Five stars in the category of bar-luncheonette. Great vibe and personality... Food was more than solidly enjoyable. Black bean corn cakes were delish! Simple yet excellent combination of slightly sweet fluffy corn pancakes under black beans and luscious melted cheese... Fresh, crisp, vibrant red and green bell peppers, onion and chopped tomato, salsa and sour cream complete the dish, which is huge, listed under appetizers. soup was poblano corn chowder, spicy and creamy with chunks of red bliss and sweet corn. Spicy potato salad (not hot spicy, just very flavorful, a must try!) The blackened flounder po boy sandwich was perfect- great classic bun, fresh lettuce completely balanced and cooked perfectly. We've been traveling for over a week, and this meal got top ranking among a lot of hit and miss yelping!!! Also, it's just plain fun to compare Guys reviews on tv (after drooling over the show at home) with an actual taste of the real stuff... Kudos to the chef, making real, great food so accessible. read more

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I took the train to Richmond to meet up with my folks before we headed to Southern MD for a family event. On the train I searched for someplace in Richmond that might stand out...and this place did. I read it was featured on Triple D, so that peaked my curiosity. After reading the reviews, I was confident this would be a good choice...and it was! We showed up early by 5:30 (which seems to be a key) and waited for only 15-20 minutes. By the time we left the wait was out the door and I'm sure much longer. As for the food, we all had the same...burgers...and all gave a rating of 5. I had a burger with feta and bacon, which was in my top 5 burgers (which also includes M Casino in LV, the Palamor Hotel restaurant in Philadelphia, Perry's in San Francisco and an Italian restaurant in central NJ that I can't think of the same of.) The fries weren't typical. They were freshly cut potatoes into wedge shapes and not greasy at all. Very tasty! So, I would say if you happen to be heading to or through Richmond, check out Dots Back! read more

Best "dive" joint in town. Great food and cheap beer! Everything is good, but the items on the Special Board are usually excellent, and VERY fairly priced. If you can, order from the Special Board. My favorite item on the regular menu is the Chicken MacArthur. read more

All sorts of yes. The staff was super awesome, seemed to be having a great time and the music was PERFECTION. We seriously had the best waitress - she couldn't have been better. The food was also incredibly delightful. One in our party had the chorizo empanadas and she basically married them on the spot. French toast was good. The insane banana chocolate chip pancake thing was awesome. The pigs in a blanket were good, but be warned, it's andouille, not traditional sausage. Weak spots: Coffee was weak, and the potatoes were not delightful - they were mushy, in all the wrong ways. However overall: YES. Would sit in this diner and happily eat and listen to music all day: 100 percent. read more

Left Baltimore at 9:30, too congested to even drink coffee. Didn't stop until almost noon, in Fredericksburg. Needed gas, thought there would be non-mall food. Nope. So I consulted the "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" website, and since Richmond was on my way, I stopped at Dot's Back Inn. I've read plenty of reviews that say this place is always crowded, so I feel like today was my lucky day. No wait for tables, but also, since I was a party of one, I was able to sit at the bar. Don't mind if I do. The coffee hit the spot and I got the fresh fish special of the day - catfish, fried and served on a sandwich with lettuce, Sriracha and mayo and a side of spicy red potato salad. Holy shit, the potato salad is spicy! My mouth is on fire. The Sriracha on the catfish didn't faze me, but I've been done in by potato salad? The décor was very much like a throwback to simpler times, and since I'm a sucker for antique knick-knacks and bric-a-brac, I felt very welcome here, and the waitresses were super-friendly and attentive. So glad I passed on Joe's Crab Shack and came here instead. I would love to come back and try other things and pound back a couple of brews. But with four more hours of driving left today, I cannot do it. My only complaint, really, is that they were out of coffee mugs to buy, and I collect coffee mugs. read more

Dots Back Inn - Fried catfish sandwich with spicy potato salad - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I'm not even going to write a review of the food, the service is horrendous. Waitress is off putting and rude. Looked like she just rolled out of bed. We sat and waited 25 minutes before we could order. When we ordered she rushed us and was rude again. I get this placed gained popularity on DDD, but I don't know how it's maintaining it. Get even slightly more polite staff. Terrible. read more

Two stars for the vibe only. We've always been told this was a go-to spot in Richmond for brunch, so when the kiddo wanted some pancakes for brunch, we thought we would give it a shot. The food was super disappointing. I'm not sure what the hype is all about. I ordered one of their omelets on the specials and my wife ordered a breakfast sandwich. Both meals were just cold, plain and weak tasting. It was honestly a really confusing experience since the the vibe of the restaurant doesn't go along with the food at all. Super cool place to be, but the food lets you down big time. The kiddos pancakes were good though, even though you'd be hard pressed to mess up pancakes. Maybe dinner is better?! read more

Dot's Back Inn is one of our favorite restaurants. A great local place to take company to. Nearly 10 fresh daily specials which offers fresh seafood. The chef knows how to cook fresh seafood. Love their fried oysters when they're on the daily specials. They have a wide variety of sides so lots of veggie choices. We prefer to sit on the enclosed heated and colorfully lit deck. Its cozy. Service is delightful. A cute little neighborhood gathering spot. read more

Alway a good watering hole ! This place just wreaks if attitude. The waitresses, the food and the building! Even sign on the door ! Read it ! Lol ! The food is good average and service is good if you don't have an attitude! Come here to relax ! U have never had breakfast here but the hamburgers work here . Always a good place for pie ! I like pie ! read more

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One of the better places I've eaten at in Richmond, VA. I heard about this place from a show called Diners, Drive-Inn & Dives and I wanted to check it out. When I arrived on Saturday, it was a packed house. I didn't expect this place to be small from the show. The food was amazing. My girlfriend and I ordered the Mediterranean pie for an appetizer, and it was really good. She had the stuffed blueberry French toast, which tasted pretty good (I had to try it out because it looked good). I ordered the double swine burger. It was bacon, ham, and cheese goodness on top of a burger. As far as the service, it was wonderful. The lady here was so kind that she let me sit at a larger table because the wait would have been long if I had to wait for a table for two. The drinks kept getting filled at the proper time where I didn't have to ask for a refill. Believe me, this is an amazing thing because I drink a lot. I give this place four stars because it a nice small business with great tasting food and friendly service. Every time I go to Richmond, VA, you can count on me stopping by this place to grab something to eat. read more

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Found thru Yelp and couldn't have been happier. Food was great; service too. Had BLT that 'hit the spot' and friends had the steak roll up special that they said was "really " good. Try it! read more

would really recommend this place for brunch. The atmosphere is joyful n vibes. Had the buffalo chicken, first bite was amazing. My wifey got a burger I think she enjoyed it. Went for chili cheese fires too it was ok . Fried oyster next time for sure. read more

Pretty much what I expect of a good diner and more. Looks like a lot of locals come here but welcoming to all. It's in a Northside neighborhood with street parking. Better than average to good food. Had the blackbean corn cakes, chili bratwurst (huge), and friend had a burger. All of it was very filling and yummy. Nothing too creative but solid food. Nothing disappointing for the price. Would definitely come back to try more things. read more

I've said many times before, I am a sucker for Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. This was one I saw listed on the fan website (flavortownusa.com). I stopped in for lunch on a Sunday and it was very crowded. There were no tables so I sat at the bar, which has full menu service. The waitress was very nice and kept my drink filled. I tried the black bean corn cakes, based on recommendations here and it was mentioned on the clip I saw online from DDD. They were good but didn't blow me away, I also tried their 'fries' which were not very fry-like, they were potatoes cut into small chunks and fried lightly in some oil. They were good, but again did not blow me away. The ambiance is nice, kind of funky. With a GPS this restaurant was not hard to find but it seems to be in the middle of nowhere (a residential neighborhood) so keep your eyes peeled or you might miss it. A solid 4 stars, I would definitely go back again. I want to try somsething else and see if maybe I can bump this review up to a full 5 stars :-) ^^^ Above is original review from 11/19/2011 VVV Below is new information from 12/4/2011 OK I went back this past weekend since I was in town for work again. This time I got the Pigs in a Blanket (which is andouille sausage wrapped in their homemade pancakes). It did not convince me to bump the review up to 5 stars, but I don't want this to be misinterpreted. It is still very much worth your time to come to Dot's Back Inn and I don't know of any better restaurants in the area. The dish comes fairly plain, with only 3 ingredients; two 'rolls' each made up of a 1/2 of an andouille sausage, split down the middle, wrapped in a full-size pancake. On top is a scoop of real butter. I first tried it without syrup just to get the 'unadulterated' flavors. The basic flavors were good, with a slight heat to the sausage (though true Andouille does not have any heat). The pancakes were excellent. The Andouille was a little dry but flavorful. The dish is really good with syrup though. I don't think they make the syrup there, but it's certainly not food service grade. It blends nicely with the mild heat of the sausage. The pancake was a bit too big, and I found myself ripping off pieces of it so that the sausage would not get buried (physically and flavor-wise) under the doughy goodness of the pancake. While I was here, I saw a waitress get a little annoyed with a customer calling on the phone and it sounded like they were trying to get directions! Just like another Yelper mentioned. However, I can definitely see why. This waitress happened to be my waitress, and I watched her literally run around the restaurant, taking orders, bringing food, mixing drinks, trying to seat people, going outside to find people who were on the wait list, and never taking a second to sit down or stop. The ladies here are definitely earning their keep- every one of them is really hustling. So I can see why someone calling for directions might be a little annoying. Both times I have been here, the place has been packed. Since I was a party of 1, I could sit at the bar, but everyone I saw come in the door had to wait to be seated. All and all, I enjoyed it and when I come back for work again in a couple of weeks I might try a burger here. read more

BRUNCH REVIEW This is difficult because I had high expectations based on all of the other reviews. I loved their bloody mary! Unfortunately, I ordered the Smithfield benedict and just wasn't impressed. It was good but not FABULOUS or different and that's what I was expecting. My friends ordered the peach french toast and biscuits and gravy which they both raved about. I'm hoping to go back for dinner and increase my stars. This place is definitely described as a dive but in a good way :) The prices were good and service was good too. read more

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This is actually my second time here...oddly enough I got the same thing. It was the Ultimate burger cooked Med well. It was tasty like a fresh burger should be. My side was the spicy potato salad which was not spicy at all but maybe its just me. Very friendly staff. Gets busy around peak times, we arrived @11:30 for lunch and just beat the crowd(think Millies). I added a couple pics to the collection. read more

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Road trippin back to Philly from Raleigh, and all I wanted to do was stop at a place midway that was iconic...as in: autographed photos of celebrities covering the walls. We didn't find that per say, but we did find Dots, as featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives and just had to stop in. We're pretty corny, so we got what Guy Fiori got, the black bean corn cakes and chicken MacArthur and wow, what a meal!! Kinda has that "hole in the wall" vibe and was truly a diner's delight. Food was really exceptional and tasted just like "your mama was back in the kitchen!" read more

Dots Back Inn - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It's not your average diner! Admittedly I've only had brunch here--but brunch has been everything from biscuits and gravy, to pancakes, to poached eggs with buttery hollandaise, to an AMAZING softshell crab. I love the owners--they went out of their way to personally invite us to come in for softshells after I posted on Fb for my friends that my family was looking to take my grandmother out for softshells for her birthday. She was beyond delighted with her meal and I was touched by their efforts! Great prices, friendly staff, consistently good food you can count on! read more

Featured on Diners, Driveins and Dives, we HAD to stop in to check it out. Homey, local and sitting on a quiet street, it was good to have a meal here. Good all around; but what gave it a 4 star was the Elvis cake that had banana custard, Oreos, peanut butter drizzled with Carmel. I had jambalaya, which was homemade, but needed some seasoning for my tastes. A 3.5. Daughter had pulled pork and rated it a 4.0. Wife had hamburger and gave it s 4.0. Great ambience and local flavor makes Dots a place to visit. I'd definitely check out more menu options in the future. read more

Dots Back Inn - Outside of Dots Back Inn. - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I had to go twice before I really felt I had a handle on this place, once for dinner, once for breakfast, and as I grew up going to diners in Brooklyn, this had that kind of old-style greasy-spoon feel. It's busy and cramped at peak time, and don't expect to carry on an intimate conversation, but be ready to be wowed buy their lengthy menu. The burgers are tasty and filling, and the choices are extensive. The "spicy red" potato salad was a bit disappointing as it was just plain potato salad with some paprika and spice thrown in. Breakfast was impressive for the choices as well, I had the breakfast quesadillas (although I would have liked a choice of the type of cheese I could get besides boring old american) and my wife's greek omelet was filling and there were only two big lumps in her grits (it was more like a matzoh ball soup without the soup). Now, I can safely say I have never seen a more diverse cross-section of Richmond-ite than in this place, long-time old-money Bellvue area residents with U of R and VCU college kids, families, couples, singles, tattoos and well-dressed churchgoers, all together in one cramped place. The booths are limited to about five, and there are probably twenty tables in all, so expect to wait if you want to eat at peak times, especially since this place was featured on the Food Network, probably for the most overrated dish on the menu (and one of the most expensive). The other thing I liked was the specials menu above the bar, since for both breakfast and dinner the extra opportunities were quite intriguing. The kids enjoyed their breakfast/brunch choices, and they liked the two big TVs hanging over the bar area. Unfortunately, I had to take a star off for cleanliness, as I was a victim of the old lipstick-on-the-mug bugaboo when I received my coffee for breakfast (the waitress didn't seem to appreciate the "It's not even my shade" joke I tried to make to lighten the situation). Still, all these things aside, it's a fun throwback and tribute to the days of drug-store-woolworthy-neighborhood hangout joints of days gone by, and if you aren't expecting the Ritz, you can do a lot worse. read more

Cute little place but very noisy and tight on the inside. Huge portions (chunky monkey pancakes are amazing) but food is so so. Potatoes aren't as crispy as I would expect. read more

I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could. I've been here a handful of times. The only good thing they make are burgers. That's it. Everything else is horrible. I got a gyro, and I don't even know what was in it. Certainly not lamb. It looked and tasted more like a couple mini-veggie burger patties stuffed into a pita. I'd rather eat dog shit than that again. Like I said, either get some breakfast (which is gads to screw up) or a burger. Otherwise, go elsewhere! read more

Fantastic. We sat outside and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. I had the tuna sandwich special with guacamole and pico de gallo. Very fresh and delicious, mildly spicy. My daughter had a burger. Perfectly done on a lovely whole wheat roll. The spicy potato salad is the bomb. The staff was friendly and helpful. I'd come back again anytime. read more

Dots Back Inn - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Great breakfast for great price. Service is quick and friendly .Any type of breakfast food you can imagine you can find & portions are HUGE. Had left over for the next day. Will be back again :). read more

Dots Back Inn - Pancakes - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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We had high hopes for this small local diner, but upon walking in we were immediately greeted with dirty tables and lack of service. Our waiter was quite nonchalant and a bit rude, she didn't seem to care about her job or the customers. The food was decent and quickly prepared however the service sure put a damper on the experience. We had very few simple requests for a special occasion and none of the things we were promised were fulfilled. upon arrival we had high hopes and upon departure we were filled with disappointment. I would strongly suggest rethinking any decision to enter this establishment. read more

And we are back at 5 stars! Went for lunch and our burgers were perfectly prepared. Our service was attentive and pleasant and we were able to enjoy the nice weather on the enclosed outside area. I love it that the hamburger buns are wheat. We even had dessert because - birthdays. read more

Great food, very nice atmosphere and setting. We loved the menu selection and will be back for more as we travel to Richmond on a regular basis. read more

Easy, tasty breakfast. It's the hipsters breakfast spot on Bellevue. I dig the ease, flavor and polite staff. Service is quick and affordable. I will do it again :) read more

Dots Back Inn - Mmmmmm.... - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

What a greasy spoon in the best way possible! I love this place. You can just walk in and grab a table or a bar seat. They have beers on tap, bottle and can. They run specials and have a big menu. Their burger is great and so is their Italian sub. I like how they do thick fries that are just potatoe slice. Super reasonably priced! Very quick service and quick food delivery. I did on street parking just a few steps away from their door. read more

Tried this little place out for lunch today. Glad we found it! Got in just in time to get the last booth. And people were steady coming in. Usually a good sign of a great place to eat. And it didn't disappoint! I had a hard time making up my mind on what to choose from the menu, but I finally settled on the Rajun Cajun Burger. This was a nice hand-patted grilled burger with Cajun spices, Swiss cheese and crispy bacon. I added some BBQ sauce. Excellent! My wife got the 5 Star Nachos. We loved those, too! Loaded with two kinds of cheese, black beans, black olives, diced tomatoes, salsa, jalapenos, sour cream and nice dark green shredded lettuce. Finally, my daughter got Blackberry Compote Texas Toast French Toast with a side of scrambled eggs. The best French Toast I've tasted in a while. Service was good considering how busy they were and the staff was friendly enough. Definitely adding this place to our list of favorites and I'm anxious to go back. I wanna try the Smithfield eggs Benedict! Really worth the visit! read more

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Always delivers. Everything I've tried is good. They have a great choice of options. Not just a burger place. And the vibe it cool. Young and old. read more

Had a nice family lunch after exploring north of town and looked up restaurants on DDD in the Richmond area to find this comfortable and welcoming spot. Service was very good and food timely. Good options for kids, including a covered sippy cup! Table ordered Rueben, breakfast club, juevos rancheros, nachos, grilled cheese and cheeseburger. Everything was good and the nachos were huge! Breakfast club was a hit. (Rueben was a little tough.) read more

Dots Back Inn - Menu - breakfast platters - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This was a great nostalgic eating experience. The sandwiches were good but the burgers and fries were a hit at our table. We will visit again. read more

*review on the two visits I have made* This place is way awesome! Friendly service and the food is nicely cooked. I had a nice steak dinner that really blew me away, I had brussel sprouts as my veggies with it. The veggies were alright, but everything else is very yummy. for my second visit, I had a BBQ burger, it was very delicious; too bad I didn't ask for cheese with my patty. read more

Incredible breakfast place! Very cute indoor/outdoor porch area that's probably nice when it's warm. I went in the winter and was seated there and it was slightly cold. It's a small restaurant that you can tell has grown due to the popularity and deliciousness of their food. One of those places the locals don't want you to know about because it's that's good. Wish they had frank's hot sauce as an option but they had others for the hot sauce lovers out there. I got an omelette and French toast and it was amazing. Definitely go here. read more

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Probably one of the best burgers I've tasted in Richmond in a long time. Several options for getting the burger dressed and their sides are equally enjoyable. A neighborhood gem that provides decent options for repeat customers. read more

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives picks a great one again!! This was our last stop on the way home yesterday. Great food (I had Chicken MacArthur and kids had spaghetti), yummy desserts (Elvis pie - very rich, Blueberry Muffin ice cream sandwich - delightful, Fried Cheesecake-delicious), and super nice server. Worth the stop in Richmond, VA! read more

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My family and I went to Dots Back In recently while visiting Richmond. And I must say it's amazing. Very eclectic, down to earth and huge portions. We really enjoyed it. I will tell you be patient for your food it does take a while but that's only because everything is fresh made. And it's so with it. read more

Dots Back Inn - Diners Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Went here on a date night. The menu is pretty basic diner food, but has a little something for everyone. We both got burgers and were satisfied with them. It's a bit small inside, but the 'patio' seating was accommodating (even with the cool weather; there are heated fans blowing). The service was attentive as well. read more

I've been to DBI a handful of times in the past 5 years, most recently today, having breakfast with BFF. She asked the waitress to describe the Breakfast Club, and was told it contains ham, bacon, egg, American and Swiss cheese. She asked if she could substitute Cheddar for the American? No problem. It sounded good, so I ordered the same. The Breakfast Club comes with Home Fries. I've never before tried the Breakfast Club or their Home Fries. Perhaps 15 minutes later our meals came out. The Breakfast Club was very good. I'd love to do that again. The accompanying Home Fries are another matter. Coarsely chopped potatoes & onions, would have been wonderful were it not for the excessive cumin they were seasoned with. I do mean excessive. Neither of us ate more than a few bites. Next time I'll ask to substitute a different side. DBI is easy to find on MacArthur Avenue; street parking has always been easy. The store is clean, and our waitress was cheerful & helpful. It strikes me as curious that the breakfast menu is called "Rise and Shine," but the store doesn't open until 9am. The breakfast menu is rather limited, but the brunch, lunch, and main menus are loaded with yummy-sounding options. We'll be returning next week for lunch. read more