Brunch Review: The Village Inn

Village Inn
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The weekend after Christmas, I went shopping with my mom in Virginia Beach aka we returned everything my brother and I didn’t want that Santa gave me. First world problems, anyone?

Halfway through our returns, I realized we had three more stores to go and my blood sugar was about as low as Death Valley. I would have bought a protein bar, but then I realized my mom was with me, and why not go big?

Me: “Mom, do you want to get dinner?”

This is how we ended up going to the Village Inn. The Village Inn represents the nostalgia of my childhood. When I was a kid, my grandmother babysat me and my infant brother (who is still an infant, even 20 years later – just kidding). She would take us regularly to Village Inn because I loved their macaroni and cheese and dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. (Aren’t you salivating now?)

In adulthood, I realized the Village Inn is actually a chain. But don’t write it off as a chain! It’s like a favorite diner founded in 1958. It’s not a McDonald’s, puh-lease (even though we review McDonald’s too).

Anyhow, my mom and I went to the Village Inn for dinner. But this is a brunch blog. Game changer: Village Inn serves breakfast all day long. So, like, all day, any day brunch! Can I get an amen? Maybe Hozier-style?

(I’m playing “Take Me To Church” as I type this. More like, “Take Me To the Village Inn.” Aaaa-aaaaa-men. Aaa-men. Aaa-men.)

Moving on, showing up at the Village Inn is like showing up to your great aunt’s house even though she’s forgotten which nephew/niece you are. But you love each other all the same. My mom and I got matched with the most helpful waiter who offered much insight on the menu and refilled my water glass ever so promptly. (Unfortunately, the Village Inn does not serve mimosas. But they do have multiple types of pie!)

My mom knew she wanted a burger. She’s not much of a breakfast person. So she got the Patty Melt for $9.39 with fries and Thousand Island on the side. I recommend following suit on the Thousand Island.

I was split between the Western Veggie Omelet or the West Coast Pita Scramble. Cue our waiter rescuing me:

“You have to get the West Coast Pita Scramble. It’s one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches.”

Sold.

Me: “I’ll take that.”

I’m actually proud of myself for agreeing. I have a nasty habit of asking my waiter to decide between two dishes for me and then ordering the opposite of their choice. Sara suggested I make it my New Year’s Resolution to not do this anymore, but I sorta like it. It’s like a coin toss where I realize my heart’s desire while the coin hovers in the air. This time my heart’s desire and the coin agreed.

I then had to decide whether I wanted country potatoes, hash browns, or fries with my sandwich. I instinctively said hash browns, but my mom scoffed, “No country potatoes?”

Me: “…No?”

Then,

“What are country potatoes?”

My waiter showed me pictures of both in the menu. Both he and my mom agreed hash browns don’t taste as authentic.

Me: “Okay, I’ll guess I’ll do country potatoes!”

Waiter: “Coming right up!”

“So when your food gets here,” I instructed my mom, “let me take a photo before you take a bite.”

My mom: “Why would you do that?!”

Me: “I sorta write a brunch blog?”

She still was not a fan, but I got the photos, anyway, folks. My mom loved her sandwich, and my pita sandwich was stupendous. The avocado was much needed, and the crispness of the pita complemented the egg’s fluffiness. I would totally order this again.

And they weren’t lying about the country potatoes. I also got to dip them in my mom’s Thousand Island.

After brunch/dinner, my mom and I split a slice of coconut crème pie.

Next time you’re somewhere with a Village Inn, be sure to keep it on your options. It might be a chain, but you can’t beat that West Coast Pita Scramble.