While spending the weekend with my sister in Danville, she introduced me to Cotton at River District Mill. We sat at the bar, where the hospitality was just as memorable as the food. The bartenders were friendly, welcoming, and made us feel right at home. The menu is small but thoughtfully curated. The hush puppies were fantastic, and while my meal was good, I have to admit I left with a little food envy after hearing everyone rave about the Brussels sprouts! They also offer outdoor seating and a private event space downstairs. The cocktails were a bit on the pricey side, but the cozy atmosphere, great service, and local charm made it well worth the visit. I'll definitely be back and next time, I'm ordering those Brussels sprouts. read more

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After a long day we chose to go out to eat. Frankly, we do not go out much in Danville. We've been to Cotton a few times, but not often. So we were impressed. Credit to the management and chef. We will be back. The Brussel's sprouts were excellent. The flounder was delicious and the sea scallops over pesto and risotto delightful. Good to know there are local options. Good luck to them! read more

We had a nice dinner here on an unseasonably warm early March Friday eve. Made a reservation and a good thing we did--packed! Sat outside. The bridge noise, which we were previously concerned about, was no big deal. There was some confusion about who our server was but all good once that was sorted out. It was all yummy, Husband tried two different Old Fashioned cocktails and I enjoyed both mocktails (Pina Colada and Mojito). One of my favorite aspects of the restaurant was the decor--the old advertisements they blew up and hung near the entrance and bathrooms were pretty cool. A lot of interesting history in this area. read more

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We had a wonderful meal with great service at Cotton last weekend. The outdoor patio is perfect for spring evenings, and the view of the river is gorgeous. We started off with the pimiento crab dip, which is absolutely delicious. My husband had the burger and fries while I had the Caesar salad with grilled shrimp. The large toasts that came with the salad were a surprise. I've always loved their salads, but this took it up a notch! read more

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The brother and I were in town for a race at Martinsville speedway. The Steak was cooked Perfectly. Very Polite and professional staff. We eat outside and the View was Beautiful You have to try the Raspberry Berry Cobbler w vanilla ice cream It's So Good!! read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Ribeye Steak and Raspberry Berry Cobbler - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

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I got the bread appetizer and was very underwhelmed. It's just toasted focaccia with butter. The salmon entree was very good though. The service was fast and very friendly. I loved the ambiance. The kitchen is open to the dining room and there's a large bar. The Cotton Old Fashioned was perfect. read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Seared Salmon with fingerling potatoes, broccoli and sweet potato purée. - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

Had a great lunch in Cotton at Riverside Mill; what a cool spot in the old mill town of Danville, VA. The building is clearly filled with history as the internal decor attests. The service was fast & friendly on a slow Saturday afternoon. The food was excellent with a focused-menu offering something for all tastes. The crispy brussel sprouts really stood-out. [How *did* the chef get them so perfectly crispy?] Definitely worth a try :) read more

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A great restaurant in a super cool historic building where they have accented the charm. This was once a space that was connected to patterns and clothing hence the name. They are located in the River District in downtown Danville. There is ample parking in a lot, as well as on street parking. There's also a large free public parking garage as well close by. Upon walking into this beautiful space, you can see how great talent went into the designing and decor. There are so many beautiful things within this welcoming space. We sat at the bar. Grayson was our bartender and she was fantastic. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. She helped with making recommendations for cocktails and food. She was very attentive. Our water glasses were not empty like ever. She was a great representation for this restaurant. We started with the Lemon Drop Martini and the Blackberry Margarita. Both delicious. We also ordered the Oasis which was recommended by Grayson and she was right on point with this one. Not too sweet and perfect balance of flavors. We ordered the meatballs for our app. Don't care what you may think you want, but you NEED these gems. They come with crusty bread and a dollop of ricotta cheese. Just all around fantastic!!! For food, we ordered the Southwest Cobb salad and the chicken sandwich with truffle fries. Cobb salad was great, as was the chicken sandwich. But, let me be perfectly clear with this one - the truffle fries were dreamy! Seriously. You will not forget these once they hit your tastebuds. These are fries that you are going to be talking about well after you leave. They are an upgrade and worth every penny. If your meal doesn't come with the option to get them as a side, order them as an extra!!!!! Your pallet will send you a thank you note. Highly recommend. They do have a happy hour with reduced prices on certain items. There is a dining area, a bar area, and outdoor seating. There is even an outside area with chairs and grass. There seems to be a venue space on the first floor of the building. Would be a great space to rent for a celebration and have them cater. There are steps and an elevator to make it up to the actual restaurant on the second floor. Get here and try this wonderful place where they are bedazzling their guests with their culinary skills, as well as their people skills in making this a welcoming and memorable experience for all who come through their doors. read more

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Wow! What a fabulous restaurant. Service was outstanding. Food was fresh and wonderful. We ordered the brussel sprouts as an appetizer and it was tasty. A huge portion. So much so that we ended up taking the leftovers back to eat for breakfast. My husband had salmon that was terrific. I had the shrimp and grits which was perfect. The atmosphere has really nice. We had a booth near the kitchen and it spacious. I will definitely come back again. The only downfall was the elevator going up to the restaurant. It needed to be cleaned and swept. I was leery going into the restaurant at first because of that. Thank you for a great experience. read more

Great lunch outside with family. The food was fresh and awesome, and the service was perfect and friendly.

Our annual trek to Cotton during race weekend was another great time. I know its tough to serve a large party, but they handled it well. Shared a few apps for the table: bread & spread, hush puppies, meatballs, and crab dip. All were pretty tasty and gobbled up quickly. For my entree I got the burger and it was excellent. Cooked perfectly and very juicy, didn't lack for flavor at all. The fries however were just OK, maybe I should have upgrade to truffle fries b/c I know they are good here. They seemed to really pare down the menu from previous visits, still had several items that I would like to try. Will return again next year. read more

I decided to get on yelp one Saturday and find a new place to try. I stumbled across a hidden gem. The location was a little confusing but I figured it out. The ambiance was delightful and my meal was good. I ordered shrimp and grits. I have to admit it definitely wasn't what I was accustomed to the shrimp and grits looking like but all the flavors were there. It was Saturday afternoon so why not have a cocktail you say.. And I did lol. The bartender was nice I preferred the espresso martini it is a must try. Even though I was the only chocolate chip on a sugar cookie if you know what I mean all in all the experience was great. read more

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We had a party of 8 for a graduation dinner. Worst experience ever (from the waitress to the food)! Will never go back and would not recommend. read more

Chefs are great bartender great the scallops could be better but you have finally turned this business around get sea bass back and do scallops risotto Ramsey style and prime rib thats all you need now read more

This is one of a few upscale restaurants in Danville. The whole experience was amazing: The staff was very knowledgeable of the menu items and was able expertly answer any questions we may have had. The menu is very small with only a few main courses which looked awesome. We chose two main entrees: The tuna and the steak ordered by my daughter and my wife. I ordered the appetizer of calamari. The choices were prepared and presented expertly. Parking in the River District in the evenings can be at times hard to find so my daughter parked in the nearby free city parking. The portions were fairly large and we asked for a to go box. Since we now live in the neighborhood we will drop by more often. read more

The food was excellent, the service was friendly but very slow in my opinion. We had reservations for 6pm on a Wednesday night and the restaurant was less than half full. It took 15 minutes to get both rounds of drinks and 33 minutes to get our entrees. The long wait times and staff friendliness didn't warrant the price of meal, despite it being very flavorful. I wouldn't recommend. read more

Good food, good service and we loved the decor. The outside dining area looked awesome. Unfortunately it was a cold, rainy evening so didn't have the opportunity to sit outside. Looking forward to going back and enjoy the view and try another one of their dishes. read more

Located in an old mill building, this restaurant has a nostalgic feel with a modern, eclectic decor. It's very well lit and very neat and clean. The staff is very friendly, the service was fast and the food was very good. The desserts were kind of meh, but not enough to be an issue. We would definitely visit again if we are in the area. read more

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We've dined here 4 times since moving here in Jan., 2025. The food is always delicious and the ambiance is excellent! The waite staff are always professional and attentive! We love Cotton! read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

I highly recommend eating here if you are in the area. Food and service were awesome. Great atmosphere in the old building.

We came here on a Saturday afternoon while visiting the area. There is plenty of free parking near the building and is easily accessible via stairs or the elevator. The building itself is very cool with lots of exposed brick and industrial architectural features which we love. We were greeted immediately and taken to a high top table near the bar area. We began looking at the menu while our drink orders were taken. My wife decided on the Freebird (fried chicken with pimento cheese and bacon and opted for it without the bun) and French fries. I chose the supreme pizza without olives. Our server seemed friendly and competent but we are always leery when the server doesn't write down our orders especially when we have tweaks to the menu items. We were amazed and impressed with industrial feel of the interior. We enjoyed catching up and googling more about the history of Danville and the building. The name "The Cotton" for the restaurant is an ode to the Dan River Mills which is a historic manufacturer of apparel fabrics and home fashion products such as bedding. It opened in 1882 as Riverside Cotton Mills and the company grew to become, at one time, the largest textile firm in the South. The building that includes the restaurant at one time was part of Dan River Mills research and development. The restaurant is adorned with advertising references to Dan River. They also have a large outdoor patio that overlooks the Dan River. Our food arrived and looked really good. Fortunately, our server got it correct with our tweaks and not writing anything down. My wife's chicken was fat and juicy and she really enjoyed it even though she thought the temperature could have been hotter. My pizza was good but not phenomenal. Overall, we really liked the atmosphere, history and the food hit the spot. read more

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Cotton at Riverside Mill is convenient and perfect spot. I have eaten here on the way to and from destinations. The staff always goes out of their way to make sure of any additional accommodations can be made to enhance your experience. Their food is very good and tends to be served quickly. read more

Party of 10 ate during a trip to the casino. It was a great experience with great food and service.

This historic location has amazing food and great staff. Kudos to Chef Alex for so many amazing dishes! We love the architectural design inside along with the outdoor patio area. read more

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My husband and I stopped here for a fancy lunch outing on a Saturday afternoon. The atmosphere was really cool. The patina on the walls was fabulous, the benches in the booths were lined in velvet. The view was nice. The food that we had was outstanding! I had the chicken marsala and my husband had the Cajun shrimp and grits. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. We will definitely be back to visit again read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Chicken Marsala - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

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Decided to take a drive on a beautiful weekend. Danville, here we come. This restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of an old mill. The area was actually the testing laboratory for clothing. The setting is perfect and inviting with an old themed bar look. Large windows and dark wood decor. The Brussel app was delicious, the beer was cold and unfortunately so was my main course. I really hated sending it back because I really wanted to love this place. The bartender was very understanding and went out of her way to make things right. I will revisit at another time in hopes food presentation improves. read more

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The restaurant is in a nice location in a repurposed cotton processing plant I suspect. The drinks were great- the painkiller cocktail was outstanding. The restaurant is comfortable and there is outdoor deck seating. The calimari was among the best i'veever had. It was light, not greasy and tender. The sauces were good. The sliced brussells sprouts with the calimari gave another way to enjoy the sauces. The house salad was fresh and good. The sliced brussells sprouts were a little tough as part of a salad. The menu is not large but has a lot of good options. I went for the bbq glazed pork chop. It was served with fingerling potatoes and sliced brussells sprouts. It was all in the sauce, that was tasty. The chop was tough and more dry than I hoped for. The flavor was good. The knife they provided was not serrated. I should have asked for one. The service was excellent. We had the berry cobbler for dessert. It was too tart and i question whether it was a cobbler at all. It was more of a crumble. It was in essence pie filling with some crunchy stuff put on top. Cobblers are based on pie crust I thought. Anyway, at least it did not include brussells sprouts. We had a good time and we would return for drinks, apps and other menu items. read more

Boyfriend and I came to the area few years ago on a trip to visit my bonus and his son. We found Danville a cool area that was under a revitalization in their river district. We tried out Cotton and we still tell others about their Pig and Fig pizza. A little sweet from fig jam drizzle, salty from prosciutto, and peppery arugula hits all the notes. Flash forward I had to come nearby for work so of course I had to go back and see if still good. Sorry babe - Kisses! Pig and Fig - again - did not disappoint BUT... Brussels are one menu item I have a difficult time not trying. A weakness. If you are a Brussel sprout snob like me you have to try. Crispy and savory with a little sweet pomegranate escabeche - yum. Brussels cooked just right. Tender but not macerated. I would order again and again. If I had to give ANY feedback it would be for the chef to watch the salt. It does start trending on the edge by the end. Overall did I order much food? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely! Snack for later. Yup! Also, sat at the bar and Melissa was fantastic. Thanks for the pen lol! read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Brussel sprouts with pomegranate escabeche - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

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Came in here because we were staying in the area for work....holy cow this place is so good. My only complaint was the service wasn't great, but the waitress was probably having an off night. The ambiance is so cute, warm lighting, very welcoming. It does look like a nicer place but I wasn't uncomfortable in jeans and a tshirt. We started with the Brussel sprouts and idk how they fry them but wow they were so good and crispy. We got a couple other appetizers and they were all great. Huge portions and well worth it. This will definitely be my stop when I'm in town! read more

Always been GREAT Servers Awesome *****************************************************************************

We had a lunch at the Cotton in Danville Va and the food was great as was the service. This town is such a friendly place I'm not surprised that the restaurants are too read more

Had such a nice dinner here on the back patio! I got the pig and fig pizza and it was so good. Perfect balance of salty and sweet with the fig glaze. The views on the patio were great, and we were lucky enough to have great weather. We were seated immediately and service was friendly. Would definitely return! read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Pig And Fig - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

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Sorry folks, not seeing the appeal. Came here with high hopes, but the meal was fraught with issues. I'll start with the beet and goat cheese salad, where the dressing was too pungent and avocado must have been thawed moments before being plated as biting into it felt like chewing an iced avocado. The burger arrived in a soggy bun (replaced, kindly I should say, by the apologetic server) and pseudo-soggy fries. The patty lacked any meaningful flavor, relegating it to fast-food standards (actually, lower; shake shack's burger is better, for example). Service was uninspiring too. Noticed one cook returning a fry that had fallen off the plate back on using his bare hand (and looking around to see if anyone noticed). The server handing us the check without saying a word was the icing on the cake. Lastly, while the space itself is nicely designed- rustic warehouse vibe- the booths are surrounded by tall dividers that block peripheral view, denying booth diners of the restaurant's social/ambiance faculties. read more

I was trying to decide between two restaurants and I am glad we chose this one! We sat outside. The service was impeccable. The hostess was friendly and our server, Caitlin, was friendly and very helpful. My son had the chicken and waffles which were ok. My husband had the Caesar and I had the Freebird with grilled chicken. My son stole half. We started with the truffle fries. The serving size was huge for everything. And expensive. The decor was really beautiful all the way down to the bathroom. I don't usually review the bathroom but it was clean and beautifully decorated. We sat outside which was perfect. read more

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Food and atmosphere go hand in hand. Great and delicious! Menu changes be sure to catch your items before they leave!

Crab bites, cauliflower gluten free mushroom pizza, pan seared trout and spinach and artichoke dip(too cheesy for the hubby) were tasty! Friendly service at the bar. Ambiance is giving big city vibes. Great job Danville. Can't wait to return read more

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We've been here a few times and the food was good. We were here again in August and it was horrible. I had a pork chop that looked so yummy but you couldn't even cut it with a steak knife. read more

Very pretty location and fun atmosphere. The food was good, but we only tried two dishes. I wouldn't say it was anything crazy, but without trying more dishes I'm not completely sure. The waitress was kind and helpful. Would return when back in Danville. read more

Cotton at Riverside Mill - Monterey Chicken and Margherita Pizza - Sandwiches Near Me - Danville, Virginia

Date Night done right! The prime rib was cooked to a medium perfection. It was melt in my mouth delicious, served with a garlic mash, broccolini and horseradish cream sauce. I have been craving prime rib for weeks now and this one was spot on! The filet was also cooked perfectly with a mushroom Demi glaze! It was beautifully cooked and tasted delightful. I love this spot for date night. It's beautiful there's definitely a romantic vibe! Our waitress was sweet and the service was on point! read more

This place has soooo much potential to be 5 star. I am in between 3 and 4 stars. It is a beautiful place. Very open. Great vibe. Really nice decor. They also have an outdoor area. We sat at the bar. Many beers on tap to choose from.- Many mixed drinks and wines also. We ordered a few appetizers. The brussel sprouts were very good. The chicken wings were perfect; very crispy and the dry rub was great. We ordered our meals. It took almost an hour to get them. I ordered the pig and fig pizza. It was good but would have been great if it were hot. My husband ordered a chicken sandwich and fries. The fries were cold. The chicken was warm but edible. The bar tender was good. She talked with us and apologized too many times. The manager came by to tell us he noticed that our meals seemed to be taking a long time but was pushing the kitchen. Even after that, we still waited quite a bit and the food was cold. They did offer a free dessert for our trouble and brought out fresh and hot fries. Like I said. This place has potential to be amazing. read more

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