the whiskey jar

my favorite downtown restaurant. great burger/fries black-eyed pea hummus, catfish sandwich, albemarle stew. all are very fresh and beautifully presented.

so i have had many pleasant experiences before at the whiskey jar. however this last time means we might not go back! there were four of us for dinner. the waitress was a little surly but that normally doesn't bother me as long as its prompt and the food is good. it started with me ordering a drink that they just don't do anymore but had all of the ingredients for (whiskey, lemon juice, and honey, not like i was asking for something complicated) and her refusing to let me order it. we then ordered appetizers which came out slow. the cauliflower was good but our raw oysters had set out and were not on ice. so we were slightly concerned about that. my friends order the shrimp and grits which i have had before and were great but this time they were like paste and had no flavoring! i ordered the fried chicken which was so dry i had to add the gravy later. the greens were delicious though! the best part about the meal is that the waitress rang in the wrong beer so my husband got a free beer and they are heavy handed in the mixed drinks. it will take a lot for me to go back!

our best meal in cville was at the whiskey jar. they do southern food better than anywhere else we ate in the area. lots of places seem to serve a classic bbq menu but this food is special. even the kids chicken soup was outstanding. family friendly.

upscale southern or hipster heaven.... good food. good beer. mason jars. from a southern boy.

we'll be back!. my husband and i tried the whiskey jar for the first time, after reading glowing reviews. i had the broiled trout and he had the fried chicken. we split a broccoli salad for an appetizer. everything was excellent. the hominy hoppin john that came with my trout was good, the trout was seasoned perfectly with herbs, sliced lemon, and onions. my husband's fried chicken and collards were the best we've ever had...and we've spent a lot of time in new orleans. he liked his "stuck pig" drink with whiskey and vermouth. i'm already dreaming of our next visit and this time, i'm getting the fried chicken with collards.

amazing drinks. the food here is good- old southern favorites.
good experience to sit at the bar and do a tasting of bourbons- very knowledgeable bartenders and you may actually learn something + enjoy some fantastic bourbons.

get the fried chicken. best thing on the menu.

pot pie heaven. i've only been once, and it was last fall, but i came across a picture i took of the chicken pot pie and had to mention it here. i think the picture mostly speaks for itself!

i've had more than a few pot pies in my day, and this was the best i've ever had. seriously. i'm pretty sure i'd travel to charlottesville again, just to have another. well, that and maybe barboursville vineyards. because, you know, they let you taste more than a dozen wines.

the best part: it's not always chicken!

great southern charm!. i can check this off my wish list, this place is exactly what you think it should be based on the name, a good old southern place with live music to add to the experience. if you have company and they are looking for some good old southern cooking and quaint charm this is the place! we had the whole local trout with hominy hoppin’ john
and the fried chicken with collards for dinner both good and the sausage/rabbit appetizer that came in a creamed onion sauce which was excellent.

great food, and worth the wait! however, the worst service i've received in my 5 years of eating out in cville. i've never been treated so rudely by a waitress.

didn't even get a chance to try it. went to the whiskey jar following a concert last night. it was packed (i would bet above fire code) and a horrible band was playing. we were with a number of the bands from the concert and old friends. being 7 months pregnant, and the obvious dd, i was not able to sample their extensive menu of whiskeys. my husband and friends drank plenty though and had no trouble getting service at the bar. however, when my husband tried to get me a glass of ice water (even offered to pay for it), the bartender looked at him and turned around pointedly ignoring him, moving on to help the next customer. i tried to order something to eat (the menu for late night did look fantastic) and was told the kitchen was closed (at 1:00) and that they were not serving food any longer. (correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought any establishment serving alcohol in the state of va was required by law to serve food as well?). at closing, our friend, the headliner from the concert, a local guy and known around the world now, went to ask if there was any way the group could stay just a little bit later. i don't know if it was the manager, a bartender, owner, or who it was he spoke to, but the man was unnecessarily rude and insulting to our friend. i, in no way, begrudge the staff their right to close on time and not offer special treatment. it is well within their right and after a long saturday night i would probably not want to stay at work any longer either. but the way the request was rejected was uncalled for. needless to say. i cannot comment on the quality of any of the bar/restaurant's products as i was denied all i asked for and the rudeness of the staff left a very bitter taste in my mouth. i will certainly not be going back.

best fried chicken ever. and the collard with ginger are fantastic too. great service. rather noisy since it was deservedly packed, but who talks when there is such good food?

um what. this is a good place for drinks and music, but dinner was an episode of candid camera. every time we took the last bite or sip of something, someone rushed over to ask for the dish. maybe they were short on plates and cups and tables and patience, but it was freaking weird. and, no, i didn't show up looking like an embarrassment that you would want to speedily leave your establishment. i even had a hipster take my soda when i was finished...it's weird to ask if you are done with a soda rather than ask if you want a refill, right?

ate here for lunch. amazing chicken sandwich! excellent value. can't wait to go again.

disappointing. the service was very slow. the waitress spilled my soup on me and didn't offer to get me a new bowl or fill it back up to the top. also, my boyfriend got served a pork chop that was 98% fat - he only could find 4 bites of meat. they kindly took half off the dish, but it still was barely no food to pay for. it was very frustrating and although the atmosphere was charming, we will probably not be back because we left still hungry.