While up that way but with a few more vegetables, is Sandpiper Reef, right on the shores of the Piankatank.. Grilled and fried local seafood, amazing oysters rockefeller and a great place to grab a drink on their covered porch. www.sandpiperreef.net
A little out of the way but perfect for a lazy day in a land that is set back in time.

Head on up to Mathews to try out Sandpiper Reef, right on the water. www.sandpiperreef.net
The BEST fried oysters, fresh fish and crabcakes in the region. It is well worth the drive!

Sandpiper Reef in sleepy Mathews County. Fresh local seafood including fantastic OYsters Rockefeller and great crabcakes. And surprisingly great ribs. Lots of different items on the menu; there was something for everyone in my family including the kids. Owned by a local family and the entire staff was so friendly. Both the bartender and chef came out to our table to talk to us.
A little out of the way and hard to find but it was more than worth the hassle.

Betz

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Sandpiper Reef Restaurant
, Mathews, VA 23109

We went back again yesterday on our way down 81 and this place is better than we remembered it! There are so many great flavors of doughnuts it was hard to choose. We also picked up a few sandwiches for the road and the chicken salad was fantastic. We especially loved the new Bling Bling doughnuts with the crunchy sprinkles and the Botetout Bog was just as chocolately as we remembered. It is great to see a small store make such fantastic treats. So much better than Dunkin Doughnuts.

Nawab on Jefferson Ave or in Williamsburg is excellent and has a great lunch buffet from 11-2 each day. There is a Thai Restaurant on Big Bethel in the Food Lion shopping center that is very good and very casual. Cant remember the exact name but just ask anyone for directions to Dairy Queen on Big Bethel and it is right across the street.

Take the backroads of Va along Rt 17 (from 95 south outside DC all the way to Charleston). Very rural, very scenic and lots of great bbq stops in SC. For great seafood in VA stop at www.sandpiperreef.net for a taste of Chesapeake Bay seafood...fantastic crabcakes and fried oysters. Quaint little town www.visitmathews.com

For a snack, or a treat to keep in the car for the ride, stop in Daleville to Blue Collar Joes for custom made cake donuts with gourmet toppings...and grab a latte for the ride too! www.bluecollarjoes.net
It's become a favorite pitstop for us just 1 mile off of 81

Don't forget to try Blue Collar Joes on 81 in Daleville. www.bluecollarjoes.net

Do yourself a favor and take the time to drive to Mathews to Sandpiper Reef Restaurant. Amazing real East Coast seafood....real crabcakes with no filler, fresh flounder, grilled tuna...the BEST fried oysters. Locals love the place. www.sandpiperreef.net
We eat there everytime we are in the area.

I guarantee you it will make the drive go faster!!!!

Has anyone been to Blue Collar Joes??? It's a new doughnut store (actually in Daleville). Homemade custom made doughnuts with all kinds of exotic flavors. My absolute fav was the North meets South...blueberry doughnut with maple glaze and bacon bits. Sounds odd....tasted delish!!! I loved the chocolate cookie crumb flavor also. They had sandwiches and wraps but 2 donuts and a latte were enough for me.

www.bluecollarjoes.net

It's nice to see new businesses opening in this crazy economy!

Too late for this year but if you are ever coming back www.sandpiperreef.net in Mathews is fantastic; best crabcakes anywhere.
Stillwaters in Gloucester is closed I'm sad to report.

Not sure where you are located but for fresh out of the water seafood it is worth the drive to Mathews County to Sandpiper Reef Restaurant www.sandpiperreef.net Amazing crabcakes and great oysters. Real homemade desserts which change weekly.
For comfort food I think Debbie's in Middlesex is very good country cooking. Best bbqd meats is hands down County Grill in Yorktown.

We stayed at Buckely Hall in Mathews County. Check out www.northernneck.com for places nearer to Ingleside. Prices are starting to drop in the Williamsburg area which is an easy day drive to anywhere on the Middle Penninsula or Northern Neck.

I posted last night about my trip to Mathews County and a wonderful meal at Sandpiper Reef Restaurant (amazing crabcakes!). We stayed at a nice B&B in town since there are no hotels in the area.
We visited Ingleside a few years ago but did not stay there. It's on the Northern Neck so as mentioned by other posters you are close to both Williamsburg and that winery and also the Northern Neck if you wanted. We got our information from www.visitmathews.com

After countless weekend drives through southeastern VA my husband and I finally found a real gem in the middle of nowhere.
After reading about the Middle Penninsula in the Style section of the Washington Post, we booked a room at a local B& B recommended in the article..Buckley Hall (charming place in the quaint old fashioned town of Mathews.
Arriving famished after a 3 hr drive we asked the owner about local restaurants.Without hesitation she gave us a menu for the Sandpiper Reef in nearby Hallieford. The menu looked good so we took her advice and headed on over there. Good thing it was still light out because the place is not easy to find!!!....located a few miles off the main road and located right on the water. From the outside it looked suspiciously like an old seafood shack but looks were deceiving....it was charming inside including candles,fresh flowers and crisp linens.
We asked the waitress for recommendations and without hesitating she mentioned the Oysters Rockefeller appetizer special and homemade she crab soup.which was served "Mathews style'. Upon questioning we learned Mathews style meant a hearty, crab filled soup served so thick the spoon could practically stand on it's own!!! The oysters were plump and succulent and were among the best we had ever had.
For dinner we again took the server's suggestion and went with the broiled crabcakes and a house specialty "heavenly grouper". The crabcakes were nothing short of amazing. Plump, moist with no detectable filler....pure crabmeatI Exactly what we are always looking for and much like the old Crisfield recipe. A real taste of the Chesapeake Bay and more than worth the drive!! The grouper was indeed "heavenly" served broiled in a tangy parmasean cheese type sauce...delicous!!!

At this point we were filled to capacity but took the B&B' owners suggestion to not dare pass up the homemade desserts. We took home a slice of the key lime pie which was fabulous...tart, creamy and not a hint of green in it!!!...and a piece of the cheesecake of the day ..tiramisu...a wonderful blend of my 2 favorite desserts.

The next day we drove around to nearby Gloucester and had a filling cheap breakfast at a little out of the way place called Suttons...what is it with this area....alll the good stuff is out of the way!!! For less than the price of 2 gallons of gas we had chipped beef, pancakes sausage and coffee. Amazing for those of us not fortunate enough to live in the Middle Penninsula on an everyday basis.

If you are looking for a weekend getaway or Sunday drive, Mathews is the way to go...beautiful scenery, kind people, antiquing...not a mall in sight (they are an hour away from Richmond and the big city). And stop by Sandpiper Reef and tell them the couple from Arlington sent you!

Hands down Gloucester Gourmet in Gloucester...it's a little out of the way but she delivers for free to Richmond. Her cakes are amazing and absolutely beautiful....like something out of a magazine. She did a chocolate tasting at a vineyard near Tapphannock and was hands down the winner for homemade truffles. She had a sample cake there too and it was gorgeous. I still have her flyer here and the website is www.gloucestergourmet.com

I never did find any great donut shops (my brother's weakness) but we did have an excellent meal at Trios and an ok one at Wertz's (my fault..I should not order an oyster po boy in Roanoke!). Went to the New Yorker Deli and it was ok..but not great...would be much better if they used a higher quality meat there. The meal at Trio's and another one at the Thai place downtown more than made up for the others though. Thanks for responding.

I'll be in Roanoke for a few days spending time with my brother...looking for a few cheap eats or something different. He's been there a few years but I'd like to find something he hasn't had time to discover yet. Also..he loves doughnuts...any recommendations?

Thanks,
Liz

I have an easy to please family that enjoys almost any type of food...I am looking for somewhere to have lunch on Friday.

Thanks

I've read too much about it to pass it up!

Liz

We have to go to Southside Baptist School on Bryce Lane. Price wise I'm looking for something moderate...definitely not buffet but no white tablecloths!

We're headed over to Richmond tonight with 5 kids who will eat just about any cuisine. Anything you would recommend that won't completely break the budget?

In what order should the following be served?
soup, salad, appetizer.

TIA