The Village Cafe

I’m not sure what the fuss is about this place… nor how it made it onto Food Network… even if it was Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives.
Two stars… one for cheap beer, two for amazing onion rings (their claim to fan), other than that, everything else I had was horrible. And overall decent service… although she didn’t seem to care our food was overall terrible, but the table was kept clean and drinks filled.
Onion rings are served with sriracha ranch. Yum! These were pretty much the only highlight of the meal.
Beer is $ 2.95 at happy hour.
The country fried steak was gross, I had to peel the breading off to even eat it. It tasted like fried raw flour. Mashed potatoes… bland and cold. Green beans, also cold and mushy.
French fries… floppy, oil soaked and undercooked. Mentioned this to the waiter, she didn’t seem to be bothered by that.
Mom’s spaghetti that claimed to have feta and Italian sausage… the sausage was there, feta was missing, watery sauce and flavorless (unsalted) noodles.
I know this is a longtime historic place that college kids love… but I was not impressed. Unless I am looking to sit and drink… I probably won’t be back.

Overall rating 3.5
Decent hole in the wall dive for lunch. Service was quick, but nothing special stood out food wise to me. My friend frequents regularly and loves their breakfast options which are served all day. Be careful of parking though! It’s street parking with meters. I was 3 mins late after paying my bill and got a $ 20 parking ticket. If you need something quick give this place a try just be aware of parking.

I’ve been to the the Village a handful of times. I’ve had meatloaf, the reuben sandwich, pizza fries, the meatball sub and a calzone. The calzone is very good but and the meatball sub is not anything special but no complaints. The rest are just awful. They are not fresh or flavorful at all. The meatloaf was salty and paired with canned green beans and box mashed potatoes. The reuben is soggy and flavorless. Pizza fries are what you’d expect, nothing crazy good. The reuben was just a soggy and flavorless heap that I couldn’t even eat.
I love that they have a huge beer list but they obviously do not clean their taps. I was downing my 3^rd beer when I realized there was mold circling the bottom of my glass.
All I can say is the food similar to what you’d get at a cheap buffet but for unreasonably high prices. I love the drinks but I hate thinking that the lines are dirty and what else must be poorly maintained.
Note: I wrote this months ago and just realized it was sitting in my drafts.

Really good food.
Friendly waitress.
Good combination.
Good in and out right before a VCU game. The place got crowded quickly with rabid Ram fans.
My two colleagues had the barbecue plate, which they both really liked.
I had the country fried steak. Excellent comfort meal on a cool day.
Enjoyed a vanilla milkshake, too.
Left happy and content.
(I imagine the full menu is quite good, too, which at some point I’ll likely sample).

I’ve wanted to eat here ever since it was featured on Diners, Drive In’s and Dives. Yes, that’s a long time. But I started attending a church right down the street and now have an opportunity every Sunday to do that!
On our first visit here, not being super hungry, I only ordered the chicken soup. Billed as home made, I believe them. Lots of noodles and chicken in a well seasoned stock. My more adventurous Schweety ordered a daily special, the breakfast quesadilla. He is so often disappointed with most restaurant offerings of breakfast burritos /​quesadillas but this time was the exception. A 12″ tortilla was filled with grilled veggies and eggs and the salsa was really fresh.
Though it was a little early to imbibe, the beer list is really nice and we look forward to coming back for «crafty hour»

Always a locals favorite. Ive been going here 1 to 2 times a year for the past 10 years!
Pros:
Clean
Good beer selection
Prompt service
Great tv display at the bar
Giant baked potatoes with any toppings
Vegeterian options
Breakfast all day
Cons:
No reservations
Usually busy weekends
Street parking only
Highly recommended for visitors who want to get the local vibe!

Richmond staple! I’ve been coming to the Village for several years now and service has definitely improved in recent months. Really large menu and nearly everything is good — omelettes, french toast, pancakes. All their breakfast choices are awesome and served all day! If you’re coming for lunch of dinner try the ‘Joshua’ with their amazing onion rings, soooo good. They also have a handful of creative daily specials that include desserts as well as a large/​diverse beer list.
Good place to bring people from out of town.