The Tarheel Miata Club "drives to eat; and, eats to drive" and as a result, starts a new feature that reviews and gives directions to some of the more out-of-the-way restaurants in and around the area. Most of the posts are by members of the club, but additions could come from anywhere! We'll always try to give credit when due! So take a few moments and enjoy the listing and if you get a chance, visit one of these restaurants, but by all means - enjoy the drive!
The Sunnybrook Inn
Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant and Bakery
Drive & Eat - The Sunnybrook Inn
It was lunch time, and Boomer and I didn't want fast food. We saw a sign about the Sunnhybrook Inn, so we decided to give it a try.
The best thing about The Sunnybrook Inn is its setting. It is on a little hill overlooking VA Route 115 in northeast Roanoke. The big old house the restaurant is in was built in 1912, and converted to restaurant duty in 1992.
Lunch on weekdays is served in a large, unremarkable dining room which has been added onto the original building. For some reason, the windows were decorated with Christmas wreaths - even in June.
Boomer and I selected our entrees from a good variety on the menu. The selection of entree determines the price of the meal, which ranges from $5.50 for the fried chicken or salmon cakes to $8.50 for the fried oysters or $9.95 for the 10-oz ribeye. Boomer chose the Swiss steak; I had the roast beef. The waitress brought our entrees, but the rest of the meal was self service from the buffet. There was a good variety of vegetables, salad, and bread.
Desserts included all sorts of cakes and pies, served directly from the desert cart, for an extra charge.
It's a different deal on the weekends. Friday evenings offer prime rib, shrimp, oysters, fettuccini alfredo, or lemon-pepper chicken breast for $12.95. Saturday evening has all you can eat snow crab legs, shrimp, oysters, scallops, catfish, whitefish, chicken, etc., for $16.99 or $13.99 without crab legs. And on Sundays, it's country ham, fried chicken, roast beef, whitefish, BBQ sausage, or spaghetti for $8.95.
To reach The Sunnybrook Inn, take exit 146 from Interstate 81 just north of Roanoke and follow the signs. Their phone is 1-800-586-0088. They are closed on Mondays.
Drive & Eat - Mrs. Rowes Restaurant and Bakery
I hope I haven't already written about Mrs. Rowe's. If I have, forgive me. It's just that Mrs. Rowe's is one place we visit almost every time we go to Staunton.
To reach Mrs. Rowe's, take Exit 222 from I-81 in Staunton, Virginia. Mrs. Rowe's is located just 300 yards left from the exit.
What's on the menu? An amazing variety, designed to suit nearly every palate, appetite, and pocket book. For example, there's a 16-ounce T-bone steak for $13.95, two grilled pork chops with baked apples, fried Virginia country ham, or broiled trout, for $10.95, or fried chicken for $6.25. There's a Reuben sandwich for $5.25, or a grilled cheese sandwich for $2.25. There are daily specials every day, which include a meat and two vegetables at prices that range between $5,50 and $10.95. Breads, biscuits, and pies are all baked fresh daily according to Mrs. Rowe's own recipes. They're open for breakfast too.
Mrs. Rowe's also has a takeout menu of frozen meals, similar to TV dinners, but probably much better.
The atmosphere at Mrs. Rowe's is pleasant, and the service is prompt. The restaurant las been operated continuously by the Rowe family since 1947.
Drive & Eat - Mike's Restaurant
I don't mean to brag, but Vivien and I went to Mike's Restaurant on Thursday, October 28th. I think Thursday may be significant - there's a much longer wait on weekends. Maybe they take reservations. There phone number is 508-996-9810.
Wait a minute! Area code 508? where in the world is that?
Well, we thought we were in New Bedford, but Mike's literature says we were in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, so I gues we were. Anyhow, they're on U.S. 6. I betcha they'll give you more specific directions if you phone. It's about an hour south of Boston.
Lobster is a specialty at Mike's Restaurant, and Vivien got two broiled lobsters for about twelve dollars. I don't eat lobster, but Vivien said they were really good. (I hear the broiled lobsters are better than the stuffed lobsters.) I got a ten-ounce filet mignon for $12.75. It was cooked just right, very tender, and almost more than I could eat. The white, creamy clam chowder was great, and the salad was nice and fresh. Once we were seated, service was prompt and cheerful. If you have to wait for a table, they have a bar and a gift shop too.
If I ever go back to New Bedford, er, Fairhaven, I'm going back to Mike's Restaurant. It's that good!
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