Frost Cafe
101 E Davis St.
Culpeper, VA 22701
(540) 829-0344

American | $

In the heart of downtown Culpeper, Virginia we found Frost Cafe a vintage diner serving all your favorite comfort foods.

Ample booth and counter seating means limited wait times even during peak periods like Saturday lunch.

I saw Corn Beef Hash on the menu and had to try it. I was not disappointed; it was really good real corn beef hash. It pushed the limit of my personal salt tolerance but that would not keep me from ordering it again. It has been so long since I have had corn beef hash I forgot how good it can be. Memories of getting dismal hash so many times have kept me from ordering it. The eggs were eggs and the roll was nice and warm. I would have liked the bacon to be crisper.

My wife was happy with the fried catfish she ordered. The mashed potatoes and gravy could have used more flavor but her beets were tasty.

Our server Emily was great and gave us some helpful menu suggestions. The restaurant is a large space that absorbs noise and keeps the level low. Culpeper has some great restaurants like Foti’s and It’s About Thyme, but if you just want a quick solid lunch stop in to Frost Cafe.  Bring cash, they don’t accept credit cards. There is an ATM conveniently located next to the cash register if you forget so you don’t have to wash dishes.

Thornton River Grille
3710 Sperryville Pike
Sperryville, VA 22740
(540) 987-8790
http://www.thorntonrivergrille.com/

American | $$

CC Image courtesy of Rick Collier Imagery

Just off Virginia Rt. 211 at the foot of the Shenandoah National Park is the picturesque town of Sperryville, home to antique stores, River District Arts, and the Thornton River Grille. Touring the countryside with a friend this fall we stopped in for lunch. Right on the main street in Sperryville the restaurant is easy to find and often busy. On the afternoon we stopped by the wait for us was about 10 minutes but grew longer while we were there.

CC Image courtesy of Rick Collier Imagery

The restaurant has comfortable seating for about 40 with cloth napkins on bare wooden tables for a stylish simple look. The staff was busy but attentive. Except for a few guests giving you the prison guard stare hoping to speed eating along, those waiting for tables are mostly confined to a hall near the rear entrance.

For my lunch I chose the Flamin’ Rooster, a Grilled Chicken Breast with Smoked Bacon, Pico de Gallo, and Pepperjack cheese. The sandwich comes with fresh greens and an incredibly good tomato considering we were technically out of season. The fries were hand cut and very tasty. The Pico de Gallo, sometimes called salsa Mexicana, was chopped tomato, onion, and chili peppers and with the Pepperjack cheese gave it an additional spicy kick. The chicken was grilled nicely, moist and not excessively juicy.

Our friend Jane went with the Braised Corned Beef Ruben served on Marbled Rye bread with Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, and Russian Dressing. She was not fond of the sandwich because the corned beef was in more of a shredded form than the traditional sliced.

My wife opted for the “House Ground Beef” Cheeseburger with crumpled Bleu Cheese. They grind their beef fresh daily. My wife loved the Bleu Cheese topping and thought the beef patty was generous in size and flavorful.

Our choices were quite filling so we tried no desserts. The noise level was moderate at about 76 decibels. This is not a linger over lunch kind of place. It was busy with the staff constantly on the move and people coming and going nonstop. But we never felt rushed and once you’re done eating there is plenty to do in the area to get you moving. Next time you are hungry for good quality food stop in for lunch. Several friends have recommended Thornton River Grille for dinner so we will be back soon.