Mas Tapas

Very disappointing experience at Mas. It came highly recommended and we were looking forward to our dinner. We were a party of four. Since the place looked busy, we ordered the tapas at the same time. We ordered the anchovies, empanadas, a salad, the caprese, flatbread, white asparagus and grilled chicken liver.
The servers were very rude. You do not dare ask them a question about the speed of service because only the chef and them know the pace at which dishes should be served. Our plates came one at a time with an interval of half an hour between them. It was nerve-​wracking waiting for the food to come to the table. The food was tasty (with the exception of caprese, it had three slices of tomato, a teaspoon of soft cheese and cost 10 $), but all the flavor was lost in the mess of the service that Mas Tapas has.

If you’re going to eat at one restaurant in Charlottesville, make sure this is it. Great Spanish wine selection, excellent food, and good service. I sat at the bar around 6pm on a Friday night and had attentive staff help me with my selections. I ended up ordering the shrimp, cauliflower, brioche with goat cheese and apricot preserves, and a fig tart for dessert. All of the dishes were great and I wish I had more room for an extra order of the shrimp. They were a labor of love, though, so expect your hands to get messy.

$$$ is definitely right with this place! Came here for a once in a blue moon tapas experience. Because we are budgeting grad students we only got 3 items, $ 8 per item. We also each got the sangria. The sangria was phenomenal, and definitely worth $ 5/​glass. However I did not really see the hype of the rest of the dishes. I left hungry and underwhelmed. The brioche with honeycomb actually was really really good! But the portion was way too tiny to be an $ 8 item as opposed to $ 4 or $ 6– we each only got 2 bites :(

We came here on a recommendation after a long drive from NYC because they served food until 2am-​what a nice surprise!
I love tapas and these were pretty authentic, filling and tasty.
The vibe was chill and the sangria was good and strong.
Fond memories-​will come back if ever in cville.

I’m amazed that Mas has been so good for so long. Tomas is a great restauranteur and Mas has all the indications of having a chef who keeps an eye on it. Quality is consistent, service is competent, and the food is frequently dazzling. As a vegan with a meat-​loving husband, there is much for both of us, and the wine list is amazing – so many excellent wines for under and around $ 30. As usual, the hardest thing about Mas is waiting for a table, which is an indication of its excellence. The menu changes, but I’ll recommend the eggplant fries with honey, and the gambas al ajillo (prawns in garlic mayonnaise) are one of the few non-​plant foods I break my vegan diet for.

I don’t know why I’ve never written a review, I guess I am too busy being stuffed afterwards. We love MAS… I guess it helps that we live nearby. The only downside is having to get in line 30 minutes early to ensure a seat, otherwise WONDERFUL. If you have a choice, ask to be seated with Emily (she is the best, most sweet server you could ever get).
Like I said, we go to MAS often… and we usually eat the same general dishes. My husband has a shellfish allergy so, we don’t get to pick certain things. However, things that have never NEVER led us astray:
1. Papas Bravas– Potatoes and Aioli (it is to die for)
2. Hummus Con Pan– Some people think it is basic, we think it is just what we asked for and made over the top by their homemade bread.
3. Datil con tocino: Bacon-​Wrapped Dates, I don’t like dates… these are again so delicious.
4. Queso cocido con alcachofa– Cheese and artichokes never tasted so good
5. Gambas al’ parilla– my husband can’t eat these bad boys, but they are worth having to peel yourself.
6. I can’t find the tuna steak, but it is definitely there. (not the tartare) It has been perfect and delicious every time.
Worth it if you’ve never tried it.

Those bacon wrapped dates!!! You must get those! The carne asada, seared tuna, and the flatbread mushroom pizza were all three great as well. The spinach artichoke dip was also a must. Best ive ever had! Better than parallel 38 by a long shot!!!

The best restaurant in Charlottesville. Great beer and sangria selection. Food is delicious. The menu does change but thankfully they keep some favorites on there permanently. It’s great to eat outside during the summer as well.

Great restaurant, great food, great atmosphere! I went here on a Friday night at 945, it was still pretty busy but got a table quickly. Sangria and food were delicious!

My husband and I had a great experience here on Saturday night. Many restaurants in Charlottesville don’t take reservations, so we were expecting a wait. We put our name on the list and had drinks while we waited near the bar. It IS extremely crowded, so we tried to stay out of the way. It was very cold, so waiting outside wasn’t an option, although it looks like they have a great patio for warm weather.
We ended up snagging two spots at the bar before our table was ready (we waited about 40 minutes). Our waiter recommended two glasses of Spanish wine that we both enjoyed. We ordered bread, tortilla espanola, patatas bravas, the shrimp that come in their shells, the roasted tomatoes, and a manchego and jamon plate. This was definitely more than enough food.
I liked everything I tried, and the patatas bravas ended up being our favorite overall (as simple as they appear to be!). The flavors were so much better than versions I’ve had at other tapas restaurants (looking at you, Jaleo).
Our total bill was only around $ 100 + tip, which seems low considering we ordered 4 drinks and what seemed to be a ton of food.
I would definitely go back-​the menu is huge and there are tons of different options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

On my second visit to Mas, I was absolutely blown away by the experience we had that I needed to update my review. Mas does not accept reservations, so you either have to arrive right when they open to score a table or be prepared for a considerable (one hour +) wait. Going in, my boyfriend and I knew we’d have to be patient, so we got cozy at the bar with a pitcher of sangria. The pitchers are super generous for two, so we were able to enjoy a couple of glasses at the bar and had more than enough to enjoy with your meal.
After about an hour, we were seated in a room in the back that is down a flight of stairs. It was quieter and more intimate than the tables in the main seating area. Throughout our meal, our server provided excellent service – leaving us alone on our date night, but coming over at the right times when we wanted to try a few more dishes. On this visit, my boyfriend and I were able to try a wide variety of menu offerings that complemented each other nicely. We probably ordered way too much food, but everything was so magnificent that we couldn’t help ourselves. On our first round, we went with the tuna tartare, bocadillo jamon, an empanada, fried artichokes, cheese with lavender and honey on brioche. We also got a few tapas favorites like bacon wrapped dates and papas bravas. I would highly recommend any of these dishes – the bocadillo jamon ended up being a favorite of mine by a long shot, so much so, that we ended up ordering it again on a second round. We also tried the tomates asados, mussels, and flatbread with mushrooms and feta. Like I said, we probably went overboard, but everything was so good. The one thing I would skip on a future visit would be the tomates asados because they were pretty acidic and didn’t really agree with my palate. Everything else though was outstanding!
I’m so happy that I decided to give Mas a second try! It ranks high on the list of fine dining in Charlottesville – not number one, but definitely in the top five. I would encourage you to believe the hype and enjoy an evening at Mas.

Delectable.
It’s worth the wait. This is one of my favorite spots in Charlottesville. Come here on a warm evening, sit on the patio, sip on some sangria and order at least 4 or 5 dishes from the menu. You really can’t go wrong. Everything here is well-​prepared with fresh quality ingredients. Presentation of the dishes is simple-​they clearly emphasize the ingredients over the looks. The outdoor patio offers a cheerful and relaxing space to enjoy the meal. All-​in-​all, a lovely place that I’ll be coming back to when I’m back in town!

I’m a fan of Mas. When I moved to Charlottesville last year I was told how great Mas was, and I have been coming here regularly ever since. Sometimes there can be a long wait since they don’t take reservations, but I usually try to get there on the earlier side and have never had to wait very long for a table. Their outdoor patio is great in the nice weather. The servers at Mas are very nice. It’s by no means white tablecloth dining but everyone seems knowledgeable about the menu and are good about replenishing drinks. They have a wide variety of wines, cocktails, and beers. All of which I find affordable and great quality. I’d recommended one but I usually try a new one each time based on a recommendation and always forget to remember was it was!
My menu favorites are: bacon wrapped dates – really rich and hot. Papas bravas – great portion, love the aioli on them. Empanadas – have tried a few flavors, last year they had one with a butternut squash and goat cheese that was delicious, and more recently tried a ground beef one. The dough is rich and flaky. Sometimes they have these wonderful full prawns on the menu that taste just like the sea.
You really can’t go wrong with anything you order at Mas, and with such a large menu, you’re bound to find something you like. I can’t say the food is mind blowing or the best in town, but it’s always good and you’re almost guaranteed to have a nice meal.

Wow! What a find during my visit in one of the happiest cities in America. I’m sure «Mas Tapas» is a reason for this rating.
It’s totally worth the the walk from the downtown mall, it’s easy to find and just about 10 minutes on foot — make the trip!
After an initially slow service, we got our table after about 20 minutes wait, and yes — it was still totally worth it!
Go for the wine selection, which is fairly large and interesting with European wines (I tried the red sangria excitedly, but didn’t particularly like it).
We then ordered 7 different tapas which made us more than full. The melted cheese on brioche with honey was one of my favorites, but absolutely everything was great, including the homemade bread and yummy olives.
Come here for a romantic night or a group outing — seats are great, the atmosphere cozy and European, and nobody will rush you out.
Definitely worth a try!!!

I visited ‘Mas’ with some friends this week and overall it was a great experience, but be cautioned there will be a wait. First thing to consider is that if you are planning on going to ‘Mas’ make sure you want to go there and spend some time, chat and have some drinks, because if you are in a rush it might ruin your whole experience.
We arrived to the restaurant at 7PM on a Thursday, and had to wait around 40 minutes to get a table. While you wait you can head over to the bar and grab one of their many delicious drinks and cocktails, but the real experience starts once you sit down at a table. The menu at the restaurant changes very frequently and it has a variety of options to choose from. These options range from vegetarian to seafood to some yummy creations and they go for 5 to 15 dollars for the small portion. Due to the extensive options in the menu I highly recommend to visit this place with a group that way you get to experience many of the dishes. As for the food itself, each dish in its own is not espectacular or the best I have had, but the combination of dishes is what makes ‘Mas’ a 5 star choice. Each dish is refined, carefully crafted, and when you get the option to try many of these dishes it becomes a unique experience. And yes, as other reviews mention the service is slow, not the best, but if you are not in a rush and you are here for the experience it is a minor detail.
Overall, if you want to explore a multitude of carefully crafted dishes with a group of friends and enjoy your time, ‘Mas’ is the place to go.

I’ve been waiting to go to Mas Tapas ever since I heard my girlfriend and some friends that went to school in Charlottesville raving about it. I have even seen someone drop a few lines about Mas in a review for MY favorite tapas place, Estadio in DC.
I finally got my chance to experience Mas when I went to UVa for a football weekend. We went on a Friday night around 9pm so we could eat some tapas and drink some sangria before hitting downtown.
We ended up waiting around 35 minutes so they could accommodate our table of 10 on what appeared to be a busy night. The wait wasn’t too bad! The giant jug of Sangria (highly recommended — it’s very good) kept us busy until we were ready to be seated.
We were seated outside with a few tables pushed together and everyone was comfortable. The server came around and gave us our menu’s and took some drink orders. The menu is VERY extensive so you’ll need to take a few minutes looking up and down it. Be careful though because there are so many things that sound amazing.
All of the food we ordered came out in a very reasonable amount of time too!
⁴⁄₅ — Bacon wrapped dates — I’m not usually a fan of any type of date or bacon wrapped thing. Dates taste weird and usually when things are wrapped in bacon the bacon is still mushy or rubbery. These were a completely different story. The bacon was actually crispy around the date and the entire bite was delicious. Would definitely order these again.
⁵⁄₅ — Manchego and apples — Obviously not the fanciest thing you can order but the quality of the cheese and apples was fantastic. Both had a ton of flavor and complimented each other very well.
3.5÷5 — Jumbo shrimp with garlic aioli — I’m not the biggest fan of in-​shell shrimp as I’m more of a butter and garlic drowned shrimp fan but this was still pretty good. Everyone around the table absolutely loved it.
4.5÷5 — Carne asada — I will eat steak pretty much any way I can get it. They cook the carne asada rare only but I’m fine with it. It’s topped with a smoked tomato aioli that pairs nicely with the rare beef.
⁵⁄₅ — Octopus and Pork Noodle dish — I’m not sure what this dish was called but it was my favorite of the night by FAR. The pork was tender and the octopus was charred exactly how I like it. Not to mention it was spicy as hell so it was right up my alley. Loved it.
All in all I really enjoyed my meal here and it lived up to expectations. This isn’t the fanciest style of tapas you will see out there but the food has just as much flavor as any other place. If you enjoy small plates and are in the area (except on Sundays — closed), this is a good bet for you.

Yet another Belmont restaurant that doesn’t take reservations! Still, this place is usually worth the wait. Great tapas and sangria. The menu is a little confusing your first time, but the servers are really helpful about popular items so ask for recommendations. Also, make sure to look at the art on the walls — the people in the pictures are all servers at Mas!

I moved away from Charlottesville last May, and I’m still mourning the loss of Mas. I haven’t been to many restaurants, tapas or otherwise, that can compete when it comes to quality of food at the price point.
I ate at Mas probably a dozen times during the three years I lived in Charlottesville, and I never had a bad dish. That to me is the sign of a truly excellent restaurant. My favorites (because they were almost always on the menu) were definitely the carne asada (that orange sauce that comes with it must be laced with crack), tomatoes asados, and queso cocido con alcachofa. Less regular, but still amazing dishes, include tuna that was also dressed with that orange crack sauce, skewers of octopus and pork belly, and perfect sardines (and I didn’t even think I liked sardines!). Just remember to order some extra bread if you get the tomatoes or the queso. You will want to have plenty to mop it all up.
As to common complaints: Yes, the service can be hit or miss on the friendliness front, but they are always efficient so I can overlook the occasional attitude. They are pretty busy. Yes, the wait can get very long since they don’t take reservations, but bring some friends, order a pitcher of their sangria, and make it a night. It’s totally worth the wait. In fact, it’s worth a three hour drive, so I’m going back soon!

The perfect restaurants for large groups with a delicious fluid menu that necessitates repeat visits.
It seems like every person I meet that went to UVA always asks me the same question «Have you been to Mas Tapas yet!?» After all the hype, my girlfriend and I finally made the drive out. Nestled near The Local and Belmont BBQ, we fortunately found a parking spot behind the building. Even at 5:45PM, the place was at least 75% full. Mas has generous outdoor seating and a very trendy inside décor. We ordered the Sangria ($ 5 a glass) to start. It was a very heavy drink with slivers of apple in the drink (if you like heavy dark wines you’ll love it).
We were given the menu and a pen to mark our choices. You have several options under each price point ($ 4, $ 6, $ 8, $ 10, $ 12, & $ 15 — you can get double each option for twice the price). We ordered the Datil con Tocino ($ 4 — bacon wrapped dates), Queso con Alcachofas ($ 6 — roasted artichoke hearts w/​bread), Empanada ($ 8 — Potato, chorizo, jalapeño, sweet onion in a flaky crust), and the Pulpo ($ 12 — hot smoked pork belly, octopus, noodles in a spicy sauce). Right at the start, it was a lot of food for two people — you will not be disappointed by the serving sizes of the dishes. The best of the four were the bacon wrapped dates (salty and sweet, the dates melt in your mouth) and the Pulpo, with big thick noodles, delectable pork belly and perfectly cooked octopus (very spicy). The empanada was a little small but had a delicious filling. The sweet onion/​artichoke dip was also delicious — you received quite a bit of dip, and you get quite the punch of goat cheese taste with each bite.
Mas Tapas is definitely in danger of being overhyped, and you experience may sour if you have to wait outside for an hour before eating (when we left at 6:30PM the line was out the door and the place was packed). However, if you go early you’ll be treated with some of the best food in Charlottesville. Bring your friends so you can try a little of everything.

We were looking for a place for dinner after wine tasting in the area on Saturday and the owner of the B&B we stayed at recommended Mas Tapas, so off we went.
I have to be honest here, you can never tell with tapas, so I was slightly unsure of how much to order, but picking 2 – 3 things each for our table of 4 left us all content and didn’t break the bank.
We started (and ended) our meal with the bacon wrapped dates (yep, they were so good we ordered them twice), a pitcher of sangria and a potato dish, while we waited at the bar for a table to open up.
It took about an hour for our name to be called; the hostest wasn’t comfortable quoting us a time when she put us on this list, since she said with tapas if people don’t show up at the same time (I guess they were spread out this particular evening) it’s hard to gauge how long they will stay. I really appreciated her being so up-​front about this.
It was actually pretty cool watching the restaurant work so well together as a team! They were slammed, but you would never know it by the level of service we received.
Once we were seated we transferred our tab to our table (I double checked this didn’t short the bartender and was assured it wouldn’t) and ordered several more small plates to share. I LOVED the shrimp, the hummus, Plato de Jamon and the heirloom tomatoes.
We split the goat cheese cheesecake (I was intrigued) and even though I wasn’t a huge fan of it, my dinner companions had no problem making it disappear very quickly.
Overall great experience and great food. I wish I lived closer so we could make this a regular spot!