The Whiskey Jar

The biscuit and gravy is ON POINT. My friend had the chicken and waffles and loved them also. Great service :)

This is a great place to stop in. Sit at the bar and meet one of the funnest bartenders ever. Leah is the best — friendly, helpful, efficient. The brisket is fabulous and the sides are meals in and of themselves. Grits and collard greens — what else? There is every type of whiskey that you could imagine — and Leah can guide you through the menu. Wonderful time. Highly recommended.

Being from the midwest, I consider myself a pretty big critic of old fashioned cocktail and the Whiskey Jar did not disappoint! I stopped by while waiting for a table at Citizens and was beyond excited to finally have a good old fashinoned in Virginia. To be honest, I was so exited that I returned after dinner and ended up enjoying every drink I had. The bartenders were knowledgeable and great at offering drink/​whiskey suggestions. They executed every drink with care. This will be my go to bar whenever I’m in town.

I have yet to eat here but the cocktails and draft beer list is awesome. PLUS the whiskey options that are available are awesome! They had Connemara whiskey here which I had for the first time in County Galway, Ireland and never expected to find it here. It can’t get better than that!

This is definitely worth a stop. I can only vouch for the BBQ chicken which was in the top 2 – 3 I’ve ever had. It’s a tough dish to do this well but they nailed it. The bourbon selection is out of this world, and the beer a close 2^nd. When we return, this will definitely be on our list for dinner/​drinks.

The Whiskey Jar is a really cool bar and restaurant in the Downtown Mall area of Charlottesville. They have a great drink menu (lots of whiskey, but plenty of other drinks as well), and a great food menu. My boyfriend and friends all got the soup and dumplings with ham biscuits (it was a pretty cold day) and loved it. I wasn’t too hungry, so I asked if I could have the kids’ pimiento cheese sandwich, which turned out to be exactly what I wanted: a simple, white bread pimiento cheese sandwich. The interior of the bar is really cool. Only downside? Can get really loud, and there’s only one bathroom for the whole bar/​restaurant. I would definitely go back next time I’m in Charlottesville.

Great ambiance and service even on a bustling New Year’s Eve without reservations. Bbq chicken was farm raised and delicious, succulent. Herbed potatoes okay, collard greens on the sweet side for me. the real winners were the fresh coast oysters! The drinks (local beer and chardonnay) left something to be desired. but overall very satisfying and reasonable.

Awesome food. My girlfriend says they have the «best burger in the world.»
Service was speedy and the atmosphere was great. Plus they offer a nice selection of craft beers and, if course, many whiskey options.

I can’t speak for the quality of the food because I left before I got a chance to eat it. I was seated by the hostess promptly cause it was a wed night and there weren’t many people present. I went to the restroom, came back and someone and put a water on the table, that was the last of the service I received. After waiting more then 29 min with no contact from anybody I got up and left. Poor job Whiskey bar. I’m sure it was just that server and not Reflection on the entire restaurant.

I walked past this place as well as three others based on fellow Unilocaler reviews. The Whiskey Bar stood out for the great reviews, music and the must-​do Whiskey Burger. After hovering back and finally finding an empty bar seat, I ordered my burger and the tap stout. The substitute stout was one of the best I’ve had called Hardywood Gongerbread Stout. My burger… out of this world and it might be because of the perfect sauce and toppings combo.
Service was inattentive at first but came roaring back the rest of the night. Somewhere along the two high-​potent stouts, four fine musicians showed up and played masterfully.
My only amendment… I was probably too generous on the service… the pregnant bartender really wasn’t all that nice! But maybe pregnancy doesn’t agree with tending bar. God, I hope she’s pregnant and I have that right!

I love the brunch! the mimosa was huge and food was so perfectly southern!
Wish they were a little more generous with those whiskey pours but maybe I don’t know the right bartender

Amazing food, brews, and drinks. Loved the Wolf’s Teeth … an amazing creation. The bartenders, Chris and Brett, know their trade and the owner, Leah, has a taste for great brews. The hospitality and brew knowledge was awesome. Shared some Surly 2015 Surly Darkness and 9^th anniversary Surly Nein because of their super hospitality. Cheers!

First time here! Friends recommended this restaurant and it was fanatic!
The food here is great
My husband got the whiskey burger… Probably the best burger I’ve ever ate.
The had the pulled pork… It was amazing

WaHooWa to their great service, food, and live music.
We ordered Choice of 2 Meats and 2 Sides with ¼ rack of ribs and pulled pork which was more than enough for two people. We also ordered some smoked mushrooms are grits for our sides.
Pulled pork and specially the rack of ribs were amazingly delicious.
For four people along with 4 drinks, each about $ 8, we end up paying about $ 110, totally worth it!

My SO and I went here on a Thursday night for dinner and drinks. It was around 8:00 when we arrived and the restaurant was just over half full. We were seated outside.
One of the cool things about this place is that the front wall completely opens up. On certain nights they have live music which is really nice to hear from outside– it’s not too loud or quiet. The location is fantastic right at the end of the mall.
It took about twenty minutes for our waitress to come ask us what we wanted. When I say she asked, I’m being a bit generous– she stood beside our table and looked at us. I think throughout the entire meal she said about ten words to us. It was very off-​putting especially since we were hoping for some recommendations on their whiskeys.
When we sat down we were given pickles and peanuts, a weird combination that actually worked really well with whiskey. Our appetizer was the chopped tomato salad (I think?) with bruschetta. I had the cheeseburger and potato wedges and my SO had the brisket sandwich and chips. We each had a glass of whiskey and a whiskey cocktail.
Everything was very tasty and fresh. I was especially a fan of the chopped tomato salad. The only problem I could tell with the food was that the burger was overcooked. The flavor was still good. The cocktails were great.
Overall, the service here was quite lackluster but the venue and food was good enough that we will definitely be back.

While visiting the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville frequently in the last month or two, I’ve been wanting to check this place out. It always looked inviting and busy.
So, we decided to grab dinner here last night. So first, my date enjoyed his meal of fried oysters appetizer and an entrée of grilled pork chop that came with heirloom tomatoes. I ordered a cup of chicken and dumplings soup to start and BBQ sandwich that came with homemade BBQ chips, coleslaw and salad greens and dressing. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my meal as much. The soup was not like my Mom’s chicken and dumplings (which may be an unrealistic comparison lol), it was more on the asian-​style soup side (more salty and liquidy than creamy). It didn’t have many dumplings and the chicken had a lot of pink and red spots, which turned me off. My entrée looked delicious, however, when I bit into the BBQ sandwich that was on grilled white bread, it was a saturated taste of grease. I tried to eat more of it because I was hungry, but it just didn’t sit well. I’m not opposed to greasy food lol, but this was different and just not appetizing.
I’m not sure I’ll be returning for dinner. The atmosphere and service were good, so maybe it would be better for hanging out and have a drink. We shall see!

Picture this: Hunting lodge meets wild west and every beverage served in a mason jar. Quick, Butch Cassidy and Sundance just ran by! Rustic flairs, large hearty servings, and live local band. Did I mention the warm Pecan Bourbon pie with vanilla ice cream?
Now add on a plethora of southern sides from salty ham and biscuit and dip that in a stewed chicken’n’dumplin’ soup, or heck, go for the tender juicy pork and collared greens. Writing the descriptions of each of these items is making my mouth water. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve now eaten every single item on this menu short of their desserts. I just find myself way too full by the time that part of the meal rolls around. Sad I know. I digress. The food here is great southern eats that I haven’t had since I had family in North Carolina. I dock a star because I’d like the soup to be a bit less salty as with a few other sides, but hey, I eat it all anyway.
That my friends, is your typical night in this joint. But don’t be fooled, this place cooks up a mean brunch on the weekends and their Bloody Mary’s are one of my all time favorites. I would almost describe it as a tomato lemonade without the sugar. Weird, light, and spicy. My boyfriend and I liked the house Marys so much he asked the creator who happened to be at the bar what was in it. We immediately went home and tried to recreate it. It was good but no dice in comparison. We’re coming back for more!

The Whiskey Jar slogan is: Nothing Fancy, Locally Grown Food Prepared by Hand. I was impressed.
WJ is located in the old Escafe at the end of the Downtown Mall. I stopped in for lunch with friends and got the Crispy Egg Salad: Spring Greens, Prosciutto Slice Virginia Ham, Pickled Red Onion, Chicken Dripping Vinaigrette and added on chicken. It was really flavorful! Probably could’ve been a bit more plentiful for the price ($ 12 + $ 3 for chicken).
Also got the brownie w/​ice cream. THAT is big enough to share. Soft brownie.
Service was nice (and the company was great), so all in all, it was a good time. I’d definitely go back and try the fried chicken w/​collard greens.

I’ve been to The Whiskey Jar both as a pescatarian and a reformed meat eater, and as the latter, it has really climbed up on my list as a favorite in Charlottesville. It is a great place to have dinner, but also a fun, and crowded, place to have a fun night out on the town. They feature live music on the weekends, and you can never go round with whiskey!
On my latest visit, as a meat eater, I ordered the other BBQ sandwich. It was super flavorful and delicious – it really hit the spot and was exactly what I had been craving. I love the pickled veggies on top. I stole a bite of my boyfriend’s courthouse – next time, I know what I’m ordering! It was rich and barbequey and cheesy and downright delicious!
If you haven’t tried The Whiskey Jar yet, you are in for a real treat!

Well The Whiskey Jar wasn’t what I expected at all. I knew it was southern food but I was expecting pub food with a Southern Flair. The food here is much more then pub food and the portions were enormous.
It’s a little noisy since they had music starting around 7ish but the band rocked so I didn’t mind it much. Tonight was extra special because Nadjeeb from
Flora Artisanal Cheese shop was serving cheese plates table side. What a unique idea to promote his cheese store relocating soon to the Coca-​Cola Building — Timbercreek Market! I can’t resist a cheese plate and table side was even more often. He had a tray of 10 cheese and we picked 5 for the plate all served with fresh baguette and honey. I loved all the cheese but there was a aged cheddar and a blue cheese that really made my belly happy. Red wine served in a mason jar, and this southern girl felt right at home.
Lots of yummy veggies and sides to choose from. The menu works for both herbivores and carnivores. From pork sandwiches and burgers to pork chops and a trout. I ordered the trout and was not expecting almost a whole fish to come out. It was so good and nothing fancy about it, Freshly cooked with a little lemon and red onion it was absolutely perfect, I loved the giant asparagus served on the side as well. Since nothing I ordered was very southern I had to order some collard greens on the side. It was hard to stop eating these greens it was a hefty portion for $ 5 plenty to share amongst a table of 2 — 4 people.
My dining partner mentioned the desserts are delicious here as well, we didn’t save any room this time around, but I will be back for that Strawberry/​Rhubarb pie!
Great first impression and you get a lot for your money.
*They have a small patio and it’s dog friendly.