Undercover Diner Visits Trailhead

One of Lynchburg’s biggest assets is its trail system, which spans miles throughout the city. RiverWalk trail is one of the most popular, and a new restaurant beside the trail offers downtown visitors a choice to fuel up before or after enjoying a walk or ride.

Trailhead is found on Jefferson Street, next to Bikes Unlimited. I was able to easily find street parking in front of the restaurant, even on a busy, beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I strode right in the welcoming outside entrance. Open since October 2024, Trailhead is an indoor-outdoor restaurant, with a large bar and several tables inside as well as an expansive deck and outdoor seating.

On this gorgeous day, my friend and I chose to sit outside to take advantage of the weather and people watch. Trailhead offers a range of outdoor seating, including multiple picnic tables with umbrellas as well as comfortable couches and chairs. There is also a fire pit with chairs surrounding it and small tables for drinks and food to rest.

All ordering is done online with the ease of a unique QR code for each table/seating arrangement. I was impressed by the range of beers on tap, in cans, and the canned cocktail, hard kombucha, cider, non-alcoholic and wine selection. There truly is something for everyone on the drink menu, and the food menu does not disappoint either. Small plates include cheesy garlic bread, soft pretzels, and a rotating trio of dips with homemade pita chips.

We decided to go with the pretzel with beer cheese, and it was an excellent choice. The pretzel was perfectly seasoned with salt and a garlicky topping, and the beer cheese was tangy with a hint of smokiness from paprika.

For our main course, I chose the gyro while my friend went with the buffalo chicken wrap. Both were outstanding. The gyro had perfectly tender, thin slices of gyro meat complemented by zingy pickled red onion and a creamy tzatziki sauce. I had a bite of the buffalo chicken wrap as well and was impressed by the juiciness of the chicken. It was flavorful and not too spicy.

Trailhead has cultivated a fun, family-friendly atmosphere with cornhole, games, and even a small soccer net for kids to use. With a menu that caters to both adult and kid taste buds, it’s an exciting new choice for families of all ages to enjoy a meal or drinks right on the trail.