HogsHead Cafe

Wow! Was in the area for a soccer tourney and looking for something local. There was a line out the door – about a dozen people waiting for a table. I decided to order to go… while waiting at least 5 people came in to pick up to-​go orders. One thing I noticed is they all had a smile on their face when they were handed their food – when I got back to my hotel I found out why… just plain goodness. Hogdog was spectacular, but the sweet potato fries were so perfect with the the sweet maple sauce… mmmmmm. If back in the area I WILL be back!

Delicious every damn time for the last 4 years!
Real deal Southern comfort food.
My fave: buttermilk chicken tenders with onion rings and Kim’s mac & cheese!

I’ll be honest; I was in the area on a Tuesday night intending to hit up Phở So 1. I forgot that it’s closed every Tuesday. I didn’t want to head all the way home to Mechville so I looked through my Unilocal bookmarks. Lo and behold Hogshead Café was already bookmarked and right around the corner. With an average Unilocal rating of 4.5 stars and over 150 reviews it was a no brainer.
I drove right by this place twice. It’s somewhat tricky to find if it’s your first time. There is a glowing white sign letting you know you’re in the right spot. I walked in and noticed how small the place is. It’s charming with great decorations on the wall.
Our waitress showed up and took our drink order. I asked her what their most popular dish was and she said «Our hotdog. It’s our hotdog that put us on the map.» I sat there stunned. Their menu is loaded with good things to eat but I would have never guessed the silly hotdog was their claim to fame.
I chickened out of course and ordered up the baby back ribs. They were fall off the bone perfect. I think the potato salad might have even been better. I know right? When does the side dish beat out the main course? The sides were that good. I owe it to myself to try this place a least a half dozen more times. If they can pull off baby back ribs and killer potato salad… that hotdog must be the bomb.
Overall I can’t say enough good things about the food. The next time I’m in the area I intend to dine here.

Best BBQ restaurant in RVA. From the pork to the burgers and to the best nachos and wings in RVA, this is a must try for anyone on this page! I took a half star away for the size of the restaurant (not the owners faults) and the other half for the hit and miss service (it’s always efficient, just slow on occasion).

So I was a bit disappointed with HogHead Café for all the hype and great reviews it got on Unilocal.Myself and a few friends went for dinner this past Saturday. We went for a late dinner which might have been part of the problem, we got there around 8 and were told we would have a 15 – 20 minute wait and about 30 minutes later we were being seated. This isn’t a place you want to wait, there is no where to stand and wait and you are in the way of everyone no matter where you choose to stand. Which made for a very awkward 30 minutes.
Once seated the waitress explained they were out of several items, which was annoying since we had just spent 30 minutes picking what we want off the menu so that we could order as soon as we sat down. I ordered the BBQ sandwich and the sweet potato fries (because they were out of mac and cheese). The BBQ was kind of dry but luckily they have 3 sauces to choose from. The sandwich bread was also huge, more bread then there was meat on the sandwich. However, the sweet potato fries were AMAZING. They are incredible and they come with this dipping sauce, even when I was stuffed to the brim I was still eating these fries and this sauce, oh my gosh so good!
The meal was also pretty pricey, on one tab alone we had 2 BBQ sandwich meals, a ginger ale, an Arnold Palmer, and a bread pudding (which was TOTALLY worth it, it was so delicious!) and it was $ 50? For being slightly disappointed in the BBQ sandwich it definitely not worth the $ 50, I still think there are better BBQ places in Richmond.

Great food! My husband and I stopped in after reading in our hotel directory that it was named «Best Wings in Richmond». We went for wings and beer. Amazing! Small hole in the wall local hangout. Great service too.

This place is suppose to be voted one of the BEST bbq joints on RVA but to be honest it was just OK to me. I would say it defiantly better than other places (Buzz & Neds) as far as the general food but as far as BBQ it wasnt the BEST! Before I made my decision about this small hole in the wall joint I did try it a couple of times.
My first time eating at Hogshead I actually got the dinner special the fried chicken which turned out to be AMAZING and plenty for me to eat the next day. Seating was very limited so I decided to just grab a seat by the bar. Looking at the menu its pretty straight though. I dont recommended this place if your trying to watch your figure lets say .
The second time I went was with my step mom and we shared some“jumbo” steamed shrimp and the hog sampler. The shrimp was very basic and not even jumbo to say the least, I wasnt impressed. I thought the ribs were way better than the pulled pork but it didnt melt in your mouth nor did it fall off the bone. The meat seemed to kinds be scarce. I would say the best part of that meal was the side. We got the loaded potato salad, it was creamy and cheesy + bacon = a win in my book. And the mac and cheese was made ot love, I was sad to see it go.
Overall I say give this place a try Richmond. Is it the BEST bbq I personally dont think so but the food is good. Its a café you go to when you need a brake & wanna binge on something that isint rabbit food. Check the specials and give the dessert a chance also. If you go early enough on a weekday you might miss the crowd and if not at least you can get a drink (they also have HAPPY HOUR)

I enjoy all the BBQ places in the area, went here for first time and liked it alot, feels good to sit in this place and eat for some reason and thought the food was delicious, taste like someone that likes good food and knows how to make it is the one cooking.

This place is Richmond’s little secret! OMG… Famous who… can not compete with HogsHead. The Mrs. and I fell upon this place because our wing spot was overbooked due to the playoffs; however, HogsHead made up for the disappointment. We were impressed, to say the least! Small family-​friendly environment with BIG Taste. But don’t be fooled by the name, if you are not into pork, their seafood is just as fabulous. Rion was our waitress and her recommendations were on POINT! YOU MUST TRY THE HUSHPUPPIES! Listen, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. DEE-​LIC-​OUS! #goodeats

Can’t say enough about this place. It is small and wonderful. If you come to Richmond and don’t come here you are truly missing something.

I like it. The wings were amazing. HUGE portion, good amount of spice, delicious blue cheese. The spicy garlic are good but the hog fiery wings are where it’s at.
Sweet potato fries are ridiculous. I don’t understand they are so good and the honey sauce they come with is crack.
The hog dog is something else. It’s huge. It’s deep fried. The pulled pork was delicious, the cole slaw was good. The dog was too big to finish, lots of bread but I liked it. Don’t know that I’d get it again though.
Nachos are amazing. So good. Pulled pork and chili, in addition to the regular toppings. Yum
Mac and cheese is good. Very cheesy
Ribs are ok. Dry rub, good flavor, but a lot of mine were dry. I don’t want to have to dunk in sauce. But still good
Cobbler is delicious. And surprisingly small compared with everything else. But a great end to the meal

Thank Hog for Hogsheads! Finally Henrico has a locally owned, locally run restaurant with food that is true to the South… barbecue. Hogsheads has a textbook dartboard menu. Throw a dart at the menu and you’ll be happy with whatever you get. The Reuben is the best (or maybe second best) I’ve ever had. Caplansky’s Deli in Toronto is hard to beat. The mac and cheese at Hogshead is also one of the best I’ve ever had. You may have to wait in line at the door, but don’t leave… you’ll be doing yourself (and your tastebuds) a huge disservice.

I hate to write a negative review of a restaurant on my first visit. Every so often you just have to review after the first visit as the experience should not have to be lived through by a true BBQ lover. We started with the loaded home made chips. I ordered the BBQ plate with 2 sides. I chose the greens w/​vinegar and scalloped potatoes as my other side item.
The appetizer was OK and may have been the best part of the meal. The chips were nice flavored and I believe the same potato slices used in the scalloped potato side dish. The cheese and onions were good and not old or to strong. The ranch dressing was tasty. The one thing that didn’t match the flavors was the BBQ sauce drizzled on the chips. It was way to sweet to compliment the other flavors on the dish.
The BBQ pork was moist but that it about all it had going for it. It lacked true BBQ smokiness. Honestly I have had crock pot BBQ that tasted about the same. I could not taste the flavor of the smoke in the bark of the port at all. If you like plain Jane pulled pork this may suite you just fine.
The scalloped potatoes were a good attempt but ultimately were a failure. The potatoes were sliced very thin lending itself nicely to this dish. The cheese and flavors in the dish were decent. The issue is the reheating method causing the cheese sauce to break and release oils. It could also be caused by microwaving the dish as well. Quite frankly is ruined an otherwise tasty dish.
The greens were OK flavor wise. Not much to comment on with these but I have had better.
Lastly the sauces. The original sauce was sweet al-​a Sweet Baby Ray’s style. The molasses was prevalent in the flavor and not my cup of tea. I prefer a sugar or honey sweetened sauce better. The Carolina sauce was slightly too much apple cider vinegar for me. The Carolina sauce was just lacking something that you clearly taste in sauces about 100 miles to our south. The mustard sauce was quite tasty. This yellow sauce reminded me of Dijon mustard and sauteed sweet onions, much like eating a onion roll toasted with melted butter. I enjoyed it and it made the BBQ edible.
For the total of $ 41.00 before a tip, I do not thing we will be back. This is not worth the price at all. This food is on par with a Famous Dave’s or lower. Lastly I don’t know where the smoke smell was coming from in the restaurant as there are no smoker present. I think they may use wood chips in a pan while baking their ribs. Sadly a BBQ joint that doesn’t seem to get the BBQ right. The other reviews seem to be positive about everything but what should define a good BBQ joint.

A tip if you decide to eat here: Come at an off time. There is really no waiting area to speak of. You have to stand by the door which is very close to where people are eating or wait outside.
The food here was really, really delicious however. I had a lobster po boy which knocked my socks off. The BBQ was great, too.
They only had two servers working the day I was there. They were cleaning off tables, refilling drinks and serving food. They seemed a bit frazzled. Seriously, this place always seems to be busy: hire a busboy!

We went after the lunch rush and were able to get the only open table. I loved the sweet pototo fries (they’re more sweet than salty) and mac n cheese. The pulled pork was really good, too (on the sweeter side). Try using the fries’ dipping sauce on the pulled pork, yum!
The ribs are different. Good, but different, and sweet. The banana pudding was delicious!
I want to go back when i have a sitter to try the drinks. They have hurricanes.

Getting the «big boner» jumbo bacon wrapped deep fried dog topped with pulled pork with two baby back ribs on top! They have four draft beers on tap. Two normal and two craft beers. See photo of «big boner»
Submitted this place to Diners Drive-​ins and Dives for Guy Fierrie to hopefully visit!

Well, I’ve finally checked the box next to shrimp po’ boy off my food bucket list (LOL) and I’ve been craving one ever since.
The shrimp was seasoned to perfection and while I do not like mayo (at least in its pure state), the remoulade sauce was delicious. I ordered it on the side so I could try it first. It was served with pickles but I opted to just squeeze a bit of lemon on the shrimp. The crinkle cut fries were really good as well.

These ribs were beyond fall-​off-​the-​bone. They fell apart on the way from the plate to my mouth.
The only downside is that it’s a small place and very popular, so you might have to wait for a table.

Serendipitous.
This is the only word that can describe the events that led to us eating lunch here.
Manfriend & I drove 13 long, butt-​hurting hours in the car to Virginia for a wedding this past weekend. My coworkers knew this was happening, but they didn’t know we were going to Richmond, specifically. Co-​worker sends me a random email day before we leave saying «Hey, saw this place on a Top 10 list for best BBQ in America! You’ll be in Virginia! Go!» I kinda brush it off, thinking A) it’s not near where we will be, and 2) we wouldn’t have time to visit anything not remotely involved with the wedding.
Fast forward to the day of the wedding… we need lunch. Stat. I pull up ye olde Unilocal & do a quick search… when what to my wondering eyes did appear? Hogshead Café?! 10 short minutes away from our hotel, on the same street?! ONWARD!
We went, met up with the manfriend’s dad & sister, and we waited our 45 minutes to be seated… 45 long, agonizing minutes of smelling the amazing smells coming out of the door every time it was opened. We knew it had to be good. But we had no idea it would be THIS good.
We started with the fried pickles, because, duh. I had the pulled chicken platter with mac+cheese & coleslaw… manfriend had the ribs… dad had the bacon-​wrapped-​pulled-​pork-​coleslaw-​topped-​hot-​dog-​monstrosity… sister had the pulled pork. Dudes. This shizz was for real. Amazing. Everything. The ribs were the definition of «fall off the bone», my chicken was divine & I loved the BBQ sauce on the table.
Fact: Leftover mac+cheese was subsequently put into the cooler & traveled 13 long, butt-​hurting hours back to Chicago.
Go. Wait. Eat your face off.

I actually found this place because we went to the UPS store near by. I looked them up on Unilocal and was very excited to give them a try!
I ordered a sweet tea for my drink — something was a little off about it. It had a strange after taste, almost as if it was made with well water or maybe they put too much baking soda in it? (I’ve read before that a lot of places put baking soda in their sweet tea to help cut the bitterness). Their sweet tea is my ONLY complaint! My boyfriend got one of their hand-​made limeades, and it was really good! It was a little too sweet/​tart for me, but he loved it. I love that they serve them in wide-​mouthed mason jars.
For our starter we ordered fried pickles – I am all about some fried pickles, and I have had them from a lot of different places, and I’d have to say that Hogshead had some of the best! They were beer battered, really big, and a lot came with your order. Definitely a must-​get.
For my entrée I got the shrimp po boy. The remoulade was to die for! There were 6 jumbo shrimp on the sub along with some shredded lettuce. Their fries were only meh… I don’t know if they were house made, but they weren’t spectacular, but they were still good. I’d get them again.
My boyfriend got one of their burgers which came with onion rings, bacon, pulled pork, and coleslaw on top! This was probably one of the first times I have seen him not be able to finish a burger, and he ended up having to take half home because it was just THAT big! He also got fries, which he also thought were just ok.
The service was good, not great. Our waitress was really nice but she left us wanting a little more table touching. She didn’t come around very much, and we had empty drinks sitting on our table for most of our meals. It wasn’t a big deal, but I also wasn’t blown away with the service. It was a Saturday night, and though it is a very small place, they did have every table full… but being that I could see the entire dining room, I could tell she just wasn’t on the floor that much. Meh.
Our total tab was just over $ 50 before tip. This seemed a little high for only two people and not having ordered alcohol, but the food was delicious, so it was all good.
Last thing — the restaurant is set up really strangely. You immediately walk in the door to the dining room. There wasn’t a waiting area or anything in between the front door and customer’s tables. This threw us off at first beceause there’s no hostess to seat you, and we just kind of stood there waiting for a server to acknowledge us so that we could be seated. We weren’t sure if it was «seat yourself» because there were no signs or anything. So if there aren’t any tables, you have to hope it’s nice weather because you’ll be waiting on benches outside or awkwardly crowding around the door; which I hate because I think it’s so rude to the people sitting at the tables. But, I digress.
All in all, we will definitely be going again, and definitely ordering some more fried pickles!

Another very impressive meal today at Hogshead Café’. There is no question that I’m a fan now of this restaurant. I have ordered the pulled pork plate with slaw and hush puppies the past couple of visits and it’s damn good. I add the Carolina Spicy Vinegar sauce and the taste brings tears of joy to my eyes! The pork is tender and delicious.
I always get the limeade as well, in my opinion the perfect match.
These chain BBQ places in RVA haven’t got a chance when this is their competition.
Hogshead goes all out with great specials each day and over the top friendly service.
If you haven’t tried Hogshead Café, they it once and I am positive you’ll want to return again and again.