The Hard Shell
1411 E. Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-643-2333
We arrived at The Hard Shell restaurant on a Saturday at approximately 5:00 PM. We were immediately greeted by a friendly host and seated promptly. We were quite pleased visually with the cozy, warm and inviting space.
We started with a basket of bread which was served with a very tasty butter. Soon our salads were delivered. We really enjoyed them. They consisted of a very fresh and lively collection of mixed greens etc. What made them really awesome was the superb Wasabi Ginger dressing. It was so good I had to ask for another portion!
Rhonda had the barbecue ribs, mashed potatoes and asparagus. They said “everything tasted great!” I had the lobster, potatoes with skin, and we also added a side of fries. And we were really glad once we tasted them. They were seasoned very well and came with a very tasty dipping sauce which had a bit of a kick to it as well. I liked the lobster but really prefer to dip my lobster in drawn butter so I can control the amount etc. This lobster was infused with butter during the cooking process. It was a bit over powering for me. It was good but not the best I’ve had in Richmond. Over all we really enjoyed our meal. We topped it off with a chocolate brownie with strawberry sauce and ice cream. It was really good!
This is a very cozy spot. It’s perfect for romantic dinners and even entertaining special friends or relatives etc. Our bill was $97.62 and out we rate this restaurant 4 out of 5 stars. We also put this one on our favorites list for sure. Give it a try and let us know how you liked it.
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Qdoba Mexican Grill11500 Midlothian Turnpike
Richmond, VA 23235
We arrived at Qdoba on 6/14/09 at 1:35pm. The place was packed. In fact this is usually the case from several occasions in the past.
This establishment is semi buffet style. You walk up to the large wall mounted menu and tell the server your selection(s). The server then prepares your meal in front of you as you walk down the ingredient line. The ingredients are very fresh and appealing. There are many menu choices and combinations. And I’ve always found the staff to be very accommodating when asked to give extra portions and to customize our selections.
We each had a taco salad which consists of a large crisp bowl shaped shell, greens and many optional ingredient choices. Personally I love the chicken, rice, pinto beans, peppers, lime citrus sauce, sour cream, and mango tomato mix! I had chicken in mine while Rhonda chose steak. I especially like the way they prepare their chicken. It’s cooked the way I like it. It also has a very southwestern flavor. It’s really good. It makes me want to go there today for lunch! And I think I will!
You’ll have to check out the video below to see why Rhonda and I are split on this restaurant. I absolutely love it and recommend it very highly. She on the other hand isn’t a big fan.
The service is always great. The place is always clean and very busy. The food is great. The prices are very reasonable. We usually eat there for around$15. They offer a free frequent diner card which saves you money the more you go. I also appreciate the fact that it’s located in front of Chesterfield Town Center which makes it really convenient when running errands etc.
Our bill was $16.85 and we rate Qdoba 3 out of 5 stars. And if it were up to me the rating would have been higher!
Copper Grill Lobster & Steak House
11800 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23233
804-364-9408
We arrived at Copper Grill on 6/12/09 at 5:45pm. We were promptly greeted by the hostess and kindly asked to wait for a couple minutes to be seated. While waiting we admired the very large lobsters in the tank which sits just inside the entrance.
Upon being seated we were given a menu and warmly greeted by the wait staff. At Copper Grill you often have more then one person taking care of your needs. It’s a nice touch. Service was excellent and it’s been consistent every time we’ve been there. We started with the Jumbo Shrimp appetizer. It was verrrrrrry good. The shrimp are HUGE and the cocktail sauce ties it together in a remarkable way. We really love it!
Entrees included steamed lobster and fillet respectively. Ala Carte sides included creamed corn, fries, and asparagus. The lobster is really good at this establishment. The actually have a HUGE lobster option large enough to feed an entire family for around $300. Imagine that! The fillet was quite tasty. The sides were good but not as good as they usually are. Perhaps they’re breaking in a new chef or something.
This is a great romantic spot to take someone for a nice meal in a cozy spot. It’s quiet. The lights are slightly dimmed. And the booths offer semi privacy. It is a bit pricey. Our bill was $175.82. Out of 5 stars we rate Copper Grill & Steak House 3.5. It’s also on our favorites list.
The North Pole
1558 River Road West
Crozier, VA 23039
804-784-4222
We arrived at 5:00 pm on 8/1/09. We were immediately greeted by a very warm and friendly hostess and promptly seated. Our waitress appeared within a minute or so and cheerfully took our drink order. It seemed like only a moment or so had passed before our drinks were on the table. The menu selection was a bit on the small side. However, the choices would suit just about everyone. Beef, chicken, fish, seafood etc.
We started with the Jumbo Shrimp appetizer. Again, it seemed like no time had passed before it was on the table. We were very pleased with the fast service. We loved this appetizer. The shrimp were large and they were very fresh. They were extremely tasty when combined with the homemade cocktail sauce. It sure packed a bite that was very tasty if you enjoy spicy stuff!
Next our salads arrived, They were pretty basic as this establishment doesn’t offer tomatoes on their salads. We thought it was weird in today’s times but we rolled with it. The salads were simply greens, carrots, and red onion. The thing that really jumped out at us about the salads were the homemade dressings. We had blue cheese and Parmesan peppercorn. Both were absolutely fantastic, and then some! They had a sharp bold flavor you just have to taste to really appreciate.
They didn’t have bottled water so I settled for cranberry juice. They served it in a very small glass. So I had to have several to accompany my meal. I would have liked a larger glass. In fairness I didn’t request one. However, if I had (since they charge for each small glass) I’m sure it would have evened out to be the same in the end.
Our entree selections were Surf N Turf (Lobster & Fillet) with baked potato. And Lobster with baked potato and onion rings. While I prefer steamed lobster for its texture, I have to admit the broiled lobster was quite tasty. It was cooked just right and wasn’t chewy or tough. Rhonda really liked the fillet and ate it without any sauce which is rare. It was a clear sign of how tasty she found her steak. The baked potatoes were large and lots of extra butter and sour cream was given. We especially liked the onion rings as well.
The North Pole is a very small, cozy, romantic spot tucked away in a rural section of Crozier, VA. It’s worth the ride to get to it. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting. It’s decorated well and the restaurant looks and smells fresh and clean. The staff was very accommodating and made us feel very welcomed and appreciated. We certainly will add this restaurant to our favorites list.
Our bill was $138.60 which was obviously a bit pricey. The food was really good. We enjoyed this establishment and rate it 3.75 out of 5 stars. We highly recommend it for special occasions.
Jiang’s Chinese Restaurant
1213 Carmia Way
Richmond, VA 23235
804-379-6607
We arrived at 8:03pm on 5/15/09. We were immediately greeted and promptly seated. The host was very friendly and accommodating. Within a minute or less our waitress was taking our drink order. And within a couple minutes our drinks were on the table.
The menu is very diverse offering many chicken, beef, and seafood choices. The selection is rather large and the combinations are exciting and very appealing. We ordered the Sha Cha Beef and the Hunan Shrimp. I asked the waitress to modify the included vegetables that come in the Hunan Shrimp stir-fry. She was very eager to accommodate my wishes. We also ordered the Crab Meat Dumplings, Spring Roll, and Egg Roll appetizers.
Everything had a very good taste. The veggies were cooked just right. They weren’t over cooked as they often are most places. They had the perfect balance between crunch and texture. The appetizers were great and over all everything had a really good pleasing taste.
Our bill was $39.59 which was fair considering the portion sizes and three appetizers. We really enjoyed this establishment and rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. We highly recommend it.
Liberty Valance
7017 Forest Hill Ave.
Richmond, VA 23225
804-320-4276
On 4/19/09 at 12:44pm we entered the restaurant for an afternoon meal. Immediately we saw the very strong western theme and very clear John Wayne influence. Someone really loves the guy! As we stepped through the saloon door we were seated in a booth located roughly ten feet from the bar. There were four people smoking and the relevance here is we asked to sit in a non smoking section. Lingering smoke is lingering smoke and it’s tough to enjoy a meal when you feel like you’re sitting in an ash tray.
Our waitress was very nice and seemed very knowledgeable about the menu. We started with tea, lemonade, onion rings and mozzarella sticks. The drinks are served in pint jars in keeping with the western theme. The lemonade was quite tasty. A bit heavy on the sugar but still very tasty. The mozzarella sticks tasted on par with other places we have had them. The onion rings however were a step above average. Next we had a salad. We were disappointed to learn the only greens we could get were iceberg. It’s 2009 and we think restaurants should realize people prefer salads with spring mix, romaine etc. It’s sort of like going in to a sandwich shop and discovering they only serve them on plain white bread. Our waitress highly recommended the homemade ranch and blue cheese dressings. We each tried one and found them to be very tasty. Too bad all we had to try them on was boring, bland iceberg lettuce. The salads would have been 100 times better otherwise.
Our entrees included Blackened Chicken and Hamburger Steak. This is where things get ugly unfortunately. Both meals were extremely bland and void of taste. I took two bites of the chicken and didn’t taste any seasoning or blackened spice whatsoever. They did serve me a large chicken breast. It simply didn’t taste as if it had any seasoning on it. The Hamburger Steak and mashed potatoes was covered in so much brown gravy it was running off the plate rim. This would have been great had the gravy has a good taste. However we just didn’t enjoy the entrees.
The atmosphere of this place is old western bar type feel. You can tell it’s been around for many years. The locals come in, sit at the bar, smoke, drink, and food is also served. We got the impression this is really more of a bar that serves food rather than a restaurant that also has a bar. It’s nice to look at the western decoration and to reminisce of times past. However, the food on this day for us was not appealing. We saw employees smoking and walking in and out of the kitchen.
While it is never our intention to give a bad review, on this occasion we feel we are being kind with a 1.5 rating out of five stars. Our meal was $40.39 and we don’t feel the meal was worth even close to half the cost. Perhaps on another day they will offer a more pleasurable dining experience. They won’t ever get the chance to offer it to us.
Taella’s Bistro
13561 Midlothian Turnpike
Midlothian, VA 23113
804-378-4680
On March 21, 2009 we entered Taella’s Bistro at 9:00pm. We were immediately greeted with a warm friendly smile, seated, and given a menu. Our drink order was taken and drinks were on our table in what seemed like less than a minute. Our waitress was really on point. Service with a smile and attentiveness go a very long way with us. We do appreciate great service!
We opened up with very nicely presented salads which were a mix of field greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, onion etc. The homemade dressing just took our palates to another level of excitement. The dressing is so goooooood! Our entrees included a Smoked Barbecue Turkey sandwich which consists of pulled turkey marinated in the chefs secret recipe BBQ sauce with homemade slaw on a bun with a side of fries and asparagus. I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome this thing is. It’s truly a thing of culinary beauty. It tastes better than any sandwich I have ever had anywhere to date. And then some! It was really awesome. We also had the Peach Chipotle BBG Pork Chop served with mash potatoes and asparagus. To say this dish is tasty simply doesn’t do it appropriate justice. It’s that good!
The atmosphere of Taella’s Bistro is warm, cozy, friendly, and intimate. It’s the perfect place for a quiet lunch or romantic dinner. Because the chef has many culinary influences, the menu is diverse with lots of items you may not expect from a small restaurant located in a shopping center. This is one of those tucked away special places to eat you will remember. The slogan says it best… “Great food from our family to yours.”
Our bill was $39.05 and well worth it. We very highly recommend this restaurant and enthusiastically rate it 4.25 out of 5 stars. We’ve eaten here several times and have never been disappointed. The food is consistent and so is the service. This is one to tell your family and friends about. They will thank you.
Brickhouse Diner
13520 Midlothian Turnpike
Midlothian, VA 23113
804-794-8798
On April 3, 2009 we entered Brickhouse Diner at 8:39am. We were kindly greeted, seated, and given a menu.
A short time later our order was taken. It was really interesting because we were told we can’t order a country ham biscuit. They sell country ham and they also sell biscuits. I guess they draw the line at selling country ham biscuits! This was sort of weird we thought but we rolled with it simply looking for a good breakfast. We ordered some country ham. We also ordered a biscuit to go with it. We weren’t in the cooking mood and wanted something simple and easy. Hey they are located near by so we thought what the heck let’s give them a try. We have been there a few times before and to go again based on previous experience was being kind.
In addition to the country ham and the biscuit, we ordered eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast. The food was delivered very quickly. The ham was pink and in our view could have been cooked a bit more. We’ve noticed this to be how they consistently deliver it. Our preference is to have our country ham cooked until the pinkness is gone.
The tea was sour and the waitress acted like she was on roller skates when taking our order and interacting with us the two times we asked for anything. We felt as if we were being rushed which was weird since there was only two other tables of people in the whole establishment. It’s been much busier on previous occasions and yet they still have seemed as if they were in a hurry to move us in and back out. The food was okay. It wasn’t bad but it certainly wasn’t spectacular. It is what it is.
Our meal was $17.28 and it’s tough to argue with the price. We rate this restaurant 2 out of 5 stars.
The Tobacco Company
1201 East Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-782-9555
We arrived at The Tobacco Company restaurant on April 13, 2009 at 2:23pm. We entered to find a hostess that simply stared at us instead of greeting us and asking how many were in our party. It’s pretty clear when a couple walks in to a restaurant during operating hours they are most likely there to eat a meal. This was a turn off and a very poor representation of the overall establishment. Perhaps she was having a bad day.
We were seated upstairs at a nice table overlooking the many plants and tables that combined to make for a really nice eye pleasing mixture of decor and functionality. Our waiter promptly took our drink and food order and brought us a surprise basket of great tasting cinnamon buns! They were really sticky but also really good. They brought these after we had ordered so had we known this would be the case we would not have ordered the French Toast which was even more tasty! For our main course we had the Southern Breakfast Platter which consisted of city ham, three scrambled eggs, grits, and potatoes. Our second plate was an omelet, potatoes, fruit, and grits. The waiter nor the kitchen seemed to know the difference between city ham and country ham. However we did and although the ham was okay, it wasn’t in the same league of good country ham. The eggs were tasty. The grits and the potatoes each had an acquired taste to them.
Overall the meal was very nice. It was tasty. The biscuits did taste like they were from a mix and a bit on the bland side. The service was prompt and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. It was the perfect setting for a nice meal with great conversation and relaxed feelings. We really liked the way this place was laid out and presented. It was warm, friendly, and inviting. We also noticed that aside from the downstairs bar, they also have an upstairs one as well. Back downstairs there are several semi private booths and tables tucked away to allow families and groups to dine with more privacy.
The brunch menu was small however included something for everyone. The selections were diverse and appealing. Our meal was $40.79 which we felt was fair for the food and the experience. We rate Tobacco Company 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it very favorably.
The Boathouse at Sunday Park
4602 Millridge Parkway
Midlothian, VA 23112
804-744-2545
We arrived at the Boathouse restaurant on 3/15/09 at 1:35pm. We were greeted by a friendly host who escorted us upstairs to a great table overlooking the lake. There was a small mini bar and a wall mounted flat screen TV just above it. We were then greeted by our waiter who delivered menus and took our drink order.
After we received our drinks we placed our order for Brunch. We had a tough time deciding on what to order due to a great selection on both the brunch and regular menu. The brunch menu includes Omelette’s, French Toast, Strata, Waffles, Eggs Benedict, Pizza, and Sausage Gravy & Biscuits. The regular menu is diverse. Appetizers include Lobster Bisque, Oysters, Chicken & Avocado Egg Rolls, Ahi Tuna and more! The Hot & Cold section includes Maki Sushi Rolls, Salmon, a Seafood Tower plus other items. Tree salads are also available. The menu is mostly seafood with items such as Oysters, Mussels, Shrimp, Tilapia, Crab Cake, Tuna, Lobster, Scallops, Flounder, Mahi Mahi, and Swordfish. Selections also include 11 Pizza choices, Roasted Vegetables, Mashed Potatoes, Calzones, Italian Sausage, Creamed Spinach, Parmigiano Asparagus, and more. Steaks include Sirloin, Fillet, and Strip. And they also offer Grilled Chicken Asiago. Four great sounding deserts round out the menu.
We had a salad for openers. The salad was fresh and looked great. It was tasty. Next we had the Maki Rolls which were awesome. They are sushi rolls with rice, nori, cucumber, scallion, red pepper, ginger, and wasabi with a sweet soy dipping sauce. We opted for the Crunchy Shrimp rolls which also included avocado, macadamia, cilantro, and jalapeno! These were so goooooood! Our entrees included Crab & Asparagus Benedict which consists of buttermilk biscuits topped with poached eggs layered with Hollandaise sauce and fresh crab meat and potatoes on the side. This was a really good dish. The interesting twist of the biscuit versus the traditional English muffin commonly found in a dish of this type worked very well. I have to say the Hollandaise sauce did taste like a quick sauce mix. It was good but not as good as the Hollandaise sauce from Magnolia’s Wine Bar & Bistro. Our other entree was Sausage Gravy & Biscuits which was served with two scrambled eggs and a side of potatoes.
The atmosphere of this place is really great. The first thing you notice when approaching is the great lake views. In nice weather you can sit out on the patio and enjoy the water, the sun, and the great view. It’s really a neat way to dine. Inside is packed with lots of cozy spots to sit as well. We sat upstairs which had a great view of the lake. We enjoyed out meal to a live singer walking around with a guitar downstairs entertaining the crowd. There were plenty of people on hand but despite the numbers the overall loudness was minimal. They do have a full bar downstairs as well. The place was very clean and well maintained. The staff was very attentive and friendly.
This is one of those pleasant Richmond discoveries to take a first date. Married couples will love the cozy romantic lure. Our impression was this is a place we would love to take our out of town family and friends. This one is certainly going on our favorites list. And we think it will be on yours soon as well. Our bill was $46.34. We rate it four out of five stars.
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