Who knew Butter Bean Cakes were going to be so darn amazing??!! I sure didn't know, but am glad I know now! We made a reservation, but if you are an early diner you may not need one. By 7:15/7:30pm the place had filled up, but at 6:30pm there was only one table. That said, we were kind of bemused at how slow the service was right from the start considering the lack of patrons upon arrival. The food is quite good. We started with the aforementioned bean cake appetizer - AMAZING! Our various entrees were all excellent. Entrees come with salads, the house dressing is wonderful! I also can't speak highly enough of the desserts. Unique creations with distinct flavours, be sure to save room! If they can get their service a bit tighter, this will go higher on my regular dining list. read more

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Classic food.great service choice date place nonjudgmental staff. A favorite of mine.

Restaurant week review only. I came here with two others, and the food was just fine. The menu was all over the place in terms of type of cuisine, some items were Asian-inspired while others were southern and even still others were Italian. It was hard to focus. Anyway, I got the peking duck appetizer, miso-yaki sea bass, and kahlua chocolate crepe. The peking duck was the best dish! It was flavorful, artfully presented, and hit the right tasting notes with the scallion, cucumber, and sauce. It should be added to the daily dinner menu. The sea bass was cooked just fine as was the eggplant accompaniment, but it was supposed to be spicy. It was not. The flavors were muted. Lastly, the dessert was okay, but again, it was odd to have a chocolate crepe as an option. It was an odd transition and end to the meal. We did get a bottle of white wine which paired with the meal very well. Other menu options included shrimp toast, chicken "gumbo," chicken and polenta, fried green tomato parmigiana, linguine, white chocolate pear bread pudding, and an apple tart. The service was a little wonky. Our waitress hadn't tasted any of the desserts so couldn't make recommendations. She seemed a little distracted. Bottom line: The RW menu was a little all over the place, and the dishes were hit or miss. read more

Rowland!!!!! I can't believe I've never been here before!!! Went last night for V-Day & it was spectacular!!! The food & drinks themselves were amazing, but what really made the evening was every employee went out of their way to speak to us, & have fun! They didn't come over for "business", asking how's your meal etc. They would just stop at the table to chat for a couple minutes about something silly, something fun, something quirky, whatever!! Soo friendly & genuine!!! Just sheer perfection from beginning to end!! read more

We had similar experience to another fairly recent reviewer. We have been to Rowland a few times but, we have not been there in a few years. On a Saturday night, we had an early (5:45 pm) reservation for dinner. When we arrived, the restaurant was mostly empty. Our waiter, I believe his name was Derek, was wonderful - very friendly, attentive and gave good recommendations. We enjoyed our appetizers, salad and main courses very much, and the food was served promptly. The desserts were a bit underwhelming though and we didn't finish them. Immediately after paying the bill, another member of the waitstaff came over and told us that we needed to leave as there was another reservation in about 10 minutes. We found this rather offensive - my hand was actually on my purse as were preparing to leave when we were told to get out. We had not been sitting around chatting long after paying, it had been barely two minutes and no one was waiting for a table. I've never had a restaurant chase me out before! We did notice that they seem to have a number of regulars there. A few big tables of loud people kept getting up and running back and forth to the kitchen. I guess this restaurant only cares about the regulars and are not looking for new patrons. Such a shame. read more

Was excited to try this restaurant, as it is family owned and operated, but the food wasn't the quality I was expecting. The calamari was drowned in some sort of oil, making it soggy, and our entrees came out cold. Saw our server once and weren't able to order more drinks or water, but they were pretty busy with only one server who was also bartending, so won't hold the service against them. They did apologize, but was a disappointing experience as we were celebrating a special occasion and still spent a good bit of money. read more

I've lived a block away from Rowland for the past three years. I've stopped in many times. Often with my boyfriend/now fiancee and sometimes with my parents. It's a good "fancier" option in the Fan when we've eaten at Joe's too many times and want to have a nicer experience. Last week was probably my 4th or 5th time going to Rowland in the last year and I've gotta say, it was not as great of an experience as I remember. For appetizers, we got the caesar salad and calamari. The casear was pretty good and had white anchovies on there which was a nice relief from the canned anchovies that are usually on those salads. The calamari had virtually no taste. No salt, no seasoning, was served on a bed of arugula that was dressed with some white dressing but also did not taste like anything. We only ate a few pieces each. For our meals, my fiance got the pork chop which has been a favorite of ours in the past. It is so impressive on the plate but again was incredibly under seasoned. The mac & cheese served with it tasted like no distinguishable cheese but rather milk. I got the blackened shrimp and grits and received maybe 4 regular sized shrimp and they were faaarrrr from blackened. The grits were nice though. It was 1/2 off wine wednesday and for 2 apps, 2 entrees, and a half off bottle of wine, our tab was just under $100. For the mediocre meal, I will definitely be going elsewhere for the price. Nothing had a memorable or particularly great taste which was not the case just a year ago. It also always seems dead in there so I wonder if that has anything to do with it. In the end, even if some fan restaurants aren't as "nice" they definitely win in the flavor category over Rowland. read more

I was hesitant to come here because of some of the reviews, but I remember having some good food from their South of the James stand so I gave them a shot. Helps that my date paid for the meal. There was a happy hour special of $5 appetizers and wines. I was pretty happy with my meal of rack of lamb. It's not often I see rack of lamb so I had to get it. It was a bit tough to cut through but very tender when I ate it. Not gamey. The garlic mashed potatoes and greens were very good with it. Out of the places that I've tried on Main St, I think Rowland's has the best decor. It is "fine" dining but the servers didn't have a hoity toity air to them. It was a weekday evening and not busy at all. Cute to have an older man next to us buy the ladies next to him a drink. :) Best meal I've had in the neighborhood, although you are paying for it. read more

Stopped for a quick afternoon appetizer before a late dinner. Very friendly neighborhood vibe with a certain elegance to the place. Octopus was splendid, as was the potato leek smoked salmon soup. read more

Oh my God! You must treat yourself to an awesome meal at Rowland Fine Dining in RVA at 2132 W Main Street. The neighborhood atmosphere has a comfort feeling. The butter bean cake is an appetizer you must try, along with the pecan crusted pork chop. My wife had the sea bass and both of our meals were delicious. read more

Rowland - Sea Bass - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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This is tied for the best takeout we've ordered in two months of intense take our ordering in quarantine! We had the blackened fish special (rockfish). A+. read more

Cool atmosphere. Relaxed. Reasonably priced for a fun date-night. Small wine list, but sufficient. Service was attentive. We tried the NY strip and it was expertly prepared. EDIT: We've been back 4 or 5 times since the initial review. Still 4 stars. Consistently a great date night. We even took the kids one night for an early dinner. EDIT August 2016: We used to be able to show up on a weekend night without a reservation and get seated immediately. Now, Rowland's is booked a week or two in advance and they don't even return phone calls. I should have kept this place a secret for myself. :) read more

Went for dinner with some friends. Evidently sometimes they're uber busy and other times notso much. When we walked in, there was nearly no one there. Service was a little slow, and became even slower when we announced we weren't ready to order - partly because our last guest hadn't arrived and partly because we just weren't sure what we wanted to drink. When our last guest arrived the wait to give our drink orders was ridiculous - all of the employees were standing at the bar and even acknowledged her as she walked in the door. So it was odd that we then waited a good 10 minutes before I finally got someone's attention to say "We're ready for drinks" before we got to place our drink order. Slow service was the only down side - our waiter was pleasant and knew the menu and helped us choose when asked. One of our drink orders was so specific that he even made the drink for her... and she was SUPER happy (so much so that when she asked for another that she said she wanted him to make it). We were all very pleased with our entrees. I can't remember what everyone got but everyone was pleased. I ordered shrimp & grits (it comes with sausage), it was SO very good. Everything was cooked and flavored perfectly. I'm used to getting more grits with my shrimp & grits, so I'll admit that I was a little disappointed initially, but when I was done I was full (so the serving size was perfect). We ordered Bananas Foster and something chocolate for dessert (I am SO disappointed in myself for forgetting the other item). We split both desserts and loved them both. The Bananas Foster was served differently than I've had it before. The used a large muffin pan and created a cinnamon-sugar yummy edible dish that simply MADE the dessert! I was also excited that the bartender offered to make me a chocolate martini - it's not on the menu and I do love me a good chocolate martini, so asked and he was happy to accommodate the request. Even considering the slow service, I'd suggest this as a great option! read more

Second time having dinner here. Both times had great meals. The last time they modified the fish special for me and it was great! Always great service and so kind to make modifications for picky eaters like me! read more

Came here for my birthday with family who drove over a hour to come. I called 3 times that week to confirm my reservation for 7:15 for over 9 people. We got there at 7:15 pm and they did not seat us until 7:45. A 30 minute wait. What is the point of having a reservation? My niece was getting restless and my family was hungry after driving 2 hours. This was a special event that was ruined. read more

Evening started off great celebrating a birthday....appetizers were great, main course excellent. Order 3 bottles of wine, enjoying our night and then told they needed the table for the next reservation after 1.25 hours. Guess they are following the fast food business model. Get the food to go!!!! read more

What an exceptional evening! Dinner was superb, the drinks were memorable, the service was attentive and friendly. How could this be our first time here? Did I mention the desserts that are made there??? read more

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Excellent food and service. Family owned. Both fish dishes were flavorful. Lots of good menu options. Love Virginia's corn pudding. Dinners come with salads and wonderful homemade bread. Cozy vibe! read more

We came here for restaurant week yesterday and it was a mediocre experience at best. It's an interesting ambience with old wooden bar stools, linen on the tables and dark red walls. We made a reservation and were seated immediately. Our server seemed really nervous and asked if we'd ordered the first time he showed up. They brought us bread and olive oil with whole garlic gloves. The bread was good but very crunchy and the garlic was sweet. For appetizers, I ordered the gumbo, which had a great flavor but the okra was not quite cooked all of the way. Additionally, there wasn't a lot of rice/sausage. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't amazing. My roommate ordered the duck appetizer and said it was good. For entree I ordered the bolognese with ricotta and pesto. It was on the smaller side, and sweet. It was OK. It definitely needed some more garlic. My roommate ordered the seafood shrimp and grits which had bratwurst in it that she discovered was pink in the middle. We both weren't wow'd. For dessert we ordered a chocolate torte, which came out as a plain chocolate cake. We would've liked to have some raspberry coulis or whipped cream to balance out the rich chocolate flavor. It was still good, though very rich. Overall, I think there are better options in the Fan area for a fine dining experience. read more

We just had an AWESOME dining experience tonight to celebrate my husband's birthday. Our server was spot on and the food was delicious from cocktails to dessert. Thank you for a very relaxing evening! read more

Came in around 7 after the 10k. One of very few restaurants with open tables, now I know why. About 50% full and took 1 hour for appetizers. Flavorless and bland. Cooked well, I suppose. Another hour passed and no sign of entrees. Most were pizzas so not sure why that would take so long. Asked for the entrees to go. Another 30 mins later eventually came with the bill first. Sure, let me lay $100 for bland, slow to come appetizers and then take your word your entrees will be good. Terrible experience. With all the other quality restaurants in Richmond this'll be out of business in a few months. UPDATE: came home with our "to go" entrees. Toppings all wrong and/or ignored. Forgot two sides. You have to be kidding me. read more

Rowland - "Shrimp and grits" - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

My boyfriend and I came to Rowland after buying the $50 for $25 Groupon. We probably never would have come in otherwise. Including 'fine dining' in the restaurant's name was kind of a red flag to me. Walking in, it looks and feels like a suburban strip mall restaurant. A nice one, but not a swanky downtown fine dining establishment. It is very crowded and the fluorescent light from the kitchen was distracting. Sitting outside would have been better, but we arrived at 7 and it was still too hot/bright to be comfortable outside. The food was the highlight of the experience. We started with two glasses of Prosecco and the scallop appetizer with quinoa and plantains. The scallops were cooked well, the plantains were tasty, but the quinoa had no flavor. An unremarkable mixed greens salad followed (included with all entrees). I had the NY strip with yuca fries and a poblano pepper confit. It was very good, cooked to order (rare), but maybe a tad too spicy for my taste. My boyfriend had linguine with squid, shrimp, lobster and scallop. All the seafood was delicious, fresh, and the pesto sauce was good. I had a glass of Syrah with my dinner and bf had a Pinot Noir, but our waiter mixed them up. We switched after the first taste. Our waiter told us the dessert options after clearing our plates, and we said we'd take a minute to think about it. We decided to walk over to Bev's and share some ice cream, but before we could let him know our decision, he returned with the check. It came to just about $100 for the above. We paid and informed the waiter we would be using a Groupon. He got the code from our phone, ran our card to cover the other half of the check and returned. Had the unfortunate incident I'm about to relay not occurred, I would probably return to Rowland again, hoping to see some changes in the decor. Our waiter rudely pointed out to my boyfriend that he should calculate his tip based on the total amount of the check, not the remaining balance post-Groupon. I wanted to inform him that we would be calculating our tip based on his service, and nothing else. It angers me that Rowland would partner with Groupon to bring in new customers, and then treat them like heathens for trying to use a coupon. We may look young, but we are mid 20's professionals who don't need to be schooled by a mediocre waiter in gratuity etiquette. read more

Last night a friend and I checked out Wine Wednesday at Rowland and had a great time. On Wednesday nights you can get half off of any bottle of wine under $40. Pretty cool. My friend and I decided to eat at the bar since we weren't sure if we'd have other friends joining us. We started with a bottle of Gruner Veltliner (original price: $23, Wine Wednesday price $11.50. Awesome!!). After a bit we decided we were in a snacking mood, so instead of entrees we got several appetizers to split. We started with a special salad featuring watermelon, blueberries, red onions and raspberry vinaigrette, which was delicious. The restaurant felt a little toasty, and this salad was pure refreshment. I loved the simple dressing that was very light and flavorful. Next we had the curried sea scallops over a potato-pear pancake topped with champagne beurre blanc. This dish was fantastic. Flavorful, buttery and innovative. The potato-pear pancake was a little charred, which just added another great layer of flavor to the dish. Also very good and innovative was the butter bean cake with a cucumber/grape tomato/avocado salsa and spicy cilantro oil. The cake featured slightly crunchy beans and tangy feta and the topping was full of flavor. This appetizer was unique, creative and satisfying. The cake was also pretty big, making it a good choice for sharing. The only letdown was the roasted chicken ravioli, which was just a little bland. I also guess they ran out of arugula because it was topped with a spinach-tomato combo that was a bit too sweet. It wasn't bad, just not at the level of the other stuff we ordered. At some point another bottle of wine was ordered, an Albarino, which was super refreshing and another great deal. Starting price $32, WW price $16!! We finished our meal with bread pudding, which was also very very good. Service throughout the meal was great. The staff at the bar was super friendly. I'll definitely return soon! read more

Shhhhh Don't tell anyone. Rowland is a pearl in an oyster shell. The outside doesn't look like much, but it is cozy and welcoming inside. The service is outstanding. Waiters are as friendly as you wish them to be, but never intrusive or forgetful. The food ranges from really good to excellent. And the prices are reasonable. The house salad dressing is so good I once took a bottle home. The pork chop is delicious and huge. The specials are truly special and the coffee creme brulee was so good, it was worth going off your diet.The restaurant is quiet. You can hear the others at your table. So....Just keep this our secret... read more

TLDR: Don't waste your money here. They can't cook and somehow charged me an extra $20. Attended for new years eve dinner. $60 for appetizer, main, and dessert. Food: Appetizer and dessert were average at best. My main course was the duck and it was absolutely abysmal - extremely overcooked and the accompanying pear sauce didn't *pair* with the duck at all. It seemed like they had precooked the entrees beforehand and then heated them up to order. That is entirely unacceptable for the premium price they were charging. Service: Very young servers with little experience. Not appropriate for what they advertise as fine dining. Bill: Noticed that I was overcharged by $20 after reconciling my credit card statement, paying $100 total for arguably the worst meal I've consumed in Richmond, VA. Very disappointed. read more

This was our second time at Rowland's, which we chose because of the creative menu, excellent service and ability to have a conversation with friends. Maybe someone else can comment but I believe the decor has been updated. Definitely new tables which absorb noise and lighten the decor. Don't let the "fine dining" deter you if you aren't up for a stiff waiter hovering and correcting your pronunciation or curtly answering questions about the menu. It's fine dining in the sense of great food. Just check out the menu. Our waiter was Alex, and his service elevated the evening. He was approachable and served as an extension of the chef and kitchen. As "foodies" and home "chefs," his answer to our questions about preparation were impressive. He didn't just recite a list of ingredients, he broke it down in such detail that we could picture the dish coming together in the kitchen. The ingredients were fresh and combined in unexpected (but not fussy) ways. We had the lamb sliders, beet and watermelon salad, quinoa crusted eggplant, rockfish and shrimp pasta (some were specials). All were excellent with creative touches that let the ingredients shine without overpowering them. I'm not one to post reviews (but am grateful that others do) but just had to make sure others looking for a place to enjoy excellent food and not have to yell across the table knew about this gem. read more

Excellent dining experience. Service was great. I had the green curry chicken. It was the best, mixing a little heat w/ great flavor. Everyone at the table was pleased with their meal. On a side note, they accommodated our 18 month old daughter which was no small task. Very grateful for a tasty night out. read more

Went last week, hoped for better, not worth the price, won't go back for a while. They do have the best Martini in town! Our fried soft shell crab was greasy and just tasted like fried fry. Yuck, no crab flavor at all. However, the pasta it was served with was very tasty. We told the waitress how much we didn't enjoy the crab - nothing came of that. No extra appetizer, no break on the bill, no comp'ed beer, nothing. My fish was well prepared but nothing special. The crispy potatoes served with it were more like wet, undercooked, flavorless potatoes. I was hungry so I asked for ketchup to help them go down. No question from the waitress on whether something was wrong when we asked for ketchup. Oh well, if they don't care, I don't care to go back. read more

I will generously award this restaurant three stars. Why? 1). The chef seemed more interested in drinking than preparing food. 2). The eggplant entree was very pedestrian in its presentation. 3). The waiter asked if everything was "great". Don't ever EVER ask me if something is great; ask me how my meal was PERIOD. The restaurant was empty on a Tuesday night and I understand why. A restaurant in decline. Sober up and you might be able to save it. read more

I encourage Rowland "Fine Dining" to revise their name, perhaps just to "Rowland." It's a nice restaurant but it's not fine dining--for instance, there was a sheet of white paper over our table cloth. As if we were going to pound crabs smothered in old bay with mallets on the table (wow that sounds good). But no. The food was fine. The server was very nice but not very good. She ran away with our dessert order before we had a chance to ask for coffee, did not come back until the dessert was in hand, and then made our coffee. French press, but kind of too late. There was nothing about this restaurant that made me want to go there again, especially when there are totally better restaurants within walking distance. read more

Came here during Restaurant Week. This was the first time we went anywhere for RVA RW, and had high expectations. Unfortunately, we left dinner less than thrilled. We had a reservation, and it took about 20-25 minutes to actually get seated, which was a little frustrating, but understandable given how busy it was. For the appetizer, we had the prawns which were delicious and had me excited for the rest of the meal. For dinner, I ordered the flank steak, and was *really* let down. Small pieces of steak, served on top of rice (that was not properly cooked -- it was crunchy/dry) with two hard potato wedges. The meal didn't make any sense at all. For dessert, I had the pumpkin cheesecake. It was good, but so small that we ended up going out to Shyndigz for a second dessert! Considering it was a small menu to perfect for RW, this was pretty disappointing. Definitely better places to check out in RVA. read more

"I chose the Quinoa Chipotle Crusted Salmon over Cannellini Beans with Swiss Chard and Smoked Tomato Puree, all of which is just a wordy way of saying 'exactly what I wanted.'" View the whole critique on my blog: http://ohfluff.tumblr.com/post/11851201127/rowland-fine-dining In summary: Food is EXCELLENT, Service was so-so. Would dine again. read more

NYE 2012 - Prix Fixed menu 3 courses $60. I've been to Rowland in the past and had some great meals so when it was last minute and we were looking for a place to go and get a table for six I was excited about going to Rowland. Unfortunately it was a mistake to go there. Appetizers were ok. Entrees they were out of Lamb so that narrowed it down to three options, Steak, Rockfish, and a vegetarian option. Three of us ordered the steak and three ordered rockfish. The steak they say is usually cooked to Med Rare unless specified for something other. Two got it as is, one requested medium knowing she did not like medium rare. All steaks were served rare and some areas didnt seem cooked at all hardly. One steak was barely grey on the outside and some blue on the inside. Desserts were all sub par and overall we were all disappointed in something we ate and $60 was way to high for what we got. Waiter wasn't paying much attention at all and for each course brought everything to the wrong people. Even though the restaurant was mostly empty. Before dessert one chef was at the bar having drinks and by the time we left two chefs were at the bar drinking and our waiter was focusing more on serving them. Probably wont try Rowland again and I know the other 5 in our party will never return. read more

Tried to place an order the other evening. When I told them I wanted to place the order, the server told me no and refused service. I asked why and he said it was immoral to take my order. I was confused and thats all he said, did not explain or anything. Terrible customer service. read more

I really wanted to like this place which is why I selected it for my birthday dinner. PROS: The service was excellent. We were promptly seated, orders quickly taken, and food delivered in a timely fashion. CONS: Like a few others have noted the food was just blah especially when taking into consideration the price of the plates. The calamari lacked quantity and flavor. The pasta of the day, beef short rib, also lacked flavor. No Its like someone told the chef that we were on a salt-free, bland diet.The decor was also lackluster. I ended up going somewhere else for dessert because after the apps and entrees I wasn't taking any more chances. I really wish I would've read the reviews on Yelp before going because I was completely underwhelmed. Bottom line, the food was not bad, it just was not $45 a person good either. read more

Went here for restaurant week with coworkers. I will go back. Food was delicious, service was good. I had shrimp toast, shrimp carbonara and white chocolate pear bread pudding. read more

Went for dinner last night with my family. Cool interior and the entire place was very clean. The waiter (James) was outstanding. He made great suggestions while adding humor to the conversations. All five of us loved the food from bread and salad to main course of pasta or sea bass. Another great Richmond restaurant with lots of character, good food, and awesome service. read more

This place has been on the ever growing list of places in RVA to try since I moved here a little over a year ago. When we were trying to decide on a new place to celebrate my bday, I pulled out said list(yes, there's actually a list) and decided on Rowland's. It's a pretty typical quaint and charming Fan restaurant with stellar service and some exquisite Mediterranean meets Southern faire. I was particularly impressed with the Butter Bean Cake which is kind of like a fritter with this cucumber and avocado salad that bursts with flavor, the acid really brightening the bean cake. The bf has braised short rib ravioli which was insanely delicious and I had the lamb with walnut pesto fettuccine. I was served two generous portions of lamp chops that were cooked to medium rare perfection. The pesto did not have the typical pasty consistency of most pestos but was still delicious and paired well with the lamb. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the in house made complimentary bread. It's like a Big, Fat Yeast Roll had babies with a French baguette and I could not stop eating it! I have since demanded my bf figure out how to make it for me so I have all the bread! Oh btw, the drinks were fabulous and reasonably priced. And apparently the owner used to be the personal chef to Mick Jagger so there's that. We definitely plan to go back, hopefully when he's there to ply him with beverages for stories! read more

Wonderful! We stop here every trip to Richmond...amazing home baked bread, the BEST pork chop I've ever had...and don't miss the butter bean cake! Owners are always on site and so welcoming... read more

Just went back for the first time in a long while. The service was impeccable and the meal scrumptious. I had the special appetizer, spring rolls stuffed with beef, red peppers and something else that was scrumptious. It came with a yummy sauce that was spicy but flavorful. Hubby ordered oysters and was very happy with it. For our entrees, I had the ravioli, which is my kriptonite. They were covered in a tangy spinach sauce with hints of lemon. Great texture for ravioli, which is hard to pull off, even for experienced chefs. Hubby had cod smothered in a sauce of fresh tomatoes and herbs. For dessert, we split the bananas foster, which is never disappointing. Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. What's not to love? read more