When traveling through Southwest Virginia, you can’t help but be in awe of the picturesque landscape of the mountainous region, but in addition to being a stunningly beautiful backdrop, the land also provides fertile grounds for farming. This lends to a rich culinary scene in Southwest Virginia, where chefs utilize locally sourced ingredients to craft historically-rooted Appalachian cuisine. We have already highlighted dozens of restaurants, breweries, and wineries in Part 1 of our Southwest Virginia Dining Guide, but there are many more hot spots to dine and drink within the area. Read on to discover the best places to get a true taste of Southwest Virginia.
—FOR BREAKFAST—
The Front Porch on Main, Tazewell—Located in a historic Victorian-style home in Tazewell, breakfast menu includes regular fare like pancakes, French toast, and Eggs Benedict, as well as specialty ‘morning snacks’ like Grilled Banana Bread and Cinnamon Fried Apples.
More Breakfast Places:
- Donut Diva, Tazewell
- The Well Coffee Shop, Tazewell
- The Dutch Treat Country Store, Rose Hill
- Margaret’s Country Corner, Bluefield
—FOR LUNCH—
Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque, Pounding Mill—Eclectic restaurant inside an old dairy barn and silo. While the barbecue is the main attraction, they also have fresh fish, lobster, crabcakes, and steaks. Closed for winter, November through March.
New Graham Pharmacy, The Last Soda Fountain, Bluefield—Open since 1935, an old-fashioned soda fountain known for their traditional diner breakfasts and lunches with fountain drinks, milkshakes, and root beer floats.
Frosty Bossie, Coeburn—Casual takeout-style restaurant famous for their burgers, chili, shakes, and ice cream.
More Lunch Locations:
- Fisher & Company, Tazewell
- Smoke-N-Pig’s Stillhouse, Gate City
- Hob-Nob Drive-In, Gate City
- A Better Burger, Jonesville
—FOR DINNER—
Ina + Forbes, Saint Paul—Located in Saint Paul’s new boutique hotel, the Western Front Hotel. Modern Appalachian cuisine including fried catfish and apple stack cake. Open for lunch and dinner.
Seven Restaurant, Tazewell—Nostalgic restaurant decorated with handmade Amish wooden furniture, creating a cozy ambiance with repurposed wood walls and a rustic stone bar. Open for lunch and dinner, they serve elegant yet approachable fare with craft cocktails, craft beers, and a curated wine list.
Rhododendron Restaurant, Breaks—In Breaks Interstate Park, Rhododendron has large windows that provide breathtaking views of the mountains.Menu changes seasonally, focusing on country-style dishes like fried chicken, country fried steak with homemade gravy, and fresh vegetable sides.
More Dinner Spots:
- Woodbooger Grill, Norton
- Campus Drive-In, Gate City
- Savory Flavors, Bluefield
- Pizza Town, Lebanon
- Moon Dog Brick Oven, Wise
—FOR SWEET TREATS—
The Family Bakery, Gate City—Family bakery serving a daily selection of seasonally-inspired desserts, including donuts, cakes, cupcakes, pies, cake pops, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Sweet Thang Pastries & Restaurant, Clintwood—From-scratch restaurant, bakery, and coffee shop that makes cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts, pies, and various other desserts.
More Bakeries & Dessert Destinations:
- K & E Southern Sweets, Wise
- Mattie’s Place, Tazewell
- Serendipity Café, Grundy
—FOR LOCAL CRAFT BREWS—
Sugar Hill Brewing Company, Saint Paul—Family-owned and operated restaurant and brewery in historic downtown Saint Paul. Have at least a dozen of their seasonal craft brews available on tap at all times. Regionally-made wines available.
Painted Peak Brewing Company, Tazewell—Craft brewery on Tazewell’s Main Street that specializes in Pale Ales, IPAs, and Ambers. Restaurant within the brewery serves Appalachian cuisine and tap room food like nachos for lunch and dinner.
More Craft Brew Destinations:
- Lonesome Pine Brewing, Lebanon
—FOR WINE LOVERS—
Mountainrose Vineyards, Wise—Winery built on former coal lands, creating rich wines from grapes grown in the distinct soil, from reds and whites to blush wines and a hard apple cider. Offers tours and tastings 7 days a week.
Plum Creek Winery, Tazewell—Appointment-only winery in Tazewell that produces 14 fruit-flavored wines like plum, peach, pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, and apple.
Vincent’s Vineyard, Lebanon—Quaint farm winery in the foothills of the scenic Clinch and Beartown Mountains. Free wine tastings and tours of the vineyard and winery.
Like the suggestions, but it seems your description of swva did not include much of swva. Such as, Abingdon, Marion, Wytheville, or Galax. Maybe next edition you can visit the remaining counties that too call swva home!