Have you ever driven down East Market Street onto 33? Passing the turn for Gold Crown and Copper Beech, following the stretch of road further than the storage units? Streets bursting at the seams with fast food chains, apartments and discount stores virtually disappear the second you cross the county line. As a JMU student who’s made the drive a handful of times, I still get the feeling that the world simply stopped developing after the turn off to Copper Beech.

​

            Driving the 8 miles down the road is a refreshing experience alone. However, I set out this week with the intention of reaching the Thunderbird Café. Located in McGaheysville it’s probably a familiar roadside landmark to skiers and snowboarders in the area. It’s right along the road if you’re diving to Massanutten Mountain.

​

I had heard through the underground foodie-enthusiast grapevine that this spot was worth checking out. So I decided to take a 15-minute road trip up the road (literally) less traveled to see for myself.

​

            Nestling my car into a parking spot in front of the café, my expectations for a diner style eating experience were fulfilled immediately. The neon light “Thunderbird Café” sign proudly buzzed above the side entrance door. Pushing through the door and into the lobby of the restaurant, the heads of the women behind the counter turned in my direction immediately.

​

 I was instructed to sit anywhere I liked. I chose a stool at the bar. My other options included a long table suitable for at least eight people, and smaller tables for four. Just taking up one seat felt proper; this seemed like the kind of place where nonregulars stand out, and I was looking to blend in.

​

            Opening up the menu my eyes were drawn to a few things right away. For starters, they have mimosas. At 9:21 a.m. on a Tuesday morning in the middle of nowhere, suddenly I felt ok with the prospect of being stuck here for a while. Cue Matthew McConaughey voice: “aright, alright, alright”.

I also noticed something called a pancake taco. A distant cousin of the breakfast burrito, I decided to investigate. Apparently, it’s a pancake filled with a sort of cream cheese that is then folded into a taco shape and fixed with toppings of your choice. Woah…

​

            I ultimately decided on a breakfast plate with all the basics: eggs (over easy), fried potatoes, sausage and toast (wheat).

​

​

​

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I waited for my order I took in the ambiance. A man a few seats down from me was drinking some coffee while he finished a crossword. A group of biker men and a family with a super loud baby took up a few tables in the dining room. The room itself looked more like a modern coffee shop than a diner, with walls fitted with plenty of abstract art and colorful swatches. I felt at ease up at the bar on a chrome bar stool with my elbows rested on the shellacked wood veneer.

​

           A voice came over the radio and let me know we were listen to Sirus XM 70s on 7. Now that I think about it, the kind of music they were playing reminded me of the type of songs my dad sings, except he always butchers the words past repair. I loved it. Looking around I didn’t recognize anyone and I felt entirely at ease eating on my own. I could picture myself coming here with a friend or on a date if I just wanted to get away from the familiar scene around Harrisonburg to just have a conversation.

​

            My food popped up in the window behind the bar and I was stoked to dive in. The bread was unlike the breakfast bread at other spots. It wasn’t some starchy placeholder. It was so light and only needed a bit of butter. I actually finished it before anything else on my plate instead of leaving it to be whisked away.

​

          My eggs were brilliant. The yoke cascaded just the perfect amount avoiding being runny. The sausage was a patty but the edges weren’t perfectly circular indicating it had been hand pressed on the grill. Everything on the plate felt light lacking the typical “diner grease” that leaves you feeling sluggish.

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

My meal wrapped up and if the burdens of midterm week weren’t beckoning I would have gladly stayed in my spot and waited for lunch. The menu items screamed comfort food. If any of y’all head up to the café I urge you to reach out and tell us what you ordered. My only issue was having too many choices and too little stomach capacity. I also care about the state of my arteries, but that was secondary.

 

           So, in sum, if you’re looking for somewhere new to eat, here’s why you might want to check out Thunderbird:

​

• Very easy on the wallet for fair to large portions.

• Satiate the comfort food craving

• To get out of Harrisonburg and breathe a little easier in a place where you’re not likely to run into anyone or any distractions

• To study. It’s fairly quiet when it’s not peak dining hours and the study snacks are out of this world.

 

Check out their menu to see what I’ve been talking about and more. If you think you want to give it a go, just drive to 42-A Island Ford Rd. at Rte 33 McGaheysville, VA 22840. You can’t miss it, it’s pretty much a straight shot from Harrisonburg.