We ordered the Italian salad (x2), the pesto pasta, and the lasagna to split between four people. It was the perfect amount of food (portions are large), and everything was fresh. Quality was on par. We enjoyed every bite. My only complaints are the lack of indoor seating (although I can only assume real estate in the area is a prized possession) and salt. The pesto was way too salty for me. I would definitely go back though. read more

The pasta and sauce was very good. I had spaghetti and meatballs in the home sauce; my wife had alfredo. Both dishes were thoroughly enjoyed. We sat outside in the mall on a pleasant evening. Service was not that good, but we attributed that more to an inexperienced or apathetic server. Would definitely choose this place again for Italian. read more

I met my parents in C-Ville for the afternoon, and after walking around the Downtown Mall we decided to eat here. I asked for a pizza with an olive oil and garlic base and with mozzarella and feta. I know it has an oil base, but it had giant pools of oil sitting on top of the cheese and the crust was soggy with it. Not what I was expecting or how I'm used to seeing white pizza. My mom got the Mediterranean flatbread and my dad got the red pepper caprese. They both enjoyed their meals - I wish I had snagged a bite of my dad's sandwich, it looks delicious. All in all it was a good meal, very nice waitress, and we enjoyed sitting outside under the awning (especially when it started raining, we stayed nice and dry!). read more

We love this place! Food is always good, servers always friendly. Our fave meals are Emma Rosa and lobster ravioli. Ask for bread. It comes out hot from oven! A great little place. Everyone we take here loves it! read more

Good food! This is one of our favorite places to eat while passing through the Charlottesville area. My mom ordered a side salad and an order of meatballs and said both were delicious. I ordered the pasta with garlic and olive oil and it was delicious too! My pasta was a huge portion. The ingredients are fresh and homemade. Our waitress was pleasant and friendly, providing us with great service. We've always sat outside which is a nice atmosphere. I've never been inside. Check this place out! read more

Not impressed. Salad for $11 was not enough to keep a mouse going, and advertised ingredients were hard to find ....

The atmosphere and staff were nice. The pasta was cooked well but I am picky about Alfredo sauce and this was tasted like maybe too much nutmeg was used. Don't hold this against them but I've had better Italian meals here in Charlottesville. read more

Stopped in with the kids on a trip. Hadn't read the reviews here until I got there. Was really worried the food would be 'meh'. The food was actually great compared to the other reviews. Oldest daughter had Chicken Parmesan and it was was good, chicken breast was moist and not dry. I had your basic Pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Youngest has an Italian sub which was at par with our favorite restaurant back home. All in all I was surprised at the meal quality. Now, onto the obvious. The wait staff although very pleasant seemed preoccupied. Not anywhere near the previous reviews here, but for a small restaurant like this, you need to be on your game to make customers want to return, especially non-locals. read more

Location is great, it is a nice shady spot. Our server was awesome, always cheerful and gregarious. The food was just ok, though. I got the shrimp pesto pizza and my wife got the flatbread, both were hot and served in a reasonable timeframe but not too flavorful. We'd return if we had the same server; otherwise, we'd go next door. read more

The fruta di mare was fantastic. Plentiful portions of several seafood varieties in an incredible broth. Nice thing was that it wasn't too garlicky like most places. It was perfect. Also the blue cheese dressing was worth the trip best ever. read more

I thought the food was good, though maybe overpriced. It has a great outside seating area. The service was slow but they were very busy when we were here. I had a salad which was great, but my sister ordered lobster ravioli and was not impressed. For $15 they only served about 5 ravioli, and she said they were just average tasting at that. read more

Good, solid Italian food. I ordered the lasagna, which was good. Baked bread was homemade, and served with olive oil. Overall, a three-star Italian restaurant. read more

Fantastic staff and food. Didn't find it overpriced as mentioned by others. Ceasar salad $9 and is served on a dinner plate.

I truly don't understand all the bad reviews. Sal's is one of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville, and I'm hard to please! (I used to live in NYC, so I know good Italian!) I go there several times a year and almost always order the chicken piccata with spinach...it is so good, I have to refrain from licking the plate!! My husband loves their lasagna, and even my teenagers love the food. I've taken out of town friends, relatives, and every time, everyone is supremely happy with the food and service, which is very friendly and attentive without being annoying. Their cannoli is to die for! If I don't have room for dessert, I order one to go! I also love the caprese salad and get it every time, even in winter. Nice wine selection too, although I wish they had more Virginia wines on the menu (and seriously, get Prince Michel wines off the menu....they're terrible! All us locals know this!). It's a nice, small restaurant with a cozy, comfortable atmosphere. When the weather's nice, the patio tables fill up, but we usually eat inside. Really, everything is just right. Just go! read more

Walked the mall looking for a location for two children, Sal's caught our eye, though we didn't know the name until the menu arrived. The awning is nondescript. Sat in the patio area. Waitresses were very friendly, though not a well rehearsed staff. Food was very good, kids got the pizza and other the butter noodles. Both of these consumed equally with satisfaction. The wife enjoyed an exceptional eggplant parm. and I had the unannounced lobster pasta dish. Saw it written on the board. It was delicious. House salad was a grape tomato, 2 slices of cucumber on a few leaves. House dressing was good. Didn't clear empties from the table, but being in patio I can see minimizing trips to the kitchen. read more

So will start by saying the service was really good (especially for restaurant week)...the food not so much. It wasn't the worst italian I've ever had by far, but have tasted much better. The calamari was definitely frozen and quickly fried. The caprese was ok. My husband thought the carbonara was decent, but the sauce was thin. The mussel pasta had a weird sweet taste. The kitchen did make an exception and specially make veal Piccata for me since it wasn't on the menu (very nice considering it was restaurant week) but wish I had ordered something else. Very chewy and unflavorful. Definitely wish we had chosen another restaurant, but oh well. The service made up for the mediocre food...had a good time overall with the generous wine pours. read more

Their salads have got to be one of the best deals out there if you are treating yourself to a nice workday lunch. Fresh tasting, interesting ingredients and ready in a flash. read more

I come here several times a week for lunch. Amazing menu and unbeatable service. I don't know what I would do without their caesar salads on my lunch break. read more

Service was slow and our waiter was nervous but food wasn't bad. I've had better Italian food but it was a great seating area and nice weather read more

Had a fantastic dinner . Service was terrific, Bella was great. The food exceeded our expectations. The sauces and entrees delicious !

Nice looking place but expected so much more from a white table clothed Italian restaurant in this location. The Marsala sauce was thin and lacked flavor, and apparently they haven't heard of garlic when making spaghetti sauce. read more

Understaffed and the woman I had was incredibly rude. They ran out of a ton of food and gave no apology for waiting 20 minutes to tell me the meal I ordered was out of stock. How is an Italian restaurant out of spaghetti? read more

Do not eat here! I went to lunch today here with a friend and our server messed up our order. Twice. He gave me chicken parm but said it was eggplant. I have a severe meat intolerance so I took one bite, threw up in their bathroom, and still had to pay for my meal. When I brought this up with our server and asked him to be more mindful of what they give their customers, I was brushed off and ignored. This service was inexcusable. read more

My favorite place to eat in CVille! Great salads, pastas, & sandwiches. Wonderful outside dining patio and very quaint inside. Appetizers are awesome. The high quality of simple things such as the olive oil and parmesan cheese are worth noting. Service has always been excellent. I love the caesar salad which is loaded with flavor. It's clear that pasta sauces are made fresh and in house. read more

Very low quality of food. The clam sauce taste like can chicken noddle soup. Calamari is bland and the bread and oil had no flavor. I wish my bf and would've kept walking by instead of walking in this place. PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! read more

Staff is very good. Calamari is very good. Caesar salad is way too garlicky for me. A Small 2 topping pizza will be over $20. Pepperoni smells weird compared to other places. read more

The chicken tenders where not cooked, my friend bit into it and it was raw. The Italian sub that I ordered was sub par, and i have had a lot of italian subs. It lacked in meats and all I could taste was the mayo and tomatoes. My friend also didn't want to eat his turkey sub for reasons of taste, and my mothers red sauce on the chicken parm was terrible, tasted like canned tomatoe sauce. I would recommend you just keep walking when you come across this place. Unless you want to be exposed to an Italian restaurant wannabe that is trying real hard to beat out school cafeteria food. The only plus was the really nice service, but not enough to save this Italian Titanic. read more

This is my favorite restaurant to eat at when I'm in Charlottesville. The food is always delicious, served quickly, and the servers are nice. Love it here and I wish I didn't live over an hour away from it. read more

dined hear in October and was pleasantly surprised. Sal's is located in a touristy area and didn't expect the food to be so delicious. The ambience of the outdoor seating on a pleasant evening added to the dining experience. read more

I must say that after eating at Sal's many, many times and always loving it, last night's dinner left me wondering why? I ordered the Chicken Parm for the first time. The pasta and the marinara sauce topping it were both beautifully done, but I was rather disappointed to find that the chicken underneath what looked like sandwich-slices of mozzarella (barely melted) was nothing more than frozen breaded chicken patties. First several bites were okay, then the gumminess set in. For a restaurant that beautifully prepares Chicken Piccata from REAL pieces of chicken and does other dishes very well, why it is acceptable to serve that as Chicken Parm is beyond me. We will continue to dine there, and I will be sticking with the Piccata! read more

If that is Italian food then I feel sorry for the local residents. Without a doubt the worst dinning experience I have had in quite awhile. There was not one thing good about my meal, and then the price, outrageous! If I was king for a day I would bolt the doors shut. I have to assign one star otherwise I can't post. If I could post with a negative number it would be -5 stars! Run don't walk away from this dive! read more

Weak pannini with dry greens for a side. Too many better options. Skip this place.

Perhaps because I have tasted the phenomenal Italian in Chicago, this restaurant is just average. It does have a cozy atmosphere and friendly service. Huge servings!!! read more