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The Ridley, Charlottesville, VA

The Ridley

4.1
4.1
498 Reviews
$30 and under
Southern

Make a booking

2 people
9:30 pm
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for groups
  • Charming
  • Good for business meals
The Ridley is THE destination for upscale-casual dining and fresh seafood offerings in Charlottesville, Virginia. Located within The Draftsmen boutique hotel, The Ridley combines convenience and accessibility with an unparalleled dining experience. As one of Charlottesville’s Black-owned restaurants, the concept pays homage to Dr. Walter N. Ridley, the first Black student to graduate from The University of Virginia and receive a graduate degree from any major, historically white public university in the South.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:00 am–12:00 am
  • Phone number
    (434) 984-8010
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Area
    Charlottesville
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Experiences

  • Christmas Day Buffets at The Ridley!

    25 Dec 2024 only
    Let us take care of the cooking (and cleanup!) this Christmas at The Ridley. 🎄✨ Start your holiday with our Brunch Buffet from 7 AM to 12 PM, featuring all your morning favorites. OR, join us later for a festive Christmas Dinner Buffet from 2 PM to 8 PM, complete with all your classic holiday dishes.
    Christmas Day Buffets at The Ridley! photo
  • New Year’s Menu at The Ridley ✨

    27 Dec 2024 - 1 Jan 2025
    Join us December 27th - January 1st for a special 3-course menu featuring Grilled Halibut, Roasted Duck Breast, Cheesecake, and more for just $45 per person. Add J Roget Bubbles for $20 and toast to the New Year! Reserve your table now. 🎉
    New Year’s Menu at The Ridley ✨ photo

What 498 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Good for groups

  • Charlottesville

    Innovative

  • Charlottesville

    Good for groups

  • Charlottesville

    Hot spot

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Ridley offers a vibrant dining experience with standout "excellent meal" reviews, praised for its "amazing" food and "fantastic" servers. Highlights include "delicious" Southern favorites like shrimp and grits and fried chicken. The ambience is "nice" and "upscale chill," making it a great choice for special occasions or a casual brunch.

498 Reviews
  1. Ram

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Ridley offers a mix of strengths and little areas for improvement, but overall, it’s a spot worth visiting, especially for its warm atmosphere and accommodating service. As someone who isn’t a Southern food expert but is quickly becoming a fan, I found this experience enjoyable and eye-opening. The Skillet Cornbread is a standout dish—rich, flavorful, and perfectly baked. The ribeye is cooked to the requested doneness and absolutely delicious, while the lava cake is rich, decadent, and the perfect end to the meal. The Chef’s Seasonal Crème Brûlée is fantastic, with a satisfyingly crunchy crust and a delightful surprise at the bottom. Some dishes could use a bit more refinement. The Fried Wings in Phoenix Rub lack flavor, and while the chicken isn’t notably fresh, it thankfully doesn’t have an off taste. I’m looking forward to trying the maple BBQ rub next time for comparison. The gumbo is decent but not extraordinary, and the blackened salmon is unfortunately dry, which diminishes its potential. But then again, as someone who is not familiar with Southern Dish, they don’t taste bad, they just lack texture for them to be memorable. The service is impeccable. The staff is attentive and accommodating, with Lucas standing out for his professionalism and attentiveness. Their hospitality added to the enjoyment of our meal. The Ridley shines in its standout items and excellent service. It’s a place we’ll happily recommend to friends and family visiting the area. Looking forward to our next visit!

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  2. Cheryl

    Detroit

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Server made the experience the best. Shelley was engaging - attentive and fun. We were celebrating a birthday. She checked back often. And sang HB the best. As for the food - couldn’t taste the cheddar in the cheddar waffle but the avocado toast and French fries were good.

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  3. Courtney

    E. Tennessee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, great service. I had the salmon, my husband had the turkey sandwich and both were great. We had no complaints whatsoever! We also had our toddler with us and both our hostess and server were both very kind and sweet to her. It was decorated for Christmas also and the atmosphere was great.

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  4. Mary

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our party of four dined at The Ridley for Sunday brunch. Our server, Shelly, was truly phenomenal. She was supremely prompt, efficient kind and warm. The food—presented immaculate and enjoyed by us all. We have vowed to return to see Shelly again. Thank you!

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  5. Susan

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    This was our second time there. After the first wonderful time we wanted to go back. The service was horrible. There were only three parties in the place and all the servers were hanging out together near the register and/or the kitchen entranceway talking and laughing. At no time after we received our order did any one come to check on us. The only time we were able to get a server's attention was for the check. We will not be returning.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. fernando

    Richmond

    124 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    124 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Was a quiet afternoon after Thanksgiving, food was good but service kind of slow.

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  7. Sarah

    New York City

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Went to the Thanksgiving dinner and the food was cold/not everything was out/it tasted awful. Was not worth the $45. 

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  8. Polin

    New York City

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    The place was not worth the cost. My burger came out burned, my son's chicken and waffle was overcooked and greasy. The only the thing that was decent were the oysters, I guess because they didn't need to be cooked. The drinks were terrible and service was horrible. Never coming back I would rather go to corner grocery store then ever eat there again. Very disappointing.

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  9. PAUL

    San Diego

    55 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    4s across the board. Can't go wrong at The Ridley for decent food at a good price. Had a standard fare dinner and breakfast there - both were yummy!

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  10. Josephine

    Richmond

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This is an attractive restaurant, conveniently located and well worth a visit.

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FAQs

The Ridley offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (434) 984-8010.

The Ridley is rated 4.1 stars by 498 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
9:30 pm
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Ridley

1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Additional information

  • Area
    Charlottesville
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:00 am–12:00 am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Executive Chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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