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Spelunker’s Frozen Custard and Burgers
A chili cheese dog with a side of onion rings at Spelunker’s Frozen Custard and Burgers.
Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Where to Eat and Drink During a Quick Trip to Shenandoah

Burgers, breakfasts, and apple butter doughnuts to try while escaping the city

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A chili cheese dog with a side of onion rings at Spelunker’s Frozen Custard and Burgers.
| Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post via Getty Images

City dwellers searching for fresh mountain air, apple butter doughnuts, or a memorable meal in a rural setting seek out Virginia’s Shenandoah for an escape within a few hours drive of D.C.

The foothills around Shenandoah National Park are full of options for hungry and thirsty visitors. From Sperryville to “little” Washington, Winchester to Front Royal, and everywhere in between, there are a number of dining and drinking destinations that pair perfectly with a day hike or country getaway.

The scenic region is also home to a cluster of drive-worthy wineries (RdV, Three Fox, Barrel Oak, Fox Meadow) and just welcomed newcomer Crimson Lane Vineyards in Linden this spring.

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L'Auberge Provencale Bed and Breakfast

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This cozy B&B in Boyce, Virginia offers both a French bistro and a much more formal indoor-outdoor dining room setting. It’s a family-run joint, with an epic weekend brunch that includes fluffy omelets, razor-thin crepes, and Virginia-baked ham. If you’re looking to stay the night, rooms are priced reasonably and offer a French countryside vibe.

The Apple House

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This roadside restaurant serves barbecue, pit-beef sandwiches, and warm apple butter cinnamon doughnuts. A must-stop in Linden, it also has online ordering for pickups. It’s also located near several top-notch wineries like RdV, Linden Vineyards, Crimson Lane, and Fox Meadow.

Apple butter cinnamon doughnuts from the Apple House
Apple butter cinnamon doughnuts from the Apple House
The Apple House/official

Spelunker's

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This old-school drive-thru in Front Royal is the spot to load up with a smash burger and a frozen custard before or after a day-long hike.

Spelunker’s Frozen Custard and Burgers
A Double Cavern burger with bacon and fries from Spelunker’s
Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Field & Main Restaurant

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Field & Main is a farm-fresh menu that changes weekly based on the season. It’s also destination dining whether you want to celebrate a special occasion or join friends for an impromptu meal at one of several outdoor cabanas. And when you’re here you feel like family. That’s because the kitchen, wine program, and front-of-house hospitality are led by the husband-and-wife team Neal and Star Wavra.

Red Truck Rural Bakery (multiple locations)

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Brian Noyes is the cake-maker extraordinaire at this charming bakery with locations in Marshall and Warrenton. This is also an excellent place to do a pie tasting. The bakery offers several pies by the slice or whole pies to-go from apple and blueberry to key lime and pecan. You can also order online with Goldbelly for national delivery.

Patty O’s Cafe

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Three Michelin-starred Chef Patrick O’Connell, proprietor of famed The Inn at Little Washington, opened his second restaurant in 2021 in the historic landmark village fondly known as Little Washington, Virginia. A former gas station on the village square has been transformed into a charming sidewalk cafe, an inviting bar, and a cozy dining room that’s especially popular during Sunday brunch.

The dreamy facade at Patty O’s Cafe.
Greg Powers

Narmada Winery

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Samosas and Cab Franc pair perfectly at this winery owned by a husband-wife duo, Pandit and Sudha Patil, who originally hail from Mumbai. The Amissville winery is open Thursday to Monday, and reservations are highly recommended for groups of four or more.

Blue Rock

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Whether you want to sample the a-la-carte foothills menu, like the super satisfying fried chicken, or sample Pineapple & Pearls alum Bin Lu’s tasting menu, this cozy inn has an Adirondack or dining room chair with your name on it. It also has one of the best sunset views in Rappahannock County with live music offered every Friday night in the summer.

Three Blacksmiths

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With just a handful of seats spaced around an open-hearth kitchen, Three Blacksmiths feels like an intimate way to experience the bounty of Shenandoah’s farms and cuisine. Chef-owners Jake and Sara Addeo now run the tasting menu experience from start to finish, featuring local, seasonal, and handcrafted food and beverages from Rappahannock County purveyors. Reservations are required and the tasting menu starts at $148 per person.

Before & After

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This espresso bar in Sperryville serves pastries and breakfast tacos and boasts a gelato window for a sweet way to finish a hike up Old Rag.

Hopkins Ordinary Bed Breakfast Aleworks

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Beer nerds will want to sleep here. This is Sperryville’s most popular brewery and B&B, and there is plenty of outdoor space, including fire pits and a two-story porch great for people watching in the quaint town.

Pen Druid Brewing

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Pen Druid is a farm brewery with views of the Shenandoah National Park, offering wood-fired, spontaneous, barrel-fermented and native beers brewed in a coolship, natural ciders, and wine. Come hungry because Abbey and Jack Gleason run a mobile kitchen (also wood-fired) known as Sumac. This menu is defined by its rotating seasonality with homemade vinegars, soft cheeses, and ingredients sourced within 150 miles of its parking spot.

A wooden table holds three plates containing a deep purple bison tartare, a dark rabbit stir fry over oats with colorful peppers, and a whole Magness pear surrounded by other fruits and cheeses.
Bison tartare, dark rabbit stir fry, and other eats from Pen Druid.
Brian Oh

L'Auberge Provencale Bed and Breakfast

This cozy B&B in Boyce, Virginia offers both a French bistro and a much more formal indoor-outdoor dining room setting. It’s a family-run joint, with an epic weekend brunch that includes fluffy omelets, razor-thin crepes, and Virginia-baked ham. If you’re looking to stay the night, rooms are priced reasonably and offer a French countryside vibe.

The Apple House

This roadside restaurant serves barbecue, pit-beef sandwiches, and warm apple butter cinnamon doughnuts. A must-stop in Linden, it also has online ordering for pickups. It’s also located near several top-notch wineries like RdV, Linden Vineyards, Crimson Lane, and Fox Meadow.

Apple butter cinnamon doughnuts from the Apple House
Apple butter cinnamon doughnuts from the Apple House
The Apple House/official

Spelunker's

This old-school drive-thru in Front Royal is the spot to load up with a smash burger and a frozen custard before or after a day-long hike.

Spelunker’s Frozen Custard and Burgers
A Double Cavern burger with bacon and fries from Spelunker’s
Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Field & Main Restaurant

Field & Main is a farm-fresh menu that changes weekly based on the season. It’s also destination dining whether you want to celebrate a special occasion or join friends for an impromptu meal at one of several outdoor cabanas. And when you’re here you feel like family. That’s because the kitchen, wine program, and front-of-house hospitality are led by the husband-and-wife team Neal and Star Wavra.

Red Truck Rural Bakery (multiple locations)

Brian Noyes is the cake-maker extraordinaire at this charming bakery with locations in Marshall and Warrenton. This is also an excellent place to do a pie tasting. The bakery offers several pies by the slice or whole pies to-go from apple and blueberry to key lime and pecan. You can also order online with Goldbelly for national delivery.

Patty O’s Cafe

Three Michelin-starred Chef Patrick O’Connell, proprietor of famed The Inn at Little Washington, opened his second restaurant in 2021 in the historic landmark village fondly known as Little Washington, Virginia. A former gas station on the village square has been transformed into a charming sidewalk cafe, an inviting bar, and a cozy dining room that’s especially popular during Sunday brunch.

The dreamy facade at Patty O’s Cafe.
Greg Powers

Narmada Winery

Samosas and Cab Franc pair perfectly at this winery owned by a husband-wife duo, Pandit and Sudha Patil, who originally hail from Mumbai. The Amissville winery is open Thursday to Monday, and reservations are highly recommended for groups of four or more.

Blue Rock

Whether you want to sample the a-la-carte foothills menu, like the super satisfying fried chicken, or sample Pineapple & Pearls alum Bin Lu’s tasting menu, this cozy inn has an Adirondack or dining room chair with your name on it. It also has one of the best sunset views in Rappahannock County with live music offered every Friday night in the summer.

Three Blacksmiths

With just a handful of seats spaced around an open-hearth kitchen, Three Blacksmiths feels like an intimate way to experience the bounty of Shenandoah’s farms and cuisine. Chef-owners Jake and Sara Addeo now run the tasting menu experience from start to finish, featuring local, seasonal, and handcrafted food and beverages from Rappahannock County purveyors. Reservations are required and the tasting menu starts at $148 per person.

Before & After

This espresso bar in Sperryville serves pastries and breakfast tacos and boasts a gelato window for a sweet way to finish a hike up Old Rag.

Hopkins Ordinary Bed Breakfast Aleworks

Beer nerds will want to sleep here. This is Sperryville’s most popular brewery and B&B, and there is plenty of outdoor space, including fire pits and a two-story porch great for people watching in the quaint town.

Pen Druid Brewing

Pen Druid is a farm brewery with views of the Shenandoah National Park, offering wood-fired, spontaneous, barrel-fermented and native beers brewed in a coolship, natural ciders, and wine. Come hungry because Abbey and Jack Gleason run a mobile kitchen (also wood-fired) known as Sumac. This menu is defined by its rotating seasonality with homemade vinegars, soft cheeses, and ingredients sourced within 150 miles of its parking spot.

A wooden table holds three plates containing a deep purple bison tartare, a dark rabbit stir fry over oats with colorful peppers, and a whole Magness pear surrounded by other fruits and cheeses.
Bison tartare, dark rabbit stir fry, and other eats from Pen Druid.
Brian Oh

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