Riverside Lunch, Charlottesville
Affectionately dubbed the Rivanna Yacht Club or Boar’s Head East, Riverside Lunch is a Charlottesville institution, beloved by town and gown alike. In business since 1935, the unpretentious Riverside was once a male bastion, where regulars would go (some every day) to drink beer, smoke cigarettes and hang out. In the old days the chow took a backseat; now the family-friendly place lives up to its claim that it makes “flat out the best burger in town.”
The Riverside burger arrives stove-side as an unassuming ball of meat. On the griddle it’s smashed flat and cooked for a sizzling two minutes per side. The result is nothing to look at, but divine to eat—juicy, flavorful and piping hot. With some kick-ass onion rings it’s the perfect lunch. —Sarah Sargent
1429 Hazel Street, 434-971-3546
Read the Story: In Praise of Greasy Spoons
