CONMOLE — Restaurant in Charlottesville

Conmole has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville. I feel like the word “gem” can be overused with regard to restaurants, but it’s an apt term in this case. It’s so unique in both its food and its service model—this is not your average Mexican restaurant.

Their Oaxacan cuisine is absolutely delicious, and the way that they serve shareable smaller plates one by one is refreshing and allows you to try different things but not get too full or end up ordering too much food (you can always add more!). Every server I’ve met has been knowledgeable, friendly, and excited to explain the dishes, especially to those who are trying something new. It’s also in the Belmont neighborhood, which is relatively close to the downtown mall, but still hidden away enough that it doesn’t feel as crowded or busy. Parking is easy on nearby side streets with just a short walk.

I brought my super-introverted vegetarian husband there for Valentine’s Day last night. While he isn’t one to dine out at all and is often disappointed by limited vegetarian options (or options that just seem like a lazy afterthought), he does love Mexican food, especially if they include flavorful hot sauces. Conmole has a plethora of choices for him, and they’re even happy to alter most meat dishes when possible. They also ask about allergies and preferences up front (a practice that all restaurants should really adopt.) We ordered three existing vegetarian choices: the mushroom empanada, the “calabaza” (grilled zucchini with chipotle cream cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, queso fresco, and mint), and the cauliflower mole guajillo, plus agua fresca (I’ve tried all three—the hibiscus is my favorite!) and flan for dessert.

My husband doesn’t even like mushrooms or onions, and he loved the empanada, in part due to dipping it in a special chile de árbol hot sauce that the waiter offered him instead of the cilantro crema (he has the unfortunate cilantro soap gene, but hot sauce is 100% his thing). The sauce was clearly made in house fresh, just like everything else; it took time to come out, and it didn’t just burn your face off—it was spicy, but it actually had a ton of flavor, so it didn’t miss the mark like others often do when they just focus on heat.

The “calabaza” was fantastic and a really interesting combination of flavors and textures. I’m pretty food adventurous, but the mix of chipotle cream cheese and mint sounded a little strange even to me. It definitely won me over, though—I’m sorry that I questioned it!

Everything we ordered was incredible, but the standout for me had to be the mole guajillo. I wanted to drink the remaining sauce from the dish after we were done, and I overheard the table next to us requesting theirs to go (and the waiter hinting that they should reheat it alongside a fried egg, which sounded absolutely amazing).

If you’re afraid of the idea of mole because it’s been drilled into your head that it’s some weird savory chocolate sauce, this is your sign to forget what you think you know and visit conmole to re-learn what mole is and can be. There are many mole choices on their menu, as the name implies, and you shouldn’t leave without tasting at least one of them.

We were both pleasantly full with the three dishes (I took my flan to go), and my husband loved the whole experience, which is not a small feat for a dining establishment to achieve in his world. We will most...

Mediocre at best. We ordered several dishes and wine. The service was good but the ambience was a tent, pleasant and much better than being inside. The dishes came out in a an unusual order with some starters arriving at the after the main courses. We politely asked the server about it but didn't get a reason. Immediately after, a dude who failed to introduce or identify himself, came to our table and just started talking at us. Affronted, he mansplained that it was our fault because we did not explicitly tell the server that we wanted the appetizers before the main course. OK ....Whatever?! The tamale was good and was the only thing that had anything resembling mole sauce The shrimp was just meh? The stuffed avocado was tasteless and and couldn't decide if it was hot or cold. The Carnitas was dry and so salty nobody ate it. We've lived in the southwest and CA and enjoy Mexican cuisine. The above was the review! After it posted. I was subjected to a vicious and personal attack designed to bully me into removing the review. He suggested that I consumed a bottle of wine prior to arriving at the restaurant because my eyes were shiny. It is true, my eyes do shine, but not because I'm drunk. It is the result of double CATARACT surgery, where curved glass lenses are inserted to cover the damaged corneas. What followed was a pathetic desperate attempt to paint himself as the victim because we failed to realize he was the owner. The response to the review speaks for itself. The food comments were ignored in favor of insults, name calling and a sad attempt to play the race card. The misogynist's TRIFECTA. And Yes, we would love to get our $140.+back. We take cash,...

Being from Texas I am particular about my Mexican fare. I have been disappointed most often outside of Texas or California in my search for delicious food from south of the border. That being said, Conmole was a delight! Sophisticated and fresh versions of your Mexican favorites! We started with a tamale sans corn husk served on a banana leaf - smooth textured masa and tender pork filling with a delicious green mole topping, then we had the octopus - marinated in some kind of magic and cooked perfectly (a true art) with jicama and avocado cubes, on the side some complex spicy salsa that made the dish complete. And the Carnitas... to call them just Carnitas is an insult... They are the best I have tasted... EVER. The pork had the perfect crunchy ends, the avocado puree, pico de gallo, rice, blue corn tortillas... it was fabulous. To make this place truly dangerous... they make a mean margarita... I woke up this morning and I'm still dreaming about coming back here and destroying this same...