Charlie and Grace Market Cafe

loved this place! Shrimp and Grits was all that and the Chicken and Waffles were yummy! The owners were very friendly.

Stopped in to try Gumbo & such — surprise the chef is no longer there who had the original menu– it is now a sandwich café with some lovely choices to pickup & take on a picnic– the owner very nice & started us on a very good salmon spread with toast — they have brownies & cookies to pack for n your picnic to end on a sweet note! Stop in for her picnic creations!

Chef Jeff left. Open for limited food and beverage. Uncertain future. Call before going.

Amazing food. chicken and waffles so good! A lovely little Louisiana café with an amazing chef who was generous with his whipped crème recipe. I love Fredericksburg and I will be back for shrimp and grits!

The food was so awesome that I ordered another entrée on the spot. As if that were not enough, I came back the very next week with a friend. She’s allergic to seafood, but when she tasted the grits portion of my shrimp & grids, she (a healthcare professional) insisted that she had to have the shrimp, too and would just take a Benadryl. YES, it’s THAT good and THAT serious!
So far I have had the Shrimp & Grits, the gumbo, tasted the macaroni & cheese with pork bellies, had the french toast tower, tasted the waffles with berry stuff (that’s not what it’s called — I just don’t remember the name), and tasted the huge sandwhich with the olive spread, bacon, ham, lettuce, tomato, what I’m sure is fairy dust, & pieces of heaven. Oh! And I almost forgot, the desserts! I’ve had the berry crunch stuff, the pistacchio thing with cream and berries (my favorite), and the multi-​tiered chocolate mousse.
Did I mention I’ve only been here twice? I’m hopelessly in love & thanks to Chef Jeff have ditched the diet & decided to settle on being fat & happy!
The only problem is that they keep running out of chicken & waffles! I may have to dock a star for that if they run out today because I AM going back!
The entire staff is very friendly and Chef Jeff was so kind to encourage my daughter in her pursuit of becoming a chef someday. This is truly a gem.

Wow. What a great meal. My wife and I had heard about C&G and I’d been wanting to try it out to see what all the Unilocal buzz was about. We were not disappointed at all. We were there on a quiet Wednesday night after looking at real estate properties in the area and arrived just before the last seating at 6pm. We sat at a table near the door and were periodically engaged in conversation with the chef/​owner in the kitchen (on the other side of a counter/​bar). We decided to move closer in order to have a more in depth chat so we picked up our utensils and drinks and sat at the bar. We ended up learning a lot about the chef and his passion for food. And some of his recipes.
As far as the food goes, it was amazing. I love shrimp & grits and this was one of the top two I’ve had (the other being the Hominy Grill in Charleston). The gumbo was also extremely good. My wife and I shared the two dishes and passed them back and forth. The Spanish table wine was a great compliment. We can’t wait to go back!

We had the pecan encrusted chicken with waffles and frappé sauce. The ingredients were fresh and tasty. The service was friendly and efficient. Recommend!

While this restaurant has been receiving rave reviews our visit was not a five star visit. The soups are really good and very much worth a try. My main meal of gumbo was a different sort of taste very basil and or other green spices were heavy (overwhelming) the flavor and taste. I’ve had a lot of gumbo and this was not my favorite. Another member had to fish taco while he said it was good it seemed very typical. Someone else had a small dish of the shrimp. The sauce with that dish had a strong Worcestershire flavor to it, it was overwhelming. The waitress was so busy and harried she was the only one taking orders and serving, they need more help. I’ll go back and give it a try but this visit was not stellar.

It does not get better than this! On our way down to a documentary film festival, and after researching a million places we could stop — we decided this was the place to go. The reviews made our mouths water and the reality did not disappoint. From the service (amazing) to the chef coming over to us to correct our faux pas with our gumbo…(- this version of gumbo — of which he educated us on how each area has it’s own) that the potato salad is to be mixed in… wow! it was amazing. Gumbo will never be the same in my eyes.
We also ate the shrimp and grits. Both my friend and I agreed this was the best we’ve ever had. I would dare to say beats any I have had in Louisiana. As foodies we always look for amazing experiences and this was perfect. We even got to taste their homemade pickles which were crunchy and flavorful.
I have been privileged to have eaten in many wonderful places all around the world… and Charlie and Grace is a special treasure.
I wish they could offer delivery… oh say 300 miles away?
We have already recommended this place to a dozen people at the film festival. Thanks to everyone at Charlie and Grace who made our experience perfect on the start of our trip! We will be back!

AND ANOTHER 5 STARS AWARDED FOR CHEF JEFF’s GUMBO! I mean it, really I do. I came upon this quaint little restaurant because of research; honestly, I needed to impress a friend of mine who was spoiled by dining in DC years ago and has a silver spoon for his golden pallette. I have yet to find a bad review and doubt I will ever, after my visit.
I am so glad I picked Chef Jeff’s new love! With an open kitchen concept that he built himself. The Gumbo was sublime and Jeff chose us a wonderful Argentinian Malbec to compliment its flavors. We were both impressed and Amanda our waitress was a delight also!
CAN’T WAIT TO COME BACK. It is worth the outing from Winchester!

I have been here a few times and never been disappointed. Today I had crab cake benedict for brunch and it was amazing! The place is bright and friendly and the staff treat you like family.

What a great place, we came with a pretty big group of six at lunch time. We waited for a short bit but not long for our meals. We tried pretty much one of each Texas Dip (kids fav), Shrimp and Grits (adult fav), Chicken and Waffles (another group fav), Veggie Wrap, Classic Reuben and New Orleans Style Muffaletta. We were not sure of the pecan frappé on the Chicken and Waffles, would ask them to leave off or put on side next time. Shrimp and grits, would have enjoyed with a side salad. We shared most of them and enjoyed them all tremendously!!! The waitress was very friendly and the cook brought us our food and was also very friendly. Love the quaintness of the restaurant and will be back again to try some of the other menu items.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there’s a new quality restaurant/​café in town.
I will second what is written in the reviews: the gumbo is hearty and tasty (without being overwhelming), and the desserts were excellent (chocolate-​lovers need to hurry on over and try their pudding/​crème). The soups (crab and tomato bisques) were also a welcome treat — in short, this café delivered on all fronts.
FYI/​a random aside: the piece of lettuce under your plate is there to keep it from shifting. I am a rube when it comes to restaurants’ tips and tricks, and we were initially surprised by our finding lettuce under the bowl.
I will *definitely* be returning to eat here.

Best gumbo outside of South Louisiana! Love the food and the wonderful folks!
I have been checking out this local restaurant since the first week they opened because I truly miss the good cooking in Louisiana. Chef Jeff is a fabulous cook — this is not your run-​of-​the-​mill Cajun restaurant with «blackened» to death dried out chicken, fish and shrimp. This is fresh food with a tasty twist.
The shrimp and grits are to die for, and the sandwiches are HUGE. A nice glass of wine or a cold beer makes for a wonderful meal, and when you get to the desserts, hold on to your socks as they will blow you away. The Chef is constantly refining the menu based on fresh local ingredients and I hope he is around for a LONG time as this has become my favorite treat.

This is my second visit here. The first time my friend and I shared the Gumbo and Shrimp and Grits. I almost did not order the S&G because being from Charleston, SC I have high expectations of how this dish should be prepared. I was informed that Chef Jeff cooked in the French Quarter for seven years so I took a chance on them. I am so glad I did. The grits are hearty and creamy with a lot of flavor going on. The shrimp was perfect as well. The gumbo is not overly spicy so you get the flavored rather than heat which is great. Oh, let me not forget about the bread pudding. The center is like a soufflé that melts in your mouth. The topping was not the typical white icing but had chocolate, coconut, and pecans. It was truly amazing!
Now, for today… my husband and I both had the crab bisque. It is the most amazing that I have ever had. The lump crab is plentiful, the aged sherry is subtle and the broth is so rich. It is not a tomato based soup which makes it different than other places. For dessert we had the Death by Chocolate cake and the triple layer mousse. What I liked about the cake is that it was not overly sweet, but rich and dense with a beautiful and creamy frosting. The triple layer mousse was smooth and not too rich.
I can not wait to return to try something new. You will not regret coming to this little hidden gem on Sophia St.

We were extremely impressed. Small, family owned restaurant offering quantity ingredients with NO pretention! Quaint atmosphere and extremely attentive staff made our experience for lunch a great one!
I had the sausage and chicken gumbo which was tasty and very satisfying. Served with a toasted, sliced baguette, it was both filling (large portion) and bursting with flavor from the generous helping of andouille sausage. Someone else here mentioned in their review that there not being enough broth but that was absolutely not the case for me. But the protein in the meal was significant.
My husband had the muffaletta which was outstanding. If you like generous portions of quality meats and cheeses on delicious foccacia bread, then this is the sandwich for you. Too full for dessert but we are definitely going back! Husband and wife owners couldn’t be nicer or more welcoming.
They are planning on expanding the eating area which had sparce seating arrangements and will be offering live jazz music down the road. Can’t wait!

This place is the true definition of passion, when it comes to food. It’s a tiny family-​owned joint, 5 months old– and it’s already making waves in Fredericksburg, because it is DAMN GOOD. I was on my way back from D.C. and looking for somewhere in Fredericksburg to hit up for brunch; Mason-​Dixon was absolutely swamped, like backs to the glass waiting-​in-​line on this gross, chilly, snowy day. So I quickly tapped Unilocal again and found this place with only 20 reviews but 5 stars and a bunch of «This is the best I’ve ever had *insert food here.*» So I took the chance, and let me say, I was beyond impressed:
First of all, the atmosphere is adorable, clean-​yet-​hip-​chic, and an open kitchen always spells confidence from the chef (you can watch all of the prep, and it’s SPOTLESS. One of the cleanest kitchen areas I’ve ever seen.) The place also sells select local brews, wines and a couple little take out snacks, but the owner said he will expanding to selling large batches of his homemade sauces and soups. Speaking of the owner: he is incredibly passionate and kind, and has the food to back up his hype. I was traveling with my dad, and we both have long-​standing Louisiana roots, so it was a real treat to find an authentic Creole cook in the most unexpected location! For a new place, the service is impeccable, personable and they are just authentically good people, and are very attentive, to the best of their abilities. (The one thing I will say is that this place is still pretty new, so people are still learning about it; there are only six tables, so I have a feeling it’s going to start needing reservations pretty soon.)
I ordered the Chicken and Waffle, but this isn’t just a run-​of-​the-​mill take on the dish: the chicken had a melt-​in-​your-​mouth pecan crust, perfectly cooked, and it was drizzled with a whipped vanilla-​pecan frappé syrup, and coupled with a vanilla bean waffle (the vanilla bean took this already crisp-​yet-​airy waffle to an irresistible level!,) and not a watery syrup, but a long-​drip-​thick-​syrup, it was absolutely on-​point, and then some! With a rotating menu, weekly, it keeps the place fresh, interesting and allows the chef team to highlight the incredible diversity of what skills and recipes they possess. My father ordered the Gumbo (we’re always skeptical of gumbo, but he said all of his Creole recipes were passed down from his grandmother) but it DELIVERED (this man’s grandmother can COOK!) The seasoning (sassafrass, say what!?) was positively perfect and complex, it came out piping hot with melt-​in-​your-​mouth chunks of spicy andouille, perfectly juicy, fall-​apart braised wild-​caught duck, perfectly-​cooked rice and that thick, dark brown roué that first catches a Creole girl’s eye as «this is going to be the legit thing.» I only had two bites, but I have never had a better bowl of Gumbo outside of the Texas/​Louisiana area, and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone! (And when he said he would start selling gallons-​to-​go, I almost just want to drive back up to Fredericksburg just to get lunch for the next week!) It was one of those places where everything on the menu looked good, and probably is good, so any time I’m in the area, I now know where to get breakfast/​lunch/​dinner, and you should too! 5-​stars is a no-​brainer for this place, from service, to quality, to personality/​atmosphere, to everything.
I’m a fan! The personalities and enthusiasm of the staff, here, is infectious, as is the food! Marvelous! One of the best all-​around dining experiences I’ve had in a long time!

We are so happy there is a place like this in downtown Fredericksburg! Amazing food, excellent service, friendly people… exactly what we love about Fredericksburg.
We have been in three times and it has been consistently excellent. I am now hooked on their Chicken and Waffles… a MUST if you go for brunch. Wow!!! Their european desserts are a true cherry on top! French Southern cuisine… think Louisiana soul food and elegant french presentation in a laid back enviroment… there’s truly nothing like it around. I cannot recommend them enough… go try them out today! My only wish is that they opened earlier for Saturday/​Sunday breakfast.

Do you like flavorful food? OMG — this place is so phenomenal. Everything we have had we have so thoroughly enjoyed. Jeff and Anita are wonderful to talk to when you are waiting for your food. We have been probably 8 times, maybe 10, because you cannot get this level of flavor from many other restaurants. Chef Jeff is truly gifted.
My only word of caution is there is one chef and one server. So if you arrive and have more than two tables ahead of you — you will have a wait, but it will be a wait that is totally worth it.

What a nice find near the river in Fredericksbug, I’m two for two today! Jeff and Anita just opened this small restaurant recently, and hopes to expand to include a deli case and dry goods section in the future.
For today, the menu posted in the window lured me in with the promise of Asparagus bisque. I could not resist. Inside, New Orleans Jazz was playing on a small radio on the bar. There’s Seating for about 22 inside, and Jeff ‘s Kitchen is right behind the bar, where he prepares everything right in front of you.
My bisque came out very quickly, and it was delicious! I decided to get a Muffaletta to go for my dinner later on, and that was a delicious sandwich as well. Jeff is very particular about all the ingredients that go in his creations, and was telling about all the different layers of the sandwich as he was making it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the food and my experience at Charlie and Grace. Stop by and check it out!