Once upon a time, bacon went with eggs and it also went on sandwiches, but these days, bacon goes with everything! From cupcakes and donuts to bacon-wrapped meatloaf, sandwiches and much more, celebrate Bacon Day on Dec. 30 with any of these dishes at local James City County restaurants.
For your convenience, we broke this massive bacon list into categories with subcategories when appropriate.
Unique Dishes with Bacon
- Center Street Grill has a Colby chicken sandwich, which is grilled chicken breast topped with Colby Jack cheese, bacon, arugula, tomatoes and a roasted red pepper aioli on a brioche bun. They also serve up a shrimp and grits that features shrimp, scallions, tomatoes and mushrooms sauteed in a garlic-chive butter sauce served over creamy three cheese and bacon grits.
- Corner Pocket has a chicken and bacon quesadilla, which is a grilled flour tortilla filled with jack cheese, southwest vegetables and pulled chicken and chopped bacon topped with sour cream and salsa. They also have the ultimate grilled cheese called the “All the Way” Grilled Cheese that has melted cheddar, provolone and Swiss with bacon, avocado and blackening spices on French bread. Lastly, they have crab and bacon roasted oysters.
- Craft 31 has a bacon-wrapped meatloaf served with horseradish mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots and pearl onions. This is entrée is available after 4 p.m. They also offer their “Rockafella pizza,” which has smoked oysters, bacon, spinach and shredded parmesan, and they offer a build your own pizza with bacon as a topping option.
- Opus 9 Steakhouse offers peppered sea scallops that come with bacon.
- Paul’s Deli and Neighborhood Restaurant often has a special that is a blackened salmon BLT sandwich. It has thick-cut bacon and a wasabi aioli and is delicious!
- Two Drummers Smokehouse offers an appetizer that is homemade thick-cut bacon served with a maple chili dip.
Salads with bacon
- Baker’s Crust – Frisco turkey Cobb featuring turkey breast, Applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, gorgonzola, avocado, mixed greens and herb buttermilk dressing
- Center Street Grill – Chopped chicken salad featured bacon along with egg and chicken; blackened salmon salad has a bacon Dijon vinaigrette.
- Corner Café – Goat cheese & mushroom salad is a medley of locally grown wild mushrooms on a bed of baby spinach topped with locally produced Goats-R-Us goat cheese, Applewood smoked bacon crumbles & a warm bacon vinaigrette
- Corner Pocket – Leaf spinach with feta cheese, dried cranberries, red onions and creamy bacon dressing; Cobb salad
- Five Forks Café
- Gabriel Archer Tavern – Spinach and arugula salad with granny smith apple, toasted walnuts, house smoked bacon, parmesan cheese, apple cider vinaigrette or a Cobb salad with 7-minute egg, house smoked bacon, avocado, tomato, Gorgonzola, red wine vinaigrette.
- Honey Butter’s Kitchen – Spinach and romaine salad with warm bacon dressing; chopped salad with bacon
- Opus 9 Steakhouse – Chophouse salad with bacon (lunch menu only)
- Paul’s Deli and Neighborhood Restaurant
- Two Drummers Smokehouse – Wedge salad with homemade bacon
- Victoria’s Restaurant
Sandwiches with bacon
BLTs
Club Sandwiches
Other
- Baker’s Crust – Chicken and cheddar sandwich featuring chicken, Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, tomato, herb mayo on semolina
- Center Street Grill – Smoked turkey breast with bacon, brie cheese, arugula, tomatoes, red onion and a honey mustard sauce served on a Bavarian pretzel roll
- Charly’s Airport Restaurant – “The Blue Max” features corned beef, turkey, bacon, Swiss, sauerkraut and blue cheese dressing
- Gabriel Archer Tavern – Grilled cheese with local Virginia cheese, house smoked bacon, granny smith apple, apricot preserves, baby arugula, Billy Bread; smoked chicken panini
- Honey Butter’s Kitchen –fancy grilled cheese, club sandwich and Monte Cristo – both with bacon (they also have a turkey bacon wrap!)
- Oceans & Ale – Sober Sandwich features country ham, roasted turkey, cherry-smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, toasted sourdough, lettuce, tomato, and mayo
- Paul’s Deli and Neighborhood Restaurant – BLT sub and many other sub options with bacon
- Two Drummers Smokehouse – Grilled pimento cheese and bacon with tomatoes on French bread
- Victoria’s Restaurant – Multiple submarine sandwiches with bacon
Burgers with bacon
Other – soups, appetizers and sweets
- Corner Pocket – Corner Pocket crab dip with bacon; cheese fries add bacon
- Duck Donuts – Bacon pieces are a topping choice – we’ve heard bacon goes well on their peanut butter or maple coating. We bet bacon pieces would be good on chocolate if you’re going for decadent!
- Emily’s Donuts and Cafe – Emily’s serves up maple bacon yeast donut rings!
- Smallcakes Williamsburg – From time to time, there’s a maple bacon cupcake offered that is delicious. (It’s being offered on Friday’s this month.)
- Two Drummers Smokehouse – Wade’s Brunswick Stew has bacon in it along with chicken and pork
Special bacon breakfast dishes*
- Carrot Tree Kitchens has a waffle filled with bacon called Bacon’s Castle.
- Gabriel Archer Tavern has Sunday brunch, which features shrimp and grits with a bacon cream sauce and they also serve up a breakfast BLT with bacon, two fried eggs, lettuce, tomato, avocado, & roasted garlic mayo on Billy Bread.
*Most places that serve breakfast have bacon. For a complete guide to breakfast, check out our Ultimate Guide to Breakfast.
Bonus tip: If you prefer to dine at home, stop by the Edwards Ham Shop of Williamsburg near the Williamsburg Premium Outlets to pick up some Edwards bacon. Edwards makes three different types of bacon: hickory smoked, peppered and smoked maple bacon and they also sell a half slab of Country bacon that you can cut to your own desired thickness. (Be advised though that not all items may be available at Edwards Ham Shops.)