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The Hard Shell - Bellgrade, Midlothian, VA

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade

4.5 (2738)
$30 and under
Seafood
11400 W Huguenot Rd., Midlothian, VA 23113

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 41 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for happy hour
  • Neighborhood gem
Located in Midlothian, The Hard Shell Restaurant is known to locals as one of the best seafood restaurants in town. With a new fresh look; The Hard Shell features sleek booths, lots of light and a vibrant city feel. The Hard Shell has Richmond's widest variety of fresh and local seafood. Menu items include signatures such as filet and lobster, shrimp and scallops, lump crab cakes. Patio & indoor reservations are available . Please contact the restaurant for private dining requests. Dress is casual.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, American
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:30 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Chef Jeff Kolakowski
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    Midlothian
  • Cross street
    Huguenot and Robious Roads
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Entertainment
    Saturday Evenings 630pm to 930pm
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,738 people are saying

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Hard Shell - Bellgrade is celebrated for its "outstanding menu" and "excellent service," making it a top choice for locals. Patrons appreciate the diverse seafood offerings and commend the "delicious she-crab soup." While some note occasional service hiccups, the atmosphere remains "inviting," and the restaurant is praised for its "reasonable prices."
2,738 Reviews
  1. Jonaé

    Orlando / Central Florida East2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I had a great birthday dinner at The Hard Shell! The atmosphere was welcoming, clean, and comfortable. I got the Simply Prepared Shrimp with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli. It was delicious! I even loved that they gave a free dessert for my birthday! I picked the crème brûlée, which was delicious as well!

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  2. Russ VIP

    Virginia21 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was good but I was very disappointed with Hard Shell’s no substitutions policy. I don’t care for mashed potatoes and asked to sub russet potatoes and was told they would have to charge me for the russets as a separate side dish. I dropped $108 at this restaurant and they wouldn’t change the potatoes. Probably my last time there.

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  3. Ana

    Virginia3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Menu was outstanding as usual, we had cocktails “I don’t feel my legs “, delicious. She crap soup and the new soup was amazing flavored, Salmon and Loabster were perfect cooked and seasoning. Overall excellent experience, reception, waitress excellent as well! Our favorite restaurant in Midlothian! Thanks Guys you rock always!

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Richard

    Virginia8 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 25, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    Had our anniversary dinner at Hard Shell tonight. First, the crab soup lacked the requisite sherry or any seasoning at all and was just barely lukewarm cream, NOT hot!! However, the soup did have a decent amount of crab on top. Next issue was when I asked to substitute roasted potatoes for the whipped potatoes (both listed at $5.95 on the menu). I was told there would be a $5.95 UPCHARGE for the substitution of potatoes for potatoes!! I asked twice to clarify because I could not believe it. Lobster tail was decent albeit small. However, came with drawn butter and a lemon wedge NOT with their usual delicious citrus burre blanc sauce. Generic bread with dinner was served after requesting it, but with a $2.00 charge. We did receive a free dessert for our anniversary, but should not have selected the mediocre “brownie” with ice cream. We have been dining at The Hard Shell for many, many years and are quite disappointed with the mediocre food. We are disappointed that they appear to no longer value their patron’s dining experience.

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  5. Jen

    Virginia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great time celebrating my sons graduation!

    1 person found this helpful

  6. Suzan

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food. Plenty of choices. We enjoyed celebrating our anniversary.

    1 person found this helpful

  7. Neil VIP

    Virginia29 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely anniversary dinner. Delicious. Reasonable wine prices. Great service.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Michelle VIP

    Virginia12 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 15, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    I usually love this restaurant, however yesterday was NOT a great customer experience. The waitress was great, but we waited almost an hour before our entrees arrived. We placed our dinner order together with our appetizers. The appetizers arrived promptly. We were never given an explanation or an apology concerning the delay in receiving our meals. Several other guests just got up and left. Additionally, the menu stated Butter poached lobster tails, I only received one and three bites it was gone! Very disappointing! We were celebrating my Aunt’s 92 birthday!
    The Hard Shell - BellgradeResponded on May 16, 2025
    Thank you for letting us know about your meal last night. I am sorry that it was not a wonderful celebration for your Aunt's birthday. I have talked to your server and to my Manager on Duty. I apologize that the entrees for your table were the next table behind a large group. This did delay your entrees longer then we strive for. Also, the lobster tail entree on the menu is a choice of one tail or two listed together. It seems the server assumed one tail is what was ordered. Again, I apologize for the miscommunication. Please know that we will continue to work with our kitchen and waitstaff as to how we prevent situations like this from happening in the future. We value your continued business and hope that we have the opportunity to have you in again soon.

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  9. Kylie VIP

    Virginia12 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    I have been here many times, and each time, my experience declines. The restaurant is basically run by teenagers who are probably working their first job. I feel for them because they are working very hard, but it’s clear they just haven’t been trained enough by management. The food was also pretty disappointing. My steak was dry, and I wasn’t given any tools for my crab legs. Someone else in my party ordered the Ahi Tuna sandwich and it was completely overcooked. The mashed potatoes were also so dry it was disgusting. Overall, it’s just not worth it to eat here, the drinks are way better than the food. Sit at the bar.

    1 person found this helpful

  10. Colonel Anthony VIP

    Virginia57 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great vibe, nice place to eat with very professional servers.

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (804) 464-1476.

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade is rated 4.5 stars by 2738 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Virginia
  4. Richmond
  5. Midlothian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 41 times today
Google Map for The Hard Shell - Bellgrade

11400 W Huguenot Rd., Midlothian, VA 23113

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Huguenot and Robious Roads
  • Neighborhood
    Midlothian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:30 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Jeff Kolakowski
  • Entertainment
    Saturday Evenings 630pm to 930pm
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
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