Pollock Dining Room at Skyline Resort

[DanielK]

I have no idea where else to post this, but wanted to call attention to the restaurant at the Skyland Resort inside Shenandoah National Park. No reason to go here, of course, unless you're traveling on Skyline Drive, but I was suitably impressed by the Pollock Dining Room.

I mean, we had no expectations whatsoever - the entire dining/hotel function inside the park has been outsourced to Aramark. But the Wild Mushroom Tart and Wedge Salad were excellent. And not just excellent for a park restaurant - these were very very good dishes. Entrees, including Pan-Seared Trout, Fried Chicken, and Chicken-Fried Steak were far better than they needed to be. Honestly, based on what we ate, I wish we'd have gone for the more interesting-sounding dishes, but we clearly ordered too conservatively. Blackberry cobbler and blackberry ice cream were very good as well.

Our waitress said that a new chef came in at the beginning of the year, and I believe it. If your travel plans include driving Skyline Drive, definitely time your run for a meal here.

[Toogs]

I went to the same place--the dining room (vs. the Tap Room) at Skyland lodge. Had a great "Virginia Mushroom Tart" and a post-7 mile hike calorie deficit filling country-fried ribeye with mashed potatoes and green beans. The tart with allegedly local mushrooms and brown butter sauce was delicious; I soaked the entire contents of the bread basket in the leftover sauce. The wine list had some decent VA stuff; I had a glass each of the Barboursville merlot and cab. It had another dozen or so glass choices from outside VA as well.

Skyland and Big Meadows have nearly identical setups, with a dining room and a Tap Room, but I didn't check the Meadows menu to see if it was the same.

I was camping Thursday night, waiting for friends who would arrive late. After an hour or so at 35 degrees by the camp fire, I decided to dine at the lodge instead of sitting in the cold eating hot dogs. As you said, no expectations, but a pleasant surprise, including a pretty pink and orange sunset on display as I ate--the entire dining room has floor-to-ceiling windows.