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The Ridley, Charlottesville, VA

The Ridley

4.2
4.2
488 Reviews
$30 and under
Southern

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2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 20 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for groups
  • Charming
  • Great for happy hour
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
  • Website
    http://www.theridleyva.com/
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Location
    1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822
  • 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

  • Thanksgiving Brunch and Dinner Buffets

    28 Nov 2024 only
    Come on in on Thanksgiving and let us do the cooking and cleanup! From 7 am - 12 pm we will feature a brunch buffet and from 2 - 9 pm we will feature a Thanksgiving dinner buffet with all your classic holiday dishes.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 488 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Charlottesville

    Innovative

  • Charlottesville

    Good for groups

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Ridley offers a blend of Southern and American cuisine in a chic setting. With dishes like shrimp and grits, fried chicken, and Eggs Benedict, "the food was so good!" Many patrons praise the "friendly service" and "great cocktail" selection. Despite occasional service hiccups, the ambiance and menu variety make it a popular choice for celebrations and brunches.

488 Reviews

  1. Lewis

    Washington DC

    37 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Pleasant ambience. Food was outstanding as was the service

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  2. Kathleen

    New York City

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was very good (as were the drinks) and the service was awesome! Live the vibe too!

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  3. Jon

    Toronto

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Great concept! Food was good but not excellent. Waitstaff was trying hard but seemed overwhelmed

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  4. Maureen

    Wilmington

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was outstanding. Fried Chicken was crisp and moist. Ribs fell off the bone and the glaze was tangy and sweet. The server was lovely, but stretched thin on this evening. Two large parties took her attention. I would recommend dining here. I will be back for the salmon and shrimp and grits next time!

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  5. Lisa

    Atlanta Metro

    10 reviews

    2.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Super disappointed at brunch after reading the good reviews here. We went to Sunday brunch. They didn’t have any tea or coffee immediately available, so that took a while. Food took a long time to come out, but we were enjoying our conversations, so it wasn’t a big deal. Three of us got chicken dishes, and everyone’s chicken was over cooked. Honestly, you couldn’t even tell it was chicken, and the gravy was a big brown glob. The good thing was the servers being super nice. I just don’t think I’d go back…at least not for brunch.

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  6. Gail

    Washington DC

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 8 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service were very good. Ambience very nice and noise level was great, meaning you could actually hear the conversation at your table.

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  7. Payton

    Charlotte

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 1 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    We made a reservation for this place and ended up leaving to go somewhere else before ordering a meal. We got a bottle of wine that tasted cheap- looked it up and it was $6 retail sold to us for $43. It was off the menu and when we got the bill they tried to charge us $61. When we told the wine lady she immediately gaslit us and then proceeded to talk about us within ear shot with staff. This place is a scam and the food around us did not look good, others left with full plates.

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  8. Joshua

    Washington DC

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 27 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Service was slow and confused; multiple items were sold out but there was a long delay after we ordered telling us about it. When the mac and cheese appetizer finally came out, it was cold. The rest of the food was excellent but not worth the exceptionally long wait. Servers seemed apologetic and restaurant was busy because of UVA parents weekend, but it still was disappointing

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  9. Tracy

    Greater Boston

    18 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food, heavy but very tasty. Service was a little slow for a 3/4 full dining room.

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  10. Mindy

    Chicago

    9 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was okay, typical hotel lobby food. Drinks are ridiculously overpriced. There's no parking. Our server Angelique was very nice

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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 4.2 stars by 488 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 20 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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