Rude host! When my party and I arrived here we weren't greeted until we got the attention from the staff at the bar. The host was very rude & short informing us the kitchen would be closed in 8 minutes. He didn't even say good evening. He asked us if we sure we wanted to dine there!! Who would walk into a restaurant they weren't going to patronize!! Very uncomfortable and unwelcoming establishment!! read more

The Hard Shell is a very classy, expensive resteraunt. I hope you have your credit cards ready. Its pricey but fabolous. The food was delicious, but please donot bring your kids. It is not kid friendly, and the people around you donot want their quality time interrupted. The waiters are very nice, and you get good quality service. I love how they have the lighted candles on the table. Its a romantic setting & I would love for my boyfriend to propose to me at the Hard Shell.. I love it! read more

Worth the drive from DC-what a lovely dinner! We had the best dinner here tonight. Our waitress/bartender knew the menu and drinks to a T and helped recommend some great pairings. She was very personable as well. Our She Crab soup was delicious, as was our crab dip. My sons loved their extensive kids' menu-so many excellent options and items beyond the typical kids' menu of chicken fingers and burgers. They gobbled up their filet mignon and fettuccine Alfredo. Our cocktails were quite imaginative and delicious. We had the crab appetizer, the stuffed lobster and lobster pasta-all were delicious. Dessert was perfect-the key lime pie, creme brûlée and seasonal bread pudding hit the spot. I highly recommend this restaurant for a lovely evening. We will definitely be back! read more

Went there on a Saturday night. We had reservations for 5 pm and was seated as soon as we walked in the door. Our waitress was very attentive and checked on us throughout the meal. I had the salmon with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It was delicious. I heard they have a great happy hour and I plan on returning to try it. It's good for a date night, dinner, or hanging with friends and family. read more

Came here one night to celebrate something with my family, and everything was fine. There was nothing bad, but to me and my family, there was also nothing great. The food was ok, but not as good as I had expected or hoped. The best part, had to be the brownie we had for dessert. If you come and get a steak, make sure to hide some A1 in your purse, because they don't have any there. Not sure if I would come again because other than the dessert, nothing really stood out to me. read more

Met friends for dinner on a Tuesday evening. This is actually special prime rib night. We did not order the prime rib but I had the simply shrimp which are 5 shrimp grilled. My sides were Brussel sprouts and brocollini. I had the chipotle aioli dipping sauce. Yummy. One friend had the steak salad and she said it was great and filling. The other had the she crab soup along with fried oysters. They said the soup was definitely the highlight as well as the Brussel sprouts.. They were cooked perfectly. We were seated quickly and our server was friendly and knowledgeable. We did get there around 5 and the place was getting full around 6. Happy hour in the bar was 4-7. We will return. read more

I feel almost ashamed that I'm just discovering this gem. This place has one of the best happy hours offered in this city. The hours are reasonable from 4-7pm, the wine is $3.50 and the apps are half off. Their spicy steamed shrimp is TO.DIE.FOR!!!! They are huge, fresh and perfectly cooked. Definitely going to make this a regular after work spot. The bar was even packed on a Monday!!!! read more

I was recently visiting family and we decided to dine at the Hard Shell after reviewing the menu, my family and I were excited to see what this restaurant had to offer. Unfortunately, that did not occur as we were never acknowledged and then after requesting assistance , rushed to order because the kitchen would be closing. Coming from the big apple where service is fast and customer service means everything I am truly dissappointed by the way my family and I were treated especially because I enjoy dining out and really wanted to like the Hard Shell. Better luck next time with another patron because I will not be back the next time I come to Virginia. As a small business owner myself I am truly disappointed as I know the value of positive customer interactions & customer service especially in the service industry. read more

I was in the mood for seafood this past Friday and pulled up the hard shell on Yelp in a very nice shopping center the atmosphere is nice service was a little off but great attention to detail I started off with a spicy shrimp appetizer and a Caesar salad with no anchovies for the main course I was recommended to seared ahi tuna. The spicy shrimp very tasty Caesar salad not over done with dressing crisp salad very good way to start off. Ahi tuna although mixed with all types of vegetables under seasoned and overcooked read more

Awesome atmosphere and great food too! I had the blackened Mahi Mahi with whipped potatoes and brocolini. The fish and potatoes were pretty good, the brocolini was just ok. My husband had the Flat iron Ribeye with whipped potatoes and brocolini for dinner. The steak was prepared medium well and was flavorful and tender. The potatoes were very tasty too. We topped off the evening with a slice of key lime pie!!! DELICIOUS!!!! We'll be back soon to try out their Crableg Sunday special as well. read more

I went to the Hard Shell the other night and it was fantastic! The crab dip was soooooo good! Service was great. Will go back!

We used their private dining area and bar for our small wedding. The setting and food were amazing, and the staff was fabulous - everything from planning, set-up, to the service during the event - loved it all! Special shout-out to Amy, Bill, Jess, and Megan for making our day stress-free and fun! read more

Wow! Service at this restaurant is abysmal. After sitting for 15 minutes without so much as having someone say "hello", we got up and left the restaurant. After telling the manager, he said "oh"! Do yourself a favor and stay away! Update: Walked over to Ruth Chris next door and they were happy to seat us immediately and offered great service! In Chad's response to my review, he indicates that we were "greeted" after 8 minutes. Unfortunately, we were never greeted at our table at all. The only "greeting" we received was when we walked out of the restaurant and the individual Chad identified as the "host" (but appeared to us as a manager since no one else was visible except servers) addressed us. I have nothing to gain from providing a poor review for a restaurant ... so believe what you will! read more

Tasty, but damn is it pricey. I spent nearly 200$ for an appetizer, the oyster sampler and two entrees with some drinks.

I try not to dine in Midlothian often, as I'm not a fan of suburbanites, but this place gets better and better each time we come. Granted, we've only come for happy hour and small plates. From what we've sampled, the truffle fries are EXCELLENT. I would like them a little thicker (these are shoestring fries), but I'm used to traditional California style truffle fries. The wonton tacos are excellent as well, as well as the tuna sliders. It's a little more dressed up than most of the places around here, and feel like it might make for an appropriate business lunch or an intimate date night. Highly suggested. B+ read more

I came here for my graduation and made a reservation for 1:45 and everything was fine until after we received our drinks. I have a party of 11 so I can understand that there would be a little delay in getting us everything. After we ordered we were sitting waiting for our appetizers for about 30/45 mins and then after about 15 more minutes we received our entrees while people that had came in after us received there orders ahead of us while having a party size similar. I ordered the shrimp and scallops and when the plate was placed in front of me I saw 2 scallops and 2 pieces of shrimp with a lump of undercooked hard rice, for the price I was expecting at least a bit more food. When I told the server that my rice was undercooked she told me "I'm sorry there's nothing we can do about that" YOU COULD GET ME SOME COOKED RICE. But nonetheless the crab soup was okay nothing spectacular and barely any crab in it, our water had particles floating around in it and we were battling off flies our entire time here. Our server barely tended to us for when our drinks were running low and just checking in, in general and we had to stop and ask her about the status of our food several times and was offered crackers......... Where then the crackers were stale . Only thing I liked about this restaurant was the sweet tea. Having worked in a restaurant I know that food being out slow is not always the servers fault and more so the cooks, but this isn't a place I would recommend to anyone and the food was subpar. Update: Just received our checks and my Uncle ordered his son a cesar side salad. When he received the check it had a full salad charged to it and when he asked her about it, she said "I'm sorry about that" instead of notifying him ahead of time when he ordered that you can't do a side Cesar salad. read more

This is one of my favorite places to eat in town. My family and I came Christmas Eve and the food was fabulous! I got the Filet Mignon and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. My grandfather got the lobster tail and he loved it. We ordered the calamari and hand cut fries as an appetizer and they were both great. Lastly we got desert. I got the cheesecake and others in my family had the key lime pie, the chocolate brownie, and the crème brûlée. All were very good, we shared them between ourselves. Wonderful service and pretty decor. Everyone loved their meal and we will be returning soon. Highly recommend this place. read more

The Hard Shell Bellgrade - Christmas Eve 2016 - Seafood Near Me - Midlothian, Virginia

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We had our Christmas party here. The appetizers were great, and drinks were great and very reasonably priced as well. However, when it came to our dinner for 22 people, it fell short. Most people ordered the filet mignon with lobster tail and half of everyone's food was either cold or over-cooked. We didn't complain, mostly because it's the holidays, we had fair pricing, and we had several people with babysitters on a time schedule, and we know how hard it is to provide for a large group. The timing of the food was pretty off...we waited a really long time for our food which made it hard for people at the tables to eat together. I have dined here with a smaller group in the past and had a decent experience. The wait staff was great. Just keep it under 10 people if you choose to dine here. read more

Great food, services and atmosphere. to bad I didn't show up for Sunday's crab leg special

Never disappointed at fabulous Hard Shell!! Always a great dining experience! The fish tacos are fantastic!! Look forward to next time!

Lobster Special night. I had the lobster and crab cake - crab cake cold. My guest had the lobster and shrimp pasta - my guest did not like mucking in the pasta to remove the shrimp and lobster shell. Ordered a second round of drinks before dinner. Didn't arrive until dinner was almost over. Could probably do this well at Red Lobster! read more

I wanted to give one star but I actually like the food. Customer service and waiters.... HORRIBLE. Every person we have asked in the area about this place all said the food is good but the service sucks. We still gave it a try. Wow we were informed correctly. our waiter didn't show until twenty mins after we sat down. He was completely distracted and barely acknowledged us and every time we had to find him. Problem is we weren't the only ones ! It became such an obvious problem to all guests that we started conversations with other guests about the service. The one time he smiled was when he handed me the check. Staff needs a reality check and training , the fact management doesn't even see this happening is a complete failure and with bad service a restaurant usually doesn't stick around . If you eat here. I highly recommend take out. read more

We live nearby and have consistently wonderful meals here. The Lobster dip appetizer is fantastic. Haven't had a bad meal there yet.

My wife and I love this place. Great food and a great atmosphere. If you want steak or seafood this is the place. Try the oyster appetizers.

Sunday brunch was excellent. I appreciated the slightly earlier opening of 10:30. The prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. We had a delicious lump crab omelette from the brunch menu and shrimp & grits from the entrees. French toast was over the top and best to share. (Too sweet to eat it all) The fresh mini blueberry muffin basket was a nice treat. read more

We were expecting a better dinner, very disappointing! The service was only fair. Dinner tasted like it came out of a box. My Caesar salad dressing was mayo with a little salt & pepper. They did have anchovies for the salad which impressed me. Bottom line, it was a chopped lettuce with mayo. The soup was thick lacking flavor. The appetizer was small and lacking in flavor - calamari fried. The main courses tasted like box dinner. The seafood was over cooked and lacking flavor. The beef was cooked to perfection and worth eating. The worse part was the price, big price for nothing. Not going back. read more

We had our wedding rehearsal dinner here. Our dinner was so enjoyable, Tommy and his staff did a fantastic job of taking care of everyone. The food, drinks, and service were fantastic and it is such a gorgeous building. We had a very memorable dinner and look forward to visiting again! read more

Great food. Loved it. Worth the money. Seafood is amazing. Loved it. The service was excellent. Great place to eat.

Went back after a disappointing Mother's Day to celebrate my son's 30th birthday-the food was fresh and delicious and the staff was very attentive and accommodating! A lovely experience was had by all-even with the restaurant in the middle of renovations. We will definitely go back again! read more

We went Sunday for a Father's day brunch. We got there soon after opening, and the restaurant had a few tables seated but that was it. We were seated outside since it was a nice day. Within about 10 minutes of being seated our waiter brought us our water. Pretty high for initial table greet. We were brought the brunch menu... which wasn't exactly extensive, but it is brunch so I wasn't expecting a whole lot. We quickly made our decisions and set the menus down in a nice pile on the table. Then we waited. 30 minutes later, we've pulled out whatever electronic devices we had on hand to pass the time when our server shows up all bright and smiley to take our order. There is nothing more annoying after waiting for an excessive time for service than to have the waitress show up completely clueless and happy without so much as an acknowledgement of the delay? At least we weren't the only ones.. we had noticed during the wait that most of the tables around us had not had orders taken either, and they had been there longer than we had. I understand that kitchens can be slow... I understand that your manager decides to hold a meeting late because he were in talking to his girlfriend in the office... prep took longer... stations weren't ready... someone didn't show up. But if you KNOW you are running that long getting basic service, at least shove baskets of muffins at your tables. We got one... and it was 40 mins into our experience. So... we have been there for over a half hour and have finally gotten our orders in. Our drinks (2 diets and a milk) and basket of (I will say very yummy) muffins arrive which get polished off in no time. And then we wait some more... Before I go on... let me reveal the extent of our order: Blueberry pancakes, French Toast, and a MR steak with scrambled eggs. All in total not terribly complicated. So why we were looking the hour mark in the rear view mirror before the first plate arrived is beyond me. So it is here... the moment we had waited over an hour for. Food. My steak was the size of a post-it note. I don't know if it shrunk in the wash or while it was being burnt to the third level of hades, but I have never seen a steak so small it didn't come off a kebob and so thoroughly scorched while still making it medium rare. Alas... maybe it will taste good. Only I don't have a steak knife... I have a slightly serrated butter knife... but nothing sharper than a spoon. The waitress quickly bring me a steak knife... to no avail... I have to press down so hard to crack through the outside of this steak I thought i was going to break my plate. Even at medium rare it was tough. Luckily I didn't have much steak to cut, because my wife had to borrow my STEAK KNIFE to cut through her french toast. I had a taste... and got a new found appreciation of how tender my steak was in comparison. Wait staff responded a bit clueless at first but eventually acknowledged the complaints, but the option of having it recooked was, in my mind, going to require another hour wait time as by now the church crowds were showing up and the place was threatening to actually start getting busy. They did the blueberry pancakes ok... but no better than Ihop. My scrambled eggs were ok... again.. nothing special... but they were edible. Final bill was in the mid 40's. The original plan was my son was going to pay for part with his saved allowance because he wanted to do it for me for Father's day. I couldn't in good conscience let him pay his hard earned money for this crap.. one of us getting the shaft was bad enough. We all agreed that this was terrible, and we would pretend father's day was next weekend so we can go out and have a good meal. This weekend, we are skipping the fancy restaurant at the fancy address and going to a mom and pop breakfast place that makes real food real good real cheap. I would recommend you do the same. read more

Terrible. Asked for mount gay rum did not get it. Salmon fair. Won't go back again. Ever.

The BEST Ruby Salts oysters on the planet. The She Crab soup is sultry, sensuous and decadent. I had the Burrata salad as well with EXTRA BALSAMIC GLAZE. It was amazing. I don't know who they were before but the got it ALL TOGETHER. GREAT SERVICE _Thanks Caitlin K. for the wonderful suggestions. We will be back read more

The food was pretty good. However, the service left something to be desired. We were given a gentleman as a server but then we were approached by a female. A little confused so we asked the female waitress what happened to our male server. She informed us that because it wasn't busy management allowed him to go home. We accepted her explanation until we saw him serving another table. The individuals at this table had come in after us. Immediately I lost my appetite and was ready to leave. This was my first and will definitely be last visit. I probably would not feel this way but they were white and we were not. read more

Made reservations for 35th Wedding Anniversary dinner, Noted in reservation... unfortunately, had to mention at end of meal that this was our anniversary dinner. Waitress Sydney was awesome. She was working the whole dinning area with two assistants helping her serve food. She was very knowledgeable and an excellent server. Wine suggestion was good.bread arrived very hard. Hard Shell Oysters (like a Rockefeller Oyster) good but could have been cooked more. Ordered lobster tail and filet mignon. Excellent piece of meat, weird cut. Ordered medium rare again under cooked more raw than medium rare. Lobster sweet, not tough but undercooked. Again, Sydney was awesome but for the price...meal should have been perfect. read more

The kitchen service was absolutely atrocious tonight. We, a party of 8, arrived at 7 - we didn't get our simple drinks of ice tea, soda and wine for 20 minutes and our main courses arrived at 8:30. The food was good, I will give the restaurant that, but to blame the delay on us ordering 4 appetizers (two were identical)5 salads and my chicken - "it takes an extra 15 minutes to cook" - was an insult to our intelligence. Maybe the service would be better on another night, but, they just lost our business. read more

The service was great...attentive but not overbearing. We had several different entrees at our table and they were all good. Two of us had the lobster and it was terrific. My daughter loved the crab legs. Two of us had non seafood entrees which they thought were good. Will definitely go again. read more

Bloody Mary was awesome.... pancakes were huge but light and fluffy.... service was excellent as well

It has been a while since my wife and I have been to the Hard Shell in the city and so when the new location opened on the south side we were very excited to see how it stacked up. The new location does a great job of trying to recreate the atmosphere of the city location, and the lighting, fireplace and jazz band make the dinning experience even more enjoyable. The menu was full of great choices full of flavor. We started with pan seared scallops with bacon. The taste was amazing but I wish they were a little warmer. We also had calamari and lump crab meat cocktail, both were very good. A cup of the lobster chowder followed, it was very tasty and full of lobster and potato. For my main course I had the pan seared tuna - with Asian vegetables - 5 stars for this. Perfect!!! My wife ordered a grilled lobster tail - which was good but a little small and difficult to remove from the shell. Overall our food was awesome. I would like to see more by the glass options on the wine menu. But I definitely recommend this for those of you on the south side. read more

Easter brunch with my mom & family. Ordered food. Waited an hour, asked waitress twice, nothing. I went to the servers station asked the manager an all the servers nothing. I state I am leaving if no one can tell me when the food will be out. Everyone turned around with their backs to me. We left, my wife goes back to the manager to ask about this. He throws the server under the bus. No apologies. No offers to help. Horribly managed. Will never attempt to dine there again. read more

I hate to give the Hard Shell only 2 stars, as it's been our favorite special-occasion restaurant for a number of years and I've reviewed it very highly in the past. But their recent renovation took it from being a warm, upscale yet not stuffy, really comfortable place to an unbelievably loud restaurant with a completely different hipster sort of vibe. I'm sure the owners knew what they were going for, as they own quite a number of very successful restaurants in RVA, so I suppose the reinvented space is what more diners are looking for these days. But it seriously was SO loud tonight we could barely hear a word that our friends across from us said. The menu has been slightly updated, although still has most of the old favorites. The She-Crab soup is still the best ever, and the crab cakes were delicious as always. But the service also has a different feel, although hard to put into words. Our server was nice and the meal came out in reasonable time, but it still felt different than before. Perhaps it was just because they were very busy. For new diners, it might be a really cool experience with great food. But for those of us who loved the old Hard Shell ambiance and overall experience, it's definitely not the same. Unfortunately for us it means we'll be on the lookout for a new upscale restaurant where we can hear each other :( read more