Let me start off by saying that I make 2-3 trips a year to Chesapeake, VA to visit my beautiful granddaughters. Chesapeake has a plethora of restaurants and fancy places to dine and we try and vary the places we choose, and I usually try and let them choose the type of food and places we eat at while there.
But when they are either at work and/or school, I fend for myself and I’m usually looking for a good donut place for a snack in the morning and some coffee…lately I’ve been going to Dunkin Donuts. This particular trip, I was tired of going there so I started looking for a mom and pop type donut shop…and I actually found one, however right around the corner from this donut shop was a nondescript small (very small) restaurant called The Grill.
I really wasn’t looking for a meal since we usually ate a big meal in the evening, but I did some research online and found this little place got excellent reviews…especially on their burgers and philly cheesesteaks, so I had to check it out…THIS is what I found.
I went early (about 11am) so I could avoid the crowds if there was one…and when I arrived there was just a single customer in there. This place is small. I think it had maybe 6-8 stools at a counter to eat at and I think 4 tables with either only 2 chairs or 3 chairs (maybe one had 4 chairs)…but basically a VERY SMALL PLACE. Not that it is bad, but it’s not someplace you’d take a party of 12. 🙂
The owners are Gary and Ann Pyle. They have owned and operated The Grill for 24 years, and I assume they have a pretty loyal local clientele. They were very friendly and both of them greeted me when I walked in and sat at the counter. I was asked what I wanted to drink and offered a menu to look at… after a quick glance, I folded it up and laid it down so Ann could take my order. I already had done some research and read other reviews, so I had to try the bacon cheeseburger. I ordered my burger with grilled onions (delicious), mustard and pickles (I always order my burgers the same way every time). I also got a bag of chips with the order.
Gary slapped a ball of hamburger meat down on the grill and just let it simmer for awhile before finally taking his spatula and smashing it down. I like my burgers well done…and I could tell this was gonna be a good one. It took about 20 minutes to cook my burger right in front of me. He also was grilling the onions and the 4 THICK bacon slices.
When the burger was done, it was served on a ceramic plate with a knife to cut it in half I wanted. The burger was piled HIGH with pickles and grilled onions and 2 thick slices of cheese. It was a VERY juicy burger, but not so juicy that it made the warm bun soggy… In other words, it was about as close to an old fashioned well cooked burger as you could get. The taste was perfect, and I although I was afraid all those pickles would overpower the burger, the combination worked extremely well and I had absolutely NO COMPLAINTS whatsoever. Just a very well made, great old fashioned burger. The way BURGERS should be made!!
BUT…In my research, I also noted that The Grill was noted for the homemade pies that Ann makes. So when I was 
done with my burger and chips. I asked Ann what pies she had available and she started listing 5-6 pies she had ready to go, but the one that caught my attention was the chocolate-peanut butter pie (one of my favorites). She served it up with a whipped cream topping (nice touch) and a fresh fork. I was a little skeptical because it did not look like any peanut butter pie I had ever had before…this one had a thick chocolate crust on top of the peanut butter layer, AND the peanut butter layer was more like a “breaded” peanut butter instead of the creamy kind. The bottom crust was like a chocolate/oreo cookie crust. After that first bite…all my fears and skepticism went away. THE BEST CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PIE (or peanut butter pie alone) that I ever put in my mouth. It was BLUE RIBBON pie!!! The taste and textures of the pie were wonderful and scrumptious.
So the bottom line here is that this little hole in the wall and hidden gem mom and pop ran restaurant is the real deal for good food. It will be my GO TO place when I am left on my own for the day. I can’t wait to go back and try their philly cheesesteaks and also they are well know for their breakfasts!!
As I left, they were grateful for the business and I let them know I’d be back in June and also in October…and I can’t wait!!
I Gotta Tell Ya 