Rappahannock Restaurant

Overall: Just okay. Here’s what we ordered. Dozen Oysters (3/5): Fresh with a decent selection, but about half weren’t fully shucked. The mignonette was plain sherry vinegar—no shallots or seasoning. Baked Oysters (4/5): Solid and enjoyable. Mixed Green Salad (3/5): Good flavor, but included several slices of hard, waxy cheese rind. When we mentioned it, it was dismissed as normal, which was disappointing. Whole Grilled Fish (4.5/5): Excellent and the clear standout. If there’s one reason to return, this would be it. Might add more veggies to improve the portion Banana Pudding tiramisu (3.5/5) - okay. More Banana pudding with a little tiny piece of coffee soaked ladyfingers Service (3/5): Interactions felt rushed, possibly due to understaffing. Atmosphere (3/5): Despite being only about one-third full, all the guests were seated close together in the back, making it uncomfortably loud.

I was in Richmond for 36 hours, so I had one night to experience the local food scene, which I heard good things about. I chose Rappahannock for my only dinner in town. Kate was my server and she was so friendly and attentive. I asked her a few questions about the menu and she answered me with honesty, which I appreciated. I decided to try two of each of the local oysters, the Smoked Fish Dip, and the Little Gem Wedge. The oysters were really delicious; fresh and cold served with both the mignonette and cocktail sauce. The Rappahannock River Oysters were exceptionally tasty. The fish dip followed and that was great too; they definitely give you a healthy portion of it as well. The Little Gem Wedge was really nice with the lettuce being very fresh. After all that, Kate made a convincing argument to try the blueberry shortcake; also fantastic! The hand whipped cream and blueberries were delicious and I had to force myself not to finish it as I was already stuffed to the gills! The restaurant itself is casual and fairly loud, but it’s good for groups and individuals (has a large bar) and seems it would be kid-friendly.

We sat at the bar for dinner around 6:30 on a Saturday evening. The food and drinks were delicious, but the service wasn't great. We spent a lot of time waiting. I understand that bartenders are busy, but maybe they could staff a third person behind the bar.