Best restaurants in Harrisonburg, VA

UPDATED January 2021
Honestly, Harrisonburg has a surprisingly deep roster of great restaurants driven by both the large hospitality industry and the diverse immigrant population, but here are some of my favorites:

#1 - Taste of Thai. Beautiful ambiance, friendly staff, and outrageously delicious food. My favorites are Tom Kha Gai Soup (I can't even say it without my mouth watering, and that's not hyperbole) and Pad Thai Tofu. When I recently did a survey of teacher colleagues, this was by far the most popular restaurant for locals.

#2 - Local Chop House. Harrisonburg's best "fancy" restaurant, with a great food selection at the bar if you're not feeling like the fancy restaurant experience.

#3 - Vito's Italian Kitchen has great Italian-style pizza in a classic restaurant ambiance. Our family favorite is the classic margherita. Their sister restaurant Vito's Pizza Pie a bit east of town (on the way to Massanutten) has a drive thru window and a white pizza that can't be beat.

#4 - La Morena is located in a half-restaurant half-convenience store that was once a 7-11. So if you don't mind watching people buy lottery tickets and beer while you eat, you will be rewarded with the best Mexican food in town.

#5 - Indian-American Café. This is the Indian restaurant I go to more often because of its proximity to my office. The staff is friendly, but to be honest the place feels dirty and makes me smell to high heaven. But, I love their paneer saag and eat it every chance I can.

#6 - Mr. Sato.  There are two Mr. Sato's within a block of one another, owned by the same folks. The newer one is a bistro with more of a sit-down, lights-low dining experience that focuses on ramen. The older one, still my favorite, offers sushi in a casual dining environment along with a good selection of soba and udon noodle dishes.

#7 - Jack Brown's has burgers, beer, Battlestar Galactica. Wait, not that last thing but this little dive is both a great place to hang out and the best greasy little burgers you'll eat in town.

#8 - Corgan's Publick House. Irish and English food and drinks. My go-to is the generous serving of fish and chips or if I'm ravenous the Corgan's Nachos.

#9 - Vietopia has the best pho is town but the cramped quarters make it a bit claustrophobic when crowded. Second best pho with a little more elbow room is Thien-An Pho located just off JMU's campus.

#10 - Taste of India is a hidden gem, with high quality Indian food. The same family (different branch) also owns Taj of India downtown which has a great lunch buffet.

#11 - The Sub Station is a Mexican-ish restaurant in an old Waffle House building

#12 - El Sol. Basically it's an indoor taco truck (and for me, that's a great thing). Some amazing quesadillas. 

#13 - Mashita was (and is) a great Korean-inspired food truck that now is also a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Great taste, small portions. 

#14 - Ciro's Lasagna House. Good pizza, good calzones, good subs. Don't bother with the garlic bread, though.

#15 - Golden China. I've tried pretty much every Chinese buffet in town and this is the best combination of freshness and selection.

#16 - El Charro. Not only did I have to include it because it was where I went on the first date with my future wife, but it's a fast, decent American-palate Mexican restaurant with three convenient locations.

Image courtesy of cielokatie via flickr.