Pennybackers
Pennybackers is a restaurant downtown, just off Main Street . It’s a nice looking old building with a green exterior that doesn’t give away too much about what’s inside. I decided to use this restaurant review as a chance to dine out with a friend. Food is better with company.
There was a bit of a log jam at the door with three different parties waiting for the host or hostess, but this was quickly handled by the waiting staff. My friend and I were seated upstairs at a booth next to the window.
It is a very casual environment. The lighting is slightly dimmed, which gives the wood floors, tables and walls a bit of a warm glow. There are pictures on the table–a smiley face, a flower, and abstract shapes–all using pennies. A large piece of glass separates the art and the customer. There is also rooftop seating which provides a nice view of downtown Harrisonburg , but we opted for air conditioning on such a humid evening.
The menus are full of references to downtown. Franklin Favorites (the sandwich section), Campbell Street (the soup section), Grattan Street Greens (the salad section), are all references to Old Town , a neighborhood right next to downtown. The names of the items on the menu are cute with out being totally kitschy. The Moo Cow is a sandwich with Angus beef. The Bella is a sandwich with portabella mushrooms. The Big Dipstick is a French dip. It follows a logic.
I, the vegetarian, ordered the aforementioned Bella while my friend ordered The Pennybacker. The Pennybacker is Angus roast beef, honey turkey breast, bacon, ham Swiss cheese and vegetables between French bread. Apparently the various meets blended together well and my friend enjoyed her dinner. I loved the Bella. I’d like to know what is in the sauce Pennybackers cooks their mushrooms in because it is amazing. It’s sweet without being too sweet and really brings out the flavors in each vegetable in the sandwich. We both got a side of Ott Tots, which were also good. The more health conscious customer can order a side of salad instead.
I ordered a piece of their newest creation, the chocolate peanut butter ice cream pie for desert. It was quite good. I liked how the peanut butter has some actual peanuts in it, but my piece was a little too hard for my taste and I wish it had had time to defrost a little before being served.
The staff was great. The waitress knew what she was doing. She checked to see ”if we were doing ok” often enough with out being annoying. The food arrived surprisingly fast. Everyone seemed calm and friendly with out overstepping any boundaries.
Pennybackers was reasonably priced. The sandwiches fall in the seven dollar area and desert was around four which is about the norm for dining out at a casual eatery.
They are suitable for all kinds of groups. I saw families, friends and business men. In summary, Pennybackers is a perfect place if you’re looking for a low key evening with good company and delicious food with out breaking the bank.
Rating: 
Want to try Pennybackers for yourself? Here’s where you can go!
View Larger Map
ive only been to pennybackers once and it was pretty good. id go again.