Food For Thought in Williamsburg - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Ordered Beyond Burger, skinny fries and creamed spinach. 👌👌👌👍👍👍!!!

First time here and I was very pleased with the choice. Right from the minute you walk in, staff were all very friendly and welcoming. Menu was very broad offering multiple options for any appetite. I chose the “Family Reunion” and my Fiancé had the Pick Three, very happy with both our dinners. Highly recommend this restaurant when you come to Williamsburg.

Fast service and friendly staff. The food was fresh and hot! My husband and I went for lunch, we enjoyed our meals, and we ordered the crab cake and mushroom rice and the salmon with creamed spinach and rice. Everything was delish, no fillers in the crab cake either was a plus. We will be back soon!

If you go to Williamsburg, you absolutely have to make this restaurant one of the places you MUST stop to eat at! The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic, and there were all kinds of things to read and provoke thoughtful conversations. The staff were sooooo nice and professional. The manager even came over to make sure our experience was superior. And the food.... JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND DROOL! I had the light and heavy crab cake with creamed spinach and sweet potatoe fries served with a caramel butter sauce! HEAVENLY!! My son enjoyed the yin and yang salmon with the balsamic reduction and lemon butter sauce, fruit bowl and French fries. All I can say is that you need to get you some! And your family some and your friends some... everyone you know! They'll thank you! I promise!

We ate there on August 25, 2024 with our granddaughter. Amazing vegan options! My husband and I had house salads with oil/vinegar dressing; our server made sure we knew which dressings had cheese/dairy. We then shared the portobello stacks with eggplant and vegan cheese over rice -- absolutely delicious, especially with an excellent pinot grigio! Server even checked with chef on brand of vegan cheese for us. Our granddaughter had the kids' shrimp with huge side of french fries which she enjoyed. Fast service, informed server, fun atmosphere. Will definitely go again next time we visit family in Williamsburg!

You must visit Food For Thought! Their food selection is unique and the service is wonderful. The manager came around to the tables several times and always made sure we were happy and her smile let's everyone know she enjoys her job. It was recommended by a friend and we are so glad we dined here. I highly recommend it!

Always the best experience!! Delicious thoughtful dishes - especially with food allergies. They take great care. Full of taste and smiling faces all around. I've been several times while in Williamsburg and I hope to visit many times to come!

Absolutely loved the food and service here! The quotes everywhere are awesome too and make for good conversation. I would recommend the ribs, fries, and meatloaf!

Good food, fair prices, and I enjoy the eclectic atmosphere.

Loved the quotes on the walls. Food was very good!!

Visited for the first time today! We will be back! Excellent service and food! Quirky and fun!

We had the Grass Fed Filet and Best of both Worlds and it was sooo good tender and ton of flavor. I was very happy with our experience over all.

Amazing food, amazing hosts, amazing atmosphere. Coming from New York a melting pot of fine dining, foods and cultures. I must say that the food here is absolutely spectacular.

A gem. Very unique. Great service. Wonderful food.

Second time we had dinner at FFT. The food was delicious and our server “Matt” was terrific!!

This place is noisy, overpriced, and overrated. Cost over $80 for two salads and had to wait 30 minutes for the meal to arrive. Poor excuse for a restaurant rated at 4.7. One and done for us.

This is now my new favorite restaurant. I just wish it wasn't 3 hours away. The atmosphere is fun and electric. The food is really good and made with fresh, quality ingredients where it seems there is a consistent effort to avoid being ultra processed or being modified. The service was excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and always available, even while juggling multiple customers. There is a lot of great quotes, iconic memorabilia, and interesting distractions everywhere to keep all your senses occupied. If that's not enough, they have some great cards on the table to stimulate thoughtful conversation with your group. Even the bathroom is entertaining and clean. You have to go, just for the food and the many interesting selections the menu has to offer, but it's also a great experience. I'll be trying to build an extended weekend around Food For Thought, in the very near future.

The most interesting dining experience ever! Quotes on b the walls to challenge one to think. Such a creative menu and everthing we had was delicious!

Great experience! The bread was delicious and fresh! The steak was perfect and the service was amazing! We will definitely go back there every time we visit town.

Food was delicious and good portions. Wait staff working hard and getting everything done to keep customers happy!

Everything was delicious. It was crowded but that did not impact service. The manager came by our table to check on.

Very good food, amd very nice staff amd great service.

We were visiting from out of state. This restaurant was very clean throughout. We were sat at a table rather quickly. The waitress was very polite and helpful. We had an entree with chicken and another was fish and chips. Both of these were very tasteful and proper temperature. The restaurant has a very pleasant atmosphere with many words of wisdoms posted around the place. I highly recommend this place for young and old.

We had the fried tortellini, cilantro chicken, the jerk chicken (which is just a spicy chicken and not really jerk), the regular creme brulee. It was all great. The service was great and the restaurant was very clean.

Shockingly good food. Fresh is the item of the day. The chicken tenders were delicate and juicy and bouncy. The ahi tuna appetizer is amazing. If you like raw fish definitely try out the ahi tuna appetizer. I'm pretty sure it's called do you like raw fish lol. The rice that they put my bacon wrapped scallops on absolutely amazing, and the grits I got as a side just wow. It's been a long time since I've been so impressed by restaurant.

Very happy we found this restaurant!! While waiting for our food we had fun in the table answering questions.and the food was simply delicious.

Food was great, but Gilbert our server made all the difference. He made our day, meal and vacation week. Thank you!

QOW! definitely a must try! Amazing food, staff was helpful and very accommodating. Atmosphere was cool but electric. We will be coming back!

Adjusted rating upon second visit: Restaurant is well kept and the walls are covered in thought provoking quotes. The wait staff is exceptional. We visited twice. The first time I ordered "Thai one on," their take on pad thai, which was perfectly executed. The second time, I had the pot roast which was cooked well, but the gravy was bland.

Excellent service, splitting a check was extremely easy - menu had great variety and food was delicious, we will be back!

Everything on the menu is amazing. Tons of options on the menu as well as gluten free stuff. Margaritas are delicious.

The staff were very nice and hospitable. Our server Brandon was very on top of things and had great humor. The food was excellent, perfectly cooked, it was the best stake I've ever had. The pasta was also cooked amazing, and for a gluten feed pasta, it didn't taste off.

Loved it! Will definitely return.

The food great ,we had five people in our group and everyone enjoyed their meal.

Awesome food and service. The wait time during dinner was a bit long, but it's worth it.

Service was fast, atmosphere was very relaxing and calm. I loved the decor around the place, historical information about various individuals and many positive life long quotes. Went here with my family on a Monday afternoon. Definitely recommend it!

This place is amazing!! We came here for lunch after visiting the Jamestown Settlement, and we weren’t disappointed! I ordered the cilantro lime chicken, my daughter got the jerk chicken sandwich, my son ordered the fish and chips, and my husband ordered the crab cake sandwich. I ate every single bite of my food and if you knew me you would know that is totally unusual. Will definitely come back next time we are in this area!

Food for thought was quite a surprising place. First, the place large—much larger than it looks from the outside. Second, it has an enormous menu with a very wide variety of food. Usually, when I see a menu this extensive, I get a bit suspect that they don’t do much well. I’m glad to say, I was wrong. The food was outstanding, the pours were healthy and we had great meals. I won’t hesitate to go back the next time I’m in Williamsburg.

Excellent ! Everything form the service to the food was outstanding.

Fun little place to eat. Quotes on all of the walls. The food was good, but my chicken was a little dry. Otherwise, it's a great place to eat.

I was shocked with how fast our food came out! We came here after Ripley's believe it or not, and it was wonderful! I ordered the fish and chips, and it was tasted great! My brother loves to ask questions, and everyone he asked questions to responded to him kindly. After we ordered, our food almost immediately came out from the kitchen! (We were in a party of 4) Overall, the place is great, the staff is nice, and the food is made well and fast. Very satisfied with my lunch. Jayden, Age 12.

Very popular venue. After 6 the wait is 15 20 minutes. Fast service and excellent cuisine. Will be visiting again.

Oh my this place is very busy. The food was excellent and the so was the service. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Williamsburg,VA.

Monday evening looking for a home cooked meal vibe after a long day at the Amusement parks. This was an excellent find, outstanding friendly service. Accommodating to special requests. Fun, thought provoking games at the table. Haddock fish was delicious, yummy lump crakes, tasty shrimp and grits. Melt in your mouth cheesy yeast rolls. Manager checked with our table towards the end of the meal to ask if we enjoyed our meal and if we were happy with our server, great touch and customer care! We will definitely visit again. Food For Thought Restaurant should be a destination for any Williamsburg VA trip. The décor features biographical pictures of inventors, scientists, and social leaders while the walls display thought-provoking quotes used to set the tone for a positive and enjoyable dining experience. Discussion cards are placed upon the tables to help spur thought-charged conversation. Food For Thought’s menu is as diverse as the great thinkers themselves. Our diner’s choices vary from classic American dishes, to more ethnic dishes to healthier vegetarian, vegan or one of our nightly seafood specialties. We also provide a gluten-free menu, a kid’s menu with healthy options, and our “Magic 55” senior’s menu.

Eric was our server - he was knowledgeable and very accomodating. The food and drink options were amazing! We ended up spliting a combo platter of meatloaf and pot roast, as well as an scrumptious dessert. Portions were generous and also just right. We can't say enough about our first time experience with them. 💕

Awesome food, drinks and service. The atmosphere is based upon making us think as Americans what we have, how it came to be and to educate ourselves so we don't dishonor those who gave all so that we could have life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. I urge you to go there and take your children so you will learn together. The fare is first class at Coach prices but the rewards are priceless ❤️🙏🇺🇲🇺🇸

Excellent food, friendly staff and speedy service.

Went to this restaurant, and the hostess was very rude and unprofessional. We wanted to know what the wait time was, and first, she said, "Don't you see me talking to someone else, then she said something else under her breath as we left

Everything was excellent!! Best of everything I have had in a restaurant in a while!!

Flawless super sticky around the desert area. Had to wait quite a while for our drinks.

We weren’t sure what to expect when we came to this place, but let me tell you they know exactly what they’re doing here! This place is top notch. Everything that we ordered was so delicious and came out nice and hot. I had the ribs and they just fell off the bone. So much flavor and tenderest ribs I’ve ever had. We didn’t get a chance to try dessert because we were so full but the options sounded amazing. The manager came by and talked with us for a bit which was really nice. Our server was on top of everything and gave us recommendations as well. We only had to wait 20 mins which was shocking with the amount of people that were there. It’s a great family spot and there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy. If you’re ever in the area please stop by this place! You won’t regret it.

The food was outstanding. We ordered the Yellowfin Tuna Salad, Angus Burger, and Ribs for the appetizer. Seating was available at the bar. Waitstaff is very attentive.

The food was great!!!! the shrimps and key lime pie was amazing

Great atmosphere and food. Gilbert was an excellent server! Cilantro lime chicken was to die for. ..a must try. Lunch experience exceeded my expectations!!

My wife ordered the delicious crabcake. It had almost zero filler and was perfectly cooked. (She let me try a little.) I ordered the Cobb salad with the rare Ahi tuna and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. A great combination indeed. Our server was juggling a number of tables but did a very nice job handling everyone. The decor is interesting, with many books and question cards on the tables. Perfect for a first or 200th date. The only shortcoming would be the very small restrooms.

Always come here when in Wmsburg

Great food, big portions and great price.

I have shared so many reviews and this by far has been my favorite one to leave. Here on vacation and tried this night one and left talking about it. Talked about it all day, had 2 letdown meals and then decided to come back for night two. Food 10/10 we had a party of 7 not a single person was disappointed either night with anything they had. Ribs, shrimp and grits, and the fillet were best hits. Also have to highlight the Gluten free menu and options, as well as knowledge for the Celiac preparations needed. Drinks 10/10 we had 5 different drinks on our two night all were amazing. The watermelon martini was a fav. Service 100/10; honestly this is one of the main reasons we came back. Since 2020 it's hard to find a decent meal with decent service. So a good meal with exceptional service stands out. The manager came and checked on us, the food runners were considerate, and our server (Gilbert) was the best of the best. We requested him again night two. We may be back for night 3!

The food tasted good but the portions are too small for the price. The crab cake, jerk chicken, and side dishes were kid sized portions. We paid close to &150 for three meals. And left hungry.

Clean food, fantastic taste, and wonderful ambiance. Berry salad and salmon with mango sauce.

This restaurant isn't cheap, but quality food usually isn't. My husband and I went for lunch, and the meal was phenomenal. I got the crab cake with mashed sweet potatoes and creamed spinach as my two sides. My husband got a Cobb salad with Ahi Tuna. The crab cake had very little filler. I also got to try a few pieces of tuna from my husband's salad, and it was amazing. We ended the meal by sharing the banana pudding pie. It was perfect for sharing, and we were glad we got it. The staff working there were all very pleasant and welcoming. They got an all-around good thing going here, and I'm glad we stopped. A side note for anyone with food allergies. They do ask before they even take your order if you have any allergies.

Great atmosphere, great service by Adelina, good food, and reasonable prices. A lot of variety on the menu for everyone. The pot roast was a little too saucy for me, but the meatloaf was legit. The mussels were also good. We will definitely go again.

Great food and service all around. A separate Gluten Free menu was great to see with many good options. The mussels appetizer was so good with tons of large mussels! Overall highly recommend especially if you have party members who need to eat gluten free.

This location is extremely popular, so plan on getting there early or make reservations in advance. We were in town vacationing and read the great reviews about this local restaurant and decided to try it. Got there early, but when we arrived they had had a plumbing issue and had to shut down. We ended up at the Greek place next door, but tried again the next night. It was worth it. VERY busy place, as evidenced by all the locals pouring in, with a broken-up floorplan and lots going on all the time. The entire staff was very friendly, the menu items were all great, and the facility was clean. My wife and I tried the That Nutty Chicken, which had excellent flavor. Got the Creme Brulee for a shared dessert, which was also great. Highly recommended!

Great vegan/gluten-free meal options

So nice we ate there twice on vacation, lol

The cutest and most thoughtful restaurant! Walls decorated with quotes and pictures of inventors, scientists, and social leaders. Discussion cards placed on the tables to help spark conversation. A menu arranged like a book, with “Prologue” appetizers, “Short Stories” for lunch, and “Chapters” of entrées. My bookish self absolutely loved it! And the food was great too! I had the Stick to Your Ribs. 🥘💭

I can give out a Michelin star, but if I could, it would go to this place. Everything we come to Colonial Williamsburg we eat here as often as possible. It is perfect.

Familiar menu items turn out to be delicious twists on classics, highly recommend Food for Thought while in Williamsburg. The merchandise is clever with famous quotes and worth browsing. We also loved the "queue cards" at the table for conversation starters for your party!

Good food, great service and fun atmosphere

Amazing variety of Vegan/vegetarian options, great service, reasonably priced.

Wide variety of menu items, consistently prepared well, and with excellent cordial service. Good choice for locals and visitors. Still, years later, it's my "go-to" restaurant, for beef, fish, poultry, or salad. My favorite side vegetable is their broccoli, always perfect.

Food was ok, service was off the chart.

Great food and service. I would definitely go back. My best friend is vegan and she was really happy with the options and how good her food was. It didn’t seem like vegan food was an afterthought. Love the atmosphere and I regret not getting one of their shirts. My daughter enjoyed coloring on the paper laid out on the table. Parking was limited but they had signs outside for other places you could park for free and without getting towed. Definitely would recommend.

Went here based on tons of recommendations from colleagues. It was very expensive and the food was average. The service however was amazing and everyone was very nice and helpful. Just don't know what all the hype is about.

Our server went above and beyond taking care of us. Excellent service! They take allergies very seriously, which put us at ease with one dairy allergy and one gluten intolerance in our group. Our DF daughter said this was the best restaurant experience of her life. She was thrilled to have options that extended beyond grilled chicken and over the moon that she could order a dessert from the menu! The raspberry hazelnut torte was delicious and highly recommended. We highly recommend this restaurant.

We have only been here twice, about 10 years apart! But it's nice to know that the food is still very good and the service friendly and efficient. Would recommend.

Excellent food, great service, reasonable prices.

This is a must. We were a party if 7 and everyone's food was delicious. Excellent staff

Great food, large selection. Food was delicious and plenty of it. Friendly staff, great customer service.

Best food and service I've had I n a long time. I can't wait yo go back. The fish was wonderfully prepared, the presentation was nice. The peach and honey old fashioned were Excellent!! The creme brulee was beyond tasty.

This was our first time dining at Foid for thought, while vacationing in Williamsburg. The food was excellent we had the beyond burger and fish and chips. Our waitress was Heather who was just adorable with a bubbly personality. I highly recommend the restaurant.

Took my friend to Food for Thought yesterday for her 98th birthday. I can’t tell you how thrilled we were. This restaurant is absolutely first rate. The ambience including thoughtful decor, music and fresh flowers on each table to the service and food. The manager was so gracious in coming over to assure we happy with everything. The food——- I didn’t think there was a decent crab cake left in Hampton Roads! It was superb as were all the dishes we had. Hands down, the best dining experience I’ve ever had! Should receive more recognition and I’m sure they will!

Just visited Williamsburg and came because of the good rating. It was well deserved, we cleaned our plates!

Food for thought has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Williamsburg every since it first open. The service has always been great, the food has always been great and the atmosphere is nice, a little small, especially foe all the customers they receive and trying to cramp everyone in, but you wait because of the food. It's definitely a far run from when I first visited and it was only us and another set of people in restaurant and they had a all you could eat salad bar that was out of thos world. But it is definitely still one of my top restaurant to go to when visiting Williamsburg

Had a lovely time celebrating my friend's birthday yesterday. The service was great, the atmosphere was very pleasant and the food tasted very good! And I loved the flowers that decorated our table!

ORIGINAL 2018: First, if you're quoting F. A. Hayek on your wall, you deserve 50 stars! But since I can't, 5 will have to do...food? Incredible. Service? Excellent. Ambiance? Fantastic! Value? Come here!! This place is inspirational...a MANDATORY stop for our family of seven (three generations!) whenever we're in the Williamsburg area. UPDATE 2024: I think we’ve been coming here since 2012…but for sure since 2017 (according to Google Maps). We try to come here every single time we’re in the area. COME TO FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!

I love bringing friends here. Such a unique vibe and delicious food. I always get the pot roast. It’s my favorite! And the bread is so yummy!

This place was so good with great food, wonderful customer service, and laid back atmosphere. I can’t have gluten or dairy and I found this place when planning our trip to Williamsburg. My sister in law also is vegan and we had young kids with us so this place was perfect and had something for everyone. I tried several different items on the menu and we ended up coming to dine in three different occasions during the duration of our visit. I highly recommend and can’t wait to go back again next time we visit!

Excellent food. Friendly and competent servers. Wonderful atmosphere.

It is a great place with a unique and delicious menu.

We decided to stop in due to the positive reviews. We were quickly sat and soon approached for drinks. I had the double filet which I would highly recommend. My wife enjoyed her pot roast. The cornbread and rolls were good too. Very high quality food!

loved that they had gulten free options..and worked with my egg allergies too ..the dessert was so delicious as well as the dinner

Enjoyed everything during our stop for late lunch/early dinner (dinch? Lunner?). Entire gluten-friendly menu, so amazing! We ordered way too much food, and everything we had was delicious including the juiciest, ripest tomatoes in the caprese salad, thick creamy butternut squash soup, the Caesar salad with lump crab, gluten free vegetable penne pasta, cold brew drink, and gluten free bread! Probably one of the best meals we've enjoyed dining out ever (since realizing our gluten intolerances). Our server, Eric, was amazing as well and super patient with our toddler who was not on his best behavior due to missing nap time. We can not say enough good things about the food and our overall experience, can not wait to return for a date night (or brunch?). Absolutely recommend 🫶

Okay. You've never had grilled cheese like this! I had lump crab meet, asparagus, to.atot, Grueyere cheese... delicious! One of us really enjoyed the crabcake and the other thought the ribs were meh. The atmosphere is always fun. Plenty to read, and the menu is even designed with readers in mind, from the prologue (appetizers) to happy endings (dessert, if I recall). Quotes from Ben Franklin to Yoda. There was even something to read in the bathroom stall! We usually come here every time we are in Williamsburg, and this time did not disappoint!

One of my favorite finds on vacation, nothing quite like it. Books, quotes, thoughtful people and fantastic food.

Delicious food! I was especially pleased with the shrimp and grits!! So good! Salmon was great, as were the burgers!! Our server was a bit forgetful, but very nice!

My favorite restaurant in Williamsburg! One of the few non-chain restaurants on the downtown strip of Richmond road. Whenever I arrive in Williamsburg it’s my first stop. All food prepared in the restaurant and everything I’ve eaten there has been outstanding. It’s a definite must.

2024 July 7 we had a 2:45pm reservation, we arrived around 3pm, parking lot was almost full, parked our vehicles and by the time I walked in, we were being seated, so no wait time to sit down from what I experienced. Our group of 20 people were seated at 3 tables. 2 different servers. The table that was seated first received their drinks and entrees first. The other 2 tables were a bit slower ordering, sitting down and getting our drinks and entrees. While eating, the manager came to speak to us; a very attractive lady wearing a nice dress. My wife felt a bit rushed by the waiter/server because he preferred to take the orders from one side of the table and go around the table in a clockwise motion and my wife had to deal with our daughter that was not feeling well during the time of taking orders. The server warned us that he got another table and must take our order immediately. My opinion, the food was good and the service was good but the server didn't have to backtalk my wife, the customer is always right. It seems as though we were in and out a few minutes over an hour. 2018 October 28 our group of 8 people was seated immediately near the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon even though the parking lot was full, received service, drink and food immediately, a few mistakes were made with our orders and a few had to wait longer to get their food, so the manager got involved (without us asking for the manager), she took plates and asked if we wanted dessert, she was super friendly and personable, and she took plates and served dessert and the orders that had mistakes earlier. Really really nice experience! 2017 November 15 get in and get out for lunch, that's the way I like it! Fork Tender Pot Roast was okay, corn bread is always good, bread tastes good too! 2017 September 18 had lunch, Veronica was an excellent server, meatloaf was good 2017 August 31 Thursday dinner, wow, service was good and quick, seated us immediately, ordered appetizer and entree, we ate and left within 30 minutes! 2017 August 13, Sunday meal after church, wow, service was good and quick, seated us within 10 or 15 minutes, bread and butter were good and the turkey lunch/dinner special was so good! 2017 April 1, Saturday morning, parking lot looked full, got inside, seated at table immediately, no wait, waitress arrived at table, placed order immediately, breakfast arrived at table within 10 or 15 minutes, ate breakfast, paid and left. Freshly squeezed orange juice has to be the best I ever tasted, it tasted like I was eating an orange and it took me a while to drink because all the pulp, fullness and realness of the orange was there (in a glass)!!! 2 eggs and sausage patties hit the spot. Thank you! FYI, this is definitely NO April's fool joke/post. 2017 February 19, Sunday afternoon food and service were excellent! Arrived, parking lot was full, 2 people walked in before us, they were seated immediately, we had to wait only 10 minutes, we ordered immediately after sitting down and our meal arrived 10 minutes later. Meatloaf was excellent. Everyone else enjoyed their food, too. 2016 (8 months prior) Sunday afternoon food and service was great! We had 15 people in our group and we got our food and drinks very fast, and it was good, too.

Great service, fast and delicious food. Huge kids menu and lots of healthy options for the adults. If it's busy prepare to have to park at Ripley's a few doors down.