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The Hard Shell - Downtown, Richmond, VA

The Hard Shell - Downtown

4.6 (1840)
$31 to $50
Seafood
1411 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
Located in downtown Richmond's historic Shockoe Slip, 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 requests honored when possible but tables are first come, first served. Happy hour is available at the bar and on the patio and is first come, first served. Private dining & reservations are available. Dress is casual.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 10:30 am–4:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–4:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    The private dining room accommodates parties up to 50 guests. The Hard Shell offers custom menus and bar packages to suit every event. The private dining room is the perfect place for dinner programs, wedding functions or celebrations.
  • Neighborhood
    Richmond
  • Cross street
    14th St
  • Parking details
    The Hard Shell validates parking after 5pm daily in the garage at the corner of 14th St. and Cary St. directly across from the restaurant.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 1,840 people are saying

The Hard Shell - Downtown 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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Hard Shell - Downtown impresses with its "fantastic service" and "delicious food." Notable dishes include the "Seared Scallops Appetizer" and "Sesame Seared Tuna." The ambiance is both "cozy" and "stylish," enhancing the dining experience. While some found certain dishes underwhelming, the restaurant's overall appeal and "excellent service" receive high praise.
1,840 Reviews
  1. Kevin VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great find on our 1st night as new residences to the area. Very creative menu.

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  2. Alex

    Virginia6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing! Tried the crab cake appetizer and wasn't a fan of $16 for one. That would be my only frustration. The main courses were excellent, the lobster tails were cooked perfectly. The ambience was great also. Definitely will be back.

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  3. Keith

    Virginia1 review

    5.0

    Dined on July 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Live this place. Has become my go to for a first date. Always impresses, while not being overly stuffy and pretentious. Food is always tasty. Presented well and the staff is fabulous

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  4. Mark

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    3.0

    Dined on July 3, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was excellent. Venue is nice. Would be nice if they suggested parking so you know where to park to get validated. Parking for me was over $7 per hour and I was there for 3 hours. Food was way over priced. PARMESAN TRUFFLE FRIES were overcooked and dry. HARD SHELL PASTA was too spicy and is NOT noted as such on the menu. 14OZ NEW YORK STRIP was substituted with an another cut I believe...the most marbling I have ever experienced with a New York Strip. The SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS were like rubber. I would not go there again, nor can I recommend it.
    The Hard Shell - DowntownResponded on July 8, 2025
    I am very sorry to hear about your recent dining experience. We strive for excellent service with affordable delicious food and it appears we missed the mark. I have addressed your comments to our chef to ensure we are making the necessary improvements. We try to fix any issues on the spot so I am sorry if our staff did not mention any problems you had throughout service. We take reviews like this very seriously as word of mouth is important to our day to day operations. That being said, we would like to make it up to you. If you privately message us your mailing address we will send out a gift certificate in the hopes we can show you why we've been open for over 30 years. Thank you again for the feedback and we look forward to hearing back from you. -East Coast Management

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  5. Tad

    Wisconsin17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Was in town for work, looked good online & it absolutely was! the Seared Scallops Appetizer was FANTASTIC & the Sesame Seared Tuna was AMAZING! I subbed the Sautéed Spinach for the rice & it was perfect. I will definitely go back when I'm in town working again. A+++++++

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  6. Dean

    Unspecified1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The place looks great and the service was fantastic. We had calamari for an appetizer and it was good with good sauces. Our meals were a different story. My wife ordered the crab cakes and felt they were very fishy with not much taste. I ordered the scallops and shrimp which were good, unfortunately there was rice that tasted like floor cleaner, needless to say I didnt eat much of that. The desert was key lime pie and it was OK. For us not a favorite.

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  7. Dan

    Virginia1 review

    1.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    I hate to give bad reviews …. Service started out well. Then I saw our waitress leaving. We had received our food and then never had anyone check on us again. After 30 mins I finally went to the host and asked for boxes and our check. I guess our waitress had been cut and no one told anyone to pick up our table. We were basically just sitting there. No offer to comp anything. I’ve worked in restaurants, so I still tipped 20%, but definitely a strange experience. It was an anniversary dinner, which was kinda a bummer.
    The Hard Shell - DowntownResponded on June 25, 2025
    I am very sorry to hear about your recent experience at The Hard Shell Downtown location. We strive to make each experience memorable, especially anniversaries, with tasty food with speedy service and it looks like we have missed the mark. I am going to talk to the server and manager on duty to make sure things like this do not happen again. I am very sorry if this put a damper on your special night. With that being said I would to make it up to you. If you privately message your mailing address we will send out a gift certificate in the hopes we can show you how we normally operate. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you again! -The Hard Shell Downtown Management

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Marian VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West19 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Four of us enjoyed lunch here on Friday. The mussels I had were very good. Service was even better.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Paul

    Virginia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    My wife and I went here for our 20th anniversary (which I made a not about on my reservation). The service was great, with the host and the waiter both offering their congratulations unprompted and the waiter brought us both a glass of champagne on the house. The food was delicious. Enjoyable time all around. Highly recommended.

    1 person found this helpful

  10. Brian VIP

    Virginia28 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Aubrey was our excellent server. Very attentive. Always great service!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Hard Shell - Downtown offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (804) 643-2333.

The Hard Shell - Downtown is rated 4.6 stars by 1840 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. Richmond

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
Google Map for The Hard Shell - Downtown

1411 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Additional information

  • Cross street
    14th St
  • Neighborhood
    Richmond
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 10:30 am–4:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–4:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    The Hard Shell validates parking after 5pm daily in the garage at the corner of 14th St. and Cary St. directly across from the restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    The private dining room accommodates parties up to 50 guests. The Hard Shell offers custom menus and bar packages to suit every event. The private dining room is the perfect place for dinner programs, wedding functions or celebrations.
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