Really cool dive bar - we were made aware of this place by our waitress at celladoras, we were asking for where industry people hang out. Located still within the fan district, again because of the Richmond laws every bar has to sell food so there's a lot of tables. It's quite small inside, but we managed to get three seats at the bar. The prices here are really insane. It was three dollars for Miller high life's! The bartenders were really attractive and we had a really good time sitting and drinking at the bar. I will say it is very tight in there so don't expect to be able to move around a lot. My favorite quote from the bartender was after we asked if they had any specials he said none, then I saw him making a martini so then I asked him that's not a special? To his response being: a martini standard, not a special. I would for sure go back read more

Bamboo Cafe - Outside - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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A very very old staple in RVA! Used to live on Mulberry and Main back in 2010 and would frequent this place throughout my years at VCU/living in The Fan. Strong pours, great service, laidback and storied. Used to have the latest last call as well back in the day. Recently popped in while in town and it felt like going back in time, in a good way. Never change! read more

Bamboo Cafe - Bar seat! - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Very cool dive bar! It's hard to find a bar in the Fan that isn't an unofficial college bar, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a calmer, older crowd in here on a Saturday night. The drinks were good, the prices were great, and the service was quick even though it was busy. I'm excited to come back another night. read more

Bamboo Cafe - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I was really disappointed as a server myself :( the server loudly laughed at me (???) Oh, NO I don't need to see your ID for a drink when I went to show her (I'm 32) and then said "uhhh yes" I need to see yours to my partner..I don't care about looking older but it was the way that she said it was bizarrely rude.. I asked if the bread was vegan on the beyond burger and she said "probably not" took everyone's menus except mine and walked away..I wanted to order fries or something to have something to eat- but she never asked or came by so I could order my food, until my friends were getting theirs. We were also never asked if we wanted a second round? It was slightly busy so I understand, but it was still odd to not get asked once, especially since I had no food almost the whole time... read more

Came here with two friends while visiting Richmond and we had a great time! Drinks were good and affordable, bartenders were fun to talk to and quick with making drinks (and tbh, hot!) The space itself was a little small, but it lends itself to a cool vibe! I would definitely return! read more

Had to come to Richmond for a VA appointment. I asked a local postman where is a good place to eat and sit down and he recommended Bamboo Cafe. Walked in and not much seating but it is pretty cool. My wife and I sat down and the staff was friendly. Love the look of the bar as well. Anyhoo, she ordered the cheesesteak and I ordered the special caprese sub. Both were out of this world. We swapped half sandwiches and we each tried both. Crazy good. Highly recommended this place. Anything I would change? Make it bigger!!! lol read more

If I lived in Richmond this would be my usualy go to bar. The staff was excellent, made a bunch of pleasant conversation with locals and took in the local culture. This is everything a local bar should be. Bamboo won my heart. Best bar that I went to in the Virginia. I hope to one day come back. read more

Best dive bar in richmond and the food is amazing..the steak and cheese is my favorite! read more

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I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to come here but I'm glad I finally did! Small dive bar with cold drink, delicious food & kind staff. We only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table on a busy Friday night. The roast beef French dip was delicious (and loaded with meat). Great ranch. Crispy calamari. Loved this place and will def be back. read more

Chicken Béarnaise was so good I almost kissed the guy next to me at the bar. And that's all I've gotta say about that. read more

Bamboo Cafe - Yes. - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Hey fellow Yelpers, Happy New Year and looking forward to another year of great food and fellowship with you all! First up @bamboocaferva bamboocaferva So now I know why they are always packed and for sometime now that's why we never got a chance to go but a couple weeks ago we saw our opportunity and so glad we went! There was a booth available and even with the growing crowd our waitress was top tier, she took time to give us her recommendations, paced our visit to ensure our food was piping hot! Cute little corner neighborhood style restaurant which is definitely a staple in the Fan. With that being said Mimi was on #carriebradshaw and ordered a Cosmopolitan (4/5), "big girl drink" that packed a punch, the vodka was definitely at the party, and to eat she ordered the special :Sea Bass with Fresno chili chimichurri over oven roasted potatoes (5/5) fish prepared and seasoned perfectly where the chimichurri was a perfect accompaniment and the potatoes were well seasoned and crisp. It came with your choice of starter and she chose the vegetable soup (2/5) it lacked salt but the veggies were tender. After some suggestions from our lovely waitress I opted for the steak and cheese (4/5) well seasoned and tender steak on an amazingly soft roll, good size overall a good sando and upgraded to the onion rings which are all the rave in the foodie groups and as an onion ring connoisseur I will definitely agree (5/5) perfectly seasoned and fried and the onion was not stringy and it remained in its batter after biting into them, I need more, . Righteous If you haven't gone yet: go! I will be back to try brunch. #foodielife #onionrings #seabass #steakandcheese #cheesesteak #chimichurri #rvafoodscene #latenight #dinnertime read more

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My husband and I have been going here for thirty years. Now that we live in the fan it's a regular spot. We get the same thing every time - steak and cheese and house subs. So good! However, the last THREE times we were there it took over an hour to get served sandwiches. The first and second times I wrote off to kitchen help didn't show. After last night seems like something has changed. So sad. We love this place. read more

Bamboo Cafe is so perfectly Richmond. It has great food, great people, and a great atmosphere. ***LOCATION*** Located on Mulberry st and Main st. There is street parking out front and bike locks not too far. ***EXPERIENCE*** Every experience at Bamboo Cafe is a good one. As a friend of mine has said, it feels like a place people in the restaurant industry go to hang out (it has great vibes). It's cozy and retro. The food is really good here too. I highly recommend ordering the fries or the vegetarian mac and cheese. I'm picky with my mac and cheese and I like the way they do it here. It's a great spot for a Sunday night reset. Bring some friends, grab some drinks, and play some card games to set yourself up for a great week ahead. ***PRICE*** Things are $4-16 here, it's very cheap (and still tasty!) ***CONCLUSION*** This is a Richmond staple. Whether you're visiting, or trying to find more great places as a local, you won't want to miss this. read more

Walked in to this dive bar with a New York City vibe. Surprisingly has extremely tasty food. Very competitive for taste given that many restaurant workers frequent. The sweet potato fries are the best I've ever had read more

Bamboo Cafe - Quesadillas - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Not only is Bamboo Cafe a great bar, the food is outstanding! It's my favorite place to get a steak in Richmond. read more

Bamboo Cafe - Filet special - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The Bamboo Cafe has been a part of the Richmond scene for 50 years, and it still provides excellent food and service. The place was packed on a Tuesday evening and we soon found out why. We had a highly enjoyable evening. The mac and cheese was amazing, and the sweet potato fries were outstanding. Brian provided attentive and thoughtful service. We can't wait to go back! read more

The rudest bartenders I have ever met. So not dog friendly or human friendly. Would not recommend.

Absolutely fabulous Salad and Bloody Mary!!!! Mariam was absolutely wonderful!!! The atmosphere was as always uniquely RVA, The Fan read more

Bamboo Cafe - House Salad - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

My partner and I are regulars here. Living in the neighborhood, we often drop in for late-night bites, a drink, or a mellow date night. While it can get a bit busy at times, the wait is usually short, and we can almost always find a table. I have a hold a lot of reverence for the eclectic mix of people who make this their go-to spot. It's got that "dive" bar feel, but the menu is surprisingly upscale and well-thought-out, with prices that are really hard to beat. The well drinks and beers are always a good choice, with generous pours that keep us coming back night after night. It may not be as posh as The Jasper or other cocktail bars, but I'd argue it offers an even better experience, thanks to its laid-back, local atmosphere that's hard to find elsewhere in the city. I can't recommend this place enough--I probably visit more often than I should! read more

I am blown away. I came here after going to Circuit and playing video games until 10pm. I didn't realize that this charming little bar in the fan would have AMAZING food too! The staff is very sweet and attentive and it's open late. It's a great spot to go to when you're not ready to call it a night with your pals. I went with a group of 5 and everyone ordered something different. I highly... HIGHLY recommend their Mac and cheese! They're known for it. It's absolutely insane! They use 4 different cheeses including Gouda and elbow noodles with bread crumbs on top. Everyone was eating off of my plate. My boyfriend had the French dipped sandwich with au jus and wouldn't share. Absolutely incredible. On a night that I didn't plan on eating, I'd be content just sitting at the bar and having a few drinks. Definitely my new favorite in the fan! read more

Bamboo Cafe - Mac & Cheese! IG: @_badassfoodie - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is a true neighborhood bar. Definitely a dive, but great service and cheap drinks. I came here after work when another local joint was too crowded, and we ended up staying for hours. As soon as we walked in an older gentleman was saying a boisterous goodbye to his friends. He tottered outside and, too drunk to ride his bicycle, unsteadily leaned on it and walked home just around the corner. No one batted an eyelid, and we knew we were in the right place. It's definitely cozy and run down inside, but in the best way that local institutions often are. The set up is simple: one dark wood bar with stools, a narrow aisle, tables with checkered plastic cloths and seats with rips in the upholstery, and two single stall bathrooms that don't lock in the back. You could picture some crusty sailors feeling right at home here, but the crowd was surprisingly diverse. There were only two bartenders and one server working, but we were still greeted with a smile immediately and given menus. We didn't order food, but it looked and smelled really good. There's a small but decent beer selection and a full bar of spirits, and the server never once let us hit the bottom of our glasses before appearing and asking if we'd like another. read more

Bamboo Cafe - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I can't rate the food because I chose not to order anything. I got to the store 15 minutes before closing and the host was irritated when I was about to order. Her attitude stunk because I guess she thought I shouldn't have come in so late. So I told her forget it, I'll buy my food somewhere else. read more

The service is great but this is mostly a pub with an okay menu. One of us had the Mac and cheese with ham although it was about 99 percent Mac and 1 percent ham and leeks. I had the ham sandwich which was way too salty. I don't know if that's how Smithfield ham is supposed to taste but it was way too much for my palate. Good fries and good servers. It's definitely a pub in an older building though. When I used the ladies soon, I saw a tiny mouse scurry into the wall. read more

Just moved to the neighborhood last week and decided to check out this place that's around the corner from me. I'm so glad I did! The bartender was super helpful and got me a table outside, and my server was really good, too. I had a glass of wine to start and then ordered the macaroni and cheese. Wow!! It was a huge portion and absolutely delicious...cheesy, creamy, with ham and just... amazing. It came with a roll as well as a side vegetable, and I ordered the Brussels sprouts. They seemed to be sautéed, rather than roasted, so they were a bit soggy and not the best I've had, but the Mac and cheese definitely made up for it. I ended up taking the leftover Mac and cheese home with me and had it for two more meals after my dinner there. What a great deal! read more

Bamboo Cafe - Macaroni and cheese - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I could place to get a decent salad or sandwich. Very speakeasy like. It's a hole in the wall that probably hasn't been refurbished in many many years. But it has a lot of character and is a hangout for the locals. read more

Bamboo is one my favorite spot in town. I literally waited a year before taking my boyfriend here to ensure he would stick around because I couldn't lose it if we broke up / got divorced. Now we have two pieces of art of the restaurant in our kitchen and are devastated that we moved to a neighborhood not within walking distance anymore to this Richmond staple. Everyone is so welcoming. It feels like a "Cheers," come as you are environment with a lot of locals who come regularly. The food is always spot on and consistently good. The specials genuinely feel special every week. Cris, Liz, Jen, Mike, Byron (Bryan?) and the rest of the staff are stand out service industry veterans. It shows in their connections with each person who walks under the red awning and little door to pop in and grab a bite or drink. read more

Stumbled onto this great little pub bar. Solid food, good service, I would come here again.

Came here with some friends last night for some late night food and some drinks. The place is nice and cozy which we like. Food was pretty good, got the Hot Italian sub and there was nothing to complain about. The reason my visit here was terrible was because the server we had. He was extremely rude and clearly drunk, which i understand it's a bar, but when we asked for prices of things he said things like "oh I don't fucking know like $6". He made creepy advances towards my friend touching her few times when he'd stop by the table. When I tried to place my order he was extremely rude and said "whoa how about you wait a second and not do that right now". Finally when we wanted to pay we asked to split the bill he looked at me tweaked out and said "Yeah I'm not doing that shit you can just send money to each other and do it on one card" to me this was extremely unprofessional and rude to say to customers. I understand it's a bar and just a casual spot but i still we should be treated with some decency and not be talked to in a disrespectful manner. Hopefully management can see this and make sure other folks don't get treated like this in the future. read more

Sometimes it can be endearing for your bartender to be a bit of a jerk. Not here. Big, old guy with the beard is a different level. He made my friends and I not want to order anything. One of my friends ordered an old fashioned and this dude acted like his world was falling apart. The rest of us got martinis and a similar response out of him. The only one he treated well was the one who ordered a canned cider. Genuinely ruined the whole experience. The lady who served us last time we went was incredibly friendly. But this time we had the unfortunate luck of having him. I've had bad service but this was a different level and I will never complain about anywhere else again. Think he was hammered too. read more

I can't stay away nor deny my heartfelt love for the Bamboo Cafe! You feel like the world is all okay in this lovely RVA staple. Order a drink, a special off the board and relax! read more

Small Fan restaurant that I can't believe I've never been to before. Definitely a Cheers type place because everyone knows everyone. Be sure to time it right because there are maybe 10 tables total, so there is a potential for a bit of a wait. Drinks were nice and strong. Started dinner with the pork dumpling app which was very good. Cooked crispy the way I like. My friend and I both tried sandwiches. I had the burger special with Portobello, basil and roasted red pepper with a side of brussel sprouts. So good! I loved every bite. For dessert I had the key lime pie which was delicious and enough to share. Wait staff was nice and have us time to peruse the menu. Food came out piping hot and in a timely fashion. Definitely plan on visiting again! read more

Bamboo Cafe - Key lime pie--enough to share - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Always a great vibe here. No gimmicks or trying to be trendy. Just great food, drinks, cozy, and great atmosphere. Great staff that has been there for years. read more

A glorious little dive bar with friendly service, surprisingly yummy food, and they pour a good drink! He might have to wait a bit for a seat, but it's worth it for the cozy ambiance. read more

We stopped here for lunch with 6 kids ages 8-15. Everyone found something to eat and the server was very gracious with our special requests. Food and service was excellent. read more

Bamboozled is the name and strong drinks is their game! Great place to go and unwind, have a drink and eat some great food. Their seafood bisque is delicious and their drinks are strong but tasty. Fun, local spot that always has someone hanging out outside or drinking at the bar. read more

Good vibe and service. It's small inside but we were seated right away. The nacho we got was average.

Has orange. No birds. Mikey give Nim orange. Nim eat orange. Mikey give Nim Tums. Nim drink . Nim eat orange. Give Nim orange. Nim give stars. Orange. read more

Bamboo Cafe - Orange - American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Cute little dive bar where you can tell almost everyone is a regular! I came here after work on a Friday looking to get a couple drinks with some coworkers. We were told to find a table and the bartender/server came immediately and took our drink orders. When I tell you the drinks were strong, THEY WERE STRONNGGGGG (only $3 might I add.) I probably would have been okay with just one, but we were having a good time talking so we ordered a round of food and another drink. I can only speak on the fries since that's all I ate, but man those fries were good. They were perfectly crispy and golden brown. As we sat there talking, the place was getting more and more busier. It's not a big place so the amount of people definitely didn't go unnoticed. I enjoyed myself overall and see myself definitely coming back in the near future. read more

Fun late night vibes, cute bar and also really tasty food. Ordered the ginger steak and mashed potatoes super good! Also a delicious side salad and ranch dressing read more

Great service and delicious food! I had the spicy chicken with fries. Definitely will be coming back.