23rd & Main

After another hour-​long struggle to find a place with decent gluten-​free options that we hadn’t already been to a million times, my husband and I decided to check out 23^rd & Main. Parking was a major pain. After what seemed like 20 minutes, we finally found a spot on E Grace, which seems like your best bet, and we enjoyed the walk and very much needed it after our meal.
The atmosphere at 23 & Main is pretty chill and laid back. The inside has a marked pub-​y, almost speakeasy-​like feel – very dim, yellow, retro-​looking pendant lighting and lots of seating. The layout seemed a bit choppy, but very spacious. I’m not a fan of this whole overly dim restaurant lighting trend, so I was grateful for the patio. The indoor lighting would’ve no doubt hurt my eyes. The terrace was enclosed, super chic, and felt like you were chillin’ out in the backyard of a close friend. The feel was very intimate, but also very loud, so don’t expect a quiet date night. You’ll have to yell a bit, but I didn’t mind. There were different levels in the terrace, making it ideal for large parties. If you use the exit by the open kitchen, however, watch those stairs. They’re awkwardly wide and a bit hard to judge coming down. I’d think it wouldn’t take much alcohol or not paying attention to misstep and fall coming down.
Service here was EXCELLENT. The waiter was super friendly, fun, and helpful; and she came to check on us just the right amount. The food is new American, high-​end pub style, focusing on sandwiches and thick gourmet burgers made from good cuts of meat and gourmet fries, along with a few other entrée options. As an app, my husband ordered the mussels, which I generally don’t care much for anywhere. These, however, were very good. They were cooked in a simple, rustic sauce of coarsely crushed fresh tomato, garlic, and basil with wine. The wine took out that strong flavor that I don’t like in mussels. The sauce was perfect for sopping up with bread. I would’ve loved to have had a gluten-​free roll to do that with, but I just ate it like soup because it was so fresh and delish!
What impressed me here was that they were able to make almost the entire menu gluten-​free and do so without sacrificing taste or quality. They even offered a wide array of naturally gluten-​free desserts like crème brûlée and Bailey’s flourless chocolate cake. For our entrees, I ordered the mushroom burger, and my husband ordered the red eye (bacon and egg) because he’s a sucker for a good runny egg on anything, especially a burger. When I asked what the best-​selling burger was, the waitress mentioned the red eye and maybe the Tobacco Road. I should’ve gone with one of those because my burger, although enjoyable, was quite bland. My husband said the red eye was awesome, but the salt in the patty would’ve been an issue if it didn’t have bacon. I just couldn’t put enough salt, and I never add extra salt to my food. Even with the mayo and ketchup, I was shaking extra salt on every bite. I couldn’t taste the mushroom at all, and the cheese was pretty bland too. I did still enjoy the burger though. The gluten-​free bun was wonderful! It was soft and tender and was very close to the texture of real, wheat-​based bread. The garlicky mayo was ridiculous! I could’ve eaten that stuff by the spoon! The pickles were delish too. I could’ve taken more of those on the side. They seemed house-​made and were super zesty and bursting with flavor.
Now, on to what sounded like they’d be life-​changing fries. The parmesan truffle fries were a bit of a bust for me. I enjoyed them, but in spite of the toppings, not because of them. They were too salty, the parmesan was overwhelming, the honey was bland and imperceptible, and the flavor seemed unbalanced to me. It was missing something, and I feel like garlic and better honey would’ve really set this off and balance out the saltiness to make it a pro and not a con. A good, flavorful honey would’ve really set this off, but the honey looked and tasted like the inexpensive, almost clear stuff and had no taste at all, not even sweet, but certainly not of honey. The actual fries themselves were really great fries, but I definitely wouldn’t order the topped ones again.
After my stressful search, I’m glad that we found 23^rd & Main. It was cool to see how much that area has changed, and I was surprised to see that most of my bookmarked restaurants were right around the corner. It looks like, these days, if you want to grab a bite but don’t know where to go, just park in the vicinity and wander around. This is wonderful news for me. Although 23^rd & Main wasn’t a hit out of the park for me for a few reasons – inconsistent flavor quality (some items great, others okay) and bathrooms that appeared to not have been cleaned in at least a week, judging by the filth-​coated sink – I will definitely return and try new items in the future.

SUNDAY DATE NIGHT REVIEW
Roommate and I fell in love with their Sunday Date Night special. For $ 28.95, you get (to split) an appetizer, a salad, a pizza, and a dessert.
We had:
Mezza ($ 10): Hummus, artichoke hearts, tzatziki, giardiniera vegetables spiked with sumac & served with feta cheese & flatbread
Vineyard ($ 10): Arcadian greens with fresh grapes, julienned apples, buttermilk bleu crumbles (we substituted goat cheese), sun-​dried cranberries, & candied pecans
Carnivore ($ 14): Tomato sauce, sweet Italian sausage, capicola, Genoa salami, proscuitto, pepperoni & mozzarella
Flourless Chocolate Torte ($?): with strawberry coulis
We were very very impressed by the portions and quality of each. The salad was positively huge! The ingredients were well sourced and fresh. I had been to 23^rd & Main for their $ 5 burger night before, but wan’t super impressed with the burger. Everyone agreed that the burger was pretty flavorless and not very juicy. The salads and pizzas though, I definitely recommend. We’ll be returning for Sunday Date Night for sure! There are still many more things on the menu that I’d like to try, and it’s hard to beat 4 courses for $ 14.50 each!

Always great service! I live in the neighborhood and I can always count on 23^rd to be delicious and quick! Great staff with front and back of the house.

We came here for Sunday Brunch for Memorial Day holiday weekend and we really enjoyed the business. We enjoyed it so much we have returned three times with friends. The waitressing staff is amazing. One is a full time teacher who is friendly, attentive and personable. Another staff member works in DC during the week for a mentoring organization. She was a dynamic server. The waffle /​friend chicken was so good we took it home for left overs. The prices are modest, the ambiance relaxing, and they demonstrate their appreciation for our patronage.
Excellent place

Just had the soft shell crab sandwich on special. Delicious! This is my 2^nd visit, the salad and dressings are my fav!

I came here during lunch with my boyfriend. His boyfriend’s burger was cooked a perfect medium, but the meat itself was bland and would have benefited from a good pinch of salt and pepper. The fries were an additional $ 2 and they served them in a cute little fry basket – nothing really unique about the fries themselves though. I got the lamb French dip sandwich which was good, but not really worth the $ 14 in my opinion.
Overall, this place was a little too pricey for a quick lunch in my opinion. The food, though good, wasn’t stellar enough to justify the price point.

After numerous visits the food is always great (Honey Parmesan truffle fries are a-​maz-​ing) and the staff is super friendly. The outdoor patio is a great spot but inside is cozy too. I haven’t had a bad experience yet.

The weather was wonderful for patio dining, the truffle fries were excellent and the tuna tacos were fantastic: I loved the use of seared Ahi tuna instead of the traditional blackened or grilled fish. Very pleasant experience.

Food here is amazing. We eat here when we are in the city and hands down THE best burger around! The pizza is top notch as well. Come to think of it, we have really enjoyed everything thar we have tried.
To sum it up… eat here and you won’t be disappointed.

I got the mezza for my starter & fish n chips for my entrée. I was able to substitute the regular fries for the honey truffle parm fries for only a couple dollars. My brother got the tuna tacos & my mom got the gluten free white pizza. Everyone enjoyed their food & we loved our waitress Mollie! She is totally awesome, very attentive, & experienced. Must go here! I will be back to try something new on the menu :)

I love the pizza and happy hour from 5pm until 7pm. Bryan and Megan are the best. The fries are amazing and only fried I will eat. I really can’t get enough of this place. I love bumping into the locals. I tell everyone about it. You have to try it out.

Good food, good service. I definitely recommend this place if you are in the area. One of my favorite spots. It can be a little pricey, but worth it.

Awesome service solid food!!! Amazing beer selection of micro beer. Kudos to Erica on her great service and beer knowledge!
Went back still amazing !! Thank you Erika for recommending the green beans!!! Awesome!
This sweet neighborhood spot continues to be my go to! Consistently great food and fantastic service!

The honey parmesean fries were way too overloaded with cheese. The bacon on our burgers was super salty. The price of the food did not match the quality by any means. The establishment itself is quite small with only a few tables and a few chairs at the bar top. This seems like a place that regulars come to after work to grab a drink. I heard their brunch isn’t bad so maybe I’ll try again for that.

The honey parmesean fries were way too overloaded with cheese. The bacon on our burgers was super salty. The price of the food did not match the quality by any means. The establishment itself is quite small with only a few tables and a few chairs at the bar top. This seems like a place that regulars come to after work to grab a drink. I heard their brunch isn’t bad ol so many I’ll try again for that.

This place has a great happy hour! I came here on a whim with my boyfriend and some friends. It took awhile to get service, but I think that was due to confusion between the waiters. Other than that, the drinks and food were great. I’d definitely go back again.

Great selection of beers on draft, food was fresh and amazing. We got the Pizzas, they were inventive and were perfect. Staff especially Molly was friendly and informative, and the outdoor patio was a wonderful atmosphere. Will definitely make this a favorite place to visit since moving to the church hill area.

I came in here around 830 on a Wednesday evening. It was practically empty in the bar area so I was seated and ordered right away. I ordered the mussels appetizer and an arugula salad. The appetizer came at the same time as the entrée, which I thought a little strange, but whatever. In any case, neither was very good. The mussels were really fishy and the salad was extremely bitter/​acidic. It came with pickled onions so that was probably it, but it didn’t do it for me as the flavor was overwhelming.
I also think they must have been understaffed or something because there seemed to be no wait staff in the bar area (the patio seemed fairly busy so my guess is that they were out there?). My water glass was empty for most of the meal and when my salad came out with cheese (I asked for none and didn’t notice it was on the salad until she walked away) it took a long time for anyone to come back to check on me; as in I was done with the mussels and just waiting.
Overall, I found the food to be less than stellar and the service was slow for what seemed like a slow night.

Cute, modern pub. Decent beer selection, very friendly server and good food. If we’d been in a hurry, we might have been a tad bit frustrated with the service (it took a long time to get a sample of one of the beers on tap, for example) but since we were enjoying a leisurely lunch it was no issue for us. Fish tacos were tasty! Would definitely come back again when in Richmond.

The pretzel appetizer was excellent. The mezza platter was good too although a little
Light on hummus for the amount of pita.
However, they constantly tried to bring us food for another table.
Truffle fries and fries served with burgers were cold.
Pizza
Was served cold with cheese congealed.
Shredded chicken added to salad was a
Little odd, like too small … But it was real
Chicken, not processed .
Overall would not go back unless I wanted some pretzels to go.

This is one of my FAVORITE places to eat in RVA! Located near Shockoe Bottom. Great food, great drinks, great service and reasonable prices! Please try the Parmesan honey truffle fries (Oh. My. God) they are to die for. Also, the Chesapeake pizza is amazing! Definitely recommend this to all my friends!

After apartment hunting and a long day at work my girlfriend and I decided to try this on recommendation from the property manager at American Cigar. First of all, one of the nicest bars I’ve seen in a long time. The bartender was not only attentive but actually gave us great info on the neighborhood. As for the food… we ordered the truffle fries and I don’t think I can ever taint my pallette again with any oth we fry. The drinks were great and even the crowd was awesome. This place may have just sealed our decision on where we want to move. It’s that good!

My family and I decided to give 23^rd and Main a try on Valentine’s Day. I’d read so many great reviews about it and was more than thrilled to try out their brunch on this special day. The vibe of the restaurant is very young, hip Shockhoe. It’s small, but we were comfy in our snug corner table. There were lots of folk enjoying their victuals and libations at the bar and I believe there’s more seating in the far back of the restaurant. So, there wasn’t a wait to be seated, which was fantastic considering it was a 30 degrees cold kind of day.
Overall, the food was palatable, but it didn’t offer the «WOW» that so many folks raved about in their reviews. The server was wonderful, but he got our orders wrong. Also, when my partner and I ordered mimosas, it came in a bulky glass instead of a wine or champagne glass and the quality of the juice in the mimosas was way off. It was definitely not freshly squeezed, but tasted expired. O. k
I’d take non freshly squeezed juice in my mimosa, just make sure it is quality fresh, not funky fresh. My daughter who loves yogurt, didn’t finish her yogurt with fruit dish because it had a sour taste. The chicken and waffles special was pretty good, but we’ve had better (in ATL and LA). For the amount of money we paid, I expected more than what was delivered. I won’t discourage other folks from trying it out, but I don’t know that I’ll return for brunch.

I’ve been here a few times, never for breakfast, until now. I ordered the Scottish egg and my husband ordered the the special which was chicken and waffles. My breakfast was hands down the best breakfast I’ve had in Richmond! So if you’re nervous about ordering something that may be out of your comfort zone a little bit, don’t be when ordering the Scottish egg! My husband Also loved his breakfast too, it had an odd pairing of strawberries on top but very delicious. Meghan was our server and she was the sweetest and very attentive and informative. She deserves recognition amongst the staff. I almost rated 4 stars due to the wait of our food but then they took my drink order off the check with out me mentioning it, what great customer service! I will be coming back all the time to order this again!

Decided to take my mom here last night when she was in town visiting because it’s in walking distance to my apt. What a great place! It’s a smaller restaurant but inside it has a very warm and cozy atmosphere. We went during happy hour and they had a couple of special cocktails as well as a very large beer and wine list. I ordered a hurricane which was good and my mom got a local beer. For entrees my mom got a California burger which she said was delicious and I got a Porky Fig pizza. I can’t tell you the depth of my love for my dinner. It was absolutely delicious! Like mind blowingly delicious!!! The only reason they got 4 stars was because our waitress seemed to disappear after we got out food and we had to flag someone else down for boxes and to pay but the service up until then was stellar.

The dining experience at 23^rd & Main was one of the best I’ve had recently, I’d highly recommend getting there ASAP.
The Service —
Huge shoutout to Doug who may be the very best server I’ve ever had at any restaurant. His friendly attitude and stellar recommendations, plus his constant attentive service made the entire night awesome.
The Food —
Started with the truffle honey fries at the strong urging of Doug. He didn’t lead us astray because they were delicious! Cheese on each layer and not too much honey… also came in a huge portion (definitely plenty for more than two people… whoops). For mains, I ordered the chimichurri chicken and my girlfriend ordered the Diavolo pizza and both were awesome. Again, great portion sizes (especially the pizza) that provided some leftovers. Finished up with the flourless chocolate cake and it was also a huge win. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would eat all these things agin.
The Drinks —
Had a flight of 6, all selected with the expertise of Doug. Loved each and every one of them! Girlfriend ordered the ‘Sweet Stella’ and proclaimed it was the best drink she’s ever had.
Overall, just awesome. Can’t wait to come back!

Good food. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. The lamb French dip is amazing. The truffle fries left something to be desired. They were good but I couldn’t taste the truffle and were pricey. Overall it’s a cool neighborhood bar & restaurant. Good place to stop for a beer and hang out with you friends.

Were here late at night after food service closed down. But bartender was friendly and they had a lot on tap. Great location. Very modern décor. I will be back for dinner. Oh-​great outdoor patio one of the better I have seen downtown.

Oh I love this place.
The servers and bar tenders are so great and the food is amazingly
Ambiance? Relaxed and classy but not pretentious.
—Random loves—
*Dog friendly patio
*Gluten free options
*Portions only Americans understand — GOOD portions
*Great specials
*Beer flights
*Not just parmesan fries… Parmesan truffle and honey fries!!!

We had a party of 10 for lunch and they were wonderful in accommodating us for the 2 hours we were there. The whole space is really attractive. I ordered the Forestiere burger (mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic aioli, Swiss), which I wholeheartedly recommend. You can’t go wrong with any burger here, really. No one was disappointed with their food. We also polished off 3 orders of truffle fries! Our server was attentive and even took a group photo for us in the court yard. Street parking was not an issue. I would love to come back for brunch.

I came here a couple of weeks ago to catch up with a friend who stated this was a solid spot for some good modern/​American food. It is located right in the middle of Shockoe Bottom, on the same block as Farm Fresh.
The vibe here is pretty chill and typical for the downtown area. We were promptly seated by the hostess and there are both indoor/​outdoor seating. Heard from a couple of people about the burgers so I decided to give one of them a try. I got the red eye burger (naked AKA no bun) which had a Sunnyside up egg, colby cheese and bacon. I asked for my burger to be cooked medium rare but it came out to be cooked a little more than I had wanted. The patty was juicy and fresh but had a lack of seasoning. The fries came out in this little fryer basked that looked really cool and actually tasted better than the burger.
My friend got one of their pizzas but when it came out it didn’t look like what he ordered but he still ate it anyways. he said it was okay and there was no meat on it which he thought there was but didn’t mention it to our waitress. The scene here is bustling with young professionals but the next time I am craving a good burger/​American food, I think I will look somewhere else.
Only street parking here folks but there are plenty within a couple of blocks.

My second visit, wife had the mussels… she loved them. We also shared the Italian meats and olive appetizers. Everything was very tastey and the beer selection is pretty good. Sat at the bar this time and the service was on point. Will definitely come back.

I lived quite close to 23^rd and Main (previously called Sette) and so I frequented – and still continue to do so – quite a bit. Whether you would want to pop in for a drink at their classic bar, grab a pizza to go, or sit out on their patio under the stars, every which way is nice. I honestly love their bar – it has all the staples and sits on a nice clean and simple display. Their beer selection is wonderful – crafty but not too crafty that everything tastes like chocolate or peach or espresso. Their pizza is truly great – Sette White is to die for. The waiters and waitresses are also always nice and personable. Out of all the times I’ve been there, I’ve never had a bad experience.
If the weather is nice, pop on over and sit outside on their deck area. Half priced wine nights are on Tuesday and Date Night specials are on Sunday. Can’t go wrong there!

Wonderful atmosphere and patio! Stopped in late at night while traveling and they had fast and friendly service. I had the tuna tacos-​a little fishy but if you’re ok with that, they are wonderful and tasty! My
Boyfriend had the jerk chicken with fries. His first bite contained something inedible :/​
That being said, he continued eating and said it was good! Overall, very good for patio seating and late dining. I would recommend!