Let me start off by saying I don't give five stars often. We walked up to the hostess and requested a table outside on a beautiful April day. Luckily they had one table available. The waiter was quick to take our order the house salad with grilled chicken. It was fresh,delicious and filled with the perfect about of topping. The chicken was favorable and the honey mustard dressing was spot on. About $20 and worth every penny. My husband ordered a cheese burger 1/2 pound juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. He mentioned one of the best burgers he's ever had. He also ordered buttered fried onion rings. He also claimed they were cooked to perfection. If you're looking for good food with amazing service this is your place. read more

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The ten (10) Citizen burger principles are simple (and considered excellent): 1. 100% local grass-fed, grass-finished beef 2. Grassfed beef looks red - so they sell them by color 3. Offer fire-cooked and flat-top burgers 4. Provide ingredients from farmers who treat employees, animals and the environment with respect 5. Custom grilled cheese sandwiches 6. In-house, hand-cut fries made daily 7. Buns locally baked and made/delivered fresh every day 8. Vegetarians are welcome ( the salads are great) 9. Bar staff are wise and love to suggest either a local draft beer, a custom cocktail or a nice glass of red wine 10. They believe in good food, cold drinks and common ground. read more

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My best friend and I hiked Humpback Rock this past weekend. We were looked for a filling meal after the hike and were craving burgers. Citizen Burger has been here a while, I remember coming with my best friend years ago when she went to UVA. It has very 2010s millennial burger joint vibes in a nostalgic way. I love the variety of choices they have. Know it's not a cheap spot. But it also feels like they have almost every topping option known to man. Our server was incredibly sweet. He was attentive and took our orders quickly. The seating is awkward here. The two person tables indoors are right in the middle of the restaurant and while there is enough space to move, it feels a little in the way. The music was also a bit too loud. They have seating outdoors that we probably should've taken. They have cute specials here. There were St. Patrick's day menu specials we saw. My best friend ended up getting the steakhouse and fries and ate the entire thing. I built my own burger (which beware cost adds up quickly). I got beef, bacon, garlic aioli, cheddar, iceberg, tomato, and avocado. It was all quite yummy. It was a bit pricey and overstimulating, but I would still go back if I was in the area looking for a burger. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Build your own burger: Beef, bacon, garlic aioli, cheddar, iceberg, tomato, and avocado - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

My friends and I came here for dinner on a Friday night after hanging out at Fridays After Five. We got seated right away inside, outside there would be a wait. They weren't too busy inside. There was bar seating and then seating in the booths or at tables. Good casual burger bar. For drinks I did a mojito which wasn't bad and my one friend got the Serenity cocktail. I built my own burger and had it cooked pink with lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg as my toppings. It was delicious and the hand cut fries were SO good! I ate every bite. My one friend did the mini and my other friend did the grilled cheese. I would for sure come back! read more

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Stopped before going to a concert. The restaurant was packed but we were seated quickly. The industrial decor in the restaurant is very fun. We loved their extensive drink menu, serving several local beers and ciders. I had the Little Blue. Man oh man it was delicious. But the real star of the show was the onion rings. Beer battered and friend to perfection, they melt in your mouth. I gave a four stars because the service was just ok. I think we saw our server 3 times- when she took our order, brought our food, and when she brought her check. But the food was so out of this world, it was worth it. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Little Bleu with Beer-Battered Onion Rings - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is a 4 star burger place. Not 5 stars. 3 would be a little unfair. This place could win the award for having the best looking burgers. They look tremendous. Massive. I wish they tasted as good as they looked. They tasted good. Just not "life changing". Maybe it's missing some seasoning. Not sure. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Great location. Love that they offer indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Hotness. Just with bacon instead of chili. - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Smack dab in the center of the Charlottesville downtown mall stands Citizen Burger Bar. Sit inside. But better to grab an outdoor table if weather permits. Great people watching. Great for pets. Oh, and did I mention the food? We split a wedge salad. Nicely sized. Our server, Hollan, had the presence to bring the salad with two plates. Then, we went with the Swiss mushroom burger. We ordered it medium, with gluten free potato roll (yes, there's an upcharge) and their "special sauce" on the side. And that's exactly what he delivered with a huge side of fries. And of course, two plates and a sharp knife. My ice tea was kept filled. Service was attentive without being annoying. Particularly impressive, as Citizen Burger Bar is hopping. Downtown CVille has a lot going for it and CBB is a big part of it. read more

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If you are visiting Charlottesville on your way to visit Monticello like I was and in the mood for a burger this is a great spot to hit. It is located in the very cool downtown mall area and is very cool. The restaurant has a fun vibe and lots of outside seating that would be great during warmer weather parts of the year. They have a very big bar area with lots of drink options. For my meal i went with the Smokehouse Burger and i upgraded to the onion rings. The onion ring are very clearly house made beer battered onion rings and very crispy and thick. They were very good but were missing just a little something to be over the top awesome. The burger was great. All my favorites with shoestring onions and cheese and BBQ sauce. The burger was tasty. It is grass fed beef so a little more taste of nature in the beef compared to corn fed beef but serious quality. They had dessert options but i stayed strong and didn't partake but the carrot cake sounded good. I recommend and the staff was great. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Menu - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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The biggest bowl of truffle fries I've ever had! Really appreciated the waitress telling us how big it would be - so we were able to skip the fries with our burgers. Burgers were delish too! Plus, a great drink menu! We enjoyed the patio dining on a nice spring night! read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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75 for two burgers ! Not worth it ! Great service , great food and great atmosphere ! No mistakes But $75 for two hamburgers ! read more

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Great place! Vincent was a wonderful server!-attentive and friendly-he was great and the food was very good- bonus of having good portions of fries and Burger-we could barely finish. Worth going to Main St-good daily deal as well. read more

Citizen Burger in Charlottesville delivered an uneven experience, with lackluster service and underwhelming food that did not live up to its strong reputation in town. Service * Service felt subpar, as basic items like napkins and flatware were not brought proactively and had to be requested, which detracted from the overall experience. * Given that the restaurant positions itself as a popular downtown burger spot, the inattentiveness from the staff fell short of expectations for this type of venue. Food quality * The initial iceberg lettuce was anemic and limp, suggesting poor quality control leaving the kitchen, though the replacement was green, crisp, and much more in line with what a premium burger bar should serve. * The burger itself did not have much flavor, and the bun was dry, which is disappointing considering the restaurant emphasizes high-quality, grass-fed beef and local buns on its menu and marketing. Overall impression While Citizen Burger is often promoted as one of Charlottesville's go-to burger spots, the combination of inattentive service and mediocre execution on a simple burger made this visit underwhelming. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Left is replacement lettuce and right shows what came on burger - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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My son and I went to dinner and catch a sporting event on a Saturday afternoon around 4 pm. We enjoyed our time at the bar, and the service was fantastic. We both found the burger delicious and worth the price. It was our second visit, and it was just as wonderful as our first time. read more

I have decided to give this place a new review. Per usual the food is spectacular. I have to say they make the absolute best onion rings I have ever tried. An absolute must on their menu. Love sitting outside at this venue. If you are ever around for cvilles Fridays after 5 this is the best location to enjoy a meal. read more

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Such incredible food and even better service! Shoutout to my guy Hollan for being so kind and helpful! My wallet isn't happy with me but my stomach definitely is :) also great playlist! read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Wild Mushroom & Swiss Burger - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I was on a mission to find the best burger in Charlottesville, and Citizen Burger Bar came up as the top pick--and wow, it absolutely lived up to the hype. Everything about our visit was fantastic. The star of the show was the Citizen Burger itself: stacked with fresh, flavorful ingredients and topped off with a crispy fried pickle that was a delicious surprise. I swapped out the fries for onion rings, and it was totally worth it--perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. The location couldn't be better--right in the heart of downtown Charlottesville, on the pedestrian mall full of charm, energy, and people-watching. It really captures the vibe of the town and the university. One huge bonus: they're extremely dog-friendly. They brought out a big bowl of cold water for our two pups without us even asking--such a thoughtful touch! My wife ordered the beet salad and loved every bite. We also appreciated the cold bottle of water left at the table to keep our glasses topped off--small detail, but it made the whole experience feel that much more relaxed and attentive. From start to finish, this was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences we've had in a while. Great food, awesome atmosphere, and top-notch service. Highly recommend--easily a five-star spot! read more

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The most important thing, the food, was fantastic. Local and grass fed beef with flavor is what you'll get. If you'd like to lose some weight, you just might being that it didn't feel like any air conditioning was on, nor any air circulation inside. I would recommend sitting on the outdoor patio. I would eat here again since the food was so good. We sat at the bar and our bartender was great but was dealing with many people which attributed to a slight delay in service but we weren't overly bothered by that. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Make your own burger-chicken with sweet potato fries - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Huge burgers! Great service and atmosphere. Started with the fried pickles - delicious! Got the southern burger for dinner. The Pimento cheese was good, but I wish it wasn't so cold on my burger. Everyone else enjoyed their burgers too. Will be back when I return to Cville! read more

Citizen Burger Bar - The Southern burger - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Absolutely fantastic burger, maybe the best I've ever had! Thick, juicy, and cooked perfectly. Staff is friendly and speedy too. Highly recommend read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Service was good, burgers were great. Hubs wasn't impressed with the fries, but the sweet potato fries were good. Don't get the coffee! It was not good! read more

Found ourselves in Charlottesville, Virginia on a road trip. It was a Tuesday so a lot of places were closed, but this burger bar was open and by 6:30 PM it was packed! There is a large bar, a good amount of seating, and a few window seats, which is where we ended up right before the rush! The service was friendly and it's always fun to strike up a conversation when they ask if you've been there before. We ordered the southern burger and the executive burger with fries and a salad. The burgers were fantastic and what you would expect from a burger bar, slightly higher quality meat and hearty! The fries were perfection, crispy and seasoned on the outside soft on the inside. I also ordered the love potion number five cocktail, and I'm usually good with a high level of spice, however, I found this to be even too spicy for me. Instant heartburn. Overall, this was an enjoyable stop on our road trip! Paid parking lot parking around the strip within walking distance. read more

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Nice burger place in historic downtown C'Ville. The hostess sat us immediately, whereupon I commenced to try their beer menu. Nick was a fantastic server. He was all over it. To eat I ordered their Citizen Burger and fries, both were awesome. The fries were hot and a great blend of crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, with just the right amount of salt or flavor. The burger slinger cooked it just like I had asked at medium rare. The weekday dinner crowd wasn't too bad. The beer was good and Nick's selections were on point for a Texan tasting the local brews. My buddy's turkey burger was just as good. She didn't meddle much with it. Solid burgers, great beer, awesome staff. read more

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Okay this review isn't about burgers. The fried pickles are just 3 big spears and extremely greasy... do not recommend bc of the grease. I got a Caesar salad. Has the potential to be amazing. The salmon was good and so was the romaine lettuce. However, the dressing had zero flavor. It was the strangest thing. I don't know if it's because they put anchovies on top of the salad, but even if so, the dressing should taste like Caesar. read more

Burgers were amazing!' We loved the sweet potato fries and it had a huge patio area so our dog was allowed to come too which was super convenient after a trail run with her in the mountains. Definitely recommend this place if you want a good burger! read more

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Awesome Burger spot @ the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville VA. Inside & outdoor seating. Great sports bar feel w/ one of a kind selection of Burgers, Sandwiches, Apps & Toppings - plus a huge variety of beers/drinks w/ local options. I sat at the bar & was greet promptly by the bartender - Jules. She didn't smile much but even though I wasn't drinking, she still made sure I was well taken care of which doesn't always happen at other spots. I was eating light tonight, so I ordered the house salad. Kinda pricey at $12 but was large enough for 2 people (see pic). I also ordered the home favorite Grilled Cheese. It was packed w/ 3 different specialty cheeses & arugula on a sunflower wheat. So amazing I forgot to take a pic All in all, I will definitely swing back by the next time I'm in town & try one of those specialty Burgers read more

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Best Hamburger and the atmosphere was great. We went after the UVA vs Syracuse game and really enjoyed ourselves.

Last month, my husband and I visited Citizen Burger for the second time, and it did not disappoint us. It was just as good as our first visit about two years ago. This time, we started with the crispy fried pickles, which are somewhat different from those at other restaurants because they serve them cut in half. They were delicious! My husband ordered the Citizen Burger, which comes with a variety of flavors, including black onion, garlic aioli, and a fried pickle on top. Be warned: it is a big burger! I opted for the Steakhouse Burger, which features tasty cheddar cheese, bacon, and onion straws. I substituted the brioche bun with lettuce to make it a little healthier. I loved it! As if the burgers weren't big enough, they are served with hand-cut Citizen fries. I appreciate that everything we had was freshly made. I recommend this place. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Pros: - Playlist went real HARD. Everyone at our table was dancing in our seats. - Kid friendly - Prime location on the Downtown Mall - Fries were plentiful and had lots of extra yummy crispy bits - Burgers use locally grown, hormone meat - Good for large groups Not so Greats: - Burgers were nothing special to write home about and I think it mostly has to do with their buns. They are made by a local baker but it tasted like it has been sitting on a shelf for over a week. - Service was meh - We walked in during a rainstorm and everything about the place felt dank. The table they sat us at never fully dried from when they washed it down so it felt super sticky. My husband also had to sit at the very end of the booth because the roof kept randomly leaking water onto his head. I wouldn't travel out of my way to visit here. There are lots more incredible and interesting restaurants in the Charlottesville area. read more

This has been our go-to place to bring visitors, but food and service has really gone downhill. Sitting outside is nice, nice umbrella. Our server was very poor service. Beer was warm, could not catch waitress attention. She never scanned her tables to see if we needed anything. I had to ask another server to send her to our table. It still took an unacceptable length of time to get our drinks. When the food did come, we had no tableware or napkins and had to catch her again. The food was not as we remembered it. The burger falls apart in your hand, bun soggy. Fries were fragments of fries about 1" long and limp. Waste of money. read more

The burger was amazing but the fries were way too salty. Sweet potato fries were great.

everything was burnt, my son never got his lemonade that we paid for, I never got my sweetener, the fries did not have any seasoning, the onion rings were burnt and greasy, the burgers fell apart, and the atmosphere was not desirable. I would not recommend. read more

I got the truffle fries. It's like they gave me the last of the fries because they were all short. And maybe a couple long ones. I asked one of the guys for ranch and he didn't bring it. The ambience was good. read more

Nice large bar and restaurant in the heart of downtown Charlottesville. The location is directly across from the Paramount Theatre which makes it very convenient to grab some pre-show eats. The bar is huge. The bartenders attentive. Good beer selection. The food was very good and the atmosphere perfect for a Saturday night out. read more

Stopped in here for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon with a group of 5. The place was a little busy but not packed. We were sat quickly but after that service was very slow and we barely saw our waitress. The food was great, I tried the mini smash burger with fries and both were flavorful and the perfect amount of food! As long as you have time to wait, this is a great place to stop in for a yummy burger! read more

The service was great, all the servers were very nice. We loved the music playing, good playlist to whoever put it on. I got the grilled cheese- It was okay. It fell apart so maybe next time I try different bread instead of whole grain and there was a cheese in there that wasn't fully melted, just not the best. I upgraded to sweet potato fries (not pictured) and those were AWESOME with the garlic aioli dipping side. My husband got the chicken and he said it was very good and the fries were crispy. Overall I definitely suggest trying it out. We will be going back, I'll just be trying something different. read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Grilled Cheese #1 - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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This is the second time I've been to this place and both times it disappointed - for the same reason. The bun for the burger falls apart so no matter how hard you try, you're eating the last bites of the burger with a fork. Also, the fries come in little tiny pieces - it's like they fall apart in the fryer. Pretty underwhelming place to have a burger read more

The food was actually edible guess it or not and you're never gonna believe this but the food actually tasted like food! Five stars much appreciate read more

Such a fun restaurant! Location & atmosphere: The downtown mall area is so great and it definitely adds to the experience here! The restaurant is somewhat narrow but goes back so far. They have really large booths that are great for big groups but you still feel like you have your own space! Drinks/ food I got a bold rock IPA (local to cville). the cocktails are a little pricy at $14 but the beers and ciders are around $6/8. I got the citizen burger with sweet potato fries ($2 upcharge). Good burger but was a little messy and difficult to eat (the bun fell apart before I was finished with it). But overall good flavor and pretty good fries. My friend was gluten free, and they have a gluten free bun available for $2 up-charge. They were unable to make the fries gluten free because of cross contamination with the oil, but she was able to get a side salad; they didn't have any other gf side options than that. Not the best burger and fries I've ever had, but I really like this place for the atmosphere! read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Citizen burger with sweet potato fries - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The only problem with YELP is the search function. For instance, I'll try to find a place that serves a chocolate malt and the results have to be sifted with a fine tooth comb. Lots of places that don't even serve shakes come up. Citizen burger was intriguing, with a significant volume of good reviews. The folks up front were very friendly. The place has the feel of an old pub. Ordered the steakhouse burger, onion rings and a lager. The burger was amazing. While tall, the bun was substantial enough to support the pile of ground beef, bacon, cheese and shoestring onions. The onion rings were unlike anything I've had before. Not coarse but smooth batter. The onions were done perfectly and surprisingly juicy. Beer was cold and refreshing. Bathrooms very clean as I washed up. Lots of screens, most above the bar. Natalie took my order quickly and efficiently. She checked on me regularly. Another great find. Thanks Yelp! Oh - even better! On my way out I let one of the hosts know I'd found the place through Yelp as I was in search of a chocolate malt. I asked, "Do you even have shakes?" "No. But right across the way at Chaps, you may find one. And there is another place nearby (I didn't catch the name of the business) it has a lot of old fashioned items." Very helpful recommendation. I did indeed have a great chocolate malt at Chaps! Thank you, Citizen Burger Bar! read more

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We were so thankful to find this large, buzzy burger spot with plenty of TVs on the Downtown Mall to watch some March Madness! We had just eaten dinner, so we didn't order any food (though everything the people around us were eating looked delish), but they had a great list of beers on tap, and the bartender was super attentive and welcoming. Would absolutely come back to try their burgers and enjoy the atmosphere! read more

Citizen Burger Bar - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia