Tailgate Grill

Decided to have lunch here on a last minute whim. So glad we did. The menu is very straightforward. You cannot go wrong with whatever you order. We got the fried pickles, bacon cheeseburger, 🍔 fish sandwich and a small order of fries that we couldn’t finish between us. We did manage to get them home to share with our dogs who also gave 4 paws up. The presentation on the burger was unexpected it it came out better than the professional pictures you see in ads. Seriously. Great service and really tasty food. Would recommend.

December 17, 2024 - Our 2nd time dining at the Tailgate, it’s a local diner with Good Burgers & Shoestring fries! Locals sometimes refer to this as “Broad Street Grill” , founded in 2005 by Jeff & Pam Graves. After Covid closed ‘em down, new owners Vonnie Smiley & Kenny Bradley re-opened Tailgate Grill! 😃👍🏼 Our neighbors in Waynesboro come here often for dinner. As a matter of fact. . . My wife & I are sharing a table with our neighbors tonight for dinner. Our server recognized our neighbors immediately, so she said, “ You having the usual”? As we looked over the menu, my wife ordered a fish sandwich, I ordered their Bacon Cheeseburger special ! They didn’t ask, “ How do you want it cooked,” it comes medium-well ! The shoestring fries come in two sizes. . . Half basket is enough to share with 2 people. The large basket is enough for the table ! Their fries are ADDICTIVE! You can’t stop ! You get a COKE with your burger & fries , and that’s the SPECIAL! ( $13.99 to $15.99 depending on burger toppings) Menu isn’t fancy or complicated. I didn’t see any soups ? Salads limited to 3 choices . . . Tossed, Fried Chicken salad, and Chicken salad . Some appetizers choices: Fries, Cheese Fries, Mac or Chili on Fries, Fried Shrimp, wings, Fried Pickles, Cowboy bites, and Fried Mozzarella. Their reputation is built on their burgers. No pasta, no vegetarian dishes ( tossed salad), no fresh seafood, and wings are frozen. Hey, Tailgate serves up American classics in a diner style atmosphere. Service is friendly and fast. The prices are very reasonable, and the burgers & fries are wonderful! 😃👍🏼 Thanks to all the folks at Tailgate , and enjoy your Christmas! 🎅🏼 ⛄️🌲

Nice place, open seating. The table was a bit dirty, the waitress was nice but seemed a bit overwhelmed or overworked. The food is what I would call diner style. The fried green beans were good. The small cheese fry is a big cheese fry, but flavor wise, just okay like the rest of the items we had. Although I am a fan of small business, I will probably not go back based on just the food.

My boyfriend and I stopped in here for lunch and ordered an appetizer to spilt. We also ordered food that the waitress wrote down for us. We thought she had put in our food order but she didn't. She completely forgot about us and nobody made anything, we waited for an hour. No one checked on us. It was an awful experience. We just decided to pay for the appetizer and leave. Very disappointed and the staff were not friendly but very rude. Even watching TV and ignoring customers.

This used to be one of the best places to eat until the owner of New York Flying Pizza took it over. When visited, I found poor management, poor service and the food is nothing like it used to be. Workers are rude. Bathrooms are not clean. Saw cockroach while dining there. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN !!

I used to eat at this place once a week until I changed jobs. I am now working in Waynesboro and decided to get lunch from here today. We placed an order for pickup and let me tell you…..this place has really went down hill. The fries were cold and half raw. The grill cheese sandwich looked like it was thrown together by a toddler and the BLT sandwich was missing half of the bread. The fried mushrooms were so soggy that the breading wouldn’t stay on them. I love the tailgate sauce, which was the best part of the meal today, but not enough to drop $50 here again.

Girlfriend and I stopped in for dinner. Only a few people in the resturant. The waitress looked dirty Resturant wasn’t that clean. We asked for a basket of half French fries/ onion rings to go with our meals. I was asked when was the last time I was in because she didn’t think they could do that. After a few minutes I asked her if she could ask the manager.The waitress didn’t like me asking and our service went down hill from there. We received our sides first and our burgers about 10-15 minutes later. My girlfriend’s condiments were cold, I asked for side mayo/mustard I received mayo/ketchup, girlfriend asked for side mayo received nothing. They came around and asked the other tables if they needed any more drinks, etc. we had to ask for refills as well as to go boxes. Bad business, we have already shared our bad experiences with friends and family. BTW we were paying and roaches were scrambling across the floor at the register and the employee just laughed and shock her head. WILL NOT BE BACK!!! What happened to the awesome Waynesboro Tailgate of Old??

OH MY GOSH!!! The only way in a few short words I can express the awesomeness of this place and how amazing the American Food restaurant is in regards to the food service, and atmosphere! Can get a little crowded, but completely understandable with how delicious the food is! This has become a waynesboro favorite first my family and work team!

This is a typical diner with plenty of choices. If you want a real hamburger this is the place to come. The hamburgers are made with real hamburger a nice and thick and they're very juicy. You can actually live a small fry amongst two grown adults there are so many but they're thin and they get cold by the time you finish your burger.

Great burgers, fries and drinks. One of the best burgers I've ever had and I'm pretty picky with my burgers. Like that they can put jalapeños on the burgers. Very reasonable prices. Highly recommend

I love this place. What a great little smash hamburger diner. The fries are heaping and the burgers delicious.

Another episode of critique from food corner. Let me start by saying if you want tailgate and you don't have one. You need to stop here but you had better come hungry. This is where it's at. I will start off by saying they greet you at the door. The service is a rare gem for this area. Also this is the burger spot in Waynesboro across from old neighborhood Market Walmart. Tonight was dined on Philly cheese steak and a footlong hotdog. When I say yum. Doesn't even come close to how good it is. Their staff is very accommodating and will do their best to help anyway they can. Also can't forget the 2 appetizers. Cowboy bites and crack bites. Let me just say they are heavenly. Just make sure you get the tailgate space to dip them in. I couldn't slow up on em to get you a better picture and they make a fry basket that rivals 5 guys but they can't touch the quality. All I can say is if you haven't tried it. You are missing out.

This is one of our absolute favorite locations for burgers and fries!! Locally sourced beef, freshly pattied and cooked on the grill behind the bar, can't go wrong. Today, however, I ventured from my normal and, instead, got the Chicken Philly. I was so happy and so was my mouth and belly!! Another cool thing about this local, friendly place is that they employee lots of local high school students and graduates. Great pics up everywhere from professional sports to local high school athletics! Easy to get into, seat yourself, order food with the friendly waitstaff, then pay at the register. Great work being done here at very reasonable, inexpensive prices. Right off route 250 - easy to get to from Staunton, Waynesboro or Charlottesville. Enjoy!!

I can't figure this out. Was it because our car had Michigan plates? Or our horrible northern accent? Was it because we sat outside on a lovely summer day? Was the waitress/kitchen having a bad day? Whatever it was, as a customer I should NEVER know. The waitress took our order in a reasonable amount, brought beverages and fries, then 2 of 3 orders. She mentioned that the fish sandwich was just dropped, not clear if it was her or the kitchens mistake. It never arrived to the table. Ever. She never even came back to check on us after bringing the food. Two of us ate. The other didn't and that should never happen. She can keep waiting for her tip. And I never stiff a waitress for something that might have been the fault of the kitchen. If she checked with us, she would have figured this out before we got to the flaming mad point. I just wish that I would have known to get out of town and head to the brewing side of the Blue Ridge Mountains (I hear someone refer to it as the Brew Ridge Mountains), I found that out too late and the menu at the Brewery was so much better than here. Run to the east of the hills and find better food about 35 minutes away! (p.s. Look at my stats - I hardly ever give 1 star ratings.)

They servers know their stuff!! Polite & attentive! Space is limited so go before 12 or after 1300...it gets very crowded during the lunch rush!! Delicious homemade sweet tea! Open at 1100 and close in the evening. ...

This is a great stop for a burger and fries. The fries come in a huge portion, the burgers are good and apparently the hot dogs are said to be good as well. I got onion rings that were also very good. Clearly this seems to be a place locals frequent as there appeared to be regulars at seats at the counter. It's well lit, parking easy, service fine. Enjoy!

Forget the Five Girls Burgers. TTG is the only place to procure a delicious, juicy, tasty carnivore treat of a burger. If it's just a couple of you sitting down get the small fries, they ain't so small. Beside a fabulous burger they have one of the best service teams found anywhere. I'm in retail and take some of my guys there every now and then to show them what busting your hump and making people happy looks like. Kudos to the wait staff at TTG. You guys are top notch. Family friendly with a sports bar feel. It does get loud when full.

The food is decent and you can get it for a great price. Based on the food, I'd rate this trashy sit down restaurant 3 stars. Despite the well-priced food, the ambience is absolutely terrible and the service is extremely subpar. Want to listen to country blasted to the absolute limits, above the point of hearing yourself think much less converse with your friends? This is the place for you. Last time I walked in, two ladies walked out telling me not to order anything fried because the grease was old and everything was gross. When I got into the restaurant there wasn't a single bussed table. We sat at a dirty table and a waitress came by and bussed the empty tables around us, we sat for 10 minutes but were never served. Between the poor service and the blaring music, we left. The last two times I walked in, I walked right back out due to the appalling atmosphere and drove to Jake's around the corner where they have much better service, infinitely better ambience, and the food is yummier.

I've been there only once. The waitress ignored me and only chatted up the men at the table. I was shocked--had to shout to get her unfriendly attention. The friends we went with said this is typical treatment there. Strike one. FYI, one of the fries options (I think it was the "large" one?) was more than four people could eat (and all four of us shared them). There were a lot of fries left to take home. That size fries would be better for a larger party. BTW, the fries are the shoestring variety, which I don't prefer. The cheesesteak I ordered was OK, but the one at Ciro's is much better. The onion rings were OK. The ketchup they put on the table in genetic containers is not Heinz. Any restaurant that saves money on an important item like ketchup leads me to wonder what other money savers they use! That's a deal breaker for me. Strike two. Another deal breaker was the shockingly greasy ketchup container at our booth. It had been a long time since that sucker had been sanitized, much less wiped. I didn't see any other visible indications of uncleanliness, but the greasy stickiness of the ketchup container significantly stood out. Strike three. Even after the things I've said above, I think the worst thing about the place was the "greasy" air that made me feel like I couldn't breathe. I kept coughing. They need MUCH more ventilation in that place! Strike four.

Cold fries. Cold fried shrimp. Cold onion rings. Loud atmosphere. Don't go if you want to talk to the person you're with. If you want your fried things hot try asking try be delivered with your meal. Cocktail sauce so hard the shrimp would dip into it. And tasteless.

Awesome little joint! Very clean and inviting dining room. Kitchen looks immaculate and there are TVs for the sports fans. Servers and staff are super friendly and the food came out fast!

This place is AWESOME. Love coming here try to come get as much at least every few weeks. The service is very fast probably took like 10 minutes after ordering. Very attentive waitress. Remember when you order a small fry it's is a large anywhere else too.

Not sure what happened to the other gals that used to work there, but the ones now are rude, not obliging, and cannot make a decent burger or sides. We will not be one of their regulars any longer !!

A great burger joint, is not always so easy to find, but the Tailgate Grill serves some of the best in town. My wife and I have enjoyed more bacon-double-cheeseburgers than we will reveal. When you order one of these puppies, make darn sure you're hungry, or just go with the single. Two patties, of course, but they seem to join into one extraordinary burger experience. The lettuce and toms are fresh and always seem the best they can be. The thing is covered with bacon. Oh yes, and some melted cheese. And in the end, it can be tough to bite into because it's a bit big, but suffer on, we do! There are plenty of napkins. Here's something I really love about the place and I'm surprised to hear myself saying it. Your fries and onion rings will come out, en masse, a little before your burger is done. Now, why should that make you happy? Because heat lamps do an awesome job of turning fresh, hot, crisp things, into rubbery, greasy, unpalletable things in just over a minute. Do you really CARE if your fries or rings come out just ahead of the burger? I guess it depends on if you want everything at the same time or if you prefer everything perfect. The place is clean, wide open and has the feel of a sports bar (oh yes, there are TVs and they have games on), though they serve beer and soft drinks only (there are other places to get Jaeger shots (like, let's say BW3, and honestly folks, their food's not as good and costs far more). The bathrooms are clean, which is important. But here is the best part of all. The staff in this restaurant are friendly. The service is frequently done in a team style. This means that someone other than the the waitress who took your order may bring it out to you. Again, like the fries and rings, you can ask yourself if you would prefer to have the same person deliver it to you who wrote it down, or is it more important that your food came to the table hot and perfect? I think the answer is an easy one. Not only do I recommend this restaurant, but as a former server and kitchen worker myself, I strongly recommend HEAVY TIPPING. Why? Because they deserve it. Dinner, drinks, heavy tip, two people $25- $30? I've coughed up a lot more for a LOT less in other places. I strongly recommend that you show the Tailgate Grill some love, because I guaranty it will come right back to you.

Great burgers, great service, and great prices! === THE GOOD === Burgers: they really are best-burger-in-town quality. Bacon: do yourself a favor and order your burger with bacon. You've never had this much bacon on a burger. I promise! Service: very friendly, helpful, and attentive. Food was delivered fast and hot! Or server recommended we try the Tailgate Sauce. I recommend you try it as well. Prices: two bacon cheeseburgers, small fries (big enough for 1.5 people), onion rings, and one soda was a hair over $17. === THE BAD === Seating: they have 13.5 tables (one two-seater) and 11 bar stools. If you catch a busy time, like we did, you may have to stand at the door to wait for a table. Bit Greasy: everything we ordered was a touch greasy, which made the overall meal greasier than usual. Not too bad, but wet wipes would be a nice offering. Bacon???: I actually didn't taste much of my burger with all the bacon, so I took some off. Maybe I just need to order a double bacon cheeseburger next time...

I went to this place on recommendations. The first Night we arrived at 6:30 There was a sign on door we are closing at 7, but they said we would have to leave they were closing. So..... we returned the night after, stood at the door, waitresses would not even speak to us, would not offer to seat us, or even acknowledge we were there. Keep in mind this is our first time to eat here( second visit). We continued to stand there 10 minutes and finally left. After two attempts we want be returning. 5 guys is just down the street and was wonderful!

Best burger and fries in town...period! The fries taste awesome and there is no comparison with anyone as to the quantity of fries that you get. You have to see it to believe it! Don't get a medium unless you have someone to share it with. If they would cook my hamburger to medium rare (I know...it's against the rules...dagone sickly city folks!) and carried just one kind of IPA beer...they'd diet my 5-star rating.

Had the Philly cheese steak and fries. Fries nothing special except they were hot and plentiful. Sandwich was very good. Fresh warm roll, cooked to order overflowing goodness. Service was fast and accurate. I'll definitely be back.

Just good, simple diner food. But in the very best sense of that description. Good prices, good quantity, no nonsense. Will be back. Bet on it!

Great burgers Friendly staff. More than reasonable price. Will be back again soon.

My friend and I tried this place because we were craving a good cheeseburger and this place totally hit the spot! The staff was super attentive and friendly, the atmosphere was exactly what you want out of a neighborhood burger joint. Definitely going to be returning for more!

Tailgate serves a good, reasonably priced cheeseburger and hot dog. Yes, Citizen Burger Bar in Charlottesville makes a better burger, but Tailgate does not charge $11.95 or more for a burger. For about the same price as fast food restaurant, you can eat better food at a locally-owned business. The employees are friendly, the food is good, and the prices are fair. Fries are served before the burger. I always ask to get my fries with my burger so both are hot at the same time.

Based on the reviews we went, being out of town we like finding the places that are not next to the hotel. The burgers are really good, it's a nice burger joint place with two tv playing football. Be fair warned the fries are awesome but the portions are huge you most definitely get your money's worth but your pants will hate you lol

Great burgers, great service, good environment. Overall they really best burger in town.

Simple, classic American staples like burgers and chicken tenders. Note: an order of large fries is like 4 times the size of a small. Prices are super cheap, like $4 for a cheeseburger.

Only been once, but will definitely head back there when I'm in the area! Great burger, loads of fries (in a 'small' order) and delicious sweet tea! Service was excellent as well. If you want a nice quiet meal, head elsewhere. This place was crowded (and justifiably so) and it was pretty noisy. Not too pricey, and overall a very nice burger break. See you again soon, Tailgate!

We where the first one in the other day. We ordered the Mac and cheese bites and three hamburgers and the whole thing was amazing. The fries portion are HUGE!!! We also added cheese and bacon to it and it was awesome!!! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the food comes on paper plates I think that is very tacky, but the food is amazing.

On vacation traveling I-64. Lunchtime and hungry and near Wanyesborro and we found the burger place. Not a regular burger place--a great burger place. We each got a cheese burger, one order fries and one onion ring. Or waitress, Morgan, was polite and helpful. You can eat at a counter, tables or booth. Food served on paper plates and the grill they cook on is in full view. If you're looking for great burgers stop in here. Fries & rings were prefect. Decor is sports bar and 4 TVs.

Excellent food! Great vibe! Not from the area but will definitely return next time I pass through!

Thought it was really good. They closed for a week or so, things might be better now. cause i seen some mixed reviews. They're a little heavy on the mayo but other than that the chicken sandwich was pretty good. The double cheese burger was a lot larger than expected and great. Plan on returning to try other items on the menu

Sat down at the bar because all seats were full. Waited for over 10 minutes without being acknowledged. Not even asked for a drink. Left without service.

Food is typical bar food fixed in a hurry. Ok place to go. Real problem with loudness of the music at the restaurant, absolutely insane,you can't even talk with someone at your table, have asked numerous times to turn the volume down a bit to no avail. People fighting a crazy job all day don't want to be blasted out the door with insane music. Come on fellows make it a nice experience for lunch,turn it down.

Great burger!! Fast and friendly service. We sat down and the waitress immediately took our order, and our order of small fries was out in a flash. The small easily satisfied both my boyfriend and I. The burgers were cooked to perfection and all the toppings were included. A great lunch spot, if we are ever in Waynesboro again I'd stop by !

I have a part time job that involves me traveling around parts of Virginia including Waynesboro. I had heard about Tailgate before and heard they were good so I decided that since I wasn't in a hurry to get back home after I finished my job I would eat here for dinner. As soon as I walked and studied the menu it reminded me of my favorite burger place back home in Charlottesville, Martin's Grill. Same concept, same type of food give or take a few items, different staff of course and different location. Or if any Charlottesville folks reading this aren't familiar with Martin's TGG is like Waynesboro's version of Riverside. Not that there is anything wrong with that every town and city deserves a good burger place. The only reason I am giving TGG five stars is because of the portions and service. I ordered a double bacon cheeseburger with grilled mushrooms and a "small" order of fries. The burger was pretty big and puts a McDonald's double cheeseburger to shame. The burger wasn't bad but I wasn't blown away by it. Maybe I'm just use to a burger from my favorite place Martin's but I wouldn't say TGG's burger was bad. On a scale of 1 to 5 and five being the highest I'd give it about a 3 1/2. The burger was so big that I was shocked when I couldn't quite finish it. I was dining alone so I only got a "small" order of fries. I say "small" because for a small order they pack the fries in there!! I looked around and according to other reviews that's pretty common. They give you your money's worth on fries and then some! As much as I love french fries I have to say I wasn't a big fan of the ones here. They weren't bad just I didn't find them the best ever so a 3 out of 5 for them. Every employee working was females which is fine by me it was just an observation. I think I ended being helped by four different employees. All of whom were very kind and polite. The original soda I ordered didn't taste quite right as if the mixture for that particular soda was running out so you get that awful soda water taste. When an employee checked on me I told her about it and she offered to get me a different drink and even said she would check on that. I was not once given an grief about it (which I would hope not to catch any grief esp. being polite about it and it's their job to keep drinks working properly) and wasn't charged any extra for the new soda. The restaurant was fairly busy but all the employees kept moving quickly and were friendly. Everything seemed to be reasonably priced. Although I wasn't blown away by my burger and fries because of the friendly service and the cleanliness I would come back here again and just try something different. I think it would be while in the area not a special 40 minute trip from home but once again every employee I had interaction with was smiling and friendly. Southern hospitality in the Valley at its finest!

After giving them 5 stars in an earlier review, my husband & I received such lousy service during our last visit here about 8 months ago, that we haven't been back since. We are pretty tolerant of less than excellent waiters & waitresses & understand everybody has a bad day, but the service here that day was truly dreadful. Every time we think about giving them another try, we remember that totally inattentive & not-in-the-least-bit-busy waitress keeping us waiting & making us even go find her not once but 3 times (!!), that we always choose some place else instead. Maybe we'll try it again one day, when our memory of this incident fades a lot more.

The food is fast food quality - bad fast food. Like cafeteria. Or prison food. Everything is frozen, nothing is homemade. Nothing special at all. And everything was SO greasy! I even felt greasy after leaving - you can feel the grease in the air. The service was pretty terrible too. We sat at the bar and the server passed us by lots of times. Yes, the fry serving is ginormous. But the fries are meh. I won't be going back. I don't fancy having to shower after a meal.

Super burgers and fries in throw back style burger joint much frequented by local. Better burger than many so-called gourmet burger palaces. I always have double cheeseburger, my wife has regular cheeseburger and we share a regular order of fries (fries are huge). Best deal for your money if you are looking to bite into great old fashioned burger. Cordial and efficient wait staff, clean toilets and ample parking.

This is our go-to for super casual lunches or take out when no one wants to cook. Super awesome mom and pop burger joint where the portions are huge, bacon is cooked perfectly, salads and veg are all fresh. Servers are friendly and the prices are low! Kid friendly, clean, fast and most importantly consistently delicious.

Awesome little place! The service and food were great and the prices were awesome. My family will def be going back.

Don't see the hype McDonald's style food with less variety. There is a bar but that doesn't make the food good. Nothing to get excited about. Nothing was made homemade, everything was out of a bag and the burgers were thin, greasy, and dry as if that is possible but it is! Service was blah no one greeted you no one checked on us after we got our food. Prices were cheap but not for what you received.

Really good burgers when you order the fries you get massive amounts I ordered the large and It could've fed 10 people. I ordered the large for just three people. Lol Nice dining area. Real good pricing. Would definitely check this place out.

This place is awesome! Don't hesitate to stop here and grab a bite to eat...totally worth it :)! Service is legit and on point, super, super friendly and constantly asking if you need refills etc. Burgers are pretty tasty, huge compliment, especially because my favorite burger ever is In-N-Out! French fries and onion rings were delicious and all the food was hot, which may not be a huge deal to some, but let's be real, no one likes cold burgers, fries etc! Thanks Tailgate, you're awesome and I would definitely come back!

Good burgers, fries, onionrings at a good price. No nonsense food done well.

This place is fantastic! Great food, large portion size and very reasonably priced. This is a must for lunch. The only thing that I would improve is the speed of services, not real slow, but can be better. Keep up the good work!

Best deal around. Great burgers. Great fries - and a huge amount for the money. The BLT has an embarrassing amount of bacon on it! Friendly staff and fast service.

Good food, large portions, super busy which is a great sign! Cheeseburger, BLT, fries, and onion rings were all very tasty.

I've been here a handful of times and after the last time I said that I was never going back! Every time I go the wait staff never checked up on me. I was left at my table with no drink the entire time. Also, one other occasion, I walked in and it was kind of a busy night so no tables were opened at the moment but no one came over to greet me and let me know how long the wait was so I just left. The food sucks too. Heritage on main is super busy on weekends and still is on top of their game with their customers.