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    La Playa

    4.4 (55 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Recommended Reviews - La Playa

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    Soft serve margarita
    Jonique M.

    I came here for the soft serve margaritas and they were so cute but I've definitely had better. They are worth a try! Indulged in the happy hour menu which had some pretty good deals. The shrimp empanadas were definitely my favorite. Chicken quesadilla comes in second then the beef. Wings tasted microwaved so I wouldn't get those again. Arroz con pollo was quite tasty! Server was nice but not super attentive.

    Whitney K.

    We have been sleeping on this place! Great drinks atmosphere and the food was so delicious flavorful and fresh

    Aero
    Shruthi S.

    Might have found our local go to Mexican - the classic Tex mex. Service was fast and the food has always been consistent. The carne asada plate was delicious - perfectly grilled steak with a side of the classic orange rice. Arron con pollo here is also delicious - comes out piping hot and the chicken tastes fresh off the grill. Haven't had drinks here but seems like the perfect place for fun margaritas.

    Cassie M.

    I came here for happy hour with a friend. They had great drink + food specials. I enjoyed the sangria + margarita which was both tasty and strong. Food wise I had the quesadillas which were delicious! Service was great, and I was sat right away.

    Chicken Fajita Quesadilla Passion fruit margarita
    Cherayna T.

    Don't have too much too say the food was very good and flavorful. I definitely have been back since this visit always food 10/10

    Chicken Quesadilla
    Paola B.

    A new and bold mexican restaurant in RVA you MUST checkout! The interior decoration is absolutely gorgeous, with a strong oceanic theme. The servers were very nice, and the food was delicious!! I'll definitely go back. I'll just warn things are a little on the pricier side

    oyster (not worth it)

    Service was amazing, everyone was so understanding and kind. However: - do not get the oyster it's not the freshest it's not really worth it. - DO get their ceviche w white fish! soooo delicious and pair w a nice chilled beer - if you order a cocktail (I order sunset boulevard) just ask for it less sweet, it felt like drinking simple syrup it's very beach theme heheh

    Seafood Nachos
    Dae E.

    Lá Playa is a beautifully decorated restaurant with vibing music and good service. We walked in and were greeted and seated within a couple of minutes. The first thing we noticed was the popping color and how well the space was set up. There's much to catch your eye like the big fishies on the wall. The menu was eye catching as well with much to choose from. I went for the seafood nachos (since they seemed to be all the rave from other yelpers) and I'm so glad I did! When I tell you that the nachos were some of the best I've ever had, please believe me. Shrimp, scallops, delicious queso, jalapeños, etc! It's a must try. I'll be going back to la playa for weekend vibes. Enjoy!

    fried shrimp tacos
    Tatyana T.

    Food was amazing, came out quick, and the sauces had such good flavor! the staff was pretty attentive. this place is slightly more upscale than a traditional mexican restaurant, but nothing too crazy. will definitely be back!

    LaPaz Fish Tacos

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    17 days ago

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    3 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Service, good food was excellent And I love to get in before it is crowded ! My favorite place to come to for red snapper now

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

    Excellent staff, service, food & drinksDefinitely try the soft serve Margaritas Happy Hour everyday 2PM to 6PM!

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

    Food and drinks are top notch. Servers are super friendly. Soft serve margaritas are amazing too

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Amazing food amazing margs. Went with family for lunch, and even their small portions were much bigger than expected. Would go again

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    4 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

    Very good food and the services excellent they also have good deals for lunch. The environment and quiet. I will definitely recommend.

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    5 months ago

    SOFT SERVE MARGARITAS Great service, and fun environment. Will make the drive back there again.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - La Playa

    How are the Soft Serve Margaritas at La Playa?

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    The Emerald Lounge

    4.3(68 reviews)
    3.4 miChurch Hill
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    My date and I had never been here before and had the most amazing experience. The drinks? 10/10…read more.. the service 10/10... the ambiance? 20/10!! The patio outside was really cute and cozy, the various seating areas is really great because you get a different feel from different angles. Our server recommended a Mexican lager.. it was SO GOOD! Try the lager!! My only gripe, the downtempo music changed to club music around 12am and got much louder. My date and I had to raise our voices to continue our conversation, we wanted to take our drinks outside but were told the patio closes at 11 :( We got lucky as the crowd was really thin but most weekends our server said it gets packed.. it's such a small place, I can't imagine what it would be like with 100 people inside!!

    Not sure what this place thinks they are but it's not a 2026 customer service award contestant…read more Open the door for an elderly couple to leave and was literally yelled at to close the door, like the hostess almost physically accosted me to close the door. Yes, it's hot outside but c'mon, will the entire clientale die within 30 seconds of heatstroke? Fine, no worries, let it pass, walk in just wanting to grab a quick drink at the bar, AGAIN, accosted by the hostess that DEMANDS that I go back to her command center to talk to her, whereupon she really happily informs me that I can't even stand at the bar to have a drink and she would reluctantly put me on the bar waiting list which would be a minimum of one and a half hours... to grab a drink at the bar. tldr; AVOID unless of course, you love being judged at a low rent tiki bar...

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    Lillian - Lobstahh

    Lillian

    4.6(48 reviews)
    0.4 miScott's Addition

    if you are going to read any of these dumb yelp review in full, this is the one…read more i once read an article describing the talent of the head chef's ability here to "cram so much bold flavor into a tiny dish". in general, i usually dread small plate restaurants expecting to pay a large bill and leave hungry. this was the exception. these were the most unique, creative, high end, flavorful, dishes i have ever had. seriously. the absolute best BITES of my ENTIRE life. i swear to god dormant tastebuds and flavors i didn't even know existed were provided here. the chef here draws spanish inspiration into each dish, and i was in there feeling like the food critic from ratatouille the way familiar flavors blended in effortlessly with extravagant flairs. and don't get me started on the presentation !!! everything was gorgeous. this restaurant was named #3 out of 100 in the city, and i honestly think it should be #1. i may be biased since my boyfriend works at a sister restaurant owned by the same guy, but this is definitely the favorite sibling for me. unreal how fresh, flavorful, and carefully crafted everything was. so so so so good. if you come to richmond, make this the top priority to visit. that being said, if you can't handle intense, innovative flavors, this isn't the place for you. also, go during happy hour

    Hats off to the staff at Lillian who continue to be wonderful, but now that they have scrapped…read moretheir dollar oyster lunch specials, the food has absolutely nothing to offer. Like too many restaurants in the Scott's Addition area, this is seafood cooked without finesse and then absolutely brutalized with absurd amounts of palate fatiguing, brash, loud flavors. Every item on the menu endeavors to conceal mediocrity in the quality and handling of the ingredients with explosive, overwhelming additives meant to shock you into submission. Things like black garlic and chili oil, raw garlic, sesame seed oil, and punishing heat are inescapable on the menu, which really says to me loud and clear "we do not understand the appeal of seafood, and might have a fundamental misunderstanding about good food in general." I don't exaggerate when I say these dishes would be improved (setting aside things like inability to properly cook octopus) by scaling back the flavors to 5-10% the loudness level they are currently at, to let the ingredients speak, and to make the dining experience less of a punishing marathon with no relief. I have had much subtler and more skillfully balanced dishes at Indian and Thai restaurants, cuisines known for strong flavor profiles. I'm through listening to these Richmond restaurants trying to excuse simply bad food by claiming "that's the nature of the cuisine." In this case, Lillian claims that dishes characterized by these cacophonous competing flavors is "South American." No it isn't - the person conceptualizing the dishes is just a bad chef who doesn't know what he's doing, and at the prices Lillian charges, that's inexcusable. Drowning every dish in flavors that overwhelm the palate is not a way to respect your ingredients or your diner, and only communicates youth and insecurity. Anyone who's eaten widely and knows their ingredients will rightly feel assaulted and insulted by this overpriced, unskilled fare. To anyone who decides to go anyway: Good luck with the digestive distress, and with the taste that will still be left over in your mouth the next morning, no matter how much you brush your teeth.

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    Grandstaff & Stein

    Grandstaff & Stein

    4.1(351 reviews)
    3.2 miShockoe Bottom
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    A must stop in the downtown Richmond area!…read more It's truly a speakeasy with the door posing as a bookshelf. To get in, you must know the password or tell the host a joke that makes him laugh. We were escorted in and quickly noticed that this was more than a speakeasy-it was a full restaurant. We stopped in for drinks, but it was nice to have tapas. I got the popcorn with the Tequilla lime butter, which was the perfect balance of salt. I had a mezcal drink which was perfect! I'm such a fan of mezcal and am excited when I see it on the menu. Our waitress was a delight-super attentive and also a bartender so she was able to answer all of our drink questions. It was very spacious with outdoor seating. Definitely a 10/10 experience. I would definitely go again!

    The parking is a sh*t show around here. We walked here, so I can't fault them for that…read more Upon entering, we were greeted by an enthusiastic young man dedicated to his role. He asked for the password and we, unprepared, had to tell him a joke or an interesting fact. Luckily, my partner had one on hand. The atmosphere was lovely, very reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy, or at least what you'd imagine it to be like. Our server came by within a few minutes of us being seated. She lacked enthusiasm, unlike the host, unfortunately. Her service turned out to be lackluster as well. We ordered the chicken pot pie and the filet mignon with asparagus. For drinks, the Grape Gatsby and Maine root beer. The food, like our server, lacked appeal. The saving grace was the host and the atmosphere. The view was lovely and the intimacy of the setting was a welcome experience. For dessert we ordered the bread pudding, and it was tasty, though nothing special. The burned odor that we smelled prior to its arrival turned out to be the bread. I can recommend Grandstaff and Stein as an experience, but you should not expect much in the way of culinary delights or exemplary service. We probably won't be back, but if you've never been, it's worth trying at least once.

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    La Playa - seafood - Updated September 2026

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