So, I'm not a big breakfast guy. I tend to just eat lunch for breakfast. Once I get to Helen's, there is a 20 minute wait, so naturally, I was a bit defeated. I tried to audible to Bar-q right away. My girlfriend was real high on Helen's, so I stuck it out. After what felt like was an hour, 11 minutes went by and we were seated. We had the option of sitting indoor or outside. You've got to love the bar setup and Air Condition at Helen's. I got a screwdriver and asked for a cheeseburger. Apparently, on Sundays, it's brunch only. At least at the time I went. So, I texted a picture of the menu to my fat friend, Sam. My fat friend Sam responded, "one of my favorites." to the menu. He also knows I'm not a breakfast guy, so there is a sense of urgency. He can't play it safe and just say get the shrimp and grits because that's a skinny move. Over the phone, he says, "have you seen their biscuits?" Once he mentions the chicken biscuit, it was time to hang up. That was the most delicious Chicken Biscuit I've ever had. It probably has enough calories for a week, but that thing was great! I also have enjoyed the shrimp and grits, pancakes, potatoes, but the chicken biscuit hits a little different. read more

I finally hot to try this place at random heading home to Carytown. Hollyn was great at the bar serving and Caroline was a nice add to the conversation since when I arrived at the open I was the 1st one there. Very friendly service and they believe in the food, which I'd usually refer to by back-of-house, but the kitchen is right there for you to see, at least gor cooking if not prep. I ordered the mussels which were perfectly cooked in an amazing broth for dipping bread. Chatted with one of the chefs, which was cool. It's a really intimate venue and definitely a date night consideration even if I was scopingbit out as a single while my wife is running wine events in Florida this week. I'll be back for sure. Great vibe, great menu, great chefs and food. Trifecta! 5 stars. read more

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Ordered a singular shot, bartender was nasty, "we get paid $2.00 an hour, if you can't afford to tip, don't come out" honestly think she thought I was someone to be bullied into tipping read more

I went to Helen's for a Christmas happy hour with a friend and it was so fun and festive! My friend and I wanted to catch up before the holiday break and it was perfect timing. We got there around 3:30pm in the afternoon and left around 5pm. I got the Die Hard Cocktail which was light and fruity and the Remember the Night mocktail which was egg nog based. Both were delicious and the cups they were presented in were so pretty. My only complaint is that for a happy hour, although we were told it was just drinks, it would have been nice to have just light snacks available. I only had one cocktail for that reason to be on the safe side. The decor was awesome and so cozy! Perfect for the holiday season but also made me interested in returning again throughout the year! read more

Cute spot and festively decorated for the holidays. Based on recommendations from the host we order the mussels, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato and meatball. 10/10 for both the Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. They hands down have the best Brussel sprouts in the city! The fried artichokes are a nice addition that I've never experienced. The sweet potato was delicious and sauce along with the pecans top tier. The meatball was cold not as exciting as the other items. The mussels are a required taste, lots of herbs and earthy taste. Not something in craving to have again. Overall a great culinary experience and the staff was really nice and attentive. Going back for the Brussels for sure. read more

Helen's - Brussel Sprouts, Mussels, Sweet Potato - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It may seem silly to get a burger at a place with many more unique, interesting dishes... but get the burger. The flavor was amazing and I could eat those delicious caramelized onions on every dish ever. The drinks are also delightful and strong, but the prices are a little much. I love this spot and I wouldn't come *too* often for drinks just because of the prices, but it is a great place to treat yourself for a cute girls night. read more

Helen's - Helens Burger - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I recently wrote a review of a cocktail bar in carytown and mentioned just how full of themselves they were and Helen's in the exact opposite What a friendly staff Amazing I fact that I have to give this place a first time 5 star We did have an appetizer the ravioli It was serve with Pees in a lemon garlic sauce and delicious We were just at the bar and had few beers but they had some very good cocktails We have to come back for dinner and further drinks 100% recommend for staff alone read more

Friendly service, great vibe, excellent playlist and above all, fantastic food. My only suggestion would be to offer better hot sauce, one without sugar or xanthan gum, like Cholula. It was hard to decide between the steak and eggs and the full Irish breakfast......I went with the steak and eggs so I guess I'll have to come back ‍ read more

Helen's - Steak and eggs with curried potatoes. Fire! - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Helen's is extra special around this time of year with their adorable holiday lights. As you can see from my previous reviews, I love them. It's such a Richmond staple. During the day you can get yummy bites and at night have a blast. One of my favorite Richmond DJ's play here, Bedspread Radio. I recently came for one of their sets and had a blast dancing here. It's usually more of a bar vibe (in the 10pm-2am range), but when the DJ comes in you end up dancing. I like to order an aperol spritz when I come here. I've been for their brunch in the past and enjoyed it. I usually come here to party, but always hear incredible things about their food. I can't wait to return to try their dinner menu one day. You're also bound to get a cute photo at this charming restaurant. The people who work here are super cool too. I highly recommend checking it out. read more

Enjoyed the holiday spirit at Helen's. Food is delicious as always. I would definitely go back. The waitress was very accommodating. read more

Helen's - Dining with a view - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I was a little disappointed because I wanted Helen's to live up to its amazing reputation, and left feeling "meh". I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could. Pros: - AMAZING drinks; strong, tasty, and quick. Large menu of options, and some N/A options on the menu which is nice. - Staff were knowledgeable about the food and able to accommodate dietary restrictions - The bolognese was delicious, I thoroughly enjoyed it - The Christmas decor!!! So freakin cute. Cons: - The shrimp and grits were not good, my fiancé was so sad! She had to order an appetizer instead. - The tables are really small and wobbly, I wish I would've requested a booth on my reservation. Will definitely do that next time! - I think it's priced a little high for what it is (but to be fair, I don't know the ins and outs of their food costs) - No vegan options on the menu Overall I might go back again, but wouldn't seek out Helen's necessarily. I would go back for drinks, if anything. read more

Helen's is a quaint little restaurant nestled on Main Street in Richmond. They have American style food and are open for brunch on the weekends. During my recent visit, the restaurant was filled with very gaudy Christmas decor. I love the divey look and I get sucked into all of the decorations. My intent was to order biscuits and gravy, but they were sold out so I settled for the corned beef hash. I will say I was not disappointed. It was t your momma's canned corned beef. I loved their version and it was cooked with the right amount of crispiness. I would definitely recommend this divey spot for brunch. I haven't eaten here for dinner yet, but they are on my list. read more

Helen's - Brunch Menu - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Helen's is such a sexy cool fun vibe. Staff is always friendly and professional and the food both dinner and brunch is some of the best in town. read more

Amazing service, drinks, and food. I love that they have so many vegetarian options, and the vibe is always nice.

Great food ! Greens, Beet Salad, Mac & Cheese, deviled eggs all excellent! Can't wait to try more.

Lucked out to get a cozy booth on a Friday night! We had amazing service and unexpectedly spectacular food. Our first visit...will be back! Bonus: Good clean bathrooms. read more

I came here with some friends for brunch and it was delicious!! I got the vegetable hash which had seasonal vegetables, curried potatoes, and toast. I added on some scrambled eggs for an extra $2. All in all it was a delicious meal. I thought the curried potatoes were amazing and such a great idea. The hash had cabbage or Brussel sprouts and carrots, and maybe some peppers. They also put fresh avocado slices on top!! I liked that it was all seasonal veggies for winter making it a tasty and hearty dish. In conclusion, this was an awesome place for vegetarians since they had plenty of plant based / veggie options and you could add eggs to them. My boyfriend got the pancakes and they were delicious. I definitely stole several bites. The other people with us got the shrimp and grits and said they were fantastic. I'll definitely have to come back here for sure to try some other stuff! read more

Helen's - Vegetable hash - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I ordered the rockfish n my fiancé got the mushroom cavatelli. The rockfish was 33$ which isn't very out of the ordinary for a nice restaurant. Because of the price point i expected the same quality i'd get from other restaurants in the same "class". The food tasted decent but not 33$ worth. The lentils on their own were good but just kinda tasted like stewed lentils with some aromatics and liquid smoke added. The mustard sauce was alright on its own. The rockfish was cooked well but was a smaller portion than i'd expect. All of the flavors within the individual components of the dish were decent/good but the flavors did not meld with each other or interact with one another. Also the plating seemed rushed and uninspired. With that being said, our server was really cool & my fiancé's food was really good. The cocktails were pretty good n the beer was nice n cold. read more

A grown man punched my girlfriend in the face last night and security did nothing. Me and my girls come to helen's a lot for the nightlife and it's mostly fine. But last night, me and my girlfriend were walking through the crowd inside and it was much more busy than usual. we weren't shoving anybody, saying excuse me, and all of a sudden, this grown man just punches my girlfriend in the face. multiple women witnessed it and i followed the man outside and cussed him out obviously, and then i yelled at security to come get him. They grabbed him and one of the guards even HUGGED him cuz the know him. They claimed he had nowhere to go so they let him stay there. Why weren't the police called?? Or an uber?? Do better helen's. read more

The Christmas decorations are great. The reservation process was easy and even when making changes the staff was great. I was disappointed that the cocktails were not holiday themed since everything is so decorated. The food was good but I found it a bit expensive for what we got. read more

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My friends & I went for the first time yesterday & were underwhelmed. Starting with the highlight being the mocktails. We ordered a cherry one which was very festive & included edible glitter. The food was really expensive for what it was. I joked it made me more hungry because tasted good but was not enough to fill you. At the table we were deciding where to go next to get something more filling. Service was good until the end. When one member of our party asked to split the check the server was visibly annoyed and just kind of "dropped" the checks on the table. While the place was decorated beautifully, we were in a back corner & couldn't see much. This was disappointing because one of the big reasons we went was for the holidays decor. Not really the restaurant's fault, but it was a part of my experience. Overall, my friends & I decided that we won't be back. read more

Food is tasty but the menu is limited We were trying to find a menu on line when making the reservations on Open Table and it would send us to the website which did not have a menu listed. We saw an older menu from Yelp but it was out of date. Hard to find something for us both to like. Deviled eggs were not the best. Mussels were good but cooked differently and when gone, my husband said was like a green onion soup. The Braised beef was very fatty but the rest of vegetables in the meal was good. The restaurant is in a hip area of town (we were coming from out of town). Small building with limited seating, either small tables or old dark booths in the back. It used to be a pharmacy prior to 1930s and you can imagaine it way back then once you are there. read more

Great food and service, burger was top notch! Every dish was enjoyed at our table. Ambiance was great!

Just finished an excellent Saturday morning brunch at Helen's. We were a group of 14 extended family members who the staff accommodated with our own table in a comfortable space where we could have lots of conversations without disturbing their many other patrons. The most popular choices ordered were shrimp and grits and several versions of Helen's poached egg options. The staff also accommodated two of our party with custom options. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the most common compliment centered on the sauce surrounding the shrimp and grits. Helen's is a clean and well lighted environment with a very friendly staff we would not hesitate recommending. read more

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Had a great dinner with friends at Helen's. Not sure why it has taken me so long to visit here! I remember Helen's from my youth as the kooky place with all the bobbleheads in the window. This is definitely not this place anymore. The place was hopping for a Tuesday night so I am so glad I had a reservation. Starting off with drinks, I opted for one of their mocktails (since it was a school-night), a lavender lemonade that was very refreshing. For dinner, we all decided to get a number of small plates and share since we were having a tough time deciding. We settled on a couple of orders of mussels, mushroom risotto, fried green tomatoes, fried asparagus, and the loaded mac and cheese. All of it was presented beautifully and tasted better than it looked. The mussels came with loads of house made bread, perfect for soaking up the luscious broth of the mussels! After all that, we were too full for dessert. We enjoyed excellent service - friendly, attentive but not intrusive. After seeing the photos, I should make plans to come back during the holidays when the place is all decked out. read more

Awesome atmosphere, staff, and the food is thoughtful and delicious! Great date night spot or a place to bring family and new Richmonders! The late night bar is a super fun vibe with great DJ's and weekly games. 100% recommend read more

Best brunch in Richmond hands down. Also incredible dinner. Clay is a very talented and underrated chef in Richmond. He is flawless in everything he makes. I've had half of the brunch menu and their dinner menu is constantly changing but always on point. I love the staff too and the service is always perfect. Coming to Sunday brunch feels like visiting an old friend. I recommend Helen's to everyone who asks me where to go for dinner or brunch and nobody ever reports back disappointed. Definitely a Richmond gem for many many years. read more

Helen's - Blackstone Benedict! IG: @_badassfoodie - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Three of us had dinner at Helen's on Saturday night - each of us ordered a different dinner. We were pleased beyond our expectations. The appetizers, and dinners were delicious. Even the desert deserves a rave review. The C'mas decorations keep us coming back every year to celebrate the holiday.Please put Helen's on your must visit list! Did I forget to mention that the service was great too? Helen's deserves 5 stars! read more

Helen's is the SPOT. Cute, homey restaurant by day; friendly, silly, cute, fun, chill bar by night. I have mostly spent my time there for bunch. Without FAIL I always get eggs Benedict because it's honestly so good. And their BLOODY MARY'S!!! This was the restaurant that made me fall in love with them. I don't live in Richmond any more but I do think of Helen's and their brunch ambiance often. Unrelated to food, there is a small bathroom in the back corner, near the bar. Steps leading to the corner. The women's bathroom does get a little hot in the summer but, no big deal. Like many RVA restaurants, there's really only space for 4 people at a booth. Even adding a 5th chair to the end of the booth puts you in the way. The servers will accommodate your group, BUT personally, I always feel rude when I am faced with that predicament. So, if you have a larger party, maybe go somewhere else. (College freshman, you've been warned). read more

Helen's - Eggs Benedict over avocado & home style potatos - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The food is lacking flavor across the board, but the place is cute inside. The service was very middle of the road. Would only be back for drinks. read more

We chose Helen's for our Holiday Date night! Our first visit did not disappoint. Portion size is always shareable, we shared truffle friend, Brussels and pork belly. Ended with the Cavatli, incredible food and drinks, we ordered a bottle of white wine and it was delicious . Highly recommend for a date night especially during Xmas time. read more

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My review is mixed. The food is good, the drinks are great, the service was good. We had Brussel sprouts and meatballs as appetizers. The Brussel sprouts were ok, the meatballs were good but I've had others that were better. The penne I had for dinner was good, I could have done without the bread crumbs and had cheese instead, my boyfriend loved his pork dish. The chocolate mousse I could have done without. If I'm going to add extra calories it needs to be worth it. It was mostly whipped cream with a small amount of mousse and half a cookie crumbled on top. It didn't have much flavor. My biggest problem with Helen's is it's hard to find anything on the menu that I feel like I want to eat. I was going to get a salad and the mussels and maybe I should have read more

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TL;DR: Everything was just so.... bad... After perusing around for a place to eat for Restaurant week, the menu at Helen's stuck out to us. So we made a reservation for 6:30 on a Saturday night. The service overall was decent. But after we placed out orders, we did not see much of our server. Usually this isn't a huge deal, but we didn't get our appetizers for 40 minutes. Our entire dinner took about 2 hours. I usually don't get bothered by things like this if the overall experience was good, but the food itself was not the best either, so it was a little frustrating FOOD and drinks: Equinox Flower: Just tasted like straight cheap gin. Couldn't finish it Chocolate Stout?: It was good but very heavy Sauteed calamari: The calamari itself was okay, but there were a lot of random filler veggies, and A LOT of capers Pork belly appetizer: pork belly was a little dry, came with a couple sauces that did not complement each other, and was way too sweet New york strip: as soon as I put my fork in it, I knew it was going to be tough. It was also cold. The mashed potatoes that came with it tasted worse than instant mashed potatoes Shrimp and Grits: the gravy was good, shrimp a little over cooked, grits were SO dense, felt like I was eating cement Chocolate trio?: the chocolate mousse was probably the best thing all night, the vanilla (i think) mousse just didn't taste like anything, and the sorbet was decent Dirty Chai panna cotta: no comment.... Overall, the whole experience was just not great for us. I feel like they are trying hard to make complex flavors or combinations work, but unfortunately for us, it did not. Maybe their brunch is better, but I have not had buyer's remorse on a meal in a very long time. Hopefully other's have a different experience than we did. read more

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I know its new neighbor across the street gets all the fanfare, but Helen's offers one stunner of a classic brunch in a chill space. Granted, it's also a small space, and there might be a wait, but it's worth it -- I swear. I ordered an iced coffee with a chicken biscuit and side of scrambled eggs. The sausage and biscuits across the table also looked ridiculously good, but I inhaled my eggs before eating the chicken biscuit piece by piece (that bacon!). Even the side of curried potatoes were delectable -- and I don't usually eat much of the potato sides at most places. I'm not sure which brand they use for the iced coffee, but it was fantastic. Just a little cream and it was the perfect way to perk up on a late spring Saturday. Service was friendly. Food was prompt. Ambiance was comfortable. Prices were reasonable. Really no complaints. I'd definitely like to head back and explore Helen's menu further (ie, dinner). But as for now, I'm sold on their brunch. read more

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The BEST pancakes you will ever have! There is nothing more Richmond than a Helen's breakfast with the cool grunge vibe of everyone who works there and sitting on the patio people watching. The #1 place on my list to eat when I come home to visit! read more

Helen's is an OLD favorite for me in Richmond. I believe that she's been around since we moved to RIC over 20 years ago. Now I'm sure, over that time, that the ownership and chefs have changed MANY times but I have NEVER been disappointed. Most recently, a friend and I wanted to go out to brunch. She in I walked into "Br**ch" across the street and were told the wait would be 45 minutes! Yikes! So I said " Hey, have you ever been to Helen's"? Nuff said! We strolled and were seated within minutes. Service was not as attentive as it usually is but every table was taken and we enjoyed our time catching up. The special for the day was Chicken and Waffles that had a quite a few twists. The chicken was peanut crusted and the waffle had sausage, corn and cheese! Then.... topped with radishes and honey. Sounds a bit weird but delish! My buddy had the Irish Breakfast and for a person who doesn't like eggs, seemed to enjoy it. As I said, I've been enjoying Helen's for many years and hope that will continue for many more. read more

Helen's - Chicken and Waffles special! - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Hadn't been in years (like 10 yrs or so since I moved westward), then we recently had dinner on a Friday and brunch on a Sunday in the same weekend. There's a reason Helen's has been a Fan staple and hasn't fallen victim to the unfortunately consistent restaurant turnover of many other spots in the area. Food and vibe are fantastic. No question. Positive and lively without being too loud/bustling/obnoxious. Menu is super and everything we ordered hit the mark. Service is very friendly and inviting. Not the most attentive/speedy, which is fine since the experience is so good. While they were busy on both visits (particularly the Friday dinner service), and we waited longer than preferred to order a second round (while seated at the bar), this wasn't a negative strike as the scene is comfortable and fun, so no sweat. Pricing is what one would (should) expect for the quality and creativity. Will definitely add Helen's to a more regular rotation. Very pleased/impressed. read more

Went for brunch on a Sunday. I'm not sure why... I just thought it would be more upscale but it's much more of a neighborhood bar type vibe ...and that's a GOOD thing. Like a lot of spots in the Fan neighborhood it's cozy and well worn...great pressed tin ceiling and a nice small bar. Our waitress was pleasant .... attentive.... And soon to be a mother (congrats!). I got the Irish breakfast and a Bloody Mary which came out shockingly fast and all were made to perfection. Seems a bit pricey but isn't everything these days. Overall I enjoyed the meal and experience and would love go back for dinner. read more

Helen's - Irish breakfast and Bloody Mary - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I recently moved to the Carytown area and spotted this place on one of my walks and wanted to check it out. First, the sign says it's been around since 1935, which I LOVE, plus it's my daughter's name, so I was doubly excited to go here. I started off with one of their cocktails. I don't remember the name, but it had lavender and simple syrup and it was wonderful. Very refreshing on a summer evening. My son and I shared the cheese plate as well the Brussels sprouts/artichokes small plate. Both were quite tasty. My son had the steak that came with fries and had a blue cheese dollop on top. It was all delicious!! Our server was very friendly, and I love the ambiance of the place. We sat outside along the side of the building, and it was very nice. They also have ample indoor seating. Highly recommend going here! read more

Helen's - Cheese plate and Brussels sprouts with artichokes - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The Decor for the holidays is cute. But the food is just... okay (one could probably cook the same dishes with equal quality at home if given the ingredients.) Like others have stated on here, the service is poor. I hear that they do brunch but, I don't want to wait forever at my table just to find out that the brunch menu is just okay too. I deducted one star for not having the dyson airblade in the restroom. read more