A Taste of Waynesboro

I met many of my best friends during the year we all worked together at Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Almost five years later we've gone in dramatically different directions in our careers. Julie F., who shared a cubicle wall with me during that fateful year at Hillel, spent several years post-Hillel as the assistant director of a summer camp in South Central Pennsylvania (she is basically the best camp counselor in the world and hope she is running a camp of her own by the time I have children). Julie's camp was about two hours from DC, and when we would visit, I felt like I was in a completely different world.

For the past three summers, Julie has packed up her life and headed to camp in Waynesboro, PA from June to August. In the periodic e-mail updates from her, she always includes little pieces of information about interactions with the Waynesboro community and more importantly, the discovery of unique, local food establishments.

And so this post was born... I polled several of Julie's camp colleagues and am very pleased with my very unofficial guide to dining in and around scenic Waynesboro, PA.

The Christian Chicken Place
It is actually called the Mountain Gate Family Restaurant, but as soon as you see the place mats, you too will call it The Christian Chicken Place. Mountain Gate is the real deal, and I would consider driving to Waynesboro just for a visit. The lunch buffet is the real reason to stop here (in addition to the very Christian sayings that often grace the big sign in front of the restaurant). There is a gigantic vat dedicated just to cranberry sauce. And then an entire table just for pies. And when Julie took her grandparents here for some brunch after their visit to camp, her grandmother proclaimed "this is the best bacon I have ever had." What could be bad?


Applebee's
Although I would rather not dine at Applebee's if there are other non-chain options, at 11:30 on a Saturday night (when Julie has free time to play with friends visiting from DC), Applebee's is pretty much the only game in town. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We opted for a selection of appetizers and they were quite tasty. Our waitress was attentive and the beverage menu was diverse. I did have a flashback to Saturday nights in high school when I used to hang out with my friends at the Friday's on Rockville Pike... but that just made the whole experience feel so much more comfortable. Guess that's the point of a concept restaurant.


Capital Camps
How could I forget the dining hall at Capital Camps and Retreat Center. Except at Capital Camps, it is called the Chadar Ochel or something... This establishment feeds hundreds of children daily without a trace of peanut product. And the large vats of Jello-O served in disposable containers just make you feel so... industrial! The ambiance is delightful and cool, as Capital Camps has invested in a very large fan to keep air circulating in the space from an aptly named company called Big Ass Fans. You can't make that up.


Sunshine Lanes
Good for a quick suburban bowling experience, some nachos, and a fountain soda. Sunshine lanes features an interior decked out with a BLACK LIGHT as a throwback to the 90s (as a throwback to the 70s). It is not to be missed during the Capital Camps staff night out--when it felt perfectly normal to hear Hebrew, English in a heavy Hebrew accent, and British accents mixed in with the mid-Atlantic twang common among year-round residents of Waynesboro.


Antietam Dairy
This is Waynesboro's shining star. Firstly, it is owned by a family called the Sweets (too good)! Secondly, they are giving the ice cream away for basically nothing. Although I can't do a one to one price comparison of a cone of premium ice creamy deliciousness purchased in DuPont Circle to one purchased at Antietam, I can say Antietam is MUCH more budget friendly (four people dined on a delectable frozen treat for less than $8.00). Thirdly, the flavor selection was solid. (You know how I feel about overly complicated ice cream flavors--stick to the classics and do them well. If I wanted Boston cream pie, I would just have Boston cream pie.) I opted for chocolate ice cream with sprinkles and it was FABULOUS.


Chubby's
Then, there is Chubby's. I can tell you that I had very high hopes for Chubby's. Although I don't live in the South (except for isn't DC actually the South?), I would expect that there would be excellent BBQ in the middle of the country in and around Waynesboro. Sadly, Chubby's was just okay. The name and sauce selection set them apart from Red, Hot, and Blue (and once again, the prices) but I didn't find my meal there so memorable. AND, they didn't serve hush puppies. Let's be real, I am really in it for the sides. And if the selection of sides doesn't cut it, I would rather be eating at the Antietam Dairy.


Sheetz
I have had a total of two very positive Sheetz experiences in my day (a total of two, and both were very positive). The first came on a trip from DC to Pittsburgh with Beth K. when we discovered the make-your-own-milkshake machine at the Sheetz Breezewood location. The second occurred in none other than Waynesboro when I took a big leap and ordered the MTO (made to order) breakfast wrap. I learned of this concept from my friend and former colleague Beth S. and know she would be proud of my gas station culinary adventure. Apmple seating and an almost totally automated ordering system make the Sheetz in Wayesboro a not to miss destination on our food tour of South Central PA.