Shebeen Pub and Braai

I had lunch here with some of my coworkers. This place has great staff and a nice atmosphere. I enjoyed the lamb and kidney soup as well as their Cobb salad with satay chicken. Great experience! Thanks Shebeen.

I grew up in Zimbabwe and seeing this place while driving through VA was a pleasant surprise. The food was absolutely delicious and as I remember it from my childhood. The curries and sauces were right on. Don’t miss the sausage and mash which is a SA staple.

Stopped in to the Shebeen for the first time for lunch. Not only is the food unique and exceptionally flavorful, it is reasonably priced and a great value. The corn chowder is particularly notable, as well as the curried chicken salad wrap. The service we received was friendly, attentive, and efficient. An all-around positive and enjoyable experience!

This was absolutely fantastic. I'm a vegetarian, so it really takes a lot for me to break my streak, and I can say it was well worth it. I came with my family and we shared all of our dishes. I'm not someone who generally likes pork chops, but they did a wonderful job and keeping it moist and packing in a lot of flavor. The Kenyan Lager was unique and went well with the food. I would recommend just going for the platter if you're going to get an appetizer, you're going to want to try it all. My only issue was that the Dutch cake was a tad too sweet, but I don't have a frame of reference regarding that dish, so take that with more than a grain of salt.

Great experience all around. I had soup and the Durban chicken, both delicious. I had intended just to get take out but decided to eat in for trivia night, which was very fun. Everyone was super friendly to me and my dog, which isn't always the case for a person eating alone, esp with a dog. Would definitely return if I end up back in town!

We really wanted to try South African cuisine and we were not disappointed! We got the wings and braised lamb shank to go and it was just Superb! The wings come in 3 sauces but we really liked the hot sauce and BBQ sauce. The quality and quantity was more than fairly priced. Thank You Shebeen Pub for a Great Meal!

We are from out of town, so this was only my second time eating here and the meal was amazing again. I ordered the Durban Chicken and my wife had the lamb shank, both of which were executed perfectly. They offered us a glass of wine and a bourbon drink because our dessert was a few minutes late coming out of the kitchen. I didn't even notice, but the manager insisted. We will defintely be back. Amazing food and wonderful service

This is an excellent restaurant. The food is great and so is the service! I've been there several times and the server has always been friendly (but not overly so) and very knowledgeable about both the menu and wine list. I don't care that much about service in restaurants, but the servers here really make a good impression--it's similar to the service you would get at a much more expensive restaurant (that has good service). It's a great place to have a lingering, multi-course meal (come during restaurant week if you can!) because they don't try to rush you out of there by bringing your food too quickly. I've never had a bad meal here, but I especially like the durban chicken and the sadza cakes (vegetarian). Oh, and the bread is killer! Nice wine list, all South African. The cocktails are good, too. It's a little out of my budget, so I don't eat there frequently, but it's my go-to spot for celebrations. Also, there's always the slightly more budget friendly brunch! I recommend making a reservation during peak hours, especially on weekends.

Thank you Megan for a wonderful dining experience. I appreciate the efforts you made to make us feel comfortable and well taken care of. It’s clear that new management have made Shebeen realize it’s full potential. We had the lamb shanks, which were delicious with mealie pap. The cocktails were delicious as well. Definitely recommend giving Shebeen a try!

Our first visit and definitely not our last. Unique cuisine, huge menu, congenial staff more than willing to educate our table on particulars of the menu. Don't miss the Bloody Mary's! It was a 2 1/2 hr drive there and I'm already looking forward to going back!

Recently took a large party there for a friend’s birthday and not only were they accomodating in seating us all together, but the service and food were outstanding! Everyone at the table raved about their dinners and the cocktails ans wine that I tasted were fun and complementary to the flavors in our meals. Had a lot of fun trying new things and will be back!

Dinner at Shebeen was a great experience, start to finish. They held our reservation for 10 people, even though we were a few minutes late. Appetizers & entrees were all outstanding, very good wine choices. Friendly, knowledgable staff. We'd all go back again.

Phenomenal. Food is inspired, original, and stands out among the sea of banality that is Charlottesville food. The portions are satisfyingly robust, much better than you find elsewhere, especially the downtown pedestrian mall. The food is seasoned to perfection, and presented with flair. Pricing is extremely fair. Decor is well done and overall you would not be embarrassed to take clients or colleagues here. Perfect for business or pleasure.

The food is awesome. It just taste good. No weird flavors. Never had a bad dish from chicken wings to fried cod to sausage and mashed potatoes. Veggies dishes too.

This place is tucked into an unremarkable strip mall which could make it a bit hard to find. Honestly, the place doesn't look like much special, but you should seek it out; the "African Influenced" menu is worth the trip. The flavors and dishes of their menu are really unique. While we weren't impressed with the calamari appetizer, the samosas and our entrees were just absolutely delicious. We'd go back here again if we come back to Charlottesville.

I've visited The Shebeen numerous times over the past couple of years and I have never had a bad experience. The food is delicious and unique, the wine list is varied and humongous, and it has quite a nice ambiance. I always look forward to returning when I am in Charlottesville.

I noticed that while older reviews were excellent, more recent, post-COVID reviews were quite negative. We are so glad that we came anyway! Our servers were friendly, the patio was pleasant and our drinks were exactly right. My husband found Tusker beer for the first time outside of Kenya. I had the peri peri shrimp and he had the curried lamb. Both were excellent. We will definitely be back.

Amazing dishes! Great taste! The service could try to be more helpful and cheerful. Prices are good.

I have only sampled the food as part of catering for an off site event, but I'm looking forward to getting in to dine. The chicken skewers were spicy, well done, and seasoned perfectly. I also had some hummus and pita and a small dessert cake. All were delectable, and tasted authentically exotic. Looking forward to having it again soon. Edit: I visited for lunch and found the food, again, to be spectacular and tasty. This was my first time sitting down with the menu (a 12-14 page book, which can be intimidating), and my advice is if you are selective you can eat here for a reasonable price, but you can not come here without considering the price. Just a few entrees are $8, most are $10 or more. Many are $16-22 each, which is great if you have money to burn. The food and atmosphere are great, but there are enough amazing BBQ sandwiches in Cville for $3 that you have to consider strongly the benefit of the quality of the food and atmosphere when coming. I ate a side of 2 small pancakes, real maple syrup, and a side of corned beef hash, more like a delicious stew, for $4 each. Delicious; unaffordable. If you want authenticity, uniquity, and spice handled expertly, this is the place. Bring a wallet.

Moderately priced. 18-22$ main entrees. Ambience is very cozy. Service was good. Good date place. Less appropriate for families with younger kids looking for a hearty meal. Good foodie destination as the food tasted authentic and not too watered down for the American palate

Lunch was delicious! Stuffed mushrooms were incredible, sadza cakes came layered with flavor, and the food was brought to the table in a timely manner. 4/5 stars because the waitress was a bit slow toward the end, only checking on us once. Did not ask if we needed refills on our beverages, and we were left waiting for our check. Overall, the quality of the meal made for a great experience. Will absolutely go again.

Amazing food! The samosas were on point and the grits (I think it was called mealy pap or something) that came with the chicken were probably the best I've ever had. The price per person is a touch high though. Like approx $20/person high. With that said, I would still absolutely recommended trying Shebeen out. You won't be sorry!

This is a gem of a restaurant. I was invited by a friend and was pleasantly surprised. Service was informal and friendly, setting relaxed with African decor. I had a robust corn chowder, thick and stew like texture with curry flavors, then Peri Peri Chicken with a very spicy rice pilaf with beans. I definitely recommend this restaurant.

Very diverse and exotic food selections. If you're a picky eater or are taking anyone there who is, I might not recommend it, but don't let that detour you. They have a broad selection of unique flavors that would be sure to satisfy anyone looking for something a little bit different to eat. Also, the prices are set at a sliiightly higher range, but they are well worth it. The decor of the establishment was also very cozy with the dim lighting and the polite crowd that was there.

Food was good. Hard time dealing with checks for a large group. Disappointed with the amount of chicken satay I got as an add on to my caeser salad--only about an ounce for $5. Wait staff was well organized and food came out quickly for a group.

This place is great! You step out of the parking lot and into a cozy world where everything makes like you feel you're on the veldt. I've only had a couple of drinks at the bar but can't wait to go back for dinner - friends highly recommend it. Update April 2018: Returned here for dinner, and sat at a table in the bar area. Service? Fuggedabouddit. After 15 minutes I went to the bar and ordered my drink and a burger for dinner, along with a salad. The salad came back with the wrong dressing and the burger was bloody-in-the-middle rare (I'd asked for medium.) And it wasn't a fantastic burger. So... I suggest you make reservations and get a regular table, and hope your experience is better.

Although the Peri Peri wings are absolutely delightful, they're not enough to raise this rating beyond 3 stars. In general the food is good, but the wait staff is often slow to serve and I've never seen a custom order come out right- even when the custom order is simply an extra side of carrots! The outdoor bar area (which has swings!) is a great place to hang out and watch sports.

So the food is really good and there’s a good amt of variety at decent price. They accommodate special diets well too (allergies etc). Decorations and lighting are awesome as well, great ambience in dining area and rustic warm bar area with TVs. However only 3 stars because the service was lacking. I was sat under the light in the front (an awkward place to sit while you’re waiting for a friend) without being asked where if I wanted table or booth (and several were empty). Place was about half full and sure lots in the bar but service was pretty slow. Waitress didn’t check on us much and wasn’t that friendly to be honest. Place could be stellar with a few extra staff meetings to address quality customer service

I've been twice. First time was amazing with great food and service. Durban spiced chicken was phenomenal and Peri Peri sauce was delicious. Five Stars Second time was very mediocre. Apparently they introduced brunch recently and it was not goof, comparitvely. The "Corned Beef Hash" totally missed the mark. A "hash" should be (traditionally) meat and potatoes cooked together. This was potatoes spooned on a plate with huge inedible pieces of fatty brisket spooned beside it. I've had plenty of brisket before and this was not well prepared and only about 40% edible. One Star I'll go back someday, but not for brunch. Overall average of Three Stars.

Nice location to meet if you have a larger party. Very busy place, but they seated a party of 6 quickly at lunch despite it being quite busy. Disappointed in the amount and the quality of the "African" food offered here. They have a huge wine and drink menu that looks awesome.

Shebeen's has always been a favorite in the past, but what happened to service? The waitress took the order, served the food, brought the tab, said, "have a good one," and walked away. We would have liked to have a second drink as well as dessert, but we did not even have a chance to order these before she dumped the check on the table. Wow...just wow. I have never had bad service here before. Apparently they no longer believe in customer service. We paid and went elsewhere for drinks and dessert.

This place has a nice atmosphere. There is a lot of waiting. The servers take FOREVER to get to you. Very expensive for the quality of the food. The food tastes okay, but not the best. Tons of sodium and pretty bland.

The food was perfectly fine. I am giving Shebeen two stars because the servers were really stressful to be around. They were running around like they were scared for their jobs if they weren't setting good pace, even when there was almost nobody there. A manager yelled at an employee for asking him a question about the lunch menu on our behalf. What a weird and horribly mismanaged place.

South African? Really??? While there were a couple S. African dishes on the one menu they allowed us, there is more choice at a spaza. We came for the S. African food but I ended up getting a burger because the offerings were so limited. The burger was so overcooked that I had to use ketchup to force it down…which I never use. I ordered a beer but it was not drinkable due to dirty tap lines, still had to pay for it. My wife enjoyed here Durban chicken and the mussels were really good but we wish we’d have tried anywhere else. Service sucked with a mostly empty dining room. I remember when the food was good here.

Way over-priced for what you actually get! Was the food good? Sure. Was it different? Yes. But I can still recognize the bagged baby carrots and frozen peas in their gristly lamb stew. It wasn't anything to write home about. I would add another another star or two if the dishes were reasonably priced. At $20-30 a plate, I should have GREAT food.

Drinks and appetizers were good. Service was not. Server could not describe dishes very well when questions were asked. 1 dish was brought to our table that no one ordered, 2 entrees were brought out cold that were supposed to be hot, not enough water available, could not see server to request more, either.

I took a customer out to dinner at this restaurant. Both food and service were average. We spent $60 on a bottle of wine and purchased two entrees. I have been reaching out to them for three days now to acquire a copy of my receipt for the meal (which got wet) as I want to expense it. No one has returned my calls. If you are a business traveler and looking for a place to impress a customer - this is not the place.

Service was terrible. Server was not educated on the menu. The food was not properly cooked. When I asked for a medium well burger, I got a red center and a blood soaked bun. Showed it to the server and she said that is"medium well"! Couldn't eat it. My friend's steak was so tough she couldn't even chew it. Very bad experience. I will not go there again.

I have often heard good things about Shabeen. In all of my experiences there I have experienced nothing but sub par service from individuals forgetting to return my credit card, being at a table top and being ignored or "forgotten about" by servers, as well as waiting over 40 minutes for a salad that was said to have taken 15. The slight peek you can get into the kitchen makes me worry about the product, at times. It also makes me feel like when the cooks are over rushed they aren't adhering to sanitation and food safety standards the way they should. There could potentially be a strong disconnect between management and staff that is the problem which reflects in the service and product. I don't know why Ive bothered to return here. The price is simply not worth dealing with low standards.

Profoundly unimpressed. What was once an upscale dining experience is now a dive. I understand that COVID has changed everything for the restaurant industry and people are doing their best to adjust, but I've seen several other establishments do it infinitely better. The food and service were mediocre (I basically paid $15 for a TV dinner - and I've had better TV dinners before) but the worst part was the atmosphere. Indoor dining prices with all the ambiance of a pool snack bar, minus the pool. Exposed plywood, twinkling lights and dirty paper menus. Why they're even doing outdoor dining is beyond me considering they're not observing social distancing in any other meaningful capacity. Patrons were standing at the bar shoulder to shoulder, drinking and vaping without a mask in sight. In fact, people were up from their tables walking around without masks and no one was even attempting to enforce rules. They also took Shepherd's pie off the menu, which was by far the best dish they had. Very disappointing experience.