Duner's idea of "casual fine dining" is fine-dining prices for C+ food in an atmosphere that's a little too casual: utensils are placed directly on the tabletop (at least, in the booths), and the service is erratic. There are always staff on the floor--adding to the crowding--but few of them are waitstaff, so the servers are often overtaxed. They are not well trained, and some of them have an attitude. Every time we have eaten here, we have had to wait so long between the removal of the salad plates and the arrival of the entree that when it comes we're no longer hungry and no longer in a good mood. The entrees are not worth the long wait. The chef should pay less attention to fancy garnishes and sauces and more attention to the flavor, seasoning, and timing of the food. Tonight, for instance, my husband's veal scallopine had obviously been plated 10 minutes earlier and then reheated in the microwave. The veal was too hot to eat and the breading was soggy; the fettuccine was dried out. My fried catfish was in better shape but it was not crispy, as described, and the tasso-tomato-mustard vinaigrette did not go well with the fish or the grits. Neither the veal nor the catfish had been seasoned. Duner's management would do well to hire a consultant to show them how to correct the restaurant's shortcomings. read more

Menu changes frequently, excellent food. Service is always fantastic. It fills up quickly so get there early.

My first time back since 1989...still a good choice 30 years later. Good service and atmosphere. We enjoyed the dumplings as a starter as well as the salad that comes with the food. For entrees, we ordered the grilled tuna and the grilled chicken. Both meals had great flavor. My criticisms are the wine by the glass list and the bread. The Cabernet I ordered did not match the quality of the meal, it was underwhelming. The bread was generic, I would have liked to see artisan bread. read more

Duners's has been our favorite restaurant in the Charlottesville area for over 20 years. The food is consistently superior and the variety outstanding. Very few restaurants can offer so many menu options and do them well, but Duners's is one. Service is always friendly with many of the servers having been on the staff for years. Bob, the proprietor, is usually on site which no doubt accounts for the consistency. Also Bob always has a variety of interesting selections on the wine list and is happy to make a recommendation. The only down side used to be long waits for a table due to Duners's popularity but now they take reservations which is a big plus. We heartedly recommend Duners's. read more

Love, love, love the food, but very unfriendly to single diners. Excellent experiences when I've gone with friends. Then I went alone and the service was the worst I've ever had in a restaurant. My server was not only bad, she was flat out rude. I enjoyed the food so much I decided to give it a second try on my own hoping that they were having an off night. I was one of only 5 tables seated with patrons (I arrived shortly after they had opened) and I walked out after sitting for 10 minutes waiting for a server to even approach my table. She stared at me from the bar she was leaning on, but didn't budge even after I had caught her eye several times. I haven't been back since. There are too many terrific restaurants in Charlottesville that provide great service to all patrons. read more

I stand by my previous review -- Duner's is still one of my favorite restaurants in the area. But on my most recent visit, however, I was appalled by the poor quality of service I received. I'd been talking up this restaurant for ages, so when my parents finally came up for a short visit, I couldn't wait to take them. I knew they'd love the food as much as I do. Our waitress was some kind of cavewoman. She was brusque and unfriendly and, unlike every server I've ever had at Duner's previously, seemed to have little knowledge of the menu and NO knowledge about food allergies. As my mother and I both suffer from celiac disease, we were discouraged and a little nervous. The waitress seemed irritated that I sent her to the kitchen to ask about several dishes and even scolded us for asking her about an appetizer and then opting not to order it. If it weren't for the stellar quality of the food at Duner's, I would vow never to return. I can say, though, that next time I will not abide this behavior quietly and will request a different server. read more

I wasn't really impressed with this place. It was crowded, expensive, and very cramped. You're in a renovated house that was obviously not made to be a restaurant. You had to maneuver around tables to get seated. IT was extremely loud too. The food was good but the portions were small and the price was high. read more

I hate giving this restaurant 2 stars. I've been in the past and it was superb. But tonight was a much different story. It was crowded (not surprising), and our wait was shorter than expected. However, things quickly went downhill. The wait for our server and food was very long, even for a busy night. When my ribeye arrived it was so over cooked and fatty I could barely cut into it. The meat was dry, but yet also all fat. It was completely indelible. I asked for a different cut of steak and it then arrived almost cool to the touch. It was so rare even the server told me to "eat around the sides and we can send it back to cook the rest." It was smothered in a "demi glacé" that was essentially a bottle of soy sauce. It was disgusting. The server meant well and clearly felt bad for how my meal was served, but it will a long, long time before I ever come back here or recommend this restaurant to someone. read more

Maybe they were having an off night, but I found the wait staff unfriendly, the wait unreasonable and the food unmemorable and overpriced. Very disappointing. read more

Ordered a filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and Gorgonzola. No scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes. Server didn't bother to tell me that it would be not as on the menu. Steak was cooked properly but was so salted (beyond the cheese), as were the potatoes and "gravey", that I could only force down about a third of the beef and very little of the potatoes. Pate appetizer was fairly good, however. Not a good experience for my first time there. read more

I've driven past Duner's for years as I commute from home in Ivy to work, and each evening the parking lot is full. We gave it a try tonight. I was with my father and my son. First, the food was fabulous. We had crab cakes, tenderloin and grilled hanger steak. Everything else was horrible. The table was so small, our knees were touching, thus, three sets of feet competing for the same small space under the table. The tables were so close together I couldn't even sit back some to get more leg room. It reminded me of flying coach class. Worse yet was the noise. We tried several times to have conversation and gave up. While my father has hearing issues, my son and I do not. We ended up smiling at each other and trying to get finished so we could leave. Sound panels would help, however I not be going back. read more

Duner's is our favorite Charlottesville area restaurant. We always make it one of our stops when in the area. Tonight's entrees didn't disappoint. The hangar steak I had was tender and perfectly prepared. The crab cakes my wife had inspired glowing comments. She's a coastal girl with much experience with crab so her good opinion is rarely given. Service was delightful. Our table was ready when we arrived and well attended during the meal. read more

Duner's has been a favorite of ours since we moved here in 1989. The food is always excellent and ample. I had the watermelon gazpacho and the tuna rice bowl last night while my husband had the shrimp appetizer and the sweetbreads. All were exceptional. The sweetbreads are frequently on the menu and are not to be missed. The service is good without being intrusive. The only criticism is that the place is loud - sitting on the porch area is better, although the room could use a little sprucing up. read more

Excellent food, menu, atmosphere. I love eating here when in Charlottesville.

Great food. The interior reminds me of Denny's. It's like a classy Denny's. Awesome painting behind the bar, and always a terrific menu.

Diner's continues to be a favorite. I go there weekly. The food continues to be excellent. I wish they would provide more starch options--mashed potatoes seem to be their favorite with every entry'. That said, the food is great! Menu is large but does not change as often as it used to change. But the quality of the food continues to be excellent. I recommend Duner's. read more

wonderful experience. wine, service and the food were all great. you can dress formally or pull off jeans if need be. best i found in c'ville. read more

Duner's is a small restaurant in Ivy on hwy 250 that has been there since the early 80's. I cannot count the number of times I have eaten there and almost always leave full and happy. The service can be slow at times but I have always found it worth the wait. Tonight was no exception. It was fairly busy yet we were seated fast, as I get older I find the seating a little hard and uncomfortable but I'm a grumpy old man. My waitress was there promptly and we order a nice bottle of Spanish wine, she also took our appetizer order. I'm a sucker for Country Pate and order that along with the Potato Gnocchi with the Kobe Beef Ragout. When the gnocchi arrived it was like a tomato spaghetti sauce and we did not like it at all. She took the dish away and brought us the Baked Spinach and Brie Cheese with Orange-Jalapeno Marmalade with a Balsamic Glaze. It was piping hot and just a mouthful of flavors. I love the texture of the crostini with the tartness of the balsamic glaze and the sweetness of the marmalade. She also did not charge us for the gnocchi even though I told her I would pay for it. The pate is always wonderful and a plenty for 2 people all by itself. I love the Granny Smith apple with the toast points and coarse Dijon mustard. I always ask for diced onion to go with it and they never bat an eye to do something extra. Salads here are always fresh and not to complicated. I love the mesclun greens they used and they have a great bleu cheese dressing. The vinaigrettes are also good. I love the sourdough braided bread, it is dense and chewy and usually shut everyone up for a little while. For dinner I ordered the Grilled Soy Glazed Tuna with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Asian-Vegetable Slaw with sushi rice and Red Pepper -Ginger Glaze. It was a perfect seared rare and melted in your mouth and the Red pepper Ginger glaze gave it a nice kick. The other dish was the Seared Duck Breast and Confit Duck Leg with Arugula Spätzle and a Dried Cherry Glaze. The duck was order medium rare and was cooked perfectly, the slightly sweet and tart cherry glaze was a great accompaniment to the duck and went surprising well with the spätzle. The presentation on both dishes was spot on and we ate ever bite. I never can leave without eating dessert and always get the Crème Caramel a type of flan that will make you lick your plate. The other dessert was Chocolate Mousse Dome Cake with Crème Anglaise and Raspberry Purée; it was dark chocolate heaven, and such a large portion. How can you go wrong with custard sauce and raspberry purée? Such perfect trio! I was glad the seats were uncomfortable because I would have probably fallen asleep after this meal. It had been a long time since I had been to Duner's and I still can't figure out why it has been so long. I read that the service can be rude here but I never found it to be that way. Sometimes the servers can be a little schoolmarmish but they care about what they do and sometimes the customer needs to pay attention when the server is at the table. It was one of the best meals I had had in years. read more

As others have described: Great food, casual, would benefit from something to cut down the noise. Arrive early or wait for a table--it's popular despite being a little out of the way. On a recent visit we had three dishes that would have suffered from over-cooking by even a few seconds (oysters, scallops, liver). They all came out perfectly cooked. Service was excellent. Prices keep it from being an "everyday" restaurant, but it's definitely worth regular visits. read more

I thought the atmosphere was terrible, who wants to dine in a loud atmosphere where the tables are so close you can hardly move. An over-priced experience. Way over-rated!! read more

I've been to Duners numerous times over the years and, up until last night, it's always been good. Perhaps they had a bad night but the so-called "lump" crab cakes were anything but... shredded as opposed to lump and mushy with too much soggy something. The salad was also soggy... swimming in dressing. The drinks and the food in general were overpriced. All in all, very disappointing. Noise was a non-issue and the service was fine. On the bright side, the fried oysters were, as usual, great. read more

The food was amazing! Christina was a great server-she rolled with the jokes. My boyfriend's birthday was a great success.

Beg to differ with other reviews. Huge menu, mediocre presentation and food. Invariably get headache. Suspect they use things like powdered stock base. read more

Excellent meal last evening. I had the ribeye with blue-cheese butter and my wife had the halibut. Both excellently done. The one thing I wish is that they had been a little more flexible with their side choices. Great service and knowledgeable bartender as well. read more

I have been to hundreds of restaurants over the years, from coast to coast in the USA, and over in Europe, so I had high expectations with this restaurant based on the reviews before I went. So, I will start with the service, it was friendly and very good. The atmosphere, no better than a greasy spoon with fine table cloths, walls a bit soiled, chairs/benches wooden and uncomfortable, now the food...small portions for what you pay, bland, and on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it a 3. My wife ordered chicken breast wrapped with bacon, it came out very small and with a thigh and leg attached...she does not like thighs or legs and why would a breast on the menu include a thigh and leg to begin with? I had Veal Scallopini which was tasteless. I was sorely disappointed and would never go back. It is a shame because I expected more and hoped it delivered. This is more like find dining not fine dining. I don't intend to be harsh but honest with our experience. read more

For our anniversary, we decided to try out Duner's because we had heard great things and it was a little fancier than our normal go-to restaurants. We were seated immediately (always a plus) and our waitress was so friendly and it felt like we were definitely her priority. She informed us right away of the specials and also told us that the salmon was almost out (1 left) and a few other things were already out of stock, as well (kind of a bummer). I immediately ordered the salmon because it sounded so delicious! Overall, the service wasn't bad, so this review is not in reference to the lovely wait staff. The reason for my review being so low is because when I received my salmon, it was WAY overcooked. Normally, I would have been fine with it, but it was to the point where I needed water with every bite. Luckily, there was an amazing sauce on the side, which helped. I would have sent it back, but the issue with that was that I got the last piece of salmon. Unfortunately, this tarnished my view of Duner's and I don't know if I would come back. It is very expensive and if I am going to pay that much for a meal, I kind of expect it to be near perfect. I love the feel and the environment of the restaurant, though, and everyone is so friendly and personable. If you are willing to give it a try and spend a little money, It could definitely be worth it. read more