The space that the Berryville Grille occupies sat vacant for years on Main Street in Berryville waiting for a likely tenant. When everyone heard the news that a new restaurant was opening there were a few raised eyebrows. Restaurants have become Berryville’s cottage industry and people wondered how many the little town can support. But when the Berryville Grille opened it’s doors the overall response very positive.

My family visited on a cold winter evening and we were quite pleased with our entire visit. The decor has a charming bistro kind of feel and the addition of free standing walls breaks the space up nicely. Our waitress was particularly friendly and made sure we were well cared for during our entire visit.

The menu is simple but diverse enough to meet the tastes of just about anyone. I had the meatloaf which came with a well prepared vegetable medley and mashed potatoes. Other dishes at our table included chicken quesadilla, and steak. The portions were nice and the price was quite reasonable.

The Berryville Grill is a great addition to Berryville and a great restaurant for family meal or a quiet date. If you’re lucky you can get one of the two tables in the front window and watch the world go by while you enjoy a great meal.

There is no shortage of Chinese carry-out restaurants in Winchester Va but this one is really quite nice. It’s in the new shopping center where the Starbucks is on the east side of town. They have pretty standard fare but the service is great and the place is really, really clean. I’ve been in several Chinese restaurants in Winchester that feel really sketchy when you walk in, but this place is immaculate and well kept.

The owner and staff are great people and prepare good food at a fair price and serve generous portions.It’s a great option for carry-out Chinese food in Winchester.

Address: 419 Gateway Dr # 5 Winchester, VA 22603
Call: (540) 722-0770‎

The Building: The Victorian Cast Iron Union Bank Building has been restored, as original in 1878. A true Historic Landmark of Winchester. The entry with its 20 foot high ceilings will offer a dining area. The rear extension is a true Authentic & Traditional British Pub in theme & decor!

The Food & Beverages: A 50 foot long bar offers a huge selection of European Beers, plus a large wine selection. Naturally, the Pub fare will be Authentic British. Cream Teas with sandwiches and scones will also be offered by advance reservation.

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My first visit…

So for anyone looking for that “new experience” that doesn’t compare…ya almost gotta try the new locally owned and operated English styled pub on the walking mall “Union Jack”…almost…meaning the following…

1. The food (in my humble view) was expected…
2. The service was really very good…
3. The dinning room was CROWED, CRAMPED and VERY noisy…with way too high a ceiling to produce anything than an experience of dinning in a train station or better AN OLD BANK ! which is exactly what the place is…
4. The Owner who did make it to my table for a chat was and is very kind and sincere…
5. The beer selections where many and seemingly in good standard…and finally…
6. The Bar, which I could see from my seat in the front of the house AND had the pleasure of “using” before my table was ready…
7. The finger food menu which I did not par-take in looked again expected…
8. However and not to on and on about this I just couldn’t get past the poor lay-out of the place and the struggle that I went
9. thru to just fill my basic needs…get something to eat and drink to fill my big and growing belly…

on a scale from one to ten…I’d give the place a 7 and I’d be looking to go back maybe soon….just hoping I don’t forget my cotton balls for the ol’ear drums…

Uncle Fred’s BBQ Smoke Shack located at 147 North Loudoun St.
Contact Phone: (540) 665-9555

My first visit….

The other day while bee-bopping around Winchester or more specific while strolling thru the Apple Blossom’s mid-way on the Loudoun St walking mall to take in the crowds and to find something maybe good to eat when it struck me that I’d heard of a NEW locally owned “rib place” and decided that I’d passed by ALL the funnel cake, Polish Sausage and deep fried food stands filling the air with their specifically wonderful aroma and try a sit down with local owner…

I walked in and smelled “promise”…I looked around and felt I might be at home…but then the pulled pork
sandwich I ordered showed up and I think disappointment and despair MIGHT be the first words that comes to mind…only to be followed pretty quickly by, dry…dry.… (Coughing) DRY !!!

Maybe it was the day I posted ? What with all the excitement downtown or maybe it was that fact that it
was 2:00pm I the afternoon and all the “good stuff” had gone….but what ever the reason, the next word that comes to my mind for the potential 2nd visit is courage !

Round Two- My second visit….

So believing that the perfect rib exists and that it should be found in Winchester…and further hoping beyond pale that Uncle Fred’s IS the place for many, many reasons one would find such a rib I have returned and write today to report that YES Virginia there is good BBQ here and that it’s just a hare’s breath from being perfect!!

On Saturday last an old friend of mine hit town early enough for the two of us to take in Winchesters night life… While on our trek from one end to the other end of the walking mall we past Uncle Fred’s who was still open at 12:00pm… Pushing thru the glass door and the few folks just finishing up there we made our way to the counter and placed a rib order with the man himself…10 minutes later we where back out the door and up to our elbows on the provided out door patio furniture in BBQ… mmmm, yuuuummm, and man that’s pretty damn good…the meat just fell from the bone….just slid away…and the big thick pieces of white bread added to the order was right on time to soak up the left over sauce…

Now, now BEFORE ya all go racing ahead, remember I said “almost” heaven, “almost” a home run and nearly
a perfect experience…maybe it was the night I visited, but the ribs Uncle Fred hooked me with that evening was the kinda rib ya get at a Chinese Restaurant…you know the kind with that little bit of gristly gristle junk at the end…?

Yuk and eeeewwww never been a fan of that cut of meat for a rib and hope it’s just all he could get that day…and if ya can get past that, then baby your home free…the sauce was just the right amount of everything and the tenderness of the meat perfect…now Fred DID tell us of a few OTHER things that he’s planning for the spring and summer of 2009;

1. Open till early morning for the night crowds and a breakfast he’s still putt’n together
2. An outdoor front side BBQ pit that he’s planning to man on the weekends…

Uncle Fred thank you…I’d pick your place over all others for BBQ in Winchester Va and I can’t say
enough about how much I appreciate you’re wanting to serve the public really good food…

I’d say it shows….

The rest of the family had nice dishes, Generls chicken, prawns, and beef sate. The prawn dish was probably the weakest of the group but overall they were good.
Best of all was the service. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive and went to great lengths to connect with us. It was probably the most surprising aspect of our visit.

I give them a big thumbs up.

Mimosa is positioned to meet this new trend by creating dishes that are simple with Asian cooking influences, cooking styles from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and abroad.  Mimosa has put together some of the best ideas from the Asian cultures and American Services, to create our own versio n and recipes of each dish.

www.mimosafusion.com

202 Grocery Ave Winchester, VA 22602 (540) 545-8482

The store design is nice and they have a great brand going but unfortunately that’s as far as the “goodness” goes. The poorly trained, distracted people working there were enough to make me want to walk out, but we soldiered through and completed our order. When I got down to the register, I couldn’t believe how filthy it was. It looked like it had been dragged through the mud. Whatever it was, the fact that the manager didn’t have sense enough to do something about it spoke volumes about the overall service. The store was not busy when we were there, yet every table was filthy.  We had to bus and  wipe down our own table.

When we finally got to the food, it was underwhelming. My wife ordered a club sandwich that was good but not particularly noteworthy. I ordered a Chipotle Steak and Cheese that was fairly well executed but the whole concept of the sandwich was ill-conceived. They seem to take pride in making their own bread, which was pretty good. But the steak and cheese was not in a sub roll, it was in a sliced roll. When they assembled the pile of meat and toppings it became a slippery, oozing mess that required a fork to eat because it all fell out. The sandwich as a product was a failure before the poor souls in the store ever tried to make it.

For a cold sub this place is a maybe, but for a hot sub I’ll pass, or should I say “Fuget’about it!”

71-C Jefferson Crossing Way
Charles Town, WV 25414
Phone: (304) 725-0070

http://www.jerseymikes.com/

Backseat Bar & Grill Incorporated
1466 Martinsburg Pike Winchester, VA 22603
(540) 665-9033

This place is a gem. The best BBQ in the Winchester area and about as authentic as they come. Driving through White Post, you might miss the place because it looks more like an abandoned gas station than a restaurant. But don’t be fooled, these guys take their BBQ seriously and they have a gift. The pork ribs rock and chicken is excellent. Don’t miss out on the sides. Great collard greens and sweet potato fries. But the real must have if you visit is the sweet potato pie. It’s an unusual southern dish but man is it good. Stop in on the weekends and have a carryout delight.

Mr. B’s BBQ and Catering
14767 Lord Fairfax Hwy (Rte 340) White Post, VA 22663
(540) 837-1323

The Amherst Diner
Address: 334 Amherst St Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: (540) 667-8222

Google Map For Amherst Diner

(excerpt from the business website)

Reviews:

Winchester can be a pretty challenging place when you are looking for a seafood restaurant. the East Side Raw Bar & Grill is pretty much par for the course. The food is OK, it’s nothing special and the menu is not very diverse. It’s pretty much what you would expect from a road side seafood/bar. in fact, the place has a permanent odor of cigarette smoke. The interior is not much to look at and really doesn’t help the mediocre food. They seem more interested in the “bar” than the “grill”.

Have you eaten at this establishment? What do you think?