Continental Divide

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Noticing the neon "Get In Here" sign in the front window is the only way you'll know you're in the right place if you choose to go to Continental Divide in Charlottesville, VA. But when you leave, you won't doubt it was worth it. Continental Divide is a tex-mex restaurant located directly across from the Amtrak station, sort of in between the historic downtown pedestrian mall and "The Corner," or the popular strip of bars and restaurants in the heart of UVA's campus. It's one of my favorite places in town.

Ambiance: Their t-shirts say it all: "Too Small, Too Crowded, Too Loud, Too Bad." This restaurant only has 7 or 8 booths (which, to be fair, can seat up to 8 people if you squeeze), a few two-seater tables, a small bar, and very little standing room. While waiting for a table, you can feel like you're always in the way. My recommendation: get a margarita and quit complaining. This place it worth it.

Variety: The margaritas are renowned as some of the best out there. They have a wide selection of tequilas and some pretty good beers, too. The menu isn't huge. We got the "Red Hot Blues" nachos for an appetizer, which comes with goat cheese, red onions, and some other yummy stuff (no meat). The nachos are dusted with some kind of dry spice, which really adds a bite. These are the only appetizer I've ever had here, but they're so good I keep coming back to them. The dinner menu has three solid choices for vegetarians. The bean and cheese burrito is always a good bet. It's pretty big (actually two burritos side-by-side), covered in some kind of mole sauce. The second vegetarian option is the spinach and mushroom enchiladas. Pretty good, but it's my least favorite. The best, if you eat fish, is the tuna tostada. You really have to make sure to ask them to cook it rare, or else you risk it being a bit overcooked (for my taste, at least). It comes smothered in pureed black beans, red pepper coulis, and a big dollop of goat cheese. It's impossible not to lick the plate.

Quality: I'm being pretty transparent here, but this is one of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville. If you can get past the semi-chaotic atmosphere, the food is 100% worth it. The pumpkin muffin comes as a side for some of the meals, but I'd recommend asking for it no matter what. One of the nice things about Continental Divide is that the vegetarian (or pescetarian) options are also the best dishes on the menu.

Overall: Like they say, Get In Here. The bartender and staff are friendly, the food is top notch, oh... and it's CHEAP. Dinners range from $9-12, which is a steal for this stuff. Since it can get pretty crowded, it's best to go early or really late, which might save yourself a parking headache, too.

Note: They will not do separate checks, but they will split the bill evenly between a number of credit cards.