2/21/2020, 5:33PM, Table 61, Server: Taylor G...Escorted directly to awesome table out on the heated porch...wonderful decor and ambiance. Taylor was a true professional, couldn't have orchestrated a finer dinner with such outstanding service. My Wife opted for one of the night's specials - swordfish...and I had the menu Hard Shell Pasta dish. Appetizer was the best calamari served with three accompanying sauces. Drinks were an Aleworks Brown Ale and Chateau St Michelle Reisling. Entrees superb....perfect pasta with clams, mussels, lobster tail, scallops and shrimp. Swordfish was melt in your mouth. Finished it off with the BEST Creme Brûlée I have ever had. It was the best dining hour we've had in a long time. Total for the dinner was $105.34 which was fine dining at one of my top ten restaurants so far.More

After a very poor experience at a restaurant right up the street, we came to The Hard Shell where we were greeted and served promptly at the bar and shown to our table before we could even clear our tab. Our bubbly server CHRISTY was...outstanding and more than made up for our earlier evening experience. The food was plentiful and very good. The fried oysters were outstanding.as was the she crab soup.More

We spent two days in Richmond and this was, by far, our best eating experience. After parking in the parking structure opposite, we just happened across The Hard Shell and immediately thought from its layout and the menu that it would be a contender for...dinner. On our second evening we reserved a table for 8pm and were warmly welcomed at the door. It was not a busy evening and we selected a table and ordered a couple of cocktails. The menu was varied with several dishes that I would have enjoyed. I began with a plate of assorted oysters which were cold, very fresh and 2 of the 3 types were delicious (the 2 from Chesapeake). I followed this by lobster pasta, a large dish with the lobster served in a mushroom-truffle cream sauce. It was very rich but I thoroughly enjoyed the decadence. We drank a bottle of Frog’s Leap Chardonnay which accompanied all dishes perfectly. Great ambience, comfortable chairs and friendly service made this our pick of Richmond eateries. We also enjoyed an excellent IPA at Billy Jack’s Shack, conveniently located next door!More

This location does not have a separate listing in Trip Advisor, so I'm combining my review with the Shockoe Slip location also owned by the Richmond Restaurant Group. I had the Snow Crab Combo, with all the shellfish steamed to perfection. The House Salad was...large enough for two which we shared. My wife had the Simply Grilled Tuna ordered one knotch below medium rare and it was perfect. The veggies were broccolini and they allowed a substitute of asparagus (crunchy, which she likes) with no upcharge. The key lime pie with graham cracker crust had the correct amount of tartness and the best I have had outside of Florida. Iced tea could not be better. The waitress was Sydney and a true asset to the dining experience. As a native Richmonder, I feel I now have found the best Seafood restaurant in Richmond. Will return.More

My daughter chose this restaurant for her birthday dinner. She is a Richmond resident and I drove in from out of town. I made the reservation through Open Table and noted that it was her birthday. We were immediately seated upon arrival, choosing a booth....The dining area was attractive and comfortable. Our server was attentive and offered several suggestions. We had the baked oysters for our appetizer. I had a salad and calamari, both were large servings and nicely prepared. The Hard Shell pasta my daughter had was amazing! It was loaded with perfectly cooked seafood. We were offered a complimentary cheesecake slice for dessert. All staff was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed our celebration.More

Awful service, mediocre food, overly priced food in a cute little place. Our waiter, Pierce, was never around. He didn’t give us a chance to ask for a knife when the entrée was served, so we just shared one knife for two of us. No...extra bread, no offer to order another glass of wine, no offer to have dessert. The food was mediocre, the sliders were dry, and, of course, we couldn’t find Pierce to ask for ketchup or hot sauce. The only superb dish was the burrata salad. The last straw came when they insisted on 20% tip. I indicated on the receipt only 15%, and wrote the total in clear, big numbers. They still charged the full 20%. We had chosen this restaurant because none of the others had available space. Now we know why. CONCLUSION: Awful service, mediocre food at quite high prices and untrusty management – Pick another place!More

Excellent food and drink. Pleasently surprised to find in a strip mall.definitely will be back excellent prices and happy hour