Flew to Charlottesville, Va from California, visiting my father. I had dinner at The Ridley this…read morepast weekend and had a wonderful time. Food was amazing. Lamb chops were cooked perfectly, the cornbread was so moist and flavorful, and the grits were the best I've ever had. Service was attentive and genuine. Angela, our server, was the best. I recommend The Ridley to everyone. Alexa R.

The food was okay. I had breakfast from the brunch menu. Scrambled eggs, hash browns, grits ,…read moreturkey sausage and wheat toast. Our waiter was cordial. The atmosphere was very serene.

ATMOSPHERE: I came here for a work dinner, and the…read moreatmosphere felt warm and inviting. The service was friendly, although fairly slow, and the restaurant offers an extensive wine menu and cocktail list. DINNER: Starter: SEARED SCALLOPS $20 Butternut Sage Puree, Pickled Kohlrabi, Guanciale Lardons *It was a generously sized starter that felt well balanced and delicious. Entree: COQ AU VIN $32 Whipped Potatoes, Nueske's Bacon, Pearl Onions, Red Wine *The flavors were good, but the chicken was quite dry, which took away from what otherwise could have been a very enjoyable dish. Dessert: Chocolate Torte $14 Cocoa Nibs, Chocolate Sauce *It was more like a flourless cake, and I found it dense and difficult to eat, so I only had one bite. Dinner came out to $700 for 6 of us.

Great atmosphere and service, Steven and Ivy were quick and personal. Live Music and perfectly…read morepoured drinks made it an elevated experience! Dinner and dessert were simply par for the course, which was also excellent!

Zocalo has been our go-to for celebrations for a very long time. Big party after our wedding 10…read moreyears ago, birthdays, etc. Last night, a big group of us got together to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday and Zocalo delivered once again. Our servers were super nice, attentive, and accommodating. They really made the evening special. I had the NY Strip, which was done just right. It was between that and the scallops, which are always great. My wife had an incredible halibut special. The fish was cooked perfectly and all the other elements of our dishes were very tasty. A few in the group had the shrimp risotto which is also an excellent dish. We'll be back (many more times); not just because Zocalo holds a special place in our hearts, but also because the food is delicious, the service is impeccable, and the atmosphere fits us well. We're already looking forward to the next time!

We visited the restaurant from out of town on occasion of our daughter's graduation from UVA. A $90…read moreprice fixed menu with a mandatory 20% gratuity regardless of party size...that's a lot, but perhaps not excessive if the food service and ambience merits a $90 per person three course meal. In this instance, it did not. The service was remarkably slow especially for a fixed menu. The waiter repeatedly apologized for the slow service but did nothing remedy the situation. Including not refilling water glasses during the long waits. We were a party of five and only one person was happy with all three of her courses. Whether or not the customer is in alignment with the chef is often a crapshoot, that is not my principal complaint. My complaint is the ambience and the service sorely lacked from what one would it expect for $90 a plate. There were sporting events on various television screens and patrons at the bar could've been mistaken for "Larry the cable guy". Now don't get me wrong, I like Larry the cable guy as much as the next person but if I'm paying $700 for a celebratory dinner for five people I don't wanna eat next to him in a sleeveless flannel shirt and trucker hat. Couple the diminished ambience with the remarkably slow service and color me dissatisfied. Their day-to-day service may be fine but the special occasion should be avoided. We will not be going back

Happy to have another seafood boil restaurant in C'ville, especially after Red Crab closed. I'm…read morehappy to report that this restaurant is actually BETTER than Red Crab was, with lot of delicious options. We got an order of crab fries, a boil bag, a fried oyster basket, shrimp po boy, and grilled chicken with rice and vegetables. Everything was delicious and the service was great! A fun spot for a special occasion - though you need to make sure you wear the bib aprons! Decor is still the same as when it was Plaza Azteca, but it works!

The food was good - but nothing to really rave about. The portions were huge though! The shrimp…read morethat came in my Po' boy sandwich were all Jumbo sized (see pic) and the Bang-Bang Sauce was very tasty. The service was excellent, though. I took away 2 stars because of: (a) PRICES - not very affordable. and (b) ENVIRONMENT - they were playing "urban music" with a lot of bass SO FREAKING LOUD, it was downright uncomfortable. The music just did not mesh with the "Cajun" theme whatsoever. I don't really foresee me coming back unless they lower their prices AND tone down the music.

Hadn't eaten at Aberdeen Barn in a number of years. We were surprised when we arrived to find the…read moreparking lot full. Found the interior to be nicely decorated. A bit on the manly side with a lot of sports memorabilia. Dress was very casual. Service was top notch. Waiters were all male and middle aged or slightly older. My wife and I shared a 14 oz ribeye steak. It was well prepared and had great flavor. We thought it was a bit pricey , but that's the direction restaurant prices are going In today's economy. The baked potato side that we selected was excellent.

This was our second anniversary dinner. More so would like to just commemorate this event with a…read morereview. Aberdeen barn will forever be a luxury eat out experience for me. Prices are high, food is excellent, and service has always been one of my favorites in the entire town. If this place was more affordable I would go more often. But I guess that would take away its special appeal.

Finally got a chance to see the Quirk hotel and check out The Pink Grouse, which has been on my…read morelist for a while. I'll give a quick run down before I dive in. Atmosphere: 5 Menu options: 4 Taste: 4 Portions: 2 Price: $$$ Service: 3 Walking into the Quirk at the holidays is so fun, and much like the Richmond location, the decor was fun and on point. We headed back to the restaurant and started with the Pink Grouse cocktail to continue the good vibes. I would definitely recommend it if you like vodka based cocktails. Let's talk menu. So there were several good options including a vegan and vegetarian, plus they were amenable to holding the blue cheese on the salad (allergy) which I appreciated. They separate it by starters and sharing optional entrees. We decided for 3 of us to go with 3 starters and 2 entrees. Starters: we ordered the bread, cured beef and salad. Y'all there were 3 tiny slices of bread and butter for like $4. Not okay. The cured beef has 5 tiny slices of meat for like $13. Not okay. The salad was the most generous, but still not huge at $14 considering they know it will be shared; I will say it was my favorite of the starters flavor wise and would order it again though. So as you can see, not impressed. Main: we decided on the lentil ragu ($22) and gnocchi with pork ragu ($26). Both were on point. I would happily order either again, probably opting for the lentil out of preference. The portion was okay, though again for calling it shareable I thought it was a bit small. Service: I respect that the server took our request for more time, but she was not attentive or following up on us for refills. I ordered a glass of port for dessert (no go on the dairy meant no options...) and I didn't get it until after my friends had finished their dessert. Not cool. So I guess I'm feeling generous with my score because I was in good company and isn't that half the point of eating out?

Reserved a table for 8 the day of and they were nice enough to put us in the private room. Service…read morewas exceptional and food was great. I didn't realize gratuity was included until I added my own tip, but they were nice enough to take my additional tip off after I realized. We really enjoyed the cheese board and the Q salad was to die for. If I'm ever in the area again, I will definitely be back!

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and smells wonderful as they are charcoal grilling meat in…read morethe place. Service is fantastic and they really care about you having a relaxing meal, not rushed at all. Highly recommend this gem in Charlottesville, if you can get in.....!

OMG! This was an exceptional skirt steak, and lived up to the hype of being intensely juicy…read more Don't forget the tiramisu, it was next level. You will be sorry if you don't offset this dessert.

I stopped by Black Cow for a solo dinner during happy hour, and it ended up being one of the best…read moremeals I've had in Charlottesville. I ordered the steak frites, and every bite was fantastic. The steak was cooked perfectly, the fries were crisp and flavorful, and even the horseradish crème fraîche was incredible. I'm usually not someone who gets excited about dipping sauces, but this one complemented the meal so well. The bartender was also outstanding. He recommended the chocolate mousse, saying he "could bathe in it." After trying it, I completely understood what he meant. It was rich, silky, and hands down one of the best chocolate mousses I've ever had. It was the perfect way to end the meal. Excellent food, great service, and a welcoming atmosphere made this an easy five-star experience. I'll absolutely be back the next time I'm in Charlottesville.

My first visit to Black Cow Chophouse left me with mixed feelings. The ambience is beautiful and…read morehas a great upscale atmosphere, and I really appreciated the staff accommodating our request to move inside after we had originally reserved outdoor seating. The service was excellent throughout the meal. Our server, was absolutely lovely. She was friendly, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome. She was one of the highlights of the experience. We started with the steak tartare. It was decent, but a little saltier than I would have preferred. My biggest complaint was that the accompanying bread wasn't brushed with butter or olive oil, which made it feel a bit dry and out of place alongside such a rich dish. One thing that was disappointing was the portioning of the shareable sides. The menu describes them as serving 3 to 4 people, but in our experience they were much more realistically sized for about two people. That was frustrating, especially given the overall price point. For our entrees, we ordered the ribeye, bavette, and New York strip. All of the steaks were cooked well, but I found them to be good rather than great, especially considering the price point. They just weren't particularly memorable. The ribeye, in particular, leaned a bit too far toward fatty rather than beautifully marbled, so there was more unrendered fat than I would have liked. The steak sauces were enjoyable, but they also didn't stand out in any significant way. They were well made, but nothing especially unique or memorable. Overall, I enjoyed the evening, the atmosphere, and the exceptional service. However, for a steakhouse at this price point, I expected to be more impressed by the food. Everything was solid, but nothing really wowed me or left me thinking, "I can't wait to come back." It is disappointing to have buyers remorse from such a nice restaurant.