Frost Cafe

Cute diner in town! At first when we walked in we weren’t sure if we had to wait to be seated so we just went to a booth. They had some yummy sandwich options and was exactly what you would expect from a diner kept the same over the past fifty years. We knew ahead of time that they only except cash so we made sure to stop and get some before going! That would be really nice if they could update so there are more tables and able to accept credit cards. :)

Stopped in for a quick bite. The service was friendly, the food was quick, but just average. Great location, but a bit run down inside. Booths has springs that probably needed to be replaced years ago.
Cash only in 2015 with an ATM if you need it? Come on.
Probably won’t come back.

As cafes go for breakfast, this is a cut above most. I had baked Virginia ham, creamy grits, buttered toast, and fresh scrambled eggs, solid coffee, $ 8.15! Good deal and good food. The grits were perfect and really creamy, not watery or sticky. Grits are the cornerstone of any southern breakfast. If you don’t believe me watch My Cousin Vinnie when he asks the cook, «what exactly is a grit?» Great scene but all true! This place totally passed the grit test!
Located in a lovely downtown area in Culpeper. Walk around after your meal; there is a lot to see here.

Walked in, saw the waitress wearing a Heritage of Hate shirt with «If this flag offends you…» and walked out.

Blech! I had the worst french toast ever here. I couldn’t even eat it, it was just mush.
Note to servers, if someone asks you several questions before ordering a main dish, and then they don’t eat but 1 bite, yep, that’s a clue that it must be pretty bad. I usually don’t like to complain about the food received unless I get the wrong thing. Luckily the coke, 3 pieces of bacon, and the home fries did me okay for $ 11.

I teetered on a 2 or 3 star rating. 2 stars for friendly smiley servers, clean establishment. I really can’t do 3. The food had no flavor. I was so disappointed. Got the chip beef gravy on biscuits and scrambled eggs. I probably ended up putting a whole cup of salt and pepper on it to try to coax the flavor out. None. Gravy was bland and homemade biscuits were bland. Scrambled eggs… not sure how those got messed up. Bland. Kid’s french toast had a caramelized burnt flavor. They ate a little. Portions were huge but but no taste. Next time in Culpeper we’ll check in somewhere else.

Wow, nostalgia must really affect people’s taste.
Let me start off with a caveat; I haven’t had breakfast there and that seems to be the meal where they get most of their business and reviews. It’s hard to mess up eggs and pancakes too badly so I’ll go with that to give the positive reviews the benefit of the doubt.
Let me also say that I’m a fairly recent transplant to Culpeper but it hasn’t taken long for me to love my new hometown. Because of that, it really bothers me that out-​of-​towners visiting Cpep could read some of these reviews, pass up some of the truly great places to eat in town and head to Frost instead and leave thinking that Frost is the best that our wonderful town has to offer and depart with a bad taste (literally and figuratively) in their mouths.
So on to my review…
I’ve been there twice. The first time was late afternoon and pretty slow. There wasn’t a lot happening in the restaurant with only a few customers but no one seemed to have the time to clean up and sweep the debri all over the floor. The food was mediocre at best. Looking at my family’s plates, it was pretty clear that all of the food was bought frozen wholesale with nothing really being made there at the restaurant. All of it had the taste and consistency of mass-​produced, frozen-​and-​reheated food.
On the second trip, it was a cold, rainy day and I saw their fish sandwich/​clam chowder special on their board going into the restaurant. That sounded really good so I ordered that. What I got was a square, processed fish patty that looked exactly like a Filet-​O-​Fish from McD’s on a plain, cold hamburger bun along with a slice of iceburg lettuce and some tartar sauce, a pile of broken up potato chips (you couldn’t have even given me fries?!), and a small cup of what was clearly canned, processed clam chowder (you could taste the tin). I truly would have been happier and getting a Filet-​O-​Fish and fries. And all of this for @ $ 8 (I don’t remember the exact price).
Sorry, folks, but I think too many people are getting hung up on the nostalgia factor and giving Frost Café credit for what they could and should be, not for what they are. There are many wonderful restaurants in Culpeper and on Davis Street. Frost Café is not one of them. How can people give rave reviews and claim that this is the best restaurant in Culpeper when others are making fresh, creative dishes there on the premises and Frost is simply reheating cheap, processed, wholesaled junk that arrived in the back of freezer truck? I don’t get it.
Oh yeah, make sure and take cash with you. Unless things have changed since I was there last, they don’t take plastic but you can sure use their ATM machine in the corner to pull cash (the one that they own that also comes with a hefty transaction fee).

Love this place! Haven’t had a meal I haven’t liked yet. Fun for the young ones. One bit of advice — Bring cash. They do not accept credit/​debit cards. There is an ATM onsite but it doesn’t always work.

I love to eat here. In fact I have a training class in Culpeper tomorrow and I am excited about starting my day at the Frost Café. My only complaint would be the policy of not excepting plastic for payment. But I’ll get over it when I belly up to the counter tomorrow…

A delightful diner-​type restaurant. It had a wide selection, several specials for the day, and everything we had was tasty — from the fried chicken and meatloaf to the burgers and sides. There is even some seating on bar stools near the windows. A pleasant find.

For lovers of diners and traditional simple diner food, Frost is an easy 5 stars. As with most diners, the best meal to eat here is breakfast. The seating at the counter is just perfect, the location on davis+main is perfect, and the food is cheap and hearty. Culpeper is one of the most underrated cities in VA, and it’s always worth stopping in downtown. and eating here when you do
If you find parking difficult, there is a fee lot with plenty of space one block over from Davis, northeast of Frost.

I’m giving this a 4 purely based on the service, and the breakfast. We have eaten here on several occasions, and I would say to stay away from everything else. The steak is frozen, defrosted in a microwave and then overcooked… steak sandwiches the same, grilled cheese has worst quality processed cheese… etc. But, I have never been dissatisfied with breakfast. Bacon is great here.

This is our second visit and is becoming our go-​to breakfast place when driving north to DC or NY. I had the special chicken-​fried steak with eggs and home fries and an english muffin slathered in butter. Yum! I don’t think I’ve had a chicken-​fried steak in forty years, and this one was very tasty. We’ll be back!

It’s a Diner! It’s one of the best diners I’ve been to. Food is great. It’s super clean. People are awesome (small town feel). Cash ONLY but they do have a ATM. Must check out. My kids LOVE it!

I didn’t think that I could dislike Frost Diner and love Frost Café so much.
Stopped in for a late breakfast and was greeted with quick and friendly service. Enjoyed a delicious chocolate shake and fabulous Chicken Fried Steak with eggs and potatoes.
It was exactly what I was looking for.
CASH ONLY

If you are a fan of local dinners and their specialties, (as well as the local folks). Stop in at the Frost. I was working in Culpepper, VA for a week, found this place the first day and ate every meal for the whole week there. Everything is good.

Stopped in for breakfast today. I’m a big fan of local diners, but this one was a disappointment.
The food was mixed. The ham and scrapple were solid, but the potatoes were completely devoid of flavor (no seasoning), and the bacon slices were almost embarrassingly small and thin.
But waiting over 30 minutes for two simple breakfast dishes was what really set the tone. We arrived at about 11am to a full restaurant. There’s only one cook, and he was working at a feverish pace — but there were just too many orders in the queue.
Won’t return.

I’ll tell you one thing, when you’ve had a day & night of drinking wine in Virginia, the best possible remedy the next morning is a terrific breakfast; Frost Café cured all our lasting ill-​effects.
Sat down at the counter and received such a polite, genuine welcome that it was actually refreshing.
Then came the food. And oh my god did it come; piles high on our plates. My girlfriend got the ham & cheese omelette which was absolutely delicious! I got the short stack pancakes with a side of bacon; outstanding — fluffy & scrumptious!
Would 100% go back!

Frost Café always serves as a terrific breakfast/​brunch spot for us on the way down to Charlottesville for wine tasting weekends. I’m not sure how I originally found it, but I have been three times now and can say it’s always a place I look forward to coming back to.
Frost Café is reminiscent of old-​time soda fountain luncheonettes with booths and a retro décor. The menu presents a typical and hearty offering of diner-​type breakfast foods and I have always found the food to be very good. Their pancakes are among the best I’ve ever had (I think it’s because they’re not too sweet), so I always look forward to having those again. Their egg dishes are served with delicious home fries, and the portions are always large here.
Service can be a bit slow at times, and while the waitresses are always prompt in refilling coffee, there have been times where we’ve waited a while for food on a busy Saturday morning. You can tell that Frost Café is really a special local place, and I think it’s worth a stop if you’re out for an inexpensive and delicious meal in the area.

This place is officially my favorite diner for breakfast. If you are looking for a tasty, hot meal at a decent price, you’ve got to try this place. The warm biscuits are HEAVENLY. Buttery. Flaky. Homemade.
The eggs are real, which is always a plus for me.