50 Best American Restaurants in Charlottesville

“Chef Yoder is incredibly talented. Unexpected food combinations that blew us away. Amazing wait staff and don’t skip the beverage pairing! Highly educated sommeliers on staff! It was just dinner, it was an experience that I haven’t stopped talking about weeks later!“

“Great food and atmosphere!“

“My friend and I picked this place due to wanting to enjoy a rooftop while in Savannah. We shared a Caesar salad and each ordered a crab cake. Both were excellent. The crab cake has to be the best one I have ever had and I have had a lot of crab cakes. We agreed that it melted in your mouth. We split a delicious flourless chocolate tart for dessert. A great experience and good service.“

“Love working in this space. The views is pleasant and the space is so welcoming. Great coffee and nice staff.

Only took off a star because there used to be several power strips people could charge their electronics but they seem to have stopped doing that. It makes it difficult to work at one of the more central tables but it is what it is.“

“Staff were very attentive and helpful with our food and beverage selection. When it got crowded, it got a little loud but you could still hold a conversation. T-shirts and goodies were cheap!!!! Parking was good. I'll go back when I visit!!“

“There are so many fantastic restaurants in Charlottesville near the downtown mall; we’ve tried many but Tonic is our favorite because of the creative and fresh menu, delicious drinks and al fresco vibes. Our favorites are vegetarian creations like grits and Brussels, and unique special soups. Last night we tried a new appetizer with ricotta, apples and caramelized onions served with artisan sourdough (chef’s kiss)…“

“We planned a visit to this award-winning golf course while in town touring the local presidents’ homes, and decided to stop in for lunch with our kids—so glad we did! We ordered the chicken sandwich, wings platter, BLAT sandwich, and the massive Flying Pretzel… WOW! Every bite was absolutely delicious. The food far exceeded our expectations. The pretzel was huge and perfectly baked, and the fries were crispy and full of flavor. Great food, great atmosphere—we were seriously impressed! And we got to enjoy the 18 hole putting green! So fun! We’ll be back!“

“Excellent service for our large group tonight (12) by Nancy. Food was very good and tasty. Need more than two scallops on the appetizer. Salads (I didn't eat one but other guests did) looked wonderful, especially the apricot feta one. Steaks were all good as was the salmon. The fried oysters were wonderful. Chocolate cake looked incredibly chocolate but needs to taste chocolate (surprisingly just sugary). Excellent fig rolls and beet rolls. Again, wonderful service.“

“I recently had the BEST SALAD of my life at Bizou (the roasted beet, mango + goat cheese salad!) It was a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon in summer, sitting in the lovely shade of a patio umbrella, a chilled glass of Virginia-made Rose wine…. A quintessential Charlottesville experience. I will definitely be back, and I highly recommend!“

“Really great service and the food was incredible. As a business traveler, I look for locally owned restaurants. I'll definitely be back in the future.“

“My husband took me here for our anniversary. service was top notch, and the food! OMG! I got the filet, he got the NY strip. I just can't say enough good things about the food and service. seriously, u will not be disappointed!!!“

“My favorite restaurant!! Great food, wonderful service.“

“Service excellence. Perfect setting. Fantastic food. Everything was great“

“Great food. Beautiful outdoor atmosphere.“

“Performed with Soundnation Band of the Washington Talent Agency, and the hospitality was simply amazing“

“always a great dining experience. great food. stellar staff“

“Southern Comfort food at its finest at an affordable price. I highly recommend!!!“

“Used to go there in the late 1970s- best burgers in C’ville!!!“

“The music was off the chain, best local band I have ever seen and I’m 63, and haven’t had that much fun in a long time“

“Ordered pizza for the first time from here today and it did not disappoint! So tasty, good price and will be my go to pizza place for lunch!“

“Excellent variety of beer, ciders, seltzers from local breweries. The food was awesome too!“

“Firefly always provides delicious food and exceptional service from kind people! Their tots are the absolute best! The food is consistently cooked well, and the menu has a lot for those of us with gluten allergies and those of us who are vegan/veg. We recommend the tatchos, plain tots, vlt, sweet potato fries, any soup of the day, the portobello sandwich, and the jackfruit bbq (though I haven’t had it in ages - next time!), and the brownie sundae (available gf&df!). The best thing about Firefly is the people! (They also have awesome pinball!)“

“My company has a weekly, company-paid lunch from the restaurants around town and we finally got it together enough to order from Rev Soup (we often have, but have recently grown to be big enough that planning with enough time to put in the order has become a bit more challenging). So this week, we ordered, I went to pick up, everything was great, and then I turned to leave with the order and TOOK OUT the top case of red wine stacked for display. Fortunately, there were only two bottles in that box and no one was in the splash zone. I stood there, stunned, as Nikki and the staff immediately sprang into cleanup action. I (of course) offered to cover the cost of the busted bottles, but was rebuffed. Nikki was just so kind (especially given my ridiculous lack of self awareness with a large order in my arms and it’s consequences, and therefore totally my fault). Of course, the food was excellent and exactly what everyone at work had hoped. Everyone should go forth and have Revolutionary Soup often, but watch out for the wine (or watch out for me anywhere near the wine)!!“

“Great food, affordable drinks friendly staff.“

“Hands down. Some of the best food. Fish tacos General Tso’s cauliflower and wild mushroom ravioli 10 out of 10 Definitely coming back to try more.“

“Consistent great experiences at Jax’s! Whether we pick up or eat in. Friendly service & yummy food!“

“The burgers were excellent! Service was fast and friendly! Yum!!!! We live in Broadway VA and this will be our go to spot when in the area!!!!“

“The customer service was fantastic. The rooms were clean, food was good and the coffee was available 24/7, and the atmosphere was very nice. Want to give kudos to Michelle, Ila, Tee who were behind the desk for check-in/checkout on all three shifts because they deserve raises and acknowledgments. I have stayed in many hotels but this hotel has three of the best employees that I have ever seen as far as customer service goes. I would recommend this hotel 100 percent!.“

“We really enjoyed our visit to Charlottesville and our stop at The Virginian. The food was a highlight of the trip! The barbecue pork sandwich was excellent, as were both the Caesar and house salads—fresh and flavorful. The Virginia burger with fries was also very good.

We were excited to try the Palmetto cheese burger and the Palmetto cheese sandwich, but unfortunately, they didn’t quite meet our expectations. They weren’t our favorites. The seasoned fries got mixed reviews—some of us enjoyed the bold flavor, while others found them a bit too spicy.

The root beer floats were a big hit—absolutely delicious! The atmosphere was lively and welcoming, which made the overall experience even better.“

“I lived 5 min next to this place for 10 years and had never visited because it was in a golf course (Pen Park). Then during Covid I walked by and realized just how idyllic the location, tables out in the open overlooking the fields, most under tent canopies and distant enough from the course, with an additional enclosed space with heaters. And the food is just classic American fare at its finest. The sandwiches are the best in town (I've tried the major contenders, Sierra's sandwiches are simply better--her melted cheese BLT is almost as good as my mother's! Can't say anything more because she's waiting for me up there :) ). Also wraps, quesadillas, burgers, salads, and much more. Good, fresh, wholesome ingredients. Great blueberry pancakes and french toast and omelets for brunch. Very good wine at very decent prices. Great staff. Music events during spring. Open all through the year. What more can you ask? This place should be packed. Great for kids and dogs also.“

“We had an amazing dinner with friends. Highly recommend this restaurant.“

“Good food, good price and good service! 💯% recommend!“

“After a long drive from NJ to VA it was great to have a relaxing dinner. I had the Root Burger; it was delicious. My husband devoured the fish & chips and my daughter was very pleased that grilled cheese was offered on the kids menu. Kudos to our server Wendy M. who was very professional, attentive, and kind.“

“Great atmosphere and probably the best burger I’ve ever ate. I’m new to the area and was really looking for something special that reminds me of just home and I found it and more. A must to all the new travel nurses in the area.“

“Awesome“

“We highly recommend fried green tomatoes as an opener!!!!! Wowza!!!! We had a fantastic meal and the service was A1!!!!!“

“Five stars for everything. This is a neighborhood restaurant with plenty of parking. Huge selection of beers on tap and in bottles. The Desert Fire Jalapeños deserve an award. Everything else we ordered (burger, salad, flatbread) were delicious. Highly recommended.“

“We can’t say enough good things about our experience at Duner’s! We had mixed drinks, appetizers, entrees, salads, soups and dessert. There were 6 of us and we all agreed EVERYTHING was delicious! Usually at most restaurants there’s at least one thing that isn’t as great when that much is ordered, but that definitely wasn’t our experience! We each tried a bite (or more) of everything that was ordered and we couldn’t have been more impressed! The only downside is the noise level, which unfortunately we contributed to a good bit, but the staff handled our larger party with grace and patience! The excellent food and service more than makes up for the noise. Highly recommend!!“

“Hey guys, support your local businesses! Remember Canipe Brothers IS OPEN. They are maintaining a 10 patron policy, and also doing call ins and carry outs! Don’t forget your local family businesses!“

“We had an absolutely incredible dining experience at Zocalo. The presentation and quality of the food were exquisite. We started with the gazpacho, a deliciously complex blend of flavors. The scallops were perfectly seared, the octopus delightfully tender, and the salmon expertly seasoned and cooked to perfection. My personal favorite was the passion fruit dessert. The staff were kind and extremely attentive, and Chef Will even came out to greet us and inquire about our meal. I can't say enough great things about this restaurant. You won't be disappointed by a visit to Zocalo. It is now, hands down, one of my favorite restaurants I’ve ever been to!“

“My party had a total of 17, which we made a reservation days prior. once we are there and seated, the 1 waitress took our drink orders whiched took about 35 minutes. We did receive water. I sat there almost 2 hours without the drink I ordered. We placed our order which took another hour, just to be told after 35 minutes of placing the order that most of what we ordered, they were out of. Two and a half hours of being there we received biscuits which was frozen in the center. One member of our party decided to order a To Go order online. That order was ready within 25 minutes. I was absolutely disappointed in the service given and the food. We had to advocate for ourselves just to receive a rightful discount or no bill at all. During this whole process we was there a little over three hours, some without drinks. some without food. We was given pizza to take home. I don't recommend!“

“Great food and service. Look forward to returning!!“

“Whether its for a breakfast burrito or my fav salad. Always delicious & 5 stars.“

“No comments about the food, but, if you reserve a table you better double check. Yesterday was the second occasion when I had reserved a table for a special event and when I showed up on time I was told they were so busy and therefore had no table available. Not good business!“

“Awesome staff and food. Can’t wait to come back.“

“We held my sons rehearsal dinner here last night and it was great!! Everyone raved about the food and the service was top notch. Claudia was amazing as she kept everything moving and she took such good care of us. I can’t wait to go back for dinner one night.“

“We were there to see Billy Strings. After the concert we went to LW’s Livery Stable! What a great bar! The owner was so welcoming and an absolute blast! We talked about guitars and concerts! I would highly recommend and will be going back again!!“

“Rotating craft beer selections daily.“