Good, cheap places to eat around Williamsburg??

[MomtoCandJ]

Going to Williamsburg the last weekend of this month. We need some good, cheap places to eat. We plan on the free parts of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown (the national parks part, not the victory center or other part). What free things are there to do in the area? We will have Dh's truck so we can go within a reasonable distance. We will be there all day Saturday and Sunday (Friday we are driving there, Monday we are driving back, it will take at least 14 hours with stops each way)

[K&Rs Mom]

 

I don't remember the name of it but there's a pancake place outside the main "old town" area that had great food and was cheap (less than an IHOP) and the waitress was super helpful suggesting things to do around town.  It's on a corner, has a blue sign, and was on the way between the Powhatan resort and the old town - hopefully someone else knows the name!

[jen3kids]

There is a free from at Jamestown to take you across the river.

 

Cheap food - the only thing I can think of is the Subway deal that includes a 6" sub and a drink for $4.   Of course, if you have a cooler and icepacks, you could take your own sandwich fixings for less than that.

 

Does your room have a fridge and microwave?  If so, pack (or buy) food to prepare on your own.  That is by far the cheapest way to eat while on vacation.  

[Onceuponatime]

There are all the major fast food and restaurant chains within and around the Williamsburg city area. There isn't much of anything to eat close to Jamestown and Yorktown.

 

There is a Farmer's Market in Merchant Square on Saturdays.

[Farrar]

When we were there we had a big take out meal from Pierce's Barbeque one night and it was pretty good and not terribly expensive.

[MomtoCandJ]

Hmmm pancake place sounds good :)

[Laurie4b]

We stayed at a VRBO at the Powhatan Resort . It was about the same as a hotel, but we got 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, full kitchen, washer/dryer, hot tub in the condo and nice swimming pools. It was a very short drive to historic Williamsburg. You can say no to the sales pitch about the timeshare. They didn't give us a hard time about doing that.  We mostly ate in, so meals were inexpensive. It was REALLY nice to be able to come home after a day of sight-seeing and really relax.

 

http://www.oldchickahominy.com/

 

Old Chickahominy House is amazing. Beautiful, colonial setting, homemade authentic food, and very inexpensive! (The prices are not on the web menu, but you could call to reassure yourself.) It's on the road to Jamestown from Williamsburg as I recall.

 

Get gingerbread at one of the shops in the historic part. (It's on the main drag there and is staffed by re-enactors. Can't remember the name.) Not a meal, but not to be missed! ;)

 

http://cheeseshopwilliamsburg.com/sandwiches There is a restaurant called The Cheese Shop  just outside of the historic part (IOW, you can easily walk to it from the historic strip) , near William and Mary. It's not super cheap, but it quite good and not expensive. (around $6 for a sandwich.)

[bettyandbob]

I'm partial to Pierce's, but I've been going there since you had to get your food from a window in shack and eat in your car. It now has all the conveniences of a typical fast food place as far as seating and rest rooms are concerned. A plus for my family is the last time I checked the recipe they use for the bbq is gluten free (we don't get the sandwiches).

 

If you want pancakes, there hundreds (well maybe 20-30) pancake places driving west on 60 from the historic area. We've been gluten free for many years so any recommendation I have there would be very old. 

 

If you are trying to be seriously frugal and want to avoid eating only fast food for 4 days, I suggest packing a cooler and refilling the ice from your motel icemaker each day (or you can get a bag of ice from a local grocery store or 7-11). 

[trinchick]

We were in Williamsburg last summer. What a great place for a trip! I loved my meal at The Cheese Shoppe, but I was surprised at how pricey it was for sandwiches.

 

We ate at a 50's burger place called Retros on Prince George Street just outside the historic village. Very inexpensive, especially if you can steer away from milkshakes and are willing to share fries. Here's a menu: Retros.  Looks like burgers are under $4; hotdogs are $2.50; and grilled cheese is just $2.29. 

 

I'll also second the recommendation of pancake houses. We ate at the Astronomical Pancake House and the Colonial Pancake House and found them both to be good and reasonable.

 

Finally, I'm a huge fan of picnicking. We just returned from a road trip where we picnicked for lunch just about every day. We just picked up some ham, cheese, good bakery bread, chips, and fruit. Plus scrumptious tomatoes from farm stands along the way. We enjoyed it so much more than our restaurant meals, and it was a big time saver when we wanted to keep touring.

 

Also, even if the budget is tight, I'd recommend entering the paid portion of Jamestown (even if it meant forgoing a restaurant meal in favor of a picnic). It is a great museum and the exhibits are quite interactive. When we visited last year my DD had a spectacular time there - even better than Colonial Williamsburg.

[MomtoCandJ]

Which paid part of Jamestown? I understand there are two, we are going to pay for the National Park part but are iffy on the other.

[bettyandbob]

I think the entrance to the National park is around $10/car. Jamestown settlement has an entrance fee per person. It is a living history program. If you can swing it, your dd would probably really like it. 

[trinchick]

Which paid part of Jamestown? I understand there are two, we are going to pay for the National Park part but are iffy on the other.

 

I guess the official name is Jamestown Settlement. There's a beautiful museum with neat exhibits (including one on the "real" Pocahontas, which may interest your DD). Then there's a recreation of the Powhatan village. DD was able to tan a hide, grind some corn, etc. here. There was a settlement recreation with the fort buildings, some animals, etc. Here DD played some games from the period with the re-enactors. At the end you visit replicas of the ships that brought the settlers to Jamestown. We found it very interesting and well done.

 

FWIW, we didn't do the National Park one, so I can't offer a comparison. I won't steer you in either direction, then.

[MrsJewelsRae]

We went to Williamsburg for our honeymoon 14 years ago, we went to a breakfast diner called "Mama Steve's" every morning for breakfast- it was great, especially steak and eggs! :) Wonder if its still there....

[Angie in VA]

This may not be what you mean or even like, but we always see if there is a Chipotle nearby when we go away. It's not cheap (in either sense of the word), but it is affordable, healthful and filling. It would be a good dinner (late lunch/ early supper combo).

 

Williamsburg has a Chipotle. :)