Five Oaks Farm Kitchen

We've eaten at Five Oaks Farm Kitchen probably six times over the years, and it's become our go-to when we want serious Southern comfort food without the tourist trap nonsense. The griddle cakes are absolutely ridiculous — they're so thick they literally split them in half before bringing them to your table, and honestly, one order feeds two people easily. The barn setting feels authentic too, with those high ceilings and communal tables that actually work for big family groups.

Here's what nobody mentions — join their online waitlist before you even leave your cabin. Weekend evenings turn into a 45-minute wait real quick, especially during summer. We learned this the hard way last July when we showed up at 7 PM on a Saturday and watched families who'd joined the waitlist 30 minutes earlier get seated first.

The fried chicken is probably the best thing on the menu, crispy outside and actually juicy inside, which is harder to find than you'd think. Most entrées run $15-25, but you're getting tomorrow's lunch too with these portions. Oh and the cinnamon rolls — they're handmade and enormous. Skip the pot roast though, it was kind of bland when we tried it last spring.

One thing that bugs me is the service can be hit or miss depending on who's managing that day. The servers are usually great, but we've had some weird experiences with management being less than welcoming. Free parking right there on the Parkway though, which is clutch since it's directly across from Tanger Outlets.