The town of New Market is well worth the time to explore. Not only are there quaint shops and a few museums to stroll through, but plenty of restaurants to satisfy one’s appetite.
Southern Kitchen Restaurant was founded in 1955 and remains family-owned, serving up their wholesome country fixin’s to historic New Market. Open seven days a week for every mealtime, locals and tourists can expect the typical comfort foods from a southern kitchen. For breakfast, try a combination of eggs, toast, gravy & biscuits, country ham, muffins, grits, French toast, hotcakes or breakfast sandwiches. For lunch and dinner, expect an even greater selection of your favorites, including burgers, wraps, salads, soups, steaks, seafood, barbeque, and – of course – desserts to finish you off for the evening. Other homestyle dinners can be found, like fried porkchops, chicken fried steak, and ham steaks. Loyd’s Fried Chicken is their most beloved dish and can be ordered by the pieces (thigh, leg, liver, etc.) They offer the typical sides like green beans, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, mac n’ cheese, and more. All around, they have something for everyone at any time of the day – within business hours.
Customer traffic during the evenings may be a little crazy, so be sure to show up early to snag a table. Usually uncomfortable in crowded places, I was put at ease by the friendly and courteous waitstaff. True to their reputation, their homestyle, country menu is broad, and it was difficult to choose what plate of southern comfort food I wanted to gorge myself on. We started out with mozzarella sticks – my go-to for appetizers. They were fairly standard and flavored well. Neither too bland nor overwhelming, just how I like them. With marinara sauce, they were a great starter, but they have plenty of others like fried pickles, onion rings, and buffalo wings. For our entrée, we settled for the Loyd’s famous fried chicken, and I was pleasantly surprised by the substantial ratio of meat to bone and skin on these pieces. It was neither oily, nor greasy, which was a bonus for me and my sensitive stomach. The thick fries were cooked well, but needed extra salt (as context, I like my fries salty and they likely weren’t pre-salted to be considerate to other customers who may not like that). Dessert was a real treat. My husband is a big fan of cheesecake and I love strawberries. Therefore, their strawberry cheesecake was something we could both agree on. The body was light and sweet, but not too dense or rich. The strawberries added just the right touch to balance the flavors.
Overall, we enjoyed our dinner experience at Southern Kitchen. I don’t think one can go wrong with anything on their menu. Parking is located next to and behind the restaurant, and during their busiest times, you might have to find a place on the street to park. As long as you’re willing to risk a wait for a table, we give it our highest recommendation while you’re visiting New Market.
Dine-in, curbside, and carryout
Hours: Open Monday – Sunday, 7am to 9pm
Phone: (540) 740-3514
Address: 9576 South Congress Street, New Market, VA, US 22844
Website (and menu): https://southernkitchenva.com/
Belle on the Battlefield 