Michael's Bistro and Tap House

I went to Michael's with a group of friends and a friend's mother for dinner to celebrate the end of exams.  We had already visited a winery earlier in the day and were sleep-deprived, so we did not partake in any of Michael's beer, which (if the other reviews are to believed) might have been a mistake.  Our waitress was very attentive and quick to adjust when two of us decided halfway through the meal that we needed something caffeinated to get us through.

Their menu is manageable - just a few choices for appetizers and entrees that fit on the front and back of a one menu page.  Everything that my friends got looked great - the salad looked fresh and was a good size.  Another friend got the special chipotle sirloin steak that she ate every bite of and looked good.

I opted for the cheeseburger, which I asked to be cooked medium.  The burger I was given was somewhere between medium-well and well done.  So it was kinda dry and not very flavorful - I kept dipping it in additional ketchup to try to get some moisture in each bite.  The burger automatically comes with a side salad, and you have to pay extra if you prefer fries or onion rings.  The fries were good, though - crisp without being overcooked.

Among my group of friends, Michael's is known for being a place on the Corner to avoid the sea of undergrads.  The steps to get into Michael's are certainly steep enough to keep out anyone who's had a few too many.  The bar area looked nice, if a little small, and there were plenty of tables inside and a few out on their balcony.

Their women's bathroom setup is a little weird -- it's only got 1 stall, but it's not obvious when you walk in that it's a single bathroom situation.

I might return to Michael's again to sample some of their beer and something that isn't their cheeseburger, but I left with a "meh" feeling due to my overcooked burger.

Great beer list, good food. I love the banh mi and fried chicken sandwiches, and the onion rings are excellent.

I love Michael's - I love their beer selection, I love the atmosphere, I live and die for the napoleon.

My one complaint is the really rude manager. She has been incredibly hostile on multiple occasions - once she asked us to leave our table before we had finished our drinks because the other reservation had shown up, and another time she blamed me for exaggerating that my meal was served half an hour before the rest of my party's.

I'll always come to Michael's when I visit UVA, but I wish the manager wasn't so hostile.