The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

The 2026 Charlottesville 29: This Year’s List of Charlottesville’s Essential Restaurants

The 2026 Charlottesville 29 is here.

Each year, The Charlottesville 29 answers: if there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29? (Background here and here.) Annual cuts become ever more difficult, as openings outpace closings. For each restaurant, The Charlottesville 29 includes a description of why it was selected and an ordering guide, with recommendations from each restaurant’s chef/owner and appearances in Five Finds on Friday.

With that: The 2026 Charlottesville 29.

The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches: Charlottesville’s 29 Essential Sandwiches, Ranked

Welcome to The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches — the ranking of Charlottesville’s essential sandwiches. Like The Charlottesville 29 does with restaurants, The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches asks: “if there were just 29 sandwiches in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?”

Unlike the restaurant 29, the sandwiches are ranked. What does this mean? Well, if there were 29 sandwiches in Charlottesville, the ideal set would be all 29. But, if there were just 28 sandwiches, it would be the top 28. And so on, leading up to the one Charlottesville sandwich that would be hardest to live without.

The list is based on 29 years of research and sandwich consumption in Charlottesville, narrowing hundreds down to a mere 29. A task this daunting requires clearly defined rules. Those are here.

And with that, The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches. Click each link to learn more:

#1: Roasted Vegetable Panuozzo – Lampo

#2: Stock Ham Biscuit – Stock Provisions

#3: Cemita de Milanesa y Chorizo – Al Carbon

#4: Ottobun with Beef – Otto

#5: Fried Chicken Sandwich – The Fitzroy

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Five Finds on Friday: Sarah and Hannah Glatt

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from The Cville Sisters: Sarah and Hannah Glatt.

For some Charlottesville residents, gratitude for the area’s bounty sparks a passion to savor all it offers. The Cville Sisters have felt that for years: from high school to college, and now as they build their lives here. In their new Instagram feed, the bon vivants share their pursuit of Charlottesville’s good life. “We really love this community and want to see it thrive, and this feels like a fun way to contribute,” said Sarah. The Cville Sisters’ picks:

1) Daiquiri at Bar Baleno and Saltati Scarola at Lampo. “Whether it is a Thursday evening after Lampo’s 6 pm Run Club or while waiting for a table at Lampo, starting off with a Dealer’s Choice daiquiri from Matthew is the move. Then we’ll head over to Lampo to start our meal off with the Saltati Scarola, pairing it with our favorite pizzas, or sometimes a sandwich, to follow.”

2) Hibiscus Spritzer and Spiced Meatballs at Ethos Wine & Tea. “Get the Hibiscus Spritzer, but make it a wine spritzer. And, we always end up with an order of the spiced meatballs. Read a book, people watch, or catch up with friends while enjoying the atmosphere.”

3) Tequila Pork Ribs with Plantains and Cebollitas at Al Carbon. “Whenever it gets busy in our house, and we want something great to eat, we automatically think of Al Carbon and their Tequila Ribs. The whole rack can go a long way, and they taste even better paired with the plantains for something sweeter and the cebollitas.”

4) Chocolate Orange Blossom Cheesecake Ice Cream at SugarBear. “While the chocolate orange blossom cheesecake ice cream is the top contender, there are so many amazing seasonal ice cream flavors constantly rotating through. From the Bodo’s Everything Bagel seasoning collab or the current Blueberry Sunshine, you can’t make a wrong choice. So little time to sample them all.”

5) Iced Almond Date Latte at JBird Supply Coffee Roaster. “We love hitting the IX Farmers Market, and our first stop is always the JBird coffee tent for an iced almond date latte. We’ll sip our way around and pick up anything else we need, or want: plants, pastries, stickers, and more. Although we haven’t made it out to their new location by FIREFLY yet, we’re so excited to check it out for our coffee fix—and grab a sweet treat from Florosa.”

Inka Grill

https://www.inkagrill.pe/
365 Merchant Walk Sq Building 1400, Suite 100, Charlottesville. (434) 234-4196
105 14th St NW, Charlottesville. (434) 284-5494

Peruvian cuisine is among the world’s most esteemed, and, thanks to Peru native Eddy Moreno, it is in Charlottesville. Moreno opened his first Charlottesville Inka Grill on The  Corner in 2021 and a second location at Fifth Street Station the following year.

For the most part, Moreno sticks to Peruvian classics. But, he also dabbles in a Peruvian-Japanese (Nikkei) and Peruvian-Chinese (chifa). Whatever he’s serving, his culinary training means it’s always well-executed and delicious.

What to Order

The menu spans categories like appetizers, ceviches, soups, traditional, international, and more. Below are our recommendations, Moreno’s, and appearances in Five Finds on Friday.

Our Picks

  • Anticucho
  • Octopus Anticucho
  • Huancaína Yucca
  • Tacu Tacu con Lomo
  • Ceviche Mixto Inka
  • Leche de Tigre
  • Piqueo Marino

Chef’s Picks

  • Ceviche
  • Octopus Anticucho
  • Lomo Saltado

Five Finds on Friday Picks

  • Lomo Saltado – Nadirah Muhammad