50 Best American Restaurants in Charlottesville

“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.“

“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!“

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

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

“Great food. Beautiful outdoor 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!!“

“I love EVERYTHING about The Jervey! We dine out a lot and this is the best meal we've had in a restaurant in a long time. It has a great setting and vibe, but more importantly, the food was delicious and cooked perfectly. The staff is friendly, professional and enthusiastic about the menu. We have already booked for our next trips to Charlottesville.“

“good food, good portions, good people. expect to wait in line to be served.“

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

“I've tried another diner that got rave reviews from people I know. And I was sadly disappointed. In the past I've done take out here. I had my little one with me so I did fine in. Sam's Kitchen has the best omelets and chicken sandwich and my favorite crinkle fries. They are child friendly the waitress brought over a coloring book so my little grand daughter could color. Our waitress was and is very friendly and sweet. We will be going back there to dine. I want to try other menu options I know everything on the menu will be just as delicious I can't wait.“

“The Wool Factory is such an incredible wedding venue, and it was an absolute joy to photograph a wedding there. The combination of the historic architecture, beautiful grounds, and thoughtfully preserved character makes it such a unique and beautiful setting for a wedding.

What stood out to me just as much as the venue itself was how wonderful the team was to work with. Everyone was welcoming, professional, and genuinely helpful throughout the day, which makes such a difference for a wedding vendor. You can tell there is a tremendous amount of care that goes into creating a seamless experience for couples and their guests.

As a photographer, I loved having so many beautiful spaces and textures to work with while still feeling like the venue had so much authentic character. It photographs beautifully without feeling overly designed or staged.

The Wool Factory is truly one of those places that feels both historic and elevated while still being warm and inviting. I would absolutely love to photograph there again!
- Rebecca Crosby Photography“

“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 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“

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

“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.“

“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.“

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

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

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

“Awesome“

“Great food, affordable drinks friendly staff.“

“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!“

“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!“

“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!.“

“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)!!“

“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.“

“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!“

“I came with a group of 15+ people and our service was AMAZING. Our reservation was for 8 pm and the food came out extremely fast and the servers were all amazing (especially Vincent!). The food was amazing as well. Will be coming back again.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

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

“We had dinner on Sunday night. We did not know in advance but Sunday is “Prime Rib” night. We started sharing Shrimp Tempura. Excellent! Followed with a Wedge Salad. Good, not much you can do to elevate a wedge salad. We both had Prime Rib and a side of mushrooms. Whipped potato’s, carrots, and Yorkshire pudding were accompaniments for the Prime Rib. The side of mushrooms was the perfect enhancement. Finished with the Chocolate Tort for the wife and a simple scoop of ice cream for me. An excellent dinner. Far above expectations!“

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

“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.“

“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 love First Watch in Charlottesville!!“

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

“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!!“

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

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the actual place itself. It’s just hit or miss sometimes with the people it attracts. All of the bartenders are very lovely and wonderful. Especially Miss Anna. The first floor has very classy warm vibes, but the third floor is a little bit sketchy when it gets darker. If you like to rip cigarettes and do blow, the third floor is definitely for you.. but if that’s not your thing, I would steer clear. But the bottom floor is absolutely wonderful.!! I would absolutely go just for the first floor very beautiful, very rustic very classy.“

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

“We had a wonderful experience at Tastings of Charlottesville’s wine dinner on 2/24, as a belated Valentine’s Day celebration. The evening focused on wines from Burgundy — specifically Côtes de Beaune and Pommard — and featured producer Domaine Rougeot.

We really love learning about wine (especially when it comes to pairing it with food) and we value educational experiences that are both insightful and free of pretension. We know that’s a delicate balance to strike, and Tastings absolutely hit the mark! 👏

The evening started with some Catsmo smoked salmon canapés, paired with one of the best traditional-method sparklings I’ve had: Vitteaut-Alberti Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs. Trust me when I say you need to get a bottle!

The first picture showcases the flight of White Burgundies with a really delicious and cozy coq au vin. Our favorite wine was the third, Domaine Rougeot’s 2022 Saint-Romain “La Combe Bazin.” The nose alone was one of the most gorgeous I’ve experienced in quite some time — truly a stunning bouquet.

The second picture is of the flight of Pinot Noirs. With the reds, we enjoyed a lovely petite tenderloin and “Ma’s Scalloped Potatoes.” Of the second flight, our favorite wine was again the third. This time, it was Domaine Rougeot’s 2022 Pommard “Clos des Roses,” a natural, organic Pinot Noir from a walled monopole vineyard.

The evening concluded with a thoughtfully-curated cheese plate, Deb’s cookie of the week (a yummy oatmeal raisin), and a delightful taste of 2016 Bouchard Père & Fils Pommard.

We *thoroughly* enjoyed ourselves! The food, wine, and company were excellent. We can’t wait to visit Tastings for another wine dinner in the future! 🥂🍷“

“Rotating craft beer selections daily.“

“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!“

“This bar is everything! They were incredibly classy and very accommodating to our large bachelorette party. Brandon was our server and he was both professional and hilarious! I absolutely recommend!“

“I think my only negative from this experience came from the fact that Open Table allowed us to reserve a table for 4:45 even though the restaurant closes at 5pm on Wednesday. Our server/bartender took it in stride and made sure out table had a great dining experience. The cocktails were fantastic, the food portions were huge and Alexander checked in with us several times throughout the meal and made us feel welcomed.“