Almost everything worth eating in this area sits along the Hochatown strip on US-259, a short drive from Beavers Bend State Park. It's a mix of barbecue, seafood, wood-fired pizza, and at least one place worth dressing up for: enough variety that a multi-night trip doesn't have to repeat itself.
Overview
The strip runs the range from casual to dressed-up. Here’s each place, straight up, with what it’s actually good for.
Abendigo's Grill & Patio
Casual-with-a-touch-of-class fare on Stevens Gap Road, with a sports bar and a patio that often has live music on weekends.
Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Tap Room
Wood-fired pizza and beer on tap directly across from Girls Gone Wine, one of the strip's go-to porch hangouts.
Hochatown Saloon
Jake's Brickhouse Grill by day, live-music dance hall by night. Family-friendly until the floor clears at 9:30pm.
Mountain Fork Brewery
Brick-oven pizza, burgers, and a full flight of house-brewed IPAs and bourbon barrel-aged ales at the north end of Hochatown.
Fish Tales Winery & Bistro
A muscadine winery and bistro with a tasting room, vineyard stroll, and a menu of paninis and small plates built to go with the wine.
Shuck Me · Hochatown
A family-friendly seafood spot serving oysters, shrimp, and fish, with a full bar on the covered patio.
The Blue Rooster
A casual fry house near Grateful Head, the spot locals point newcomers to for fried chicken and catfish.
Hochatown BBQ & Grill
Smoked barbecue right across from Hochatown Saloon, with Old West Town Mini-Golf tucked in behind it for after dinner.
Press Italia
Wood-fired Italian on the strip, the go-to when a trip needs one dressed-up dinner among the barbecue and burgers.
Price tags are a rough guide ($ casual, $$ moderate, $$$ dressed-up), not menu pricing. Check with each restaurant directly.
Why Visit
Most trips here are built around the outdoors: the lake, the trails. The food is what fills in the evenings. Having this many real, distinct options within a short drive of most cabins means dinner doesn’t become the least interesting part of the day.
What to Expect
Expect casual dress and a patio-forward feel at most of these. Porches and covered patios are the default, not the exception, which fits the area’s outdoor-first character. Reservations matter more on weekends, especially at Press Italia and Hochatown Saloon on nights with live music. Price ranges span from casual (Grateful Head, The Blue Rooster) to a moderate step up for a full dinner at Press Italia or Fish Tales (see our wineries and date-night guides). This works for every kind of trip: families, groups, and couples all have a real option here.
Local Tips
Book ahead for weekend dinners at the more popular spots. This strip gets busy, especially in summer and during fall leaf season. If you want the live-music version of Hochatown Saloon, know that the family-friendly dinner crowd generally clears out by 9:30pm when the dance hall side takes over.
Don’t overlook the brewery food. Mountain Fork Brewery and Grateful Head are both good meals, not just a place to drink. Pair a winery or brewery stop with dinner nearby rather than treating them as separate outings, since most of the strip is walkable or a short drive between spots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which spot should we pick if we can only do one dinner out?
It depends what you want. Press Italia is the pick for a dressed-up dinner, Mountain Fork Brewery and Grateful Head for casual pizza and beer, and Shuck Me for seafood. All are real, named restaurants on the Hochatown strip.
Should we book a table ahead of time?
For the more popular spots on weekends, yes, especially Press Italia and Hochatown Saloon on nights with live music.
Is there anywhere to get barbecue around here?
Yes. Hochatown BBQ & Grill sits directly across from Hochatown Saloon and is one of the strip's dedicated barbecue spots.
Anywhere with a patio, for eating outside?
Most of them: Abendigo's, Grateful Head, and Shuck Me all have patio seating, which fits the area's generally outdoor-first character.
Is Hochatown Saloon more of a restaurant or a bar?
Both, depending on the time of day. It runs as Jake's Brickhouse Grill for dinner before turning into a live-music dance hall most Friday and Saturday nights.
Where to Stay Nearby
A cabin within walking or golf-cart distance of the Hochatown strip means dinner doesn't require getting back in the car.