A Reueben Sandwich from Lord Hardwicke’s

It opened in 1970. It opened at a time when there weren’t that many restaurants in Charlottesville. There were no McDonald’s, no Hardy’s, no Burger Kings, no Domino’s. But Lord Hardwicke’s was now open, and our good friends, Joe and Theresa Davis, went with us to check it out. The place had an English theme. Their signature dish was Fish & Chips. I tried that while Nancy had French Onion Soup.

The food at Lord Hardwicke’s was good that night, it was good throughout its 46-year run, and it was good the very last time we ate there in 2016 and said goodbye.

It’s hard for a restaurant to be consistently good for over 4 ½ decades. Restaurants are like super novae; they flame up and then die out. It’s an eroding process. The owners cut back on expenses a little. The night manager lets sloppy service slide. A cook is hired who doesn’t know how to get the timing down. But throughout the years, Lord Hardwicke’s had great food at good prices, and the service, with very few exceptions, was top notch. Their food – the best Reuben’s in town, dynamite burgers, crispy fried oysters in season and exceptional pizzas – was consistently excellent.

But all good things come to an end.

Sitting on extremely valuable property within walking distance of UVA and fronting Emmett Street (Rt. 29), the old Hardwicke’s building was leveled and replaced with a new, franchise-type restaurant. Lord Hardwicke’s moved to a new location in Greene County, but it was tucked away with little visibility, and it never really caught on. The newer facility that replaced Hardwicke’s is bright and shiny and with a hip menu, but they will soon fade into the sterile world of the Appleby’s, Outback, Ruby Tuesday’s. Chili’s and the like.

It is truly sad to pass by the place where my family enjoyed 46 years of great meals, great times, and great service.

Goodbye, Lord Hardwicke’s. We miss you.