Walsh's Chicken & More — Restaurant in Martinsville

"Disappointed" does not evem begin to describe how I feel after my friend and I stopped by for some sweet tea and a hotdog today. I have been in this restaurant a couple of times before, and while it's always been kind of a rushed ordering experience at the counter, I've not really noticed anyone being outright unfriendly or rude... until today. First of all they do not disclose up front anywhere on the menu that their hotdogs are deep fried. But, I mean, that's not a huge deal, however it does change the taste and consistency of the hotdog, and also affects the calorie, fat, and cholesterol content. Obviously hotdogs are not diet foods, so nobody orders one expecting that. However, my friend can't eat fried foods due to health reasons, and so perhaps labeling it a "fried hotdog" would be better. That said, another issue was it took over 10 minutes to get one plain hotdog, and it looked shriveled and overcooked. My friend still tried to eat it, but one bite was all she took because she said it tasted awful. Now for the horrendous customer service: She went to go throw it away, and one of the girls up front said something to her. So my friend told her (not even with any sort of bad tone) that she was throwing it away because it didn't taste right. This girl looks at her with the most impatient look and says "okay????" And then flipped around really quickly and shouted for the cook, saying "We have an ISSUE out here." In the meantime, an older lady behind the counter talks to my friend, and has a similar demeanor. Like they not only couldn't be bothered, but were angry about it.

So then, here comes the cook. He approached already with an attitude. He was beyond rude when my friend tried to talk to him about it. The entire time, we were getting snide glances and remarks happening behind the counter. I was shocked. The cook ends up loudly and gruffly telling my friend "It's a fried hotdog. That's how they're supposed to look". She was surprised and tried to explain that if she'd known, she wouldn't have ordered it because she can't eat fried meats at all. He just totally dismissed her, saying well that's what she ordered.

We left there absolutely in shock at the way we were treated. I felt like they looked at us and saw the scum of the earth, not kind and friendly paying customers. Was it because we only ordered sweet teas and a hotdog? Was it because we let them know the sweet tea was out? Was it something about the way we looked? Or was it really just that they were offended that my friend was honest about the issues with the hotdog? I've never been to a restaurant where the staff were that terrible with customer service. The one saving grace (and why I feel okay giving the one star minimum instead of none) is their sweet tea is phenomenal. Just as good as I remember the last time I was there. So, at least there's that positive.

I sincerely hope that the folks at Walsh's reevaluates how they treat customers and how they handle complaints, concerns, and questions, because that's the worst experience I have had in all the years I have lived in and given my business to Martinsville. I adore it here, and it's a pity this chicken place treats at least some of its paying customers...

We needed a gift card from Kroger grocery, so to Martinsville, VA we went. Naturally, I researched restaurants in the area because a girl’s gotta eat! Uptown Martinsville is a really cute town with two main streets. They have free parking on the streets and several free parking lots. Did I mention all parking is FREE?! We parked FOR FREE and walked around. They really keep their town clean and you can tell the residents are proud of their town. Everyone was friendly and would speak as they passed by.

Our goal was Walsh’s. This is a small, counter service, eatery with maybe 8-10 tables. They had a sign on the door stating they were short staffed and to please be patient. I’ve seen this same comment on a lot of businesses and I get it. However, they run this restaurant like a well oiled machine. They use preprinted order pads and then write in special requests. They pass the ticket thru the kitchen window and say ORDER UP. I felt like I had stepped back in time and I loved it! When the food is done, they bring it to you. I ordered the clam strip dinner with a chicken thigh on the side. Don’t judge me. Hubs got the 3 piece all white chicken dinner. Most places would give you a breast and two wings. Walsh’s gives one wing and two breasts! The clams were good but that chicken…delicious! The skin was well seasoned and really crispy and the chicken was really tender and moist. The potatoes were instant but ok. The biscuit was fantastic! We would definitely get the chicken again but we’ll try...

This place was a wonderful find today. Visiting from SC & found a gem!! The food was so delicious and very reasonable. The staff was so friendly & courteous and they really made you feel welcomed and at home. The atmosphere in the entire place was amazing. It must be a local favorite cause most of the people that came in were called by name & greeted openly. Me & my daughter witnessed the best most friendly interactions between the customers & staff. It was truely a wonderful day to enjoy such wonderful food & friendly folks. I had a 2 piece chicken dinner with potato salad, Mac n cheese, blackberry cobbler and my daughter had grilled cheese, hush puppies & chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. Had to get my husband a dinner to go he loved his fried chicken and mashed potatoes & gravy. Best fried chicken I’ve had in...