I hope these Colonial Williamsburg Restaurant Reviews will help your family when you visit the area
My family doesn’t live that far from Williamsburg, but it’s far enough away we have to make a trip out of it. When we visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg with the kids, we end up staying in town for several days. Because of this, we have had the pleasure of trying out many Williamsburg Restaurants and here are some of my recommendations.
Make sure if you are planning a trip to check out booking.com or expedia to compare hotels and pick out the perfect one.
Williamsburg Restaurants: Breakfast
There are so many pancake houses in Colonial Williamsburg, it can be challenging to know where to go. The prices are about the same at all of them but the experiences are all different.
Shorty’s Diner
Shorty’s Diner is one of our family’s go to breakfast joints. This diner has personality and large portions all served up in red booths.
There are not many healthy options, but you can always order off the a la carte menu or order a breakfast sandwich is you want something smaller.
Shorty’s pancakes are huge and you can get any variety you want. Service is always friendly but sometimes you will have to wait.
Colonial Pancake House
We found this one when we wanted to try something new. The first time we went to Colonial Pancake House, it was raining and had quite a wait!
*These two Williamsburg Restaurants are also lunch spots
When you get inside, you will be greeted with friendly service and a good sized menu. Again, this place also has HUGE pancakes and they could be shared by two people. Our kids love the coloring menus and the chocolate chip pancakes.
Emily’s Donuts and CafĂ©
Even if we eat at one of the other places listed, we HAVE TO stop at Emily’s Donuts and CafĂ© at least once while we are in town. This place has some of the best doughnuts we have ever found.
*Of all the Williamsburg Restaurants, we never miss Emily’s
Emily’s loves to do theme doughnuts which they put on their Instagram feed regularly. The kids love to get doughnut holes but our favorite is the split cream! Do not miss Emily’s!
Williamsburg Restaurants: Lunch/Dinner
Many times around dinner, we are in Busch Gardens, however, there have still been a few times we have left the park before dinner time or gone out before we went to the parks to enjoy some local food.
Antonio’s Ristorante Italiano
Antonio’s Ristorante Italiano is in the same strip mall area as Shorty’s Diner. This place has some fantastic Italian food! Unfortunately, we have never eaten in the restaurant, but we have ordered take out and it was fantastic.
I tried the baked ziti and shared it with my husband and it was more than enough! The kid’s menu is a little pricey, but the kids really seemed to enjoy it as well.
Taco Mexicali
This place is a hidden gem you need to find! Taco Mexicali is located in a small strip mall and it really doesn’t look like much on the outside.
Inside, we were greeted warmly and seated quickly. The food was incredible and the kids got to eat free! It was a perfect dinner for a family with small kids and we especially enjoyed the fried ice cream.
Rocco’s Smokehouse Grill
Rocco’s is an outstanding barbeque restaurant we discovered as a recommendation from our hotel. They have some amazing smoked meats and the Smoked Beef Brisket Philly is a favorite of ours. It is a must stop when we visit the area.
The best way to enjoy is to get several things to share.
Water Street Grill
This place blew my mind by how good it was. Full disclosure, the Water Street Grill is located in Yorktown, but it is a quick drive.
My husband and I stayed at a cute Bed and Breakfast and came here for dinner both nights we were in town. I was so glad we just went back because it was phenomenal.
*Not technically one of the Williamsburg Restaurants, Water Street is worth a visit
We went out to the back patio dining area and had a great view of the York River while we waited for our food. While we sat there, we saw a pod of dolphins swim in behind some boats and we even saw a mega yacht! You cannot beat this location.
The food is amazing with taste and presentation. We tried a crab flatbread special the first night and the second night I tried the fish tacos. They were the best fish tacos I have ever had in my life and they looked so beautiful. I want to go back to Yorktown just for those tacos!
Williamsburg Restaurants: Dessert
I could not finish this post without mentioning a couple of dessert places that we enjoy checking out!
Blackbird Bakery
This little gem is found in the Merchant Square section of Williamsburg. We found the Blackbird Bakery while we were walking around window shopping and checking out the area. There was no way we could leave and not buy a delicious treat.
Sno-to-Go
Sno-to-Go is one of those walk up to a window type places where you can order New Orleans Style shaved ice with ice cream in it. They also have sundaes, dipped cones and ice cream sandwiches.
You can enjoy this treat with the family at one of the many picnic tables they have around the store. Just watch out, you might sit in a sticky spot! Don’t forget to get a punch card because your family will want to keep coming back.
Bubba’s Ice Cream Shack in the Williamsburg General Store
We would have never found this gem if we had not had a coupon from a resort we were visiting. It was something we always passed by but never actually checked it out.
They are a little pricey so if you can get a coupon first you might want to do that!
*This Williamsburg Restaurant is more of a tourist place, but it’s still delicious!
This place has amazing ice cream, especially if it is about 90 degrees outside like it was when we visited. The ice cream is very good and the waffle cones are just perfect!
I got a chocolate dipped waffle cone and there was so much chocolate on it, I felt like I was eating a candy bar. It was a magical experience.
The Meadows Frozen Custard
I will admit that the Meadows Frozen Custard was our lunch one day. This place has creamy frozen custard that changes based on a flavor calendar.
If you follow them on Instagram, you can see what the flavors are and they post a calendar. That way, you know when to visit.
The custard is loaded with so many mix ins, you’ll be shocked!
Carrot Tree Kitchens
This little bakery is located in Williamsburg and Yorktown. There are small meals for purchase but you can also get some great pieces of cake!
The best part about Carrot Tree Kitchens was being able to buy a slice of cake and eat it while hanging out at the Yorktown Beach. The cake was delicious and so was the view!
Do you ever head over to Williamsburg? Where do you like to eat?