4 Chef-Recommended Restaurants in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley
Food and restaurants continue to play a key role in shaping Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The I-81/I-64 interchange, one of the busiest routes in the country, connects travelers while running alongside farms, vineyards and pastures that have fed the East Coast for generations.
“This region of Virginia is the breadbasket of the East Coast,” says Ian Boden, chef and owner of Maude & the Bear in Staunton. “We’ve got it all – wineries, produce, the water, mountains, four seasons – and we appreciate it.”
That abundance translates into a food scene as diverse as Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley itself, where restaurants, markets and roadside eateries showcase both tradition and innovation.
One such eatery is Maude & the Bear. Led by two-time James Beard Award-nominated chef Boden, it’s a storybook restaurant and inn serving guests a seasonal tasting dinner menu and multicourse breakfast.
Ian Boden
Boden opened his first restaurant, The Staunton Grocery, in 2007, which garnered regional and national attention. Seven years later, he opened The Shack, a homey restaurant that’s still a mainstay in Staunton. Following his wife’s dream, they opened Maude & the Bear in April 2024 to give visitors a place to stay. It has since been featured by various news outlets and earned a 2025 James Beard Award nomination for Best New Restaurant.
Boden chose the tasting menu route because he believed it was the best way to tell a story through food. His idea was that guests wouldn’t have to make decisions or contemplate anything.
“We want to disarm people when they walk in, and I think that’s part of our success,” he says. “All you have to do is enjoy yourself.”
For Boden, food is as much about people as it is place. His own restaurant is deeply personal, named after his children and sustained by a staff he calls family.
“I’m incredibly proud of my team,” he says. “They’re the ones who make this work.”
Among the standout New American restaurants in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Boden points to the remarkable diversity of international cuisine that flourishes here. This is thanks to immigrant populations who have shared their culinary traditions with the region. Ahead, Boden suggests four restaurants, in addition to his own, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley that everyone needs to try.
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1. La Sabrosita, Waynesboro
Those seeking fresh, flavorful Mexican cuisine should visit La Sabrosita, an authentic taqueria in nearby Waynesboro. Housed in a Mexican grocery store, this eatery delights customers with quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, mole, tortas and tacos, all of which are served with fresh corn tortillas made daily. The al pastor tacos and carnitas are guest favorites.
“Everything here is amazing,” Boden says.
2. Royal India Palace, Waynesboro
Also in Waynesboro, Royal India Palace is a newly opened restaurant bringing Indian and Pan-Asian flavors to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The menu highlights classics like methi chicken, palak paneer, chicken lababdar and goat curry alongside noodle and fried rice dishes infused with bold Indo-Chinese spices.
Additionally, guests can tailor their meal with a customizable spice level, from mild to “Indian hot.” Vegetarians will find plenty of options to choose from. Pair your dish with a steaming cup of masala chai or a craft cocktail from the bar.
3. Gloria’s Pupuseria, Staunton
Since 2013, Gloria’s Pupuseria has been serving authentic Salvadoran cuisine. What began as a small pop-up at the Staunton Farmers Market grew into a beloved food truck and eventually a bustling downtown storefront.
Owner Gloria Gerber honed her craft in her mother’s pupuseria (a business that sells pupusas, or stuffed tortillas) in El Salvador, bringing those time-honored recipes to the Shenandoah Valley while sourcing local ingredients when possible. The star of the menu is the pupusa – a handmade tortilla filled with beans, cheese, meats, vegetables and spices. Diners will also find tamales, pasteles and golden yuca frita con chicharrón on the menu.
4. Latin Soul, Staunton
This Staunton, Virginia, restaurant blends the owners’ Central American and African American heritages into a menu that’s as creative as it is comforting. Latin Soul bridges cultures with dishes ranging from elote, pupusas, street-style tacos and carne asada to the “Soul Burger,” classic meatloaf, and shrimp and grits. Collard green pupusas stand out as a surprisingly delicious fusion of traditions, while the housemade horchata has become a customer favorite.
Latin Soul also serves breakfast all day, offering everything from Benedicts and full platters to omelets and burritos. With a spacious outdoor patio, Latin Soul invites guests to linger over the bold, soulful flavors.
Bonus: Staunton Farmers Market
Boden says no culinary tour of the region would be complete without the Staunton Farmers Market, which he calls “one of the best markets outside of New York.”
Running April through November with a special holiday market in December, the market is where he sources much of the produce and ingredients for his restaurants.
“I’ve been working with the farmers here for more than 20 years,” Boden says. “They care. Their hands are in the soil every day. It’s killer.”
The market reflects the valley’s deep agricultural roots and passions of the people who keep them alive.
This article is sponsored by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.