The Hard Shell

We went to the Hard Shell for the first time as part of a large party for a birthday celebration. The staff bent over backwards to handle us well and provide some special attention.
Located in a shopping center off Huguenot. The restaurant itself is very classy, with a huge fireplace to the left as you come in.
Interesting, the appetizers were better than the entrees. I sampled several apps, the best of which were the lobster dip (six stars!) and the calamari, both of which were superb. Several in our group raved about the She-​Crab Soup. The salads are also large and well done.
Maybe I ate too much, but the grilled shrimp entrée was a bit of a disappointment… only a few shrimp and a very average presentation. (In full disclosure I must admit that our server tried to steer me in another direction.) My wife’s Pecan-​Crusted Salmon was better.
I ordered a slice of Key Lime Pie for dessert and it was wonderful. So if I went back, I might just order an appetizer, salad and dessert.

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.

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

I really want to like the Hard Shell in Belgrade it just always seems to miss the mark for me.
The food — I just always find the food kind of ok. Nothing special. I have had better at the downtown location
The bar — it ends up being a little too small. It would be nice if it opened up more to the outside in the summer. Actually this summer close to 9:30pm we came in. Bar was a little crowded so we went outside. No bartender waitress service on the outside chairs so I would wander in to get a few more drinks with others needed something (about 5 of us). I think they must close around 10 so as 10 approached I went to walk in to get another drink and the door was locked (there were still customers inside). I knocked on window and they came and opened door saying they wondered where we were (we were only sitting outside the whole time).
Recommendation: open up the bar to the outside or at least have a waitress out there covering additional patrons.
As far as the food — I’m not sure what to say. My wife did go without me the other Sunday for brunch and she said it was very good. Maybe I need a recommendation for the chef’s specialties next time I go.

I was in the mood for seafood this past Friday and pulled up the hard shell on Unilocal 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

The atmosphere was great the service was remarkable
Our waiter was very polite and professional
I was there for valentines day lunch and with that being said the service was still top notch there was very little wait for food and drinks
Can’t wait to go back

This was an extremely disappointing dining experience. The one positive thing I can say was that we were seated promptly, but after that it was all down hill. Our waitress brought us water asked after drinks, when we declined she had to be stopped from leaving so we could order an appetizer (which arrived cold). She was then gone for 15 minutes, we had to stop her to ask if we could place our order. Another 15 minutes finally brought our salads, but no bread was brought with it (though she took bread to every other table, whether they had salad or not). 25 minutes later we finally asked if our main courses would be served soon; we were told yes… 10 minutes later with still no food (but EVERY other table around us having been served, even those that sat after us) I asked the manager to intervene… The food is delivered 5 minutes later. He then tells me that they had to «cut more tuna» and that was why it took so long (seriously?). He offers free drinks, dessert and to find our bread. We declined, and he politely took all charges off the bill. We will not be returning to this restaurant and won’t be recommending it either. Oh yes, and the food was mediocre as well.

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.

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!

I took my mother (84), daughter (30) and husband (64) here for Mother’s Day dinner (on Saturday night — the day before Mother’s Day, 2015). My major complaint was that there was a total lack of seasoning on EVERYTHING I ordered. I had the crab cake entrée ($ 24.95). It came with asparagus (good) and roasted potatoes and I had asked if I could get mashed potatoes instead which was no problem. When my plate arrived, it had the roasted potatoes but they did bring me the mashed potatoes in a small bowl when I mentioned the mix-​up. Turns out I should have stayed with the roasted ones — much better flavor. The mashed potatoes were almost cold — so they took them back and brought me some hot ones. very hot — great! But not a speck of seasoning in it. I expect real mashed potatoes to have some lumps (proves they’re real, right??) and some butter and some taste… no such luck with these. The crab cakes were full of lumps but had absolutely no taste to them. It was like eating… «matter.» A little old bay would have really helped or some better sauce to complement. It had a little squirt of something on top — but again, no flavor.
My daughter ordered the filet mignon. Now I love MY steaks rare but she’s a medium-​well kinda girl. It came to her blood red inside. I know it’s hard to get a thick steak done in the middle — but butterfly it or do what you have to do to ensure that it’s done the way the diner would like it. They took it back and cooked it some more but it took quite a while and we were all eating and she didn’t have her plate.
My husband ordered the ribeye special with shrimp on top. It was cooked the way he likes it, medium rare, but no good steaky flavor. I’m thinking maybe they need to change their supplier for the beef — get some good corn-​fed beef. Not horrendous but lacking in flavor. His gorgonzola mashed potatoes had no real flavor and they were kinda lukewarm. His roasted Brussels sprouts were the best part on the plate.
My mother loved her oysters. They were fried nicely and served attractively in the little shells. No complaints from her (and believe me, she’ll complain if there’s a problem.)
Our service was really good. Nathan was our waiter and he was attentive and we received free desserts AND my daughter’s entrée was free because of all the mess-​ups at dinner. I made sure to tip him on what dinner would have cost had they not given us the freebie items.
I don’t think I’ll go back. It was kinda pricey which I know seafood is but I really don’t mind paying $$ if you get food that tastes good. Their kitchen could use some chefs that can put some flavor into their menu offerings.

Lovely dining experience in the suburbs of Richmond, VA – solid 4.5 stars!
My cousin and I drove down to Midlothian, VA to take our 90 y.o. aunt to dinner for her birthday. Although our aunt gets around amazingly well for her age, something nearby was a key factor in selecting The Hard Shell – Bellgrade. We arrived at 4:30P on a Saturday, just shortly after the restaurant opened, so we were one of the first customers.
When I made the Open Table reservation, I put in a note about my aunt’s birthday. The waitress made mention of her birthday soon after seating us and also offered a free dessert on the house (my aunt chose the Key Lime Pie). Great customer service!
The menu was comprehensive without being overwhelming. We asked if we could split a salad as an appetizer and the waitress smartly advised that the Iceberg wedge salad could easily be shared by three (and she was right). Plus, we didn’t have to cut it ourselves, she served us three portions. I love little touches like that. As for the mains, my aunt had the Fried Oyster platter, my cousin got the crab cakes and I had the rockfish over asparagus and mushroom risotto. At seafood restaurants in NYC, I’m so used to seafood restaurants with super-​skimpy portions and wallet-​killing prices. All three mains at The Hard Shell were substantial and reasonably priced. My rockfish was very fresh, perfectly cooked and simply accompanied with a light lemon butter based sauce. If I have one quibble, it would be with the risotto. Although tasty, it didn’t necessarily have the creamy texture of an expertly made risotto (once again, this was a minor quibble). My aunt and cousin also raved about their dishes.
Finally, kudos to our server who was pleasant, kind and patient with my aunt. I would highly recommend this restaurant for the food, moderate prices and service.

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.

5 Stars all around! Service was amazing (we have lots of dietary requests and just needy all around) he handled every request! The food was delicious! I was most impressed by the fresh fruit… not only was it fresh it was ripe!!! That is hard to come by it seems. I will have to say this has been the best restaurant experience in a long long while. Hope to go back for other meals but brunch is amazing

This place deserves 3.5 but I rounded down, not up. My boyfriend got the seafood pasta, and I got the ribeye. Lets discuss.
Jagger’s pasta was bland at best. The shrimp was wayyyyy over cooked, as was the lobster. Scallop was spot on, but other than that not so much. The pasta sauce was super super thin, as in too thin. Not a 30 $ pasta.
My ribeye was well cooked (ordered medium-​rare and it came out that way) but the cut of meat was atrocious. It felt like a really cheap ribeye; lots of inedible pieces. The steak was topped with an herb butter. Parsley was not the flavor I wanted on a steak.
The meal was saved by the great service and fantastic bloody.
Over all this was overpriced.

I went to The Hard Shell with my sister for dinner. It was a band playing live music (Saturday night). They did a great job performing. The restaurant was busy around dinner time. We had a 20 minute wait before being seated. We shared a lobster appetizer. The lobster dip had good flavor. I thought the tortilla was fried to a nice crisp. I went with crab cakes for my main dish. The crab cakes are server with Jasmine rice and asparagus. Customers can switch out sides. The Hard Shell crab cakes were tasty and not over breaded which was a plus. The key lime pie was my choice for dessert. It was good in my opinion. Service was average at best. The Hard Shell has a nice ambience. There’s plenty of parking for customers and outside patio seating. I give this Hard Shell location a 3.5 rating.

During the week they have great deals on drinks and appetizers.
Food: I have been to the hardshell on several occasions and the food is good. The she crab soup is awesome. I had to request my soup to be reheated one time. The fruit salad is a hit or miss. The muffins before your meal for brunch are to die for. The omelets are very rich. I don’t remember my dinner entrees so I guess that speaks for itself.
Service: My mother and I went to The Hardshell for their Happy hour specials. The service was horrible we sat at the bar the waitress was snappy and short. She was so busy stocking the bar to wait on us. I notice her tone and attitude with other customers was awlful also.
Overall I would go back for brunch hoping not to get the same server.

My wife and I enjoyed reasonably priced Chardonnay with an appetizer of crab dip/​calamari that was above par. She enjoyed her stuffed Maine lobster (worth coming back for). I enjoyed several dozen Fleets Bay oysters as my main course. They’re the freshest oysters on a half shell that I’ve had in awhile and they’re a nice plump size. The waiter (Blake) was always available to refill our wine glasses or water.
Great first time visit and we’ll come back for some more oysters. They won’t disappoint the oyster lover!

First, the food was good; however, the rating is so low because the service was atrocious. Point of fact, my party arrived at 7:05 pm for a 7:15pm reservation and were seated right away. Next, waters were given for our table, then crickets for 30 minutes. Granted the restaurant was busy: other tables did have their orders taken.
My party became a bit perturbed and rightfully so. However, I waited patiently to see if management would notice. Alas, they did not notice on their own.
Once the orders were finally taken, after we mentioned the excessive wait, for the restaurant week course the process was smooth. Too bad it took 40 minutes for this to happen. In fairness, management gave the table a free appetizer; however, the damage was done. This was a celebration dinner too. I may give them another chance: in 6 months.
As per the pictures below, the food was delicious. I only wish the service had been on par.

Came here for happy hour. We had three appetizers and some wine. Wine was priced well– $ 3/​glass. Crunchy shrimp bites were the best of the appetizers we had. The crab dip tasted good, but it was nothing to write home about, and the same goes for the shrimp wraps.
I enjoyed the bar atmosphere, although looking into the main dining area, it was missing something. I couldn’t place it, but it just seemed a bit bland. The patio also looked nice– a good place to go and have a cheap glass of wine on a summer evening!
Not bad for Chesterfield, but I am spoiled by living in the fan.

Absolutely the worse brunch we’ve had in Richmond. «Eek! Methinks not.» doesn’t even come close to how bad this was.
The only nice thing I can say is that the server was good and very pleasant.
As for the awful food though… First and foremost She Crab Soup is NOT just cream of crab soup with a pinch of canned crab meat placed on top. It should have blue crab, should have roe, and shouldn’t taste like it was made with just cream, crab base, and corn starch. Gross.
Crab Benedict is my favorite brunch item and what I base most reviews on for new places, but I HATE HATE HATE when you use Thomas English Muffins. ESPECIALLY for places that are supposed to be higher end such as Hard Shell. A minuscule, dry crab caked sat atop a store bought English Muffin, topped with a fully cooked egg (WRONG), and some surprisingly decent Hollandaise. The poached egg and its runny yolk is a key point of this dish, so fully cooked egg on top is no better than that gross egg you get in a McMuffin.
The side of eggs over easy I ordered were literally brown. As if the pan was so hot with scalded butter in it that the eggs browned in seconds and had to be removed instantly. The edges were crispy, the yolks were firm, and the whites were dark. I skipped this entirely.
Here’s the worst part though. How do you over cook pancakes? Furthermore, how do you overcook pancakes, not realize it, and not take the 2 minutes it takes to recook them? You could literally drum on these bad boys, and it took a fork and knife and LOTS of sawing to get pieces off.
The final straw, fruit salad should have more than melon, grapes, and scant pineapples. How about some strawberries, blackberries, apples, maybe even a raspberry? Anything???
I’ll never return, nor recommend this for anyone.