We were heading to the Fredrick Co. Fairgrounds for a Saturday auction, taking the Rt. 11 exit off of I-81 we passed the new Target shopping center. While checking out what was in this new shopping center we notice they had a Main Street Wings.  Sweet! We have been to their two other locations, the original in Purcellville and second in Ashburn.  We were please to see one in Winchester. (Is this how Five Guys started?)

Auction over, well not over, but the truck was full, we headed to Main Street Wings for a Saturday lunch.  Wow! Nice spacious restaurant.  The friendly wait staff warmly greeted us.   Once menu selections were made.  I took time to survey our surroundings.  Three flat screens keeping us informed of the latest in sports and news.  A sports bar for those who like to sit on stools, ample tables in the center, and booths lined the far wall, a chair for every type of  ‘tush’.

Lunch arrived in a timely fashion.  Hubby had his usually, a hefty hamburger and fries (nice and crispy).  Daughter had Buffalo Wings (count for the day was 9 wings to a pound) daily count of wings is displayed on a large chalkboard.  Last time she had wings with Garlic Butter, so this time she was brave and went for the Buffalo Medium Hot with Ranch.  She survived.  This might encourage her to kick it up to Buffalo Hot.

I opted for a Ruben. I was not disappointed with the Ruben, the corn beef was tender and just the right amount of Sauerkraut, but it did not come with a dill pickle. Rubens should be served with dill pickles. (they offered me Bread and Butter Pickle..no thanks) I should have gone with the traditional cole slaw, but I choose their wonderful creamy mac n’ cheese.

Passed on dessert this time, but love their vanilla ice cream.  And if you want to stop in just for dessert they have an entertaining — Bake-at-your-table- S’mores.

All left the table full.

Note:  Every day is a good day at Main Street Wings but did you know that EVERY Thursday is ½ price Burgers Day?  Yes I said half price!  Such a deal!

Check out their web site for some of their other Specials.    www.MainStreetWings.com
Main Street Wings – A Classic American Grill

151 Market Street, Winchester, VA
J.C.Coon

I waited until I had been to the Alamo theater a few times before writing a review because I wanted to see it across a few different types of movies. I didn’t want bad movies to skew the review. So after this last visit to a blockbuster movie I decided to let it fly.

Separating the review to strictly food doesn’t really seem fair because you really have to tie any restaurant review to the atmosphere, but this is a different beast. The place has a great feel. It is well appointed and greets you with a bar front and center in the lobby. On my first visit I was slightly put off by that because I was looking for a family experience, but not to worry, I was pleasantly surprised that it remained a family rated outing. The theaters have great seats that are comfortable and not crowded like the multiplex experience. Each row of seats has a long, continuous table in front of it. The wait staff travels between rows and picks up orders and delivers food and beverages efficiently and quietly without disturbing the movie experience. All in all a great atmosphere.

The food, well it’s good but don’t skip the meal before the movie. The menu is pretty much bar food plus. The appetizers are good including a favorite of mine that is hard to find around here, fried pickles. We have had several apps and they are all good. We ventured into sandwiches and were underwhelmed. The steak and cheese was pedestrian at best. The real claim to fame, and perhaps the reason the menu smacks of bar food, is the beer and wine selection. It’s a rare experience to have a beer at the theater and this place takes it into the stratosphere with dozens of brews ranging from standard fare to hand-crafted brews. But be prepared to pay the price. I haven’t seen drink prices like this since my last trip to Georgetown. Pitcher prices are calculated on multiple draft prices, and some quick math lead me to some pitchers setting you back twenty-seven bucks! So enjoy but make sure you get a good look at the menu before the lights go down.

All in all the Alamo is a great experience, but as a restaurant, not so much. Great snacks and beverages, but like I said, if your after dinner and a movie, take care of the dinner somewhere else and enjoy a snack and a movie at the Alamo.

OK, so “a lot” is relative. Dinner for two at ZZ Kabob was about 25 bucks. Not much by big city standards but on the pricey side for WInchester fast food.

Both of us love kabobs and some of the best kabob places can be tucked away in the plainest of strip malls. ZZ Kabob fits the strip mall description (it’s tucked away between Starbucks and Sonic just east of I-81 on the north side of Route 7) but that’s where the comparison to “good food, plain digs” ends.

I ordered kubideh kabob (ground sirloin, onion and seasonings for $8.99) and my wife ordered the lamb kabob ($10.99). I guess that we should have been more careful in verifying our order with the Spanish-speaking staff serving food from behind the counter. When the food was delivered to our table my wife’s order was correct but I received the wrong meal. Instead of kuideh kabob I received the plain beef kabob instead. Since the food had been made to order (which I fugured was a good thing) it took about 15 minutes to prepare. Sending the food back would have caused several problems including a delay since my wife’s food had already been delivered. Plus, as we were the only two customers in the place at 5:30 p.m., I felt bad about wasting the food. I like beef kabobs anyway so it seemed like a minor inconvenience.

My beef (no pun intended) and my wife’s lamb shared several characteristics; tough, overly salted and dry. Although the meat was served on a large pile of basmati rice, the colors in ZZ Kabob’s basmati rice just weren’t characteristic of what has long been my favorite rice variety. Both my wife and I wondered if this basmati was a knock-off variety. The taste of the rice was unremarkable.

Kabob meals always come with some type of flat bread. Once again ZZ Kabob was a disappointment. The bread tasted (and looked) like it had been picked up across the street at Martins Grocery. It was, well, dry and tasteless.

It seems like “dry & tasteless” is becoming a theme in this review. Hmmm…

On the positive side, ZZ Kabob seemed very clean and the staff was friendly and courteous. I kind of wonder if my opinion would have been different if I had actually gotten the meal that I ordered. Unfortunately I’ll never know because I’ll never go back.

ZZ Kabob’s -161 Gateway Dr – Type:Mediterranean (540) 667-2022

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