Charlottesville’s Healthiest Spots

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Looking for a healthy lunch or dinner in Charlottesville, Virginia? Here are Charlottesville’s healthiest spots for salads, smoothies, bowls and more!

Tis the time of year when everyone is recommitting to superfoods. As a Registered Dietitian living in Charlottesville, I better know where the most nutritious and delicious meals are. This list of favorite healthy restaurants in Cville serve some of my favorite healthy foods in town, from salads to bowls to smoothies. I keep them all on regular rotation!

The crunchy cauliflower bowl at Botanical is one of my favorites!

Roots

Roots is popular spot for super healthy salad and grain bowls. Favorites include El Jefe, the Mayweather, and the Pesto Caesar. You can choose kale as your base to lean to the salad side, and you can choose any toppings you like – from beans to avocado to their amazing BBQ tofu. My favorites on the menu are the Roots salad with sweet potatoes, goat cheese and crunchy pita chips and the Mayweather (minus beets, plus pita chips for me!) I absolutely LOVE the BBQ tofu and get it on my salad bowls almost every time.

While the line at the corner can get long and parking is tricky, you can also find Roots on delivery apps and with hot spots. Order on their app by 10:30 and pick up at the IX building at 11:30am (this is my go-to!) Skip the lines!

The Juice Laundry

The coolest juice bar in town! Located near downtown on Preston Ave, The Juice Laundry offers organic freshly pressed juices, oatmeal, smoothies, salads and soups. Everything is super healthy! You can get your smoothies served in a bowl with house-made granola on top. My favorite smoothies are the Coco Verde, made with coconut milk and greens, and the CB&J – a cashew butter delight! The Gentle Green is my favorite juice, and the Strawberry Shake is an almond milk gone wild. If you’re really lucky you’ll stumble upon the strawberry chia pudding – the best!!

Revolutionary Soup

A Charlottesville classic, Rev Soup has a diverse menu with salads, soups, wraps, quesadillas and more. You can always find something healthy, and they offer lots of vegetarian and vegan options too. The Gulf Salad is my favorite, which comes with shrimp, hard-boiled egg and avocado. There are two locations – one downtown and one on the Corner near the University of Virginia.

I love the baked potato soup + the Adam’s Apple sandwich.

Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar

This funky downtown spot known for its tea has a lovely healthy menu as well! My favorite dish is the Bazaar Salad topped with wild Alaskan salmon. It’s a hearty salad of mixed greens tossed with ginger-miso vinaigrette, with feta, pear, candied walnuts, raisins, cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes. It also comes with warm herby pita triangles that are out-of-this-world good! They also have dahl and rice, hummus platters and wraps. The Goatherder is a platter with hummus, veggies, herby pita, cheese, olives, and dried fruit. It’s big enough to share, and SO good! Get a pot of the Moroccan Mint tea with lunch – it’s the perfect ending to a meal.

Tea Biz

Corner Juice

With two locations, one on the Downtown Mall and one on The Corner, Corner Juice is a great spot for juices, smoothies, avocado toast, and other healthy options like chia pudding and overnight oats (or a combo of the two!) I love it for a late post-workout breakfast (note they don’t have super early hours) or a healthy lunch. Seating is limited, but they have some cute bistro tables so it’s great if the weather is warm or you’re taking something back to a hotel or office.

The avocado toast

A Very Cousin Weekend

Chia pudding with almond butter and jam!

overnight oats

Botanical Fare

Botanical is one of my very favorite lunch spots! Botanical’s menu is completely plant-based, and they strive to create a welcoming atmosphere for all styles of eating and allergies. Vegetables are the main event with yummy sauces, herbs, nuts, sweet potatoes, rice, and more.

They also have sharables (street corn! sticky cauliflower!), salads (kale Caesar!), sandwiches like avocado toast and chickpea tuna (which come with a side salad), and a kids’ menu with things like cashew cheese mac and cheese or an almond butter and jam sandwich. Oh and desserts (see below) and coffee/tea/pastries. Check out my full blog post review here.

The sweet potato bowl

Tilman’s

Located on the downtown mall, Tilman’s specializes in the three main food groups: cheese, wine, and snacks! But they also have a nice assortment of salads, baguette-style sandwiches, and small plates, too. The food is super fresh with a European ingredient theme. (Think French blue cheese salads and Italian prosciutto sandwiches!) I love all of the salads and sharing a panini with a friend to go with!

Feast!

Half restaurant, half market, Feast has a bunch of healthy salads, soups, and sandwiches. Order at the counter and sit down to eat lunch or take away sandwiches, cheeses, fresh break, and lots of other local treats, including chocolate and wine. It does get crowded on the weekends, so be aware of that and go early to miss the lines. When they have it, I love the kale salad and the red pepper, kale, and coconut soup!

salad bowl and sandwich | That Time Of Year

Chopt Salad

Chopt is one you may be familiar with (it’s a chain), but I mention it because it’s one of my favorites when I just need a Hugh Jass salad!! Located in Barrack’s Road Shopping Center, it’s great when you’re out and about shopping and need a bite.

Mezeh

Another favorite quick lunch spot is Mezeh. It’s located in the Stonefield Shopping Center, and their Mediterranean bowls are SO good! I am obsessed with the caramelized eggplant, the Turkisk yogurt dip, and the spicy hummus. The pita bread on the side is sooooo good too!

Mezeh bowl

Organic Krush

A newish spot at the Shops at Stonefield, Organic Krush is one of my new favorites for super healthy salad bowls! I LOVE their coconut shrimp and salmon toppers! Create your own bowl or order from one of theirs. They also have juices, acai smoothie bowls and a few other healthy options like frittatas and oatmeal pancakes!

The price is quite high – I spent about $21 for my bowl with salmon and drink – but they are also all organic, so you get what you pay for! They use organic meats and sustainably caught seafood. I’ll vote with my dollars for that!

Organic Krush