205 N. Shields Ave., 355-2282
Bon Air: 2616 Buford Road, 320-9700
joesinn.com
Second Place: McLeans Restaurant
Third Place: Perly’s Restaurant & Deli
Joe’s Inn is practically a rite of passage for newcomers to the city, hungover Virginia Commonwealth University students and traditionalists who insist that nothing satisfies like a Joe’s breakfast. And that goes double for its Bon Air location, minus the students, perhaps. It isn’t fancy, the place or the food, but it’s reliable and filling — and plenty of times that’s enough. For those with an active nightlife, McLean’s is the 3 a.m. salvation when something in the stomach is going to make all the difference in how you feel the next day. The Perly’s devoted include the downtown suits as well as hotel guests looking for some local color (server tattooing abounds) and biscuits.
