Alley Cafe

This is the Budweiser of restaurants in the Northern Neck. Smoky even on the non smoking side. Not a place to propose to your fiancée. Not a good spot to take your new in-laws either but if you have been married for 20 years it should be about OK. Service was fast and effective hamburgers were hot and yummy. Adjoins a gas station -- you get the idea.

Went there one Saturday evening because everything else in town was closed. It was almost scary!! People starred us down because we were out of towners I suppose. We just wanted a drink in this little town....once the ONLY bartender or person there served us (after at least 20 minutes of standing there) we sat outside of the smoking section...if u call it that since the door to the smoking section was wide open and our clothes still smelled as if we had been in the bar section. The scene was what I would describe as a "Hillbilly Bar".

The owners need to do something to make this place more of an organized establishment. There was no order..smoking all over the entire place and a scary crowd. Yes it was a Saturday evening around 11.. so maybe that is why!

This place was tons of fun!  I mean, it's the regular cheesy 50s memorabilia that is normally used to camouflage really terrible, greasy food that is over priced and has nothing to do with said cheesy memorobilia.  Well the food at Alley Cafe doesn't have much to do with the memorobilia, either, but it sure is delicious!

The clam strips were super yummy and came with two sides and a choice of hush puppies or bread.  For only 7 clams (pardon the pun) I had a huge plate of fried clams, onion rings, potato salad, and hush puppies.  Also, these were some of the best onion rings I've had lately.  My aunt and mom had the BBQ pork and fried Oyster sandwiches, and both looked perfectly done.  

And the dessert here is hard to resist.  They make all of their desserts on site.... and they sure do a good job! The cherry cobbler was hot, and instead of the normal crumb topping, it was more like bread pudding. Super yummy!

Also, the service was very friendly and attentive.

And they do the cheesy 50s memorobilia fairly well... sure, it's cheesy, but it's cheesy in a cute way.  For instance, the ladies room has a full size Elvis on the wall, while the gents get Marilyn.  

If you're ever in the Northern Neck, this is a place worth stopping! And ladies, don't forget to peek in the men's room!