This was not only the best Mexican I've had in years but also one of the best meals in a restaurant that I've had in years. The only hard part is finding it- no sign just the name written on a brick outside the restaurant! We had nachos- amazing and a variety of entrees- all delicious. Wait staff amazing- I'm from out of town or else I'd come back tomorrow!! read more

I went here for dinner last night. This is not a place you'd notice unless you were looking for it, & even then you might miss it. Look for it right across the street from the Amtrak station parking lot, between a pawn shop & a tailor. You will probably have to wait for seating as even at 9:00 on a Wednesday night all of the booths were taken & most of the barstools were occupied, but we were fortunate to arrive just after a table up front opened up. The menu consisted of pseudo-gourmet Americanized Mexican food - I do mean this in the best possible way. My friend & I split the Texas Hummus starter, which consisted of hummus & parti-color tortilla chips. The hummus was decent, the chips better than what you find at many Tex-Mex places, though at over $4 it seemed a bit overpriced. For the entrée I ordered one of the specials of the night: steak empanadas topped with cilantro crema & served with rice & black beans. It was excellent! Will gladly return. read more

Get. In. Here. Great food, drinks, and people. The black bean veggie nachos blow my mind even though there are so many toppings, I can never find a chip to start my dining escapade. Get here early on non-school nights. It gets crowded fast and you can expect to wait an hour to be seated. Don't have time to wait? Just wait an hour and the place will have plenty of seating. read more

As an undergrad, i really really loved this place. It was always full, the food was good and cheap, and the margaritas were excellent. Going back this past weekend, im not nearly as awestruck. Reading the t-shirts that say "to small, too crowded, too noisy, too bad", I've replaced my "ha, so true!" snicker with a more contemplative "you know, it really is all those things, and it kinda blows". What also blows is I discovered that the margaritas I used to really love are made with the most vile tequila known to man...Montezuma. You know, the tequila that comes in those huge plastic handles with an atrocious Aztec calendar on the label; you usually find it at fratty-frat tailgates often ignored till everyone is drunk enough (and out of bourbon) to commence with the stomach churning, retch enducing montezuma shots. Followed invariably by the montezuma runs. In fact, I posit that the reason so many people hate tequila shots is because they spent their formative tequila drinking years downing shots of montezuma... and it's impossible to regain trust of any tequila if Monty's is your introduction to the genre. So, after trying to drink a house margarita, I gave up in disgust and upgraded to the herradura...better but 9 bucks. ouch. The fish tacos were OK, not as flavorful as I would have liked. My friend's tuna tostada was just as delicious as ever. Despite my expensive drink, the total was 24 a person, which is a damn good deal. I probably wouldn't wait so long again for such a "meh" meal, but if you have the patience and aren't expecting great things...go fer it. read more

My favorite restaurant in Charlottesville! Best enchiladas I've ever had. Ever. The Santa Fe Enchiladas are made with yellow and blue corn tortillas layered with grilled chicken and cheese, topped with a spicy chipotle sauce and drizzled with cilantro crema, served with beans, rice, and a pumpkin muffin. The enchiladas are so tender and flavored perfectly! The pumpkin muffin is rather moist, too :) Five stars. The Red Hot Blues appetizer was pretty good, too: blue corn chips topped with goat cheese, jack cheese, and red onions. Yummy app, though I feel like the flavor combo isn't as balanced as the rest of their food. Four stars. I really love their homemade hot sauces! The Wait-A-Minute sauce is hot and slightly sweet, and tastes great on the beans and rice. The Danger sauce is extremely hot, and really well flavored. It's way too hot for me, but if you enjoy burning off your taste buds, this is your sauce! During busy times, expect a wait! Friendly and fast servers when you're seated, though. And $2 PBR. read more

Continental Divide was by far the worst Mexican food my husband and I have ever had. We're completely dumbfounded by all the rave reviews of this place. The tuna in the tuna tostada was very bland and tasted like it had gone off. After a few bites, I felt like I was going to be sick. My husband, not wanting to see food gone uneaten, tried eating the rest and also found the tuna to taste foul. We both are normally quite fond of tuna. The sauce on the tostada was flavorless and similarly uninspired. My husband got the beef tacos. The brisket was flavorless and the only other ingredients were store-bought shredded cheese and shredded iceberg lettuce. He had to specifically request salsa, so it would have any taste whatsoever. The salad we ordered for an appetizer was literally just mixed greens with some dressing. If this place ever used to try, they've sure stopped! TIP: The historic downtown mall (a long pedestrian street) has far better bets. read more

Pork tacos are to die for. Best margaritas in Charlottesville. Also, try the Tomatillo Salad. Great restaurant if you can find it.

Delicious. The tuna tostada is awesome. The bison chili and goat cheese on the nachos is awesome. The margaritas are awesome. Oh yeah, and the price is awesome. Be ready for a wait because it gets crowded, but your wallet and stomach will thank you. read more

The sign has always screamed to me, GET IN HERE! After years, and hearing numerous raves about this place, I finally decided to try it. We got there around 8 on a Thursday night and we had to wait about 20 some minutes for a table. I'm not a fan of waiting but we grab seats and a drink at the bar so it wasn't that big of a deal. My friend and I tried the chips with goat cheese, jack cheese, and onions as well as the pork tacos. The chips were just okay. I thought they were a bit overpriced (6.5) for what they were. The tacos were pretty good...nothing authentic but it was flavorful and the portions were huge. Prices are great and the atmosphere is fun. I wouldn't wait more than 20-30 minutes for this place but it is fun and good. That being said, I am definitely glad I got in here! read more

Favorite place to get nachos and margaritas. Large selection of tequilas. Always pleased with the food even if you don't get nachos. Hot sauces made in house are great on everything! It's loud, there's usually a wait and it's small, but that's what makes this place so wonderful-it's always been like that! Still, it's a perfectly fine place to bring the family, but no whining! read more

Carne asada was great, margaritas were the best and it was fine to go with kids at 5pm but I wouldn't go any later.

This place was completely overrated. The fajitas were bland and didn't come with cheese, sour cream, or Pico de gallo. It was a very small portion, too. We ordered nachos and black beans and while it was a good portion, it didn't have much on it. We were very disappointed. read more

One of my favorite places in town. Nothing too fancy but the food is always good and so reasonably priced you can afford to go on a whim! Can be crowded due to its small size but that's only because the food is so good! Highly recommend the tuna tostada and if they are offering the bacon catfish tacos as a special they are to die for as well. read more

Consistently strong food and margs. Not cheap and greasy like El Puerto, complex like Mono Loco or the now defunct Ventana, or fill-you-up satisfying like the Guads. That said, a high point in the downtown food scene that is always packed with locals. read more

Found it; and glad I did...Had an early dinner here while on business travel to Charlottesville last week. It is small and got pretty busy quickly. I sat at the bar solo and enjoyed a Margarita w/ a high end tequila recommended by the friendly and knowledgeable bartender. I ordered the spinach and mushroom enchilada...sitting on a bed of rice and beans. I tried it with some mango (?) hot sauce brought to my attention, Excellent...I will return. read more

Food was great! We got red hot blues nacho app, house margaritas, and i had the chicken enchiladas. Pumpkin muffin was awesome. Waitress was pretty good, except she disappeared after we ate and took too long to bring the check. All in all a great place to go for mexican. It is small so you may have to wait at the dinner hour. We waited about 15 minutes at the bar. read more

A hip Charlottesville version of Tex-Mex. The menu has a jaded waitress' attitude (as in, "Don't even think about asking to split checks") which is either cute or annoying, depending on your mood. But the food was mostly on the money--the spinach & mushroom enchiladas were really good, and the fried tomatillo salad was killer...but the "Texas hummus"was apparently just out of a can. read more

Ok, to everyone who's hating, take a pause. CD is not for everyone. They're shirt says it all "Too Small, Too Crowded, Too Loud, Too Bad." Yet there motto (and only signage) is "Get In Here." And they are right on the mark. So first tip to those that don't think it sounds like they're kind of joint, do as the locals do, go early, go on Tuesday and go often. The room is long and narrow, with seven or so booths along the wall, the bar and kitchen along the opposite wall and a handful of tables by the door. So yeah, small but comfortable. Decor is ecclectic with turn of the century photos of and Mexican knick knacks. Service is strong but can slow when crowded. You should get to know the waitstaff. Turn over at this place is low so the waitstaff is actually very strong and very friendly. Join that with the fact that the food staff has been prepping food since 7AM and you have a restaurant that can really hum when it hits its groove. Order the house margarita with salt. It's a smooth experience and easy to sip or slurp. Now I'll be honest, I haven't explored the menu, though some people I know have. I hear great things about the Tuna Tostada and the Chili. They have some sort of Bison event and their specials are all very enticing. Here's the thing. I'm addicted to two of their dishes. The Red Hot and Blues. This mountain of blue and red corn chips, pico de gallo and goat cheese is heaven. Like all good dishes in a crowded loud restaurant, when these hit the table all conversation stops till the plate is clean. Additional sour cream and salsa on the side supplements, and to be fair the amount of toppings started to trend down around the start of the economic downturn, but if that means they don't have to raise the prices too high, I'm fine with it. Then . . . The Santa Fe Enchilada. Amongst my friends, that phrase is like a calming prayer. Knowing that it exists and awaits our consumption soothes any anxiety and worry. More than twenty-four hours before arriving at your table, the preparation for the meal begins. The chicken is cooked slowly for an entire day before being placed between to tortillas with cheese and additional spices, then smothered in CD's incredible red sauce. Served on the side are black beans and rice, and custom requires dumping these right on to the plate and adding one of CD's special sauces (by request only). If you're feeling brave you can go with "Danger," a special blend that I swear is just chopped habanero. For a more mellowed experience there's "Wait A Minute," which is basically "Danger" but with mango which some how delays and tempers the spice. Either way, the mix of the well spiced chicken, cheese, red sauce and add-on is an incredible experience in the mouth. This is not haute cuisine. This is not hipster fare. This is good flavors, well combined. CD offers a last tasty treat to Santa Fe orderers, a perfect pumpkin muffin, with which to sop up any left over red sauce (if there's any left over). All in all, I can't imagine eating anywhere else while in Charlottesville, and this place and this dish have ruined me to other Tex-Mex joints. If they ever close down, I will pay any price for the recipe. read more

I love to come here with friends - often a long wait though and for some reason each time I stray from the quesadilla I am a bit disappointed. read more

A great Mexican restaurant, I've loved it every time I've been. As the review say, it is very small, so it may be hard getting a seat.

This use to be one of my all time favorite places. For probably 15 years my husband and I have been coming here on just certain occasions. We would have come more but it isn't close to where we live. In all this time, the food has always been consistently good until last time. I loved their Thai Chicken Burrito but I bit into fat 3 times! That had never happened before. Also, the rice was different...too bad...I thought that place would always be great. read more

My husband loves this place more than I do, I would give it a three, my kids do not like it here so we don't go often. They were scared by the sign on the wall and I can't seem to convince them that I would never let anybody eat them. read more

great place to chill and relax... very cosy and crowded... small restaurant with only a neon sign outside that says "get in here." its located right next to L'Etoile near the Amtrak station... food was great and good for value! i tried the braised short rib special and it's delicious... the seared tuna looks great... i would try that next time great place for casual dining read more

Simply the best! One of my go-to places when I return to Cville to visit. Fabulous margaritas, great enchiladas...it can be a little crowded, but that's the mark of a popular place, right? Try off-peak hours. read more

Hands down the best place to get cheap tex mex in Charlottesville!

Just so good. Not a traditional mexican, but amazing fusion/southwest/tex-mex style. Good specials, and the santa fe enchilada (I think) is great. Even the sides, particularly the muffins, are great. Start with the red-hot-blues, nachos (sort of, more just chips and cheese) with different cheeses and a spicy kick. And good drinks read more

Continental Divide offers a small, but tasty Tex-Mex menu. The spinach and mushroom enchiladas, topped with tons of cheese, sauce, corn and lettuce, are very filling. One of my dining companions felt that the beef tacos lacked flavor. Beers are pretty cheap at $4-$5. The wooden booths fit six people, though the restaurant itself is not large. There is seating at the bar, as well. It was fairly noisy on a weeknight. The service was great. read more

So close to my first ever 5 star review! The tuna tostada was as good as everyone says. Service was friendly and quick and the wood paneling and clean interior was very pleasant. Only thing I could knock this restaurant for is that it was a bit loud (didn't help we were seated close to 2 ladies on a ladies night enjoying wine and talking (yelling!) loudly) as people felt the need to talk over the slightly loud music. Definitely worth it to peak your head inside this restaurant with nothing more than a green "get in here" sign outside. read more

Great food and used to have better Margaritas! What happened!? Always a wait, but well worth the wait.

This place is pretty good for their food. The service is slightly off sometimes, i.e. we came in when it was crowded, asked how long the wait would be and the hostess said "I can't tell you that...". Their margaritas are pretty tasty and I liked their fajitas and santa fe enchilada. read more

This little place is great! Went on a Friday for dinner (for two) at 5:30pm and was seated immediately. Ordered the Santa Fe Enchilada. Nothing too crazy or creative. Just a solid, delicious meal. Beans and rice on the side were a little interesting, but the complementary pumpkin muffin was a treat. Definitely recommend and definitely would go back! read more

Really cute place with great food! Came for a college visit and it was packed with students. I had the bean cheese burrito, which was great and very cheesy! It also came with a pumpkin muffin which was amazing. Our server Lauren was also super nice and fun! It's a little hard to find because it doesn't have a sign, but definitely worth it. read more

Nachos! Best we have had in town. They were so good I am thinking about them days later.

Continental Divide never disappoints! Always get the Sante Fe enchiladas, and they're always delicious.

Had a local show me this place or I never would have found it myself being in Charlottesville for the first time. Went on a Tuesday night and it was packed. Got nachos with goat cheese, pork tacos and the enchilada and a pumpkin muffin. Everything was excellent! There was so much food we had to take some home. They also have a lot of different kinds of Tequila. The food is not authentic, I call it kind of Mexican Fusion but its still great. We had one appetizer, 2 entrees and 4 mixed drinks and it was $48. Not too expensive especially since we took a another whole meal home in leftovers. read more

Almost couldn't find this place (they're not kidding about a lack of sign). On a Monday evening, it wasn't "too crowded" or "too noisy" and was really only a little on the small side, though I can see how it would fill up fast later in the week. Husband had the pork tacos, I had a vegetarian stuffed pepper special that had pineapple and sweet potato in it. Say what? Yeah, not your typical chile relleno, but super delicious and filling. The only down note was the Texas hummus, which wasn't smoky or spicy. But hey, cheap hummus. I gotta get back here and try the tuna. It sounds great. read more

4 Stars for the food. Best Mex food this side of Texas and best Mex food in the Charlottesville area. The Tomatillo Salad is terrific. the Santa Fe Enchilada is also very good. The service was also great. The down side is they do not take reservations and the noise level is unbelievable (1 Star). On the other hand, this is Charlottesville and this restaurant in unique. To beat the crowds and waiting, get there at 5 PM when it opens. read more

Well worth the walk. Great staff, music, ambiance, drinks, whatever. A lot of fun.

It's a good thing I don't live in Charlottesville. With all the good food here, I wouldn't do anything but eat! We came to Continental Divide tonight on the tip from a local shop owner and were not disappointed. The Red Hot Blues appetizer is a must, as are the pork carnitas and Thai burrito. read more

I LOVE this place. It's small, it's loud, and it's VERY laid back. But the food is SOOO well priced, and SOOO delicious. They have interesting specials every night, and make the BEST nachos. Everything is fresh, and the portions are very generous. Their drinks are well made, and cheap by most standards. So my husband and i have ditched all these other fancy special occasion places in town, and opt for Cont Div EVERY chance we get. Even after 3 times per month visits for about 4 straight months, we haven't tired of this fabulous dive. Stuff you've gotta try: Margarita, Bison Chili Nachos, Tuna Tostada, Pumpkin Muffin, Meatloaf. Like i said, it's very small. So it's often packed, leading to an hour wait, sometimes more. Best to get there before 6:30. or after 9. It's well worth the wait though. read more