In 1929, Mrs. D’Earcy Davis served hot biscuits and vegetable soup to hungry customers from a refurbished Sussex, Surry, and Southampton Railroad car along a dusty highway in southeastern Virginia. That railroad car is now a legend. The Virginia Diner has been growing around it ever since — dining room after dining room added over the decades, the operation now far larger than the original car that started everything. It appeared in Season 3, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “Regional Favorites,” aired March 24, 2008 — and Guy Fieri’s favorite was the collard greens. The diner is trademarked as the Peanut Capital of the World, which tells you something about what grows nearby and what ends up on the menu. The Peanut Pie alone is worth the drive down Route 460.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Virginia Diner
City: Wakefield, Virginia
Cuisine: Southern / Diner Fare
DDD Season: 3
DDD Episode: 3
Episode Title: Regional Favorites
Original Air Date: March 24, 2008
Address: U.S. Route 460, Wakefield, VA 23888 (408 N. County Dr.)
Phone: 757-899-3106
Website: https://vadinerrestaurant.com/
Status: Open
About Virginia Diner
Wakefield sits in the heart of Virginia peanut country — sixty miles south of Richmond, sixty miles north of Norfolk, on Route 460 between Petersburg and Suffolk. The Virginia Diner’s location in that agricultural corridor made peanuts a natural part of the menu from the beginning, and over nearly a century the peanut program has grown into a national mail-order operation. The diner ships Virginia super extra-large peanuts, seasoned nuts, and chocolate candy confections across the country. The food at the restaurant reflects the same commitment to Southern cooking that Mrs. Davis started in 1929: country ham, fried chicken, collard greens, spoonbread, and the dishes that define Virginia table cooking at its best.
What to Eat at Virginia Diner
The Collard Greens are what Guy called out specifically — melt-in-your-mouth Southern preparation, the dish that draws people back. The Peanut Pie is the dessert signature — a dense, peanut-forward custard pie that fully earns the Peanut Capital of the World tagline. The Virginia-Style Spoonbread was highlighted during the DDD episode. The Country Ham Biscuits, Fried Chicken, BBQ, Carrot Soufflé, and Mac and Cheese round out the Southern table. The Fresh-Roasted Peanuts are available in the restaurant and by mail order — worth taking home.
If the Virginia Diner’s Southern cooking inspires your home kitchen, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Cluckin’ Chicken Dry Rub is built for Southern fried chicken prep, and Guy Fieri’s Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce brings smoky sweetness to any plate.
Plan Your Visit
Virginia Diner is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Sunday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Address: 408 N. County Dr. (U.S. Route 460), Wakefield, VA 23888
Phone: 757-899-3106
Website: https://vadinerrestaurant.com/
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Virginia Diner’s Southern table is the kind of regional cooking Guy Fieri built the show around — stream the Regional Favorites episode on Amazon. And Guy Fieri’s Cluckin’ Chicken Dry Rub brings that Southern seasoning home.
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Virginia Diner appeared in Season 3, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Regional Favorites,” originally aired March 24, 2008.