I went with my girlfriend to check this place out, as the reviews were great and it was within walking distance. The short story? I'm not going back. The long story? We were comfortable with the fact that the place only had one table to eat at (whatever, it's tiny!), but the food was lackluster. Never before have I seen a pizza cut into a cheesy-bread pattern. ALL of their pizza's are 12" as stated, but they just didn't taste good. Personally I think we overpaid for the salad as well (too much pepper). One positive; the rolls. THAT was good stuff. As far as pizza goes, avoid. I can't say anything about the sandwiches because I haven't tried one yet. read more

Got the sausage and onion pizza from here. Awesome thinner but not quite thin crust pizza. Delicious spiciness too it too. I'm excited to try the pastas next time I stop by read more

Mixed review. My fiancé had a calzone with sausage and onions and it was delicious. He ordered me an arugula salad which was literally just a big handful of arugula and a few small slices of mozzarella cheese - way overpriced at $7. Even at Elwood Thompson's you could stretch that seven bucks and fill your salad with veggies, chicken and toppings. Skip the soups and antipastos and go for the entrees and pizza. read more

Best pizza in Richmond. EVERYTHING is fresh and made from scratch. I have lived down the street for 4 years and have to hold myself back from ordering from here too much. I haven't tried everything on the menu but I have never been disappointed in something new that I tried. Anyone who says the staff is rude is wrong. I'm in there all the time. They are awesome. I have also see them deal with the rudest customers and stayed level-headed. There are a lot of rude Fox parents in the neighborhood that think they can talk to service industry people however they want. Another common complaint on here seems to be that they stop selling before their 10:00 PM closing time. That is because by that time of day they usually run out of their fresh ingredients of the day so just order early if you want the best pizza in Richmond!!!!! read more

This is a great quirky carry out spot in the FAN. The pizzas, potato leek soup and baked cabbage are my favorites. Due to its popularity there can sometimes be a 45 + minute wait for carryout so call ahead and if there is no wait you'll just get to eat your great food earlier than expected. read more

Amazing, I would be heart broken without 81/2, Mama Zu's and Edo Squids! I recently moved from the fan to the south side, and i'm always driving back for the great food at these places. I'm hoping they open one on the south side. Please! read more

8 1/2 is awesome! Most things from here are really good, but I love the prosciutto sandwich, the egg and sausage pizza and the eggplant pasta. This broccoletti is also excellent. I love getting take out from here and eating it in the park. read more

8 1/2 has my favorite pizza in Richmond. The crust is thin and the sauce is flavorful. The pizza is cheesy without having too much cheese. The only issue I have with 8 1/2 is that the pizzas are too small for the price that they charge. They are only slightly larger than a personal pizza. read more

8 1/2 - Pizza Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Pizza is great! If you like a garlic flavor on your pizza I would highly recommend it. Thin crust, not too heavy. I wish the pizza was bigger though cause I can demolish it and want more because its so good. The cannoli is also good, but a bit heavy for me. My friends love them. read more

I really wanted to like this place. But the pizza is so heavy with grease that it pours in little rivers from each slice and completely soaks the carton. I felt sick after eating a slice. Not only that, but they are flatly rude and unpleasant people. read more

Ordered a "12 inch" pizza and its was so small I measured it...9 1/2 inches. Ummm......false menu advertisement? The arugula salad...a small handful of arugula. Oh yeah, they shaved a few pieces of cheese on it and were gracious enough to give you a 2 Tbsp helping of olive oil for dressing.....salad would not satiate a rabbit. Total damage...$20 ($7 of it the salad). The guy who was pulling the pizzas out of the oven had his crack showing the whole time. C'mon Richmond....really? I would never dream of serving this in my restaurant because I respect my customers too much. I am embarrased for them. Out of culinary industry respect I will not list my restaurant or real name, but am disgusted enough to write a review. read more

Soooo good! I had a red pizza ($8 one size 12") with mushroom($1) and green peppers($1). I don't like mushrooms but I had to try theirs because everyone raved about them. They were awesome. I sensed a bit of wine used in the veggie marinade or the red sauce, which was garlicky and delicious. I got the potato leek soup($4.50) which I was ready to drink out of the container but it was too hot. I also ordered tiramisu($6). It was good, but I'm honestly not a tiramisu fan. Portions are fair but you probably won't have enough for leftovers(because you will eat it all in one sitting like I did). The one thing I didn't like was the way they prepared the green peppers. They were roasted and sauteed or something, didn't have a whole lot of flavor, and were soggy. I'm slightly irritated that they're always out of take out menus, but the menu is pretty straightforward. Soups are about $4, red pizza $8, white pizza $9, toppings $1-$2, and pastas are around $10. read more

8 1/2 is an establishment. They're just great at what they do, period. Everything is good almost always. I love this place, and when I'm craving a sandwich I'm calling them. The pizzas are uber flavorful, and you can never go wrong with the veg lasagna. The one single bad thing I've ever had was a stale, dry, chewy sfogliatelle. Other then that the food has been nothing less than delicious. Real Italian done right. read more

Pizza was decent, staff was awful. We ordered a pizza and salad for carry-out around 8:30pm on a night they closed at 10pm. Judging by the staff's reaction when we walked in, you would have thought we were trying to order 5 minutes before close. Before ordering we were told it would be a 45-minute wait, and it was. There were no other patrons. Left a good tip hoping it would help expedite our order. It did not help. It was almost comical how disinterested the staff was. If there was a "how hip are you?/couldn't care less Matrix" - 8 1/2 would be the benchmark. read more

I tried something different at 8 1/2 tonight. I ordered a red pizza with sausage and green pepper, really good! Thin and crispy crust with fresh toppings! I also ordered a meatball sub, they call it a hero. The best meatballs in Richmond!! You can tell by the smell of the food when you walk through the door that you came to the right place!!! read more

I live Southside but I MUST drive over the bridge periodically to get a pizza and pasta here. It's so good. I get the one with the egg on it usually, but they are all FABULOUS. When someone said it was a spiritual experience I think that's a bit bunch but realy good. It's that thin cracker crust pizza that as a general rule I don't usually like. But, there it is so good I do like it. There is a past dish whit white sauce and chicken we order and it has shrooms but I don't remember what it's called. I pick some of that up when I go over and get pizza and then eat the pasta the next night. It's really good; better the next night I think. This place is next door to Strawberry Street Cafe and parking is a PAIN, but go there. Also, they sell these cookies in a box that I LOVE and have never seen them anywhere else. They are Amaretto Macaroons. I suggest you pick up some of those for a little sweet after dinner. So good. read more

Despite 8 1/2 being delicious, the hassle of actually getting the food is no longer worth it. The last three times I've ordered, I've had at least a 45 minute wait time, which wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't then end up waiting an additional 10-20 minutes inside the store to actually get my food. Most recently, I ordered pizza, waited my requisite 40 minutes and headed to get our dinner, only to find out the credit card machine was broken. Naturally, this was the one time our food was ready when we arrived, so by the time I got cash and got dinner home, it was cold. read more

If were talking pizza in Richmond, we're talking about 8 1/2. It really is as good as it gets for several reasons. The most memorable part of the pizza is the crust. I can still taste it when I think about it, which is both good and bad. Its buttery, crispy, flaky, and everything you want from a delicious piece of baked dough. The sauce is exceptionally flavorful for a pizza, its not just a part of the overall product but a noticeable individual ingredient. The cheese is delicious and the blanket that keeps everything warm in this bed of culinary perfection. I'm willing to bet every topping is amazing, but the combo I went with was mushrooms and sausage which turned out to be perfect. The sausage is spicy and just the way I like it. I finished off my meal with a cannoli and man was that the right decision. They fill them fresh when you order, and I'd say that their probably the best in Richmond. The shells are crunchy, the filling soft and sweet, and overall they're balanced just right. As everyone has mentioned before this place is pretty much a take-out spot only but nothing about that takes away from the quality. Do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. read more

Sure, the wait can be long but that is only a testament to how awesome the food is. Red pizza is out of this world, sauce has a nice sweet and hot combination so good you don't even need the cheese and toppings. Pasta and subs are great too, particularly penne with sausage and brocoletti. Bottom line = great food, employees aren't rude just busy making sure your food is awesome. read more

Fantastic local take-out place. I recommend the Calzone and the Penne pasta with sausage, ricotta, and broccoletti. Authentic, quality food.

The food is fantastic, but beware the wait times they say on the phone are pure fiction. It won't be ready when they say, and you'll end up waiting... and waiting. I got there and paid before my order had even been started. They said nothing about it while I sat for 40 more minutes! Long story short.. call as early as possible. read more

The aromas that greet you at the door of this little Italian take out restaurant are amazing. I tend to rely on the saying that if a place is busy its usually good, this held true for 8 1/2. The counter looks like your usual deli; meats and cheese, but the menu has soups, pastas and pizzas. I tried the red pizza and I have to say the crust was my favorite part, both crispy and chewy at the same time. The pizza was very different from your average cheese pizza. Very flavorful (not sure what type of cheese they used) and extremely garlicky. It also looked like the sauce was on top of the cheese. All in all it was good and I will be back to try something else there. I'm also going to have to disagree with the review that said that at $8 the pizza was overpriced. It is not your average pizza, for the quality it is well priced. Plus, if you'd spend $8 on a sandwich why wouldn't you spend the same on a pizza? read more

So far the best pizza I have had in Richmond. Just tried another place (a local's favorite) & it was generic & a bit disappointing. I lived in nyc for 15 years & 8 1/2 is pretty damn close. I want to be open minded but I will have a hard time trying other places when I know 8 1/2 is so good. read more

Don't walk up to the counter when you are on your phone - they will throw pots and pans on the floor and slide your credit card off the counter so you have the pick it up... I was on hold, not speaking. The food is not good enough to put up with that type of violent, childish behavior. read more

The food was amazing, but the staff wasn't very inviting. I mentioned the great reviews this place had to the people behind the counter and they didn't acknowledge me talking to them at all. I think this place could benefit from adding more tables inside and possibly outside. I will definitely order there again but will keep in mind that the customer service is not excellent, that is why I rated this place a 4 instead of 5. read more

Get it together 8 1/2- we could have gone to Italy and back in the time it took you to fill our order. And it was bland. And the surly staff attitudes don't help. read more

This is the worst calzone that I've ever had. How can you charge $9 for calzone that has no prosciuto as advertised. There was no ham and only a mouthful of ricotta. I am a former restaurant employee and I've never seen workers as stoned as I did today. It took the woman 10 minutes to figure out the register for the customer in front of me. I know that this place was good a few years ago and I hope the owners see this and make some changes. read more

This place gets BUSY, so if you're planning on walking in and doing the takeout thing on a Saturday night, I'd recommend phoning in (as other Yelpers have noted). I've ended up waiting 30 minutes for two pizzas and a calzone, and it becomes incredibly hard to stay patient when you're enveloped by the mouthwatering aromas when you're already hungry. The pancetta calzone I had was particularly great, and really messy--stuffed overfull of dripping, oozing cheese. Unless you're a cheese-hater (you heathen!) you should give it a try. The mozzarella/arugula sub (I think that's what it was) I had on a separate occasion was equally satisfying. The boy enjoyed his pizza, and everyone was happy. read more

I was disappointed. I was taking a colleague here and we walked in only to realized they have one table for 2 for inside dining. Will return when I can do take out. My star rating is because I cannot leave no rating and anything less would be unfair. read more

Great food but the service continues to be terrible. It's a shame that I shy away from going back here solely because the people that work here are rude. I understand they are busy but they could be nicer on the phone and when you go to pick up your order. When you call Sidewalk Cafe your pick up order takes 15 minutes. Doesn't matter how much your order, what day or what time. However 8 1/2 is always at least 30 min and more recently 45min - 1 hr. Your food is great don't get me wrong but it's not good enough for a take out order to take an hour. As I read through the reviews it seems there are a lot of people with my similar opinion. Maybe management will take a look at the staff and make some changes in regards to customer service. Then I'll gladly be a return customer. read more

We got takeout and it reminded me why I cook so much. We ordered two pasta dishes. And they were both almost entirely.... pasta. Mine was supposed to be an eggplant pasta. But it did not have even a full slice of eggplant, literally. They did not impress. And they will not get our business again. read more

I have been a fan of this restaurant for years , but tonight I picked up a white pizza with anchovies and was very displeased. It was about 2/3 the size of pizzas I have ordered in the past and had very few anchovies on it. The taste and toughness of the pizza was also not good. Hopefully this was due to new staff as I will try again due to their past excellent performance. If it continues; however, with this and other menu items, I am afraid I will have lost one of the gems in the fan restaurant array of great restaurants read more

The sandwiches here are amazing. I used to get take out from here at least once a week. Friendly staff. Never disappoints! The roast pork is delicious. read more

Pizza is incredible. Would have given it 5 stars but the pasta wasnt that great and the soup was bland.

The vegetable lasagna was the best thing I've ever tasted and I'm not kidding.

Love this place- Great pizza- I have only tried pizza as it is so good I havn't ordered anything else. Mostly take out as there are only a few seats. This is a must if you love pizza read more

Everything about 8 1/2 is wonderful--the food, the location, the vibe. I think the pizza is the best in Richmond. My girlfriend loves the lentil soup. I had a friend who lived in Richmond for four years and he swore by their sandwiches. Service is usually quick, although on weekends and busy nights they can tend to underestimate your wait time. Just be patient and hang out. It's worth it. Wonderful take out in the Fan. read more

Delicious pizza and lasagna. The bread was hard and stale, which is why I'm not giving 5 stars, but who cares about bread when the lasagna is great. It's a small place with a hipster and whole in wall vibe. I highly recommend. read more

amazing, authentic Italian/european style pizzas and sandwiches made with imported and/or made from scratch in-house ingredients and served up by sweet art punks. pizza was crispy, chewy, cheesy, fresh, and delicious. a wonderful little gem in the heart of richmond. they have a couple of tables inside but definitely more of a take-out spot/mini Italian market !! everything is made to order and with artistry/care- so it will take a little longer than some basic garbage like dominoes but it's totally worth the wait. also, plenty of vegan options !!! such an awesome little place. read more

Hands down the best pizza I've had in Richmond/ever. Cheese with arugula every time. Perfection. Sensational.