Richmond Restaurant Tips by Krumlovgirl

The Sandwich Shop

This is quickly becoming a popular lunch destination for the working crowd in Richmond. From the wonderful selection of homemade soups, sandwiches, and desserts to its eclectic décor (a talking deer head and a creepy mannequin) it’s unlike anywhere else in town. The owners are great people (the wife does most of the cooking) and they will come out and have a chat with you during slow times. The only downside is that sometimes the portions aren’t of great size, but the food itself is yummy. So far I’ve had the grilled cheese, pimento cheese, soup beans, and clam chowder. I haven’t tried any of the desserts yet but they always sound good.

Address: 1417 Lexington Rd

Comparison: about average

Directions: Next to Gateway Food Store on West Main Street

Phone: (859) 626-5757

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Soup

Penn Station East Coast Subs

Along with Subway and Quiznos, this is one of the few places in town to buy subs and in my opinion, the best. Although the priciest, the bread is wonderful, the subs are warm and made fresh, and they have great lemonade. The fries are made on the spot (you can see the big tub of potatoes waiting to be peeled so they’re not frozen). Subs for two with fries and drinks run about $20 so it’s not a cheap meal, but it’s always very filling.

Address: 620 Eastern Bypass

Comparison: about average

Directions: In the same shopping center as Movie Warehouse, across from EW James.

Phone: (859) 623-9990

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.penn-station.com/locationsite.php?sitescityid=9

Tsing Tao: Support DowntownTsing Tao

There are actually quite a few Chinese restaurants in the area. Tsing Tao is my favorite for a couple of reasons. For one, obviously, the food is really good. I mostly stick with the lemon chicken which is served with pineapples and vegetables. Other people that I have dined with have raved over the sesame chicken and the sweet and sour pork. It’s never greasy or tastes like it has been setting all day like some of the Chinese food you can get here in town. The prices are reasonable and the service friendly. I also like it because it’s small and intimate and sometimes I don’t like to be in really loud and noisy places. The other reason I like it is because it’s located downtown on Main Street and I am always one for encouraging people to patronize downtown businesses. They also deliver if you don’t want to venture out for supper.

Note: photo taken by me

Address: 300 West Main Street

Comparison: about average

Phone: 624-0133

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Support Downtown-Parke Pastries

NO longer Nicholas' Donuts, but now park of Parke Bistro. Nicholas’ Donuts has been around for a long time. When I was young I used to walk there from our apartment everyday in the summer and get two chocolate donuts with my best friend. Oh, to have that metabolism back again! I like to support downtown restaurants and although this one is open at odd hours (they mostly close before noon) it is THE best place to get donuts in town. They’re all homemade and they have several different types. They also make bread and cakes to order. Since becoming part of the new place you can now order breakfast and lunch there as well.

Address: 213 W Main St

Comparison: least expensive

Phone: (859) 624-9885

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Bakery

Support Downtown-Silver Diner

Although you can’t fit more than a few people in here at a time and it’s a little grimy on first inspection, this is one of the most reasonably priced places in town to find great home-cooked food. On a recent visit we had two cheeseburgers, two orders of fries (the thick crinkly ones) biscuits and gravy, bacon, scrambled eggs, and three drinks for $14. Everything was freshly made and wonderful. The staff is very friendly and helpful and will deliver to downtown businesses.

Favorite Dish: The cheeseburgers here are great, as are the pork tenderlion sandwiches and salads. (Which are massive.) Breakfast is served all day but since they close at 3:00 pm, "all day" isnt very long and sometimes they run out of things.

Address: 115 E Water St

Comparison: least expensive

Phone: (859) 626-5165

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Diner

Casa Cafe 2

I am a much bigger fan of Casa Cafe than I am of it's twin, Casa Fiesta. I know way too many people who work at Casa Fiesta and have given me a heads up about the cleanliness level and there's no way I can return. Anyway, I have always thought that the food was better at Casa Cafe to begin with. It's a festive atmosphere on a smaller scale and on some nights they have live mariachi bands.

Favorite Dish: I really like their tostadas and enchiladas. They also do a mean fried ice cream and soapapillas, which also come with ice cream. For drinks, they make a good black and white Russian. Drink specials all week. Extremely reasonable in price.

Address: Big Hill Avenue

Comparison: least expensive

Phone: (859) 623-8582

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Mexican

Outback Steakhouse

It's a chain, but there are some things about this steakhouse that you just can't beat elsewhere. My favorite part of the meal is the brown bread that is served almost as soon as you set down. I usually go through several of these loaves. I also like the salads. Even though they use iceberg lettuce, I am not a a big fan of mixed greens in my salad. It's uncouth, but I like something that crunches, not something that looks like it came out of my weed heap after gardening. Sometimes I just go in and order a side salad and a baked potatoe. Mom really likes the baked sweet potatoe but I can't speak for that as I do not eat them. For the steak portion of the meal, the prime rib is good. Or you can't go wrong with the ribs. Eating here is one of those rare instances when I don't generally have room for desert.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Steakhouse

Arlington Country Club

Of course, you have to be a member in order to eat here, unless you have a friend who belongs. It's definitely the swankiest place place in town and belongs the to university. I prefer eating in the main dining room because it's more formal, but some people like the ratskeller for the exact opposite reason. At Christmas it's a great place to be because they go all out with the decorations.

Favorite Dish: My faves...For dinner I like the pasta dishes, mostly with marinara sauce. I also like their salmon and shrimp. They have wonderful desserts, too. The one I'm stuck on right now is a strawberry dish made of fresg strawberries, brandied cream, and whipped topping. They also have a fried apple pie that's popular, as well as precan rolls. (Vanilla ice cream rolled in pecans, topped with caramel, butterscotch, or chocolate sauce.) You can't really go wrong.

A new thing they have started in Pasta Night on Tuesday evenings. They have a pasta bar and cook everything right there in front of you. You can pick your pasta, sauces, and mix-ins. It's really good.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Part of the Arlington Golf Course.

Phone: 859-622-2200

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Taylor's Pool Hall & Billiards: Support Downtown-Taylor's

So everybody knows that Taylor’s has good burgers, fries, and other made to order fast food. BUT, a little known fact is that it inspired author Walter Tevis to write the book “The Hustler” which was later turned into a movie and starred Paul Newman. The author himself in buried in the Richmond Cemetery. Taylor’s is basically a little hole in the wall, but the burgers really are good. If you’re sensitive to smoke, however, it can get a little stuffy. When we go downtown to the bars we typically make a stop at Taylor’s before we do any drinking. The food can fill you up.

Note: photo taken by me

Address: 115 N 1st St

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: located across from the court house

Phone: (859) 623-9815

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Fast Food

Bob Evans

Bob Evans or Cracker Barrell…choices, choices. I like Bob Evans’ biscuits, but I like Cracker Barrell’s potato casserole and fried apples. Well, we have both here in Richmond. Bother are also right off the interstate so they stay pretty crowded. Still, if you’re in the mood for breakfast at 6:00 pm or have a hankering for biscuits and gravy then this is the place to be. The service is average but the food quality is consistent. I like their chicken fruit salad that they have in the spring and summer. It comes with chicken salad, but also has huge pieces of watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, pineapples, and strawberries. Their apple bread is also very good. Once again, after Sunday church services this is another place that can get crowded.

Note: Photo taken by me

Address: 2011 Colby Taylor Dr

Comparison: about average

Phone: (859) 624-8087

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: American