LWs Livery Stable

Perhaps more of a 2.5. We came here on a Wednesday during the summer, and it was absolutely dead. It’s a semi-​underground restaurant at the edge of the mall. There is a heavy, heavy emphasis on cowboy/​Western décor. There are a handful of tables and a bar which seats about 10 people.
I ordered the pot roast sliders and also had some fries. The pot roast wasn’t at all fatty, which was nice. There was reportedly some «kickin gravy» on the sandwiches, but I didn’t really detect that. Some component of the sandwich was not fully heated through because I kept getting little cold bits. Still, the sliders were good, and I totally finished them. I also split a French fry appetizer ($ 6), but I saw the cook pull them straight from the freezer, so I wasn’t super impressed – basically McD’s fries.
While I’m not usually a stickler for this stuff, there were a few things that I found to be just gross – no one doing food prep seemed to be wearing gloves, one of the employees was eating his own fries while prepping food and then putting other food into a trash can, and two Heinz bottles we used had crusted/​dried/​overflowed ketchup on them.
I’m not sure who the target clientele is for this restaurant. There were some strange admonitions on the menu like «don’t use this menu as a coaster» and «don’t steal the copper mugs that we use for mules». It’s definitely cheaper than many other restaurants on the mall, but it’s still not worth the price. It is apparently known for its drinks, which definitely looked good, so I might come back here for those. The food was perfectly adequate but certainly nothing outstanding. 2 stars = «Meh. I’ve experienced better.»

This is a Charlottesville three but in reality it’s actually a two.
The 4.5 rating that the Livery Stable has falsely led me to believe that this would be one of those dive bars with good food. It was passable, but I’ve definitely had better food at dives. I had the Fork n’ Balls ($ 10) (meatballs, house sauce, goat cheese, greens) which was essentially a deconstructed meatball sub. The meatballs tasted pretty good, but they were overcooked to the point that they were crispy and hard to cut with a fork (I actually drove my fork straight through one because I couldn’t break through it with the side of the fork and aggressively wiggled it back and forth to break one in half). Their fries which we also ordered were standard frozen fries ($ 6) (McDonald’s thickness, not really shoestring).
I probably won’t be back. At least not for the food. I’d be willing to come back for a drink. The place is small enough that I imagine it doesn’t get too loud, and the 80s hits playlist may keep some of the college crowd away (but I may be wrong about that).

For my money, my favorite bar on the Downtown Mall, though there are so many good ones to choose from. Good drinks, good vibe, good service.

The food was great and had a great feeling to it, but it is kind of a huge bar with a couple seating areas.

Compelled to contribute a review since the good ratings drew us in, but didn’t seem justified. For the record, didn’t eat food.
We were looking for a place to grab a quick drink and begin a tour of the walking mall. Based on reviews, thought we would start here.
We started out the only people in the bar. It’s a small place with potential charm. There were two employees and the owner. It was hard to tell exactly what they were squabbling about, but the vibe was awkward. No smiles. The owner was visibly treating his employees disrespectfully, and it was tough to witness.
The two TVs were showing some weird sitcoms and no sound. Didn’t seem necessary.
Felt awkward. So we left.

We had such a lovely time here! The vibe is relaxed and the atmosphere fun with an interesting crowd. The bartender and owner were engaging and told us about the bar’s history. We had an enjoyable meal. I loved the sliders and the carrot fries were a fabulous recommendation. Very reasonably priced too.

Good drinks and wait staff. Cramped but worth the wait. Ask for Ian. Food is good for bar food. Great place to watch uva games, get there early to get a seat. I’d recommend the tacos

Rock star vibe, food and fill in the blanks. The tender is way cool. Everyone needs to come here… period.

after a terrible meal at the alley light, we came here
food
pork shanks: great flavor, quite tasty
drink
headless horseman: excellent
whoa nellie: great
black beauty: loved it
bar tender was nice and friendly
price: good for what you get
parking: street
ambiance: it is a nice, dark, cozy bar
overall:glad i tried it, ill be back here eventually

This is a warm, comfortable place to get a drink. The bartenders are all super friendly and helpful. They also play an interesting selection of music and movies.

I wanted to love the Livery Stable. I loved the concept when I was researching places in Charlottesville before our trip. But… I was excited to visit Charlottesville precisely because it wasn’t Houston (where I live), so imagine my disappointment when it turned out to be a TINY, OVERLY CROWDED hipster bar just like so many bars in Montrose and Midtown in Houston. The drinks were okay. The service was okay. The music was great! But I’m just not really about places where you don’t even have room to move around. The bar that I was so excited about turned out to be my least favorite stop in Charlottesville on our first visit to the city.

This place is awesome, the owner, Ian, is super cool. The food is awesome, we had the ribs, and sale and it was amazeballs. But the fried mac n cheese… Fml it was incredible. All the people who work there are awesome, the owner is awesome, this place is awesome if you want to get away from all of the Charlottesville hipsters. Treat your step and literally get off the beaten path of downtown Charlottesville and have some awesome drinks. Get a Moscow mule.

Tucked away at the end of the downtown mall, LWs Livery Stable is a welcome departure from your typical bar. It’s brick façade is gently lit by flickering lantern style lights, while a horse’s head offers a hint to the uninformed about what a livery actually is — a stable. From the outside, you’d never think this was a bar but slip into the nondescript entrance and you’ll find a welcoming, cozy watering hole. Inside, a stone wall anchors the narrow space while a fireplace warms the rustic interior. For such a small place, there seemed to be ample seating and even though the place was packed, we had no trouble finding two seats at the bar. There are other high tops along the outer edge which offer additional seating.
Their drink menu offers the expected local craft beers, as well as playful cocktails — including one made with Yoohoo. Their «Headless Horseman» seems to be the starring drink and the shelves behind the bar are lined with copper mugs for this Moscow Mule interpretation. They also offer a Mega Mule which kicks up the ginger a notch.
We came here late night so we didn’t get a chance to try the food but the small but intriguing menu looks like a step up from typical bar food with options including flat breads, tacos, salads, and fun desserts. I’d love to come back and try some of the food.
The bar was especially lively when we were there — which could have been attributed to the fact that it was homecoming weekend for UVA or that a concert just let out at The Jefferson but the staff handled it wonderfully and the owner was especially friendly and welcoming.

Good drinks and cool copper mugs. Victor Hugo is kind of an asshole. I’ll probably go back anyway.

Just walked into this place to watch Monday night football and have a drink. Both TVs were on a D-​list sitcom on the CW. Then I stood at the bar for 10 minutes while the owner (he had intoduced himself at a previous visit) and one of his employees fraternized at the other end of the bar and avoided my eye contact. We walked out.

Are you kidding me with this place? It seems like it’s trying to be a craft cocktail bar, and the physical space is actually pretty cool. But the drink selection is abysmal. Two of the drinks on the already-​modest cocktail menu feature prosecco. At 8:30 p.m., they were out of prosecco.
Beyond that, there’s a dearth of actual liquors that you’d expect to find at the most basic of cocktail bars. No fernet, no Cynar, not even Campari on the sparse backbar. I don’t know what this place is trying to be, but perhaps its mission is well-​represented in one of its signature cocktails:
«Motel 6: 100-​proof rumple minze and Yoohoo.»
Right. Well, either be a dive bar or a cocktail bar. I like both. This is far from either.
We didn’t have any food. I’m sure it’s great. Maybe try the «Sea Biscuits.» Get it? BECAUSE HORSES OH MAN.

Great drinks, food, and a nice bartender gives this place 5 stars! A combination of Unilocal reviews and my hotel led me to this quaint little place. At the very end of Main st. make a slight right and you’ll come across The Livery Stable. Just look for the little horses painted on the walkway. Part stable, part dive bar, but mostly just awesome place to grab a drink and a casual bite to eat.
I only ordered the dip app but I was wowed, man those pita chips were dreamy. The presentation of the food was really nice as well. The app came with three dips: spinach and artichoke dip, hummus, and black bean and corn. Everything tasted super fresh and must have been made in house. The bartender Howard was friendly and easy to talk to. I appreciate the friendly service and atmosphere.
Out of all the places I’ve stopped by in Charlottesville in this short visit so far, The Livery Stable has definitely been my favorite spot. For some good food and drinks this is a great choice. They carry local brews on tap and have a full bar. I saw patrons drinking beer, wine, shots, and liquor drinks. With the copper cups hanging behind the bar I had to try a Moscow Mule… now the choice was a small or a large? I have no idea so I ordered a large wow!!! Oh my that was a big drink as well as strong and most importantly delicious.
Check this place out you won’t be disappointed.

The Livery Stable is a great place to grab post-​dinner drinks on the Downtown Mall. I have been here twice, and there is always a crowd. if you are here, you must try their Moscow mule. It is one of the best I’ve ever had. Just a note, they hold your credit card to ensure the return of their copper mugs. The space itself was a historically a livery stable, and to be honest, it still smells like one. Maybe it is because it is in the basement, but on both occasions, it had a very powerful unpleasant odor. Other than that, this place is great!

Divey, dark tavern. Nothing fancy here. But nothing necessarily sticky. We were out on a Sunday night and there was little that was open for dinner. We checked out the menu but it was a little too pubby. We did an order of the fried pickles & peppers. Banging. The bartender was cool and down to earth. He messed up and brought us the fried green beans and let us keep them too. Great place to drink for a more cozy feel.

In our group of eight, all novices to this bar, I heard the phrase «This is my now my favorite bar in Cville» several times.
What I absolutely LOVE: The cozy atmosphere, the hospitable/​knowledgeable staff and the quality of the drinks.
P. S. If I hadn’t already eaten beforehand, I would have tried (and I’m sure also loved the food), as it looked and tasted good to two of my friends who did order some dishes.
Unassuming from the outside, this place has character and history with the horse theme — from the rustic décor to the names of the drinks. These details are definitely not just cheesy or silly novelties, as the décor is warm and classy and the menu is clever and sassy.
I personally enjoyed the Headless Horseman (AKA Moscow Mule) served in the traditional copper mug because I love the bite from the ginger and the $ 8 price tag really isn’t bad, considering what other Downtown Mall bars charge for cocktails. My husband and fellow brewing buds were happy about the local beer selection, which included a partnership with our fav microbrewery in town, Three Notch’d.
Our group (unexpectedly) stayed so long, caught up in conversation and watching college football, and we ordered so much, that our bartender (John) was kind and generous enough to give us one round on the house of our choosing. For two of us in the group, we ordered a special concoction not on the menu that John described — a Creamsicle. It wasn’t cloying sweet and it had just the right amount of each ingredient to really pull off the name: Stoli, Bailey’s and Grand Marnier. So happy I went with this rather than my usual.
Will definitely return to bring other friends who need to try this bar!