Very cute restaurant with a quaint vibe and decent food prices. Honestly I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could but am rounding up to 4. Hubby and I came to Mathews just because we had never been and thought why not? After exploring a bit we decided to stop at this restaurant because of the positive reviews (and because Fair Winds had a 20 min wait for their patio tables). I ordered the Fried Clam Strips with Coleslaw and Shoestring Fries. Hubby ordered the Blackened Tuna Salad and Amaretto Shake. The shake was very good and presented beautifully - 4 stars. Hubby reported that his salad was solid if not earth shattering and gave it 3 stars. My FCS on the other hand was a salty and over breaded mess with stringy clams. It was so awful that I barely ate any of it even though I was HUNGRY. Even hubster who loves salty foods declared it barely edible - 2 stars. The service was good BUT the place was obviously understaffed and our very sweet waitress had to run around quite a bit - which meant we had to wait for refills and other requests but that didn't bother us so much. Overall we would definitely come here again but maybe avoid the clam strips. read more

Great food, great hospitality. A wonderful family owned little gem. Don't miss the crab puppys. WOW!! This place is right out of the best of what yesteryear in America had to offer. If you find yourself out that way, do not miss this!! read more

Hungry anyone? Then got to here now. Look beyond the usual diner dishes like burgers, cheese fries and chicken fingers. On any given night there are a handful of fresh specials. We went on Friday night aka prime rib night. Anyone up for a whole cow with two sides? My husband ordered this and was too busy eating to voice any negative thoughts. It was perfectly medium rare and juicy. I ordered the fried oysters. They were big, plump, and crispy on the outside. Well seasoned and just calling my name. The menu offered more than the usual boring sides like fries and slaw. I had perfectly cooked asparagus and the hubs had fresh (not mushy frozen) mixed veggies of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Hi mashed potatoes were lumpy and clearly made from scratch. We were too stuffed for desert but the shakes looked amazing and big enough for two. If you are looking for real homemade food, this place is worth the drive. read more

Lots of nice decor and old time atmosphere The food was fine I had a burger and hubby had shrimp basket. All were cooked well and service was fine. The owner took extra time to talk to us about a food allergy and we appreciated that. This cafe stayed very busy during our time in the area. read more

Thanks to fellow reviewers we hit a home run the first night in the area and hungry for a good meal. As others noted this is in a re-purposed Rexall Drug Store that still retains much of the charm. The printed menu at the B&B where we are staying did not list dinner selections but after calling ahead we learned that they have a real nice selection of full meals. My wife and I both got identical meals, the Stuffed grouper with baked potato and grilled veggies. We were super impressed by the friendliness of the staff. After finding a seat three different servers came by to offer something to drink. The grouper arrived fast and HOT. The veggies we so good we both ate those first. The only mediocre items was the baked potatoes. While done they both tasted like they had been in a warming mode for too long. The stuffed grouper was great! I know that we both blew past any semblance to a diet tonight. While there we watched the staff put together a couple of salads for another table. Real nice lettuce and other additions so we know what's on our menu for tomorrow evening. read more

We both ordered the Snapper Basket from the today's special menu. The fish was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The staff is friendly making for an enjoyable lunch. read more

The loaded cheese fries! huge portion for 5.99. very friendly staff too, quick on refills and other requests. all in all a good place for lunch and ice cream read more

Richardson's Cafe - Loaded cheese fries - Cafes Near Me - Mathews, Virginia

Amazing food and super friendly staff. It's like stepping back in time. The seafood is fresh. The burgers are huge and delicious.

Lunch was great. Had the crab cake sandwich with sweet potato fries and coleslaw opted for the ice tea as I did not think I could do the milk shake that looked awesome. Me and the Mrs will definitely be back for more. read more

Richardson's Cafe - The front counter - Cafes Near Me - Mathews, Virginia

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One of my favorite places to eat, especially for ice cream! But maybe some things are a little pricey but you do get a pretty big plate.

Best lunch post social isolation. Outdoor seating was open, in one way and out another way. Service was excellent. Waitress was terrific sanitized each table and chairs between customers. Food was suburb! Ice cream was even better! So glad we decided to stop here for lunch today! read more

Wonderful place. You can feel and see the history on the walls and the food and staff are first class. Highly recommended.

They have the best chicken sandwiches!!! you won't regret going to them!! Great staff!!

My husband and I had the Chesapeake burger, and it was amazing! I cannot wait to return!

Had lunch in this old-timey diner, everyone was so friendly, ice cream and shakes to die for, reasonable prices, great menu selection!

this place is absoulty fantastic!! the old school cooking and decor to die for!!! i was so , so impressed the seafood and shakes to die for!!! read more

Richardson's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Mathews, Virginia

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Stopped in for lunch for first time visit. Extremely busy after 12:30 pm which is a good sign! Sat at the counter and ordered a 1/2 and 1/2 - a cup of lobster bisque and 1/2 a club. Food was delicious. A very nice menu selection. Will stop in next time through Matthews read more

Crab cakes are delicious! Leave room for ice cream. Big disappointment was the Fried Green Tomato BLT with 2 slices of tomato and all bread for $11! This was our second time eating here. Had the Reuben sandwich previously which was amazing and piled high with meat. read more

We were passing through Mathews and found this cafe. We stopped for dinner: Trout dinner and Salad topped with Salmon. Both were great. Generous portions, fresh and well prepared. We look forward to our next visit. read more

This place is fantastic. You've got to make the trip here. Wherever you are. Wife had prime rib, said mouthwatering,tender,absolutely delicious . I had the crab cakes. Almost as good as Grandma's ... seriously....good food. The service (Kayla) super sweet, and knowledgeable... read more

Very friendly and prompt service The BLT was pretty darn delicious and loaded with bacon, although the person who sliced the tomato made no effort to remove the center stem, which was disgusting. I'll write that off as an honest mistake, though. My boyfriend's pork BBQ sandwich was killer. Oh, and though it's not mentioned on the menu, the applesauce side dish is CINNAMON applesauce, which they will also garnish with cinnamon on top. Just pointing it out because I hate cinnamon applesauce. Consider yourself warned. read more

They have the best chicken tacos I have ever had! I am from North Dakota and I am glad I ate at this establishment! It will be one of my go to places when I visit! read more

Awesome casual vibe and DELICIOUS food. Nothing here I haven't absolutely loved, and the service is excellent. Only issue is there's not much space to wait for a table, but it's so worth the wait! read more

Pretty good place to eat. I have eaten here many times, it can be kind of inconsistent. Really nice waiters and waitresses.

Had a great Ruben with fries. My lunch partners had the fried catfish and a suggested substitute of fried flounder. All came quick, hot and delicious. Great place for lunch! read more

Richardson's Cafe - Delicious behind this door - Cafes Near Me - Mathews, Virginia

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I absolutely love them! Me and my friends did not have enough money for fries and they gave us a huge pile of fries on the house. We just bought ice cream. They really care. I go here every once in a while. read more

So delicious! Great atmosphere too! We ordered seafood and it was delicious and reasonably priced. Great for kids too (although there are only three menu options for kids. But how many choices can you give a kid anyway? :)). We finished off out meal with ice cream cones for everyone. What a treat! If you are in the area, visit Richardsons cafe! You will not be disappointed!! read more

WOW, what a surprise. We where staying at a B&B near town on a Tuesday night. Mathews is a very small town, and most restaurants are closed on Tuesdays. The Richardson café is a old drug store converted to a 50s style diner. I an somewhat of a foodie at heart. My wife and I had the clam strips, These where the best I have had in 20yrs. The clams where fresh and lightly breaded and so tender. If you find yourself in Mathews this is a MUST stop. They also have great milkshakes in you are having a craving. read more

A small wonder in a small town! Incredible prices for ice cream - got a huge banana split (twice the size as other places) which is hard to find these days for under $7!!! Food looked great and the vintage charm was exciting - sat at the "soda bar" on the stools! read more

Outstanding place to eat! Food was outstanding and service was excellent. Very nostalgic, reminds me of old time soda fountain.

Wandered in the other day, had some chicken strips and vegetable soup. Very tasty, fun decor, wait staff couldn't be nicer. Give it a try. read more

My wife and I live right in town and routinely walk to Richardson's for lunch, dinner, or even just an Ice cream cone in the summer. The food has always been great, the service is good and everything comes out pretty quickly. It's a great complement to Mathews County. read more

Great food-delicious homemade potato chips. Fun atmosphere. Kids and adults kept lining up for ice cream - we were too full from lunch to try the ice cream. would recommend stopping by Richardson's Café! read more

Wife and I heard about this place and rave local reviews..., however, we ordered the shrimp and scallops linguini and T-bone steak, both of which were $18.99 and $22.99, respectively. We sat next to the order-up window and saw food sitting there for far too long, ours included. When the dinner finally made it, literally 4' feet away from and to our table, we were both surprised by the size of our meals: 3 small shrimp (like 90 count small) and tiny bits of scallops in the linguini and the words thinnest T-bone one could imagine (1/4" thick). Since the food sat there for roughly 8 minutes it had cooled considerably and the side dishes cold. We are not complainers, but did mention it to the manager, since our server only made it to our table 2x during the entire service, one of which I had to wave her down after we sat there for 15 minutes with empty drinks; he offered free desert, we declined and he provided us with a $20 meal coupon on our next visit...needless to say I'll be giving that away to a friend. Not recommended for the price and service. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in eastern VA. The food is always great. Try the dinner specials they are always the best. The oysters are terrific year round. And you always have ice cream for dessert. read more

I have been to Richardson's twice in the past few months. The first time I ordered a burger, and after a slight argument with the owner (Lynne) about the service I did not plan to return. However I found myself giving them one more try. My family wanted to go out on Memorial Day for dessert, and because they were the only place in town that was open and serving ice cream, we chose Richardson's. The initial man who seated my family was very nice. Once our waitress our waitress seated us, and found out my party of five was having ice cream she stated we had to sit at the bar. The problem was there were only four seats open at the bar, and we wanted to enjoy our time as a family, not sitting side by side. Our waitress told us she would ask the owner (Lynne) if we could sit at a table. Lynne the demanded that if we don't sit at the bar, we had to sit outside. I was not to keen on sitting outside, because I was very hot, and I was with my sister who was 7 months pregnant. Just before I got up and walked out the nice man who seated us came over and apologized for Lynne's rudeness. We then put in an order for the ice cream. We received our ice cream in cool little pharmacy, soda jerk style cups. I had the peanut butter swirl. The ice cream was terrible. It was very icy, and the peanut butter was gritty in texture. This was obviously freezer burnt. Until Richardson's replaces it's owner I have decided neither I nor my family will be returning. We recommend trying Southwind. It is a few shops down from Richardson's and the food it better, at a more reasonable price. read more

Wow. Talk about small town feel and stepping back to the 1950's. We stopped in for an ice cream. Sat on the stools at the counter. Sundaes are served in a real glass sundae dish..no plastic. Very impressed. Nice decor with the old pictures. Will definitely come back read more

Wonderful fresh food. Great burgers quality meat. Amazing desserts. Love this place so cute

Richardson's came along way from the past, everything was perfect to the smallest details. A word of warning, arrive early for dinner if you want to get a table and save some room for their great desserts read more

Excellent Pineapple Sage Haddock. Very tasty Coconut Almond Ice Cream. Excellent service. Loved it