I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was definitely not what I was expecting. I just moved from Palo Alto, CA to Richmond and I really had high hopes for the great restaurants that are here. Hard Shell is not going to be one of my favorites. \r
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Right off the bat there was no hostess at the front when I walked in and I had two different waiters look at me before a third finally helped me. After sitting down, no one came to take my drink order, so waiter #3 came over and offered to get me something while I waited for my waitress.\r
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I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Whitehaven Vineyards and it tasted like Martinelli's sparkling cider. My waitress finally showed up and I ask whether the lobster chowder or she crab soup was better and she assured me the she crab was better. I'd really hate to taste the lobster chowder because the she crab was pretty gross. The flavor was fine, but the texture was more like melted cheese with 2 lumps of crab meat. \r
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The main reason I went to Hard Shell was for the crab cakes. I figured a seafood restaurant would have some of the best. The crab cakes were really good and they're about the only reason I would go back. They were really moist and hardly any filler. They were served with dried up rice and thin asparagus. \r
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I guess being from CA I know more wine than I should and the wine list was decent, but the prices were outrageous. They had a $17 bottle of Frogs leap Sauvignon Blanc for $42. That's just crazy.\r
Pros: Crab cakes and the outdoor seating was nice
Cons: The service was bad, she crab soup was bad and the wine list was expensive.
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