Rating: 2 stars

Bamboo House

Jul 6

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There have been many interesting theories about the mysterious, windowless Bamboo House north on Route 29. 1) It’s a cocktail bar acting as a front for the dreaded central Virginian mafia. 2) It’s a strip club/Asian massage parlor. 3) It’s some sort of mason, rotary, Kiwanis-type clubhouse. 4) It is a tasty Korean restaurant. If you suspected the answer was option 4, you’re right! Well, at least you’re right about the fact that it serves Korean food. Sadly it is not tasty, but it’s worth a visit for the delightfully peculiar experience.

If David Lynch was scouting locations for his next movie in Charlottesville, the Bamboo House would inspire quite a flick. As anyone… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Korean, Neighborhood: Madison, Parking, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Bamboo House

Cinema Taco

Jun 9

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Shortly after I fell in love with Jed, he moved to Argentina. From that point on he had to share my love with empanadas, as it was during my visits there that I discovered this semi-circle of pastry perfection, a handful of happiness with various meat, veggie, and dessert fillings. They’re cheap, delicious, and a balanced late night meal, so I was giddy when Cinema Taco opened up adjacent to the Jefferson with a giant empanada display case front and center.

Cinema Taco has a fool proof concept: cheap Mexican and South American classics served up as lunch for downtown workers and late night food for hungry Jefferson concertgoers. The setting is… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Mexican, Lunch, Neighborhood: Downtown, Outdoor Seating, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Cinema Taco

Sushi Love

Apr 10

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A local neighborhood rag in San Francisco once published an unfavorable review of the popular low-end sushi restaurant We Be Sushi, and titled it “They Be Mushy.” Another reviewer once wrote of Nobu, the famous global sushi hot spot, “No bull, Nobu is sushi nobility.” Therefore, in what appears to be a long and international tradition of cheap plays on sushi restaurant names, I unofficially dub this review “Sushi Hate.”

That may be a bit extreme, actually. It’s more like “Sushi I Think of You More as a Friend.”

When evaluating a sushi restaurant, we try to order the basics and steer clear of the pan-Asian dishes that many such restaurants feel… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Japanese, Neighborhood: The Corner, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Sushi Love

Bashir’s Taverna for Lunch

Feb 4

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If you’ve been to “Fridays after Five,” you’ve walked by Bashir’s Taverna. Maybe you even sloshed in for a forgettable falafel after one too many beers in a tin bottle. Under such auspicious circumstances, the food might have been good. By the light of a sober weekday lunch, however, it reveals itself to be exceedingly average.

My friend Tom and I were seduced by sound of the “award-winning” apricot-glazed ham sandwich with brie, while our significant others opted for the tarragon salad and falafel platter. Bite one of the sandwich was good, but I grew tired of it by bite four or five… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Mediterranean, Lunch, Neighborhood: Downtown, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Bashir's Taverna

Continental Divide

Oct 18

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If you have a friend who was an undergrad at UVA anytime after the mid-90′s, he or she will speak lovingly of Continental Divide. Outside the bounds of where most first and second-year students are likely to roam, tucked away in an easy-to-miss* slot between the thriving food hubs of the Corner and the Downtown Mall, Continental Divide felt like a place you could call your own. The slightly upscale Mexican food was like a more mature Baja Bean, and the margaritas were dramatically better. Unfortunately, if you’ve been back recently, you’ll notice that the food and whole experience is kind of lacking.

The space itself is warmly lit but not especially comfortable. It’s long… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Mexican, Neighborhood: Main Street, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Continental Divide

Miller’s

Aug 18

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You don’t go to Miller’s for the food. You go for the party. People-watching over a pitcher of beer in the middle of the mall outside, small jazz and alt music shows or weekday bar-flying on the ground floor, more civilized conversation upstairs, and rough-and-tumble billiards up the side stairs on the top floor. Food is there to assist you in whatever plans you might have at Miller’s that evening, not… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: American, Cuisine: Hamburgers, Live Music, Location: Downtown, Outdoor Seating, Pool Tables, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Miller's

Thai 99 II

Aug 4

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When I ask people where to find the best Thai in town, they almost always say Thai 99. C-ville Weekly has given them the “Best Asian Restaurant” award on many occasions in recent years, and the web site refers to its Gardens Blvd location as “exquisite.” So how can it be that I’ve almost never had better than a mediocre… Read More

Tags: Charlottesville, Cuisine: Thai, Near Carmike Cinema, Neighborhood: 29/Albemarle Square, Parking, Rating: 2 stars, Restaurant: Thai 99

Cantina

Jul 29

Posted by Jed in Reviews | View Comments

Though we were sad to see Martha’s Café go, we were happy to hear that a taqueria had arrived in its place. Cantina has preserved the same homey feel as Martha’s but the menu is straightforward Tex-Mex, with basically nothing besides nachos, tacos, quesadillas, and burritos.