The Virginia Diner has received some less than great reviews, which might fill you with some trepidation. On a recent trip to NC, we decided to give the place a try, wondering if we would receive the indifferent service that several people have posted about. What I can tell you is that we stopped mid afternoon on a Thursday. The restaurant was about half full with people who seemed to be enjoying their meals. We had very fast, friendly, and efficient service. We did not eat much, just the iconic ham biscuits. They were very good but quite salty. You should expect the high saltiness from southern ham. If you are not accustomed to the level of saltiness, you may wish to order something else. The buffet looked very good with its selection of chicken and some vegetables. Sorry, but I missed taking a picture and so have few details about it. Would I stop here again? Definitely for a larger meal. Our return route did not take us by here and so we missed the chance. read more

I stopped for a piece of their famous peanut pie to take home with. I didn't want to take time to stop and eat. When I got home I was met with quite a surprise. There before me was the smallest piece of pie. It was the equivalent of a half piece from any other restaurant. The pie was quite good but the crust was only average. My guess is that the locals know other places that serve full size pieces. read more

I ordered Fried chicken with mac and cheese and fried apples. I had heard the biscuits were amazing and truthfully that is what I was there for. The fried chicken was on par with a lot of other places you get fried chicken. So nothing special. The mac and cheese was good, but my husband tried it and said that the stuff I make at home is better. Probably because there are no kraft singles involved in my mac and cheese. The fried apples were the best thing I had. My husband had the ham biscuits, he said the ham was good but the biscuits were just not. He also enjoyed the apple waldorf salad and the peanut pie. The food is good, its just not amazing. My main problem was the biscuits. I can plainly say I have had better biscuits out of a can from the grocery store. The ones I had a the diner were too dense and had no taste what so ever. I spread butter on one, after the first bite of it(something I NEVER do), and even that didn't help them. It was a let down really. Food network hype lets me down again. The wait staff were attentive and always right on time with refills. I'd say though its not really worth the price. My husband said after we left, "Meh, We could have gone to Cracker Barrel and it would have been just as good if not better." I have to agree with him and he isn't usually a food snob. read more

Maybe they have slipped a bit or maybe I just ordered wrong. I came with my parents on a Sunday and ordered the fried shrimp with french fries and cole slaw ($14+). The shrimp were pretty good but nothing special really. Cole slaw was ok, fries kinda sucked (cold and mushy). My parents ordered the grilled fish and it came out luke warm and had lots of bones. I think you are best sticking with their signature dishes like fried chicken, barbecue, ham biscuits etc. Seafood doesn't seem to be their thing. They are always busy which can be a bad thing. We had people hovering around our table the whole time we were there(other guest being seated). Not really a good layout for a quiet dining experience! P.S bought a piece of chocolate chess pie to go on the way out. It was really good, but a small piece of pie was $4 + (yikes!). Price gouging... read more

We had driven by this location for several years and finally had the opportunity to stop in. I am not going to spend a lot of time bashing them, but will say we will continue to just drive by in the future. The food was okay, but nothing about the service was welcoming. Rather, we felt like they were pained to serve us and just wanted us gone. There are not many places to eat in that area, so I guess they can get away with it. read more

If you watch the Food Network you may remember this place. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This little diner has been around for 80 years and in the middle of nowhere no less, but don't let that scare you. The building is new or certainly has been remodeled to give that appearance. Things are very clean and bright and not one bit scary to eat at. Once you enter this little restaurant, the first thing you see is an area that resembles a candy store where they sell nuts of all kinds, chocolates and some other little trinkets. The dining room is to the left and is very large, not overcrowded with tables. Everything is very white, floors, walls, furniture and definitely clean. However, it seems almost kind of sterile, in the sense that it is missing that quaint diner feel one would expect. The menu is pretty standard for a diner menu with breakfast options, lunch and dinner items and a selection of pies. The prices are low, to be expected since it is located in BFE, and portions are plenty. I tried the meatloaf. It came with 2 sides and bread. The quality was good, certainly fresh. They make a lot from scratch there, but maybe not necessarily fresh. I believe the mash potato are the instant kind and the gravy was definitely powdered. As my bread, I chose what they call Spoonable Bread. Never had it or heard of it, but it sure was tasty. Made from grits, and a texture that was closer to that of pudding. Lots of staff was on and everyone was very friendly. I went for lunch on Friday, but from what I hear the lines are long, with waits, on weekends or in the evening. If you are around that way for a trip to the beach, stop in. You will not be disappointed. read more

The King of 460 has Abdicated the Thrown! He has not been Overthrown, and there are No Successors to be Found. The Old Monarch is simply watching the Kingdom Fall to Fast Food and BBQ. This was once THE PLACE to stop on 460. The Food was Excellent. The Atmosphere was Down Home. The Staff cared about the Customers. People drove from Tidewater, Petersburg, and Richmond just to eat at The Virginia Diner. It wasn't just a place on the way. It was The Destination. Now it's just a place along the way. The food is good, if you catch it hot. The staff seems to be constrained by certain management rules that keep them from taking care of customers. Yes, they are friendly. They are down home. These issues seem to be above them. With a little help this place can really be something again. A couple reasons: first people love authentic nostalgia, second they want good food at a price that works for them, third this needs to be a local and tourist place rebuild the reputation. There was some investment into the property 15-20 years ago it's time to step it up again. Create energy. I haven't given up on this place yet but it's time to bring in life before it's long history comes to an abrupt end because middle of the road won't last long. read more

Arrived at 11:30 for lunch and was seated right away. Our order went in right away and that's when things went south. It took 45 minutes before barely warm Brunswick Stew arrived and then 30 more minutes for burgers. There were only three orders in before ours. The burger was well done and not cooked to order. The mac and cheese was cold and there was no BBQ sauce which was supposed to be on the side. The onion rings were wonderful - all five of them. Next comes getting the check.......another wait. Then standing in line with the peanut buyers to pay. The line was wrapped around the tables of peanuts who had ordered takeout because all the tables were full and were not enjoying the long wait for takeout orders. So the food wasn't very good to begin with and came out of the kitchen cold after a long wait. Fun huh? read more

The Virginia Diner food was not consistent. The country fried chicken was dried out. The server Tykia was an okay server wish she were more pleasant with speaking to. A customer fell in the restaurant due to the fact that they did not put a wet floor sign down. read more

Mmmmmmm! Fried chicken, homemade biscuits with real Virginia cured ham, hush puppies, potato salad, and chocolate chess pie for dessert! Wash it down with sweet tea and it's a taste of your Southern childhood! read more

Virginia Diner - Fried chicken, cured Smithfield ham, potato salad - Diners Near Me - Wakefield, Virginia

I went through area for work trip and was excited I wouldn't have to eat fast food. I hadn't been here in years....They have a buffett for lunch but all the foods look like they are fried and loaded with sugar/grease. Nothing even a half healthy person would want to eat. It all looked like it came out of cans, nothing individual. I decided to get breakfast for lunch. The eggs were a small portion and looked like they had been cooked in grease, and were not even fluffy. I think they filled 3 spoons. The biscuits were good. THe country h am looked like it came right off the pig w/the bone still in it. For the little bit of eggs, 2 biscuits, and piece of ham and coffee it was 13.00 w/tax. I could have gone to Panera and had 2 lunches for that. read more

My wife has been taking me to the Virginia Diner for a few years now, and she will go out of her way to plan trips from Richmond to VA Beach just so we have a reason to stop there. The food is ok, it is better than most, but I find it to be a little too greasy for me. The buffet is something I avoid, because everything tends to be fried. My favorite thing here is the chili-lime peanuts. I will take a giant tin of those and do dirty, dirty things to them (like make chili peanut brittle... or just eat the whole tin). It is worth checking out for the peanuts, but I think you can order them online now. The food side of things is just ok. read more

Perhaps I built it up too much in my mind. Perhaps it was the Food Network mention. Perhaps it was really just this bad. We dropped in for lunch on a weekday - it was maybe 1 or 2pm - it was obvious that there was not a lunch rush going on. My waitress had 2 tables - my table of 2 and another table of 6. I ordered the meatloaf with mashed potatoes, but they brought me out fried chicken. When I corrected them they told me they would fix my order. I swear it was 20 minutes later that my meatloaf came out - my husband had already finished his meal after waiting a good 10 minutes to eat with me and me finally insisting that he shouldn't eat a cold lunch. When the meatloaf finally comes out it is crunchy on the edges and salty. I would have said something to the waitress, but she never bothered to ask us how our meal was. The lady has 2 tables and can't find time to ask me how my meal is!!! She doesn't offer a discount or a free dessert or an apology for my meal being delayed. To add insult to burnt meatloaf, when I went to pay I asked the cashier if the meatloaf is typically "burnt" on the outside. Her response? I don't eat their meatloaf. Seriously? You tell me you've been working here for 10 years and you haven't seen the meatloaf or had customer feedback? Your best response is that you don't eat it? I can deal with a mistake, it happens. What I can't deal with is (and I use the term loosely) - this type of "customer service". Not worth a return visit. Just keep driving. read more

Food was only okay but the store part was fantastic. The peanut business is very brisk here and I like the variety of peanuts that you can get. I did not like the Virginia ham...it was dry and salty...although I think that it is supposed to be that way...so I don't think that it was cooked improperly so much as I just did not like ham that way...I ordered the 3 slider dinner...Ordered the peanut butter pie...I did not like it. read more

Cool little Diner I ended up stopping in the this place after driving by twice and curiosity got the better of me just thinking about some good Virginia Ham. Upon walking in it reminds you a lot about a Cracker Barrel only on a slightly smaller scale. After sitting down I began to notice the age group was a little on the senior side and wondered if this was where the old farts hangout, kinda of like a senior center. Anyhow, I was first contemplating on getting the Rail-Car burger but decided on the ham wrap instead this time. The wrap was ether choice prepared hot or cold. I chose hot and it was indeed very delicious; filling but just right. Random thought, but I like the way their ice cubes are, small and soft. They are pretty much the same as what you get at a Sonic. After my meal I decide to try there authentic peanut pie. It was extremely good that I'm glad I didn't leave without trying this scrumptious piece of pie. **Overall. It's a nice little place to stop off the main drag and grab some grub. Not frills here just home cooking made with love. Cheers! read more

Virginia Diner - Virginia Ham Wrap - Diners Near Me - Wakefield, Virginia

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A very nice diner w/ very nice people. Good for groups and they do buffets. Awesome southern food Buffett's. We hade a groups of 35 people on motorcycles with us and they accommodated us and had plenty of space for our bikes. Fried chicken - awesome Corn - great Biscuits - great (not better than mine but who's are) j/k read more

This is right on 460, on the way for us towards the Dismal Swamp. We both ordered dishes featuring the Country Ham - I got a ham steak, a nice sized piece with a nice, salty kick to it. The hash browns were disappointing though, more like bland home fries. Well cooked fried eggs, and good soft biscuits to complete the order. My wife got the country ham omelette - which in that form just becomes a bit too salty. Our server was grumpy and abrupt, but it wasn't just us - looking around, it seemed like all of the servers were this way. Didn't see too many other options on 460 or in the area of this small town, so I would go here again if I was in the area. 3-3.5 stars. read more

I totally agree with Nate J. My wife is from rural Missouri and she never heard about spoonable bread. We were taking a road trip and traveled along the road which paralleled I64. We drove into the "peanut capital of the world" and found the VA Diner. Black eyed peas were great, collard greens not my taste. Clean, good food, and friendly service. What more can you ask for? read more

They get points for speed. But truthfully I'm so disappointed. A coworker referred me and spoke so highly of the dinner. Granted, I didn't do dinner, but I assumed if they are good, they are good across the board. Le sigh. I ordered the ham and cheese omelet, hash browns and biscuits and orange juice. The biscuits were great. The orange juice was good and that's it. My omelet was super salty. Like ridiculously so. And I can soldier through unpleasant food...I tried...but I left 3/4 of the omelet on the plate. I need you all to understand that I'm kinda greedy...I kinda make happy plates most of the time. Not today. It was just that freaking bad. I had my dad sample it...just to make sure I wasn't tripping. I wasn't tripping. The hash browns were over cooked and dry. I'm disappointed. On my way home now (I'm not driving) and I'm still kinda hungry. I'm curious about dinner but I'm too disappointed to drive this far again. So 2 stars for biscuits and juice. And I think that's generous. read more

Bad food, terrible service and overpriced. Not a single coffee refill. So that's 3 dollars for a single cup of coffee. Took 40 minutes for my 3 silver dollar sized biscuits containing 3 scraps of country ham each. 3 dollars a biscuit is highway robbery. At the least the pickles were good. read more

If it wasn't good, they wouldn't have been in business as long as they have. We stopped based on a friend's recommendation - glad we did! I had a chicken fried steak the size of my face! No one is going to get thin on a meal from this place, but if you were looking for a meal blessed by Weight Watchers, you shouldn't be here. This is the kind of food that soothes a broken heart! (Or, ironically, could clog the arteries of same said heart!) The menu is full of "down home" choices, sandwiches and sides are a great deal of the menu, however, there are a lot of fried foods too. They also have about seven different desserts including pies. Before you leave, you've gotta hit the gift shop and buy a tin of peanuts - they have some seasoned peanuts that are really spicy too. Plus, you could take perverse double-entendre pleasure in asking the clerk to "put your nuts in a sack". Bottom line: the food is worth stopping for if you're in the area or passing through. read more

My family and I stopped by here during our short road trip. It was fabulous!! If you're just passing through, or even if you need to take a little detour on your road trip, DO IT!! Our food was fantastic, and service was spectacular! I highly, highly recommend the peanut pie!! read more

We stopped here after driving through Wakefield and seeing a ton of signs advertising Virginia Diner as the best home made food, and (most importantly) the peanut capital of the world. Virginia Diner declares itself as a "legend in a nutshell". Our hope - That we'd walk into a peanut emporium with wall after wall, rack upon rack full of peanuts where we'd learn more about peanuts than we ever wanted to know, and walk out laden with all different types of peanuts and peanut memorabilia. The reality - There were about 4 stands of peanuts in the gift shop, really nothing spectacular at all with a couple of junky peanut-based souvenirs. read more

Me and my girlfriend went here after a hot air balloon ride. This place was awesome. It was some real good southern cooking. There was an all you can eat buffet for breakfast and man was it good. They had pancakes, waffles, grits, ham, bacon, sausage, etc. The food was so nostalgic. We couldn't ask for better food in the morning. The environment was very homey. I wasn't flashy or cheap run down. It was a soothing place. The people were very friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

We just stopped here for the peanut pie and it was delicious. It's a very popular place, so even getting a take out slice of pie took some time. But it was well worth it. The pie was really yummy! read more

We received a few tins of Virginia Diner's peanuts for Christmas, so when we were driving through VA we had to stop by for more peanuts. We were immediately charmed by the town, the building, the road sign, and the history of the diner. Can't speak much to the food quality, as we weren't too hungry upon arrival. But we thoroughly enjoyed the overall experience! Our waitress was super sweet and the food came out fast. My husband had a turkey sandwich and said it was great, really thick cut of meat. I had the ham biscuits. Biscuits were fluffy, ham was incredibly salty. We had a slice of the peanut pie for dessert and enjoyed it so much we bought a whole pie to take home. We will definitely return whenever we're in the area next to try out the buffet. read more

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We only live about 10 miles from the place, so it is convenient for a quick and easy meal. Eating in, you have about a 75% chance of them getting your meal correct and hot. But if you order to go, you only have about a 5% chance of them getting your order correct. You might even get some cold mashed potatoes and gravy. Normally you are missing a side dish or the biscuits, but they have also shorted us half of the main dish also. We keep calling and complaining but it doesn't help, their service still sucks. We do not go back into the store and complain because then you do not know what you will get back on your food. We do keep going back because they are so close, however it might be months between visits. Screwed up again tonight, missing my fries. read more

We have driven past this place probably 100 times and always wanted to stop but we usually have our dog with us so are not able to. This time we left our dog with family and decided to give it a try. The place is fairly clean and atmosphere is ok. The menu looked really good. First, the waitress seemed to be tired from a long day and basically telling us what she "thought they were out of" without even checking. A little short at times but also friendly at others. I ordered country fried steak one of my all time favorite meals. When it arrived it looked great, but that's where it ended. The steak was mealy, the batter was really bitter with no seasoning at all, but the worst was the gravy. The gravy was lumpy with what appeared like balls of dough. It also was bitter and almost tasted as if it had gone bad. I was not able to eat it at all, and even my husband who will eat almost anything couldn't stomach it. My husbands meal was less than stellar as well but not as bad. He ordered a side of mushrooms that never came and when I went to pay I realized we were charged for them. I asked the girl at the register to remove it and after trying for 5 minutes she told me she couldn't get it removed, with no offer to get someone to help. So I ended up just paying for it so we could get back on the road. Needless to say we will not be back. read more

Good down home meal. The bbq pulled pork sandwich was delicious - a vinegar-based bbq with a mildly smokey flavor on a soft bun. The pulled fried chicken sandwich was a big hit - flavorful, tender chicken. Let me recommend their Famous Peanut Pie - hot, sweet, and chock full of chopped local peanuts. YUM!! Clean restaurant. Friendly staff. This will become our planned stop every time we drive to and from Lynchburg. read more

We stopped here on our way home from vacation in Virginia Beach. Cute little diner and they were offering a buffet at 11.99 per person. Fried chicken was amazing. They also had other southern type foods on the buffet like carrot soufflé, deep fried okra, and green beans. Peach cobbler was wiped out and wasn't replaced while we were there. We ordered their peanut pie for dessert. It reminded me of pecan pie but with peanuts. Our waitress was really great. Our biggest issue was the hostess. She never once smiled. We were on a waiting list from the time we arrived and when she called our name 20 minutes after waiting, she seated an older couple that had just walked in instead of us. She was clearly confused about what was going on. Then when we pointed that out she called the next name (not us), no apology or explanation. It was really weird. We were seated only because the person called after us agreed to let us be seated first. The whole waiting and being seated was really frustrating. read more

Virginia Diner - Milkshakes - Diners Near Me - Wakefield, Virginia

First time eating here. Had the lunch buffet. $10.99 not as much variety as I would have liked but what was offered was amazing. If you are a fan of down home country cooking you will love Virginia Diner. Collard greens so fresh you think they were picked this morning. Butter beans, string beans, corn,sliced beets and something I've never had before- carrot soufflé. Oh my goodness I can't even! Virginia ham,beef stew, fried chicken and apple cobbler. There's more but you get the idea. Come hungry cuz you will leave stuffed and happy read more

Virginia Diner - Diners Near Me - Wakefield, Virginia

Went out of my way while traveling to South Carolina because GuyF from DDD on Food Network said this was a place to eat! The food is phenomenal and so delicious but I was bummed the bathrooms were not clean. Really big downfall to me is a dirty bathroom lord knows what the kitchen looks like... But we can't control everything, all the time! I got the rail car burger medium with onion rings and.... don't judge me but mac and cheese and collard greens! I don't come here everyday!!!! I did enjoy my meal/take home and got some peanuts!!! read more

First off I want to say that parking and the gift shop are 5/5 hands down. Second, it seems as though poor restaurants with buffet lines are mostly wet, processed, high in sodium slop. There is no care in the food and you can taste it. I've been here 3 times because my family likes the place, but if it was my choice I would have looked for a golden coral. It's about the same price and more of a selection. Third, it seems as though the servers are more inclined to service the buffet customers since they are he easiest of customers rather than treat people who ordered actual meals equally. By the time my family had finished their second plates plus desserts the waitress finally came to my table telling me it'll be just a little longer and that it was the cooks fault. (To be clear she was talking about two SANDWICHES) I've worked in restaurants and I'm used to hearing servers blame cooks because they know they can't hear them. If I had my way on family outings I wouldn't choose this restaurant. The service needs some more training. read more

Fabulous food & great portion size all for a phenomenal price. Danielle B was a great server, cheerful and friendly. Stop in and enjoy a wonderful meal! We will definitely be back next time we come through. read more

the personnel was great, but the food was cheap as in bad quality. the place was full of flies. the peanuts and pistachios they sell, though, are great. read more

Virginia Diner - vintage cart with peanuts - Diners Near Me - Wakefield, Virginia

Time was 10:00, my family of 5 ordered one stack of pancakes and three omelets. The minute we arrived we waited approximately fifteen minutes to be seated and then it probably took another ten minutes after receiving menus to be asked what we would like to drink. By the time we officially ordered it was 10:30 and unless I called out for the server we would not have been looked at or given an estimate of how much longer it would take for our food to arrive. Our food was brought to our table by 11:30 and in my opinion waiting an hour for some eggs weren't worth the wait. From my understanding we arrived thirty minutes to an hour before lunch was being served but in that case you shouldn't offer a breakfast menu. Or there should be better time management when it comes to changing from breakfast to lunch. read more

This place is an institution -- worth the side trip when on the way to Virginia's beaches. The large dining room was 80% full, and from conversations the waitresses were having with customers it was a good mix of locals and passing-throughs. There appeared to be a larger room in the back ready for any large group. My wife and I both opted for the buffet at about 2 PM. It was well stocked, and it was immediately obvious that the food was replenished on a constant basis -- nothing was dried out or cold or sitting in grease or any of the terrible things that can happen on a steam table. The buffet featured fried chicken, fried fish, kielbasa with peppers, slow cooked green beans, collards, corn hush puppies, fried okra, several other vegetables, along with banana pudding, peach cobbler, chocolate cake, and a chocolate mouse/pudding dessert. Everything was excellent. The chicken was moist with a perfectly seasoned breading on the skin. The collards were almost sweet they were so fresh tasting. The fish was fresh and bright tasting... not sure if it was catfish or an ocean filet to be honest but it was nicely prepared. We saw burgers that other tables had ordered off the regular menu -- they looked large and well dressed out, FWIW. We ordered peanut pie for the road. Can't wait to have it for a midnight snack! read more

Kept seeing signs for this place and figured why not? I've seen their peanuts in several stores at the beach and beyond but their signs advertised "more than just nuts" or something along that line. Stopped in for lunch on my return from fort lee and walked into a country type setting. Nothing fabulous and almost dated, yet appeared clean. White walls and ceiling contrasted with the red/white checkered tablecloths,I guess, is what gave the country appearance. Now for the food...a $10.99 ayce lunch buffet was on tap so my choice was already made. A spread of your typical country fixins' was to be had. Fried chicken, flounder, corn, collards, etc. with peach cobbler as the dessert item. Upon first bite, Fresh!! Everything was hot and tasted fresh unlike some chain restaurants that offer the like. Staff were all down to earth and friendly. Drink was topped off without having to ask for refills and plates were always removed upon finishing. Overall experience was great. Would of gave 5 stars but because of location in reference to where my home is at the beach, I'm afraid the only time I would eat here,and i would again, is if I'm ever this way on 460. If you happen to be out this way stop in and give it a try... Good ol' country cuisine!! read more

Virginia Diner - My view... - Diners Near Me - Wakefield, Virginia

The food is great everytime I come through. The wait staff is great. Jevonne is exceptionally great each and everytime. True southern hospitality read more

Waited well over an hour for our food. It never showed up we wound up just leaving. I'm sure the food was fantastic. The service was horrible. read more