Maya — Restaurant in Charlottesville

We started off with the Pimento Cheese Fritters and Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Oysters. My 4-year-old son, normally a very picky eater, devoured the Oysters. The only words out of his mouth were "can I have another" until they were eventually gone. The Fritters were gone quickly as well. Some of our guests swore by the accompanying chive sour cream sauce for the Fritters, I preferred them without it as they were delicious alone. Oh, and the Corn Bread was in the top three I've ever had, hitting all the right marks. Thin, yet crisp crust, moist interior, sweet, but not too sweet and just the right crumble.

While all of the entrees were on point, our favorites were the Ancho Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and the Pan Seared Crab Cakes. If you like skin-on mashed potatoes, get them here. The pork was cooked perfectly, the rub was slightly charred to a crust, while the center remained juicy and then it was sliced at a sharp angle serving up 5 beautiful medallions.

My father-in-law indulged on the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. By indulge I mean it was gone before anyone could ask for a bite. I had the Chilly Willie, OMG. It's like the best of all worlds. The menu describes cherry ice cream and for that I was skeptical. I'm glad I didn't let my skepticism stop me because it's not at all what I imagined. We're talking about two incredible oatmeal cookies hugging this ice cream that did not at all remind me of cherries. As if the combo wasn't already a dream, it got dipped in dark chocolate (maybe semi-sweet), cut in half and served as two half-moons perched on a bed of marshmallow fluff.

I do wish they had espresso, but I guess that's not a "Southern Thing", so that'll just have to wait until I make it to Mudhouse in...

Dinner at Maya Southern Restaurant was nothing short of delightful, and a huge part of that experience was thanks to our server, Bri. From the moment we sat down, she radiated warmth—bubbly, cheerful, and genuinely excited to share the menu highlights. You could tell she enjoyed her job, and that kind of positive energy is contagious. It made us feel taken care of in a way that elevated the entire meal.

We started with the pork belly, and wow—what a decadent bite. Each morsel was beautifully caramelized, coated in a sticky-sweet glaze that clung lovingly to the crisped edges. It melted away on the tongue with a perfect balance of richness and sweetness, without ever feeling greasy or heavy.

The pork chop was equally impressive. Thick-cut and grilled to a juicy, blush-pink center, it was topped with a glaze that had just the right balance of savory and slightly smoky-sweet. The accompanying Brussels sprouts were roasted to a golden crisp on the outside, with a tender bite inside—so good they could convert even the most stubborn vegetable skeptic (me).

The chicken breast might sound simple, but don’t underestimate it here. It came out perfectly seared, locking in all the juices, with a subtle salt crust that made each bite sing. It wasn’t overdone or bland like so many chicken dishes out there. Instead, it was seasoned with confidence, served tender and moist, and every bite reminded me of how satisfying a well-cooked piece of poultry can be.

From the service to the execution of each dish, Maya Southern nails the art of comforting, elevated Southern cuisine. We left full, happy, and already...

Came here one evening for drinks with friends and experienced the worse customer service in my life. The bartender (older looking white woman) was very rude and disrespectful. She refused to serve me a second drink because I didn't tip after the first. She then asked if I could afford another drink, 🤔......because I couldn't afford to tip her, (very disrespectful).... After she refused me a drink I saw a gentleman at the bar tell her he saw what she did and looked as he approved. A few minutes later the same guy made his way over to the seat beside me. He later told me he was the owner and that his establishment has in house rules that everyone abides by.... He never appologized for his employees disrespectful behavior towards his customers. He said "everyone knows we tip in here". I said that's fine and that I usually tip after judging how my service is and that I was planning on tipping after my second drink because the first was actually pretty good. He said "yeah it's kinda like house rules... Everyone tips". I told him that's fine and that he was free to run his business anyway he pleases.. to Make this long story short, I highly DO NOT recommend coming to this place if you are a person of color and you should never trust prejudice people with preparing food for you.... The owner actually seemed like a nice guy but he also sat and watched his employee disrespect customers and he...