In the past few semesters, I have reviewed 26 different restaurants in Harrisonburg. After visiting a myriad of eateries and bars and delis, scribbling notes on the composition and flavors of various dishes, I take a step back for my final review and present my top five favorite places to eat in our Friendly City.

Harrisonburg has a lot of neat little places to eat, but there are a select few I love to visit over and over again. Let’s begin with breakfast.

1. Little Grill Collective has always held a soft spot in my heart, or to be more anatomically correct, my stomach. I love the atmosphere of the place, which assumes the vibe of someone’s cool grandma’s house: relaxed, welcoming, and painted in shades of graying turquoise. The food goes well with the mood, serving up steaming plates of comfort and pouring endless cups of coffee. From their pancakes to their breakfast plates to their homemade biscuits, I doubt I will ever find something on my plate to turn me off of Little Grill.
2. Next stop, lunch. Gray Jay Provisions recently opened, introducing my new favorite spot for tea, soup, and sandwiches. I love their slow-food concept, conscientious of where their food comes from and buying locally according to the seasons. The way the in-house chef combines flavors is artistic and satisfying. With an airy-yet-cozy atmosphere, this is a great place to relax and breathe deeply, taking life slowly and relishing the flavors of the moment.
3. There are many places to grab pizza in Harrisonburg, but Bella Luna far surpasses the competitors, offering taste that you just cannot get without a wood-fired oven. My favorite pizza is the Verde, an olive oil and basil-based pizza topped with dollops of ricotta. Usually I split Bella Luna’s pizzas with a friend, but I refuse to share this one and will happily devour it in one sitting. For lunch or dinner, if someone asks me if I want to go to Bella Luna, I will usually reply with, “Oh, yes please!”
4. For dinner, Cuban Burger is always in the running. Though I frequently have to either decide on my order ahead of time or use my phone flashlight to read the menu, I enjoy the intimacy this dark hole-in-the-wall provides. The Cuban Chop Chop is delicious every time and not bad for price, especially if I split the meal with a friend. I have set a rule for myself: only order things at restaurants that I cannot make for myself at home. The food at Cuban Burger definitely fits the bill: unique, satisfying, and worth venturing into a bear cave for.
5. There is one dessert in downtown Harrisonburg that hits the spot for me every time: Beyond’s Chocolate Decadence, a flourless chocolate cake with coconut ice cream and bittersweet chocolate ganache. The dessert lives up to its name —sinfully delicious. With its dense texture closer to fudge than cake, each bite punches you with a not-subtle-at-all reminder that it is indeed made of chocolate, and rich chocolate at that. Beyond’s desserts are noteworthy because they master the art of pairing flavors. Melting next to the slice of Decadence sit two round scoops of coconut ice cream, supplying the sweet, creamy reprieve from the chocolate that holds your tastebuds hostage. Again and again, I will go back for this dessert, craving the rich experience that is this cake.

There you have it. If you have not had the chance to check these out yet, you are surely missing out on the finer tastes of Harrisonburg. Happy eating!