The Rail Stop Restaurant

If you are like us and look at pictures of this place and the food. You will see that the food looks amazing! The inside of the place will leave you wanting though. I get that they are going for a southern rustic look but for the quality of food they put out... It doesn't match up. I feel they could class it up a bit and still keep the vibe they want. That being said, the food was AMAZING! You MUST visit. We will for sure be visiting again.

Love the atmosphere, my only issue was with the mussels. They seemed raw, very hard to pull apart we just stopped eating them. The tomato sauce was not as good as the vermouth for the mussels. The crab cakes was very nice. The dessert was very nice. Staff was great.

My wife found an intriguing article about this place so we gave it a go on a Saturday afternoon. The Plains, Virginia is a quaint destination about an hour west of DC and worth the trip. The Rail Stop not so much. Nice decor, simple lunch menu, not much to go wrong. My traditional club sandwich on sourdough bread was decent; my wife's grilled salmon club sandwich was bland and underwhelming. We snuck out of their for about 50 bucks including tip for lunch, which is a tad pricey even for the Plains. Will certainly give it another try for dinner before writing this restaurant off as a somewhat pricey venue with middling fare.

Quick stop for a small bite and a drink on the outdoor patio as I opted for a scenic drive up and through The Plains. This was perfect and hit the spot. Excellent, warm and accommodating service. The bread and butter, Greek salad and Sauv were fresh and just right on a nice weekend evening with the sun setting overhead. Comfortable and quality spot with a cozy outdoor seating area. Highly recommend. Looked like they had tons more on the menu that will be great to try another time.

Fantastic food, well thought out flavors and a small menu shows they really care about doing things right. Some of the best food I've had in a really long time. The Asian duck roll appetizer was some of the best duck I've had since I was in Beijing.

Visited under recommendation of a friend. The poached eggs on Benedict were divine, perfectly poached and runny true to form. Got takeout Italian Meat pizza....superb! Cool small town setting. Liked at brunch, and sure to revisit.

We arrived with no reservations, and Dominic seated us right away. The food and service were excellent, and we will be going back again.

Perhaps I'm a little jaded, but you don't typically expect fine dining options in the heart of The Plains, Virginia, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Rail Stop Restaurant. I stopped here on a rainy Friday night around 7:30pm having no idea what I was getting myself into, but simply trusting the reviews I had read about the place. The restaurant itself has a vintage, "established" kind of feel. It's relatively small and broken into two different dining areas. One is relatively simple, wooden chairs and tables in front of the kitchen and the other is tucked away in the right of the building and that section had tablecloths and some nicer seats if I remember correctly. I didn't have a reservation, so I was placed in the area in front of the kitchen. I assume folks who take the time to call get placed into the nicer area of the restaurant. That said, I was happy with my seating area. We got a table almost immediately and our waiter came up and took our drink orders about 5 minutes later. Looking at the menu, I have to say I was a little bit shocked at the price. The cheapest entree I saw was $19, the rest ranged in the mid-twenties to low-thirties range. It's not too bad for a single person, but for a group or family it definitely would add up quickly. I'll also say that the menu wasn't particularly diverse. The offer mostly fine American options (steak, seafood, lamb) have some pasta options, side salads, and entrees. The entire menu fits onto one page. I ended up ordering their fettuccine special (which I discovered when I read the chalkboard behind my head) and paid $25 for it. All in all, the meal was good. Everything in my dish was fresh and, honestly, you could tell by the taste. It was warm, well-cooked, delicious and plentiful. You certainly could have gotten a dish about the same size at your classic Olive Garden for about $10 less, but the quality was definitely much higher. The service was definitely a high point. We weren't helped a lot (which was fine because we didn't need a lot) but when we were helped the waiters were all very polite, friendly and enjoyable. This is definitely a unique spot and a pretty good place if you're looking for some classy food for a date, but probably not a place I would frequent on the regular.

Update from my review of June 2023 -- can attest the crab cakes are STILL as amazing and STILL packed with actual jumbo back-fin lump. This is the only place my husband will "let" me order crab cakes anymore b/c he's grown weary of me inquiring about whether or not the crab cakes are actual jumbo lump, being assured they are & then sending them back when they are not. These will NEVER be sent back!!!

We went here on 8/22 for dinner. Family of 4. Service was super amazing and our lady server was very nice, kind and helpful. We ordered the mussels in white sauce for an appetizer. Delicious! Especially with their bread oh my goodness!! We then ordered our meals. I had the scallops and asked to switch the potato cake to the roasted potatoes. Scallops were amazing! Other 3 family members got the crab cakes (daily special), the big steak and the little one got as a meal the chicken and noodles with peanut sauce from the appetizer menu. Only thing is I don't think this is a kid restaurant, a little too quiet and maybe dark but that's ok because there's plenty of kid friendly options out there. This is more like a date or quiet kind of place :) Everything was wonderful!

Nice location in The Plains. Amble searing, indoor and out, yet cozy. Sunday brunch was tasty and wasn't overpriced. The waitstaff was stretched thin but service was good and staff were friendly. Give it a try!

Great restaurant always love coming here. Food is great and service is great! The location is awesome wright best to train tacks

There is no doubt that Sandy is a GREAT chef.... Unfortunately, management doesn't pay their bills. Vendors and contractors, be aware. They are over 90 days in arrears on a bill from my company, and I know for a fact I we are not the only ones who have not been paid. Very sad that The Plains has a place that would treat it's locals like this. Hopefully they will do the right thing here.

We came here on a Saturday afternoon early for dinner (around 530) after spending the day hiking in the George Washington Forest. They were super accommodating, seating us in the patio since we had our dog with us, even though they didn't really have the servers to manage it and the patio was otherwise closed. We otherwise had no problem being seated. Our server was very friendly and attentive considering the warning we had perceived being given when we were sat outside. Our food came out quickly. We both ordered the specials. Boyfriend had tuna and was really quite pleased with his choice. He said it was cooked perfectly and tasted great. I had sausage and chicken pasta which was delicious. I was so bummed to get home to realize we had left the leftovers on the table. The bread they serve with dinner entrees was amazing - we finished two baskets! My only discouragement was the price. With tip, we paid $90 for our two meals and one soda - no alcohol, dessert, or appetizers. Portions were appropriate for us - not too big or too small. Didn't go inside but to use the restroom so not sure about the vibe inside, but the patio was really nice and spacious.

Food and service were excellent. Intimate setting was nice for a relaxed dinner. Warm calamari salad was a treat.

Nice menu. Good ambience. Location in a small common nice to visit village. Pleasant outdoor dining appropriate weather.

The mussels were great, Greek salad one of the best I have ever had. Veal dish very delicious.

Came for Mothers day brunch. I had the salmon eggs Benedict and my mom had the ham Benedict, both loved it. My husband had a wrap and my father and father in law had the Irish breakfast. We all liked our dishes. Overall a cute restaurant with a variety of options on the brunch menu. My kids tried the pizza and liked it!! Attentive waiter and nice host!!! We will return soon.

We stopped here on our way home from Washington DC. We didn't have a reservation but the owner was amazing. The food...OMG! I ate every bit of it. The service was great, the place felt like home and if we ever make it out that way again, it's on my must go to's! I'm big on mom and pop places and this one does not disappoint.

Ended up here on the fly....OMG! Awesome food! Great Service! and the entire staff was so pleasant and accommodating. Not at all what we were expecting, but could not believe the refinement of this establishment. The food again....well worth driving 15 mikes out if the way to dine here....Fantastic!!!!

Been here a few times the food is ALWAYS amazing. I love the steak frites with the Bernaise sauce. Always cooked to perfection. Tried the clam chowder this time too it was sooo good. We came right when they opened for dinner and the place filled up really quickly. We were there for our 9 year anniversary which I put in the notes on the reservation and they brought us out a candle in our dessert which was nice. Only issue was that I ordered a glass of wine and it never came, when we got the check I politely asked the waitress if she could remove the charge for the wine since we never got it. She said oh sure I'll take care of that I'm sorry. No big deal, I'll just have to come back again to try the wine!

My 3 friends and I went here for prom. The service was PHENOMENAL, the food was incredible. All of the staff were SO friendly and were just absolutely amazing. I would come back here so many times. Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much.

Sunday morning breakfast was delicious. Eggs, sausage, potatoes, Benedict and blueberry pancakes. Everything tasted great, was well cooked and well seasoned. We ate outside and it was nice to get some fresh air. Service and ambiance was good. We will definitely come back for breakfast again. Recommended!

The service is amazing and the new specials are delicious, definitely worth a visit!!!! We will be back soon for sure!

What an amazing little spot! My sister and I get the salmon every time we come here and it never disappoints. Definitely worth checking out!

They were so nice to get us a table without a reservation, The service was great and the Food was really good too! We both got specials, a glass of wine and dessert! Highly recommend dining here!

Last week, I finally got to try The Rail Stop Restaurant. It was worth the wait - delicious, great service, very cute.

We were on a road trip to the Shenandoah park and stopped here for a brunch on the way. I got the eggs benedict, which was really good. My husband got a cheese and tomato pizza with prosciutto. We'd definitely return if life brings us back through The Plains.

The Railstop is consistently wonderful. It has a delightful atmosphere, a casual decor, and totally delicious menu. Did I mention how lovely the menu itself is? I can't recommend this restaurant more highly.

August 22,2020-Enjoying the patio at our favorite place! We ordered the Halibut (special) and the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast (which is one of our regular menu favorites!) Exceptional as always!!

Friendly service. Great outdoor seating. Really good food. Wife had chicken quesadilla and I had spinach salad with chicken. Both are excellent. Almost minus one star for not having normal iced tea (many people dont like fruity teas like mango). Best grub in The Plains.

Anticipating a good lunch on a Saturday afternoon with friends at a well renowned restaurant . Three of us chose the crab cake sandwich priced at $18.50 on the menu. The bill came the price was $20. We questioned the waiter and he said they had a price increase... and they were reprinting the menu. REALLY? Shouldn't he have made this known when we ordered? What to do?? He only got a 15 percent tip!

I would absolutely recommend this location for brunch. My wife and I came into this establishment to enjoy a nice brunch on a Sunday morning. We were on our way back from front Royal when we decided to stop here. I love this cute little town and really enjoy going to all of it's neat restaurants. This was no exception. I would absolutely recommend the bloody Mary and anything you order on the menu will be superb. The food and price points are about what you would expect for this area and the wait staff was definitely attentive. I really enjoyed the eggs Benedict here I'm not exactly sure what they did differently but it was different from other places I've been to. The pancake was also excellent. Overall I would definitely return.

Midweek and a friend was "working from home" out West off Interstate 66. He suggested we try The Rail Stop for lunch. So, I headed West on Interstate 66 just before 10:00AM because the restaurant opens at 11:00AM. The true indication that the restaurant is open, is when the owner Tom Kee, hangs the chalk board on the porch. Once inside, the phone seemed to ring constantly with people calling to make reservations. We were the first customers and had a nice lunch of "soup and sandwich". The soup was tomato and sandwich was cheese, but, raclette cheese which is extra gooey. All and all, a nice experience. So, why did I give it four stars? The restaurant was not yet warm when we arrived. This did improve after other guests arrived. In summary, I/we plan to return.

The service And food Always consistently great. Love the outdoor patio My fish and shrimp cooked to perfection

Ordered Prime Strip steak rare/med rare and it came back charred and dead... not eye appealing at all and was cooked just shy of well done. Waitress asked & I said ok.. if something is ok, you need to ask more !! No one ever came by to refill wife's iced tea and didn't send steak back because I'm not making the rest of my party wait on me....Hell, just pay attention and cook it correctly the 1st time. You definitely were not busy, only 4 parties... which baffles me on the lack of service and the steak killed !! Then the waitress (Diane) said she'd take care of us "next time" and we said there won't be a next time !! That's when she should have stepped up and taken care of us right then and there.... Not this next time crap !! You ruined our anniversary meal in December of 2021 and decided to give it another try....boy was I wrong !!

We stopped in for a Saturday lunch. The reviews were encouraging. However the service was eh. The waiter did not bother to ask us for drinks or tell us the specials. When I asked about the soup his mom reply was I am not sure it's chicken something. The wife and I each ordered the club sandwich with fries. Her club was toasted. Not mine. Hers had mayo upon the entire top bread. Not mine. The plate had 13 small French Fries. Yes a whole bakers dozen. Not a good experience nor a good value.

Did not have a great dining experience here. It was somewhat run down when we walked inside. The waiter was attentive, but didn't know much about the food. Our meal took forever to come out and when it did, it was disappointing looking. The salmon was fine, but the sauce on top was distasteful and both meals needed salt (especially the chips). Our table was sticky too - will not be returning. For a quality meal and experience, go across the street to the Front Porch instead!

Don't bother trying to pop in for a drink or have a few cocktails with friends, unless you have a reservation a month in advance they won't accommodate you. As a local I've tried to be seated and they are flat out rude. I'm ok with being told they are full, the the attitude that come with it is astonishing. Stay away and don't support people that are rude.

Very good meal on a drop in supper without reservations. Highly impressed by the scallops and prawns. Service was great, and decor was very interesting to see. Great wine list too.

I've been coming to the Rail Stop for many years and I've enjoyed every meal! Delicious dishes, friendly staff and relaxing atmosphere. The best crème brûlée you've ever had!!

Recently I returned, again for scallops . In a word, divine perfection! I had taken a friend.....did not need to ask twice. She was equally pleased. An aside: one of the few remaining local restaurants who actually answer their phone.....and sound glad you're calling! AL

Our first visit was dinner last night. We enjoyed a couple of great steaks from the bar/chefs table. It was a good meal and a fun atmosphere We look forward to future visits

This was our first visit and we dropped in without a reservation. They seated us at a tall table/booth by the kitchen where we could watch the cooking. It a small place and not fancy, but the food stands on its own to make it special. We shared a duck roll appetizer. It was full of duck and came with a red cabbage slaw that had a perfect hint of fresh ginger. For dinner we had the veal medallions with green beans and lamb shank with gnocchi. Both were perfectly cooked and tasted wonderful. We finished with chocolate moose and key lime tart. Both worth saving room for.

A very comfortable restaurant ....had a wonderful experience on a Sunday night. I had the Veal Medallions, which were prepared perfectly and served up with roast potatoes and greenbeans... Welcomed by super friendly young lady, and found the service to be excellent. Definitely worth a drive out to The Plains.

The staff was so sweet, the place was adorable, and the food was incredible. My only recommendation is that it would have been nice to be a little more intimate with the seating instead of tables and chairs, diner-style. For food, we got the warm spinach salad and polenta, which were both immediately destroyed because they were so tasty. For my entrée, I had homemade ravioli with meat sauce; the cheese and ravioli pasta were literally melting in my mouth. The meat sauce was fine, nothing to complain about, but I might try the other option next time. The portion sizes weren't overwhelming, which is a good thing (as it leaves room for dessert!) but none of the desserts were screaming out to me, unfortunately, so I passed.

We LOVED our stop at The Rail Stop! We were driving up from Richmond and running late. We arrived at 2:50 and the place closed at 3:00. I was afraid we would not get lunch - boy - was I pleased when the greeter told us to come on in! I ordered the special salad with grilled shrimp, asparagus and red onions with a lovely balsamic dressing! It was DIVINE! I adore red onion and have NEVER had them slightly charred and grilled on a salad - what a fabulous touch and it really brings the flavor of the onion out! My daughter ordered the quesadilla and fries. She loved it and I LOVED the guac, too! For dessert, we got the Key Lime Tarts to go, since I already knew we were there past closing! The server was very generous with our portions and gave us plenty of napkins and utensils to enjoy our treat! We LOVE Key Lime Pie and we try it - a lot. This is one of the very best Key Lime treats we've ever had. The crust was fantastic! We sat outside in our car and enjoyed every last morsel! Thank you for accommodating us on such short notice! It is truly appreciated and we cannot wait to return for more!

We had lunch reservations on a Sunday afternoon.. Several of our party were running late. I call to let them know this. We got our lunches around 2:30 and ate while we talked. The place had lots of empty tables. Their site says open until 8 pm on Sundays. Imagine our surprise when at 3:40 they asked us to leave saying they needed to close so they could reopen at 5:00. When I asked about this I was told rudely that we had been there a long time past the time of our reservations and even though it was only 40 minutes after their 3 pm closing time we still needed to leave. Apparently they think than 40 minutes to eat even on a non busy day is appropriate. We are local and somewhat regulars but we will not be back. As an aside the food was good but not worth the rudeness or time restrains.

$80.00 lunch.....enough said. Overpriced snobby place and the food is good, not great! Every lil restaurant here thinks they have chefs, they have cooks who have no training! They can't cook a medium steak to save their lives!

Great food. The service was good. The place is small and very popular I strongly suggest you make a reservation!

Great little spot off of 66 in The Plains. We stopped in for a quick lunch and sat outside because of covid. It was freezing but they had a heat lamp and we brought blankets. Tom the owner was great and pointed out that everything was made to order. We had the salmon club (so good) with fries and the pepperoni pizza which was also quite yummy, especially because they used real high quality pepperoni. Plus nice heavy pours on the wine! Highly recommend it for nice lunch if you're out that way.

Pretty good food even better service, went a while ago with my girlfriend and our waiter Declan was an astonishing host 10/10. I got lamb chops which were good and my girlfriend got ravioli which she loved, and then a brownie cherry mix dessert which tasted perfect, came out to about $70

Petit strip steak was 1/3 grizzle and portion of French fries were burned. Was given credit but was still disappointed that a basic dish that was so under par was served.

Maybe they were just overly busy and maybe I should have gotten breakfast instead of salad, but the server was awful - very inattentive. The $9 entree salad (with no meat) was the size of my sister's side salad (which she asked for with no tomatoes and came out with greens and tomatoes only - and no dressing). Yo the server's credit, she reduced the salad price. The menu sounded good but not impressed with the overall experience

I love this place. They always have something fun on the specials board, decently priced for decent portions. The staff are always wonderful and knowledgeable! I personally love their Asian salad with chicken and pizza specials as well as their homemade soups.

My girlfriend and I were staying at a nearby B&B and wanted to find a good, casual dress, relaxed place to eat. We found just such a place in the Rail Stop. The staff was very friendly and attentive, without being intrusive. The ambience was relaxed, if a just bit on the loud side, but to be fair, I believe there was a large, company-type party in the adjacent room. Our seats weren't at the counter but we still had a view of the kitchen and could watch the meals being prepared. It's probably just me, but I've always enjoyed that kind of thing. Speaking of the meals, they were absolutely delicious! We started by sharing the mussels in the vermouth sauce. Yummy! My girlfriend had the pork chop with sweet potato soufflé and broccoli. The grilled pork chop was huge and looked more like a strip steak. It was cooked beautifully and was divine tasting! She said that it was the best pork chop that she's ever had, moist and tender. The soufflé was light and very tasty. I had the medallions of veal in a hunter sauce with french beans. The beans were cooked but still crispy, which is just the way that I like them. The veal was done to perfection. At some restaurants it's over-cooked and dry. Not the case here. The medallions were tender and full of flavor. For dessert she had the apple tart with ice cream and I had the creme brûlée. Both were wonderful! When you come here, and I strongly recommend that you do, come hungry. This is not the fancy-schmancy restaurant were the portions are are as tiny as the prices are big. These are healthy, satisfying portions of good, honest food that has great flavor. If you're in the area and are hungry for a great meal, go the the Rail Stop!

Arrived just at 2:42PM. The host approached. Before we could get out a word, the host said, "unfortunately, we served our last meal and we are now closed." And he walked away. As we walked out, I saw the hours posted-- they closed at 3PM and reopened at 5. But the sign still said open, and the menus were still posted outside. I've worked in the restaurant industry, and this just was all wrong. I really wanted to try this place. FINALLY talked the husband into it. Drove over an hour to get there. Got a little lost, but still arrived well within time to be sat and served. Not waiting around 2 hours when that's the greeting you get. The place right across the street is fantastic, by the way!