Dairy Market - Charlottesville

I love the idea of a food hall, but this place felt more like a mall food court. Everyone in your group has to split up to order their food and then try to find a table together when their food is ready. I would prefer a centralized ordering system where you can order from your table and wait for your food to be ready for pickup. This would allow for more time with your group, especially during a busy workday lunch.

Parking: Parking lot is next to the building, but there is a small fee. Handicap spots are available in paid parking too.

Starting with the atmosphere, I must say it was fantastic! Now, onto the dining experience. We first visited a Jamaican restaurant where the food lacked seasoning but the service was exceptional. Next, we decided to try Citizen's Burger, where we placed our order and observed a cook eating while preparing our food. Despite trying to reach out to the restaurant through email and their website, we received no response. At a pizza place, we witnessed an employee eating while handling food in front of customers. After contacting them with a picture as evidence, they responded promptly but failed to follow up. In addition, a bartender at the establishment struggled to make a Long Island Iced Tea, adding too much soda and charging an exorbitant price. The concerning behavior of the restaurant staff could potentially attract the attention of health inspectors. Upon revisiting Citizen's Burger a week later, we were disappointed to find a burnt bun. Upon closer inspection of a photo, it appears an employee was eating either a calzone or a slice of pizza while preparing food.

Great variety of food. Fun little bar in the middle. Something for

Though this food hall has a lot of different restaurants and I like that most are not chains I feel like the options are kind of limited compared to other food halls. Most of the restaurants were built like a build your own bowl type of restaurant. So a lot of the food was precooked and just sitting in warmers. Which isn't the worst but feels like a food hall should be a little more lively. I went for a salad bowl and it was alright but not anything spectacular. I'm sure restaurants will change out so I'd still say stop in. Especially with a group. Everyone could get exactly what they want.