The Tobacco Company Restaurant

The bread had an odd herbal undertaste that was, frankly, unpleasant. The salad was completely saturated with dressing. The pasta primavera was mostly pasta with a very small amount of vegetables, including, unfortunately, huge chunks of near-raw broccoli. The dish was bland and definitely needed more sauce. I made the mistake of ordering an apple tart. Don't bother. The dessert was tiny, with a few apple slices tucked into a dry, grainy crust. The pastry was hardly light, hardly flaky, and hardly worth the price. This restaurant is over-priced, over-rated, and a la carte. I will never be back. There are too many other wonderful dining establishments in Richmond to waste time and money here. No thanks. Pros: Ambience Cons: Price, food quality, limited menu selections, parking more

My husband took me to the Tobacco Co. for dinner. I would go on and on to write a long terrible review but I will make it very easy for you....since like you if I am paying $200 + for a dinner for two I would expect it to be perfect! -Terrible host staff! -Terrible waitstaff! (dressed like little streetwalkers- seriuosly...and I'm not a prude)! -Terrrible bartenders! The guy was extreamly rude to my husband -he ordered two glasses of wine at $16.00 per glass the bartender acted like my husband was a nuisance!!! -Terrible ambience - dark and smelly!!! -Terrible smell thoughout the whole resturant - did not smell like great food was abound! -Romantic? Not in the least! Felt like cattle being hurdled up flghts of stairs to find a table! -Just very dark and dirty! I went there for my birthday dinner, wow, glad we went someone else for dessert to wash a little off that nightmare!!! Pros: ZERO Cons: Too many to list! more

Worst service ever. Staff was rude. Not impressed. Don't waste your time here. The bouncer is rude and thinks he owns the world. Pros: Nothing Cons: Staff and service more

What a disappointment! Good atmosphere but the food and service is horrible! I have dined there twice and on both occasions they have severely undercooked their red meat. The rest of the food was plain and tasteless almost like cafeteria food. The waiter didn?t even ask us if everything was okay after he served us. We decided to order dessert and the dessert chef had gone home! Did I mention it was graduation weekend? Tobacco Company needs to spend more time on their food and less on their decor. more

My husband and I are quite picky, and go out to eat each Saturday, and this past week was my week to choose. As we are fairly new to the area, the website to Tobacco Company seemed intriguing as well as teh menu, so I made a reservation. The hostess explained to me that they had one table that was actually IN an elevator, so I requested it. We arrived last night, and I was granted my request. The ambience of the whole place was GREAT. The elevator table was very intimate, as were many of the tables. I do not think there was a bad table in the house. Each floor was so different and had a fantastic vibe from the hand crafted architecture, so the different "offices." Our server- Graham was great. One down side, was they did not have still bottled water- only sparkling. The wine list was decent, and there was actually a cocktail waitress (as well as a cigar waitress like in decades past). The bread was sourdough, hot and wonderful. And we didn't have to ask 54 times for it, like many places we've been to. We didn't even have to ask. It arrived immediately- just how we like it! The caesar salad is prepared tableside, and when Graham overhead that I liked lots of garlic, he went away to get more. I am a Caesar SNOB and eat it EVERY week, and have yet to had an incredible caesar in richmond. This was the best caesar, not only in Richmond, but the best I've ever had. In my life. That says a LOT. My husband ordered the special and loved it, and I ordered my weekly steak, which was prepared perfect. The dessert selection was so-so, but my dessert (the du jour- a mixture of mik/white chocolate mousse) was actually very light and tasty. My husband hated his latte and thought it was watery, but other than the latte and lack of bottled water, this was one of the best experiences we have ever had here in Richmond. HIGHLY Recommended!!!! Pros: bread, caesar, steak, service, ambience Cons: no bottled still water, lattes more

On a recent and first business trip to Richmond, I was directed to the Shockoe Slip area where I walked down Cary Street and encounted The Tobacco Company restaurant. I was completely ignored by the lower level hostess and had to ask for a table. I am certain this is because I was a lone female visitor. I was directed to the upper level hostess where I was again completely ignored while the hostess attended to a number of inane duties. I watched in dismay as I was completely ignored but eventally asked for a table. I was then led to the absolutely worst table in the restaurant - a tiny table for two immediately adjacent to the door to the kitchen and under a coatrack where people kept interrupting me to get their coats and hats. Please note this was around 2 pm and the end of the lunch rush with plenty of other tables available. I ordered the Grilled Cuban Sandwich which was dry and tasteless accompanied by a fruit cup with either tasteless or tart fruit. On my return home I emailed a letter to the person listed on the website as the Director of Operations, James McNamee, listing my complaints and dissastisfaction with my treatment, only to find the email was unable to be delivered because his mailbox was full. I then forwarded the email to another person listed as a contact on their website, Shannon Hicks, Director of Marketing, asking her to forward my email. After not hearing anything for several weeks, I attempted to resend my original email to Mr. McNamee three weeks later and still found that his mailbox was full. I am returning to the area next week and intend to avoid this place like the plaque and also to let my business associates in Richmond know of the service and lack of response to my attempt to communicate my dissatisfaction. There are plenty of other restaurants to choose from! Pros: Good ambiance Cons: Poor service, substandard food more

Good service, GREAT food, fun atmosphere. Definitely recommend it. Went for lunch but looks like a fun place to have a drink in the evening more

The ambience is great, but the food quality is not consistent. I do NOT recommend the oyster chowder; they say it has butternut squash in it but I could not detect it at all, and the oysters were VERY sandy. The crab croquette appetizer was good, but the dipping sauces included were average. My friend got the Chicken Chesapeake which was amazing - chicken topped with crab, sundried tomatoes, shitake mushrooms in a cream sauce - delicious. I'd recommend lunch there; dinner is way too expensive. Pros: ambience Cons: price of dinner for what you get more

I stopped by with two friends late on a Wednesday night, and it was packed! Nonetheless, we were seated immediately, and the service was great for the rest of the evening -- seamless, attentive, and polite. We started off with cocktails and then each ordered different seafood dishes, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Sure, it's a little pricey, but what else can you expect when it's seafood at a nicer restaurant! The ambience was great, the food was amazing, and I don't have a single complaint. Street parking seemed near-impossible, but we found a nearby parking garage that only charged $2. Pros: Great seafood, solid menu, fantastic service Cons: Street parking is difficult, but there are many nearby garages more

We stopped in for a late night dinner on a recent trip to Richmond. Hotel staff kept recommending it. The ambiance is very nice, but the food is average and overpriced. Our waiter brought the wrong appetizer, but it was pretty good. (crabcakes). Salads were nice, lots of veggies. This place would be great for corporate lunches/dinners and cigars. Pros: pretty decor Cons: too yuppie for me more

The interior of this restaurant is pretty interesting From the exposed escalator to the open atrium ceiling, and the club in the basement level, it was a unique restaurant. The best seat is on the 3rd floor, where you can look down into the lower 2 levels. Anyway, the food was good, but nothing spectacular The prime rib was good, but not outstanding (I recommend Angus Barns Connoisseur so yummy). The crab cakes were good, but you dont get much for what you pay. Overall, it was good, but not incredible. One warning, parking is horrible!!! We parked in a paid lot a couple blocks away (after circling the area for a while), and found that our car had been keyed by an ignorant redneck. So if you can, park your car near by on the street. Pros: Neat setting Cons: , parking, a little pricey more

Please save yourself the disappointment. The Tobacco Company is a gimmicky, tired restaurant with sub-par food. It smells like a stale brewery and an ash tray combined. The menu has no creativity whatsoever. However, if you smoke, wear undershirts in public, and enjoy all your food fried, you might like it! more

I think this place has a lot of character and is one of the must eat places in Richmond. Its also great for happy hour after work with the downtown crew. Crowd is older and you won't find Britney Spears here. Food is excellent and service is always good. Menu changes a lot and sometimes not for the better. Give it a second try if you disliked it the first time for some reason. Never had a bad seafood or steak dish here. Pros: Food, Ambience, Service Cons: , Parking more

I wouldn't necessarily hit the Tobacco Company when I'm looking for a casual dinner out, but I love taking out-of-town guests here. The atmosphere alone is worth the trip--I wouldn't say the food is as good as some of the other eateries downtown. Pros: Great atmosphere, Good service Cons: Average food, Bad parking more

Great atmosphere. Great staff. Average food. Nice club. Good place for a professional meeting/cocktail. Pros: nice appetizers, great staff, atmosphere Cons: average food, pricy more