Thursday, July 09, 2009
This Southern diner offers choices
The New River Grille occupies the former Charlie's Restaurant building outside Pearisburg.
TOM ANGLEBERGER Special to The Roanoke Times
Despite the age of the building, the New River Grille's dining area is open and well-lit.
Tom Angleberger knows what he likes. So we've asked him to eat at NRV restaurants and write about them. If you have a restaurant to recommend,
e-mail him. Tom Angleberger
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New River Grille
Southern diner- Where: 1022 Pulaski Giles Turnpike (Virginia 100), Pearisburg
- Contact: 921-2133,newrivergrille@verizon.net
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sunday
- Prices: Burgers and melts, $5.95 to 8.95. Entrees, $7.95 to 11.95.
Southern diners are great, but sometimes you walk in, look at the menu and wish there was a little more to choose from.
The New River Grille's menu will give you plenty of options: 12 burgers and patty melts to choose from, about 20 sandwiches, several steaks, five salads and a couple of quesadillas.
It's still a Southern diner, but with a bit of a creative streak. Take the special of the day, for instance. On the day of my visit, it was a Coney burger. Basically, everything you'd want on a Coney dog ... on a burger.
If that sounds a little too creative, don't worry; they've got plenty more to choose from: both beef and buffalo burgers, blackened burgers, mushroom burgers and even a sunrise burger topped with a fried egg.
Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find a crab cake sandwich, fettuccine alfredo, shrimp, oyster and catfish po' boys, and a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. They'll even make you a Monte Cristo sandwich, which is a ham, turkey and Swiss sandwich that has been sinfully dipped in batter and grilled.
But I was craving a somewhat healthier meal that day. I did my part by ordering a grilled flounder sandwich, but the darn thing came with Old Bay-seasoned french fries and how could I say no to that?
Dessert selections apparently change from time to time. During my visit, they included banana creme pie and cobbler.
The atmosphere at the Grille is very nice. Despite the age of the building, the dining area is open and well-lit. The lights are decked out in Christmas lights. The specials are written in chalk right on the wall. There's a big winged football on another wall, the logo of Giles High School.
There is a TV, but it's not intrusive. Likewise, the music was kept low. All in all, it's real comfortable, and the friendly greeting I received from one of the owners only made it more so.
