Service was excruciatingly slow. We sat fo about 15 minutes with no contact and had to seek help from the person taking reservations. When our food came, the fries were tepid at best, the steak ordered by one of the members at our table was raw rather than rare, and when it was sent back, it came back piled on a plate well done. The server disappeared after the meal was served (by a different employee) and never cycled back to check to see how our meals were. One member of our party had to seek help from the reservations desk to find the server and send the steak back. No one ever asked if we needed refills on drinks and the one beer that was ordered as a refill had to be retrieved from the bar by the person who ordered it because the server disappeared after placing the drink order There was nothing about this meal that was pleasant except for the company with my fellow diner.
Jeanne
Food was fabulous! Had the skillet cornbread, gumbo, halibut and pumpkin ravioli special, and the iron steak and fries, along with an Old Fashioned and a Pineapple/Lime Martini; finished with the carrot cake. Every single item was wonderful, and we would have liked to extend our stay in Charlottesville just to try more of the menu items!!
Rebecca
We went twice and both times we had a long wait for food, even though the restaurant was relatively empty and when we went for a late lunch, our server completely disappeared and we were told that he left and we had trouble getting somebody to figure out how to bring us a check so we could leave. The food was pretty good and the restaurant looked clean overall, but we felt like we were on our own when it came to delivery for our food and for our check.
Tess Resman
The Ridley is truly exceptional. We were staying at The Draftsman for a UVA weekend, and the team at The Ridley went above and beyond for us on two separate nights. On the first night, the staff — including their wonderful manager, Tawanna — helped me with a personal last-minute request late in the evening. They absolutely didn’t have to, but they stepped in with kindness and professionalism. The very next night, when I stopped by looking for matches for our tailgate sternos, the bartender and a member of the waitstaff immediately offered their own personal lighters so I could get everything going.
Their warmth, generosity, and genuine willingness to help left a huge impression. Add in great food, welcoming energy, and a team that truly cares about guests, and it’s easy to see why this place is a standout in Charlottesville.
Huge thanks to Tawanna and the entire staff — The Ridley is a gem. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa
Restaurant was very nice and clean. Staff was very friendly and polite. Food was delicious!
Olga
We visited for brunch on Sunday during parents weekend, so we expected it to be busy, and it certainly was. While we appreciate that the staff was working hard to manage the volume, the overall experience fell short. The coffee was barely warm, the food was OK but again nothing particularly memorable. It felt that they struggled to keep up with the demand.
CC
Such a lovely restaurant! The food is good and consistent. There is nothing particular that we crave here - but decent offerings that are consistent with a hotel brand. Service could be so much better. On each visit, the server we were assigned was overwhelmed, hurried, and distracted. On the most recent visit when the server kept forgetting to bring us our morning coffee, she said "we ran out of coffee" as a fellow server poured coffee for her guests behind her.
Michael
Service was bad. They ran out of certain dishes. Took too long to serve us and inexperienced server. Food, price and ambience was good.
David
Long wait for food during UVA parents weekend wait until 3:00 for the lunch/dinner menu on a Saturday
MrMixmaster31
This place was a gem, the food was great the service was excellent. I will come back to dine here.
Nice upscale casual vibe. We ate at the bar. Service was good. Good variety on menu from full diner to handheld. Shrip tacos, Cobb salad and gumbo were all good. Had 2 drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emily Spradley
Amazing food. The cornbread was warm and moist. The pasta was also very very good; the chicken was slightly dry, but the sauce was wonderful. My boyfriend ordered the short-rib, and it might be the best I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Great experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
keturah
Greens were heavy on the vinegar, the mashed sweets could use a tad bit more vanilla and brown sugar, the fried chicken had some pink and the gravy was very thick. However the salmon was well made, along with the pasta, and the cheesecake was tasty. Our waitress was nice!
lisa sereyka
The quality of the food was very disappointing. The new Halibut dish was dry and the pumpkin ravioli was 'off'. The service was very good. The restaurant has great potential. Hiwever, they have to pay attention to the basics, hot, fresh, well prepared food served as soon as it is prepared.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Francois
Service was not great on that day; we barely saw our waitress so cocktails were delivered late etc
Service was excruciatingly slow. We sat fo about 15 minutes with no contact and had to seek help from the person taking reservations. When our food came, the fries were tepid at best, the steak ordered by one of the members at our table was raw rather than rare, and when it was sent back, it came back piled on a plate well done. The server disappeared after the meal was served (by a different employee) and never cycled back to check to see how our meals were. One member of our party had to seek help from the reservations desk to find the server and send the steak back. No one ever asked if we needed refills on drinks and the one beer that was ordered as a refill had to be retrieved from the bar by the person who ordered it because the server disappeared after placing the drink order There was nothing about this meal that was pleasant except for the company with my fellow diner.
Food was fabulous! Had the skillet cornbread, gumbo, halibut and pumpkin ravioli special, and the iron steak and fries, along with an Old Fashioned and a Pineapple/Lime Martini; finished with the carrot cake. Every single item was wonderful, and we would have liked to extend our stay in Charlottesville just to try more of the menu items!!
We went twice and both times we had a long wait for food, even though the restaurant was relatively empty and when we went for a late lunch, our server completely disappeared and we were told that he left and we had trouble getting somebody to figure out how to bring us a check so we could leave. The food was pretty good and the restaurant looked clean overall, but we felt like we were on our own when it came to delivery for our food and for our check.
The Ridley is truly exceptional. We were staying at The Draftsman for a UVA weekend, and the team at The Ridley went above and beyond for us on two separate nights. On the first night, the staff — including their wonderful manager, Tawanna — helped me with a personal last-minute request late in the evening. They absolutely didn’t have to, but they stepped in with kindness and professionalism.
The very next night, when I stopped by looking for matches for our tailgate sternos, the bartender and a member of the waitstaff immediately offered their own personal lighters so I could get everything going.
Their warmth, generosity, and genuine willingness to help left a huge impression. Add in great food, welcoming energy, and a team that truly cares about guests, and it’s easy to see why this place is a standout in Charlottesville.
Huge thanks to Tawanna and the entire staff — The Ridley is a gem. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurant was very nice and clean. Staff was very friendly and polite. Food was delicious!
We visited for brunch on Sunday during parents weekend, so we expected it to be busy, and it certainly was. While we appreciate that the staff was working hard to manage the volume, the overall experience fell short. The coffee was barely warm, the food was OK but again nothing particularly memorable. It felt that they struggled to keep up with the demand.
Such a lovely restaurant! The food is good and consistent. There is nothing particular that we crave here - but decent offerings that are consistent with a hotel brand. Service could be so much better. On each visit, the server we were assigned was overwhelmed, hurried, and distracted. On the most recent visit when the server kept forgetting to bring us our morning coffee, she said "we ran out of coffee" as a fellow server poured coffee for her guests behind her.
Service was bad. They ran out of certain dishes. Took too long to serve us and inexperienced server. Food, price and ambience was good.
Long wait for food during UVA parents weekend wait until 3:00 for the lunch/dinner menu on a Saturday
This place was a gem, the food was great the service was excellent. I will come back to dine here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice upscale casual vibe. We ate at the bar. Service was good. Good variety on menu from full diner to handheld. Shrip tacos, Cobb salad and gumbo were all good. Had 2 drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food. The cornbread was warm and moist. The pasta was also very very good; the chicken was slightly dry, but the sauce was wonderful. My boyfriend ordered the short-rib, and it might be the best I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Great experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Greens were heavy on the vinegar, the mashed sweets could use a tad bit more vanilla and brown sugar, the fried chicken had some pink and the gravy was very thick. However the salmon was well made, along with the pasta, and the cheesecake was tasty. Our waitress was nice!
The quality of the food was very disappointing. The new Halibut dish was dry and the pumpkin ravioli was 'off'.
The service was very good. The restaurant has great potential. Hiwever, they have to pay attention to the basics, hot, fresh, well prepared food served as soon as it is prepared.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Service was not great on that day; we barely saw our waitress so cocktails were delivered late etc
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