Ronca's Restaurant

On Wednesday, July 30, 2014 I had lunch at Ronca's Restaurant at 6 South Loudoun Street, a small hole-in-the-wall premises most recently occupied by Chowhounds on the Oldtown Walking Mall.

The restaurant is on the east side of Loudoun Street, a few doors south of the Boscawen Street crossing of the Mall, just across from the Wilkins Shoe Center. It has no outside tables at present, but I'm told that they may be a future addition.

Ronca's Restaurant is closed on Sunday. Hours are 7:30 AM-2:30 PM, Monday-Saturday. It's possible that extended hours may be added later for Friday and Saturday. The phone number is (540) 667-7662 and Carryout Service is available.

The door is set back on the left side of the building's front. It opens into a small room that has seating arrangements to maximize using the limited space. As you enter you see a narrow shelf along the left wall, with three stools for patrons to sit there.

There were no other patrons when I arrived. A small counter with three seats is in the front window, allowing people to see passersby and be seen by them. A table for two is near the front, with a table for four immediately behind it. The main counter is in the back facing the kitchen and seats four.

The place has bold black and white tiling squares in a checkerboard pattern on the floor, and the overall décor is essentially utilitarian. A small radio on a shelf in the back was playing music, and there was no TV screen.

The two-page menu is headed by a welcome from proprietors Connie Jo and Bobby Ronca. The main categories are Breakfast, Omelet Specials, Beverages, and Lunch, mainly sandwich items and cold drinks. Burgers are 1/3 pound served on a Kaiser Roll, and all sandwiches include chips and a pickle.

I did not order from the menu, but asked the waitress for the special that was advertised outside on a chalkboard sign. It read, "Billy Keefer's Famous Barbecue on a Kaiser Roll, with Chips, Pickle and Cole Slaw, $4.50". I also ordered Dr. Pepper.

My order was served fairly promptly, and had lots of pulled pork on the Kaiser Roll. It was fairly good barbecue. The Dr. Pepper came in a half-liter plastic bottle, and I was given a glass of ice and a straw.

I sat near the right end of the back counter and could watch Billy Keefer working at the grill along the right wall, and talk to him. He told me that the smoker he used was out back. Patrons are allowed to use the restroom behind the kitchen upon request but it's not open to the public.

Part owner Bob Ronca showed up shortly after I had arrived; he had been out riding his bike. I introduced myself and asked if he had been in the restaurant business previously, and learned that he had grown up in it in Philadelphia. This place opened for business two weeks earlier on July 16.

I rated Ronca's Restaurant as a satisfactory place for a quick lunch if I had other business on the mall, but not exceptional. I don't think I'd be in the area early enough to try it for breakfast, and do wish them well.