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!“

“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!!“

“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.“

“Tonic, a hidden gem of Cville?

Tonic so far has not failed us. Early in the pandemic it was hit and miss, however we have gone back for brunch and dinner. So, its the kind of place that you should know about. The atmosphere, if you're sitting outdoor, its lovely especially in the fall, spring or winter cool, the cocktails are inventive, and selective. I personal am not a Gin fan, however they do have a different drink for everyone. Tequila, whiskey, vodka and an Aperol spritz. Also, drinks are reasonable for Cville. NOW, the food! Absolutely delicious.

I ordered the spicy chicken sandwich, and not your average sandwich. They use a juicy, chicken thigh that’s perfectly seasoned and fried to perfection. I think double or triple breaded. SO MUCH CRUNCH FACTOR like, audible-in-a-quiet-room kind of crunch. The spice level hits a sweet and bold spice, just enough to wake up your taste buds, but balanced.

The staff is very nice, however if a large party is there just be prepared, because they do the best they can, with what they have.

if you got this far, sorry for no photos. I'm the person that will usually leave my phone at home, so I can have more engaging with my guest. Cheers everyone!“

“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!“

“Wonderful food in a lovely environment- beautiful fireplace and bar in a cozy setting. The service was top notch and the quality of food was fitting to the price. I really enjoyed my cocktail made complimentary by our server - so sweet! Will definitely return.“

“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.“

“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.“

“We have been celebrating my daughter’s living anniversary at Ivy Inn for the past 3 years. Food is exceptional and wait service is golden.“

“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!“

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

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

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

“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!“

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

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

“Great food. Beautiful outdoor atmosphere.“

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

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

“Fantastic food, great atmosphere. 10/10 recommend. Their trivia night is a blast and their vegan and non-vegan offering has something for everyone.“

“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“

“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)!!“

“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!!!!“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“Awesome“

“The wife liked it but not my kids. Tbf though my kids are almost 4 and 7 and are picky. We all loved the self service juices. My kids got a kick out of mixing them and trying the different flavors.
I snuck next door and grabbed some mission bbq to go (ask for the south Carolina zing sauce) and we all ate at Cava. There is also a Texas roadhouse next door. Would recommend if you are trying to please an herbivore and carnivore and 2 picky small Dreikäsehochs. OH! Parking is tight more times than not. More parking in the back next to Texas roadhouse.“

“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.“

“STH offers a dependable menu of steaks, sandwiches, salads, and burgers. We recently went hoping for brunch, but since it’s not offered on Saturdays, we ordered from the lunch menu (the strawberry beet salad looked especially tempting). The dessert list sticks with classics like apple tart, brownie sundae, and cheesecake; we tried the chocolate cake, which was satisfying. Overall, this is a good choice for anyone who wants familiar, well-prepared American standards.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“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!!“

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

“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!“

“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 had the best experience at Aberdeen Barn. The Oysters, Filet Minion and NY Strip steak was cooked to perfection! I have never had a steak that was cooked perfectly to what I ordered. The waiter Mike was outstanding. He was attentive to us and he anticipated our needs before we knew what we may have wanted. The entire staff was attentive to our needs so we had no wants. I would highly recommend this 5 Star restaurant for the wonderful staff and delicious food!“

“Rotating craft beer selections daily.“

“We love First Watch in Charlottesville!!“

“We have dined at many Charlottesville restaurants over the years, but always come back to our favorite casual dining place, The Local. Great food, service and beverages. It’s like a fun family get together!“

“Lobster bisque was yummy! Pimento with chips and bread also delish!
Food came out without silverware. Inexperience server but that’s more the establishments prerogative…
lively- Lovely ambience! Affiliated with DAVE MATTHEWS from Dave Matthew Band, On a nice strip on mall. Outside seating is available.“

“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.“

“My partner and I really enjoyed our dinner and drinks Sunday night. The cocktails were some of the best we've had in Virginia and the wings were top tier too. Staff is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is upscale and elegant yet still cozy. Will be back!“