Solid lunch on the patio. (Probably deserves a 3.5/5) Nothing super impressive flavor wise but also no real issues or complaints. Food was nicely prepared, service was super friendly, and the meal was filling and enjoyable. Prices were reasonable for the downtown mall and portion sizes were ample. Her veggie wrap was nicely prepared and had a light topping of a tasty cream sauce. The fries were spot on. Definitely worth skipping the salad option for. I had the sliced beef sandwich with horsey sauce on ciabatta. Reminded me of a leftover beef pot roast sandwich. Filling and tasty but nothing awe inspiring. I found it needed a squeeze of grey poupon for added flavor. Overall: we'd certainly go back for an outdooor lunch or brunch but not our new favorite spot. read more

Rapture - Sliced beef sandwich. Simple and yummy - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Was getting late, so wanted in because they had a cool sign about diversity or front. The pace had a nice vibe. Had a beer and burger, with a caesar salad to start. All were tasty and the service was good. Wouldn't mind trying some odd the other menu options, but next visit I guess read more

Rapture - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Came here on Tuesday evening for dinner. All in all, thought the food was solid and service was prompt (granted, I was the only person here having dinner). I had the deviled eggs, Caesar salad, and the Confit-Fried Chicken. All the dishes were decent quality and priced quite well. The deviled eggs were just kinda the standard, no adventurous flavors this evening however I was pleasantly surprised they had flavor that competes with moms (not as good, but much better than most I try). The Caesar was a Caesar. Nothing crazy but fresh. The chicken, Mac n Cheese and Collard entree was decent as well, although I question whether or not it was freshly prepared or perhaps prepped and then flashed in the oven for a bit as it was a bit dry which is kinda odd for fried chicken thighs, but non the less; still nice crunch and seasoned ok. The collards were probably the only thing I didn't really care for... but totally based on personal taste... they were cooked perfect and I'm certain many people are totally good with how they season them so don't avoid them because I didn't care for them. I think overall, Place is probably more of a super solid 3 in my book... which isn't a bad thing. I'm giving them a 4 mainly because the number of lousy reviews over ridiculous reasons dragging their rating down is just freaking terrible... giving them 1 start because they didn't get to sing their karaoke request... give me a F'n break children. read more

Karaoke woman deleted an entry I had with my sister. She drove 5 hours south to do karaoke with me and my friends. Karaoke woman really ruined our nighr read more

Great food, had a great outside dining experience. Good service and awesome drinks. Brunch Sunday was excellent.

Really cute spot - and great ambiance. Service was a miss - a hard miss. Empty glasses, the wait on food, the wait on requested accompaniments, the servers complete indifference to a frustrated Table of patrons. It would have been ok if the food was great - or even pretty good. It was just bland and.... not interesting. We had burgers and sandwiches. The fries were soggy and limp. The burgers were overcooked and dry. the side salads were under dressed. Even the cocktails were weak. And.... a note on open kitchens. Its a good idea for cooks to walk away to sneeze ans recover and wash their hands. read more

I didn't try the food - so this review is only for the Saturday night '90s throwback/EDM hot mess express combination and the two shots of tequila. The setup's a little schizophrenic. You have a kitchen area at the very front, then a bar area, then some pool tables and a teeny tiny dance hall so you can bump and grind with who you thought was your friend but turned out to be a stranger with crazy eyes who then proceeds to follow you around for the rest of the night. There's an upstairs area for people watching too. The bathrooms are seriously straight out of a 1970s-era Soviet Russia government building. I stood in front of a knob-less sink for a full ten minutes with no clue how to turn on the water and was about to decide in favor of dry soapy hands (better than germy hands, well duh) when someone finally figured it out. You're supposed to wave your foot under the sink because underneath all that rust and grit and feigned minimalism/faux-poverty motif, it's a fancy-schmancy motion capture sensor. Like drunk people who just staggered out of the toilet are supposed to figure that out. Isn't that just an incentive to spread your pee molecules everywhere? Anyway, it was fun but I was scared to touch anything. read more

Worst bar tender ever tonight! Blatantly ignored and even told to wait. Still ignored. Then later arriving friends are served. It was a struggle to even close the 1 drink tab, which would have been many drinks, had I been treated like a paying customer. read more

This place is alright. I only come here because my friends like it and one of them is a bouncer here every now and again. The band that was playing here was The Kings of Belmont. They had an interesting following, but the music definitely wasn't our style. The service is pretty good for having wall to wall people. The fries and sweet potato tots are really good snacks. If you get there before 11, you can play pool on the main floor while the table upstairs stays open when a band is playing. read more

If you are in Charlottesville VA and you would like breakfast after 12pm its very difficult. Fortunately Rapture is serving brunch at this time. The cheese grits are very good. Also the bacon was some of the best ive ever had. I would come in again. read more

Rapture - Brunch. Scrambled eggs, cajun hashbrowns, biscuit and side of bacon. GREAT BACON!!!! - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Ate here for brunch! Great atmosphere and amazing food! And their mimosas are pretty good as well.. kinda slowish service but the food is great. read more

This is an awesome place off the beaten path! Absolutely loved the atmosphere and the food was mouth watering!! Eggs Benedict was beyond words!! read more

A group of us went in for Sunday brunch. Our waiter was Todd. He was lots of fun. I had eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce on a homemade biscuit, which was delicious. The homefries served with it was a bit too spicy for me. The specialty drink I ordered was yummy. Good prices and great service. We enjoyed ourselves and will go back again. read more

We're in Charlottesville looking for a home to call our own and found Rapture on our first day here while strolling the Downtown Mall. The owner and early afternoon staff were relaxed and friendly and took the time to welcome us to Cville and to talk about what life is like in this beautiful town (the pros and the cons - which was honest and refreshing). But what about the food? With the exception of the croutons on the Ceasar salad - and my disappointment in them does not warrant the loss of a star - the food is amazing. I enjoyed fried green tomatoes as a child and when I saw them on the menu I was delighted. It's a seasonal item on the menu and the presentation can change each season. The breading on this season's FGTs has crunch, the tomatoes are firm and flavorful and serving them on a smear of pimento cheese and topped with pickled onion adds a brightness that, as I write this, still makes my mouth water. We returned for dinner last night and again were struck by how welcomed we felt. The owner remembered our names and seemed invested in our story. I know that's not why we go to a restaurant but that sort of attention to detail heightens the experience. It made us feel less like we were strangers in a restaurant and more like friends stopping by for a meal. This time we enjoyed seared ahi tuna with grilled watermelon and wasabi dressing. The tuna was perfect, the wasabi had just the right amount of heat and the grilled watermelon added unexpected sweetness. Until last night my partner Ben had never experienced the wonderfulness of grits and so we ordered that as a side. Creamy and buttery with just the right amount of chew, his mind was blown. We can't wait to try the shrimp and grits. We're not huge dessert people but chose a rice flour cake with crushed raspberries and a dollop of cream. The cake was a surprise. I would describe it as 'delicious campfire rustic' - it had bite but at the same time seemed to melt in the mouth...almost a coffee cake-like texture and not cloyingly sweet. The fresh raspberries added tart and the dollop of cream brought it all together. The service is fast, fun and friendly. In particular, our young waiter last night was especially delightful - I can still remember his very funny reaction when I mentioned Ben's lack of grit experience. They have a nice selection of local breweries on tap - at our first lunch we both enjoyed Basic City's The Sixth Lord IPA. Ben had the same on our dinner at Rapture while I chose a crisp Pinot Grigio. While not quite 'rapturous' (sorry, I couldn't resist), our experiences at Rapture will bring us back again and again. (We have one more day in Cville...I wonder if we can fit in a Sunday brunch???) read more

I have to say the food is good for the price you pay, but the service REALLY needs to improve. I came here for brunch and ordered the fried chicken and biscuits. The chicken was crispy and really well seasoned. The biscuit was buttery, flaky, and stood up really well against the spicy pimento cheese and salty chicken. I also ordered a Bloody Mary to drink, which actually tasted really good. The mix is done in house and has a great balance of saltiness and acidity. However, please know that Rapture does take forever. We waited for an hour to get our food and that is about right across reviews. So if you are in the mood for a good, but LONG meal, this is the place for you. read more

Dear lord. The lady with tables at the front was not friendly at all. Let's hope the bar is better.

we stopped in for drinks and were served ceci's mezcal margarita..by ceci herself! great local unsuspecting place with delicious drinks and divey atmosphere! read more

4th of July weekend we started our trip to Charlottesville with lunch at Rapture. We sat outside socially distanced. We chatted with our great server Angel and the owner. The food was very good (yay for proper fish and chips!) but chatting with the owner about our different, but same covid experiences, was soothing to two folks venturing out for the first time in months. We will be back in August! Thanks so much! read more

This was our first time here!! The service and food were incredible and all the ladies working tonight were so so nice!! We felt very well taken care of and can't wait to come back next time we're in Charlottesville!! Also shout out to our waitress for being very LGBTQ+ friendly with us!! read more

My husband came here for dinner when we went Downtown for a date night. We decided to eat here in the outdoor seating area, and they even brought a water bowl for our dog. It was nice and peaceful since there was no one at the restaurant. Our server was very nice and super attentive. She came to check on us every so often and make sure we were doing ok. Our food was delicious. We had a great meal and enjoyed our time there. It was a great meal outdoors with the candle light! read more

Such a delightful meal and service. They were warm and inviting. The drinks were fun and delicious. The food surpassed everyone's expectations. Literally everyone at our six person table glowed about their entree. Soft shell crabs were double a typical serving - and also doubly delicious. The blackened shrimp and grits were praised by a southerner who is extremely picky about his shrimp and grits. And the pumpkin Alfredo (something that sounded frankly frightening to me) was talked about for two straight days. Well done! We all look forward to returning soon! read more

We were there for 2 and a half hours and they never played music and we asked multiple times but kept getting the response "the iPad is charging".... pool tables are nice though! read more

We decided to go to Rapture for brunch last-minute. We sat outside and it was very nice. Their food was surprisingly good, beyond my expectation. And the price was more reasonable than some of the other places on the downtown mall. But the drink is a little overpriced, like most bars. I would go back to try their dinner menu at some point. read more

Rapture - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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The food was good but the portions are too small for the price you pay! The Brussel sprouts are the only reason that I would go back.

Super fun place! Karaoke every Tuesday night! Such a welcoming environment. While we were there some TURD was rude to the staff but the bartender handled it perfectly. We will 100% be back. read more

I'm leaving a one star review as the result of my Tuesday karaoke night. When I signed up on the list, I was 8th after my wife Sara. After checking the board that gives updates of who's next, the host continued to put people ahead of us, which was not fair. When I approached her she told me, "I do this however I want, and put whomever I want up." Okay well, no more karaoke for me. Fair is fair. When you sign up on the list, do it in that order. Sorry if I'm a brat but I wasted a lot of time on her watch as she threw up her friends or whomever. Not cool. read more

I actually liked Rapture, and had an enjoyable meal there- despite being in a bad mood from the turd UMD had just laid in their basketball game against rival UVA just hours before. Despite liking Rapture, I have to comment on the insufferable name. "Rapture" ?? Seriously? It sounds like a gay club or something. My problems with the name aside, we had a good meal there. Rapture offers about 15 beers on draft, including a local one I had never had before "Blue Mountain Lager". 2 beers later, i was officially a fan. Food wise I had the Salmon, served over fried polenta that looked like mozzarella sticks. The fish itself was very good, as was the siracha/cream mixed sauce they served it with. I can't say I enjoyed the polenta as much. Others in our party had "The Burger" - tasty but not as gargantuan as the name would imply, a Caesar with grilled chicken (good), and a full rack of ribs (i had one, good but not "fall off the bone" good as I would have preferred). Rapture's interior is pretty cool- very modern, exposed fixtures, open kitchen as you walk in, and a pool table, lounger area upstairs. If you are particularly sensitive to cigarette smoke, be advised some does waft down from upstairs, and choose your table accordingly. Our service was swift and friendly. I got the feeling Rapture turns into a club latenight, so be prepared for that if you go to dine on the later side. In fact, maybe that is where they get their name. read more

Attended a social event here yesterday and will not return. First of all, the place just didn't seem very clean - first check. Then, we had drink tickets...$6 for an apple cider? Seriously? Third, the only food that was yummy was the No-bull veggie sliders...and those are just heated up. The pizzas tasted like Totino's Party Pizza. Not impressed. Just soo mediocre :P read more

Come see Natalie. This place is nice and clean. But let me tell you, the food is superb!! Fried chicken sandwich is out of this world.

Oh Rapture... you win points for the outdoor seating, and lose points for the mediocre food, slow service, and expensive bills (i.e. everything else). I swore on several occasions I'd never return, yet always found myself back, whether it was an office lunch or convenient meetup location for drinks. I eventually came to accept Rapture, but never to love it. Pro tip: note that adding a "c" before the name turns "Rapture" into "Crapture," a hilarious play-on-words and not-too-subtle statement of your loathing. Try it out the next time you're stuck here and want others to know that it was *not* your idea! read more

I hate Rapture. Admittedly, this is mostly because I associate it with someone that I very strongly dislike, so it's not really fair. Keep that in mind while reading this review, but there's something to be said for the type of person that hangs out at Rapture every night. I've never eaten there, and only went for drinks, but there was always something kind of sad about it. When I lived in Charlottesville, it sort of seemed like the "it" place for night life downtown, so people got all dressed up for it and pretended it was something special. But it wasn't really. Supposedly they had some good dance parties, but whenever I tried to go for dancing, the floor was empty. Rapture just reminds me of obnoxious people who are trying too hard. And about the restaurant itself--the service is only so-so and the atmosphere is, well, just like the people: kind of obnoxious and trying too hard, but not quite making it. In my opinion. read more

It's a nice place to play pool on the downtown mall. I'm not a big fan. The service is usually terrible at the bar even when the place is almost empty. The attached "club" is usually rented out by college kids, frats, etc. Probably best for the 21-25 year old crowd. There is trivia some nights, but it's usually pretty empty then. Overall, there are plenty of other places on the downtown mall that are better to hang out at. Update: I've been patronizing this establishment a lot more lately. I like it when they have a DJ out in the main bar area on Saturday nights. Now that the X-Lounge is closed, this is somewhat of a replacement for that crowd. It's a good mix of people, but someone it can get a little ghetto or full of UVA morons. read more

Just a quick update, & more of a public service announcement than a review since we didn't dine here again. But we were in Charlottesville yesterday, & stopped by to read Rapture's posted menu to see if they were still offering what was their wonderful "Crab Nachos". Nope - completely new & different menu. No more "Crab Nachos" & no more "Fish & Chips" (not that the lackluster "Fish & Chips" will be missed). read more

Dont bother with the Thai salad unless you like bland basic salad greens and a tasteless oily dressing. Throwing in a handful of peanuts does not make a tasty dish. Very disappointed. The added grilled chicken was cooked ok. read more

Well, I can't say that I've had the food here, but Rapture doubles as a nightlife spot - the bar is decent and the dance floor fun. It does tend to collect an odd concoction of townies, transplants and college students. (The students really only come when events are held there, however.) If you are out for a night on the downtown mall, this is worth a stop. read more

Not bad, not great. Our server was sweet and polite and quick, happy to refill our waters countless times. Food was a bit slow. The much talked-up breakfast burrito was lackluster according to one but I must admit that another at the table devoured hers. The side of fruit with the brunch dishes was barely there and left something to be desired. The omelette of the day (corn, goat cheese and mushrooms) was good but relied a bit too much on the cheese. The last at the table had the burger ... he didn't say much about it. The grits were rich but had a unique flavor. Tasty. The inside was dark, cold and totally empty since it was a beautiful day outside. I was glad to be outdoors. I'd say Rapture filled us up, but I wouldn't be back. read more

Hot Dang! This is a neat place, although i gotta say the name is odd, would expect that from a saturated sweaty club in georgetown or lincoln park but not on the downtown mall of cville. My sis who is local told me it is actually a club at nights, which would explain the two bars, lounge-like atmosphere in the rear of the building and the dark, hodge podge-once graffiti'd bathrooms. They scream dive bar and seem so out of place you start to wonder 'where am i?' Food is excellent. I choose a light Tuscan salad with sundried tomatoes, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, romaine lettuce, shredded parmesan and topped with a garlic champagne oil dressing. Sis had a veggie burger with fries. Sweet tea is unsweetened unless you ask. Oddity in the south. Love this place but atmosphere had me scratching my head, what is going on here? read more

Good place....we ordered steaks and they were very tasty....the green beans that came with were also very good. You can't beat $2 draught's. Wait staff was very friendly and attentive but not too much so. The music was really good! I'd go back. read more

Mediocre food, moderately high price. I qualify this review with the fact I am a vegetarian and I went there with my vegetarian mother, brother, and girlfriend. They had a satisfactory number of vegetarian options but none of them were particularly good. The one thing we did like a lot was their spring roll appetizer, it was excellent. Particularly disappointing were the "bowls"... a number of the vegetarian options were pasta bowls... a peanut bowl, a thai bowl, etc. Noodles with sauce and what not. The noodles seemed like cheap pasta and the sauces were nothing to write home about. On the other hand, service was good and eating outside was quite nice. If you're a vegetarian, you might think twice about eating here. If you're not, then you'll likely be more satisfied as many of their other dishes sounded better than what we had. read more

Just ate at Rapture. Overall terrible experience - hair found in the hush puppies, short ribs served cold, polenta was runny and not only was the mac and cheese served cold, but I found a hair in it as well. Don't waste your time or money. read more