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    Zocalo

    4.1 (305 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Zocalo Photos

    Business Info

    ZOCALO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Zocalo

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    Passion Paradise: coconut rum, passion fruit, lemon, simple syrup
    Chi C.

    Tucked in a corner of the Downtown Mall, Zocalo served as a great Saturday dinner spot for my party of four. Despite not having a reservation, we were still seated promptly and service was attentive throughout our entire meal. There's plenty of tables for sit-down meals, and bar seating for quick bites with TVs to watch. The staff was super helpful when selecting between two options on their menu, which runs from specialty cocktails to classic Spanish-inspired dishes. I ordered the Passion Paradise for my drink, which had a great citrus base and perfect for those who enjoy more of a fruity beverage. I also tasted a few drinks my friends ordered, including a tamarind martini and a classic margarita. My personal favorite bite was their octopus, which was an excellent portion size and also well-made in terms of texture. The dish came with a paprika miso sauce that was absolutely decadent. We also shared the patatas bravas, which was their special of the day. The atmosphere and service overall made for a wonderful meal, and each plate came with a great presentation and taste.

    Spicy lady
    Nikki J.

    A friend highly recommended Zocalo so we went for dinner. Delicious! My Sangria, wasn't good, first it was topped with sprite which I'm not used to. But it tasted like club soda - I assumed the sprite machine went out. In any case, the server happily got me a different drink. Otherwise, my second drink was pretty good. The food - oh my god! Super flavorful, everything complemented so well. And the basque cheesecake, to die for.

    Here's the octopus.
    Elizabeth F.

    Wow! What an amazing way to start our vacation! Yay us and thank-you to the entire Zocalo team! Everyone from the host to our dinner attendant were friendly, seemed to be proud of the place and the food was impressively prepared and presented. The Spanish influence was tasted in every dish. We had the octopus, muscles, lamb meatballs and crispy Brussels sprouts with a pitcher of Sangria. It was a beautiful evening and the patio provided the perfect backdrop for the best meal we've had in a very long time.

    1 pastor taco and 1 birria taco
    Grace S.

    Such a fun concept! I came here with some friends for food truck food and drinks. The atmosphere is lively unique. I ended up ordering tacos from a taco truck on site. They were very reasonably priced, the tortillas were fresh, the meat was delicious. They gave me a great hot sauce to use upon request. We also ordered sashimi from a Japanese food truck. The fish was fresh, cut and arranged neatly and very tasty. I ordered a margarita inside Zocalo. There were several food trucks, so there were options for anyone in our party. Also very good! Can't wait to come back here again this summer!

    Vanilla crepe
    Ximena D.

    Amazing service! She was very nice and polite with me and my family The food was delicious my favorite was the drunken New York strip the steak juicy and it had so much flavor to it!!! And the place felt so welcoming and relaxing for me a great place for family!

    Gazpacho    Yellow Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho

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    Photo of EM S.
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    13 years ago

    Very good! Great people watching from the outdoor area. I definitely would recommend!

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    10 years ago

    Great drinks and atmosphere. Once a month the dance floor is hopping. Drinks for Charlottesville are a tad bit expensive.

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    15 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Nice selection of drinks and wines, excellent service. Food was very good and had nice presentation

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    14 years ago

    Delicious food. I used to love sitting at their outdoor tables at night and watching people walking by at the Downtown Mall.

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    11 years ago

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    Page 8 of 8

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    Broadcloth - Jefferson red rice, buttered MD crab, seared okra, Jimmy Nardello peppers

    Broadcloth

    4.6(51 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Broadcloth continues to be my favorite restaurant in Charlottesville. I've been able to have a few…read moremeals here now and each one is amazing. I recently learned their outside seating/patio is dog friendly (dog cannot be in your lap), which I love even more. Can't wait to eat here again!

    I don't live in the Charlottesville area, but if I did, I'd definitely be a regular at Broadcloth,…read morewhere Chef Tucker is really doing something special at the most unassuming building you can possibly imagine. Open only 4 days a week, the menu changes each week. If you sit in the lounge or at the bar, you can do a la carte, or there are options for multi-course tasting menus where you can choose your courses for most of them. We most recently visited for our anniversary weekend, sat at the bar with Michael, and everything was just excellent. Great portions, seasoning, protein temperatures, dish compositions...you name it, we enjoyed it. I also really, really appreciate their beverage program and wine list. Their wines by the glass list is pretty extensive, and they not only feature a really good selection from around the world, but also VA wines, especially the ones they feature from their own label, made by Joy Ting. I haven't had a wine of hers I haven't liked, but we chose our own adventure this time around by choosing different wines and splitting most dishes so we could try the majority of the menu. It's a 1-2x a year place for me just because we're not local, but it's definitely worth the drive.

    Photos
    Broadcloth
    Broadcloth - Amuse bouche

    Amuse bouche

    Broadcloth

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    Burtons Grill & Bar - Maxx Burger: allen brothers angus beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion strings, american cheese, special sauce, brioche bun, french fries

    Burtons Grill & Bar

    4.1(647 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Gluten-free friendly
    Large group friendly

    Such a great spot!! We came here for a graduation lunch and I can't recommend this enough! The…read morestaff was so kind and attentive. The menu had lots of really yummy options and everyone is bound to find something they like. Their spinach& artichoke dip is a borderline life changing experience - you have to get this as an appetizer. They do it like it's never been done before! The firecracker shrimp was really generous and delicious, I was really impressed. No tiny skimping shrimp here. We came for brunch on a weekend so I got the Croque Madame and it sounds like kinda a novel entree but WOWWW it's so tasty and filling, but not heavy. Loved that I could sub the side for fruit too, that was very fresh. We got a bread appetizer too which was really elegantly presented. We had a gluten free guest and they did a wonderful job providing a gluten free plate to her as well. That thoughtfulness was appreciated

    We recently visited this restaurant for my daughter-in-law's birthday and unfortunately left very…read moredisappointed. The wait staff was extremely slow and did not seem familiar with the menu. Several of the kids' meals came out with incorrect sides, which should have been a simple detail to get right. The calamari was very greasy, and two of us ordered steaks with the bone marrow butter. We could not taste any bone marrow flavor whatsoever, and both steaks were overcooked. My daughter-in-law ordered the lobster roll at market price, which ended up being around $38. For the price, the portion was very small and the flavor was underwhelming. Overall, the food and service did not meet expectations, especially for what we paid. Sadly, this was not the enjoyable birthday dinner we had hoped for.

    Photos
    Burtons Grill & Bar - Bag of Donuts (Brunch Menu)

    Bag of Donuts (Brunch Menu)

    Burtons Grill & Bar - Bread Service

    Bread Service

    Burtons Grill & Bar - Brunch Burger (Brunch Menu)

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    Brunch Burger (Brunch Menu)

    C & O Restaurant - Vanilla Crème Brulee with Raspberries

    C & O Restaurant

    4.2(319 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    Intimate restaurant, in what feels like a restored barn, with absolutely amazing food…read more I came here with my fiance for valentines day, and we had a fantastic experience. Everything was to notch, from our very friendly and attentive server to all 3 courses of the pre-fix valentines day menu.

    Celebrated Valentine's Day here with my husband and it was EVERYTHING. We each chose something…read moredifferent and shared each dish. The restaurant was dark and moody creating a perfect romantic atmosphere. Our server was attentive and helpful. 1st course: Butter Poached Maine Lobster- melts in your mouth. Perfect consistency. The secret sauce made it perfect. The flavors were complex and I couldn't figure out what they put in it to make the sauce because they all blended so well. Roasted Maine Scallops: I have never cared for scallops. These had the best texture - the perfect amount of fluffy and firm. They were buttery and delicious. The capers topped on it added a little something extra without overwhelming the flavor of the scallop. 2nd course: Steak Chinois: steak was tender and cooked to perfection (went medium) the ginger sauce gave it so much flavor. The potato's were smooth and savory and melded well with the steak. The flavors combined complimented each other so well. Grilled Double Rack of Lamb: was very tender too. My first bite had too much red sauce and was a bit overwhelming after having just finished the steak chinois. However, I mixed with the potatoes and lightly dipped in red sauce and then the flavor was an explosion in my mouth. 3rd course: Vanilla crème brûlée with rasberries- literally perfect. Can't even put into words. You must get it. Bittersweet chocolate Brioche bread pudding -bread was warm, raspberries were cold, and pudding was an added extra. *chefs kiss.

    Photos
    C & O Restaurant
    C & O Restaurant - Duck Confit & Ricotta Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Aragua, Duck Jus, Cracklin's

    Duck Confit & Ricotta Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Aragua, Duck Jus, Cracklin's

    C & O Restaurant - Outside

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    Outside

    The Jervey - Onion Soup

    The Jervey

    4.0(14 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Good not great, but it could be. That was my impression after dining at The Jervey this evening…read more The space is inviting, though it can be a bit noisy, and there seemed to be an issue with the overhead lights dimming periodically in the dining room. Our water was brought out quickly and our drink order was taken at the same time. The young man was quick and friendly, but he wasn't our server. It was a bit busy, but our server arrived soon enough, and we ordered the tuna tartare and the rolls. Both were tasty, and we both enjoyed the spicy tuna. After we had finished our appetizers, our order was eventually taken, and not long after, our food arrived. We both enjoyed our entrees. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the scallops were as well. The sides were fine, with lobster Mac and cheese being the standout. Overall, I think what we found lacking was atmosphere and personality. While everyone we interacted with was pleasant enough, it didn't feel like the fine dining experience advertised on the website. There was no asking if we had any questions about the menu, no highlighting of dishes, or specials of any sort. It just felt like they were serving top notch food in an average chain restaurant playing dress-up atmosphere. The elements are there for The Jervey to be amazing, but right now they just aren't there yet, in my opinion. I will definitely go back and enjoy the food again, that's for sure.

    we wanted to try a new place in cville and we saw this as an option…read more i have a couple of gripes with this place: 1. we didn't have a reservation because open table or resy didn't have an option at 4pm but we thought if we went when they opened they would have some tables set aside from walkins. we were sat in this weird long table facing the bar sitting next to each other and the entire time we were there, not a single table was occupied even though they were saved for reservations. I would understand if this place was super busy and these tables were actually reserved but not a single table was occupied in the hour we were there. they sat families and babies at the bar even though there were open tables 2. the food was pretty good! however for a burger, to charge $20+ and for it to not come with fries is a little annoying. they served it on a plate that was huge and would look like it would be a great place for a portion/side of fries 3. for the vibe of this place, the desserts were too basic and expensive, they were serving milk and cookies and an ice cream sundae the service was great we liked our server a lot though and it's a pretty space

    Photos
    The Jervey
    The Jervey - Aligot Potatoes

    Aligot Potatoes

    The Jervey

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    Zocalo - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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