The Ridley

Name: The Ridley
Address: 1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA, United States, 22903-2822
Telephone: (434) 984-8010
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.3

4.3 (554)

$30 and under

Southern

1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 3, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 6 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
(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
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

Popular dishes

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

Noise • Moderate

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

J
Jeanette VIP
Chicago / Illinois103 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 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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M
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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E
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
L
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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D
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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L
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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W
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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O
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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B
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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L
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.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 3, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

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

Website
http://www.theridleyva.com/
Phone number
(434) 984-8010

The Ridley

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Popular dishes

Raw Oysters

Ribeye

Shrimp & Grits

Menu

What 554 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does The Ridley offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Ridley restaurant rated?

Is The Ridley currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information