Collegiate Times

Everything is all you can eat at The Homeplace.

As Virginia Tech’s food is ranked one of the best in the country, I often don’t feel the need to venture off campus for dining. I have every type of food imaginable all within walking distance. However, being a good Hokie, I grabbed a few friends and decided to make the trip out to The Homeplace to see why it made the Hokie bucket list.

The 35-minute drive, while somewhat long, was on a back road that snaked along the mountains. The length of the trip was hardly noticeable to us because we took the scenic route along Blacksburg Road, which had a lot of bends and unexpected curves. For those with weaker stomachs, I recommend taking the interstate route.

As I pulled up to The Homeplace, I found that it looked more like a plantation house than a restaurant. The parking lot
was an empty field behind the property and was completely full when we got there at about 6:30 p.m. The wrap-around front porch was packed full of people waiting, and inside was no less crowded. 

After maneuvering through the crowd indoors we made it to the hostess who put our name down on the list and estimated our wait time would be an hour. All of the seats were taken in the front waiting room, as well as the outside porch swings, so we stood against the hallway wall near the captivating smells of the kitchen.

The wait time gave me the opportunity to take in the decor of the place. The walls were covered with different floral
wallpaper patterns and decorated with wooden picture frames holding various newspaper articles and pictures giving it a “homey” feel. 

The wooden floors and sectioned rooms made the space more intimate and comforting. One sign on the wall read,  “Remember the days blessings, forget the days troubles.” This took my mind off of the long wait and gave me a chance to enjoy the welcoming atmosphere.

After waiting exactly an hour, my name was called, and instead of seating us personally, the hostess explained where to go. Once at the table, it took all of five minutes before our waitress came over with two filled pitchers of lemonade and iced tea. 

We didn’t even have to spend time perusing a menu because every meal is family style with your table’s choice of three
meat options. We went on a Friday night when the special was a side of macaroni and cheese. We opted for the country ham and fried chicken.

By the time we all finished creating our own Arnold Palmers from the two drink pitchers, the waitress brought our the food in individual bowls and placed them in the center of the table. After the food was out, the waitress left us to eat and only came back when she saw our bowls needed refilling. 

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A version of this article appeared in the Oct 12 issue of the Collegiate Times.