After a trip at Monticello, our family visited here for our lunch. We were surprised with the excellent taste of the foods served at the tavern even if it's was a buffet/ all you can eat. The fried chicken was crispy and tender, the grilled chicken was my favorite, great cole slaw, and also southern style biscuits. The waitresses were great and kind as they offered more portions of food. Greatly satisfied with the food and taste here. read more

Michie Tavern - Great and Tasty - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

How cool is this spot? Looks straight outta 1760. Fireplaces burning, Old wood paneling, pewter plates. We stopped by after Apple picking and had lunch. It's buffet style only you get your 1st plate and the servers bring you everything else after. They have all the good old favorites. Fried chicken, pork bbq, green beans, mashed potatoes and stewed tomatoes. Ohhhh the stewed tomatoes... the only ones I'll eat (except for grandmas). The servers are exceptional and make you feel like home the whole time your there. It's a little pricey but for a once a year experience why not. Check it out when you're in the area. read more

The atmosphere is very cool and the staff are extremely nice but the food was not great. I was told they are known for their fried chicken, I wasn't WOWed. The mashed potoatos are good and so are the green beans but the vegetable soup was ice cold. I'm not used to eating cold soup. Not worth $18.99 per person not including drink or desert. read more

Delicious southern food. Great hospitality. Arrived on school trip bus tour and they did a great job feeding our large group.

Went to the Monticello and stopped there for a quick lunch. As soon as we walked in we had the pleasure of meeting Brenda. She was absolutely wonderful! We told her that we were on our Honeymoon and she just made us feel so special. We went through the buffet and picked up the most delicious fried chicken, stewed tomatoes, mashed potato with gravy and coleslaw. The biscuits were the most fluffiest biscuits ever. Everything we had was just delicious! Our waitress Vicky was absolutely wonderful. Vicky brought us seconds and thirds of everything we wanted and kept checking of us. At the end of our delicious meal, Brenda treated us to dessert. Peach cobbler and chocolate chunk cookie hot fudge sundae was just incredible. Both Vicky and Brenda made us feel so special! We're definitely coming back! read more

Absolutely amazing restaurant- always consistent and perfect in every way. Have been very accommodating to people with allergies. They do not use peanut oil to fry their excellent fried chicken. Do a great job Packaging meals to go for picnics- a must stop in the area. Have visited this place for many years. read more

I love this place, and have to come here every time I'm in Charlottesville. My tip: come hungry and come early (they close restaurant at 3). All food is freshly made and true old fashioned cooking/flavors. The dining hall is very quaint and plates, cutlery is made to look old style as is the dress of wait staff. Usually it is loud every time I've been as its jam-packed with people (with kids) but I'm too busy enjoying my food to care much about the noise. The peach cobbler is my fav dessert there! Which I usually eat even tho I'm stuffed by then. The gift shops are a great place to buy souvenirs on all things colonial Virginia. You can also tour the Miche Tavern house and get $3 off your tour if you ate in the Ordinary (the restaurant). The tour is worth it as the host tells you about the history of Miche Tavern and the area. All in all a very pleasant experience and especially for those who love historical places, you'll get your fill here. And a site-seeker's bonus...Monticello, Jefferson's home, is just a mile up the road! read more

Historical tourist trap with some really, really good fried and roasted chicken. They have a limited menu, and can really only get away with the price because of the tourism factor. The buffet lines are long and slow and in close quarters, which is why the servers compulsively ask if you want seconds, as they will grab it for you (presumably to keep the line short). Skip the dessert - the peach cobbler wasn't very good and although the soda floats come in mugs larger than your face, it's more worthwhile to have extra servings of chicken. read more

This place only seems touristy b/c of all the tourists. But it's like five minutes from Monticello, it's a historic tavern, and there ain't much else to eat nearby that is anywhere near as tasty, so what do you really expect? Honestly, there are times in our lives when we should set our cool personae aside and just have some good olde times with people in period costumes serving fried chicken and cornbread, and when drinking non-alcoholic beverages from pewter mugs seems funky and fun, not excruciatingly embarrassing. So you gotta set those inhibitions aside and just love this place. We did. It's not exactly haute cuisine, but it's not trying to be. It is pub grub 18th century style. Try kickin' it colonial school like the founding fathers and mothers once did. You might find yourself happy to be a tourist for once. Be cool somewhere else. Be full here! read more

This was such a great experience that gave not only a glimpse into the history of the site but also introduced us to a variety of great foods. The potatoes and fried chicken were especially good but all of the food was great. The servers were quick and friendly and the buffet style made it easy and efficient. Although it is on the pricier side, it was well worth the quality of food and the experience the tavern gives that cannot be found just anywhere. Cannot wait to go back! read more

This was our first time eating here. We have been to Monticello before, but we never stopped to eat here. To be honest I did not know you could. The food was your southern style, but to me that was great. I am glad the hotel that we were staying in suggest we stop and try it out. read more

I wanted authentic 18th century food, not a southern buffet circa 1970. You are shuffled into a buffet line before you know what's on offer, and the price isnt obvious until you reach the end of the line. And its overpriced for what it is. Keep driving. read more

We stopped in for lunch after a visit at Monticello. The food and service were great, no problems at all. I see others have complained about the price of the food, but remember you can eat as much as you want. I didn't have a problem with the food or the service. We enjoyed our time there and would go back again. read more

I have no idea what people rating 1 or 2 stars for this place are expecting when they are eating here. We went before our first visit to Monticello, and had a great time. The decor is probably the worst part. If they really went for authenticity, that would be fine (although without A/C, I imagine Virginia weather would make the place unbearable). Or if they just made it luxurious and nice, I'm sure people would be happy too. Like cloth napkins, china plates, etc. Instead, the mixture of old and new they pick makes the place seem old-fashioned and cheap. There are some cheesy touches: dim-lighting, crummy metal plates served on plastic cafeteria-style trays. Tin cups, serving people in costumes, etc. Not very pleasant, honestly. But the food was awesome. If you go to the website, you learn they only serve buffet-style food: no a la carte orders at all. The fried chicken. In my opinion, it's kind of tough to cook a good chicken breast. Thighs and legs will be moist, even at Safeway or KFC, but what separates out the good places from the mediocre is keeping the breasts moist. The fried chicken at Michie is flavorful and moist, with a beautiful salty and herby crust. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The pulled pork was forgettable. The sides, however, were great. Mashed potatoes with real lumps and old-fashioned gravy. Sweet, fresh beets. Homemade coleslaw. Delicious stewed tomatoes. I totally stuffed myself, and enjoyed it immensely. read more

Highway robbery. Exorbitant prices for greasy, subpar "traditional" food. The decor attempted to mimic a traditional Southern charm, but sadly came off as tacky and cheap. If you're claustrophobic, get ready to feel queasy. On the plus side, the buffet style made for quick eats; my party of 3 came and left within half of an hour. Still, I'm sure that we would have preferred fast food for $45 less. At least the service was very nice, but were often hard to understand as they floundered explaining the unconventional dining system. (I should add that we came for lunch, but I would never come for dinner.) Pick another place and get food twice as tasty for half the price. read more

Great southern cooking buffet. Fun place. A must do if your in the area. Limited selection which actually a good thing cuz everything is so good you will want to try it all and not over eat. Staff will get you seconds on whatever you want. read more

$7.50 worth of cafeteria meal for $17.50 served via a buffet line, drinks and dessert not included. The main dining room is nice and has the ambiance of an old tavern but has limited seating. Regrettably, the overwhelming majority of the seating is located in two add-on dining rooms that lack the historic ambiance that brought me through the door. The first dining addition is similar to a Cracker Barrel, minus the antiques. The second dining addition is painted white and has the feel of a church dining hall. read more

Absolute best meal I had this week while on the 5th grade DC field trip. The fried chicken was quite possibly the best I've ever had. The green beans had a bit of crunch to them which is preferable to the soggy canned version. The black eyed peas were good as were the biscuits. The table agreed the mashed potatoes were a bit runny and just ok; however, my 10 yr old discovered a new love for beets and slaw. He even liked the stewed tomatoes and cornbread. The four aforementioned items were all a bit sweet for my pallet. The service was extremely prompt and friendly despite the insane size of our party. They broke us into groups and staggered our dining times by 15 mins or so to prevent traffic jams with roughly 300 students and parents attempting to dine at the same time. You serve yourself from a buffet then any "seconds" are provided by the wait staff. Our server heard my son say hey I like beets. after he tried the one on his place, next thing we knew the server brought him a small portion in a bowl. The site is at the base of Monticello and there are shops in addition to the restaurant including a general store, metal smith, and an armory with historic guns and knives for sale. Overall a great dining experience with phenominal service and unique shopping opportunities. read more

Michie Tavern - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Horrible experience. The lunch buffet consists of canned beets, canned green beans, fried chicken, biscuits, corn bread. and gravy that I am certain is canned. Very expensive! $17.50 a person. We took out of town guests there and I was mortified at the cost and the low quality of food. There are so many better places to eat with a few miles and for a lot less per person. And our server was VERY weird. read more

Southern fare at its best. The staff is very friendly and will get you 2nds if you choose to have them. We stopped here after touring Monticello and working up an appetite, so come HUNGRY since it is all you can eat for $17. Fried chicken, pulled pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, black eyed peas, coleslaw, and all the fixins! read more

Great place with mostly authentic colonial selections. The staff was so kind and the atmosphere was fantastic!

We went for what supposedly is the best fried chicken in town; I'm here to report that it is not the best, and we will not go back. The food: We had instant mashed potatoes, overly sweet coleslaw, canned green beans, mushy biscuits, and two iced teas. The food really is not that good. I don't think you can say it's the best chicken in town. The setting: You serve yourself at the short buffet line and pick out a spot. We started in the front room by the fire, but the door being constantly opened and shut made it pretty unpleasant in the winter time. We switched to another spot that was crowded and near the restrooms. There was a strange mix of people dressed nicely and others in sweat pants and ball caps. The cost: We both felt a pang of sadness that this meal put us back $42--definitely not worth it. read more

Never disappoints. I know why Jefferson got so much good writing done round here.

Mixed feelings here. Food, old world colonial concept, and cost get high marks. But felt treated like cattle throughout the dining experience. The stewed tomatoes was surprisingly good. read more

The food was good but not worth $17.95 per person for the buffet. I understand it is in a tourist hot spot though so that is probably why the prices are higher. Also, children under 6 eat free which makes up for the cost since we had two little ones with us. I love the architecture of the tavern, there is so much seating and the staff is incredibly welcoming and friendly. It reminds me of Colonial Williamsburg and I think it is a unique experience for children and adults. read more

The beets were the best part of this overpriced buffet. Chicken was dry and they only had thighs left.Bring your flashlight and something to sit on as the seat are small benches and very uncomfortable. read more

Delicious food. Friendly staff. The biscuits have ruined me for biscuits for the rest of my days.

Horrible. Soda was flat. And the food was either too salty or bland. For what the food and place is, not worth the gimmick. It was $17.95 for one plate not including the drink. And not anywhere close to worthy. Servers were non existent. If you are thinking of eating here after visiting Monticello, do yourself a favor and drive back into the city to eat. read more

The food here is incredible!!! The fried chicken, barbeque, veggies all of it!!! and all you can eat, yeah!!!!

So glad we came here from Richmond. An absolute gem. Fried chicken is a star of the meal. Don't count out the sides though. Mashed potatoes were awesome and the stewed tomatoes were a great surprise. I know. I know. Stewed tomatoes. But they were amazing. Do your self a favor and stop by to eat. Remember the fried chicken. The atmosphere is enough reason to try it. The food and service was worth it. read more

Yeah, it's a tourist trap. Good food, but very limited selection and it's hard to believe supermarket-style cole slaw was eaten by our founding fathers. Warm, friendly staff and good cider are ++s. read more

Yes, its crowded. yes, its touristy. yes, the "historic" aspect of this establishment is questionable. But yes, if you are visiting cville, you should make a stop here. the lunch buffet is expensive but you can make it worth your money. my traveling companion had the baked and the fried chicken which both received rave reviews. as a vegetarian, my options were limited. i was sad to see that most of the sides (green beans, collard greens) had meat in them (southern style). what made up for it was the GAZPACHO and the biscuits. no, seriously, it was one of the best gazpachos i have ever had. i ended up eating 3 bowls of it. the biscuits were nice and fluffy. i thought the cornbread was pretty good but i like a dense, cake-like cornbread so i guess it is up for debate. the "world famous" stewed tomatoes were a little too sweet for my taste but they are worth a try. i couldn't believe how many people were sitting inside (which has very low ceilings and is dark and dank). we chose to sit in one of the many areas that was open to outside. beautiful weather and beautiful views. service was great- we never had an empty glass or plate in front of us. all of the people who work there are wearing the historic garb. the bathrooms were disgusting. the little shops were cute and the grounds are pleasant. everything is overpriced so its really a better place to window-shop. read more

The food was EXCELLENT and buffet style, all you can eat. It was expensive, but worth it for the very good meal and sense of history there. Am still craving those mashed potatoes and baked chicken... :-) read more

I came here for a school trip and it was so exciting! The food was spectacular and everyone here was so polite. I loved the potatoes and the setting in here is just perfect. read more

I can't believe that my husband and I have been living in the Charlottesville area for 5 months now and this was the first time I had visited the Michie Tavern. My parents were in town visiting 2 months ago and we decided to visit the Michie Tavern for the ambiance and to see what little treasures we could find. The workers are so friendly and very informative. This place is adorable and bursting with history. I cannot wait to go back and visit with my husband. read more

Food was good and dessert was too! Is it a glorified buffet? Maybe, a little but the eats were good and you do the first trip but the rest you are served to you. Some touristy items for the attire and tableware but you are in a tourist zone. I would go again! read more

For something different it was worth going to...but just once. The place itself is nice but greeters at the front seem like they've seen one too many tourists or tour groups come through. The food was basic and nothing at all spectacular. The fried chicken, although crisp and large, tasted salty. Mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, green beans, stewed tomatoes, black eyed peas, biscuit, cornbread, ... were all uneventful. Definitely not worth the $17 or so per person cost. read more

Tourist trap with busloads of customers trying to eat 'authentic' old food. But there's nothing that interesting about the food, the service, or the ambience. It's a buffet-style restaurant... think Sizzler or Country Buffet, but a lot smaller. In a cool old building in the trees. If it was actually authentic that'd be great, and I'd have nothing to complain about. But peach cobbler? Vanilla ice cream? Since when were those 1700's-era deserts? (The vanilla bean was not commercially cultivated until 1837.) The setting is beautiful and the plates are nice metal ones. I love the history of the area. But this place just tries to cash in on it and does a cheap job. read more

The atmosphere is wonderful. Simple tables, log walls, simple decorations and a warming fire. The servers are in colonial dress. The food is good. I loved the chicken and pulled pork. I wish they would include dessert with the meal, especially considering the cost of the meal. There are coupons online for Virginian's to get $4 off. This place is beautiful inside and out. read more

Went here as part of our vacation to Charlottesville. Food was delicious! Green beans, black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes- yum! All you can eat so you won't need to eat dinner if you go for lunch. Service was exceptional. My mom paid so I can't speak to price but she says "worth the price" (when you are on vacation of course). Oh yeah, best fried chicken ever. So moist, lots of meat. Yummy!!!!! read more