Miller’s: Overrated or Over Appreciated?
Miller’s Downtown, like much of Charlottesville, has the feel of an old college town trying to stay true to its roots but also appealing to the college students who reside in the city for half the year and their parents who come to visit them. Miller’s is on the western most part of the Downtown Mall, nestled between Blue Whale Books and Ten Thousand Villages. The décor and atmosphere of the restaurant and bar downstairs is what one might assume a dive bar would look like, at least if you happen to also be a patron of either one of its neighbors, but its prices would certainly suggest otherwise if you are not.
Above the entrance to Miller’s is a facade reading “Miller’s Drugstore,” a call back to the old days of the building which, up until 1968, was the city’s Main Street pharmacy. As you enter the downstairs, you will see a mirrored bar wall with lit pharmacy cabinets filled with brightly colored bottles of alcohol. The decor screams of an HGTV attempt at a nostalgic callback to the 1960s and ’70s.
The pub has three floors, the second of which is used as overflow seating for the downstairs, and then the third floor, which is my personal favorite. As you climb the spiraling staircase, you will see a sign on the door; No clove cigarettes, no herbal cigarettes, and no gambling or wagering. Inside you will be immediately presented with the smell of cigars, and a myriad of pool tables and bar games. The bar table looks like one you might see from a stereotypical ’90s dive bar, which makes sense when you consider Dave Matthews used to work at Miller’s, and they seem to love milking it for all it’s worth. Behind the bar is a selection of fine cigars and alcohol and some wide-screen TVs with whatever sports happen to be on ESPN.
Miller’s has too large of a menu to be considered a bar and its atmosphere downstairs certainly feels like that of a pub. Their menu is unique in that it’s primarily online, and that it caters to a wide variety of needs and hunger. Each item has distinct marks at the bottom which denote what allergens it contains, and whether or not the plate is vegan or vegetarian, as well as the individual reviews for each item. The most popular dishes are their fried green tomatoes ($11), the house nachos ($9), jalapeno corn dogs ($8), and wings ($18 per dozen).
Portion sizes are decent, but are fairly small for the price. The only fare that would be considered good for the price would have to be their fried green tomatoes or their corn dogs, but keep in mind that all toppings, fries, or chips cost extra, as do most of the sides and options for dishes. There is a good selection of drinks and the bartenders are good enough for a downtown bar, but prices for anything above a well cocktail are fairly high. Service is friendly, if not disorganized, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it and they have a convenient and pleasant outdoor dining experience. If you’re downstairs on a Wednesday there is usually a band playing near the entrance and the rest of the time there are enough people around to at least strike up a conversation.
While their website and Google maps sidebar claim to be following COVID-19 procedure, they seem to be more than a little lax in practice. Neither the staff nor the clientele are masked, nor do they seem to follow any social distancing guidelines.
I’d give it a 3 out of 5 usually, but given the lack of COVID procedure I’d have to temporarily give it a 2 out of 5. If you’re looking for a decent, albeit expensive downtown dining experience, a cigar bar, or a bar with good live music, Miller’s is definitely worth checking out at least once. They are open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday to Sunday.
A Dozen Hot Wings, with Blue Cheese sauce, Ranch, and Celery sticks. Photography by Jaume Plumb-Planas
Rum and Coke with Lemon garnish. Photography by Jaume Plumb-Planas
