am 100% positive I will be having a spoonful of that later. I was so happy to see they have the Beignet mix and coffee choices from Cafe du Monde. We just got back from Kona, Hawaii, and have so many bags of Kona coffee, so I didn't buy any of the Cafe du Monde coffee today. But I know I will be buying it in the future! An extra fun thing - Andreas gave me Marci Gras Beads too! Same color as my shirt. I think he picked them out since he knew I must like the color. What fun!!! A nice touch. Also, I needed to use the restroom while I was there, and it was nicely done up & clean. I will definitely be going back to this restaurant and food truck !!!! Go try it! Really good food, DELICIOUS.

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    Jimmy Madison's - Pulled Pork Platter with brisket

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    We were down in Hburg this past week and visited JM's again. We had a great experience there…read morebefore several times. Drinks were great, very polite staff at the front. The place is HOPPING on a Friday night. Staff seemed to enjoy working there and have a good team rapport. What I noticed is how many different types of people were enjoying themselves. Middle aged people after work in business attire, young people in casual attire. I think the place is very clever to offer quite exquisite looking Mocktails for the student age population. No reason for anyone to feel left out. Great food and service and a very happy vibe. I wish there were a tad more variety in the menu, but you can't be all things to all people and it is more important to do a select number of items extremely well. We will definitely return.

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    Magpie Diner - Key Lime Coconut Waffle

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    What a lovely experience! I can easily see why there is a long wait here. We added our name to the…read morelist and were told it would be a 45 minute wait. Conveniently, there is a coffee shop, bookstore, and flower and gift shop across the street in a really new and cute warehouse to pass the time. We probably could've spent even longer in that cozy bookshop! Our meal consisted of strawberry tahini waffles, green poutine filled with fresh herbs, and a few made in house baked goods from their bakery. We also thoroughly enjoyed our mocktail (they offer a fun variety with fresh juices). The space is light and airy and looks into the bakery. They also have a wrap around diner style counter thats fun. Overall, a fabulous experience from start to finish!

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    Soul Food Joint - Soul food platters!!

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    My son picked this place. The place is very small, maybe four tables. It's really a one man…read moreoperation with some help to clear tables. Each meal is cooked by Shaun who is especially nice, friendly, and puts love into each dish he prepares. You can tell. Just take a breath when you walk in and take it in. Service is good, but like I said - its a one man operation so just be patience. The Fried Chicken and Devil Eggs are EXCELLENT. We would go back. Keep up the good job Shaun. Nicely done.

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    If you're in downtown Harrisonburg and looking for a brunch spot that delivers both good food and…read moregood energy, Clementine is it. The vibe is truly what you make it, there isnt a large crowd or loud music, so bring the right company and you're guaranteed a great time. Whether you're rolling in with a big group or just a few friends, they make it easy, with separate checks, and even personalized orders by the awesome bartender. The experience is smooth from start to finish, so nothing gets in the way of enjoying yourself and the company you are with. Between the delicious food, good energy, and conversations that seem to flow effortlessly, it's the kind of place you'll want to linger. And let's not forget the art covered walls, perfect for capturing those Instagram worthy moments. If you wake up hungry and ready for brunch, Clementine is definitely the spot to be.

    We came for dinner, and were served by Molly. We've been coming here few times a year for the past…read more12 years. The experience usually great, which is why we keep coming back, and the menu is always fun! The service started great and the food came looking fantastic as usual, until I found a long hair in my bowl. Molly was very apologetic once we showed her the hair and she took it inside to show the kitchen. I told her I don't want another bowl , as I didn't want the food to go to waste and didn't have time to wait for a new one. Here is were the service turned south; - Molly didn't come back to check on us or fill the water cups - We didn't get a discount of any kind in the check, as you would normally expect! - I expected the chef or the manager on duty to come out and apologize, but that didn't happen. - Finally, Molly brought our check when we finished eating and didn't ask if we are interested in desserts, as typically the case! Just very odd reaction to an issue Like this, and shows lack of professionalism and training on behalf of the management on how to deal with bad customer experience like a hair in the food. By the way, I'm bold, so the long hair is from the kitchen!

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    Moxie33 Coffee - So many options!

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    Amazing coffee shop! A true lifesaver on the road--beautiful ambience, high-quality coffee, and…read moreunbelievably rich flavor!

    Introduction:…read more Continuing the alphabet series, I had 2 for the letter. One out of town of the DC-Baltimore area, and one local in central Maryland. My g/f & I were out of town in Massanutten, VA from April 24-26, 2024. I had been to Massanutten once before in March 2023. Both times my friend had a timeshare. March 2023 didn't make it to Moxie 33, but did go to Thunderbird Cafe in this same center, which was pretty good. 2023 trip was a group trip. On Thursday, 4/18/24, my friend reached out to me to try to get me & my girlfriend to buy any number of nights during the work week of 4/22, and it would probably be a private trip for just the 2 of us at that point. I ran by my g/f, which she was agreeable. On Friday, my manager was a bit annoyed by me requesting Thursday & Friday, 4/25-26 off work, but I had to do what I had to do to enjoy a nice private trip with my g/f to Massanutten. Experience with Moxie 33 on Thursday, April 25 & then one more time the next day: We walked in this beautiful, clean, large coffee shop with good lighting. The staff was very friendly and efficient with making the drinks. I think I got some latte drink. Wow, it was delicious, one of the best I've had! We sat in there to drink our drinks one or both of the times. It's a comfortable place for conversation or people to WiFi to do work or whatever, which we saw too. We loved so much, we went again the next day.

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    Thunderbird Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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