Michie Tavern

Ok food but you had better like beets and stewed tomatoes with your fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Way way way over-​priced. Self serve should be way cheaper. Would NOT recommend this eating place. Skip the adjoining gift shops too. All worthless trinkets you can find anywhere.

best fried chicken ever.

Why 4 stars? Because this is a great place for lunch with the kids. Yes it is a bit pricey but it is all you can eat. All southern foods and it was tasty. Service was great!

So I read the reviews before we went because I wanted to eat there. It’s pretty expensive for what it is… here is the entire menu (it’s a buffet SORT of):
Pulled Pork
Fried Chicken
Baked Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Cole Slaw
Beets
Green Beans
Black Eyed Peas
Gravy
Corn Bread
Biscuits
That was all. Someone said they had sweet potatoes but not when I went. Now it’s different so this is how it works: You wait outside. The hostess calls you in one at a time (limited seating), You immediately go strait to the buffet, take a plate/​silverware and get your food and find a seat. You sit in an actual place they’d of eaten in the 1700s so yeah, pretty cool. It’s old and dark in there. It’s log cabin so… once you are seated, if you want something else or more of something, you have to ask a waitress (who is dressed like the times) and they have to get it for you. Drinks cost more and they bring you a dessert menu. Ours just said three things on it. Blueberry or peach pie or ice cream… and that costs more as well. It was 17.95 for the buffet. It was about 60 dollars for us (two people) and we did not have dessert. But I did buy some batter (about 5.00 for that).
The food was good though. That was the best fried chicken… mmmmmm!!! Too bad they didn’t have any breasts. Only a tiny wing and leg. I tried the baked chicken (a bite) off my husband’s plate and it was good too. The mashed potatoes were very good. The corn bread was very good as well. He said the biscuits were very good to average. beets were good. Green beans were okay (average). Cole slaw was ok but not super fantastic and black eyed peas were my first experience and I was okay with it. Not my favorite, but I didn’t hate it. Nobody tried the pulled pork so no comment on that. We both had sweet tea. It was okay. Tasted like real tea (sun tea) more than say typical sweet teas at most restaurant, so I’d say very good.
After lunch we went on the tour. Self guided. We forgot to ask for a discount. Ah well. You can do that tour in about 30 minutes. Plus another 30 – 45 minutes going in all the shops. It’s mostly shops. There was the tavern/​inn, there was a small smokehouse, a well, a privy, a spring house. That’s basically it. Then you end up in the «gift shop». Then walk down the sidewalk in front and down to a neat shop that sells actual guns, swords, knives, currency, and small civil war stuff like bullets etc. Neat. There are no replicas or trouisty stuff. REAL artifacts and everything in there is for sale. Then onto the «metal» store. They have artisans who make everything from scratch. Yard ornaments, cups, plates, lanterns, ornaments and other interesting items. Then onto the main gift shop. it’s fairly large, has two stories. Has a lot of spices, sauces, jams, jelly and then touristy stuff (the same stuff the first gift shop had plus more).
It’s a pretty cool building though. Worth going to this for the chicken at least.

Phenomenal place for authentic Southern cooking! The fried chicken is seasoned to perfection with the right spice and perfect balance of salt and fried just in time to a mouth watering taste with a crunch. The sides which include beans, mashed potatoes and slaw were amazing! Both the biscuits and corn bread were tasty, moist and perfectly browned on the outside. It is all you can eat, so come hungry and enjoy a nice desert too!

Excellent fried chicken, Marinated Chicken & gravy. The Cobbler was just average. All that said, it is very neat historical spot that is a must if you are visiting Monticello.

Absolute best meal I had this week while on the 5^th grade DC field trip. The fried chicken was quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. The green beans had a bit of crunch to them which is preferable to the soggy canned version. The black eyed peas were good as were the biscuits. The table agreed the mashed potatoes were a bit runny and just ok; however, my 10 yr old discovered a new love for beets and slaw. He even liked the stewed tomatoes and cornbread. The four aforementioned items were all a bit sweet for my pallet. The service was extremely prompt and friendly despite the insane size of our party. They broke us into groups and staggered our dining times by 15 mins or so to prevent traffic jams with roughly 300 students and parents attempting to dine at the same time.
You serve yourself from a buffet then any «seconds» are provided by the wait staff. Our server heard my son say hey I like beets. after he tried the one on his place, next thing we knew the server brought him a small portion in a bowl. The site is at the base of Monticello and there are shops in addition to the restaurant including a general store, metal smith, and an armory with historic guns and knives for sale. Overall a great dining experience with phenominal service and unique shopping opportunities.

All I can say is that I was skeptical to say the least as this was a restaurant stop on a tourist bus to Monticello… sometimes these places are tourist traps and the food is not so good. I can say that the moment we got off the bus, you could smell the fried chicken cooking and my mouth started to drool! I must have been hungrier than I thought! The chicken was all you can eat and trust me I had my share as it was good! The food was served in cafeteria style setting, but the staff would get you more of whatever you wanted. The stewed tomatoes were different and yummy! This is place I would go to again if I was in the area ++ the place has a great history!

Skip the tour and the buffet and head to the general store at the bottom of the hill. Not worth the price of admission.

There’s something about drinking out of a tin cup while eating Southern comfort food that I can really get behind.
On multiple trips with my family to the DC area, we always made it a point to go a bit out of our way to Charlottesville to eat at Michie Tavern.
Everything from the authentic (or what I consider to be authentic) colonial dining experience to the buffet with mouth watering option after mouth watering option makes me wish I had a Michie Tavern closer to me in Indianapolis.
I’ve been here several times for lunch and have never left hungry. The fried chicken is delicious! And you can’t go wrong with the mashed potatoes, biscuits and cole slaw. My dad is obsessed with the stewed tomatoes, but those aren’t really my cup of tea.
You MUST finish your meal with peach cobbler. Party in your mouth! I crave it in between visits, some of which are years apart, so you know it’s good!
Some might consider the servers being dressed in period clothing to be hokey or corny but I think it adds to the experience.
Just footsteps from Monticello, you really feel like you are experiencing history when eating here.
I will definitely be back on my next trip to the DC area.
Must do for those visiting the area!

This was a cute place to stop in for a drink. They have a few choices of beer that were good. We didn’t eat but the buffet looked good and the servers, dressed in old fashion clothes, brought chicken around to the tables for people eating. I wanted to try this famed chicken and so the manager was nice enough to give us a huge piece so we could all try! Yum! The flavoring was delicious! Cute little shops to walk around to after. I’d recommend to at least stop in for the unique ambiance and a beer or coffee.

The atmosphere is wonderful. Simple tables, log walls, simple decorations and a warming fire. The servers are in colonial dress. The food is good. I loved the chicken and pulled pork. I wish they would include dessert with the meal, especially considering the cost of the meal. There are coupons online for Virginian’s to get $ 4 off. This place is beautiful inside and out.

The restaurant is gorgeous! Overlooks Charlottesville (beautiful colored leaves in the fall) and its original rustic charm inside is homey. Food was good, but not great either. Happy they had 3 types of chicken, but lacked some flavor. The mashed potatoes looked/​tasted like the flakes from easy potato bags not fresh mashed. It is a buffet and you get how much fits into your first plate then the servers come by your table and ask what you want more of and they’ll bring it to you. We sat in the back right where you’re eating inside of an atrium like room that overlooks C’ville. So overall great location, great atmosphere, and just OK good. Would recommend just for the experience. And since its right next to Carter Mtn you can go right after or before after picking some fresh fruits.

So, so good. If you’re even a little bit considering going here, absolutely go!
It’s a bit tourist-​y with the staff all in colonial dress, but it’s fun. And the food is ah-​maz-​ing.
I’ve been twice: once for lunch about a year ago, and this past weekend for dinner (that was a private event; they’re usually only open for lunch).
The simplicity of their menu allows them to really shine on every dish. It’s buffet style, and they always have the same dishes. Among my favorites are the cole slaw, the mashed potatoes and gravy, the biscuits, and the apple cider. But there are two dishes that are head and shoulders above everything else: if you get nothing else, get the STEWED TOMATOES and of course the FRIED CHICKEN.
First, the tomatoes: I’ve never had anything quite like them. It’s kind of a mush, with chunks of tomatoes in varying degrees of intactness. The surprise is that it’s sweet (but not too sweet)! Kind of a molasses/​brown sugar vibe. Delicious. I went back for seconds… And thirds.
And the fried chicken is the epitome of what fried chicken should be. I’m really picky about chicken, but these guys know their stuff. Juicy, flavorful, crunchy, just greasy enough. Also tastes great with the gravy (which is good, because the plates don’t have dividers!).
Anyway: come here, and come hungry!

We were recommended to go to Michie Tavern by the Charlottesville Visitor Center. We were a bit underwhelmed by the overall experience. We weren’t originally told that it was a buffet and we probably wouldn’t have gone if we knew it was $ 18/​person as neither my wife nor I eat a lot of food.
The food, however, was pretty good (even though there are limited options). The staff was super friendly and helpful. They are very attentive to your needs at the table and offered many times to get us a second plate or drink refills.
We also enjoyed the atmosphere before heading to Monticello. A good stop if you’re not concerned with price or if you’re really hungry and can destroy a buffet!

Nice place to stop after a tour at Monticello!
Vintage tavern with a buffet style serving. Fried chicken, BBQ smoked pork, fresh veggies, corn bread and biscuit.
5 star for atmosphere and friendliness.
4 star for the food. Very casual and just good home cookin eats!

UPDATE: FIND COUPONS & special $$ offers on the restaurant’s main website. You can also read a bit about the history of the restaurant from the 1700’s, and their multiple gift shops. I’ll add this link, but it may not stay for long; if not, just go to their main website & browse around until you find it.

Who knew that 18^th century technology was so advanced?
I seriously had no idea that in Colonial times, they had a metal cup that would keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. Drinking out of, and then purchasing, one of these silver cups was worth the price of the buffet alone.
This miraculous invention lost to time aside, the buffet is pretty delicious. Of course, as a vegetarian, I did not partake in the chicken (but it smelled amazing) but their traditional sides just felt like southern perfection. The cole slaw was tangy and creamy, the biscuits were hard (in a good way like they were made from scratch), the vegetarian black eyed peas were cooked to a slightly mushy inside but were still firm on the outside. The stewed tomatoes were, um, interesting. Anyway, at least I learned that I do not like stewed tomatoes.
While I’m not sure if it could be considered a proper vegetarian meal since there was, realistically, no main course, at a discounted $ 10.95 for all you can eat sides, I was a fan.
The one thing that I have a small problem with here is the service. To avoid confusion, you’re supposed to ask the waitstaff (who, while dressed in period clothes speak modern English to make it not too weird) to bring more food if you run out. Which wouldn’t be a problem except the waitstaff are usually too busy bringing big bowels of chicken around and suggestive selling drinks to take an order for more sides. They seem to try hard but the system doesn’t work if you want fast seconds.
Walking around the entire campus around the restaurant was a good way to burn calories after a large meal and I loved the fact that they had a traditional toy store with games dating from «period» times to the present. The landscaping is wonderful and, all in all, Michie’s Tavern is a great day out just outside of Charlotteville. I would definitely gorge here like George Washington again soon.

Stopped her on our way to Monticello, as I’m sure most people are. My ONLY gripe is that the buffet is certainly a bit pricey, but being that it is a tourist area it makes sense.
The fried chicken is absolutely fantastic and they sell the breading as well so you can make your own chicken at home. Our waitress was extremely helpful and brought us everything pretty quickly. That being said, you get your own food but she can bring you seconds, water, dessert, amongst other items. Everyone was very nice and offered to help at every turn — the ambiance is definitely setup for the appropriate time period.
We were in and out pretty quickly, which was great because we had an appt time at Monticello. I’d recommend stopping at the Michie (pronounced «Mickey») Tavern with at least an hour and a half before you need to arrive at Monticello, since there are places to walk around and shop just outside of the Tavern.

Touristy? Absolutely, especially with mobs of tourists on the weekends. And yet, they keep suckering me back with their delicious buffet.
Michie Tavern is a c-​ville historical landmark about a half mile away from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. As such, the grounds, restaurant, and employees are as they would’ve been in the 1700s. The grounds, which include a blacksmith, leather-​working area, and numerous gift shops, I would imagine would be a wonderful place to take your children (or if you like historical stuff — I enjoyed it all immensely).
But you’re not reading this review to learn about such things — what about the food? Michie serves southern staples such as fried chicken, pulled pork BBQ, coleslaw, cornbread, and vegetables. The place makes some good southern food for a buffet, and their sweet tea is nearly perfect. And as if they haven’t contributed to my impending obesity enough with a buffet, servers will stop by your table and ask if you want more sides, then go get it for you. No need to walk back — just keep on eating.
People complain about the price, but come on folks, it’s a buffet that attracts mostly tourists. What do you expect? In my opinion, it is well worth the price for the ambiance and quality of food, and I’m sure I’ll be back there again soon.