Williamsburg, Virginia Visit

The Old Chickahominy House is not a chain restaurant. This is a local family operated establishment that has been in business for more than 50 years. It only serves breakfast and lunch; no dinner. Reservations are not taken, but you can call ahead and get on the list for the first lunch seating. The house specialty is salt cured Virginia Ham biscuits. The flat, square biscuits are not like you find anywhere else. Like the home made pies, the biscuits are made from scratch every day.

The restaurant has a huge local following, so if you have to wait, there is a quality gift shop to browse. The merchandise changes from week to week, and is sprinkled with a variety of antiques. There are gifts available for all ages, from kids toys, to jewelry, and household furnishings. The shop offers lamps and other fine household furniture including tables and chests of drawers.

My favorite lunch item is the chicken & dumplings. I learned that there are no recipes which lead to small variations in each day's meals. Our small son likes the Brunswick stew - a chicken based vegetable soup that is made fresh every day. We always delight in the summertime offering of blackberry pie; but that flavor is not always available among the usual selection of 5 varieties offered daily.

The Old Chickahominy House staff aims to please, serves great food at a very reasonable price, and keeps me coming back again and again every time I visit Williamsburg. Plus, you can meet locals to find out about other gems in the Williamsburg area that do not fit the chain restaurant mold.

If you seek out the unusual, try the Old Chickahominy House, speak with the owner, Maxine, and learn some interesting facts about the Williamsburg area.