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The Ridley, Charlottesville, VA

The Ridley

4.3 (554)
$30 and under
Southern
1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for groups
  • Good for special occasions
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.

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
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Neighborhood
    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, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine

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What 554 people are saying

The Ridley reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.0Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Ridley offers delightful dishes with "delicious food," including standout items like crispy Brussels sprouts and skillet cornbread. The atmosphere is vibrant, especially for special occasions. While service varies, there are "lovely and attentive" servers who enhance the dining experience. Some guests note slow service during busy times, but overall, it's a "fun atmosphere" worth visiting.
554 Reviews
  1. Jeanette VIP

    Chicago / Illinois103 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great first time experience. Our server, Angel, was fantastic! She was friendly, knowledgeable and intuitive. We each enjoyed our lunch items. The kitchen made a slight hiccup with the cheese on my husband's burger, he ordered cheddar, but the used American, but it was remedied swiftly and he enjoyed it. We are planning to host a lunch in the upstairs room when we return for our daughter's White coat Ceremony. Great experience!

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  2. Mitchell

    Virginia1 review

    2.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Our food was excellent as usual, server was inattentive as soon as we ordered only food and soft drinks. No refills on drink, waited twenty minutes for check.

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  3. Emily

    New York City1 review

    1.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    My husband and I searched “best brunch in Charlottesville” and I have no idea why The Ridley was considered a top spot for Charlottesville because it was horrible. They seemed to be very upset with us for being 6 minutes late to our reservation, after we did call to let them know. There were maybe 3 other parties at the restaurant and it was extremely empty, which is also not a good sign. Our drinks never came, our food was cold (bad just bad), and no one at the restaurant apologized for it. I mentioned in my reservation that it was my birthday and they did nothing for it. We lasted about 35 minutes at this restaurant and as we were walking out, no one said goodbye. Do not recommend this place at all.

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Lauren

    Philadelphia County1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious and service was very fast! Had a lovely Father’s Day brunch.

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  5. Debbie

    Virginia6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 9, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We ate outside and enjoyed the food service and atmosphere

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  6. LaLainya

    New York City2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 8, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was subpar. The eggs Benedict was over cooked, veggie omelet tasteless. Bloody Mary tasted like horseradish and nothing else. Brussel sprouts were very good and my husband loved the grits. The cost did not match the quality

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  7. Will

    South Carolina1 review

    3.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was comical, very nice server however didn’t know menu, we had to ask for things like a spoon with soup. Drink refills took so long we canceled and went elsewhere

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  8. Oni VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    While our waitress was great, the restaurant seems to be struggling with being properly managed. We arrived a few minutes early for a dinner reservation. While there was a woman at the host stand, she never acknowledged us and turned her back to us. When we politely tried to engage with her, she said she was only handling room service but did not indicate anyone else would come to help us. We stood waiting nearly 10 minutes until my husband went in the back to find someone to host us. It was a disappointing start that set a tone for the entire experience. We really wanted to like and support The Ridley but the entire experience felt very disorganized and not worth the price. Our family won't be returning.
    The RidleyResponded on June 14, 2025
    Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. While we're truly glad to hear that your server provided great service, we’re very sorry to learn that your visit began on such a frustrating note. What you described at the host stand is not the level of hospitality we strive to provide. Every guest should feel welcomed and acknowledged from the moment they arrive, and it's clear we fell short of that standard during your visit. Your feedback highlights an important gap in our communication and coordination, and we take it seriously. Please know that we're addressing this issue directly with our team to ensure that proper training and expectations are in place—particularly for our hosting and front-of-house procedures.

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  9. Brad VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was adequate. The problem was that the service was entirely inadequate. Dishes came out haphazardly and in one case wrong. Drinks orders were taken and then forgotten only brought after repeated urgings. In one case we elected instead to get a drink order at the bar while waiting for drinks that were finally served about 15 minutes later. All this when the restaurant was not near capacity. Waitress seen entirely nonplussed

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  10. Lynda

    Virginia9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 18, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    It was Graduation Sunday at UVA and the kitchen was very, very slow. Our Waitress was so kind and apologetic. We received some compensation. There was a major mixup of the bill, we received the wrong table's bill, but it all worked out. We had very good shrimp and grits and a good time with our graduate

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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 4.3 stars by 554 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Virginia
  4. Charlottesville
  5. Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
Google Map for The Ridley

1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    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, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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