The DPO Depot Grille...Enjoy a Steak
|
After enjoying that wonderful meal, you can go out the front door, walk a few steps and be on the Percival Island Trail east or the Blackwater Creek Trail west. What a great way to walk off a few calories.
The menu features a good selection of fresh fish, steaks and ample choices of seafood and pasta entrees. Ever had a buffalo burger? You can get one at DPO but not to worry, they have super regular burgers as well.
Just a little hungry? You will also find a good selection of side dishes, sandwiches and light fare.
Be sure to save a little room for dessert. Their tiramisu, New York style cheesecake, pecan pie or bananas Foster ice cream cake will surely test you willpower. If those don't, there is even more to choose from.
Also don't forget to check the daily specials for surprises in the soup, lamb, pork and duck categories. If you happen to be a liver and onion type, the Depot Grille is the place.
A Historical Sidenote
Presumably this really is the site of the first railroad depot way back in Lynchburg's history. Local historians tell us that in early spring of 1848, the town had raised sufficient funds to acquire a charter for the Lynchburg and Tennessee Railroad and buy land at the site of the original ferry crossing on which to build the depot.
By early 1852 they had an operational rail line between Lynchburg and Salem which eventually became part of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Extreme flooding in 1870 and 1877 made sure that nothing was left of the original railroad structures built during that developmental period of rail history.
The large N&W sign hanging from the ceiling at the back of the DPO and the collection of railroad antiques will attest to its heritage.
The DPO is a Little of This and a Little of That
It is the second DPO Grille, the first one being in Staunton. An interesting note about the kitchen is that it was actually made from two converted railroad freight cars that were purchased in Georgia and transported to Lynchburg.
Take a close look at the booths when you visit the DPO. If they look a little different from typical restaurant booths it is because in a former life they were church pews.
Apparently the Grace Evangelical and Congregational Church in Allentown, PA fell on hard times since it is now an antique store and its pews ended up at the DPO in Lynchburg.
Very little is what it seems. The mirror and woodwork seen behind the bar used to be in a pharmacy in Edinburg, Virginia. Legend has it that the original mirror took a bullet when the James gang tried to rob the bank next door before hightailing it back to Missouri.
Poole's Gamble Pays Off
From an article by kevin Crossett in Lynchburg's News and Advance, we learn that the Depot Grille opened in June of 2004 due to the efforts of Dave Poole, a 15 year restaurant veteran from Staunton.
Gambling that the revitalizaion efforts along the riverfront would be successful and that the city was ready for a convenient and interesting place for a business lunch, Poole's entrepreneurship has paid off in spades.
The result is a place where the business lunch and after-work crowd as well as residents out for a good meal can mingle and have fun. Watching the trains rumble by while eating and socializing has become a favorite Lynchburg pastime and one that the locals usually show off to their out-of-town visitors.
High ceilings and large windows fill the DPO with the ambiance of the old train station without a feeling of being crowded. There is ample room for the wait staff to move from kitchen to customer while juggling serving trays of food. Seating choices for dining include the bar, booths and tables.
To find the Depot Grill, drive staight down the 9th Street hill toward the river, pass Amazement Square on the left, and turn into the DPO parking lot on the right.
Just don't park on the railroad tracks; it could ruin your day.
Where is it?
The Depot Grille
10 Ninth Street
Lynchburg, VA 24504
How do I contact them?
Tel: 434-846-4464 or 434-846-2776
Fax: 434-846-2590
when Can I be served?
11am - 10pm Monday-Thursday
11am - 11pm Friday-Saturday
11am - 9pm Sunday
Leave the DPO Depot Grille and return to Home Page
Navigate to Shoemakers Fine Dining
Navigate to Waterstone Fire Grilled Pizza
Navigate to The Main Street Eatery
Navigate to Pok-E-Joe's smoked meats and Texas BBQ
Navigate to Wintergreen Resort
Navigate to Smith Mountain Lake
