Best road-trip restaurants in Virginia

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Del Ray institution since 1985 serving authentic Louisiana Creole and Cajun, a Washingtonian Top 100 regular.

$ · Blue Ridge Parkway

Historic country store and community hub serving hearty Appalachian plates and sandwiches, famous for its Friday Night Jamboree.

$$ · I-95 corridor

Farm-to-table Southern kitchen in a historic downtown bank building, prized for locally sourced seasonal plates and biscuits.

$$$ · Blue Ridge Parkway

White-tablecloth downtown institution serving refined Southern-influenced New American cooking and Virginia wines since 1932.

$$$ · Shenandoah National Park

Historic downtown institution serving refined Southern-influenced New American cuisine and local wines in an elegant white-tablecloth setting.

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James Beard-recognized family soul-food institution in historic Jackson Ward, one of the most notable in the country.

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Church Hill institution of untraditional Southern cooking; chef Leah Branch is a 2026 James Beard semifinalist.

$$$ · Shenandoah National Park

Downtown Staunton institution serving inspired Southern cuisine sourced primarily from Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont farmers and producers.

$$$ · Shenandoah National Park

Downtown mainstay since 2011 where the chef brings high-level Creole and Southern technique to a small Shenandoah Valley town.