Best restaurants for 6 cuisines in Charlottesville

Written by:
December 22, 2023
Hyeong-Taek Lee // Shutterstock

Best restaurants for 6 cuisines in Charlottesville

America is often described as a melting pot, a place where different cultures have come together over the centuries to form new customs while maintaining the ones their ancestors have long held dear. For many cultures, a major part of their identity is food.

Walk down any main street in the United States and you're likely to see the cuisines of many countries—despite being nowhere near each other on the globe—sitting side by side. You could start in Egypt with some falafel, get a taste of Taiwan with a cup of bubble tea next door, pick up a side of fries at an old-fashioned American diner down the block, and finish it off with sopaipillas from the Mexican restaurant in town.

Of course, we all have our favorite dishes—a juicy cheeseburger from a local pub, a savory bowl of tempura udon at a beloved Japanese restaurant, or some chicken tikka masala from your nearby Indian spot. But maybe you're looking to get out of your comfort zone a little, whether to try a different restaurant that serves your favorite food or to taste a new type of cuisine entirely.

To help point you in the right direction, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Charlottesville area using data from Yelp for various cuisines: American, Chinese, Cuban, Greek, Indian/Pakistani, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese. Data is as of July 13, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 50 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Charlottesville, were considered.

Read on to find out if your favorite restaurant made the cut and to get inspired for your next dinner out.

1 / 6
Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint - Charlottesville

American: Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint - Charlottesville

- Rating: 4.2/5 (296 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 109 2nd St SE Charlottesville, VA 22902
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, American
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 6
Marco & Luca Dumplings

Chinese: Marco & Luca Dumplings

- Rating: 4.2/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 176 Zan Rd Charlottesville, VA 22901
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 6
Mona Lisa Pasta

Italian: Mona Lisa Pasta

- Rating: 4.5/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 921 Preston Ave Charlottesville, VA 22903
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 6
Nguyen's Kitchen

Japanese: Nguyen's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (64 reviews)
- Address: 900 Gardens Blvd Ste 500 Charlottesville, VA 22901
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Japanese, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 6
El Tako Nako

Mexican: El Tako Nako

- Rating: 4.8/5 (75 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2405 Hydraulic Rd Charlottesville, VA 22901
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 6
Chang Thai

Thai: Chang Thai

- Rating: 4.5/5 (106 reviews)
- Address: 1232 Emmet St N Charlottesville, VA 22903
- Categories: Thai, Noodles, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 284 metros.

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