The Ridley - Charlottesville

Came in for Lunch did not get greeted for over 10 mins. Ordered drinks took forever for two coffees. Then ordered lunch came out both our burger and egg sandwich tasted bland…. Took forever to get check. Definitely not a good experience.

We had a family party of 6 who met at the Ridley for brunch. We were quickly seated, and received friendly service. We did experience a delay as the kitchen did not notify our server that an item was sold out for 10-15 minutes, but that was fine, the atmosphere was pleasant. We liked the variety of brunch offerings and food was tasty when it arrived. Overall a nice addition to brunch choices near the Corner.

I went with my husband and sister-in-law which happened to be Charlottesville’s Restaurant Week. The first red flag was the restaurant only having five tables full on a Friday night at 7PM. We sat down and ordered our appetizers, only to have to wait 30 minutes for them to come to the table (this was the only good food the entire night) cornbread and fried green tomatoes. Halfway through eating our appetizers, our entrees were brought. We had the chicken and waffles and the shrimp and grits. The shrimp and grits were stone cold, and the chicken and waffles were both flavorless and barely breaded. We asked for the shrimp and grits to be served at the very least warmed up. The waitress returned with an even colder dish of shrimp and grits. After the entree, we waited another 25 minutes for dessert and another 15 for the bill. I would highly recommend taking your money somewhere else. The ambiance does not match the quality of food and service. The bill was over $130 which is unacceptable for the lackluster experience and food. The best part of the entire night was the incredibly sweet receptionist at the adjoining hotel who comped the valet parking because she felt horrible we spent that much on what most people call it a “so so” restaurant. We should have waited the extra twenty minutes at Texas Roadhouse for a FULLY packed restaurant at 6PM.

I really wanted to love this place. Service was perfect. Ambiance was great. But food was so season-less. So bland. And for southern food, that is crucial.

Waited 2 hours for lukewarm food and one missing entree arrived 10 minutes later. After paying our bill waited 20 minutes for our desserts before giving up and leaving. Spend your money elsewhere!