Best crab cakes ever! I'm from the Northwest and was visiting from NYC, so I've had my fair share of them, but these were truly perfection - moist, dense, not overly bready and flavorful. The cocktail menu was just as great - I had the Blanche Devereaux and was not disappointed. The truffle fries weren't spectacular, but the crab cakes more than made up for it. The price made it even better - we came on Sunday when they were on special for $16 - definitely an excellent value! read more

My husband and I were in town for a wedding and also wanted to go out for a nice dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This place was conveniently close to our hotel, and I love seafood, so it was kind of a no-brainer! There were two large parties there when we were, which slightly affected service, but Jessica at the bar was great as she explained that to us up front, offered us bread, etc. We tried the Parmesan truffle fries to start with & those were so yummy. I ordered the stuffed Maine lobster - which was essentially half of a lobster, stuffed with a crab cake...yum!!!! Great value for what I received in my opinion. I asked for Brussels sprouts with it, as well as broccolini, instead of the asparagus & potato croquette it normally comes with (since we'd already had potatoes & I love green veggies). Because they were so busy, I still received the dish as it is typically prepared, which was fine & understandable; I just wish I could've tried the Brussels! :) My husband got the rack of lamb & really enjoyed it as well. The risotto that came with his dish was absolutely delicious! Jessica was a great server & we were really pleased with our experience overall! Would definitely visit this place again! :) read more

The Hard Shell - Stuffed Maine Lobster and 10oz Rack of Lamb - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

For our anniversary each year, the boyfriend surprises me with a reservation somewhere and doesn't tell me until we arrive. This year, it was at The Hard Shell, on a Wednesday night. When we were headed in this general direction, I suspected it was Morton's and got a craving for a steak. So the rest of the review is my own fault. The place had a nice lively buzz on a weeknight, with the downstairs area was mostly full when we left. It's in the Slip, so it has the rustic, industrial, exposed brick vibes you would expect. Our waitress was efficient and brought us the complementary bread and butter promptly. The fried calamari was light and not one bit greasy, and had two unique dipping sauces. The boyfriend really enjoyed that. Boyfriend got the Hard Shell Pasta which consisted of linguini, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, lobster tail, roasted tomato basil sauce. It seemed a little overpriced at $26.95, but he did really enjoy his lobster tail. Here's where I can only give the meal three stars in what would have otherwise been a four star experience. I ordered the grilled filet mignon because I was still craving that steak. I should have ordered the Mahi or the Tuna being at a seafood place. But I didn't. And I really did not enjoy my meal. The roasted shallot demi glaze did not add to my filet mignon at all. I could see putting it on a lesser cut of meat (maybe), but i didn't get to taste the actual meat at all. And I didn't enjoy the taste of the glaze one bit. The asparagus was also a bit bland, but the mashed potatoes which I'm not usually even a big fan of were pretty good. I would certainly return to order some fish, but this is not a place to order the filet mignon. read more

Absolutely, love this place. My family and I, come here frequently and the food is always amazing.

My family and I had a reservation for 4 on Saturday afternoon. The hostess looked stressed, but she was pleasant and we were seated within 8 minutes of arriving. We ordered 2 sodas, a glass of wine, and one draft (mine). Our server brought three drinks quickly, except mine. The keg (Devil's BB VL) had just cashed and it would be another minute or two. After ordering appetizers, I saw the manager and the server talking and then went over to mess with the bar taps...um, nervous about that... it takes two seconds to switch a keg. My dad had finished his glass of wine and the appetizers were being delivered (about 8-10 minutes post drink order) - I asked the runner to just have them cancel my beer and bring me a glass of Pinot noir. The runner (hostess) brought my wine immediately. When the server came to ask how the apps were, she said nothing about my beer...what I had really wanted... she did , however, ask and refill my dad's wine. Hmm... I had the blackened mahi mahi with spinach and coconut rice. The fish was cooked perfectly...but was unsalted as were the rice and spinach. The mango salsa was very good. My mom had the stuffed lobster which she said was great. My brother had a pasta Del Mar (not sure of the name but that's basically what it was) and he said it was good. I tried his pasta, not the seafood, and while the sauce was very much to my taste, the pasta was over cooked. My dad had the crab pasta, which had minimal crab. We had looked before he had started and frankly, I agree. I'll give that crab can be small pieces, but...yeah, no crab to be seen. We told our server and she pointed and said the pieces were broken up, but she came back and said he could have a free dessert. At this point, my wine and my Mom's coke was gone and there was no offer to refill... So I'm ALL about ordering dessert. I feel like it's the cherry on top of the meal. Very few people order dessert so I feel if you pay attention to dessert, you're not just trying to scratch an itch. It says something about your quality. Almost everywhere I go I order it, and if you have key lime pie, that's what I'm ordering (I consider myself becoming something of a connoisseur now). But that's what my parents wanted. So my bro and I split the brownie and I knew I'd just have a bite or two. The brownie was hot with vanilla ice cream, although it was truly more like cake. It was good. Not outrageous, but still good. But it scratched an itch. Before I could even try their pie, my parents had each taken their bites. The just looked at me (remember: I love KLP...they know this). It wasn't a good look. They said it tasted like cheesecake. ...huh??...I had my bite and it made sense. It was everything it was supposed to be...just without the lime. Seriously. My mom told the server and she was surprised. I told her to go try it immediately, no lie - no lime. My parents had finished it, so I can see why she'd be skeptical, but I was bummed for them. It was not good. At the end, they comped the pasta from the check, but I left wanting more. Not more food, just wishing the whole experience had been more. It was a cute place and it really could be great. My dad said he'd been there several times before and it HAD been great. This time not so much for him... or me. read more

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Quick 'n' dirty: Good seafood. Meh menu fillers (which contained good seafood). I was in a group of four, so there was a broad amount to try and make this judgment from (in other words, I'm not speaking from one dish error). The problem was that the pastas weren't good seafood/pasta dishes; they were a decent pasta dish put next to good seafood dishes. They were well prepared - but the components didn't NEED each other to make the dish. It was pasta with seafood ON it, not IN it. If anyone involved with prep reads this: am I right? Because everything involved was good - but my personal order felt like the pasta was a side, not the dish. Tasty seafood was carefully produced - and then someone decided to put some pasta on the plate first. Plus side: Everything which was solely seafood was 'good' or better. Chowder? Fine. Fish? Sure. I'll stop trying to expand on the concept of "worthwhile". Summary: it's a good seafood restaurant. Order just the seafood. read more

This is one of those gorgeous restaurants with so much potential that nobody seems to ever lock down. I've seen different chefs, cooks, and managers pass through here almost weekly and never get it right. The bar is great, the service is amazing, and the atmosphere is perfect. Unfortunately the food is on both ends of the spectrum. The mussels and tuna are great, I usually just order those two appetizers and sit at the bar to talk to Christie (very attractive fun bartender). On the few occasions I have ordered entrees I was disappointed. Especially the all you can eat crab legs. They were overcooked and tasted freezer burnt. I could barely eat 1 hand since they were so awful tasting. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for a casual, sit down with a bottle of wine and some mussels place, but nothing more. read more

We went here on a relatively slow night. It also happened to be Lobster night as well. This was my first time to Richmond and I will definitely come he again when I return. The staff was courteous and knowledgeable. They have a good selection of craft beers and wines. We had some shellfish. They were definitely fresh and very tasty. The lobster was also very good. read more

Our waitress was exceptional. We ordered the fries, crab cakes, scallops (flavorful) and lobster dip (very good) appetizers. The main entrees the Seabass was not all that tasty, my filet mignon was over cooked and my lobster was beyond mushy ... $200 later plus tip, not sure I would try again read more

After a long weekend of wedding festivities my mother and I stopped by late afternoon. We missed lunch and it was too early for dinner. We got the light fare/bar menu. We ordered a lobster cheese dip with homemade tortilla chips, a crabcake appetizer and a scallop appetizer. I loved the cheese dip. My mother thought it was too cheesy, but she is a seafood purist. I, on the other hand, can't get enough cheese in my diet, so it was scrumptious to me. The scallop was cooked perfectly! The crabcake was flavorful. The appetizers are bite size, so don't go expecting a huge crabcake. They give you three small cakes. We had a couple of drinks. They were good. I wish they had the full menu. I guess I'll have to come back for lunch or dinner to get the full dining experience. It is a bit pricey, so beware. read more

I see why this is only 3.5 stars total. Got seated. Water. Ordered. Went to wash my hands. Looked like somebody refilled the soap dispenser with water. Blow dry. Ugh those things are gross. Guess I'll make sure to use silverware (germophobe) when the fish and chips show up. Fish was meh. Hot but not crispy. Oily. Tartar sauce was double meh. Would have rather had Heinz from a jar. Pickled red cabbage side was ok. Still bland French fries were ok. Guess it was cheap enough. Maybe the raw expensive items are better. (Limited by our per diem) I wouldn't think to go back. read more

Excellent fresh seafood. Wonderful surprise was the cucumber melon soup...two members of our party really enjoyed the cool change on the hot summer day. She crab soup was hearty enough for a lite dinner by itself...if you couple with a cold beer, which they had plenty of choice. This is great location and really a great find on our recent trip to RVA Will be back soon read more

This place is freaking fantastic. It is clean and classy. You can dine inside or outside on their adorable patio. Our waitress was kind, sweet and good at her job. We ordered the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer; we were pleasantly surprised at the size of the shrimp! My husband got the crab cakes, which were absolutely delicious. I got the pan roasted chicken which was also fantastic. The waitress talked us into desert. We got the carrot cake and the chocolate torte with raspberry sauce. The cakes were a little dry to our liking. They are massive slices of cake and we wished we would have shared one. We didn't finish either slice. We were only in Richmond two nights and I wished we would have gone back the second night!! read more

I wanted a classy, local RVA restaurant serving seafood and ended up here on a Saturday night. Please note although you can make dinner reservations on opentable before 5pm, this place doesn't start serving dinner until 5pm. My party ordered fresh seafood appetizers which were good and the Mahi Mahi, scallops, and steak/shrimp. The food was well seasoned and nicely plated with a long strand of hair!! Oh no, oh yes hair!!!!! When I pointed it out to my server , he took my plate and returned with the same food on a wet plate. For this service and $150+ tab they get two stars. I will not return here unless it's only for drinks at the bar since the chefs in the back do not wear hair nets. read more

If I could give this place 6 stars I would! My husband and I went here for dinner last night and it was perfect. We sat outside, had a super sweet server, and stuffed ourselves with a bunch of delicious food. We split the wedge salad, I had the crab pasta, my husband had the lobster pasta and we had the cheesecake for dessert. I'm not kidding when I say that crab pasta was the best pasta dish I've ever had in my life. So much flavor, a good portion size and a generous amount of crab meat. We were equally pleased with the amount of the bill - less than $90. That meal would have gone for $150 easily in NYC. Bottom line: HIGHLY recommended! read more

Food was pretty good but the main course, their special, was a little under seasoned. The She Crab soup was delicious as was the scallop appetizer. Service was very attentive and the outdoor seating area was comfortable. read more

The Hard Shell - Hibachi filet & shrimp. - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Had a wonderful Easter brunch at 11 am. Traditional breakfast favorites to wonderful entrees, all reasonably priced. Our steaks were cooked perfectly - medium rare. Scrambled eggs were light and fluffy. All items were served hot! Excellent decaf coffee. Very good service. We were here in October for our daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner - great meal and night! This restaurant will surprise you with very good food, drinks, good ambiance and quality service. Thank you Hard Shell! read more

I have eaten at this place many times. Usually part of the meal is good but another isn't. Same thing this time. The appetizers were all great. Especially the Calamari. But for my entree I ordered the grilled shrimp and scallops for the first time. What I got was a big scoop of sticky rice over a bed of cabbage and seaweed salad along with 2 shrimp and 2 medium sized scallops. They placed either a shrimp or scallops on each side of the plate. Just enough shrimp and scallops to be able to use the plural form on the menu. read more

Such a great experience! Food, service, ambiance and it wasn't overpriced. We went on a Monday night which is 'lobster night'. Couldn't have been more pleased with everything. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and can't wait to go back soon! read more

The Hard Shell - Lobster tail and a crab cake! Delicious - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

My first time here. My best friend had her birthday dinner here. The food and service was excellent. I ordered the salmon with soy ginger butter with Brussel sprouts and roasted potatoes. I must say the Brussel sprouts were the best I've had! Everybody else in her party enjoyed their food as well. Definitely going back again! Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because there was a big work group that came in and they got hammered and were kind of loud. read more

The Hard Shell - Salmon, Brussel sprouts, roasted potatoes and soy ginger butter - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I came here since a friend of mine was moving out and this was close to his apartment. The atmosphere of the place is great along with a great bar but my main concern was with the food. I had ordered a NY Strip with crab meat on top, however it was way over cooked when I asked for a medium rare. After a refire, they came back with a similar looking dish but it was no longer a NY Strip but a Ribeye which also was missing the beurr blanc. As someone who was already hungry, I did not notice until about the 3rd bite. The main issue is the fact that I was charged a NY Strip even though I did not get to eat said meat. This is a cheap tactic for unsuspecting guests who would not realize the difference. Unfortunately, for them, I am a professional chef and have knowledge about different cuts of meats. If it were not the drinks and atmosphere, this place would only get a one star. read more

My wife and I went to the Hard Shell last night for our anniversary. Over all it was a good experience but it differently had some things that could have gone better. The serves was really slow. We probably waited more than ten minutes if not fifteen. By the time our waiter come we had already decided on appetizers and the main course. I got the house Manhattan, which was good but again it took forever to drink to come out. Appetizers we got the oyster sampler and the potstickers. Both were great! I also got the She Crab soup. It was good but very lite of the the crab which seemed to be tossed on the soup before it as served. For dinner my wife got the lobster tail simply grilled dinner and I got the filet and lobster tail. I had asked for the filet to be cooked medium but it come out pretty much well done. Each come with three pieces of asparagus and mashed potatoes. For dessert we shared an order of the cheese cake which was really good. I tried the bourbon Hot toddy and my wife got dark continent. Both were good. The wait to take the order and then we waited again to get the check plus the over cooked filet hit our experience. read more

I've started traveling to Richmond for work quite a bit...I Loved The Hard Shell so much, I'm going back tonight! Last time I went, I posted my review while I was there...the manager saw it, thanked me and comped my dessert...Awesome experience. read more

Came here from out of town for a birthday dinner. The ambiance was perfect outdoors with the sound of trains shuffling back and forth, around the corner - if you don't like trains, avoid sitting outside. The drink service was a little slow outside. Big party indoors apparently. Oysters were spot on and fresh but the crackers were mostly broken and we could only get 4 packs of crackers at a time. The lobster dip was very good. The salmon was excellent and pasta was delicious although the lobster had to be peeled off by hand and this was no easy task being soaked in butter. Dessert was great. Overall a very nice place but not a 5 star experience. read more

We enjoyed a relaxing, delicious dinner with friends. First time in a long time we were able to enjoy our drinks before our entrée's arrived, no rush. Great atmosphere. Delicious grouper special. Why are the garlic crackers so delicious? read more

The Hard Shell - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The best fried oysters in town! And the shrimp cocktail is wonderful too. They serve delicious seafood and steak entrees that are consistently excellent. I usually have the crab cakes but I enjoyed the shrimp and grits tonight. Others had salmon and a T-bone steak. It has a lovely ambience and nice decor. Service is excellent! Highly recommend! Seafood critique is from a Baltimore crab cake snob! read more

Excellent dinner....food and service by Greg could not have been better. Oysters, crab cakes, and blackened mai were all prepared by the professionals in the kitchen. Can't wait to go back :) read more

Love it when Yelp reviews live up to real life. She crab soup has depth. The lobster pasta with mushrooms and a truffle cream sauce made me close my eyes so I could savor the flavors. Nice presentation with tall on top.Yummm read more

Food was amazing, just moved here summer 2019 I can truthfully say this is one of my favorite restaurants I ate at

Our server, Brian, seemed rushed. Barely heard what we had to say before rushing off. Seemed to be more attentive to others. The ceviche was just ok, pretty heavy on the lime. The crab cakes were just ok. The creme brulee was eggy and the consistency was not smooth but more like tapioca. The imperial margarita was the highlight, which is pretty sad. read more

Very friendly staff. Delicious food, definitely coming back again to try other stuff on the menu! read more

The Hard Shell - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It was our 16th wedding anniversary so we decided to give Hard Shell a try. We had the fried oyster app which was very tasty. My hubby and I got the New York strip medium rare. My son ordered the ribeye. For the price we had high expectations. Unfortunately, the steaks were average portions, very chewy and hard to cut. They were cooked properly so I can only assign the issue to meat quality. They were also bland. I usually don't want steak sauce and believe a properly seasoned and cooked steak does not need any. I asked for steak sauce, only to be told the only option was a demi-glaze. The demi-glaze added flavor but who wants to dip their steak in gravy? I left a lot of meat on the plate that I simply couldn't cut through because of grizzle. My sons ribeye was quite fatty. The sides were good. The atmosphere and service were great. I was disappointed with the steak. read more

Food was great. Healthy and fresh. Quite and nice place. Kids liked it as well. Service is excellent! read more

Crab bisque was mediocre. Very runny with no thickness and barely any crab taste. Shrimp quesadillas were on point though very messy and difficult to eat. Sat on patio where we were swarmed by flies. May try again inside and skip soup. read more

Went in during off hour. Very reasonably priced with excellent staff. Our wait person suggested the lobster pasta, as I was leaning toward lobster. Perfect. Lovely wild mushrooms, Parmesan, cracked pepper, angel hair pasta, lobster tail. Lovely presentation and taste. Excellent bread. No, we do not usually eat like this and it was a lovely, tasty break from gf. Can't say enough about the gracious staff. We'll be back. read more

I have been visiting this part of Richmond for years and have never tried the Hard Shell until this past weekend. We have heard negative things about the food and service so we usually skipped it. Gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised. Service was great and food was on point. I noticed most of the negative reviews were from a year or two ago. Maybe new management? Either way, it was good. I had the filet and my wife had the Mahi-Mahi. Both were great! read more

In town for work and stopped here for lunch. It was not overly busy but our server did had 3 tables. He was still very attentive. Now to the food - the absolute best Brussel sprouts I have ever tasted in my life. If you think you don't like Brussel sprouts, have them here and your mind will definitely be changed! Entrees were fish tacos and pecan crusted salmon - both were great! Grabbed their chocolate pecan pie and an Irish coffee. The coffee was strong and the pie was amazing. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

The Hard Shell - Fish tacos, pecan crusted salmon (with the best Brussel sprouts ever!) - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Great lunch spot with a fabulous patio for when it's nice out! I had the California Club and everything was perfect, service was spot-on. I will be back with clients for sure! read more

The first post I've been motivated to write. Have eaten here at least 4 times to cement my position of "underwhelmed". Food is good, but...portions are small, drinks are very lightly poured, and staff is only moderately engaged. I will eat here again when I want seafood, but I will order more on the front end and moderate my expectations. read more

Excellent! Happy hour drink & food specials are excellent! Had the mimosas & oysters! The bomb!!!!