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Maya

4.1 (406 reviews)
ModerateSouthern
Closed 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated 1 month ago

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MAYA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Maya

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Reviews With Photos

Mushroom Lentil Cakes
John B.

It's a splendid space close to the university. I ended up on an upper level and it's all brick walls and art. While this is billed as Southern American cuisine, they make an effort to offer vegetarian friendly options, and seeing that they had an early bird special for lentil mushroom cakes, I found the right occasion to stop in. They also have an extensive drink menu with some non-alcoholic options. I was pleased with the range of choices for sides. My grits were quite savory, while the green beans were a milder, sweeter preparation than I prefer, albeit one that is typically southern. The lentil mushroom cakes were a bit on the mushy side but there is a heartiness to them that I appreciate.

Bar w pumpkin spice martini
Heather H.

Great place with fun and energetic vibe. We had reservations but ate at the bar instead. Bartender is amazing and very engaging with his customers. Fun seasonal menu and cocktails. Highly recommend !

Andrew S.

A few of my friends went here for dinner and absolutely enjoyed the food. I had to check it out for myself. I made a reservation for the evening, but it wasn't very busy. We were seated outside at the front. Since we weren't very hungry, we skipped the starters and went straight for the main. I had the local chicken, with mac & cheese and roasted broccoli as my sides. Loved the chicken with ham/gravy on top and the mac & cheese, but not a fan of the broccoli. My friend had the porkchop with mashed potatoes and collard greens as his sides. Tried all of them and loved it, especially the pork chop. Service was fast and friendly. The server was super sweet, and she did a great job checking in frequently. Street parking in the area, with more parking available in nearby lots.

Pear jam cheesecake
Amani A.

Highly recommend the $20 special they have from 4:30-6:00pm! Great ambiance and lovely food. The Mac and cheese is incredible as a side. I would also highly recommend the pear jam cheesecake! Would definitely return for a date night or dinner with friends :)

Mushroom Risotto
Sharvani M.

Not a bad experience but not an amazing one either! I heavily weigh food in restaurant reviews and we had one incredible item and one really tasteless bland item. Service was fantastic - we were seated immediately and our server was super fun, very attentive, and took the time to get to know us and our preferences. She was the best! We ordered the Pimento Cheese Fritters to start and the Mushroom Risotto to share as main. These fritters. Let me tell you. SO delicious - I'm literally craving them right now. Gooey, tasty, savory cheesy goodness fried into a perfect sphere with a crispy outside and soft inside, served on a delicious creamy sauce and topped with a delicious spicy sticky jam. We devoured these and actually placed another order, they were so good - don't miss this app. The risotto was a dire disappointment - although the rice was cooked well, the dish had not even a hint of flavor, and the arugula on top made for a weird and unpleasant texture with the risotto. We doused it in salt, pepper, and hot sauce and only then were able to eat it as we were quite hungry. Overall, maybe we ordered the wrong dish - great service and ambiance for date night, and DO NOT miss the pimento fritters! We'd probably come back to take out those alone.

Braised Pork Belly
Joseph L.

Maya has a modern take on comfort food. The atmosphere is casual and the food is tasty. They also have a good selection of their own cocktails. We started with the braised crispy pork belly. It was served with some dried fruit and rosemary shortbread. My wife has the pork chop and I ate the baby back ribs. Good solid meal and a friendly staff. If you are looking for a good place to have a meal stop at Maya.

Brussels Sprouts we're good but I wasn't blown away by them
Todd B.

Mixed bag at Maya. However, it was our anniversary...okay, one of our anniversaries. We celebrate a lot of anniversaries, and this was the anniversary of our engagement. We chose Maya for two reasons-one, vegetarian and vegan options and two, because it's the name of our most recently adopted dog and it's only a few days from her 1st anniversary of her gotcha day. Neither of those may seem like a big deal to you, but it was to us and we told the restaurant it was a date night and anniversary. The first strike was sitting us in the bar. They have a nice upstairs and even a heated patio, but they put us near the front door (which was thankfully not in use-side entrance was being used) in the bar. I would have thought you could have planned our table a bit better. Second strike, my drink. I don't recall what I got but pretty sure it was the sazarac and it was served in a glass full of ice and was no bueno. Half strike was the brussel sprouts. They were good but nothing special. All of that negativity aside, my entree was very good. The mushroom risotto is excellent and I highly recommend it whether you're a vegetarian or not. I could have eaten 5 bowls of this and then a 6th for dessert. So it's probably a 3.5 star visit and if not for the table location and my drink, I would have gone 4. Heck, the risotto was so good that if one of those two were better, then I'd have done 4. Worth your visit but if it's a date or special occasion, be sure to specify where you want to sit. And don't order a whiskey drink unless you're drinking it neat.

12 oz Pepper Crusted NY Strip
Megan M.

Went here for dinner for our bachelorette party and it did not disappoint! Our server, Joyce, was super friendly and made our time there so much fun. The rainbow trout was well worth it and the proportions were pretty good for the price. Definitely an upscale restaurant but with a twist of southern comfort.

Pomegranate sunset

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Ask the Community - Maya

Hi. We have a party of 16 people on 2/20 or 2/21/23. We are Looking for dinner options on one of the evenings, walking distance from Courtyard UMC Charlottesville. Can you help is? Any help or suggestions would be great. Thank You . DVe

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Mockingbird - Fried green tomatoes

Mockingbird

(106 reviews)

Loved a Sunday night dinner here. I ordered the hanger steak (medium rare) and it was delicious…read more Wonderful service, food, and atmosphere. Thank you!

Mockingbird came highly recommended, so we arrived expecting a special dining experience for our…read moredaughter's 20th birthday. We even drove 3.5 hours to meet her there. We had 5:30pm reservations and were seated immediately. The host was warm, acknowledged the occasion, and honored my request for a quieter table by placing us in a bay-window nook. Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended. The space echoed so badly we could barely hear each other, and the setting sun combined with the AC being accidentally turned off made the area feel like a sauna. Our water glasses were filled within minutes, so we thought service would be smooth. Instead, we sat for another 15 minutes before anyone greeted us--while a table seated after us was helped promptly and served at a noticeably faster pace. I understand large parties require attention (there was a group of 10-12 nearby), but as a former server myself, I've never allowed smaller tables to feel forgotten. When our server, Lucian (sp?), finally arrived, we immediately placed drink and appetizer orders because we were already starving. The appetizers came out about 20 minutes later--still before our drinks. The brussels sprouts were excellent and worth the wait. The biscuit basket was good, though the butter-to-biscuit ratio felt off, and the apple butter was surprisingly delicious. Our entrées didn't arrive until at least 45 minutes after that. The pacing was simply poor, and we consistently felt like an afterthought. While our server was polite, he didn't initiate conversation, offer suggestions, mention happy hour, or acknowledge our daughter's birthday. He didn't even suggest dessert. Meanwhile, the six-top behind us--seated well after we were--was wrapping up their meal as ours was just being served. The food presentation was beautiful. The pot roast, however, was underwhelming. It lacked seasoning and sauce, and the vegetables were forgettable--very few potatoes, no carrots. "Not your normal pot roast" was accurate, but not in a good way. The shrimp and grits were excellent, with great seasoning and a flavorful sauce. The salmon was moist and well-prepared, though it still had a few scales on the end of the filet. Once we finished eating, we again waited for our server to return. We eventually had to wave him down for boxes and again to request the check. Parking in the back was convenient early in the evening, though I imagine it becomes difficult later. Would we return? Unfortunately, probably not. We've been treated better, served more efficiently, and appreciated more fully at other restaurants--including one almost directly across the street. What we hoped would be a memorable celebration ended up feeling ho-hum at a high price--too high for the experience we received.

Southern Crescent Galley and Bar - Shrimp poboy

Southern Crescent Galley and Bar

(115 reviews)

$$

Excellent food and good cocktails. Their indoor space is really cozy and was nicely decorated for…read moreChristmas.

I posted this revues on Google and also sent an email to the restaurant explaining how frustrating…read moreour experience was. They neither responded to my email nor the review with any sort of explanation or apology which suggests that they don't really care. So I'll share this on Yelp too so others are aware of their poor customer service. We visited this restaurant with a group of seven and were excited to try it, especially because the outdoor seating area looked like a great spot for dinner. Unfortunately, the experience ended up being very disappointing. Service was extremely slow and disorganized from the start. About 15 minutes after ordering, a different waitress brought food to our table that we hadn't ordered, then quickly took it away without much explanation. From there, things only got worse. Our meals came out slowly over the course of 30-45 minutes, just one or two plates at a time, with no communication about the delays. Our four-year-old waited nearly 45 minutes for a simple order of fish sticks. Even basic service was lacking. We had to ask multiple times for something as simple as an apple juice refill, and it still took far too long to arrive. Toward the end of the meal, our waitress stopped checking on our table altogether, which made it difficult to order dessert. The food itself was pretty good, which is the only reason this isn't a one-star review. However, the poor service and lack of attentiveness completely overshadowed the experience. Overall, it was frustrating and disappointing, and we don't plan to return.

Milk & Honey Southern Inspired Kitchen - Crispy Salmon Hash

Milk & Honey Southern Inspired Kitchen

(68 reviews)

Came here with my wife, daughter, 2 grand daughters and a 'husband' for a little "comfort food"…read more The ambiance casual and comfortable I was a little surprised to see the comments about poor staffing because our waitress was Cam and she was terrific! This delightful young lady was absolutely the best, making us feel very welcomed. Along with prompt and courteous service she was very entertaining with her sense of humor. Really helped make the evening fun. We shared some wings, fried green tomatoes and calamari, all of which quickly disappeared. The entrees were salmon hash, shrimp and grits, fried chicken waffles and the Cajun pasta. All these dishes were very, very good. Hope we get a chance to visit with Cam again!

Wanted to try this restaurant up at NOVA but never connected. Down at Charlottesville for UVA…read morevisit and decided to try it. The restaurant reminds me of Burton's. The menu is not large. We got the fish sandwich, tail of two fish and wharf scramble. My fish sandwich looks substantial at first but there were more batter than fish. Every bite I am just eating the crunchy batter. The accompanying tartar sauce was delicious. Their no cost substitute is nice touch. I would say it was a decent experience but really not sure if I would go back given there are many restaurants with similar menu. Our waitress was working incredibly hard. She seems to be the only one waiter serving all the indoor tables. It was late afternoon but still. I've been to restaurants where there were 3 handling same amount of tables and not getting services.

Farm Bell Kitchen - Ofelia's Benedict: SO GOOD

Farm Bell Kitchen

(501 reviews)

$$

Experience was Outstanding. They have a great brunch on the weekends but reservations are…read morerequired., Great menu selection. Lots of healthy choices. The staff is always very efficient, pleasant and well attentive. The restaurant is beautiful. A historic house next to a newer building which is the entrance. It is beautiful and cozy.

WOW! 10/10 everything do not look for brunch in Charlottesville anywhere else until you've tried…read morethis spot. Parking - a little difficult because it's in downtown next to the hospital but there is a guest lot behind the restaurant Waiting time - wasn't bad at all... we waited for about 20 minutes in the front area but we were able to order a mimosa and stand while we waited so time flew by Bayou bowl - Cajun heat (not super spicy but well seasoned) and elements of southern comfort made this dish a hit with my hubby Smoked salmon Bennie - WOW, let me start off by saying how much I hate trying to cut into an English muffin for a normal Benedict haha... they replaced the muffin with their own recipe called a "grit cake" and this is a life changer. Grit cake was lightly fried, gooey but maintained its overall shape, and seasoned to perfection. Salmon was perfect. Egg was poached to perfection. Hollandaise was most likely made by angels. Even the roasted mixed veggies were fantastic... this was worth ordering every time. Service was amazing and I believe it was a young college student so it was nice to have that around UVA. Will definitely be back!!!!

Vision BBQ

Vision BBQ

(114 reviews)

$$

Really good BBQ. Very knowledgeable about gluten allergies. Everything except Mac and cheese is…read moreGF. Collared greens are exceptionally good for a side. I think there is brisket in them. Yum.

Went to Vision BBQ for pre-concert dinner (show was at Ting Pavilion). Walked in on a Sunday…read moreafternoon about 5. Very slow, business wise. Server (Brianna) started out good, fairly attentive until I got my food. After I got my food I got one cursory "all good?" and that was it until I got the bill. Anyway, on to the food: ordered two meat plate (brisket and pulled pork) with fries and coles slaw. Fries were the highlight of the meal. Hot, crispy, seasoned...awesome. Cole slaw was good....but it was super tangy (vinegary) for my taste. Don't get it wrong, it was good, just hard to eat all of it thanks to the tang. On to the meat. Got a pretty good sized pile of pulled pork and a couple slices of brisket. Both meats were lukewarm at best. Pork was dry (thank goodness for the NC vinegar sauce). The brisket made up for the porks dryness, it was extra greasy and extra fatty. Like, for real, do you think people are going to eat the fat layer between the lean point meat and the fatty upper meat? Yeah, not me. But since the brisket was also lukewarm (more like lukecold) it really didn't make a difference. I did think the Vision BBQ sauce tasted pretty good. If Brianna would have come back by after I got my meal I would have sent it back....and probably would have just left without worrying over a replacement, or a comp, or anything. Secondary issue: went to the mens room. It was just nasty. You get once shot to make an impression, and this one was not good. Would not/will not repeat.

Soul Food Joint - Soul food platters!!

Soul Food Joint

(71 reviews)

My son picked this place. The place is very small, maybe four tables. It's really a one man…read moreoperation with some help to clear tables. Each meal is cooked by Shaun who is especially nice, friendly, and puts love into each dish he prepares. You can tell. Just take a breath when you walk in and take it in. Service is good, but like I said - its a one man operation so just be patience. The Fried Chicken and Devil Eggs are EXCELLENT. We would go back. Keep up the good job Shaun. Nicely done.

Came here to grab a bite with friends. The inside is very casual. The food was good and the…read moreportions were great for the price. I tried the Babyback Ribs and Fried Chicken Soul Sandwiches. The Babyback Ribs were really good. The ribs are taken off the bone for the soul sandwich and plated on slices of potato rolls. The Fried Chicken was good but not the best I've had in Charlottesville. I would have liked the outside to be crispier. The cornbread that comes with the order was also good. It was not traditional cornbread-- it tasted like carrot cake corn bread. The Mac and Cheese was a little too overcooked for my liking. However, for the meat sandwich and two sides were a large portion and cost 12 dollars which was awesome. Overall, Soul Food Joint is a charming locally owned soul food place downtown. It wasn't the best fried chicken or barbecue that I've had in Charlottesville, however the food was good and the portions were great for the price.

Public Fish & Oyster - Warm Lobster roll (Connecticut style with butter) and fries

Public Fish & Oyster

(627 reviews)

$$$

WOW! The hype is real!…read more Manager fit us in when our res did not show up! I mean it was packed and she made it happen. Literally why I am writing this review! John behind the bar is you're go to guy! He asked our names and then remembered them throughout the whole night (2hrs on a sat night)! Ordered the Mussels in white sauce-which was light & huge-yum. 12 raw oysters-4 different kinds, loved all 8 options! Had the special-trust the chef or John. We had the crab cakes which were delicious-as expected! The main room or bar is ideal but the covered patio is worth the wait! Oh yeah, and the free fries they brought us-delicious!

MUST get a reservation here as it is a very small restaurant, otherwise you might find yourself…read morewaiting for a spot at the bar. This is probably our favorite restaurant here in cville, and even after many years, it is still consistently amazing! We ordered a dozen raw oysters of different brine levels, and they tasted so fresh. I especially loved the oysters from Breakwaters Newport, RI. My favorite main to order here is always the Moules Frites. Tried the Classic Mariniere, and it was SO DELICIOUS OMG. The sauce was decadent, that I had to make sure to soak up every mussel and the crostinis. And idk how they do it, but their frites are perfectly seasoned and crispy! The portions for this is pretty large, and shared some with my husband too, and is worth every penny. My husband tried the Rockfish with Chimichurri, with was also very good and fresh! Loved the crispy skin with the chimicurri sauce, gave a nice crunch! But I felt the portion size was a bit on the smaller end For dessert, LOVED the Apple Crumble, not too sweet, loved the contrast of the vanilla ice cream with the warmed apples, and loved the layer of oats on top, gives really good contrast in texture

Maya - southern - Updated May 2026

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