The Cheese Shop

The sandwiches were so delicious! I love that they have indoor and outdoor seating! Such a fun, cute, little shop filled with great food and great gift ideas.

Fun place for a beer that’s open all day. They have a variety of beers as well as many other snack and light meal options. We just had beers after strolling through town.

Grabbed the roast beef sandwich at 4pm today- for $11, not worth it. The bread and meat were good, but as you can see, there’s barely any meat on the bread. Rather disappointed with the quality with them having such high ratings.

Amazing cheese and meat selection. My go to spot every time I for the best meat and cheese selection in Williamsburg. I have been coming to the Cheese Shop off since 2002. The food and atmosphere keep me coming back every time I am in town.

This place was recommended to me by a friend and honestly when I saw the sandwich that this place is so well known for I was skeptical but without a doubt this was the best ham and cheese sandwich on a French bread I've ever had in my life. Simple sandwich but the bread is so fresh and delicious, the ham is fantastic together with some Swiss cheese and mayo... Let's just say I went back for the second sandwich. But the cheese store is more than just a sandwich store, anything you need for a cheese board can be found here. A great selection of beer and the whole wine cellar is here as well.

Loved the food and atmosphere here right next to the historic town center! The variety of sandwiches and cheese snacks options suits everyone. Will come back again when visiting the area next time!

People mention their house dressing, it’s legit. A little pricey for sandwiches but my wife calls them “gourmet” to justify the cost. The food is fantastic, they have specialty drinks, fancy kombucha and local kettle chips. Seating outside and along the promenade. Not busy during the week but crazy on the weekends.

Lovely place, I've been going here with my dad for years now. Whenever we visit. I, myself, am a cheese enthusiast, so this place is like a "sanctuary" for me. They also have a sandwich line, which is normally very long, must be some good Sandwhichs then. I've never tried the sandwiches from here, but there was a very long line last time I was there. I was recommended there 2 year aged Canadian Cheddar by my father. This cheese was a very nice cheese, for anyone wanting to try something new or different, I would recommend this cheese shop for anyone.

This has become me and hubby's tradition when we're in town. We often come here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. I tend to order their prosciutto, cheese and tomato on a baguette. And I usually order a cheese meat mini plate to go. Always delicious. Their shop is so busy and it usually requires a Xanax to deal with the chaos when you're inside, but it's always worth it. Delicious food. Nice people.

As a William and Mary alum, I have been visiting The Cheese Shop and enjoying bread ends and house dressing for 20+ years. I remember when it was a different location, smaller, and the only way to get house dressing was in a small tub. So as much as I love this place, I have to say I was a bit disappointed in my most recent visit (November 2024)--after waiting in line to order for 15 minutes, waiting another 10 for my order, I excitedly picked up my sandwich (ham, swiss, sprouts and house dressing on French Bread--I'll never stray from this combo), grabbed my chips, and got a draft local beer (another pleasant new-ish addition, but another 10 minute wait). I headed outside to enjoy the sun and relive college memories...only to find hard bread, not nearly enough dressing, and extremely salty ham. The staff was clearly working as hard/fast as they could and they were very kind, but it's just hard to have high expectations and then have everything fall a little flat (especially after waiting so long). So I think what I'm trying to say is: the people are great, the House Dressing is popular for a reason, but I think it might be a case of a place of being *too* popular and growing *too* fast...or that could just be my nostalgia talking.

The wine cellar at the Cheese Shop is a great place to find wine for dinner or for a party. The people who work there are knowledgeable and can help you find the perfect wine to fit your needs and in your price point. If they don't have what you are looking for in the shop, they can often order it for you or find something similar. In addition to selling bottles of wine, they offer a wine club where they select a bottle each month from their distributor for club members for one annual fee. They send you information about the wine in a monthly newsletter. The first Saturday of each month they offer a tasting of that month's selection if you pick up your bottle that Saturday. They also offer a 10% discount on all bottles you purchase that first Saturday. If you would like a glass of wine to enjoy with your cheese or sandwich from the Cheese Shop upstairs, they offer selections by the glass. In the winter they also often sell cups of mulled wine. So perfect on a chilly day.

Gonna get flamed but so so overrated. Huge crowd on Saturday morning (esp on W&M move-in weekend) thus was expecting a yummy sandwich - sadly, mediocre at best. Note , to move the line along, sauce/condiment served on side - hubs didn't realized his mustard packet was in bag (thought omitted) until after finishing half sandwich (sigh). Both sandwiches could easily be made at home - ingredients weren't fancy or unique. Really don't get the hype.

Fun place for a beer that's open all day. They have a variety of beers as well as many other snack and light meal options. We just had beers after strolling through town. Staff are friendly and there is a café feeling/atmosphere.

This place is a Williamsburg institution and has been in business since 1971 serving delicious sandwiches. Now if you are are used to going to a sandwich shop that has 5009 different sandwiches with all the toppings and ingredients this is not that kind of place but it is still very good in what it does provide! I always get the turkey with mayo and provolone on French bread and to me it's perfection! Simple but good fresh ingredients. Some people swear by their house dressing (which is good, I just prefer mayo) I also tried their minestrone soup and it was also delicious. On the menu they have different bread, meat, cheese choices as well as mayo, mustard, house dressing and a few other additional add-ons for the sandwiches. The cheese shop also provides drinks, desserts, chips, speciality grocery items, and much more. Fun to look around while you wait for your sandwich to be made.

The cheese shop has been my favorite lunch place in williamsburg and the best spot to get a sandwich since i was very little. My parents went to William and Mary and every homecoming, this is a most-looked forward to staple. So amazing! I usually get the sliced chicken sandwich on wheat with pepper jack cheese, sprouts, tomatoes, and the house dressing. Highly recommend also getting some bread ends to dip into the house dressing

Such a great selection of cheeses - the amount of cheese in this store is amazing! The service was quick and the staff are very knowledgeable! They helped us find a very specific cheese from Holland. The store has a very nice ambiance in downtown Colonial Williamsburg.

This is a cute deli and gourmet food store (with wine and beer) in the heart of Merchants Square. It's well worth a stop - especially if the weather is nice for an outdoor picnic. I came here around 5:20pm on a Wednesday evening in late October 2023, but arrived too late to order a sandwich (they stop talking orders around 5:30pm). Instead, I picked up a cheese plate ($11), bottle of water, and some Petite Cider (from Potter's Craft Cider in Charlottesville, VA). Overall, I enjoyed the delicious cheese plate with sausage, which made a pleasant low-carb picnic meal outdoors. Would have preferred a glass of wine, but the dry cider was nice for a fall evening. I hope to return during the day on a future visit to try their sandwiches. The only downside is the early closing time for sandwich orders (be sure to arrive by 5:15pm!).

Food is good, a little overhyped. There isn't a ton of seating, you have to go downstairs. Typically there's a long wait but the food is generally good. GET THE HOUSE DRESSING PLEASE IT IS SO GOOD

Landmark sandwich and gourmet food shop in Williamsburg. Local landmark. Consistently good take out if you don't mind a wait.

Whenever I'm in downtown, this place is my top choice. I usually grab sandwiches to take with me while exploring historical sites. This time, we all got sandwiches and enjoyed them outside. It's a combination of a sandwich shop and a general store, and they even have a wine bar in the basement. You can also get canned beers or wine to accompany your sandwich on the go. The patio is dog-friendly, but the interior is small and tends to get crowded. They don't allow strollers on weekends, but the line moves quickly. You can customize your sandwich by choosing your bread, meat, cheese, and toppings, and you pay for each item separately. On this visit, I tried their daily special, which was an egg sandwich on a baguette with micro greens. It was exactly what I was craving for the day and tasted great. The only thing I wish they had is a designated area for stroller parking or the option for online orders that can be brought to your table or picked up from a shelf outside the exit door. This would make it more convenient for people with dogs and kids. Other than that, it's a fantastic place to people-watch, and the sandwiches are consistently delicious.

I used to love this shop but my sandwich and experience this week completely changed my view. Overpriced and the staff member behind the sandwich counter was incredibly rude. I ordered the baked ham and cheese and it was like an airport sandwich.

Super fun Market vibe with an old style sandwich counter. Simple sandwiches done remarkably well. Local draft beer added to the experience.

Lines can be long but their sandwiches are so good and taste fresh and even healthy for a sandwhich! You can tell they have quality ingredients!

At one time if you had asked to recommend a spot in Williamsburg it would have been here. The prices have always been higher than your average but the quality was always there and the price seemed fair. However, as of late the quality has not seemed the same. They switched from a great wheat bread recipe that held up well to the dressing to a whole grain that disintegrates like Wonder bread when in contact with the house dressing. The new recipe is not good. The dressing also doesn't hit the way it used to before they started out sourcing manufacturing and selling in the jars. For 5 sandwiches, 5 small bags of chips and 6 drinks it was $90 dollars. It seems prices have increased but quality and quantity has decreased.

Perfect spot for a grab n go sammie before walking historic Williamsburg! Shoutout to the graphics team. I loved their logo and had to hold back from buying a hat. I recommend the house sauce and the turkey sandwich. It's very market vibes

Glad we got to try this Williamsburg staple! The staff were friendly. The sandwiches were yummy. We have prosciutto and salami sandwiches. The bread is so soft! Loved it!

Cute little shop in merchant square w/outside seating(although it was very hot). Menu is simple and descriptive. I went with the prosciutto, provolone & marinated Tomatoes on a focaccia. Sooooo gooood! It came with/their famous house dressing which I bought a jar of.. They have everything u can think of Pnuts, crackers, jam, jellies, & cheeses .. a Def must try if ur around.

If you are in the Williamsburg area and like a good sandwich, you have to visit the Cheese Shop. The bread, cheese, and meat are super fresh and tasty. Currently, they only serve cold sandwiches (and no more salmon). We had to wait for 40 min at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon for our food (a bit too long). There was not too much seating inside the restaurant or on the patio so we sat on the bench and gobbled up our food. A big thumbs up from my 6-year old daughter.

Cheese shop is a staple. If you are within 30 miles Colonial Williamsburg and you are hungry, this is where you should go. Fresh bread, delicious deli meat, and house dressing. Quick service and outside seating should be expected. While it may be slightly out of the way this destination sandwich shoppe is well worth it.

I stopped in to pick up some house dressing for a party. The shop is cute, has lots of fun stuff, and the staff were friendly. I was in and out quickly. Prices were reasonable. I enjoyed the dressing on bread - yum!

Finally braved the line and ate a Sandy from here. Bullet point review for here from todays visit 12/30/22 * They are always very busy unless you come during the week when everyone is in work or school. When they are busy there is a line that forms on the side of the building, exit is out the front. I love that they only let in so many people some to order some to just shop. You could walk around. Problem is when people bring in all their family/friends to order sandwiches then all those people stand off to the side waiting, which causes a cluster. * It's hard to see all that there is to offer at the Cheese Shop with the crowd. * The sandwiches were pretty good. Not packed with cheese and meat, mild. Their sauce is amazing... it's a doctored up mayo. * staff seemed stressed at the order line. I understand that there is a lot of stress because of the amount of people and line. But, yeah. I'll leave it at that. * I feel like there could be a better ordering system. Maybe electronic via a website? That way customers can stay outside and lit shoppers shop. Then have a pick up window? * My son and friend ordered their special of the day and there was stuff missing or it was the wrong meat. Either way it was not what was advertised. We never went back to fix the problem because some of the staff was irritated and stressed so we just let it be. I will give it a go next time. But, something has to change. After reading all the other reviews I'm not alone.

Terrible. After living in Williamsburg for a year and everyone telling us to go to the Cheese Shop, what an absolute waste of time and money. The order line is ridiculously long, the selections are minimal, you can't toast your bread and it costs $11+ a sandwich. After standing in line for another 15 mins to pay, I was excited to open the package and enjoy the famous sandwich. I was badly disappointed. It was two pieces of Wonderbread, with two slices of paper-thin turkey, an equally paper-thin slice of cheese and a tiny swipe of house mayo. I would compare it to the prepackaged triangle deli sandwiches you buy at 7-11. I'm not sure if they've always severed such plain and minimalist over-priced sandwiches or this is a recent change in ownership, but Save your time and money go anywhere else.

The Cheese shop is a great college/tourist town place for students and tourists alike. Their sandwiches are some of the best I've ever had.

Say cheese! And charcuterie! Just about any cheese you can imagine, cured meats, relishes, olives, condiments, sweets/baked goods, pastas and sauces, and tons more line shelves and end caps of this "must go" cheese shop! The wine shop downstairs has an amazing selection of wines, Prosecco, spritzers, a frig with chilled wines. The service downstairs was impeccable. We ordered several rosés and moscatos to enjoy with the small charcuterie platter from the prepared food case. This petite cheese board was a pleasant snack which we enjoyed outside on the patio with our wine selections, but for the prices, we expected more food. Their cracker selection isn't great, although we ended up finding some rosemary cracker strips that were okay. We scored with precut slices of My Grandma's of New England coffee cake and some Italian amaretto cookies! This tourist center is super busy and crowded. Despite that, our check out process was smooth and we were given disposable glasses for our wines, along with utensils, etc. which made our respite enjoyable. Outside, a talented gentleman played the violin, but sadly a police office made him leave. Several patrons, including us, were disappointed. But enough "wining", check out this place for a Gouda time!!

I used to love coming here as a student I 2000-2005, and now that I'm diagnosed celiac I was thrilled to see I can still be accommodated with gluten free bread! The turkey with sprouts and provolone cheese is to die for. I used to get it on French bread and add house dressing. Now I just force my fiance to have the dressing and bread ends and I can live vicariously through him. Crossing my fingers that future iterations of house dressing can be made gluten free! For now it's awesome just to have the gluten free bread. Thanks cheese shop!

Great little deli/market/charcuterie spot in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg. My husband and I popped in here for lunch today and both had sandwiches (smoked Turkey with provolone & roast beef). Both were very good! The place was super busy and we only waited 10 minutes for the sandwiches. I do think they need more seating inside, especially on hot summer days. We were playing musical stools with other tables as customers got up and left, rearranged, etc. Would love to return here for a charcuterie board and some vino! Their market is also very cute. Staff was very friendly!

I love the simplicity of their turkey sandwiches and being able to customize it however I like! Also their house dressing is a great addition. The shop does get very busy so definitely come in expecting to wait. The outside seating area has a bunch of seating that fills up fast! Pro tip: Bigger groups plan for seats before food. Great quick and easy food option when exploring Colonial Williamsburg!

Sorry, Cheese Shop, it's all you, not me. I went through all the breakup stages of grief with this place: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, then acceptance. The hubs and I always make it a point to stop by this place, whether we are passing by it to our destination, or to go out of our way to order some sandwiches to-go when we are heading back home. It was kind of like a requirement to always go here, regardless if there was enough time, we were too full, or all of the above. But, the recent experience put such a bad taste in my mouth. When I got home, I realized that they had mistakenly input the wrong sandwiches and had overcharged us. Whether the difference was 5 cents or $50, or if it was an honest mistake (which, I doubt, since I had the receipt and the actual menu ticket, which the latter clearly was written in & marked with bold black ink of what type of sandwiches were ordered) or intentional, I think the Cheese Shop could have handled it better with care and grace when I shared the situation - instead, the manager completely dismissed and minimized the difference in cost that was to be refunded instead of offering an apology, a SINCERE one. Like, why is it that difficult? The individual really could have cared less. Good thing I did ask for a receipt this time around because I usually don't; I don' think most do, either. Who knows how many times a wrong item or cost has been inputted? I don't think many would notice a slight upcharge, either. Honestly, I'm still a little angry, but it is what it is. I know I'll get over it. +get a receipt and check for discrepancies! +poor customer service

I absolutely love The Cheese Shop! Whenever I'm in Williamsburg, I try to make an effort to stop by and get my favorite - a turkry sandwich on French bread with Swiss cheese and the infamous house dressing! You HAVE to take some house dressing with you. So yummy! I love to get my meal and sit outside at Merchant's Square. Makes for a wonderful day!

This used to be one of our favorite places to get lunch and pick up cheese. Although we often spent more than planned on cheese, it was well worth it due to how good it was! That was back when you could get a small taste of cheeses in order to know if you wished to purchase. Now you're allowed to look at the packaged cheese just as in a grocery store. The clerk I asked for a taste was abrupt and just said "we don't do that anymore." Well, how do I know if I want to purchase a pricey cheese that I've never tried before? Gone are the days of traveling to Williamsburg on a cheese trip, I'll just pick up what I know in a grocery store!

We stopped here to grab a sandwich while touring Colonial Williamsburg. The bread is made fresh, meats were fantastic, homemade dressing highly recommend! It was awesome!!!! Very busy place but worth the wait in line to grab a sandwich. Downstairs they have a wine cellar. We grabbed a bottle of Moscato and drink it on the patio. Really nice place and highly recommend!!

Efficient and intuitive is how I'd describe the service and layout. I got the special of the day: Pastrami and Swiss with whole grain mustard on French bread. It was smaller than expected and the whole grain mustard tasted strongly of horseradish. Even with that, it was a good sandwich.

The sandwiches are delicious and although the store is small, there are a lot of really cool things in it. The service is very good and they even have gluten free options and are safe for allergies. It can get a little packed during peak lunch hours, but it's still worth it. 10/10 recommend!

Overall a 3.5/4 for this shop. 5pts for the shop and service/servers - This is a nice little shop with different foods to buy, fresh made sandwiches, and a cheese selection that you can create a charcuterie plate or just buy. The help was very nice and moved the crowds in the small shop efficiently. Lots of food options, from sauces, pasta, different tinned fish/seafood, crackers, honey, ramen, chips, sweets... it had a lot of nice foodie options! 3.5 - While the shop was really nice, I wasn't as impressed with the sandwiches. Tried a combo (turkey and ham) with Swiss and house dressing and a special with buffalo chicken, pepper jack cheese with house dressing both sandwiches on french bread. The bread was thin and soft with crunchy exterior, just like French bread should be. The meat was thinly sliced and I felt there should have been more meat. Could not taste the cheese on either sandwich and when I opened it, there was only one thin slice. The buffalo chicken did not have a strong buffalo flavor. The house dressing was heavy and drowned both sandwiches and that was pretty much all you taste with the different textures of meat and bread. Because of the dressing, both sandwiches tasted almost the same. I should try them again without the dressing or asking for it on the side. The house dressing was yummy, just too much of it on the sandwiches. Prices are pretty decent - $9-$12 per sandwich and it's split into two parts. One half was filling so the two halves were a lot. Still would like more meat and definitely more cheese. I would recommend for dressing on the side.

The sandwiches are all amazing. This place is a staple for our vacations to Williamsburg. We had the special, country ham, turkey, provolone with house dressing. It's a little pricey but we'll worth it! The shop is awesome, they've got a great selection. We are taking some cheese home with us. The only reason they didn't get five stars was the service at the ordering desk. The person we ordered with was a little short with us because I asked a couple of questions. The wait was only 10 minutes, that gave us time to shop around.

The wait was 40 minutes for one sandwich I asked for a turkey and cheese and I waited for 40 minutes and I wasn't able to have lunch I waited 40 minutes and I had to leave because I was going to be late for work

Wonderful selection of cheese and nibbles. Great sandwiches! Usually crowded on weekends. Friendly staff.

I enjoyed my sandwich, although I did feel it was a bit pricey for just a sandwich with no sides. Instead of putting my slaw on the sandwich - I asked for it on the side - they said no - but I could go to the cooler to buy some. Isn't that crazy?? I asked for modifications, and they accommodated some, but only after meeting on it to decide. I would advise management to have a chat with the sandwich counter staff about this incident and be more flexible on orders. Also, I think the sandwich was done rapidly enough, but I read some other reviews here and do think a better arrangement can be had at the back counter to perhaps expedite things - like maybe a cash register there for only the lunch crowd and everyone else shopping goes to the other side. The standing in line twice can be an issue if you're paying for parking - which everyone has to do to be in this Merchant Square. Also, a "thank you" goes a long way too when you're spending a packet on groceries here - come on!

I ordered the Prosciutto, Provolone, & Marinated Tomatoes on Focaccia. Grabbed some Dill pickles chips. While you might have to wait a bit for your sandwich, it's so worth it! Everyone is nice and welcoming inside. The layout of the shop is cute with all the little food souvenirs. Highly highly recommend!!

I used to go to this restaurant every week. But that was almost 40 years ago when it was in another spot! Still the same great food. I guess I've gotten old because it is MUCH more expensive and seems smaller. But still the same great taste, still the same great house dressing, still the same crazy crowds. Come here for a Cheese Shop Sandwich if you want the true taste of Colonial Williamsburg!

I really wanted to love this place because it was so quaint and was filled with people at lunch time it must be good right? I had the prosciutto with provolone sandwich and roasted tomatoes on focaccia $8.25 with their Original House dressing. I'm not a saucy sandwich kind of person but I figured since they sell bottles of their sauce it has to be good? So the prosciutto was so dry that it was so salty and the texture of jerky, the provolone was just sort of there and the sauce was basically mayo with Dijon mustard. The sauce was spread fairly thick but the focaccia was stale and tasteless and didn't soak up any of it. I also got their peanut butter and jelly sandwich for $4 in case I got hungry later on the long drive home and it was an extremely small sandwich. I finished it in about 6 bites and the bread is soft but very thin and was pretty smashed in the wrapping. The place was extremely busy and they had 1 person taking made to order sandwich orders which did not make any sense to me and 1 cashier. Perhaps they are short staffed but I wouldn't mind the wait if the sandwiches were worth the wait and they definitely were not. Downstairs is a wine shop that was fairly expensive but convenient if you want to drink some wine and sit outside. They offered a deli area and specialty packaged goods like oils, chips, beer, pasta, sauces, etc. Staff was super friendly but I wouldn't come back at least for the sandwiches.

Long wait but good and fresh could've used more meat Great French bread Nice shop Self serve

Located right on D. O. G. Street in the heart of colonial Williamsburg. This is a little shop with a deli counter in the back. You pick your sandwich, cheese, bread, and condiments. Once you place your order at the counter, you can browse the many drink options, chip flavors, and sweets while waiting for your name to be called. You take your entire purchase to the front to pay. Not much inside seating available but lots of outside seating. Sandwich was fresh and delicious and the bread was yummy. Nice crispy crust on the outside but soft in the middle. Perfection!

Very good food and atmosphere. Excellent service which is always fast and friendly. Also a nice little wine shop downstairs.

All I can say is yum! Never had a bad sandwich from here. The bread is always fresh and everything is perfectly put together. The service is quick and efficient. There is not really any indoor seating so be prepared to either take it with you or sit outside. They have a nice covered patio on the side. They also have a decent selection of chips and fountain drinks as well as alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.

Delicious food and great prices. The people working there we're very nice and the food was done quick. Beautiful restaurant interior and exterior. I 100% recommend!

We stopped in while in town. It was extremely packed, they even had a bouncer for a cheese shop, haha! That's how we knew it was going to be good. There are many different unique food items for sale and local beers. We went in the back to the deli for lunch. Although it was so crowded, they were extremely quick making our sandwiches. It was absolutely delicious. The marinated tomatoes and house sauce were superior. Would definitely go back if ever in town again!