Great local joint for burgers & fries. Nothing fancy about it, the food is good and the prices are better.

So, for all practical appearances, Riverside Lunch looks like your typical lunch type eatery. First, the name kind of gives it away. But thr restaurant overall, both exterior and interior, seems to embrace a no-frills type of ambiance. However, what sets Riverside Lunch apart from the sea of mediocrity when thinking about typical lunch type places is their food. Their hamburgers are definitely something that I would recommend and I would definitely recommend adding their fantastic french fries to accompany their hamburgers. Pricing is pretty competitive, as well. Riverside Lunch has definitely been embraced by the community and with the quality and taste of their food offerings, it is easy to see why. Speaking of being embraced by the community, when I was asking a client where he wanted to go for lunch, he chose Riverside Lunch without hesitation and said that I had to try this particular place. Honestly, I am grateful that he did choose to come here because I was introduced to a fantastic place to grab lunch. I would definitely recommend you check out Riverside Lunch. The menu might be simple, but it is simple food done very well. I give this place five stars and again, I definitely would recommend here. read more

Best hamburger around. Not gigantic, just the right size but a quality product. Onion rings are to die for. Prices are very reasonable, except for the sodas. Service is great, people are friendly and the meals are served fast! read more

Might just be the best burger I've ever had and burgers are my favorite food. Great atmosphere and friendly staff

Easily the best burger I've had in a while. A lot of trendy restaurants charge $20+ for a smash burger with industrial decor, but this place is the real deal with affordable prices read more

A real gem!! Traveling in the area and the Husband picked this place from google or something, and I wasn't in the mood to hijack like I usually do. When we pulled up I was a little skeptical because the place looks like an old bank and I thought maybe they served 'old people food'. Boy am I glad I went along with it!! Service and staff were super friendly, everyone stopped to ask us about our holiday plans and tell us about their turkey dinners :) Food was good, fast and inexpensive - my favorite things! They advertise the coldest beer in town and it's NO JOKE. Go, eat everything, enjoy! read more

The first thing I haven't to mention about this place is food. This place has the best burgers I've ever had in Charlottesville. The service there is also great. The waiters were super nice and I got served my food in almost 10 minutes at max. The prices at This place are also great for how much food you get. You can't get a triple paddy cheese burger for around the price of a Big Mac. The place is a nice casual diner look. Nothing fancy overall I would recommend this place anytime in Charlottesville. read more

Great food on Saturday night but the time we had to wait was way too long for a hamburger. We have been here a lot of times and never had to wait when it was busy. It was slow on Saturday and they brought the fries to us and we finished it before the burger came not good. read more

Great place to get greasy food! This place is known for their awesome burgers. Really, there isn't much else to get here other than their fantastic burger. In fact, it's been ranked in the top 10 of Virginia. I enjoyed eating this fantastic burger. Their patties melt in your mouth. I recommend pairing the burger with lettuce even though it costs extra. Looking for something different? Their fries are great for munching on, and a basket of fries can be shared by the entire table and aren't very expensive. The cheese balls are a GEM. I love sharing these with someone. Please make sure they bring out the ranch for your dip. Overall, this is a neat little place where you can get inexpensive, greasy, delicious burgers. The staff is homey and attentive and Riverside Lunch is perfect for a lunch out with friends. Give it a try! read more

Riverside Lunch - Double cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Best burgers in town, served by the sassiest elderly women alive who are over your shit and will let you know it. This is such a vibe, and if you grew up in the south, it'll feel like a little slice of home served with a side of fried pickles, which are also incredible. read more

Always opt for the burger here. I got the double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles and it's definitely my favorite burger in Charlottesville! So cheap yet so flavorful, this burger really hit all of my Anya Taylor Joy-esque cravings. Unlike her character in "The Menu" though, my eyes were NOT too big for my stomach and I practically inhaled the entire thing. read more

Riverside Lunch - Double Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Great, cheap fried food. Our food came out very fast. People are in and out because of how quick the service is. The burgers are yummy and exactly what you expect them to be like. We got the fries and onion rings basket and the onion rings were my favorite part of the meal. Perfectly crispy and the onions stick well to the fried coating. Definitely a popular spot among locals in Charlottesville. read more

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This bare basics off campus "dive" delivers simple menu basics well done. Our group sampled fried fish, shrimp basket, grilled chicken, onion rings and fries. All properly cooked and served in about 10 minutes- at least on a quiet off season visit. Cold beer was an added bonus! read more

Just a plain perfectly done hamburger. Perfect fries and good beer selection. One order of fries is enough for two. The hotdogs looked good. GF and I got the same thing, so I guess it is always the same. Like I said, if you like a plat smashed flattop burger, this the place. I would give it 6 stars for be exactly as billed. Go get some! read more

The service was amazing! Servers kept checking in and were sweet. The food was incredibly fried, but worth it! The wings were crispy and well seasoned, and I always go for the 1/2 and 1/2 onion rings and fries basket. They also had good vegetarian options, with a veggie burger and fried mushrooms. Would recommend coming here for home comfort food. read more

Riverside Lunch - Spicy Wings, Mushrooms Fried, Basket of French Fries & Onion Rings - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I. Love. This. Place! To quote my SO, it's the best burgers he's had in a long while. I love the friendly but no-BS staff. We told them we'd never been there and they pointed us to the menu hanging above the door. We couldn't decide between onion rings and fries so we got a half and half basket ordered for us. I love a place that has regulars that just hang out, just makes for good vibes. If I lived closer I'd definitely try to be one of those regulars! The food and staff have kept this place in my mind (and GPS) often! A common gripe on the East Coast is our lack of In-n-Out burger, but I would argue that their burgers are reminiscent of but also way better than In-n-Out. If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend checking this place out. There's no flashy signs or advertisements, it's almost a little hidden away but 100% worth the visit. read more

Waitress was great! Friendly, seemed to care about us. Food was... just ok. Atmosphere... just ok. Cleanliness... so-so. Won't be going back. read more

My family and I had a late lunch here today and I literally ate the best burger I had in years. I had a bacon cheeseburger with/grilled onions, and fries. My son had the wings and spicy wings. The wings were hot and crispy and flavorful. The spicy wings were legit spicy but not overbearing the fries were a perfect complement to the wings and burger. This eatery is a great cheap eat check it out! read more

When a food reporter recommends you go to Riverside Lunch, you don't ask questions. I've never felt more American than when stepping into Riverside Lunch. It's a place where you'll find every part of American society from hipsters to the elderly to country folk. Everyone goes to Riverside Lunch. It's timeless. The walls are littered with pictures of awards, news articles, certificates of authenticity, and random photos. There's a long bar filled with older men. The outdoor patio has a few tables. Booths and small tables sprinkle the inside. The staff are friendly and attentive. Your server will take your order within minutes and then boom. Your food has arrived in record time. There's usually an elderly woman roaming around making sure your stay is more than comfortable. The beer menu has national favorites (Blue Moon) and local favorites (Bold Rock hard cider). The menu has as many sides as there are entrees. I recommend ordering any of the burgers. It comes out so tasty and it's less than $4.50! The fries and onion rings are perfectly fried and hot. The oreo cream pie was perfectly southern with lots of cool whip in it. My wife, daughter and I ordered a beer, a hard cider, two burgers, a few sides, chicken, and a slice of pie and it all came to $40 including tax and tip. Best deal in the entire state of Virginia! read more

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The hands down best burgers for the money in town. Smash burgers before smash burgers were a thing. Try the onion rings, giant hot dogs and fried cheese balls (delightfully spicy) as well. Charlottesville's version of an old school drive end, but better tasting than Wrights in Staunton in all but the ice cream. read more

Love a good flavorful fast burger? This is your place. Love perfectly crispy onion rings or hot crispy shoe string fries? This is your place. The place is old, small, plain and simple. They're there for one thing: serve the best burgers in town, impress you with the taste of good food and not worry about unnecessary fluff and frills. They succeed. If what you want is good hot food served by genuine folks-this. Is. Your. Place. Thank me later. read more

If they were a BBQ place, it'd be Riberside Lunch If it was on an oil rig, it'd be Riggerside Lunch If they sold weird stuff from around the world, it'd be Randoside Lunch If the waitress was foaming at the mouth, it'd be Rabidside Lunch And if it was named after what my gf told me to do last night, it'd be Ramitinside Lunch. Sometimes service and customers at this hidden C-Ville gem can be slightly questionable at this location - but it is definitely worth it because Riverside Lunch is one of the culinary highlights of Charlottesville. Dirt cheap delicious burgers that melt in your mouth and are made exactly the right way. Some of the best fast food style burgers I've had lately - so stop by and give him a try if you like homemade delicious burgers. And did you ever ask yourself why Mr Freeze and the Joker were teamed up with the Riddler? It's because they wanted to be at Riddler's-side. read more

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We loved this place! Stopped in just before a college tour at UVA and found excellent service, fast delivery, and a great local-style ambiance. The food was priced reasonably, and across all our table's meals we found that their burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and BBQ was excellent. read more

A Charlottesville institution, Riverside lunch serves up delicious burgers and the usual burger joint offerings. Everything is priced so fair that you'll walk out spending maybe $6 person if you've got a group sharing sides etc. Even with having to pay $.20 extra for lettuce and tomato on your sandwich should you desire them, the prices are low. And after all, shouldn't lettuce and tomato cost a few cents more, if you understand how food is grown and distributed and the costs associated? No problem with me. Don't miss their onion rings! Fried to perfection and not too greasy. However the fries I will probably skip next time, not horrible but a bit overcooked, too crunchy. Our toddler son got the 3 piece chicken tenders which were plump and juicy, crispy on the outside, and he gobbled them right up. Everyone in the group of 8 I dined with at lunch enjoyed their meal, even a couple vegetarians were able to leave satisfied (good old grilled cheese and plenty of sides mmm). The place fills up quick around lunch and the parking lot isn't huge so be aware of that. The turnaround time isn't too long though, so the wait shouldn't be exorbitant even when busy. Service was friendly and efficient. Down home feel. They loved our son and gave him a tootsie pop for him before we left:) read more

The most amazing burgers I've had! They always have the freshest ingredients, the nicest service and the prices are cheap (I paid $5.50 for a cheeseburger with a lot of toppings) compared to the incredible quality that you're getting. I love this place so much that even after I moved to FL I have to come here every time that I visit! I love Riverside!! Thank you for always giving me a wonderful experience every tIme I come, and your food is top notch!! read more

Riverside Lunch - Cheeseburger with toppings - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Service ambience and food amazing. The server and tast of food amazing. I would stop by again when I am at CVL

Wonderful little place for the price and service. It was relatively busy for lunch on a Monday in the summer, so you can tell this place knows it's customers . The food was on point. My husband and I both got cheesesteaks, daughters got a hamburger and mini corn dogs and we all shared one basket of fries... enough for all 4 of us! Great food, great service! read more

Absolute treat every once in awhile! Great for all senses! Would be slightly easier with better napkins - but maybe needing a few dozen is part of the experience. Wait staff is outstanding and fun to see all the pics! read more

I didn't know what to expect of the long time Charlottesville staple - Riverside Lunch. Walking in and seeing the vintage wall pictures, wood paneling and restaurant setup made me feel like I was in a hidden gem...that wasn't so hidden. The place was packed with younger and older and they obviously came here to fulfill a craving. I personally chose the Bacon Double Cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and jalepnos. Heeeyyyyyy don't knock it until you've tried it. I liked the burger, it was cooked well (as in good) and the cheese was melted just right. The fries were decent but didn't knock my socks off. They were a little over cooked. The rest of my group liked what they got to eat as well. I can say the prices are ridiculously cheap for the amount of food that you receive. The staff that we interacted with were hilarious, attentive and catered to our needs. We will definitely go back to Riverside Lunch to try other items on the menu. Pro tip, get to Riverside Lunch early (for lunch) because the parking lot gets packed quickly and the seats go faster than the burgers they cook up. read more

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This is food for people who really don't care about diets. Riverside Lunch is a flat-top-grill and they specialize in grilling burgers. Amazingly delicious burgers. I sat at the counter and watched the two dudes preparing them. It's not hard. Round ball of meat, flatten on the grill, cook until done. Put on bun with extras (lettuce, tomato, mayo are extra) and serve. They did make it look easy. Burger was delicious. Melty cheese, hot beef, crisp onion, cool tomato. Yum. read more

Riverside Lunch - Riverside Lunch in Charlottesville VA - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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My absolute favorite burger spot. Patties are done almost like a smash burger. Taste is consistently amazing. Great portion size, great prices, great service. Casual, cute townie vibes. This is one of the only places I'll miss when I leave Charlottesville. read more

I have to admit they know how to make fries onion rings burgers and even a fish sandwich. Super yummy mmmm read more

A Charlottesville staple that you must try whether you are a one time visitor, student, or local in the area. It's a spot the locals love because of its quality service, delicious food, and reasonable prices. It's a nostalgic spot that makes you feel like you're in the good ole days. The staff will make you feel like you're family. Blanche was my waitress and provided unparalleled service. I will be back on all my future vigors to Charlottesville! read more

This place is a complete lottery. Food is pretty good when you can get it. The problem is service. Came at 8:05. The are suppose to close at 8:30. The hostess says they are not taking any more orders. So why do you say you close at 8:30. Very inconsistent service. Need to do better. read more

This place serves a "flat out" amazing burger! It's a small Charlottesville staple that has a delicious meal. It's a small place that has a small town feel. Waitresses and waiters seem like people who enjoy their job and are quite friendly. It's not quite the fanciest place and it doesn't have the worlds best food but it's a simple small place for a quick greasy meal. Their burgers are delicious and pressed flat on the grill hence their slogan "flat out the best burger in Charlottesville". Burgers are made to order and reasonably priced. The fries are alright but nothing to write home about. The true show stopper for me and all others I've taken there are the onion rings. These guys know how to actually keep the onion from sliding completely out in one bite. And anyone who loves a good onion ring understands the importance of that. Overall great quick and easy spot. Great meal if you are going to the river and need something yummy that wouldn't break the bank. You can dine in or carry out. Both are fast and I've never called or waited more than ten minute. Know that it's not some glamorous hot spot but a local spot for a friendly meal. read more

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Fantastic diner. Just a ten minute drive from UVa, their location is ideal for college students and for anyone visiting Charlottesville. The service was incredibly fast, and our server was the most friendly I've ever had. On top of that, the food was just amazing. We were able to get a great variety of food at a great price. The portions are more than fair and delicious. I especially loved having Old Bay on the table! This is absolutely a place I'll be returning to soon. read more

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Great service and great reasonably priced food! My favorite place for burgers, fried chicken and fries.

Man was I skeptical. My friend told me about this place for our post backpacking meal and after two days in the woods I did not want to be disappointed. Walking in the character is on full display. Wood paneling on the walls and vintage photos everywhere. It's really a vibe. And for some reason 80% of the customers are 60+? Its nice to think these people have been regulars for years. Now for the food. The menu looks like it hasn't changed since the 60s. Burgers are $3 cheesesteaks are $6 and a basket of fries and onion rings to fill up two comfortably is $4.50. Now keep in mind you have to add every topping for $0.20 and water cups cost $0.25, it's that kind of place. But it just adds to the charm. The restaurant is unapologetic but gets you what you want. I got the cheesesteak with every possible topping and it only added a dollar. You might be thinking, if this restaurant is so cheap it can't actually taste good. Well you'd be wrong. The thin cut fries and onion rings were delightfully crispy, the cheesesteak was filled to the brim, and the cheeseburger sub looked as monstrous as you'd imagine. If you haven't been yet go, and if you have, go again. Don't let the pictures deceive, this is the type of greasy diner food you've been dreaming about. read more

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Remember being a little kid having your first cheeseburger ever? Your tastebuds aren't fully developed but doesn't matter because it tastes amazing. And every burger after it doesn't quite compare as you get older. You spend your life ordering sub par burgers that never quite match the perfection of that first one? Well look no further, Riverside lunch has truly perfected the art of the burger. Juicy, savory, made however you like it. Crispy crunchy french fries that would give McDonald's a run for their money. Staff that treats you with the warmth and sincerity of your favorite extended family during the holidays. Truly the best service you could ask for. My server Kathy was beyond wonderful, and gave, kind, attentive, genuine service that you truly cant get anywhere else anymore. With an atmosphere of quaint hole in the wall where you truly feel welcome and at home; Riverside Lunch is an absolute must visit if you're in or near Charlottesville. read more

Had a great time here -- it's hard not to at a local institution like this. The burgers are great, smashed super thin on the griddle and cooked until they achieve a lattice crisp. My only suggestion is to ask for a little more salt on the burger, it can take it (the fries would also benefit from the same advice). Do not skip the onion rings. Nice beer list and super friendly service as well. read more