This is not a traditional tapas restaurant. We were disappointed with most of the dishes. Heavy creamy sauces and not authentic Spanish style at all. The service was great but if you're looking for authentic Spanish cuisine this is not the place. read more

Yes, it may be a little pricy, but a stop by Mas Tapas is a must for a special treat or to celebrate special occasions! Be sure to head on over with at least a few friends because it is family style tapas, and the more people you have, the more dishes you can try! Our group's favorites were the Gambas a la Parilla, Tomates Asados, Papas Bravas, and Carne Asada. They also have a decent selection of vegetarian options, and servers are always more than happy to help guide you toward the right dishes or bottle of wine for your group. We look forward to our next visit! read more

Mas Tapas - Gambas a la Parilla - Tapas Bars Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

See all

Having lived in Spain for a semester, I take my tapas seriously. I'm happy to report that Mas exceeding my expectations in providing a delicious, traditional tapas meal that brought back my best memories from Spain! The service upheld the traditional tapas style in making sure to consistently bring out the dishes we ordered one after another, so we were never lacking food nor overloaded with too many plates at once. We sat outside in their spacious outdoor area but were attentively tended to throughout our visit without being forgotten about. And now, the best part: the food. Mas offered a huge menu of tapas ranging from traditional Spanish plates (like my all-time favorite tapa to order, patatas bravas) to unique spins, like the roasted curried cauliflower with coconut milk. By far the best was the queso la tur on toasted bread with melty cheese and thick honeycomb. It was so delicious we ended up ordering it again. The extra large pitcher of sangria might have contributed to that... I loved this place. When coming with a large group, tapas are always fun to order a bunch of small dishes and share bites around the table, and Mas did not disappoint. read more

See all

My husband and I were debating between going to Mas or Parallel 38...wish we picked the latter. Service was a bit horrible and our waitress disappeared throughout the night. The olives at the beginning were delicious. There are vegetarian options on the menu, but nothing really stood out. Moutabel - the description sounded better than it tasted!! The beets just tasted like beet mush served with bread. We couldn't taste the tahini or red peppers. After a few bites the beets just become overwhelming. Queso cocido con alcachofa - goat cheese and artichokes. This was ok, but the goat cheese was very heavy. Roasted veggies with bread - the bread was the best part (buttery and crunchy). The veggies were ok, nothing special and a bit bland. Halibut - I liked this dish a lot and thought the fish was cooked very well. They ran out of the Babaghanouz the night we went. I guess the menu changes often because the menu I saw online wasn't the same one we received. The online menu looked much better and had so many vegetarian options! read more

See all

We were looking for a place for dinner after wine tasting in the area on Saturday and the owner of the B&B we stayed at recommended Mas Tapas, so off we went. I have to be honest here, you can never tell with tapas, so I was slightly unsure of how much to order, but picking 2-3 things each for our table of 4 left us all content and didn't break the bank. We started (and ended) our meal with the bacon wrapped dates (yep, they were so good we ordered them twice), a pitcher of sangria and a potato dish, while we waited at the bar for a table to open up. It took about an hour for our name to be called; the hostest wasn't comfortable quoting us a time when she put us on this list, since she said with tapas if people don't show up at the same time (I guess they were spread out this particular evening) it's hard to gauge how long they will stay. I really appreciated her being so up-front about this. It was actually pretty cool watching the restaurant work so well together as a team! They were slammed, but you would never know it by the level of service we received. Once we were seated we transferred our tab to our table (I double checked this didn't short the bartender and was assured it wouldn't) and ordered several more small plates to share. I LOVED the shrimp, the hummus, Plato de Jamon and the heirloom tomatoes. We split the goat cheese cheesecake (I was intrigued) and even though I wasn't a huge fan of it, my dinner companions had no problem making it disappear very quickly. Overall great experience and great food. I wish I lived closer so we could make this a regular spot! read more

See all

The menu changes often so I suggest talking with your waiter and ask for descriptions and suggestions. I love the open kitchen and watching the chef prepare all the dishes. The food comes out quickly so props to the chefs but the service can be extremely slow because it can really crowded. From my experiences, your waiter can really great or really bad. They really need to make their service more consistent. Many of the items are just wonderful on the menu and I really like how they stay conscious on using seasonal and local items. My favorites include the yukon gold potatoes with aloi, bacon wrapped dates, artichoke goat cheese dip, shrimp with aoli and sea salt, beef tartar, and raw tuna salad. The plates can range from $4-$20 for the "tapas" or regular size and they offer the double sized portion for each dish. I suggest staying towards the lower end because I feel like the more expensive items are not worth it and are not as easy to share. Some items may also be a miss so be careful--again, I recommend talking to your waiter and telling them your preferences! For example, I tried their chirizo once and they were like a charred bricks. The Serrano ham dish with the manchego cheese is also not worth it because it's just really thin slices of cured meat with even thinner slices of cheese. Their hummus was also not very special. Tip: They do not take reservations so it's best to go during off times or weekdays. The wait can be 1-2 hours . Tip: Instead of ordering the bread alone which is already $4, order the cheese dips because they include their house bread for just a few bucks more. Food: 4 Value: 3 Service: 2.5 Overall: 3 read more

Came here for my friends belated birthday Dinner. It's a actually a very chill and calm atmosphere nothing to loud or crazy. The seating is a bit limited but they also have patio seating But it was cold so we chose to sit inside. We ordered a few tapas and 1 large pitcher of Sangria (they only have red) which has about 6-8 cups. It is a bit stronger then sangria that i've had but it's really good. The tapas we tried were: Datil con tocino -fat, juicy, pitted Medjool dates roasted inside of applewood-smoked bacon-really good mix of sweet and salty Jamon y queso -18 mos. aged Jamon Serrano and Manchego Cheese- good but it needed a crunchy element Empanada-roasted local , organic pumpkin from Radical Roots,chevre,sage in a flaky pastry w/ crema, honey- the chevre overpowered the pumpkin a bit Judion-local,pastured Mangalisa pork belly w/ buttery white beans from Leon,local organic chard,mirepox,tomatoes and herbes -pork belly was melt in your mouth and the white beans were firm but had a soft center. I think I could have eaten a whole bowl of them. Pato confitado-raditional Catalan dish of buttery duck confit w/ fresh figs, concord grapes., garlic,Amontillo, sweet butter -figs were so fresh tasting wAtun-#1 Grade Yellowfin tuna grilled very rare only served w/smoked tomato alioli,grey sea salt- smoked tomato alioli was amazingly good.Tuna was a bit too over done but I'm used to eating raw tuna. Chorizo -eponymous pork,garlic and pimenton sausage lightly grilled w/hearth-baked bread-chorizo had a nice snap to it. Tortilla Espanola the classic Spainish tapa of yukon gold potatoes,sweet onions,local farm eggs,extra virgin olive oil, gray sea salt.- Dish was good but the potatos and onions lacked a bit of flavor the gray sea salt on top helped but w/o the salt the dish was a bit plain. Our fave tapas were the Dates wrapped in bacon, the wAtun yellowfin tuna w/ the smoked tomato alioli and the Judion mangalisa pork belly with buttery white beans. All the dishes were really good and you could taste the freshness in the local ingredients. Although the tapas are a bit pricey you have to remember that your paying for quality of the food and experience .I am for sure coming back the next time I'm in Charlottesville to see what other dishes they offer. read more

See all

One of our favorite restaurants in Charlottesville. Be ready to spend a decent amount to be able to try some of the very unique menu items. Our waitress helped guide us through the menu and provided great recommendations! read more

My boyfriend and I did take out from here last night for a fun at home date night and it did not disappoint. The take out service is super easy where they bring the food right to your car. The food itself was delish. Didn't take a picture because plating is not my strong suit but we ordered: - carne asada: Cooked perfectly, our favorite tapa - coliflor: SO GOOD. Got turned onto this after trying it at conmole across the street a big who and I have to say, both places do an amazing job - bacon wrapped dates: only came with 4 (two screens of two) but so good - hongos: these were a little weird. Tasty, but kind of odd - papas bravas: usually one of my favorites, although I wasn't super impressed here in comparison to the other food. Still definitely good though! - sangria: YUM! One order was perfect for 2 glasses My only real complaint was there was no indication of which tapas the side sauces went with, so we had to pour over the menu again to figure that out. Overall was a great meal and I can't wait until I can try eating at the restaurant instead of take out! read more

I've been planning a trip down to Charlottesville for a while now, and everyone that I've asked regarding the food scene has always recommended MAS! Well, now I know why. Yes, they do not take reservations, so get there early and make sure your entire party is present. My boyfriend and I arrived around 6:30 PM and we eventually found a seat at the bar to grab a few drinks. Sangria was wonderful and perfect addition to our meal. Our table was ready around 7:30 at which time I was already drooling and planning what to order as I watched the chefs send out various dishes to their respective tables. It seems as if their menu is overwhelming with options, but the staff are always willing to explain and give their suggestions. Based on that, I ordered the carne asada for sure! The meat was so tender and flavorful, I almost wanted to order another, but had to save room for the other dishes. (All of their dishes come in two sizes!) The papas bravas and the brussel sprouts were warm and extremely flavorful with their sauces. The shrimp was also very good. By the end of the meal, I was desperate to have dessert but found no room for it. Definitely will be back for more food when in town again! read more

Came to Charlottesville from Northern Virginia and was stocked to try this place all weekend! So disappointed and kind of odd with all the other great reviews. Service: 2 of 5 - The moment we walked in the door we were rudely greeted and our information was taken down for the waitlist. Had 3 parties ahead of us and asked for a rough ballpark of estimated wait time and was abruptly told "they don't give estimates" as the girl rushed off. Okay, I get it - can't give wait times but she came across really inappropriately and almost made me want to walk out the door. Our actual server wasn't too bad. Food: 3 of 5 - I get it, this place puts a hipster vibe on Spanish Tapas but the authenticity was a poor excuse for the rendering of the concept. My boyfriend (who is Salvadoran) even noticed that the beer on their menu and country of origin listed were incorrect (pretty much a slap in the face) to Spanish culture. Value: 2 of 5 - Tried this spot on a mini-vacation and spent over $200 with drinks included for the two of us. The only dish that was remotely decent was the artichoke and goat cheese dip. Too bad this was the first dish we put in order in for and the very last thing we were served. I don't know, I'll give them benefit of the doubt and maybe we caught them on a bad night but overLl a very poor experience. Will not be returning. read more

So so happy we finally got around to trying this Cville staple. It did NOT disappoint! We tried: bacon wrapped dates, cauliflower with tumeric, the carne asada, the artichoke cheese garlic dip with bread, ahi tuna, and potatoes with garlic aioli. We definitely had food to spare and some delightful leftovers the next day. They have a great drink selection as well! Our favorites were the ahi tuna and carne asada, and we LOVED the artichoke garlic dip - which had pretty much all of our favorite things - soft flavorful soft artichoke, in your face cheesiness, no skimping on the garlic, and bread. What's not to love? Can we also just say that a place that serves you olives right off the bat is automatically going to get 5 stars in my heart? Can't wait to try all the things Mas has to offer. read more

LOVE this place. Who knew that Charlottesville have a food cult?! What a great find. This was a perfect spot for dinner. It was a tricky finding the entrance on the patio but it was urban chic inside. The downstairs was super breezy near the door, so bring a coat! The setting was dark and modern. The bathrooms discretely overlooked the seating area, covered in wooden paneling. Food wise was a gastronome's delight! Of course the obligatory spanish olives, plethora of distinct cheeses and a larger selection of either wine or beer. Though I didn't find the papas bravas (roasted potatoes w/alioli) that impressive, the jamon, empanadas and ensaladas were que delicioso! Save room for dessert, which was just as enticing. A smooth scoop of chocolate mousse artfully presented with sweet market fresh strawberries and a dollop of cream fraiche and coarse sea salt was perfection. read more

Mas Tapas - stuff yourself silly but there's always room for dessert - Tapas Bars Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The food was good. Service, quite poor. The main course tapas came before the appetizer tapas. All five courses were brought to our table within two minutes of each other. We traveled an hour to dine here. I had more relaxed meals at Applebee's. When I mentioned the "rushed" food order, I was told by our service person, "That happens on Friday and Saturday nights." If you eat here, specify you want appetizers first, entrees last... I hope your experience is better than ours. read more

- overpriced tapas - lots of the dishes were mundane and nothing special - enjoyed the flavor of the bacon wrapped dates but did not think it was worth the price tag - would recommend parallel38 over mas tapas read more

Delicious food! We visited Mas on a Saturday night and were fortunate to have a reservation because there were no empty tables during the course of our dining experience. I ordered the sangria for myself and we shared the colts de bruselas, mejilones, ensalada de atun, gambacitos al ajillo, and hongos. The sangria was not sufficiently sweet for me, so, if you prefer a more dry flavored sangria, then you would be more likely to enjoy this one. The colts de bruselas were cheesy with delicious crispy bacon and delicate hints of rosemary. The mejilones were as good as I have tasted with a delectable thin sauce. The ensalada de atun had fresh tuna and a light dressing perfectly applied to the salad. The gambacitos al ajillo were divine with a scrumptious sauce. The only dish I was disappointed in was the hongos which were too chewy and pretty bland, but I had never tried these particular mushrooms before, so it was interesting to try something new. Overall, I had a fantastic dining experience and would highly recommend Mas Tapas. read more

Absolutely fantastic. This is on a list of Virginia restaurants I've been working my way through for years, and did not disappoint. Everything we ordered was stellar--except the tuna which was just a bit overdone. But we couldn't even bring ourselves to complain because everything else was so incredible, and the tuna was still "ok". Highly recommend. read more

This restaurant was in the rotating list of restaurants to go out to eat with my friends when I lived in Charlottesville. Great sangria & small bites. Spanish tapas style. I love the ambiance too! read more

Favorite dining experience in Charlottesville. Food and drinks are always delicious and fresh. Staff is courteous and friendly and makes you feel welcome. Everything is so good that you can't go wrong with anything, and you want to come back to try more. I've been here 5 times and keep wanting to come back to try everything! They are also dog friendly and always give our pup a nice bowl of water. Love this place! read more

This place changed a lot over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, not for the better. Having been a previous resident of Charlottesville, I recently had the opportunity to return to Charlottesville as part of First year move-in for my son. WOW! What a disappointment "Mas" was. Pretty much everything food wise that could be wrong was wrong. First, if you're going to be a Spanish tapas restaurant, the one dish you MUST get right is the Tortilla Espanola. Sadly, the imposter was more "potatoes au granita" and lacked any other quality one might expect in even the feeble attempts at the real thing" We ordered shrimp which came out rubbery and clearly overcooked. Our bread lacked that crispy crust and was a dull, doughy (not in a good way) slab of bread. The Sangria was on point... and that's about the only good thing I can say. read more

High expectations, but mediocre tapas. Half the dishes were good, but basic, and the other half left us wishing we ordered something else. It's incredibly difficult to get reservations now because there are only 5 tables and the seating is 1hr 45min long. We felt rushed by our server so we picked 2 dishes right away to start: chorizo and carne asada. The carne asada ended up being one of the better dishes and our favorite- caution, the meat may still be mooing. The chorizo was good, but definitely have had better. The posole (chicken stew) was bland and unimpressive...waste of stomach space. Then, we ordered the chuletas (lamb chops) and pescado (rockfish), which offered some promising flavors. The fish happened to be the table favorite. The bocato (pork cheek) was my personal favorite. Having some room left after all these dishes, we cumulatively decided to order 2 more dishes: pintxo (rabbit pate) and oyster mushrooms. Both of these dishes were awful and a disappointing end to our dinner. We basically forced our bites to finish our plates. The pate was a runny gravy slopped onto bread. And the mushrooms ruined it all from there. I'd like to give this place another chance reading all the hype and order other dishes, but I'm worried that I'll be left disappointed once again. read more

Finally got to try this place after a ton of recommendations! We had quite the variety of options and some of the simplest ones ended up being our favorites (that arroz con pollo was amazing!) Some things weren't as good as I was expecting, specifically the papas bravas - I was expecting them to be smaller and easier bites or even crispy but they were kind of baked together making it tough to share. Overall though, really great meal and we will be back to try more! read more

Mas had a great atmosphere for a Saturday night dinner. They were very busy and we had about a 30 min wait. This was ok because we were able to order drinks at the bar while waiting for table. Highlights: roasted cauliflower in turmeric, arugula salad with octopus and grapefruit pieces, duck over couscous with cherries, delicious sangria Skip: mushroom tartlet (pastry was burnt), tomatoes asados, fry bread with cheese and chorizo (overly greasy) Would still come back and try different menu items because they were lots of options, plus our server was great. read more

Definitely one of my favorites in Charlottesville! Food is very high quality, unique, flavorful, and overall heavenly. The menu is quite extensive- so many tapas to pick from! Drinks are great- especially the sangria. We started off the simple oven baked bread. It was nice and chewy in the inside and went so well with the olive oil and olives at the table. The ribeye was salted perfectly and served with freshly made basil! Every bite was rich and juicy. Probably my favorite meat dish. The empanada was crispy and the meat inside was spiced perfectly! There's only one empanada for the tapas portion but it's big enough to split it. My favorite tapa was the mussels. They were so fresh and juicy, and would have tasted amazing even without the sauce. The sauce, however, is to die for. It's this rich tomato puree that can be served as a nice tomato bisque, except it has all the juices from the mussels. There's a little piece of bread that comes with the dish, perfect for dipping into the sauce. I was surprised by how big this tapa was but even more surprised at how delicious the mussels were (seriously, best mussels I've ever had in my life). Patatas bravas are authentic (even better than the ones I've had in Seville actually). The garlic aioli sauce was such a nice combo with the hot, greasy potatoes. Be careful not to burn your tongue! They also make great leftovers and taste just as good microwaved. The carne asada was pretty good, too. Very high quality meat, they put too much sauce and it kind of drowned the entire dish. Finally, we had the truffle grilled cheese sandwich (I forgot the actual name on the menu). The bread was a tad too charred for my liking, but the rich flavor of the truffles and the warm, melted cheese made up for it. A very filling tapa! Mas Tapas is a great place to dine! Food is fantastic and will not disappoint. Ambiance is cozy and romantic and service is great. The tapas turned out to be larger than I thought. My boyfriend and I were absolutely stuffed after 7 tapas and had to take the patatas bravas home. There's limited parking in the little lot behind the restaurant. It's popular though, so get there a few minutes before it opens or anticipate a wait! read more

See all

Fun spot for dinner sharing tapas but I feel like it didn't quite live up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, all the dishes were delicious but seemed like it should have been a little more flavorful. Carne asada was great and the sangria too! I think we ordered croquettes and another veggie dish. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in C-ville for a long stay. read more

This place is pretty good also pretty mas expensive for what it is. I had never been to this part of town but saw this place on Yelp so I figured I would check it out when I was on one of my frequent business trips to Charlottesville. There's a small parking lot behind the restaurant which is nice. Inside it's not very big but attractive. I just sat at the bar, which pretty much runs the length of the restaurant. I was on my own so I started with the arugula salad and was pleased. There were several things that interested me but next I settled on the buratta-pesto-toast tapas thing and that was also good. I debated ordering something else but decided to just get dessert instead. I ordered the flan just because and honesty it exceeded my expectations. Cappuccino was also legit. Service was fine and it wasn't very busy the night I was there. Only downside was I thought it was a bit expensive. The aforementioned salad and one tapas, glass of inexpensive wine and a cappuccino was north of $50 and honestly I was still a little hungry. But all in all I will probably be back to spend more of my company's money. read more

They really rush you there, which feels out of spirit for a Spanish restaurant. The menu says in large letters at the top that a reservation is good for only an hour and 45 minutes. Which is kind of off putting in itself. But it felt like they wanted us out of there much faster than that. We sat down at 7:20, placed our order around 7:30, and by 7:40 they had served 3 of the five tapas plates we had ordered. We hadn't even finished the first plate yet. Some of the dishes were quite good but others were not. Avoid the papas bravas which were both undercooked and charred at the same time. Overall we will not go back. On the rare evenings my husband and I are able to go out, we want to be able to dine and chat in leisure, not feeling rushed. read more

Delicious selection, and generous staff. Built in the wonderful Belmont neighborhood, further boasting a cozy atmosphere and setting for dine in. Flavor is strong with presence of an obvious local touch. Continuing to exceed my expectations each time I order! I am extremely impressed by this business and their food, and would bring everyone in the block and beyond to get a taste. HIGHLY recommend! read more

One of the best meals I've had in Charlottesville! Came by on a Friday night with a group of 6 friends and the place was packed! The staff clearly had their hands full, but were professional and put our names down for a table. We settled in for a wait and ordered a round of cocktails (you can wait with your drink in the porch) We were pleasantly surprised and were seated as our cocktails were being prepared. The tapas are among the most inventive and delicious I've had. The carne asada was cooked to perfection, the mussels had a delicious smoky tomato based sauce/broth, the broccolini was simple but effective, and the mushroom tartlet was good too. The cocktail spread has the usual suspects and are well made. All in all, the service was great given the busy night, the food was delicious, and we all left having thoroughly overindulged ourselves! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville! This is a timeless classic! As someone who's been to Spain, I really think most of the meals here are close to the authentic taste! I came here during quarantine in the summer and was rather impressed by their outdoor seating options. The food prices were manageable, and between my 3 friends and I, we were able to a mix of 6-7 tapas and raciones portioned meals. Patatas bravas is a must have, so is their paella. I really enjoy their mussels as well. read more

The food was to be desired while the service was rude. Our server was unresponsive to the mediocre quality of the food. We ordered three salads which we thought were different dishes and our server failed to inform us that arugula was the only the main ingredient. The meatballs were just chorizo with a few shreds of manchego when they were supposed to be a blend of beef and pork. We were obviously unimpressed and no one took the time to address any of the issues. Also who would have dried dates on a menu when figs are in season. read more

Mad Tapas is a local staple in the community. The tapas, unique drinks, plethora of wine and beer options (with my local) make this a can't miss Charlottesville favourite. They also have something for everyone, so don't worry about large groups with varying diets or even little humans. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and welcome Pets. If you're a foodie, you be in heaven with their complex takes on simple staples and if you're a picky eater, they still have some more standard options to keep you asking for another round. read more

I try to be a mindful reviewer when I yelp, and do check out a review or two of popular places before posting my own. That being said, I do acknowledge that one poster said for those who are foodies and have eaten elsewhere, this place is not that great. I would have to respectfully disagree - I have eaten in quite a few different U.S. cities (LA, Chicago, NYC, DC, Philly, etc.), as well as abroad, and still really enjoy Mas! I will say that the wait is pretty bad, but if you manage to entertain yourself for the +1 hour wait - I would say it's worth it. Why? Well, each dish is it's own little theatrical show. I felt the flavors were purposely chosen and paired and the items were prepared carefully and well. My personal favorite would be the lamb shank, bacon wrapped dates (I know, I know, everyone said it already but it's for a reason!), as well as the papas bravas (not the sexiest dish, but I love the herbs used on the potatoes and the serving size is gracious). Bottom line - this place has a nice exposed brick and wood charm that is akin to a lot of local owned places in NY and the atmosphere, although dim, feels upbeat and social. The last time I was here was with a group of 5. It was the ideal size for sharing dishes and still getting enough that we each felt full. I thought our service was decent, but can completely understand the complaints. :/ In closing - I say try it out if you're curious - it can't hurt, and you'll find that you enjoyed a piece of Charlottesville in the process. May the fork be with you. read more

I've been waiting to go to Mas Tapas ever since I heard my girlfriend and some friends that went to school in Charlottesville raving about it. I have even seen someone drop a few lines about Mas in a review for MY favorite tapas place, Estadio in DC. I finally got my chance to experience Mas when I went to UVa for a football weekend. We went on a Friday night around 9pm so we could eat some tapas and drink some sangria before hitting downtown. We ended up waiting around 35 minutes so they could accommodate our table of 10 on what appeared to be a busy night. The wait wasn't too bad! The giant jug of Sangria (highly recommended - it's very good) kept us busy until we were ready to be seated. We were seated outside with a few tables pushed together and everyone was comfortable. The server came around and gave us our menu's and took some drink orders. The menu is VERY extensive so you'll need to take a few minutes looking up and down it. Be careful though because there are so many things that sound amazing. All of the food we ordered came out in a very reasonable amount of time too! 4/5 - Bacon wrapped dates - I'm not usually a fan of any type of date or bacon wrapped thing. Dates taste weird and usually when things are wrapped in bacon the bacon is still mushy or rubbery. These were a completely different story. The bacon was actually crispy around the date and the entire bite was delicious. Would definitely order these again. 5/5 - Manchego and apples - Obviously not the fanciest thing you can order but the quality of the cheese and apples was fantastic. Both had a ton of flavor and complimented each other very well. 3.5/5 - Jumbo shrimp with garlic aioli - I'm not the biggest fan of in-shell shrimp as I'm more of a butter and garlic drowned shrimp fan but this was still pretty good. Everyone around the table absolutely loved it. 4.5/5 - Carne asada - I will eat steak pretty much any way I can get it. They cook the carne asada rare only but I'm fine with it. It's topped with a smoked tomato aioli that pairs nicely with the rare beef. 5/5 - Octopus and Pork Noodle dish - I'm not sure what this dish was called but it was my favorite of the night by FAR. The pork was tender and the octopus was charred exactly how I like it. Not to mention it was spicy as hell so it was right up my alley. Loved it. All in all I really enjoyed my meal here and it lived up to expectations. This isn't the fanciest style of tapas you will see out there but the food has just as much flavor as any other place. If you enjoy small plates and are in the area (except on Sundays - closed), this is a good bet for you. read more

See all

First things first: I don't like tapas. Call me crazy but small portions (or the shudder-inducing "nibbles" or "small plates"), jacked-up prices, and a whole dinner built around communal sharing with an overriding aftertaste of hunger are not my idea of a good time. I'm quite surprised that the whole restaurant scene built around tapas has lasted as long as it has, because my philosophy is, I've found this awesome dish. I've ordered it. And now that I know how good it is, the sight of your fork coming closer and closer to the food in front of me is enough to bring a rush of red to my head. Anyway, I'm giving Mas a pass on my general resentment of Tapas, because I had heard for quite some time about how good the food was and I can fully back that up. Mas also features tons of locally sourced ingredients, from AMFog mushrooms to beef from Free Union Grass Farm and Silky Cow, which is nice in that you can taste how fresh everything is but bad in that if you don't get here early enough, the kitchen runs out of the more popular dishes, like the bacon-wrapped dates. The menu also has quite the complicated symbol and key system, with things like FUN, WILD-CAUGHT, and BALANCED PAIRING. My table first ordered a small pitcher of sangria to share, and it was the perfect acidic balance of fruit and wine. I will say that I could have easily gone without my one glass of sangria if it meant that the $20 could have gone towards two extra dishes, but the birthday girl requested some booze. But you want to hear about the food! These were the dishes that came recommended by both Yelpers, friends, and waitress. Datil con Tocino: aforementioned bacon-wrapped dates. Comes 4 in one bowl. It's kind of impossible how something so simple can taste so delicious, but this was one of the dishes that I wish we could order extra of. Ensalada de espinaca: baby spinach with pine nuts, raisins, and mango vinaigrette. Palette-cleanser and provided some greens. Papas con crema: like a potato lasagna stuffed with Manchego cheese. Wait a bit for the cheese to crystallize on the bottom and you get nice crispy dark brown bits. Roasted artichoke hearts and goat cheese: wished for more hearth-baked bread. Chorizo: pork + garlic + pimenton sausage. I'd be okay with eating this, cheese, bread, and wine for the rest of my life. My stomach probably wouldn't. Empanada: pastry turnover stuffed with pumpkin, ginger, sage, with some cheese-like creme on the side. More savory than sweet. Fat Gulf shrimp grilled in their shells: my eyes popped out of my head as soon as I spotted a waiter carrying these babies to a nearby table. So succulent. It was like everything else in the world had disappeared and all that remained was the shrimp and I. Albondigas: beef and pork meatballs. Wanted more shrimp. We also ordered the hugely disappointing goat cheese cheesecake: the goat cheese managed to overpower any hints of sweetness or sugar. The little dollops of raspberry syrup on the side did not help. Tip: come as early as possible. My group of 7 came here at around 5:30 on a Friday and snagged the last big table in the back. Fifteen minutes in, a line had already started forming for tables, though there were still a few empty seats in front of the bar. Would like to come back soon to have a Racion of that shrimp all for myself. read more

I had high hopes for Mas because it appeared on several Charlottesville restaurant lists, had great Yelp reviews, and was recommended by my husband who had an memorable meal here a couple of years ago. Unfortunately (and my husband would agree) that the food came up short this time. It was our first meal in Charlottesville after over 3 hours of driving in rush hour traffic from DC, so we were hungry and ready to be easily impressed. Our server, who reminded me of the leader singer of Muse, recommended a bunch of dishes and we ordered all of them: the cauliflower, papas bravas, tortilla Espanola​, grilled artichoke hearts with garlic aioli​, wild gulf shrimp, heirloom carrots, and "ginormous" sea scallop with parsnip & celery root puree. The cauliflower came out first and it raised the bar sky high. Roasted in coconut milk, ginger, turmeric, sweet onions, and sea salt, it was the best rendition of cauliflower I've ever had. I found myself trying to commit its subtle but warm and rich flavor to memory so that I could try to recreate it. Sadly, as the rest of the tapas came out, the bar set by the cauliflower quickly came crashing down. The carrots were undercooked, the papas bravas were mushy, the artichokes tasted like they were from a can, and the "ginormous" sea scallop was not ginormous enough to warrant a $14 price tag. These tapas tasted like they were made by a completely different caliber restaurant than the one that made the cauliflower. The gulf shrimp briefly interrupted the lackluster lineup. Large, juicy, and perfectly seasoned, they could stand on their own without the smooth garlic aioli that it sat on top of. I was particularly surprised that out of over 40 different tapas on the menu, our server did not recommend better ones. Not sure if he was upselling us (such as with the scallop) or trying to get rid of less popular ingredients. Thankfully the night ended on a sweet note with a delightful flourless chocolate cake. And the entire night was saved by the stellar gin cocktails and the chill, hipster atmosphere that made us feel young, cool, and transported from DC. Our bill came out to be ~$65pp with tax and tip which was about 20% more than I expected. I would consider giving Mas another try to cobble together a better tasting, better value lineup of tapas. If I fail to recreate their cauliflower, I'll have to. read more

See all

This used to be my "spot" while at UVA undergrad (til 2005). They're open late - the place is always jumping (*note: they don't accept reservations and at peak hours expect to wait up to an hour), and the food was amazing. It seems as though the quality has declined over the last few years. *The patatas bravas are still good, the tortilla española has been too oily, cheese plates have been significantly downsized (but still tasty), and the seafood from time to time is over-sauced. If you aren't a tapas fanatic, you may still enjoy the restaurant because, even with the few 'not so perfect', most of the dishes are prepared and served wonderfully. The prices are pretty steep, but it's Charlottesville - what else could you expect? If you want cheap tapas, go to DC. If you want great tapas, go to Spain. In the mean time, shoot on over to Main St. and try Si Tapas...then make your comparison ;) read more

Best mussels I've ever had. We have them in California and they're fresh where we live but these are clearly better. As for the rest we had broccolini, hongos, tomatoes asada, and it was a delightful tapas meal with extremely generous portions and a great chill waitress. read more

Meh... it was just okay. Very cool idea and set up but the service and food are just okay. The service was slow for drinks. Food was quick to come out! We sat outside and they have plenty of space for seating. The waiter was very friendly and willing to help us out since this was our first time. We ordered the mussels, lamp, empanada, broccolini and chicken wings. The empanada and lamp wins! read more

Good for a drink and a conversation. No mas. Wait time was over an hour on a Tuesday night, while being only third on the wait list (for 2). The food was edible, but no dish was outstanding. Many diners staked out their tables for what seemed all night in a pleasant social atmosphere. The no-reservations system evidently has its loop holes, as people continually passed us throughout the night for a large party. Their spanish wine list looked worth exploring more. Sangria was good. Bacon-wrapped dates - unimpressed. scallops - just ok. empanada and salad - fine. read more