Derby Restaurant — Restaurant in Mount Airy

This was our first visit, we will be back. Before going to the Derby I read the reviews and there are some reviews stating the place was dirty so I was a little hesitant but thought I would give it go because of the food reviews. Glad we went. The place is not all shiny and new. I took a look around the place and it is worn, scarred and old. They have history, 80 years in business. Looking around it made me think of everything that has taken place, all the families that have dined here. I felt very comfortable sitting in my old wooden booth. I love nostalgia and that is what the Derby was for me. The food, I thought was great. I had the flounder, which was delicious and my mom had the fried chicken. We were told in advance that the chicken would take about 25-30 minutes because on everyday with the exception of Sunday it is made at the time the order is placed. Guess what, it's not sitting under a lamp keeping it warm. When my mom got her chicken it actually was so hot the steam was still coming off the chicken. In her 70+ years she said that was the best chicken she has every had. She retired from a hospital as a cook haha. Well, that's pretty much all I have to say. To the Derby... thank you for a lovely meal, great service and the price's can not be beat. It's nice to see a place offer great food where a family can go out to enjoy themselves and not...

The Derby is an institution in Mt. Airy, but I've only started coming here in the last year as my travels bring me to the area weekly. I haven't explored the menu as well as one might like because the lunch specials here (particularly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) absolutely rule. My go-tos here (on Tuesday) are the baked ham (the best ever) and three vegetables, or the chopped steak with choice of potato and salad (I substitute a vegetable) with Texas toast, and on Wednesdays, they have an all-you-can-eat fried Flounder special that absolutely rocks. If you love fried fish, you'll love it, and it's the same breading that they use for their award-winning fried chicken, which is also good - but you have to allow for twenty minutes prep time - so if you're in a hurry, order the fish. Also, they have a wide array of sides available, I usually get the pickled beets, and the fried squash is dynamite along with the fried okra. I also love the macaroni with tomatoes, and last but not least, the macaroni and cheese.

What's more, the service is usually good even when it's busy, and the prices just...

This is a true diner. My husband said it looks just as it did back in the 60s.

The food is excellent home cooking, with specials each day. My husband and I both had the Friday fish special with breaded white fish, coleslaw, and baked potato. It was very reasonably priced, so low in fact, I wonder how they make any profit. The service was also great.

As someone with a food handlers card, though, I had some concerns. The tile floor was either very dirty or aged a brownish color. Our checkout clerk stepped away from putting bread on the grill to ring up our order, then went right back to her station and continued.

The place was packed for lunch, so despite the worn wooden booths and aged furnishings, they obviously are doing well. They excell at what many would consider the most important things....quality of food, low prices, and good friendly service. My husband left a 50% tip since the cost was so low. He was happy with...