Combine a breathtaking country- side, a historic edifice with a century of stories and modern day pleasures like Monday Night Football, and one is able to enjoy the best of several worlds.
The building that houses Mountain View Grill has been a fixture of the Crozet community for almost 100 years. The site, established in 1904 as a downtown hotel, eventually served as the Red Front Grocery. In 1953, Dr. Conway Stanley moved into one of the upstairs apartments with his new bride and operated Crozet Drug Company, the local pharmacy, and a soda shop on the ground floor.
The Birckhead family bought the building from Stanley in 2000, and the Mountain View Grill now is located where the people of Crozet have enjoyed root beer floats and ice cream for almost half a century. Owners Lynn and Stuart Birckhead do a fine job of maintaining the small-town, warm appeal of a local bar and hangout.
Located on "The Square," part of the main drag of Crozet, the converted pharmacy and soda fountain has become a large indoor dining area with a full oak bar. Large wooden booths, exposed interior brick and framed black and white prints of Shenandoah National Park help add a sense of natural history to the decor. The country trappings blend perfectly into the peaceful town outside, and this homey feeling extends from the menus to the service and food.
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Looking around the interior, one sees murals on the edges of the walls painted by local artist Ellie Franz, whose work also adorns the inside of Southern Culture and Pizza Bella. Beyond the walls, through the large windows in the storefront, one can observe the lovely, sleepy town of Crozet.
To the west, there is an excellent view of the mountains from which the restaurant takes its name. The ownership of the eatery has beautifully incorporated the past and the location into its atmosphere.
The history of the building is described on the first page of a very large and diverse menu. Although most items that the kitchen offers are somewhat hearty and few of the entrees are vegetarian, almost anyone can find something to eat on the six-page menu that includes soups and salads.
For starters, the nachos grande ($6.95) is one of several Mountain View interpretations of standard appetizers. Lettuce, tomato, jalapenos and black olives combine with homemade chili to cover a very generous helping of cheese nachos. While the jalapenos and side salsa provide some kick, the nachos themselves actually are sweet because of the kitchen's unique chili recipe.
The selection of grilled chicken sandwiches and burgers range from $6.50-$7.50 and include some exotic choices, such as teriyaki roasted garlic and pesto, red onion marmalade and Monterey Jack.
A very popular dinner choice among the usual suspects who frequent the quaint hangout is the grilled meat loaf ($9.95).
Served with brown gravy or red tomato sauce and your choice of two sides, the meat loaf comes in a large serving but doesn't really differ in taste from meat loaf found in most restaurants.
The homemade mashed potatoes are made from scratch and also come in a hefty serving. Whether covered in gravy or not, they have a wonderful texture and good taste, though a little extra seasoning certainly would help them out.
Of the four available cuts of beef, the filet steak ($19.95) is the only entree that comes with a house salad in addition to two side dishes. The steaks are cooked to order and are very generous in size, emerging tender and juicy.
The sides were disappointing, however. The green beans were soggy and had spent most of their life in a can. Expectations were high but unmet for the pinto beans, which were bland and also lacked a homemade flair.
Afton Delights Baking Company provides the desserts, all of which are $3.95 and include a pumpkin-bourbon cheesecake, carrot cake and apple cranberry crisp. The cheesecake is not overly sweet, has a smooth texture and is ripe with autumnal flavor.
The carrot cake is quite good, combining the standard cream cheese frosting with unusual cake ingredients like raisins and shaved coconut.
Mountain View Grill not only has refreshingly friendly service and good homemade food, but it hosts live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
The harmonica player of the Hackensaw Boys, a bluegrass band, lives in an upstairs apartment and his nine-piece group makes frequent appearances. Soul music, jazz, rock and folk groups like the all-female Tigerlily group have proved popular visitors as well.
It certainly is worth a western trek to Crozet to enjoy the cozy hometown feel and food of Mountain View Grill.
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