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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. louise VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area86 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was great - waited 5 min before we saw a server (not busy) and 10 to get a drink before we even placed an order

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  2. Edward

    Virginia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our favorite restaurant! Great food, great service and great environment!

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  3. Betsy VIP

    Virginia55 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a fabulous Valentine’s Day dinner at Hard Shell. Everything was perfect!

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  4. Donald VIP

    Virginia29 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    We always find the food is well prepared at the Hard Shell...

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  5. Cyndy VIP

    Virginia44 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great double date night. Food, drinks, service and ambiance par excellence.

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  6. Timothy

    Virginia49 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 10, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    we arrived for our reservation to a very empty restaurant . The hostess decided to seat us directly across from a noisy family when there were dozens of other seating options. The waiter was kind of clueless on customer service. The drinks were quite good. I ordered the tuna tartar tacos which were very good yet my shrimp and crab linguine main was too heavy with butter and the bread i needed to soak up the excessive sauce was extra money and store bought (😡). My partner had the crab soup appetizer which was cold and needed microwaved. His main course was fried oysters and the only saving grace on the dish were the oysters which were good yet the mashed potatoes had suffered a drought. Overall a very average dining experience and little customer facing awareness. Dr. Timothy Willox
    The Hard Shell - BellgradeResponded on February 19, 2025
    I am sorry to read that your dining experience was not a positive one last week at The Hard Shell. We take customer feedback seriously and are constantly working to improve both food and service. I was able to look into your specific evening directly and understand internally the changes and training that we need to make in order to avoid any issues like the ones you experienced from happening again. I appreciate the thorough feedback and would value the opportunity to have you dine with us again in the future.

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  7. Daryl VIP

    Virginia156 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 31, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We were a little late due to unexpected traffic, but were greeted in a very warm manner and immediately escorted to our table. Frank G was our server, he has served us before. Very relaxed manner and checked on us often! My wife liked her "Tiki So You Love Me" drink, along with her fish tacos. The lobster roll was very good as well. Their calamari is among the best in the Richmond area. Always enjoy coming here!

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  8. Jackie VIP

    Virginia86 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food and lovely service. Very attractive restaurant.

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  9. Jo

    San Francisco Bay Area4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is is such a wonderful restaurant to go with friends. It is clean, the servers and hostess are friendly, and the food is delicious. The menu has a wide variety of entrees and the key lime pie excellent.

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  10. Ryan

    Washington, D.C. Area16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always great! We need to frequent Hard Shell Bellgrade much more often. Food is wonderful, cocktails are tasty and prices are reasonable.

    Is 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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