Sometimes you can only take so many organic vodka drinks and fusion tapas at swanky places downtown. You need something different for date night. You need the Aberdeen Barn. The Barn is a Charlottesville classic that takes you back to the days when the drinks were strong, the steak was red, the lettuce was iceberg, and one only heard rumors about people called vegetarians that lived in California.
On our recent visit, we got gussied up and headed to the red barn off Rt. 29. The hostess led us into the dimly lit room that was awash with white hair patrons and bow-tied waiters. We tucked into our cozy booth and took a look at the simple and short menu: meat with some seafood as an afterthought, and vegetables meant only to add a color balance to the dripping red on your plate. The most complicated part of ordering was deciding between the four potato varieties.
My favorite part of the Aberdeen experience is the tub of cheese spread and breadsticks that arrives at the table after you give your order. Delicious and disgusting at the same time. The tub of fattening things is a theme of Aberdeen, as our salads were accompanied by three giant tubs of dressing. No fancy Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette here: just the classics of Ranch, Blue Cheese, and Thousand Island.
The main course could only offer more tubs. Along with our nicely charred tenderloins, dinner came with an industrial-sized vat of sour cream and an entire tub of bacon bits for our potatoes. After polishing off our steaks, we headed to the Barn’s “Sportsmen’s Lounge,” which, incidentally, is the only sportsmen’s lounge I’ve ever seen with a piano bar. Swept up in the moment, we ordered a couple rounds of White Russians and bopped our heads along to the Barry Manilow tunes. True, the steak isn’t the best in town, but the food is classic and the setting is a little slice of retro heaven.
Jed says: “No better place in town to celebrate old-fashioned disregard for vascular health.”
Rating: Erin: 
Jed:
Pros: Piano bar, old school food and class.
Cons: Your wallet and arteries will take a hit, vegetarians need not apply.
Price: Entrées $26-46, Sides $3-6.
Parking: Lot.
Contact Info
2018 Holiday Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22901-2893
(434) 296-4630
aberdeenbarn.com
Photos
![The "Sportsmen Lounge."](http://mastomillers.com/wp-content/gallery/aberdeen-barn/aberdeen-barn-10.jpg "The "Sportsmen Lounge."")
![The "Sportsmen Lounge" take two.](http://mastomillers.com/wp-content/gallery/aberdeen-barn/aberdeen-barn-11.jpg "The "Sportsmen Lounge" take two.")
More Info
- Yelp: Aberdeen Barn Reviews – Charlottesville, VA
- Urbanspoon: Aberdeen Barn Reviews
- TripAdvisor: Aberdeen Barn Reviews
Best in Chow
#1 by Libby on January 30th, 2010
LOL! This might be the *best* one-line review I've ever heard. “Vascular health” hee hee hee
Was there any Texas Toast? Dessert? Tub of cheesecake?
#2 by Rythum2 on January 31st, 2010
being a person that REALLY loves steak and Steak Houses, the AB never fails to disappoint. the steaks aren't that great, the sides are usually cold, including the cheese crock, and there is an ambiance that makes one think that the servers are your servants. i grew up going there with my grandparents and never really did get the “coolness” of it. I'm all for local places, and this is certainly one of the first in C-ville, but this is one I'm hoping will retire soon.
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#3 by cvillejosh on February 5th, 2010
The barn is old school cville for sure but it's not very good. You can go better at the Downtown Grill and , dare i say it- Outback .
#4 by johnstranahan on February 22nd, 2010
I understand your site is predicated on the principle of maintaining balance in your analyses of restaurants–i.e., using positive and negative components–however, I am curious about how much one steak could affect the arterial system of the human form. Say hi to Mr. Johnson next time you're there. He is the Aberdeen Barn, at least according to one of his sons. They pretty much have to say that about there Dad. Anyway, toodles.
#5 by Jed on February 22nd, 2010
That one steak has an impressive entourage of cloggers working
alongside it. The tub of cheese spread probably affects your arterial
health more than the steak, not to mention the fried onions and
massive fried pitato wedges and the heaping tubs of bacon and sour
cream and salad dressings so thick you have to flick your spoon
towards the salad to get the dressing from spoon to leaf. God bless
this place…
#6 by johnstranahan on February 22nd, 2010
By the way, Sean, your friend and my acquaintance, told me to check this site out. Great job. Which engine runs the site?
#7 by johnstranahan on February 22nd, 2010
Who wants to live forever, right? Haha.
#8 by Jed on February 23rd, 2010
Nice to meet you! The site runs on WordPress, though we had to do some mucking around behind the scenes to get it to do what we wanted it to do. Do you have a site yourself?
#9 by Jed on February 23rd, 2010
Nice to meet you! The site runs on WordPress, though we had to do some mucking around behind the scenes to get it to do what we wanted it to do. Do you have a site yourself?
#10 by Jed on February 23rd, 2010
Nice to meet you! The site runs on WordPress, though we had to do some mucking around behind the scenes to get it to do what we wanted it to do. Do you have a site yourself?
#11 by Lisa on March 25th, 2010
You made one big mistake – you ordered tenderloin. Rush on back and be sure to order the PRIME RIB. That is the reason that The Barn survives baby. Nothing like it for miles and miles around. Toss in a side order of the sauteed mushrooms and your new rating will be off the charts.
#12 by Jed on March 25th, 2010
I actually did get the prime rib last time I was there…and you're absolutely right. Easily the best prime rib I've ever had. Another post about this is coming up. Thanks for reminding me.