Hard Shell The Hard Shell

The Hard Shell

1411 E. Cary St. (14th St.)
Richmond, VA 23219
804-644-5341
Map
Cuisine: American / Seafood / Raw Bar
Not a hard sell when you consider it offers some of Richmond’s most creative cuisine.
Openings: Lunch Mon.-Sat., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sun.

Features


The Hard Shell Restaurant Review:


Seafood is the name of the game here, and you’ll get plenty of creative cooking for your well-spent dollar. Be sure to check out the daily specials before tackling the dinner menu, but we recommend the crispy fried oysters, pan-roasted mussels or jumbo shrimp cocktail to start, followed by the she crab soup and that most diplomatic of entrées --- surf ‘n’ turf (six-ounce filet mignon and six-ounce lobster tail). But lobster lovers need not equivocate; live Maine lobsters are flown in fresh daily and sold by the pound. Devout meat-eaters can go for the baby-back ribs, lacquered with a honey-chipotle glaze. Cap it all off with desserts such as Key lime pie or chocolate bread pudding. At lunch, look for New England lobster rolls, wraps (such as Cajun chicken breast with Monterey jack and chipotle aïoli) and burgers along with entrées. Brunches are celebratory occasions featuring lump crab omelets, huevos rancheros, hot cakes topped with powdered sugar and fresh whipped cream, and main courses such as mustard and nut crusted salmon. Stop in between lunch and dinner for light fare and, as you might infer from the name, a raw bar. There’s a sequel Shell, nearly the same but larger, at Bellgrade in Midlothian.