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Memi’s

4.6 (42 reviews)
Open • 3:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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MEMI’S ATMOSPHERE

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Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Memi’s

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Bernadette B.

A-MAZ-ING! Authentic Egyptian food, and the only Egyptian food in Richmond. Friendly staff! Delicious! Tired of same ol same ol? Try this place. Highly recommend!

Eggplant salad
Stephanie B.

Girls night! My lady pals and I went for dinner a few weeks back. What a great experience! The service was top notch - food was fast, hot and well seasoned - and vibe was relaxed. Try to catch them for HH deals. Can't beat it!

Hawawshi Sandwich
Rebecca M.

First time was great! I would definitely recommend it for something out of the ordinary ! Service was really good can't wait to go back again

Hummus Dip
Nikki J.

Visited on a Friday night dinner with a friend. No wait, and it was not busy or loud. They have a good happy hour deal! So i got an old fashioned and Hummus Dip. For dinner, i got Combination platter (Lamb, Chicken Shish Tawook, and Kofta) with rice - great portions! And MAN was it delicious! I was glad to have leftovers for lunch. Our server was very attentive. Memi herself also stopped by our table to check on our meal. She is nice & genuinely wanted to know how we were enjoying our visit!

Lamb
Lauren M.

The space is super cute, warm, and inviting and I love what they've done with the decor and ambience since the last spot moved out. I'm interested to see what they're going to do with that small lounge area in the rear! What does it say about your calcium I really love Egyptian food so I was excited to see that Richmond finally has something. The service is great. The stuffed grape leaves are absolutely the best I've ever had in the US - spiced to perfection - not pretty, but phenomenal. The food was light and full of authentic flavor, which I really appreciated. I also tried the lamb--while the seasoning and flavor were spot on, the meat was slightly overcooked. I'd recommend slicing the lamb more uniformly to ensure a more even cook throughout. Still, a solid dish overall with great potential and the portion size is out of this world! We also got the koshari and absolutely loved how light yet filling the dish is! The fried onions on top are nice, but we would have loved if they were caramelized like noted on the menu. The chef came over and talked to us a bit. Whatax sweetheart! She loved that I could identify the spices, flavors, and regions the dishes boast, and I was recommended the cabbage, and I'll be back for the stuffed eggplant too! Also. If you haven't heard, Egyptian falafel is hands down the best, so I'll be back for that, the dolmas, & zalabia!

Michael S.

4.8 stars. Because I am an old picky man. Memi's is a great find. As Egyptian food, it bears a lot of similarities to other Mediterranean cuisine. So the thing that sets this apart is that they simply do it better. We went in just after they opened at noon to get a non-trad brunchy meal. Environment: the temperature was downright chilly. I usually like to be cool, this was cold, like maybe 65? When Wife said something to the server, her response was "we have hot tea." I would have preferred "I'll talk to the manager about adjusting the heat." There were only 4 other customers, I think that is not beyond reason. We started with the Memi's sampler, which is listed as "Hummus, baba ganoush, feta cheese, and falafel. Served with pita." Without a word, they subbed in gebna ("Feta blended with garlic, sour cream, and mayo") for the feta, and that was serendipity for us because it was amazing. Should have told us about the sub, but no biggie. All three dips/spreads were absolutely delicious. There was a little heat in each of them, just under the level that would make my wife back away. The pita was perfectly heated to the point of mild scorches but still hearty enough to scoop the dips. Our mains. Wife had the Hawawshi ("Crispy pita stuffed with spiced ground meat, onions, and herbs") with fries. The meat was well seasoned, the fries, though seasoned were not your usual seasoned fries. I *think* the seasoning was zatar, wife was not sure. My lentil soup was creamy with bits of onion and also durkee-type onion straws on top. Very good but I would have preferred a less fine puree to allow for a little of the lentil texture. Rest assured, though, I licked the crock. It was delish. The place is not cheap (menu pix with pricing attached.) But it is good. Good enough for every week Sunday brunch? Not at this price point. But definitely good enough to keep top of mind. So the only minor old man complaint? If you are open at noon, and your restaurant is colder than a Canadian summer, you need to have real coffee available. Not cold brewed, just make a pot of coffee. Forcing me to hot tea was just a little annoying. We will be back. In summer.

Marci F.

This is a hard review to write. I must preface the review with three of us, lived in the Middle East and have eaten extensively all over the Middle East, including Egypt if I don't think of it as a Middle Eastern food, I thought the food was very tasty. It's just not what we're used to from how the preparation was to the taste to when they say it's a tomato and cucumber salad. We expect mostly tomatoes and cucumbers. What we truly did love where the creative drinks with Middle East influence from old-fashioned with dates to a pomegranate drink that I had we decided if you don't think about it or don't know about Middle Eastern food you'd probably enjoy the place. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was lovely, but don't go there expecting traditional Middle Eastern food And it's not like they're just twisting it. It's just I don't know.

Interior with the Airstream!
Jennifer H.

Looking for something different? Memi's offers Egyptian dinners that are spiced well and delicious. You may have a hard time deciding on what to order, but I can say the Kofta (got mine off the grill menu but does come as a sandwich too) and the falafel sandwich were wonderful. Unique indoor atmosphere due to the Airstream trailer that houses the kitchen!

Tagine Beef and Potatoes
Lisa C.

Memo's was a great experience. Neither my partner nor I had tried Egyptian food before but gave it a try because we both enjoy other Mediterranean cuisines. The food was superb and the service impeccable. Our server was personable and efficient. She offered recommendations that were spot on! The brick interior painted added a brightness to the candlelit interior on a grey winter day. I'm looking forward to returning in warmer weather when the "garage" door is raised. We ordered Gebna as our appetizer: feta blended with garlic, sour cream, and mayo. Served with pita. I had the Tagine Beef with Potato which while delicious did not compare to my partner's Chicken Shawarma. For dessert we shared the Zalabia because one can never go wrong with fried dough, powdered sugar and syrup Memi's also boasts a nice selection of craft cocktails and wines. The Rhino Cabernet Sauvignon, (California '22) was full bodied and paired well with the Tagine.

Cocktails
Kara I.

Exciting new restaurant I would love to visit again! Food and drinks were fantastic. We loved our cocktails and wine. We decided to share the Dolmas & Gebna for appetizers, which were delicious. For our main we shared the combo platter. So glad we did this because the beef, lamb, and chicken were all delicious. Nothing but good things to say about all of this food! The only thing that didn't quite hit was the seating. Most of the restaurant is small tables and those awful metal seats that are horribly uncomfortable if you are anything more than skinny. If you are at a place like this, you want to share plates of food! But the tables are quite tiny. I wish they would expand the booths they already have for more comfortable seating! Very happy to see the space put to good use though. Excited to come back!

Old fashioned happy hour $7
Kenya M.

Memi's is a vibe! It's really nice and chic. The menu is stacked with delicious options and it makes it hard for an indecisive lady like me to decide lol. The bartender was really nice and helpful. They have a really good happy hour as well. The dolmas were super flavorful and my friend said the lamb shank was bomb too! He cleaned that bone haha. Memi's will definitely see me again soon.

Mulukhiya with chicken
Caitlin A.

I am so happy to have finally tried Memi's! My friend and I went for happy hour drinks and dinner, and had a great time. We loved the vibes and the bar stools were very comfy. I was a fan of the Arabic music playing in the background too! The employees were all so kind and helpful in explaining any dishes we had questions on. The food and drinks were delicious as well. My only "complaint" is a result of my own expectations for the dessert we got, kanafa, as I'm used to the super cheesy Palestinian knafeh, but this wouldn't have been a problem if I read the menu description properly. Can't wait to come back and try more drinks and dishes!

Aya C.

Reminds me of home. As a Syrian I am always checking out Arabic food places and seeing how close it hits to home. I will say this place does it for me. I have tried the kosheri, the mlugheyeh with chicken, the rice wrapped in cabbage, the sampler dips, the pasta with bashamel! All were AMAZING. definitely recommend. Who I believe the owner came over to check in with my table as well at to her surprise I spoke Arabic. My mother will be coming to visit me soon and I will be taking her as well. The ambiance is real cute as well. Make sure to check up the upstairs bar as well!! The drinks are delicious.

Kashari

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

best food i've had in richmond the desserts are life changing please please just give this place a shot absolutely delicious and best staff

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Ask the Community - Memi’s

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My date and I had never been here before and had the most amazing experience. The drinks? 10/10…read more.. the service 10/10... the ambiance? 20/10!! The patio outside was really cute and cozy, the various seating areas is really great because you get a different feel from different angles. Our server recommended a Mexican lager.. it was SO GOOD! Try the lager!! My only gripe, the downtempo music changed to club music around 12am and got much louder. My date and I had to raise our voices to continue our conversation, we wanted to take our drinks outside but were told the patio closes at 11 :( We got lucky as the crowd was really thin but most weekends our server said it gets packed.. it's such a small place, I can't imagine what it would be like with 100 people inside!!

Not sure what this place thinks they are but it's not a 2026 customer service award contestant…read more Open the door for an elderly couple to leave and was literally yelled at to close the door, like the hostess almost physically accosted me to close the door. Yes, it's hot outside but c'mon, will the entire clientale die within 30 seconds of heatstroke? Fine, no worries, let it pass, walk in just wanting to grab a quick drink at the bar, AGAIN, accosted by the hostess that DEMANDS that I go back to her command center to talk to her, whereupon she really happily informs me that I can't even stand at the bar to have a drink and she would reluctantly put me on the bar waiting list which would be a minimum of one and a half hours... to grab a drink at the bar. tldr; AVOID unless of course, you love being judged at a low rent tiki bar...

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Lillian - Lobstahh

Lillian

4.6(48 reviews)
1.1 mi•Scott's Addition

if you are going to read any of these dumb yelp review in full, this is the one…read more i once read an article describing the talent of the head chef's ability here to "cram so much bold flavor into a tiny dish". in general, i usually dread small plate restaurants expecting to pay a large bill and leave hungry. this was the exception. these were the most unique, creative, high end, flavorful, dishes i have ever had. seriously. the absolute best BITES of my ENTIRE life. i swear to god dormant tastebuds and flavors i didn't even know existed were provided here. the chef here draws spanish inspiration into each dish, and i was in there feeling like the food critic from ratatouille the way familiar flavors blended in effortlessly with extravagant flairs. and don't get me started on the presentation !!! everything was gorgeous. this restaurant was named #3 out of 100 in the city, and i honestly think it should be #1. i may be biased since my boyfriend works at a sister restaurant owned by the same guy, but this is definitely the favorite sibling for me. unreal how fresh, flavorful, and carefully crafted everything was. so so so so good. if you come to richmond, make this the top priority to visit. that being said, if you can't handle intense, innovative flavors, this isn't the place for you. also, go during happy hour

Hats off to the staff at Lillian who continue to be wonderful, but now that they have scrapped…read moretheir dollar oyster lunch specials, the food has absolutely nothing to offer. Like too many restaurants in the Scott's Addition area, this is seafood cooked without finesse and then absolutely brutalized with absurd amounts of palate fatiguing, brash, loud flavors. Every item on the menu endeavors to conceal mediocrity in the quality and handling of the ingredients with explosive, overwhelming additives meant to shock you into submission. Things like black garlic and chili oil, raw garlic, sesame seed oil, and punishing heat are inescapable on the menu, which really says to me loud and clear "we do not understand the appeal of seafood, and might have a fundamental misunderstanding about good food in general." I don't exaggerate when I say these dishes would be improved (setting aside things like inability to properly cook octopus) by scaling back the flavors to 5-10% the loudness level they are currently at, to let the ingredients speak, and to make the dining experience less of a punishing marathon with no relief. I have had much subtler and more skillfully balanced dishes at Indian and Thai restaurants, cuisines known for strong flavor profiles. I'm through listening to these Richmond restaurants trying to excuse simply bad food by claiming "that's the nature of the cuisine." In this case, Lillian claims that dishes characterized by these cacophonous competing flavors is "South American." No it isn't - the person conceptualizing the dishes is just a bad chef who doesn't know what he's doing, and at the prices Lillian charges, that's inexcusable. Drowning every dish in flavors that overwhelm the palate is not a way to respect your ingredients or your diner, and only communicates youth and insecurity. Anyone who's eaten widely and knows their ingredients will rightly feel assaulted and insulted by this overpriced, unskilled fare. To anyone who decides to go anyway: Good luck with the digestive distress, and with the taste that will still be left over in your mouth the next morning, no matter how much you brush your teeth.

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4.1(351 reviews)
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What a cool spot! We always seek out speakeasy venues and this one does not disappoint! My steak…read morewas prepared perfectly, the drinks were generous and timely, and the service was prompt!

The parking is a sh*t show around here. We walked here, so I can't fault them for that…read more Upon entering, we were greeted by an enthusiastic young man dedicated to his role. He asked for the password and we, unprepared, had to tell him a joke or an interesting fact. Luckily, my partner had one on hand. The atmosphere was lovely, very reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy, or at least what you'd imagine it to be like. Our server came by within a few minutes of us being seated. She lacked enthusiasm, unlike the host, unfortunately. Her service turned out to be lackluster as well. We ordered the chicken pot pie and the filet mignon with asparagus. For drinks, the Grape Gatsby and Maine root beer. The food, like our server, lacked appeal. The saving grace was the host and the atmosphere. The view was lovely and the intimacy of the setting was a welcome experience. For dessert we ordered the bread pudding, and it was tasty, though nothing special. The burned odor that we smelled prior to its arrival turned out to be the bread. I can recommend Grandstaff and Stein as an experience, but you should not expect much in the way of culinary delights or exemplary service. We probably won't be back, but if you've never been, it's worth trying at least once.

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Memi’s - mideastern - Updated October 2026

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