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The Hard Shell - Bellgrade, Midlothian, VA
The Hard Shell - Bellgrade, Midlothian, VA
The Hard Shell - Bellgrade, Midlothian, VA
The Hard Shell - Bellgrade, Midlothian, VA
The Hard Shell - Bellgrade, Midlothian, VA

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade

4.6 (2731)
$30 and under
Seafood
11400 W Huguenot Rd., Midlothian, VA 23113

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for happy hour
Located in Midlothian, The Hard Shell Restaurant is known to locals as one of the best seafood restaurants in town. With a new fresh look; The Hard Shell features sleek booths, lots of light and a vibrant city feel. The Hard Shell has Richmond's widest variety of fresh and local seafood. Menu items include signatures such as filet and lobster, shrimp and scallops, lump crab cakes. Patio & indoor reservations are available . Please contact the restaurant for private dining requests. Dress is casual.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, American
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:30 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Chef Jeff Kolakowski
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    Midlothian
  • Cross street
    Huguenot and Robious Roads
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Entertainment
    Saturday Evenings 630pm to 930pm
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,731 people are saying

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Hard Shell - Bellgrade offers "great food" with a diverse menu and "excellent service." Diners enjoy the "delicious" seafood, with standout dishes like oysters Rockefeller and crab cakes. The atmosphere is inviting, perfect for special occasions. While some guests note inconsistencies in food and service, the overall experience is positive, making it a local favorite.
2,731 Reviews
  1. Scott

    Richmond1 review

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Enjoyed our time at the Hard Shell celebrating my father's 87th birthday.

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  2. Russ VIP

    Richmond20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and great service. Good variety of entrees reasonably priced. It’s a little noisy but we were able to talk to each other across the table.

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  3. BENJAMIN

    Richmond20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great service and food. Never disappointed. 5oclock time frame.

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  4. Betsy VIP

    Richmond81 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Restaurant Week options were wonderful and a great value. Wish the seafood dish with crab legs, clams etc should be a permanent option……so good.

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  5. Jon

    Richmond13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall a great dinner. Quality food, excellent service. We chose the 3 course restaurant week menu, which was good, but I think we would enjoy selecting from the regular menu much more. Nothing bad about what was served, just limited choice. Service was impressive with multiple staff helping out, but waitress was consistently attentive. Will definitely return.

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  6. Emily VIP

    Charleston12 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on April 25, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Wasn’t impressed with the food, presentation was eh. Overcooked lobster tail at a seafood place. Dessert was very basic and not presented well. No need to come back.

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  7. Frances

    Richmond89 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We took advantage of Restaurant week to try someplace we had not been in a while and support FeedMore. Had a wonderful evening. The steamed seafood was expertly cooked, perhaps the clams a little over done, with a generous serving of a large variety of shellfish. The potatoes were roasted to crispness plus retained their creamy centers. The corn on the cob was very fresh and steamed flawlessly. My husband's scallops and shrimp with fresh steamed and seasoned vegetables was delicious, he said. Only two of each; he wished for one more of each. Mine was overly abundant - a stark contrast. The presentation of his was beautiful, artful. The price was preset presenting a bargain. Excellent bottle of Tuscan red that priced to be a hidden gem at $42. A lovely evening in The Hard Shell's outside seating area.

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  8. Cynthia

    Richmond6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a delightful evening - came to benefit FeedMore during Richmond Restaurant Week and was not disappointed (I never am). I only wish I lived closer. Next time, as I told Amanda, the excellent server, I'm going to order all appetizers ! My oysters Rockefeller were delicious, and the shrimp/scallop dish was "get again good"! I even brought some of the broth home for the salmon filet I'm making tonight. C

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  9. Eric

    Richmond11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, excellent service! Looking forward to our next visit.

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  10. Nancy

    Richmond5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We came for the Restaurant Week menu but will definitely come again. Drinks are reasonably priced and the food was delicious. You can hear conversations easily. The server didn't rush us at all. I highly recommend.

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FAQs

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (804) 464-1476.

The Hard Shell - Bellgrade is rated 4.6 stars by 2731 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Virginia
  4. Richmond
  5. Midlothian

Make a reservation


Booked 20 times today
Google Map for The Hard Shell - Bellgrade

11400 W Huguenot Rd., Midlothian, VA 23113

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Huguenot and Robious Roads
  • Neighborhood
    Midlothian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:30 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Jeff Kolakowski
  • Entertainment
    Saturday Evenings 630pm to 930pm
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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