Counters of Comfort

We traveled off the grid to track down mom-and-pop joints, strip-mall spots, and hole-in-the-wall eateries worthy of a trip

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The food at these community stalwarts may not always be Instagram-worthy, but put aside your phone and embrace their consistency and comfort. They give the feeling of being part of an experience — something that sticks with you beyond the plate. These no-frills, no-gimmicks eateries embrace their identity as restaurants that deliver the goods, always.

Cold Harbor Restaurant

8153 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville, 804-746-4333

At first glance, Cold Harbor Restaurant’s cozy storefront gets lost among neighboring retailers like an antique store and a gun and tackle shop. However, it’s worth a second look, serving up Southern country favorites for breakfast, lunch and brunch in an old-school diner setting. Try the soups, sandwiches and heavier fare such as meatloaf and country-fried steak, but regulars know that the breakfast buffet is the main attraction.

Tako Tako

2601 Turner Road, 804-612-0736

Women run this delicious Mexican-Salvadoran food world, led by owner Blanca Flores. Formerly Tako Nako, this tiny house with picnic tables out front fries up grand pupusas. Thin corn- or rice-flour patties, melted cheese, and a chalkboard of choices for fillings make Flores’ pupusas the ne plus ultra of comfort food. Have several in lieu of dessert, which isn’t served here.

Moore Street Cafe

2904 W. Moore St., 804-359-5970

Moore Street Cafe sat back and watched, unruffled, as Scott’s Addition became home to a bustling brew scene, gaming emporiums, and nationally recognized restaurants like Longoven and ZZQ. When you’re a Richmond reliable with a loyal customer base, you can remain poised. The chicken or tuna salad here is served with Club crackers, and $6 Moore ’Mosa pitchers call for the company of a heaping mound of good ol’ biscuits and gravy.

Hopewell Quick Lunch

13 Hopewell St., Hopewell, 804-458-6526

This squat Lego brick of a building knows chili dogs with slaw. Owner/General Manager Mary Sue Krout says she served nearly 41,000 of ’em last year, 16 years after their “Jeopardy” mention. Here, breakfast never ends, the soup is always navy bean, and on Saturdays, if Hopewell High School had a win the day before, the Blue Devils sundaes are priced by the number of points the team scored.

Ironclad Pizza Grill

924 McDonough St., 804-233-2400

Owner Rob Martin was raised in Manchester before spending years crafting ’za elsewhere, making his sports bar/pizzeria at 10th and McDonough streets something of a homecoming. The lunchtime pizza buffet  is $7.99, $1 beers flow from 5 to 6 p.m., and customer favorites, such as the white Chesapeake Bay with crab, shrimp and feta, make stepping into Ironclad feel like a house party.

TD’s Smokehouse

8919 Patterson Ave., 804-741-9804

At most automotive shops, hitting B-7 on the snack machine is how you get your nosh — not at The Lube Center. Follow the scent of smoked meats to the attached TD’s Smokehouse, where owner and Kansas City native Scott Bonds has married two of his passions in life: cars and cooking. The menu is sprinkled with offbeat Cajun nuances of jambalaya and smoked fish, but it’s the melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork and gooey mac and cheese to go that may force you to squeeze in bites at stoplights voraciously as you drive home with your order.

J & D’s Cafe

2322 Hungary Road, Henrico, 804-266-2331

This strip mall spot is about as no-frills as it gets, and upon entry, it feels like you’ve crashed an intimate party with close friends, but we all know the importance of not judging a book by its cover, or in this case a restaurant by its NASCAR posters and laid-back aesthetic. Bottled beers are served with personal koozies, the chef makes table visits and drops one-liners, and their Reuben, served on perfectly toasted rye, is as satisfying as it is a bargain.

Pop’s Dogs & Ma’s Burgers

7301 Brook Road, 804-266-5781

Sitting down at this Lakeside six-seat eatery means throwing yourself into the crossfire of banter among owners Melody and Richard Walden and their customers. Expect $5 lunches served with a side of sarcasm and sass in this former gas station-turned-retro food hut, with random bric-a-brac scattered all over. An enticing hiss escapes from the “kitchen” as a plump, fresh-made patty hits the griddle. When you leave, a weird sense of “Where was I?” washes over you, quickly followed by the realization that this won’t be your last visit.

The Rinkeydink Cafe

2550 S. Crater Road, Petersburg, 804-861-0230

Kenny Crockett likes vintage blues and soul music, the Carolina Panthers, and proselytizing on the walls of his Petersburg cafe with quotes such as, “Please know this up front! I’m siding with my staff.” But when it comes to battering and frying fish, stewing cabbage, or making the creamiest mac and cheese around, this humble, wallet-friendly Southern shack has its customers’ backs.

SB’s Lakeside Love Shack

6935 Lakeside Ave., 804-922-2371

A little loud and a little raucous, this B-52’s-inspired Lakeside eatery is sure to energize your day. Everything is a little sweeter here, from the sweet-potato hash to the syrup-drizzled Oreo pancakes. The breakfast chili, made with sausage and topped with a poached egg, is the best hangover cure ever. Definitely a Breakfast for a Future Generation.

Jake’s Place

511 Thompson St., Ashland, 804-798-3287

If you wander off the main drag of Ashland, just down the road, the aroma of smoked meats will greet you outside the converted gas station, which inside looks a bit like your grandmother’s house. Friendly and attentive, just like Maw-Maw, they’ll serve you a gloriously juicy and tasty burger hot off the griddle or, if you’re really lucky, they’ll have the Brunswick Stew sign hanging out front.

Brooks Diner

1600-A Brook Road, 804-225-8577

Skip the chain drive-through, take a couple extra minutes and get your breakfast sandwich from Brooks. Or, better yet, sit down and eat that light and flaky biscuit smothered in sausage gravy — ask for a fried egg on top to round it out. And don’t forget to save room for some pie ... because pie.

Family Secrets

5310 Chamberlayne Ave., 804-515-8890

If you’re looking for soul food, or just massive wings off what may have been a prehistoric chicken, this is the place to go. With a vaguely ’60s retro vibe, Family Secrets dishes up the usual suspects such as fried fish and North Carolina barbecue along with some amazingly tasty mac and cheese and divinely moist cornbread. Did we mention how massive the wings are?

The Pickel Barrel

12912 Plaza Drive, Henrico, 804-708-0166

We don’t think The Pickel Barrel and Cracker Barrel are related, but they definitely share similar DNA, with a country aesthetic and proud fried delights like pickles, green beans and apples. If you arrive on a day when they’re dishing out coconut custard pie, grab two slices and silently celebrate your luck. This no-frills Goochland restaurant makes for an ideal stop before sipping brews at the nearby Midnight Brewery.