Two of the Law Weekly’s editors recently hit the town to try out the number one rated restaurant on Yelp in Charlottesville. What happens next will literally shock you.
Taylor Elicegui ’20
Features Editor
I recently made a very important discovery that I feel compelled to share as widely as possible: Croby’s Urban Viddles. Croby’s features New American comfort food at its best. It’s the number one Yelp-rated restaurant in Charlottesville, and as a person who loves Yelp, I felt obligated to go as soon as possible. After my first trip, I dragged Eleanor Schmalzl ’20 and Jordin Dickerson ’20 there for another journey. Trust me, it’s worth the hype.
The menu has three “main” dishes and several sandwiches, sides, and other combos. Two main dishes particularly stand out—The BBQ Sundae and Dippin’ Mac and Cheese. Pro tip: go with a friend who will split them with you. That’s what I did on my first visit and it was the best. The BBQ Sundae comes in a big mason jar and includes layers of pulled pork and chicken, cauliflower mash, pimento cheese, baked beans, and coleslaw. The Dippin’ Mac is a giant bowl of macaroni and cheese with baked beans, pulled pork and chicken, and flour tortilla chips. The menu warns you to prepare for the “Croby’s Lean” after the Dippin’ Mac, and that’s a real concern. After my second trip, where I consumed a bowl of Dippin’ Mac all by myself, along with multiple pieces of delicious corn bread and beer bread and a side of cauliflower mash, I had to go home and lay on the floor for a while. It’s too good not to finish, even if you’ll need a little rest afterward.
The atmosphere is generally fine, although nothing particularly remarkable. The location is definitely a strike against Croby’s for most law students—it’s out in Mill Creek. Anyone who lives near the Law School has to make more of a journey to indulge. It’s about a fifteen-minute drive, unless you get too preoccupied singing country music and get on Highway 64 in the wrong direction. Not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything. The inside reminds me of a fast-casual restaurant, although it’s a seat yourself, tables with waiters kind of place. It would definitely be a good place for kids, because every table is complete with crayons and toys. The service is fast and friendly, which is another plus. My other complaint concerns the drink specials. I won’t spoil the surprise for you, but make sure you check out the drink special menu while you’re there and be prepared for a little bit of disappointment.
All in all, I’m obsessed with Croby’s and can’t wait to go back. It’s delicious, unhealthy, and creative. Do yourself a favor and get there ASAP.
Eleanor Schmalzl ’20
Editor-in-Chief
After a week or two of hearing Taylor rave about this Croby’s place on multiple occasions, I knew she and I needed to go and give our readers a review of what is supposedly the highest rated restaurant in Charlottesville. With that high of marks, I was expecting an upscale comfort food establishment. Little to say, I was very surprised to see it as part of a small strip mall next to Food Lion behind the 5th Street Shopping Center. But I’m not one to judge a book by its cover, so I went into the fine establishment with still-high hopes of good cooking.
The restaurant had a nice cozy feel and was clearly a family place. There were toy dinosaurs on our table, and it looks like other tables had various kids’ toys to keep them entertained. I’m all about anything at restaurants to prevent screaming children, so I was happy with the (likely) slobber-filled toys that protected my ears from the wrath of babies’ screeches throughout the evening.
The fried pickles were a great app to start dinner, fresh with a delicious dipping sauce. I enjoyed our server, who was patient as we waded through their menu of relatively limited food options (the only real main entrees are the ones Taylor mentioned). I opted for a grilled chicken sandwich with coleslaw and mac n’ cheese, ready to see if this “southern” establishment could live up to the sides my southern Kentucky family has during the holidays. The coleslaw was incredible, and I say that as a self-proclaimed coleslaw enthusiast; the mac n’ cheese was solid, but not the best thing I’ve ever had. Overall, I was happy with the meal but don’t recommend the chicken sandwich––it was fine,[1] but it’s clear their specialty is the real comfort food. I should’ve known better than to try to split the baby with grilled instead of fried chicken.
Despite my slight disappointment with the chicken, I wrapped up dinner feeling so full that I wouldn’t have to eat for another 48 hours (spoiler: I did eat before then, but only because of societal expectations because tbh I was definitely still full for at least that long). As a Law Student with very little current income (read: kinda broke), the bill was a wonderful surprise––my meal was around $20 with tip for an app, a full meal, and an extra side. Bang for your buck is great here, and I promise the fifteen-minute drive from the Law School will be a good change of pace for all the folks who never leave North Grounds (really, I promise there’s a better world out there than Barrack’s Road Shopping Center). All in all, a great place to go with good friends, so next time you’re craving some good comfort food, you should head to Croby’s.
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tke3ge@virginia.edu
mes5hf@virginia.edu
[1] Eds. Note: This statement has not been reviewed and approved by the paper’s official chicken sandich reviewer...yet.