The Beautiful South Restaurant

Have driven by this place so many times and always wondered if it was decent. We finally stopped in and were surprised not only by how good the food was (great options and very reasonable prices) but also by the friendly service. Love that it’s family run. We’ll definitely be back!

Very Dirty, Very Seedy. More of a bar than a restaurant.
Ate there years ago and it was special. But not now. I have to believe it’s got new owners and they don’t clean the place.

This place has fantastic food. The clams and sweet corn and crab soup were delicious. We loved the brick chicken and crab cakes. The final touch was the homemade baklava and cheesecake, out of this world and the best that I have ever tried! The owner, our waitress was exceptionally nice, and we will definitely be back!

This place is a hidden gem, don’t let its remote location fool you. The food here is great, make sure you check out the specials of the day because they are usually amazing.
This is a family owned restaurant so you will usually find mama behind the bar and papa sitting at the end of the bar. You gotta get to know these two, there are some great stories there.
When it’s nice out it awesome to sit outside.
This is a great place to turn into your local watering hole.

Unimpressive in every respect. We walked in, unsure if we were going in the right direction – the walkway had trash and weeds growing out of it, so we can be forgiven for wondering. No one was around to greet us, so we just walked into the bar and stood around for a while.
Finally a bartender greeted us. Actually, «greeted» is probably the wrong word, since that might suggest she was friendly. More accurately, she asked us if we were there for dinner and, when we said we just wanted drinks and dessert, she told us that we could sit at the bar. Apparently, she was expecting a big rush on tables for her ¾ empty restaurant.
We were rewarded with good beer and really bad cheesecake (this looked like the best option from a menu that featured exactly two options in the sweets category). Our not-​so-​welcoming hostess left us to tend to the bands of drinkers at the bar and, once we had flagged her down to pay the bill, we left, 30 minutes of our lives wasted.

Yeah this place is definately my go to for lunch now, always consistent and very tasty

Wow, what a great surprise… this place is a retro throw back in décor, but the food is over the top! The pride in food quality from the owner is infectious as is the spirit of the patrons that have been eating there… forever! You cannot imagine the quality of the filet until you try it. Their pizza is seriously the best in the area and the cheesecake is spectacular! Way to go!

You know what this place is.
It’s that place, the one where you go and don’t tell too many people.
The one where you get a damn good drink
The one where you feel kind of guilty
The one where you sit in the car in the parking lot and anticipate how nice it’ll be,
To be at the Beautiful South.
The family that runs this place is no bullshit, will tell you when you’re being a asshole and then make you taste a beer or new app on the menu. You come here for a great rotation of craft beers, house oyster shots (it’ll get you drunk!), god damn Clyde May’s Manhattans, the dirtiest, sluttiest martinis anywhere and some fantastic apps.
They know the locals and the locals know you– so don’t be an uppity dick and give this place a chance. There is something very beautiful about this place and the lack of pretentious attitudes is a huge plus– which is so rare in this area

When I saw the sign for this restaurant I thought, «Awesome they have a southern cooking place in this area!». Unfortunately, I was very wrong. The outside looked nice but inside it was very rundown. When we entered the building I thought that we were in the wrong place or that they were closed. There was no one that greeted us and we had to go through a set of doors and all the way around the bar to even find someone to serve us. It super sketchy to say the least. It looked like a handful of locals were at the bar and they all knew each other. We got some stare downs before we sat ourselves with our family. The waiter/​bartender was nice enough. To be honest this place is more of a bar scene than a restaurant. The music was blaring some generic pop music on a Sunday afternoon, and at first we were the only people even at the tables. Our ears were bludgeoned by the jukebox with music for awhile almost enough to make us turn around and walk out. It was all around a very awkward experience. When we received the menu we were disappointed that they didn’t have a single southern style cooking item on the menu. All around the place just seemed like it was having an identity crisis and is on its last leg. We gave the place the benefit of the doubt and ordered some appetizers, and drinks. The food was just as run down as the rest of the restaurant it turned out. The seafood was questionable and reaked of fish smell and not the fresh kind. The rest of the food was greasy or over fried. Nothing about this establishment was appealing. The drinks were decent but that was about it. If you are looking for a place to take your family for southern cooking this is not the place. Definitely an old school bar scene feel, and if you got drunk enough the food would probably taste edible. Overall, very disappointed, wouldn’t go there again unless I was looking to get wasted and play some pool. The worst part was when the bill came and it was almost $ 100 dollars for 4 decent drinks and 4 mostly gross appetizers. Me and the family decided not to order dinner and are now heading elsewhere. It was a real let down.

Waiting an hour for a pizza is not cool. How does this place stay in business? Do they think the locals don’t have other choices?

After my second visit, I know to never return.
The menu is pretty impressive and it seems like they try with the beer selection. But let it be known you lose 1 star every time for serving warm beer.
Expect slow uninterested service. Seriously, these people just don’t care. It is bad enough to wait ten minutes to get your bill but how about making eye contact with the customer as you unceremoniously drop the bill in front of the customer.
This place feels like it is dying a slow death of amateurism.

Really nice owner and staff. Interesting and impressive beverage choices. Definitely a local hangout. The food was very good and reasonable for this area. Ambiance? Not so much. We thought the main dining room was the bar area, but no. I can live with that if the food is good and the drinks are interesting which they were. Local brews and more. The wait person was adorable and the portions were generous. I had crab salad in avacado which was a special. No imitation crab there and nicely seasoned. My other half had a burger and a huge portion of fries. Very good. Will come back again (we’re locals) and will try the entrees when we are hungrier. They sound great and the chef/​owner is a great salesman. Worth going back!

Reco from boss. Dope. Front side menu, low price. Backside menu, higher price. Rolling with fried motz, blackened scallops, mussels. Get r done!

Stopped in the Beautiful South after visiting The Barns Winery nearby.
This is a casual place with a locals feel. The staff was very friendly and it seemed like a lot of people near the bar knew each other.
I had the burger, and it was perfect. Most times I wonder why I am even asked for the temperature of the burger since they tend to always come medium well no matter how I respond. This one was actually medium as requested. I had the fried onions, which are coated in a breading, which really added a zing. they have sautéed onions as well, which I assume are the more traditional onion topping. The bread was fresh tasting. However the hand cut fries must have been cut much earlier that day and were probably sitting in the kitchen for some time before I ordered.
My wife ordered the blackened scallops, which I thought was a risky option. Usually they are cooked too much and become chewy or not enough at more upscale restaurants than this. Hers were done to perfection again. Bravo to the cook. She talked about them all weekend. However she hated the Italian dressing (oil/​vin) and thought it tasted spoiled.
Overall, the Beautiful South exceeded expectations thanks to the food that was cooked correctly and the super friendly staff.
Although there wasn’t a band during our dinner (which I appreciated), I would like to visit for a night of local fun once the bar gets hopping.

2.5 stars
We’ve been to this place a million times and the food is pretty tolerable. The Greek antipasto appetizer is always delicious. Their tzatziki is awesome and the pita is seasoned perfectly. The grape leaves are also vey tasty.
That being said our last visit was horrendous. There were three people at the bar and all the tables were open. The waiter/​bar tender brought out a high chair and I asked if we could sit at a six top. There were four people and one baby in our party and he pointed to a four top and said sit here. I said with the baby chair I’d prefer we sit at a bigger table and he said I can put this high chair right here on the side of the four top. I had to explain that the baby’s hands would be in my plate the whole time and could we please sit at a bigger table. He finally obliged.
We got our drinks pretty quickly and my daughter and her friend commented that the water tasted funny. I tried a sip and it tasted like a dirty rag. We asked for sprite instead. I ordered the mussels which I’ve had many times before. He brought my mussels and the minute I took off the plate that covered the bowl I was hit with a foul fishy ammonia smell. Still not sure why but I figured I’d try one and instantly regretted the decision and had to spit it out. I will say I have NEVER sent a dish back EVER. I told him I thought the mussels may be bad and he said «that’s strange because we just got an order in». Perhaps I got the last of the old shipment. I ordered French onion soup instead and it was awful. It had a distinct vinegar taste which was strange.
The bill came and my mussels were still on it so I brought it to the waiters attention. He took them off. The service wasn’t great but wasn’t terrible either. They had one guy bartending and covering all the tables in the dining room. So he did as best he could with all of that to do. He wasn’t real friendly but I Still tipped him 20% because in my book he’s not responsible for the bad mussels.
As I’ve said I’ve been to this place a million times and I hate to give them a bad review. I will tell you that I had a part time job from April to November working outside for several years and we would come get a nice hot pizza on cool fall evenings to warm up. The pizzas are great and oh so filling. I can only eat one slice before I feel ready to bust. The owners are really friendly too so I want them to do well. So I guess I’m saying go try the beautiful south for yourself just don’t eat the mussels or French onion soup!

No website and no online menu– I called to get carry out– hostess said «google it»
No online presence=poor marketing=poor business.

Very nice dining experience. Food was fresh, well prepared and delicious. Prices were moderate. Service very good. Friendly folks in a nice location. Definitely recommend.

First timer. I give it a 4. Food was a 3 — I got a burger. It looked fantastic but tasted like mush. The best part was the bacon wich was a 5. The service was killer though. I’d come back to try something different sometime or maybe try the bar out one night. Decent food. Great service. Real family feel

LOVE IT!!! We have been here for closing in on 4 years and are regulars at this point.
The owners are gracious as are all of the staff. The food is excellent. Large variety and specials change weekly. They are always accommodating to any change you want to make.
Great music on most Friday, sat nights.
Funny, hubby just said let’s go to B.S. Tonight! I’m all in!

I’ve lived four miles from Hamilton, VA for five years and have never set foot in here until two weeks ago. I have now been in there four times, along with each friend that was with me. The Greek family that owns it is so nice! A’tony, the chef and owner is amaizng. His pizzas are incredible. He truly captures everything you’d expect from a Greek family. Johnny, his brother, is the bartender on the weekends. He’s so nice and prompt. I can’t get enough of this place. Every weekend they’re bringing in live music, and recently have tried their hand at karaōke on Thursdays which I have not been in for, yet. I took a slice of pizza home to my mom who then ordered to-​go from them, after passing the restaurant for all of the 8 years she’s lived in the area. It’s truly a hidden gem.
The feel is a little out-​dated, but when you’re venturing out in Hamilton, VA, the town of one gas station, I’m really not sure what you’re expecting as the whole town is «out-​dated.»
You won’t be disappointed. And if you are, you can tell me to my face, because I’ll likely be sitting at the bar bopping my head to an awesome band eating the most amazing pizza of my life and drinking a nice, strong drink.