Food For Thought

I’m not entirely sure why this place has been so hyped up. I went for lunch this past week, and while the food wasn’t bad, it certainly was nothing extraordinary.
The meal started with a bread basket. It was, in my opinion, the highlight of the meal. The basket featured both delicious yeasty rolls and fresh cornbread. Both were tasty enough that my table ordered a second basket, which came out promptly at no cost.
For my entrée, I ordered the Jamaican Jerk Chicken with sides of Skinny Fries and Sweet Potato Fries. The chicken was topped with a freshly-​chopped and delicious mango and bell pepper salsa. The salsa also had cilantro, and all three flavors that I’ve listed were in the right proportions and paired nicely with the chicken.
My main problem with the entrée came from the bite of chicken I had without any of the salsa. The chicken was atrociously under-​seasoned. There was not nearly enough salt, and there certainly were not any of the seasonings that one would expect from a Jamaican Jerk chicken. The total lack of jerk seasonings was highly disappointing.
As for the sides, the skinny fries were okay. Some were crispy, some were soggy, but none were particularly special. The sweet potato fries, on the other hand, were terrific. They were sliced into nice, thick wedges and were clearly fresh. They were accompanied by a clever sweet honey dip, which paired beautifully with the texture and flavor of the sweet potato.
The meal was reasonably priced given that it came with two sides, and I may return in the future, but I will pick a different entrée if I do.

I went on a Saturday around 11:30am and was seated very quickly. Service was excellent. The trivia cards on the table were awesome. The décor was thought provoking. My only complaint is my meal was a bit under seasoned, but tasted fresh. My fiancé said his meal tasted wonderful, especially his soup. I will definitely be back. Can’t wait to try the dinner options that looked so yummy!

Don’t go by all the good reviews about Food For Thought restaurant. It’s better! This restaurant lived up to the good reviews I’ve read that made me want to try it. My experience exceeded my anticipation and expectations. As we approached the restaurant we encountered some patrons in the parking lot as they were leaving the restaurant and all we asked raved about their food! Not one hesitation. The line was out the door but was told the wait would be approximately 35 mins. and we were seated almost to the minute.
Everyone seemed to enjoy working there and everyone we met, from the hostess, waiter and manager were quite pleasent.
The food? Excellent! Myself and relatives ate here a couple of times during my 2 week visit.
Highly recommend!

Delicious variety of menu items for everyone from the kiddos to the most uppity of diners, these cheesy grits were hands down our favorite southern side dish. We had lunch here and were so disappointed the beignets everyone raves about were only available at breakfast, but to our surprise, the lovely manager (sadly, we didn’t catch her name) who checked on us, asked the chef if they had some proofing for breakfast tomorrow and they did so voila, a hot basket of these fried puffs of powdered sugared deliciousness were brought out for us. We have one word for this incomparable level of service. BeignYAAAAAAAY!!! Eat here, you must!

Before heading to this place which I knew was located on a pretty busy street (Richmond Road), I looked on Unilocal to see about where to park. Thanks to all the helpful reviews, I knew what my choices were. Luckily we were able to find 2 spots in the restaurant’s parking lot on a weekday night (note the restaurant closes at 9pm). I had done a call ahead 1 hour prior to our visit (the earliest you can call ahead is 1 hour before, however, it is not guaranteed for the time you request). When we arrived, I informed the host that I had called ahead and we ended up waiting for just a few minutes. In the end, it all worked out.
As we were seated and looked through the menu, we discovered it was set up like a book with a prologue, chapters and endnotes… pretty neat. Too bad for me as I was not able to eat on this visit (partaking in a health challenge and had eaten already), but was excited about the great menu choices.
Some folks in my party had the «Stick to Your Ribs» ($ 22), which did fall off the bone as mentioned and they enjoyed it. It looked so good and they got 2 racks each (huge portions) along with 2 sides of their choice (from the endnotes section of the menu). Another in my party got «Light As A Feather» ($ 12.50) with jerk chicken, steamed broccoli and a side salad (instead of the jerk chicken, you could get cilantro-​lime chicken). They said the chicken was seasoned well, but that the jerk did not have the smoky taste as «jerk chicken» is supposed to have, nevertheless they enjoyed the meal overall. We all agreed that the food and service was definitely great and are already looking forward to our next visit soon.
Notes:
They do have a kids menu
Paper covers the table so kids can mark up that paper with crayons provided by the restaurant
They take your orders on a digital pad (my first time seeing it done that way)

This is a must visit for breakfast/​brunch during your stay in Williamsburg! I had «perfect cure» which was amazing! A perfect hang over cure for sure. Beware of the runny egg, or you’ll be like me and have egg on your face and hands, all the while smiling due to the flavors.
The Lincoln Log omelet was also a hit, just add cheese. Our server was super helpful and recommended the grit cakes which are a must get as well! I honestly wish we had a place like this back home…
It was also very nice that the owner Howard came by and checked on us, that personal touch is always appreciated.

Fantastic service, simply delicious food. Not cheap but not overpriced. The free cornbread was some of the best I’ve ever tasted, (and I’m southern) same with the meatloaf.
Got one order wrong, but it was quickly replaced and a free desert offered. No complaints whatsoever.

Bread was good. Hubby enjoyed his jerk chicken and sides. I enjoyed my burger. It was seasoned very well. Not a fan of skinny fries. It would be nice if they offered steak fries. My burger felt like I needed that. The staff was very attentive and seem to help each other out. The place was packed. We had to park at Ripley’s Believe It or Not. The guy gave us 5% off our next trip so we are going back for breakfast tomorrow. Hahhaha
We went back this morning, June 12^th, and our waiter Eric was so nice. I had to give him a $ 20 tip! Also, we met the owner and he had read my Unilocal review and recognized us! How cool! Our food was delicious but the grit cake — AMAZING! Like I almost ordered that to go. I will make sure I order it next time. You must have that. Without a doubt for breakfast. Also, when we were parking, we saw the same ladies walking in who we walked in behind yesterday. Something is right about this place if they have you coming back like that.

My boyfriend and I were visiting from out of town, and decided to try this place out due to the great reviews. When we got there, the restaurant was very busy, but it was easy for us to get a table. Our waiter was friendly, but seemed to be a little scatter brained. However, the restaurant seemed efficient on bringing meals out to the table at a quick pace.
For an appetizer we ordered the Da Vinci Dippers, which came with 6 medium, breaded, and fried cheese raviolis. Portion was small, and tasted just okay.
For the main course, I ordered the Meat and potato lovers sandwich with pot roast, and my boyfriend got the family reunion (meatloaf and pot roast). The food was decent, but everything seemed to need a little more seasoning or salt.
My favorite part of the meal was probably the bread basket they give you at the beginning of the meal (rolls and cornbread). When asked for more bread, our waiter said he would go get some at that moment, however we never got a new basket, which isn’t a huge deal.
Overall, food was okay (not great, but not bad), service was friendly and quick.

Fast service, courteous staff, delicious food! This restaurant is a hidden gem in Williamsburg. I had the red pepper soup and it was to die for
I will be back again.

This place was discovered on Unilocal months before we actually booked a trip to Williamsburg. And it partially fueled the reason to Visit Williamsburg. Boy! am I glad we did!
No wonder the place has over 1000 reviews and 5 star ratings. Its a must go.
We arrived here at 3 assuming we’ll beat the lunch hour rush and how we were wrong. The place is huge but still packed at that hour and we were asked to wait for 30 minutes. We kept browsing through the menu and 10 mins in we were seated. The place has eclectic décor with posters with quotes and caricatures of philosophers and great minds of the world. But it still has a homely feel to it.
Our waiter Zac greeted us quickly and explained the menu and we were all set to order. After the order came our complimentary yeast rolls and cornbread basket which we devoured as it was soft, delicious and plain awesome. We ordered a portion of baby back ribs to share between four of us as an appetizer. Which was a good call since the portion sizes are huge. Baby back ribs were delicious and falling off the bone. Good start of the meal here!
Our food came in 10 – 15 mins and it looked homestyle which I have realized is a good sign always.
Me and my friend ordered Pistachio crusted Chicken ‘Nutty Chicken’ with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Chicken was slathered with mushroom sauce which was heavenly. I could have just eaten a whole bowl of mashed potatoes itself. Chicken was crispy and the nutty breading was surprisingly delightful.
My husband ordered for pot roast with peas and corn and coleslaw as sides. It was creamy and tender. He said it was the best pot roast he ever had.
My friend’s husband ordered a combo with jerk chicken and cilantro lime chicken. Cilantro Lime Chicken was so delicious I got a bite and I wanted all of it. Juicy tangy and so flavorful. Chicken done right!
The restaurant manager walked up to us midway of our meal to thank us for dining with us which was a nice touch. Our server was attentive and never let our drinks go half full. He also asked us about our food allergies right before we ordered. This place really shines and take out time to go when in Williamsburg.

OH. MY. GOD. Don’t bother reading the rest of this review… just go. You’ll thank me later.
OK, fine. Don’t believe me? Here’s why you should go: over 1,000 reviews and an average 4.5 star rating and this place STILL exceeded my expectations. The wife and I go to Williamsburg fairly regularly for random nights away and we normally go to breakfast the next morning before returning to RVA. We decided to sleep in this time, forego breakfast, and do lunch instead; turning to Unilocal for recommendations on where to go. Boy, am I glad we did!
We arrived a little after 12 pm on a Saturday, and while there was a short line to check-​in, we were seated right away. The décor is fun, with posters, plaques, and memorabilia for philosophers and free-​thinkers throughout history, complete with conversational cards at each table. While they have a separate Lunch Menu with a combo of smaller dinner entrees and lunch specials, the wife and I both opted to order from the larger and more expansive dinner menu. After you order, they provide a combo basket of sweet potato cornbread and parmesan yeast rolls; the cornbread was a little dry, but the rolls were AWESOME! Soft and warm, and just cheesy enough to taste without overpowering the bread.
After ordering, no kidding, the food arrived in less than 10 minutes. The wife got the pot roast with grilled zucchini and skinny fries and I got the «Family Reunion», ½ meatloaf and ½ pot roast, with skinny fries and sweet potato fries. The pot roast was fall-​apart tender with a light and flavorful brown gravy and chunks of carrots. The meatloaf was well-​mixed (but not over-​packed) and moist, topped with a sweet marinara-​like tomato sauce. The skinny fries (as the name would suggest) were thinly cut (almost julienned) and golden brown; slightly crisp but not crunchy or hard. The grilled zucchini tasted like it was basted with italian dressing and was cooked through, complete with grill marks. Very tasty! The sweet potato fries were the star of the sides: wedge cut with a crispy batter and served with the most DIVINE caramel/​brown sugar sauce for dipping. Out of this world!!!
Odane was our server and he was phenomenal! Not only did our drinks never get below ½ full, it was the little things that shined. For example, when he asked my wife if she needed a box, she said yes, and that she couldn’t wait to get home and try it with some bread. So he brought us some of the parmesan rolls that we loved so much: 8 of them. In a separate box. And, after boxing her left-​overs, he even dusted them with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Garnish and presentation within a To-​Go box?!? Yeah. Here. Mind blown.
I don’t give out 5-​Star ratings easily, and based on the reviews, I went in almost looking for imperfections. The only one that I can come up with is that they sat us near the bar, where we heard the servers say «Corner» about 200 times. Other than that, this place is perfection. Fun ambiance, delicious food, amazing service, all without breaking the bank (2 entrees with drinks for less than $ 40). I, literally, can’t wait to go back.

I’ve never been to a more aptly named restaurant.
The menu’s intriguing (although some dishes present differently than they read). There are a lot of interesting selections available and I enjoyed my Farmer’s Harvest salad topped with blackened wild caught salmon.
Gotta admit: the freaking rolls were a guilt-​inducing PROBLEM, causing strife at the table as they disappeared in literal seconds. Also a hit at the table was the Shrimp Boat app.
The wait staff was very warm, friendly (and young!) and I’d recommend this spot to anyone visiting the area looking for a unique dining environment.
PS: they’ve got some awesomely cool quotes on the walls as well as equally cool t-​shirts for sale. Was painful picking just one to buy!

I saw that this restaurant got excellent reviews and I can see why. The meal I ordered, the ultimate vegetarian, was as exotic as it was good.
It consisted of strained squash topped with a zesty sundried tomato pesto sauce. The strained squash was placed within the hollow shell of a squash.
That shell of squash was placed on a bed of white rice which was mixed with tomatoes and other little vegetables interspersed.

Very good. We were a little dubious with that many Unilocal reviews that were 5 stars, but it was spot on. The food was very good as was the service.
The shrimp po boy and the pot roast were good.

Stopped here for a quick lunch since a few friends had suggested this place and it had a ton of reviews on Unilocal!
I was also in town visiting William & Mary and it is a great place to grab lunch or dinner if you are near the college.
The food was good, the service was great, we went for a later lunch so it wasn’t too busy or crowded there was tons of seating — they had a great menu as well with lots of variety and choices to choose from. It wasn’t too pricey so would be a good place to go with a group or to take a family.
For lunch I had the California BLT with big chunks of Avocado and Bacon — YUM! My complaint was the croissant that the sandwich was on, it was too flaky and crumbled in my hands making a mess. The skinny fries though were awesome! The skinnier the fry the fewer the calories. right?!
Would definitely be back to check out some other things on the menu!

There was parking available and I appreciated that! I was greeted and seated immediately.
My server came over to greet me in about 5 minutes. She was polite and professional.
My app and bread was brought to my table in a very reasonable time.
My table was clean and ready for me to sit down.
As the establishment didn’t have a diet caffeine free option I chose water. More times than not when someone chooses water it’s not refilled as often. This was not the case here, I was treated as if I chose a $ 100 glass of wine.
My baked fish came out beautifully presented and it tasted delicious. I also had steamed spinach and as it was good the amount of seasonings threw off my palate.
The food was delicious, the service was great even if I was a party of 1.
I strongly recommend trying his restaurant at least once, you won’t regret it.

I’ve been here a few times now when visiting Williamsburg for the day. Most of the time, I’m up here to go to Busch Gardens since I have a season pass. My latest visit here was on March 19, 2016. We did make it into Busch Gardens that day for Pass member day, but the park was overly crowded that day, likely due to the nice weather. So, after being in there for about 20 – 30 minutes, I ended up leaving the park and then looking for somewhere to go for late lunch/​early dinner. Since I had been here before, I decided to come back once again.
This place is located on the shopping «strip» of Williamsburg on Richmond Rd. One thing to note is that parking is limited, especially during peak times and peak season. There is another business right next door. Make sure not to park over there, as the owner of that other business will have your car towed (and Food For Thought has a sign warning visitors not to park over there as well for the same reason).
Once inside, there were already quite a few people waiting for tables. Since it was only two for this visit, we were seated within about five minutes of coming in. Their menu is simple, yet diverse with lots of options. You’ll find southern comfort foods on the menu, and they have some items available only on certain days of the week. On this visit I had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken from the dinner menu, with fries and mashed potatoes as the sides. While waiting for the food to come out, they have different cards at the tables where you can choose a side on a historical court case, or other thought provoking cards and games right there at the table. The chicken was delicious. It was cooked perfectly, with it being juicy and could taste the spices on the chicken as well. Brandi was our server and she did very well and was attentive to our needs.
One thing I wanted to note is that this place takes food allergies very seriously. Even though what I ordered didn’t have mushrooms, I still let them know that I had that allergy. They cooked everything separately to ensure that the food was safe. It reminds me of the lengths Disney Cruise Line goes to make sure there is no cross-​contamination of a food allergy. Even when they brought the bread out, I was notified that the bread would be fine since no mushrooms were in the oven that day. On a previous visit, I was here on a Sunday, and I had their Sunday turkey special. They switched out the stuffing with other sides I could choose from since the stuffing may have contained mushrooms.
If you’re in the Williamsburg area and looking for a local place to eat, this is definitely the place to go. For those of us that are local and are able to come back again and again, they will give you a 5% off coupon to use on your next visit (and that pattern continues to repeat). This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in the Williamsburg area and will definitely be back again and again.

My boyfriend and I have been to Food for Thought several times for breakfast because that was the only time we could go without waiting forever. The inside isn’t the most aesthetic and is quite kitschy but the good quality good shines through the corny décor!
I always struggle between ordering something savory or sweet for brunch, but I usually go savory while envying plates of pancake and french toast. I love how Food for Thought has complimentary beignets! I get to have my sweet fix along with a hearty brekky. Our favorite thing to order for breakfast are the eggs benedict. The sausage and gravy eggs benedict is bomb and I order the spinach and tomato eggs benny when I won’t something a little lighter, but equally delicious. You must order the fried grit cake on the side!
We had the pleasure of also eating lunch and I am so glad we got to try the parmesan rolls and sweet potato cornbread. The rolls were hot and delicious, and I liked how the cornbread had real sweet potato flavor. I ordered the American grilled cheese with mushroom brie soup and that soup was so amazing… I came back the next day and ordered the roasted red pepper soup and that also didn’t disappoint! My boyfriend ordered the cilantro chicken which had so much flavor and the sauce was on point. He ordered the sweet potato fries which came out in huge wedges, some I tried were a little undercooked but that’s my only complaint. I hope to come back for dinner one day when the wait isn’t too crazy!

Service was very good.
Everything we had was great.
Just go here and forget the other local joints. The others are just not up to par compared. We tried others also by recommendation and they were ALL disappointing. This was one of very very few that redeemed any kind of decent food quality for the area. Just wish we went here before our last night. Just stick with this one for your stay if you’re from out of town.