My boyfriend and I were really excited to try Fanboy before a show for a drink but we were really surprised by how rude the server was to us. We were sat immediately and we were immediately greeted, but it took a very long time to get served. With that being said, it was quite busy so we considered that but when we watched the server return to all of his tables not once, not twice, but three+ times before taking our drink order it was a little frustrating. Not going to lie, it felt like genuine racial profiling and as someone who works in the restaurant industry I know plenty of servers who act the way that guy did. Would leave a name but he didn't give us one. The only interaction we had with him was him getting very visibly annoyed I accidentally spilled water while sliding into the booth and then we were ignored for 20 minutes. It took us almost 35-40 minutes to get our first round of drinks. We intended on ordering food but our server never visited us again. He waited until our drinks were empty to ask us if we needed anything else while proceeding to continue to visit with every table around us. Didn't say goodbye, didn't wish us a good evening. Nothing. The server has brown hair and a nose ring and that's pretty much the only info I have. Absolutely never going back to fanboy. Ever. read more

Menu not as posted online. They only had a handful of items and cocktails available at 6pm? The ambiance was inviting, but major disappointment. read more

The restaurant has an unassuming entrance. But when you open the door you are transported to a dining experience that encompasses beautiful surroundings, enjoyable music that fit the space, imaginative mixed drinks, and delicious food. We went for lunch and were incredibly impressed by our server who answered all our questions and was unobtrusive as he filled water glasses and checked on us. The chef was great too. From beginning to end it was a terrific lunch experience. read more

Fanboy - Beet salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I've been to Fanboy about 5 times now and each time was more disappointing than the last. I understand rotating a menu every once in awhile but this time around all the cocktails that stood out like the Carajillo and Patio Crusher were removed from the menu and all of them were replaced with Japanese inspired cocktails. Great if those were extra options but to fully replace the cocktails ya'll were getting known for is a huge step back. At least they finally changed the menu text color from red to black so I could it read it read more

My experience with Fanboy today for lunch was pretty awful. With the snooty waitress to start things up, I had requested a tall glass of water because their two inch water glasses would not be enough for me. It's 96 degrees outside and after making this request, I was not served with a tall glass until I got more aggressive about it. My table ordered Caviar, the tikka dip, and the shishito peppers. The caviar itself was fine, served with a minimal amount of mini pancakes. The shishitos were supposed to be charred but only a few were and the sauce it came with had little to zero flavor. The tikka dip was pretty tasty but was more of a butter chicken flavor. The flatbread pieces were on the small side, leaving a lot of dip so that was a bit disappointing. Now for the entree, the chicken sandwich. What a huge disservice. The thing was burnt, literally black. When I asked if it normally looks that dark, the server explained that they use animal fat instead of vegetable oil and that is what makes it darker. Yeah, sure. I've been in the food and beverage industry for over two decades and I know the deal. Even if that is true, why wouldn't the fries also be burnt and dark? I was allowed to return it for the Wagyu hotdog and that was fine but nothing special. My friend also got the chicken sandwich and she returned hers because it was undercooked in the middle. The truffle fries were good. My table wanted dessert and they had Russian Honey Cake! I was amazed at this because a true Russian honey cake takes a lot of skill. And guess what? It was mearly a thick layered cake with a cream cheese filling. This is NOT a Russian honey cake. At the end, we get our checks and guess what? I was charged for the chicken sandwich instead of the hotdog. I just politely paid and could not wait to get home and make this review. No wonder they do not have a Google presence because their ratings would tell the truth about this place. If I was offered to go back, maybe I would go but I wouldn't pay for rude service and mediocre food. One big plus was the atmosphere. They have a live DJ which was nice but super loud. read more

I went twice in the span of two weeks. The first time was 5 stars, wonderful cocktails & food. The second time was entirely different - drinks were much less balanced and one was undrinkable. Menu had changed dramatically between the two visits. Went with three others and between us had 8 drinks. None were a hit, and one was undrinkable. Food was okay, but not anything to write home about. Waitress had mentioned that there was some turnover in the kitchen management & bar management, so hopefully they'll find items that are delicious to keep on the menu. Not sure about going back. read more

To start it was hard to find this place as they do not have a sign or any indication that the white building next to the parking lot is Fanboy. But once entering it immediately gives cozy lounge. The lighting really set mood and I loved the entire decor of this place. The record wall being my favorite. Seating was tight but easy as we had a reservation which I think you have to secure otherwise you'll have to check the bar for seating. The waitress was really attentive all night and made sure we had drink refills often. I would recommend that they print their menus in black ink as the red ink menus get washed out with red lights. Me and my sister had split the lobster corndogs, truffle fries, waigu hotdog, popcorn chicken and a cheesecake desert. The lobster needs more flavor in the batter it really didn't taste like anything. The fries were good but not hot. It was like they had been sitting for a min before being delivered to the table. We sent the popcorn chicken back. It was not our type of flavor. Not sure how to explain it. The winner of all the things we tried was the hotdog. We ended up getting two of those. It was so flavorful! I'd say they have some work to do on their menu and this place would easily clear 5 stars. But I truly enjoyed my time here as the vibe itself is unbeatable. read more

Had such high hopes for this place. As someone who travels for cocktails, i wanted to check this place out, unfortunately the cocktails were not well balanced. The staff was rude. The vibe was cool but not enough to warrant a trip as there is nothing original about the joint. Overall, so dissapponting. read more

Man where do I start, small, watered down, crappy drinks, feta balls in beet salad showed up frozen in the middle, lobster roll was small and way over priced ($30!) and the tacos were off the menu. Food service was slow. Not impressed, not coming back. read more

Cocktails and Service were Excellent! Small but FUN! Food A bit pricey for what we ordered. But, I'd probably go back for the ambiance and cocktails. read more

My first visit with a friend was great. We had mock tails, oysters, fries and shishito peppers. It was a slow cold night so no issues getting a table, and we were able to hear each other and talk. The server was great, and even corrected my friends drink order (it came to the table with alcohol even though they are sober and ordered the mock tail version). They were apologetic and got it fixed right away. Overall I was excited to go back. Fast forward, my boyfriend and I went yesterday for our Valentine's Day dinner. We made reservations and were given a tiny table between a 5 top and another two top. My bf was constantly being bumped by other patrons, and the server. We ordered cocktails which were good, but mine was mostly ice. We ordered the oysters and our server pushed us on Washington state oysters. We also got the tiki masala dip (enjoyable!) We received the oysters which were tiny and did not seem like they had been cleaned (there was moss hanging off of mine and the taste was...not good) We kept wanting to order our entrees but the server seemed more preoccupied with the 5 top and 2 top beside us, even though we were in the middle of both tables. At this point, I asked my boyfriend if he wanted to go somewhere else. He looked uncomfortable, we couldn't hear each other over the music and I was so disappointed as I'd said so many nice things about the place. We ordered the wagyu hot dog and lamb lollipops. The hot dog was tough and it was hard to justify the $12 cost. The lamb lollipops were okay, they mostly tasted like they had been drenched in a chimichurri sauce and overcooked. At this point we just scarfed down the food, asked for our check and left immediately. I hate hate hate to be someone leaving a rude review. My partner and I were both in food service industry for 8+ years in Richmond (BOH AND FOH). But getting a $130 dollar bill for a bad experience, bad service and lame food is just not okay. read more

Cool spot, good food and cocktails, reasonably priced. Giving 5 stars because I know that reviews are important; however we did have a major issue. We made a reservation for 8:15. At 9:18, the host let us know there was another reservation at 9:30 and asked if we would mind wrapping up. We weren't given a time limit when we made the reservation. The space is small, so I would be hesitant to go without a reservation, but I would also be hesitant to go with a reservation knowing there's a chance I'd be asked to leave after an hour and 15 minutes - not all of us were even done with our food. If it were an easy part of town to bar-hop, an hour would be more reasonable, but it's not really close to anything but its parent restaurant Sabai. This was disappointing. I would only consider going back at off-hours on a weeknight. read more

Dude this is the new coolest spot in RVA. The atmosphere is dope and the cocktails are great. To top it off the food is phenomenal, great veggie options and it may sound crazy but I was blown away by the egg sandwich. Incredible!!! read more

My wife and I stopped in for drinks and dinner... Unreal! We sat at the bar and loved everything. The service was excellent; the bartender told us the history on some drinks which was cool. The drinks were amazing. Super unique and delicious. The BBQ Old Fashioned was awesome! Also, the fried chicken sandwich might be the best chicken sandwich I've ever had. Highly recommend Fanboy! read more

Fanboy - Wagyu Hot Dog, Shishitos, and Fried Chicken Sandwich - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

One of the coolest spots in Richmond. The vibe & ambience is so unique and the cocktails are amazing- not overpriced either. Looking forward to trying more of the food- we only got a few appetizers and they were both delicious. read more

Fanboy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Food and drinks are worthy of 5 stars. However our server was worth 0. He barely checked on us and when he did I had to remind him of the table next to us who had no food and empty drinks. read more

Fantastic cocktails and excellent food. The ambiance and service was incredible. Definitely a place I'll be frequenting. Very well thought out menu and vibe. Not sure how negative 1 STAR reviews exist. Highly recommend! There's a reason this place got top bar in the USA!! read more

Stopped here for lunch and a cocktail and WOW! Ivy helped decide on dishes and drinks and everything (including Ivy) was amazing! A beet salad that isn't trying to be anything else. The blistered shishitos were seasoned to perfection. I'm not going to say how many cocktails were sampled, but the lavender margarita was a STAR. read more

Cute spot! Great atmosphere. Very creative and tasty cocktails, really good food, and fantastic service and staff! Highly recommend. A gem!

Not impressed at all. Not sure why it's called a vinyl listening room....probably won't last long.

Easily one of the best cocktail bars in Richmond. Such a great addition to the city. They've always had a wide range of beverages but recently they have improved the menu with like 7 new drinks that are greattt. The service is extremely professional and anyone who's been knows the vibes are good. I definitely recommend giving this place a visit. read more

This place is truly like no other place I've ever been to - in all the worst ways! My group and I arrived with a reservation and we were sat at a dirty table. We waited ~25 minutes for a server to come over and take our drink orders. We then waited another 35 minutes for our drinks to arrive. But oh ... they never even arrived. My group and I left after sitting in the restaurant for an hour waiting for .... Nothing? The 2oz of water we were given practically evaporated away in the hour we sat there. My group and I were hardly acknowledged and our waiter was unwelcoming and rude (tall man with curly hair). A couple that came in after us was sat at the bar and received drinks, food, and paid before our drinks (never) came. We were trying to be understanding as it looked like there was only 1 server for the entire restaurant, but waiting for an hour for 4 cocktails is unreasonable and just reflects poor service/management. read more

Ordered the peri peri chicken and the tika dip and the chicken was DRY in both. Flavors were only meh. The aesthetic of the place was great, but food and drinks were disappointing. Service was great. read more

I visited Fanboy in December of 2023 to celebrate my birthday with a friend and if I can be honest I did not enjoy my experience very much. We went at night and parking is so wonky it took us about 20 minutes to find the place since there's no sign or logo in front of the establishment. When we arrived the lighting was so low (probably setting the mood for the night time so I understand) that I could barely see my menu. Restaurants very small and tight but gives the vibe of a lounge which was a bit confusing but I like new experiences so I touched it out. We ordered some sort of veggie appetizer, the chicken sandwich, truffle fries, a cocktail, & a cider on tap just to share and try a few things and our tab come up to $75 which is extremely overpriced in my opinion. Probably because of all the craze and social media attention, I'm not sure, but I was disappointed. Didn't totally hate my experience but I probably won't return. read more

Food was ok. The service was ok. Place is very small but the decor is nice. However there is no sign on the place , I'm guessing they did that on purpose to be different ? Parking isn't amazing . And I hate to say it, because our server wasn't rude, I guess, but for some reason it was awkward interacting with her. Tbh I wouldn't go back unless nothing was open late night . read more

Best new restaurant in RVA! From the food to the drinks to service - the vibes were immaculate. My only regret is not living closer to be here once a week. 10/10 will be back as often as possible! read more

Food and drinks are amazing and the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Fantastic service, ask for Adele to be your bartender! :)

Great drinks-small plates and decor. Only dislike was the music volume. For a space that small it was too loud.

wow!!! this made for an amazing first date spot. i was glad i looked into this location beforehand, as there indeed wasn't sinage or parking- so keep that in mind if you decide to head over. the space was beautiful and welcoming with details like hooks on the bar that made it so easy to get comfortable. the service was super friendly, the drinks were delicious, and the FRIES went crazy. I got a boozeless drink and they even added non-alcoholic spirits which felt fun and fancy. they did mention to us that if we ever hoped to get a table in the future, to get a reservation. all in all a wonderful experience and date!!!! read more