Homeplace, I miss you. I'm so sorry I graduated. I made a mistake. I should have stayed in college forever. These are the things I would have said in a "dear John" style letter to this place. I went here a few times throughout my college years and I loved it. It was fantastic. I was almost struck by lightning waiting to eat at this place and I wasn't afraid to go back. Everything is always good and hot and plentiful. Go to this place!
Review Source:As my time at Virginia Tech is rapidly winding down, I am trying to cross everything off of my Hokie Bucket List. Throughout the past four years I had heard rave reviews about Home Place, but along with those reviews also came complaints about the long drive through the windy mountain roads to get there. So, one beautiful afternoon last weekend, with clear blue skies and fluffy clouds, my sorority sisters and I decided to make the trek out to Catawba so that I could give Home Place a taste for the first time.
Everything from the staff to the quaint house, to the scenery of rolling hills, was breathtaking when we first arrived. Imagine going back to your grandma's house for the holidays after moving away. That is the kind of comfort that you can feel as soon as you step foot into Home Place. After about a 5 minute wait, we were taken to our table and within 5 minutes of that our table was filled with bottomless bowls of fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, string beans, pinto beans, and pitchers of sweet tea and lemonade. It was paradise for a foodie such as myself. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the breading had the perfect blend of spices. The mashed potatoes were perfectly whipped and the gravy was a perfect compliment. The string beans had a wonderful flavor and so did the macaroni and cheese and roast beef. I was in heaven.
The bottom line is, if you haven't had the pleasure of eating at Home Place, what are you waiting for!? It is definitely worth the trip!
After 4 years of harboring my doubts and being skeptical, I made the trek out to Catawba to visit the Homeplace.
Firstly, the ride itself is pretty far out and windy. Now onto the food...
After hearing everyone rave about how great the Homeplace was, I found myself underwhelmed and disappointed. Â Perhaps it was because of the reputation the restaurant holds that I had high expectations but either way, I left unsatisfied. Â The wait is frequently very long and even with a reservation, the party of 10 had to wait about 45 minutes. Â We ordered the option of dinner with 1 meat - the fried chicken, as I had heard it was the star of the show. Â The fried chicken came with green beans, pinto beans, coleslaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and apple butter. Â The green beans and mashed potatoes were very subpar - something I would find in a can. Â The quality of the mashed potatoes lacked flavor and texture while the gravy was clearly not made fresh. Â The highlight of the sides were the biscuits and apple butter, as I have a weakness for the soft fluffy biscuit drenched in cinammony apple goodness. The fried chicken was also decent, it had a crisp batter and the meat was juicy. Â For dessert, we came on blackberry cobbler day which is one of my favorite berries. Â Unfortunately the blackberry cobbler did not live up to my expectations...the filling was more gooey pie filling than blackberries and it was too sugary. It tasted like something out of a can. Â
All in the all, considering the ride out there and the food - the Homeplace was a disappointment. I would still recommend going because it is such a monumental restaurant in the area with a rich history (it's also very scenic), however don't get your hopes up about the food! The Homeplace is a restaurant living more on it's reputations than the actual quality.
This was one of my favorite places to go to while I was going to school at Virginia Tech. After taking a nice hike at McAfee's, Dragon's Tooth, or Cascades...it was a must to go to Home Place to pig out. Sometimes the wait would be extremely long, but well worth it. And it's not too bad waiting outside and just enjoying the weather and scenery with a group of friends. Everything about this restaurant just gives off that home feeling. Only reason why I'm not giving this a 5 star is because the chicken itself isn't the best fried chicken I've had, but it is delicious and it works well with all the sides. I'm actually a bigger fan of the roast beef...but the whole meal in itself is great with the experience that comes with it.
Review Source:A home away from home with the aunties and mamas continuously serving you food, drinks, and smiles (aww...).
No seriously. You have to tell them to stop or they'lll keep feeding you. I left with a belly ache. :-/
Try the pies - worth it!
Eat the chicken - better than the other proteins, definitely the roast beef. A bit too salty.
The sides... well are sides. Spend the calories on the more worthwhile foods, but try 'em all to figure that out.
Great food, all you can eat. You dont really come by places like this in SWVA, and you can tell it is very loved by everyone living in the surrounding areas.
Very friendly, home-like enviornment. All the food is excellent. The roast beef and ham are the only to that are only "alright" but not bad by any means.
This place is also right on the AT, which is perfect for hikers. When i stopped by here coming from the AT, it was one of the best meals i had ever eaten (i was also incredibly hungry and tired when i got there) I dont think ive ever filled my stomach like i did that day. everything was so good i couldnt stop eating.
I think it is a bit pricey but still worth it. 4.5 stars
oh and they let you take home whatevers left on your table when youre done which is awesome for all you can eat
The Home Place is SW Virginia's hidden gem. If you're a local and haven't eaten here, shame on you, and if you're not a local and are looking for a great southern meal I highly recommend you go and wear your stretchy pants.
The Home Place is situated at the foot of Catawba mountain and is an old farm house that has been converted into the restaurant equivalent of Never Never Land. The food is classic southern cuisine and is served "family style", meaning they serve it in bowls and on plates large enough to share with your group and they keep refilling them until you've gorged yourself to the point of combustion. The only question the waitress will ask you is whether you want 2 or 3 meats. I suggest going for the gold and getting all three as it only costs you $1 more to do so. Drinks are included, as well as coffee with dessert. Dessert is always cobbler with ice cream, usually peach or cherry, but sometimes you get lucky and they're serving blackberry!
A few tips if you decide to be a smart person and eat at the Home Place....1) Be prepared to wait, sometimes the wait can be up to 2 hours however its beautiful scenery and you can always bring a football or frisbee to throw around. 2) Bring a jacket if you're visiting during the fall or winter as you'll be waiting outside (don't worry it's worth it, I wouldn't wait 2 hours for any other restaurant). 3) Get there early, if you put your name in at 5 you'll probably be eating at 6:30.
The Home Place is the place to go for good fried chicken and amazing biscuits! The roast beef, country ham, and green beans are tasty and the homemade mashed potatoes are fantastic!
The biggest and most-heard complaint for this restaurant is the wait before being seated. The reason it takes so long to be sat is because it's ~popular~. This isn't a bad thing but it does mean that you have to make sure you show up before you're actually hungry or you're going to be hungry for a while.
While you're waiting you can enjoy the countryside; beautiful and majestic.
And the service? The service is just as down-home, feel-good as the food.
I'll be going back soon and will do my best to introduce this amazing place to as many people as I can.
I have lived in Salem my entire life. Â The Home Place is always something that people say is "awesome" or a place you cannot pass up. Â My first experience will be my last. Â
We waited for over 2 hours. Â Inside was hotter and muggier than outside..so, we waited outside. Â A very unfriendly fellow who took our names for our table was also the "speaker." Â Every few minutes he literally SCREAMED into a microphone with a very annoying southern twang with the next table's accompanying name. Â
The lady who took our order was hostile and very apathetic toward customer service. Â Your choices are limited anyway. Â You can either get deep fried greasy chicken, what can only be considered canned ham, or days old roast beef. Â With all the country sides, which means more fat. Â
They serve "family style" which really means they are going to open a few cans of crud and poor it into microwaved bowls.
After this visit I could only imagine that everyone who loves this place has never had a decent meal before. Â Could have had KFC with more flavor, less cost, nicer staff, and faster service. Â Won't ever return.
Only the beautiful old house and the cinematic scenery is worth 3 stars for any restaurant automaitcally. Â .
Truly amazing fried chicken adds 2 more stars for sure.
$13 for all-you-can-eat is a sweet bonus ( given all the crappy food in Roanoke/blacksburg cost that much if not more )
PS: Â Feel bad for people giving 1 or 2 stars.
I'm very careful not to give 5 stars out easily. This place deserves it. I haven't been to too many family style down-home-cooking restaurant, but the Home Place beats Shatley Springs, Daniel Boone Inn and that little place I can't remember the name of near Greensboro, NC.
I don't normally eat fried chicken - in part because I don't like getting my hands greasy, but I go all-in for the chicken here. The only thing I am not crazy about is the roast beef, but it has more to do with it being sliced roast beef - I was raised on pot roast. One reviewer suggested the potatoes were instant so I paid close attention. Nope - no way. They are real.
The standard meal is fried chicken with all sides plus desert (cobbler and ice cream) and coffee for $13.95, but for only $2 more a plate you can get all that plus the roast beef and country ham. A bargain for an all-you-can-eat-as-good-as-your-momma-made-it meal.
Don't pass this place up.
YUM! The best Southern food I've ever had thus far! It was always worth the half-hour drive from campus for me.
When you're dining here, you can choose to have either two or three meats served to you. They always have roast beef, ham, and of course the tastiest fried chicken, and on Thursdays they also have pork BBQ as an option. The fried chicken and pork BBQ are the best out of these options in my opinion!! The ham is a little too salty for me, while the beef sometimes can lack in flavor. If you can make it here on a Thursday for the pork BBQ, do it! Along with your selection of meats you will be served sides of coleslaw, pinto beans, green beans and bacon, biscuits (with their AMAZING apple butter), mashed potatoes and gravy, and their fruit of the day (usually baked apples). Everything gets refilled until you decide your stomach is unfortunately way too full. Make sure you try to leave room for the cobbler and ice cream at the end! I've had the apple, blackberry, and peach - my favorite was the blackberry! If you're in the area definitely stop by, you won't be disappointed!
A very unique restaurant. Everyone I know from Virginia Tech and Radford told me I should try this place out. I took my girlfriend and I here for dinner this weekend and it was very good!
The drive there was sprinted and fun (I drive a sports car), upon arrival we had a 50 minute wait which seemed long but the land it is on is very beautiful and relaxing. We finally got out table and had a joyful older lady as a waitress who was very happy. We got the fried chicken / roast beef as meats, and water / lemonade (yum) to drink. The food came out and was all very good, the vegetables do taste like they are out of a can. The fried chicken was very good and the roast beef was very good. The mashed potatoes tasted homemade and the desert was apple cobbler which was very good. Â
Overall I give this place four stars for its beautiful location, unique dining atmosphere, but took one star away for the food (canned stuff) which is good but not amazing like I hoped.
I came to Salem, VA on business last week. I worked 3 days straight 12 hours each day. Had a off day (Sunday) then worked 2 more days of long hours before flying back to chicago.
The maintenance guy at the warehouse I was working out of recommended this place. He saw I needed a good home cooked family style meal. I got excited at how he described the place.
On my day off (sunday) my co-workers piled into the rental suburban and took a 20 minute drive to this house. The drive up there was sweet. Twisting turns and very scenic. We arrived at 11am when it opened.
We were seated quickly and the waitress went over how it all worked. I chose the roast beef and chicken. We told her to bring all the sides so every open square inch of our table was filled with a bowl or dish.
All I could tell my co-workers is this chicken is the best I have ever had. The coating was so pillowy soft. Chicken cooked so well. Not greasy at all which blew my mind.
Roast beef was tasty. Mashed Potatoes were............ARGGGGHHH there was so many side dishes on the table that I can't remember what we had but it was everything they had available.
This is truly a home away from home and the land around the house is so beautiful. It has been  raining so everything was so green and in bloom.
I wish I could have gone here every day for dinner, but staying at work late hours prevented this. I know when I come out here again, I will enjoy introducing this place to my co-workers.
Country cookin' like no other! Homeplace is just great.. I am partial since I'm a HOKIE and we love some Homeplace.
They only open Thurs-Sun. Thurs is bbq pork night and so you gotta go for that. But Friday is when they have mac and cheese for side dish so you gotta go on a Friday too. There will be a wait of at least 30 mins or more. I usually call on my way there and put my name on the list so that by the time I arrive, I will get seated.
Although waiting is an enjoyment too. Their porch has a swing, rocking chairs, etc. There's a gazebo for sitting too.
Some people dress in their Sunday best, and some you will see that came just off the AT with their packs and all.
I love the fried chicken... you can smell it at the prking lot.... soooo good. best fried chix i've ever had. the place is just full of love and food.
Goddamn, this place makes me happy.
The Home Place takes a good thirty-forty minutes drive from Blacksburg, on a curvy road from hell, where you have to dodge trucks and people going way over the speed limit (why does everyone in the South go under the speed limit except on the winding scary road of death to the Home Place?) but it's worth it.
$13 bucks will get you fried chicken and your choice of ham or roast beef (occasionally they have BBQ pulled pork as well), $14 and you get both ham and roast beef, PLUS all the sides you can think of (but you should ask for the chow-chow), and lemonade/sweet tea. And dessert. Service is friendly and homey, and everyone there just seems to be in a better mood than the general population.
So yeah, it's pretty awesome, especially for this California transplant who thought every restaurant in Virginia was going to be like this and was sorely disappointed when he got here. Not only is the food awesome, the fact that you're basically eating in a huge Southern plantation house makes it all the better (minus the unpleasant thoughts about, you know, slavery and stuff). There's often a wait, so I recommend getting there a little early, but if you have to sit around, it's always fun to just hang out in the gazebo, chat about local gossip with other folks on the front porch, and just soak in the scenery.
So yeah, go and love it. The Home Place is the only restaurant in the area I actually recommend without any reservations or curving for the fact that it's Southwest Virginia.
I was just at the Home Place on Good Friday. I haven't eaten there in a while, but the Home Place is as good as ever. I noticed they've dropped their prices to $13 for an adult. Last I remember, their prices had gotten up to $16 for an adult.
They had all you could eat roast beef, fried chicken, pinto beans, green beans, mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, biscuits (w/ apple butter), cole slaw, lemonade and tea.
They also allow you to take home the leftovers too! However, you can't order up a full round of extra food and then take it home, so be reasonable and only take the the portions you couldn't eat.
**3.5 Stars**
I feel like Home Place is more hyped up than it's supposed to be. It's definitely worth going to if you're in the area, but it's not mind-blowing or anything. It's not what i'd say is cheap or an amazingly good deal, especially since I'd only eat like 4-5 items out of the 9 offered.
It's better to come right when they open, otherwise you'll have to wait a while to get in. On Saturdays, they open at 3pm! You get to choose 2 meats for $13/person and 3 meats for $14/person. All sides and drinks are included. The lemonade and iced tea are divine! Especially when combined to make an Arnold Palmer.
Fried chicken was not so special. Ham was salty. But the roast beef is where it's at! We kept devouring platter after platter of these tender, moist slices of cow. Nice and peppery on the outside of the roast!
Notable sides include the most amazing biscuits with apple/pumpkin butter, creamy mashed potatoes, and the best coleslaw i've ever had (nice texture and it's got a little kick to it). The other sides were just meh. And our meal ended on a nice peach cobbler with ice cream.
It took us about 30 min of waiting in line to pay and get out. They really need another register...
All right, I know a lot of people hype this place up. (Believe me, some of my friends convinced me to take a 2.5 hour drive just for this). Â If it weren't for the hype, I'd give this place a 5, but I'll give it a 4 because I had high expectations. Â I didn't think it was worth a 2.5 drive.. maybe only 60-75% its worth because it was delicious?
The Home Place has great family-style southern cooking from fried chicken, roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. Â Though the chicken is fried, I didn't taste the grease as much(which is a good thing!) and for some reason, I really like their roast beef because it is very lean. Â It was comfort food, so of course it was going to be good. Â In addition, their dessert, usually a cobbler, is pretty yummy.
The concept of the place is very simple, yet very enjoyable. Â I recommend it if you travel to this area.
Had I known about Homeplace earlier, I would've gone to Virginia Tech instead of UVa just to be 40 minutes away from this restaurant. Â This is quite possibly the best restaurant in the state of Virginia. Â Traditional southern cooking at its finest and only $13 per person for all you can eat.
I once traveled over 2.5 hours and then waited for 3 more hours just to come to Homeplace. Â What did I enjoy? the fried chicken, the roast beef, the biscuits with apple butter... if you haven't tried apple butter, you should start. Â Oh, and once I had the biscuits, I had some more. Â Years later, I once met a girl years who had worked at the homeplace and immediately considered marrying her on the spot.
My last recommendation, come early lest you wait behind throngs of senior citizens and hokie undergrads. Â They're only open Thursdays thru Sundays
Southern homestyle cooking at its best. The Home Place is a must stop if you're a fan of comfort cooking whenever you happen to be along that stretch of I-81.
It's always a treat whenever I'm back in the Roanoke area to dine at Home Place. 1) The timing of my trips don't always line up with their opening hours (Thurs-Fri for lunch; Sat-Sun lunch and dinner) 2) I love love love the property that it sits on 3) The food is just mighty good my friends.
Let's start with the food. It's all you can eat... and all you can eat yumminess. You can do $14 for all 3 meats and if it's your first time, do it. I am less of a fan of the ham so for a dollar less, I am more than content to pig out on roast beef and mmm mmm mmm fried chicken. The roast beef is so tender and the friend chicken is just crispy yet juicy perfection. Pair them with wondrous sides like slaw and mash potatoes plus light and fluffy biscuits and bottomless sweet tea, you're all set for your Southern feast.
Service is friendly and they diligently bring out more food upon request with a smile on their face. The dining experience is homely - you are dining in an old farmhouse anyway. You will almost always expect a wait. 10 minutes if you're lucky, up to an hour if you come at prime dining times. The wait is fine though because it gives you time to explore the grounds and soak it all in.
You feel like part of a big extended family when you're dining at the Home Place and like family I'll be back as often as I can to indulge in some mighty good southern comfort food.
Bring on the SOUTH~~!
I have to say, this place blew my mind. Â The unassuming farmhouse that stands on gorgeous grounds with roaming cows in the middle of what seems like back country is a hotspot. Â The wait on any given day can be up to an hour - but VERY worth the wait. DOES NOT TAKE RESERVATIONS
Family dining is the style and all-you-can-eat! Â You get a pitcher of your drink choice (we chose the lemonade and ice tea) and all your sides are included:
       Green Beans - southern style, cooked soft with ham hock
       Cole slaw - typical coleslaw
       Pinto Beans - again, smokey flavor from the ham hock.
       Biscuits - tender and light - AMAZING with the jams they provide
       Mashed potatoes and gravy - Delicious lumps and all
       Extra veg/fruit (whatever they have)
       Fruit cobbler - it was delicious
Their fried chicken comes with your meal automatically - you can chose any number of meats (the cost goes up as you pick more obviously).  The fried chicken was amazing.  The batter on the  chicken was thin and perfectly crisped the skin on the chicken. That salty, flavorful crust is making my mouth water just thinking about it.
The Roast beef was nice, but a little overdone - good nonetheless.
RUN Here.. stay all night and wear elastic lined pants.... because you will want to eat beyond your heart's content.
I traveled to Virginia last week and stopped at this place for the 2nd time. My boyfriend is from Troutville,VA & has been here many, many times. We make it a necessary stop each time we fly in to visit family.
My only complaint is the wait (about an hour on a Friday night at 7pm), but it's one of the few places I am willing to wait that long because of how great it is.
Read a little bit about it's history (which I did while waiting), it has a nice back story & the building used to be an actual house. Something they don't mention (which my boyfriend's dad told me, an area native of 66 years) is that when they were first trying to open, a bank basically laughed in their face, stating that there was no way they were going to succeed (they're not the most convenient place to get to) and that no one would come. So the owner went elsewhere, and they have been crazy-successful every since they opened. I love that this place gets so much business, and I love to give them my business. I appreciate good, authentic food! You can tell they actually care about the quality!
I grew up in California suburbia in a mass of subdivisions, so I really appreciate the architecture of the place. It is a beautiful plantation home with a wrap around porch (The Notebook movie anyone?), my dream home! People that are waiting, sit in a room lined with chairs in front of a fire place. Others are sitting casually on the staircase.
It's only $13 per person (adults), which include 2 meats ($14 for 3), and it's all you can eat. Drinks are also included in the price (no alcohol is served FYI).
It feels so "Homelike" (that's what they're going for I guess, huh?) at the table they seat you at. It's fun to try to figure out what part of the original house you are in.
The 2 servers I've had were very nice (and I've always loved the VA country accent) :)
Everything comes to the table for everyone to share, as if you were at a family or holiday dinner.
You automatically get the fried chicken as one of the meats. I must've said "this is so amazing" 10 times throughout the meal. WOW, we don't have fried chicken like that in San Diego!! For the other meat choice, you can choose Country Ham, Roast Beef, or Pulled Pork if it's a Thursday. We've always gotten the Ham, which I can't argue with. I'm a Ham freak! The (country) ham is a little saltier than I'm used to, but that's how it's done out here, and it's DELICIOUS!
The sides are great (all included) - Green Beans, Pinto Beans, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Cole Slaw, Buttermilk Biscuits, and a fruit or vegetable of the day (ours was fried apples). You also get a dessert which was blackberry cobbler with ice cream. It must've been my lucky day, I LOVE me some blackberries!
If you read this far, well you can figure - you MUST GO HERE, you won't be disappointed! Just try to come before you get too hungry, so you're not waiting on a starving stomach!
Well this place is a must for Virginia visitors and locals alike! I grew up here, or in the neighborhood and spent many evenings on the front porch while the Morgan's owned the home. So it was quite a treat to find out that once the family passed away, that Harold Wingate purchased the house to turn it into a restaurant with good ole Virginia hospitality. Make sure you ask for a Laura Garst. Her aunt was a local Doctor and cared for the Morgan family until she passed away many years ago. She is wonderful and very friendly, you have to respect this lady, she cares for her family, takes care of a farm and sales cattle at the Roanoke Stock market, and has time to wait on tables. She is very modest, hard worker and make sure you tell her I sent you!
The food is chicken, beans, mash potatoes, green beans and cobbler. Plus all you want to eat for only $13.00! Now thats a Virginia bargain!
My mom, sis, boyfriend and I hiked the AT up to McAfee's Knob last weekend. At the top, we stopped and chatted with a through-hiker who told us he was on his way down the mountain to eat at the Home Place. Apparently this place is a noted by Appalachian Trail through hikers as the best southern cooking from Maine to Georgia. With this information, how could we NOT go?
So, once back down the mountain and at our car, we drove over to the Home Place and were told there was an hour and a half wait. Well, we decided it was worth it. We were seated within 45 minutes (half the time we were told) and boy were we glad we waited. The menu is simple, but everything is delicious (even the pinto beans, and I normally hate pinto beans). I love that for $13 you get whatever you want to drink, unlimited food and dessert and that includes tax! It doesn't include a tip, but with the great service and food, you'll probably be thrilled to leave tip. :-)
The Home Place = Perfect.
When I finally brought my fiancée to this place, his reaction was "after 5 years of dating, how was it that you just now brought me to this place!?! We should be eating here all the time!"
It's such a great place to eat! Home style cooking with stick to your ribs type of food. Normally, I'm not a huge fried chicken fan. But, I love love love their fried chicken. And they have great BBQ too!! So a Thursday night trip 40 minutes out is so worth it (they only serve BBQ on Thursdays). And I love their cobbler! Perfect way to end the meal.
Came here with my bf and my family for dinner after a long long long hike to Cascades Falls. So...as we were depending on my cousin's navigation skills, we were starving and craving protein after our hike! Every time we asked her where we were, she would tell us "10 more minutes". 10 minutes turned into about 40-50 minutes. This place is kind of in the middle of no where. Well, you'll see, it is in the middle of no where.
The food was delicious and soooooo fresh! It's a all-you-can-eat place, but they will bring the food out to you. The fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, roast beef, green beans, and cobbler were DELICIOUS! You can taste the freshness in every dish! Everything they had there was delicious! mm mmm mmm.
It was pretty busy when we got there esp. since it was in the middle of the day. Def. home cooked food. Really want to go there again! mmm!
A mix of locals, through hikers from the Appalachian Trail, and Mennonites. Food is good southern food, your party is seated & served together, the main question is 2 meats or 3? Fried chicken is a given, the choice of the other meats depends on the day, although it's always been roast beef and/or ham when I've been there.
Best place I know of for fried chicken. I'm not a big southern cooking fan so the overcooked green beans with pork don't do much for me. At least there is chowchow to put on top. The apple butter is good on the biscuits.
The best food on earth. If you are in the SW VA area, even if this place is more than 100 miles off your route, make a pit-stop here, and allow yourself some belt buckle room.
Everything is good. But if you're lucky enough to be there for the peach cobbler, consider yourself extra special.
My favorite restaurant of all time, hands down. Home Place is a great place to take the family when they're in town--it's on a scenic farm, it's cozy, everyone is super friendly, and the food is a neverending southern homecooked flavor explosion. All you can eat meat (fried chicken, roast beef, ham), all you can eat sides (mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pinto beans, biscuits and apple butter, etc), all you can drink sweet tea and lemonade, and topped off with coffee and cobbler and ice cream. And it's ALL delicious. You will leave 5 pounds heavier--unless you're my dad, who will find room for twice that--and you will still take home leftovers.
It's well worth the drive out to the middle of nowhere. Just be ready to wait up to an hour for a table, because Home Place is a converted farm house and it's a bit smaller than its popularity might warrant. And also, I think they're only open for five meals a week: Sunday brunch, and Thursday through Sunday for dinner.
If you're in need of some southern comfort food, this is the place to go! It offers infamous southern hospitality and traditional southern staples that will have you feeling like you're eating at your grandma's house. This restaurant is so charming because it's tucked away on a gorgeous farm and the restaurant itself is actually a farm house.
It's a family style restaurant so they keep the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet tea, etc. coming until you cannot eat anymore!
This is a great place to go with friends. Most VT students at one point in their 4 years at Tech will make a trip here. It's almost like a rite of passage! Just be careful how much you eat because you might go into a food coma! Just don't pull the short straw and be the one who has to drive all the way home.
Yum, yum, yum to my tum, tum, tum!
Unlimited, all you can eat, fill your gut, pack yourself full goodness!
Hot, fresh, buttery biscuits, delicious green beans (like gramma makes) with ham hock, smoothly whipped mashed potatoes with the perfect amount of salt, pepper, and butter, fried apples with yummy cinnamon and sugar, pinto beans with a smattering of spices, freshly prepared icy cold cole-slaw with the perfect amount of sweetness, a plate of country ham, a plate of roast beef, and a plate of freshly fried chicken - to top it all off a boat of gravy to smother it all!
This, as well as all you can drink coffee, tea, and lemonade, and the dessert of the day are all yours for a mere $14 smackers!
The ambiance of the place is just like gramma's house (if your gramma was rich and lived on a farm). Â The place has floral wall papers, antiques, farm style chairs and close quarter seating all arranged in old rooms of this formerly private home.
Come early and get your name on the list! Â They are only open at certain times, and if you don't make the cut, you will drive all the way back to Roanoke or Blacksburg with a disappointment in your belly.
Bring some tums for the ride home, because no matter how hard you try not to - YOU WILL OVEREAT!
TAAAAAAYYYLOOORRRRR PaRdeee of threeeeeeee ... TAAAAAAYYYLOOORRRRR PaRdeee of threeeeeeee ...
Yes, all of you that have dined at this amazing establishment know - this is the most glorious voice you could possibly hear, once sitting on the porch swing of this large white farmhouse, nestled in the mountains of the Roanoke Valley, surrounded by cattle grazing the Catawba hillside. The same gentleman has been announcing each family, couple or group that walks through the front door of The Home Place for as long as I can remember. That is just one of the many aspects that add to the charm of this fabulous restaurant.
In the winter the small entry/hallway and sitting room packed with wooden chairs and a cozy fireplace gets quite crowded as the masses wait out the announcement of their name over the loud speaker. What is all the waiting for you might ask ... Southern Cooking at it's best! My all time favorite restaurant ever!
You have to understand in order to appreciate. I have been coming to this restaurant for 15+ years. It's a little off the beaten path, but well worth the drive. The menu is simple, but totally complete as far as Southern Cooking is considered. $14 will get you unlimited fried chicken and roast beef or country ham plus all the sides, drink and dessert. One dollar more will get you all three meats, plus all sides, drink and dessert! And what are these glorious sides ... biscuits with apple butter, green beans, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked apples and slaw. (They usually rotate/substitute one of the veggies on different days of the week, but you get the jest).
The best part is - you can eat, and eat, and eat, until your little heart's content OR until your stomach can't possibly take one more morsel, whichever may come first. They will refill all meats, side dishes and tea or lemonade as many times as you need. And then, when you think you just couldn't take one more bite - the friendly waitress comes to ask if you'd like ice cream with your cobbler. Ohhhh the cobbler ... well dinner just wouldn't be complete without dessert just as a visit to Roanoke wouldn't be complete without a trip to The Home Place!
This place is simply the best southern/home cooking I've ever been to. Â Sweet Tea and Lemonade pitchers waiting for you at the table when you arrive are great (making arnold palmers is a must). Â Fried chicken is probably the best I've ever had. Â Sides galore! Â Biscuits and apple butter are my favorite. Â Cobbler is fantastic.
Staff are super friendly and great people. Â Only thing you need to be prepared for is there will always be a wait. Â Expect to wait at least 30min, so bring a smile and relax outside until your name is called.
Simply put, if you are from the area or go to Virginia Tech and have never been something is wrong with you.
Oh did I mention its only $13 for all you can eat!
So many Yelpers can't be wrong. Â This joint is the real deal, folks. Â It's out in the middle of nowhere, which ensures a healthy mix of unwashed hikers, college students and locals. Â If you are driving from Roanoke or Blacksburg or thereabouts, it is definitely worth it. Â Greasy, delicious, strictly Southern food at its finest, which for the uninitiated means piled high and brought to you. Â For less than 20 bucks a head, this is a bargain. Â
If you can stand up without being afraid you might need an angioplasty, you're doin it wrong. Â The typical trip here involves skipping a minimum of one meal beforehand, white knuckle driving on twisty mountain roads, a brief photo opportunity to soak in the beautiful farm house style building and Catawba mountain backdrop, and consuming family size portions of fried chicken and roast beef and mashed potatoes and cornbread and green beans and whatever else they have. Â When the meal is over, you don't walk back to the car so much as waddle, while clutching your belly in pain as you hate yourself for eating so much and swearing you'll never do it again. Â
But deep down inside, you know you'll be back.
This is hands down the best place to go for homestyle Southern food. Â I have been many times and never been disappointed with the food or the service. Â They certainly don't have much room for customization so if you aren't looking to have a plate full of greasy fatty southern food, don't bother. Â There really isn't anything healthy there, but it's a wonderful experience nevertheless. Â
The restaurant is in a gorgeous location and it is extremely close to two great hikes on the AT (Dragon's Tooth and McAfee's Knob) if you want to build up a good appetite.
PROS: good, fresh, homestyle food for a decent price.
CONS: kind of in the middle of no where
My gf and her family went here after we went hiking. It was pretty good. It's a buffet that you don't have to get up for. They keep bringing you food when you run out. You get your choice of 2 meats (for $13).. or you can get all 3 meats for $14. Our table chose 2 meats.. someone said the ham there was too salty. We got the roast beef and fried chicken. The sides that you get are mashed potatoes, biscuits, corn, beans, green beans. Then you get some dessert afterwards.
The place looks small (looks like a house on the outside).. but inside it's huge. It was REALLY busy too. We had a party of 8.. some people had parties of 18.. and even 30. crazy. The wait is not long at all though.. despite the number of people there. The parking lot is huge as well. Even if the lot gets full, you can park on the grass.
I'd go again if I was in the area and craving homecooked food
An old farm house in Catawba Virginia sat empty, lonely and gazing out  across open fields and meadows for many years. In the early 1980's a local man, Harold Wingate, opened The Home Place Restaurant. The family-style service keeps the crowds coming back for more. The old home is lonely no more!
The food is Sunday-dinner style food if you grew up in the mountains of southwest Virginia. You get green beans, pinto beans, buttermilk biscuits, gravy, fried chicken and a choice of roast beef or country ham. The rooms are tastefully decorated to make you feel as if you're visit your Grandma and she's got a fruit cobbler for you after you've washed down dinner with iced tea or lemonade.
Note: Mother's Day is very busy so you may want to visit on another day!
They are open Thurs, Fri, Sat for dinner only and Sunday lunch and dinner (or dinner and supper).
beautiful mountain views from the swing on the front porch and lots of tasty food!
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