We stopped for an appetizer & drinks. We were Not disappointed. We started with the crab dip and up graded to the pita. Wow what a great start we then tried the shrimp pizza. OMG it has a garlic aiolis sauce that is heavenly. We plan to make this a once a week stop because we are so impressed by the food & location read more

Excellent pizza, strong drinks, and the ambiance can't be beat for outdoor dining. Can get crowded but worth the wait.

Poor quality food. Waste of money. It is cheap but you get what you pay for, I guess.

Love this spot! 100% outdoor seating on the dock. Great for brunch, bucket of beer is inexpensive and they have live music.

Good food, calamari very tender, all seating is outside overlooking boat docks and river. Live music in evenings.

Recommend this place alone just on the atmosphere. Outstanding seating on the dock was really nice . I've never been when the live band was playing but I would bet it's pretty amazing if during the day is nice . Definitely a social gathering place , the food is okay nothing special. read more

The view and location is everything. I invited some friends to join me which made the wait Ok, despite the 15 minutes that turned in to about an hour. I'd recommend the oysters, they were very succulent and we had two orders! Although the crab dip was wonderful, I didn't care for the crackers that came with it. One of the party had pizza and said it was good, the ahi sandwich was also good. Burgers a bit over done for me. Overall experience was something we will repeat. read more

My family and I had a spectacular "dock and dine" experience at Lilly Pad yesterday. Staff, food and atmosphere where all awesome. I didn't want to leave. Be back soon! read more

Work on the river, and go by a few times a week. And ever time there was more and more people. Finally got to stop by. Great relaxing atmosphere great food and friendly staff. Great place can't wait to go again bringing along the kids. read more

This was a nice spot. The restaurant sits on the water. The customer service was great and all questions and recommendations were answered. My table ordered calamari for an appetizer, and I must say they were excellent! My main course was the Bernie burger, which was also good. I would recommend this place and will re-visit ! read more

Service was the worst! This was not about server. IT IS DEFINITELY MANAGEMENT! I was asked after 1.25 hrs of no food( only appetizer) Owner asked me , WHAT IS THE PROBLEM! !!!!!!! Maybe on a Monday, you might get food!!!! read more

Took my bride to The Lilly Pad for dinner yesterday. We shared the appetizer ... the best lightly breaded and gently fried oysters we've ever had! I went with the all-beef burger and Swiss cheese on a brioche bun with sauteed mushrooms and onions, and a side of asparagus with pine nuts. The burger was spectacular and the asparagus was perfectly grilled, too! My bride had the fried catfish sandwich served on a brioche roll with a side of fries. She said the fish was delicious ... the perfect balance of golden and moist. She even raved about the fries! Savanna, our server, was fantastic ... prompt, efficient and friendly. We'll be back! Jim and Elizabeth P. read more

Best Waterfront Dive in Virginia. Bernie Burger (special) was amazing, Siracha Mayo with all the fixings. Don't come here expecting finer things like a menu or napkins (available upon request). On our visit the place was staffed by 2-3 southern belle's that looked like they could wrestle an alligator or handle themselves in a knife fight while telling you you're sweet or referring to you as "Sugar". Super sweet but you know not to mess with them. $10 gets you four Miller Lights severed in a kids beach buckets full of ice. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Seating looks a little like a table and chair yard sale where nothing truly matches but why should it, it works and you'll like it. Expect nothing and you'll be pleasantly surprised, the cooking is amazing. read more

Lilly Pad - $10 buckets of beer. - Seafood Near Me - Henrico, Virginia

Really disappointed in our experience here. We drove from Richmond city to come for lunch. The wait was 2 parties of 4 in front of us, which was no big deal. We waited a few minutes and a table was ready. We were shown the table and it was the only one without shade and it was so hot so we asked if we could just wait a bit longer for one with shade and we were told no...so our only option was to just leave after that? Super weird experience. It was the host who told us no and had a very odd attitude about it. Seemed like a simple/easy request. Won't be recommending this place. read more

Atmosphere is great and it's so nice to have a restaurant option on the water in the Richmond area. You can tell that they have worked hard to get this place to where it is and it's clearly popular (even on a weeknight). However, the staff could use some basic customer service training. Service was slow and very inattentive. And we were not in any rush at all so that's saying something. Food was average. Will return but hope they get their act together a little more before then. read more

Gravel road/parking lot off of the main road, the GPS was off by a bit, so we missed it and had to turn around. It was a Saturday afternoon, so there was a 30 min wait. It is all outside dining located on a pier, so you can watch all the boats come and go. There is a covered waiting area and they have servers for drink orders and limited food items to order while you wait. I ordered a Bahama Mama (house rum blend, pineapple juice, orange juice, grenadine) and an order of the crab dip. The wife had a Chardonnay. They dip came out super quick and we chuckled for $13, that it came with club crackers and not enough of them for the crab dip ratio. They are spendy with the pricing. We were notified by my phone our table was ready. We had great seats at the end of the dock, but because the shade was isolated under the tarp many tables were in the same section. Luckily our "neighbors" were super nice. My vegetarian wife had slim pickings to choose from and went for the overpriced salmon, and i went with a burger (read the fine print, it comes with mustard!) Our server was quick to take our order, but didn't make any extra effort to enhance our experience (I only say that since we overheard the server at the next table go over what they ordered and what to expect-would have requested no mustard on my burger!) I give it 4 stars for the atmosphere, relaxed vibe and the river view. They are open all year round and just close in the outdoor seating and provide heat. It's a cool little place and have boats to rent!! read more

Today was my 1st visit. My kids and I ate lunch. I loved that they strictly enforce their mask policy. The hostess and our server were friendly. Everyone loved our food. I will definitely be back. read more

Rushed out there last minute last night to hear our friends' band after wanting to check out the Lilly Pad for long time. Long wait since it was packed on a beautiful evening as we'd expected, but it was just fine. Plenty of space to sit and grab a beverage and have some yummy dips to hold you over until you get your table. Could check the whole place out from our seats as well as hear the music. Dog friendly, at least outside (LOVE!). Certain plastic Adirondack-type chairs lean way back, so they were not very comfortable to me, but the others were fine. Got our table and enjoyed some more apps. Good bar selections and all apps were very yummy --- crab dip, fried oysters, LPad pizza with the hot honey. All the service was terrific! Very friendly and attentive. Hosts were on the ball getting folks to their tables. Wonderful time overall and even made a couple of new friends who ended up joining our table from the waiting area. All around great time and company with great service, food and atmosphere. Will go again soon! read more

The Lilly pad was hopping when I went then. Packed house. Service was good considering that environment and the number of people. Great set up and great restaurant read more

Outdoor dining. Perfectly family friendly. Peel/eat shrimp with roasted veggies. Kids meals reasonable and portioned well for the under 8 crowd. read more

Absolutely love this place. The "new" owners have taken a dump and turned it into a riverfront haven where EVERYBODY feels welcome. I know neither of the owners, but I spoke with one of them one evening and found her to be friendly, engaging, and sincerely interested In her customers. It's obvious they've poured their heart, soul, and money into this place. Crowded? Sometimes. Long lines? Sometimes. So try an off-night or just be prepared to wait. It's worth it. It's the only place around of it's kind, and it's staffed with veteran hospitality folks, which means you'll get great service along with great food and drink. Relax and enjoy the wait and scenery... you have a million dollar view to enjoy, so take advantage of it. read more

The food was ok, but the atmosphere and service were excellent. We had a reunion with friends so sitting outdoors with a cool breeze was a great way to pass the time. I'd give the food another chance, since they have a large menu. The margarita was really good. read more

Great location, beautiful view and loved the patio set up. Also the waiting area is cool because you can order drinks and apps while you're waiting. Crab dip, pizza, fries and drink were wonderful. Great band. Catfish sandwich not so good read more

Love this spot. It's a hidden treasure!! Food and drinks are great and servers are on point!

Visited a few weeks ago right around dusk and it was so nice! The staff took our drink orders while we waited for a table, which only took about 10 mins. They have a chalk board menu on the deck so you can walk up and view the menu, which is a great solve for paperless dining! We ordered the crab dip as an app - SO good! And a "bucket of beers" which in our case was $18 for 2 ciders and 2 white claws. Not a bad deal for 3 of us light drinkers. They also have a $10 bucket for 4 domestic beer choices. I was pretty underwhelmed with the burger and the pizza but the hush puppies where stellar!! Definitely order those if you go. Being by the water was excellent, and the sun set behind the trees around the time we went so we weren't beaten by the sunshine. Great experience and great for social distancing. It took a long time for our food to come out but that was probably because the staff was reduced for Covid, which is understandable. read more

See all

The Lilly Pad is your summer dream. What better way to spend the day boating and swimming and then pulling up to the Lilly Pad for drinks, dinner, live music and an amazing sunset. Even in the winter you can get cozy by the fire pits. This place is BEAUTIFUL, the food is amazing, and the vibes are chill. It feels like home! read more

The Lilly Pad is one of my favorite restaurants in the Richmond area. So much so that my wife rolls her eyes with how often I recommend that we make the drive from Northside to down here. Although it's just a short drive out of the city, the vibe here is entirely different and laid back. There is nothing like drinks on the river when the weather is nice, or watching the sunset here. We have been on several occasions both for lunch, dinner and drinks/live music and it hasn't disappointed yet. The food here is also top notch. We will usually opt for crab dip & peel & eat shrimp. The pizzas are pretty great and when they have it, the pulled pork and tuna steak sandwiches are both amazing as well. The beer bucket deals are solid and the margs are usually spot on. I also think they have done a great job during COVID to provide a safe, enjoyable environment. All in all I am grateful that this spot exists and will be back soon! read more

Excellent food! Great Vibes! Fun drink specials! And, that view! Much to love about the Lilly Pad! Service is top notch!

Food is sub-par. Smokers are everywhere. But they have a live band & it's very scenic!!

It is with great sadness that I post this review. The new owner does not seemed concerned with his customers. The service has been wobbly at best since it reopened. Gone are the days when you can meet up with your friends and linger. It has been made clear that you have two hours and then you are to leave. Recently a receipt was posted which showed that one of the customers did not leave a tip. Expletives were hurled as rants listed rules we were to follow without question. Yes it is your right to turn away customers who did not wish to wear masks. However, it is an individual right whether to tip or not. I believe in tipping. I know everyone is new. Seriously though you can not demand customers tip. The food is better. Not great, but good. Prices are a bit high. Bullying behavior from an establishment is good cause not to patronize. This is a right we will enlist in. From several conversations with others, we are not the only ones. read more

This was my second time visiting the Lillypad for dinner in the past few months. Both times were great experiences, wonderful food and service and fun specialty drinks. Enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere & water view! read more

My elderly parents and my husband and I greatly enjoyed our evening here last Saturday! We arrived at 3:00 without a reservation, but easily found a seat in the "bar" area. We ordered yummy margaritas and crab dip; so delicious! We were seated at an awesome rocking table right along the river within thirty minutes and greatly enjoyed catfish sandwiches and shrimp! Everything was delicious! read more

Great spot on the water! Fun locals and great specials! Bartenders are welcoming and full of energy! They obviously like where they work!

Service was great. Water was awful. Shrimp very good. Crab dip and pita bread was good. Their burgers were ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!!! They were mushy and had no taste:( $140 down the drain :/ read more

I posted a review of the Northside Richmond restaurant. The tuna sandwich was ho hum. I had to doctor it up when I got home.

Interesting. If you can get past the atmosphere (the place is a dump!)...the crab legs and steamed shrimp were good. Don't expect sides. There are none. We had to get a bag of chips from the car to go with our food. Prices are incredible, I guess there must be some draw to get you to go there... read more

Food was good, service was a little slow but is was very busy. Our glider table was on the water, it was a pretty relaxing lunch. The crab dip was delicious! read more

Loved salsa night here on Thursday! The food is nothing special, but the atmosphere is absolutely top notch.

Went here for the pig roast on Saturday and it did not disappoint. The live music was great and the service was fantastic! I had their orange cocktail the was pretty good and then stuck to buckets of white claw at $15 for 4. It's a great low key place to enjoy the water! read more

Atmosphere was nice. The wait wasn't that long and the view was beautiful!!!! The breeze and the food was great. Will definitely visit again. Staff was also great. read more