Strange Matter

I go to Strange Matter for one reason and that’s the vegan mango donut holes. While they’re not the greatest things ever, they’re totally worth it because they’re really cheap. The pieces that actually have the chunks of mango in them are really good (most of them end up with no mango in them at all which leaves them a little bit hard).
There are arcade games in the back and awesome videogame inspired artwork above the bar to add extra coolness to the establishment. Other than that, Strange Matter isn’t all that appealing to me. It’s pretty dark and grimy inside and service is just eh. I wore a skirt and ended up placing napkins on the booth before sitting down because everything felt sticky or greasy. The waitress also seemed annoyed because we only ordered water and donut holes.

Strange Matter is officially my favorite place in Ricmond. It’s an awesome divey/​punky bar with a stage and some booths, too.
The art inside is fantastic and includes a video game character version of the Last Supper that I get a major kick out of.
They had a good beer selection, including some locally brewed options which I love, especially when traveling.
They also had an AMAZING vegan menu! Like, one of the best I’ve seen in VA. They had vegan versions of a cubano, philly, meatball subs, and reuben – plus a bunch of other sandwiches. We got The Revenge, which is basically assorted vegan «meats» between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (instead of just slices of bread because why not?). It was quite possibly the best thing ever. The grilled cheeses were cooked perfectly and they tasted SUPER LEGIT. We also tried the reuben and it was incredible. They used a carrot-​y slaw instead of traditional saurkraut, but it was delicious and they really did nail the reuben flavor. We had the vegan mac & cheese as our sides and it was really good too.
Overall, the food was on point, the beverages were too, and the service was great. Most recently we just stopped in for lunch, but I’ve been at night too and the bar scene is as great as my meal was. I’ll definitely keep dropping in when I pass through RVA.

Stopped in for one drink Monday night. The patrons are the 21^st century version of people who have always come to this establishment in all of its incarnations, whether it was Twisters in the 80’s or Nancy Raygun in the 2000’s, and that’s cool. But what has changed is the attitude of the female bartenders, who it seems if you’re not an angry shying vegan you’ll be treated with disdain, scowling and unfunny sarcasm. Don’t know why this attitude exists here with the staff, as even in true subculture bars friendliness can, and does, exist in the ones that are successful and growing. So bottom line; if you’re an angry submissive vegan you’ll love the abuse served with the tofu, but if your anyone else, especially a male emitting a modicum of testosterone you’ll be treated as if you’re a kneeling slave who’s just dodged the strikes of the dominant mistress behind the bar intent on abusing her subordinate stool dwellers. Have your chocolate ready when you leave here. I might come back for the music, but never for the drinks, food or rudeness from staff.

A+ for customer service.
I called to place a delivery order & the waitress put me on hold, and forgot about me for a good 15 – 20 minutes. I could not simply hang up and call back because they have one phone line, so I tried every few minutes as I really had my heart set on Strange Matter!
When I was able to get through again, she was very apologetic & gave me free delicious donuts.
The order arrived in a decent amount of time & they took care not to let the soup I ordered spill everywhere as some places overlook.
For management: look into being a part of Zoomer delivery service which is either in RVA already or coming very soon and/​or get another phone line.

I just waited an hour and 10 minutes for delivery before calling to check on my order. The lady said the delivery guy had tried to deliver it, but didn’t have my phone number so he came back to get it, and apparently just left to deliver it again. I asked how he didn’t get my number, and she unapologetically said she never gave it to him. When he arrives 20 minutes later, the delivery guy tells me she gave him the wrong number two times, and then he went back to get the right number? Why. didn’t he just call… them and ask… for my number.
The phone lady and delivery guy both gave me different stories so I didn’t know who to believe.
Also, I ordered a vegan item on their menu and it came with 100% real cheese. And it was cold.

Ok, it’s not 5 star cuisine, but the place is pretty rad, the staff has been nice, and there’s solid vegan options that are all tasty.

This place was awesome! I went a few weeks ago with 2 other people (one vegetarian, one not and myself vegan) on a night they had a show. When we walked in there was someone collecting admission for said show but since we assured him we would be in and out before the band even went on stage we didn’t have to pay it. We sat down and were not too sure if we were supposed to order at the bar or if the server/​bartender came to us. After a few minutes of uneasiness we just went to the bar to ask for menu’s & the server/​bartender ordered our drinks.
Reasons for ⁵⁄₅
–Great menu, had options for vegans, vegetarians and meat-​eaters! Lots of options for every category (appetizers, entrees etc.)
–Ridiculously awesome prices, I ordered an entrée with a separate side and paid $ 9 for everything!
–I ordered the vegan chili & that was the best thing I’ve ever had!
Reasons for ³⁄₃
–it’s a little confusing as to whether it was a waitress service or go up to the bar & order so after a few minutes of confusion we asked the bartender for a few menus & when she came to take our order it was obvious she did not want to
–I ordered the vegan Mac & cheese as a side and it was not what I expected, it tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time and was just not good.
Overall the vibe is nice & chill, food selection is great & the food itself was great for the most part, will definitely be coming back every time I visit Richmond!

A full on vegan menu that taste decent with lots of old school arcade machines, all inside a punkish décor joint that plays music almost every night.
I have to say the meat ball (vegan) sandwich that’s actually black beans and lentils is definitely worth it. It came with thick cut fries that were a bit tad tiny under-​cooked but it’s fine. The rum cocktail was dangerously sugary delicious.
Prices are fair, everything came out to be $ 15 in the end. Meal, drink, tax, and tip included.
It’s more of a bar than anything else, if you plan to order a meal with a drink it’s worth a shot.

Good vegan options, sometimes not the best place to eat as far as atmosphere goes, but then sometimes its exactly what you’re looking for.

Went here for a late Saturday night dinner, and of course a band was playing, so that made for a noisy dinner experience, and the seats at the bar were not very comfortable to sit and eat a meal. It didn’t look like there was any table service at 8pm, and there were only a handful of tables left as they were setting up for a show.
The food, however, was great! I had a Portobello Cheesesteak, and my husband had Paul’s Rueben. We were both well fed, and the bartender did a good job of taking care of us.
I would like to go back, the breakfast menu sounds super.

My band was passing through the area and we decided to stop here based on recommendations for some food and brews. I think I got a sandwich called «the revenge» and it’s by far one of the best vegan sandwiches I’ve ever had. The vegan mac n cheese that came with it was also amazing. Everyone loved their food. I wish I lived closed so I can eat here more.
Plus they have golden ax.

I guess undergrads have a better tolerance for this kind of thing that I do now 5 years removed, but this place was such a disappointment.
This place is supposedly open until 2 — about what you’d expect for a bar/​restaurant and venue in a city. My group showed up around 12 hoping to grab a couple drinks, play a few games, whatever.
A band was playing and there was a chair up front but no doorman anywhere in sight so we walked in. A couple of songs later the band finished and at 12:30 the bartender loudly announced it was time for, «everyone to close their tabs and get the F**k out!» I get it, it’s a hip/​trendy place and people have attitude because it’s cool or whatever, but grow up. We tried to get a drink and the guy told us he wasn’t interested in serving someone who didn’t have a wristband (as if there had been someone present to get one from in the first place). There was a good 30 people mingling who wanted to stay and keep drinking and having fun, but apparently «open until 2» is «open until our surly bartenders decide they don’t want to work anymore that night.» Turning out that many paying customers is ridiculous.
It’s worth noting I’ve been to hundreds of concerts in many, many venues around the US and NEVER have I encountered a staff so rude.
I give it 2 stars instead of one for the classic arcade games, they don’t have a lot but they do have some fun stuff, and for their ability to book in some great bands (Tyr comes to mind). Otherwise don’t waste your time, the attitude is pretentious and unfriendly and there’s places within walking distance with a fun atmosphere and polite service.

I have so many memorIes of this place and I am dying to go back for another bite!
If you are vegan and you know it… clap your hands and go here cause it’s awesome!
Also, its extremely LGBTQ friendly. (Cause these things need to be said too!)

Loud, dirty, cheap and fun; this is the way punk rock should be. With shows seemingly every night, this is Richmond’s premier heavy metal bar. No really! 929 W Grace has been a legendary home for underground music since my dad was in college. They have great vegan food, too, so bring all your weird hipster friends!

This place has so much potential. A nice, small arcade in the back and a fun, alternative atmosphere make Strange Matter fun to be in, but the staff is usually not very nice.
Being in a band, Strange Matter was an easy place for us to play in Richmond. They have a huge stage and plenty of room for a 6 piece band. However, they continue to book 4 bands a show, and usually don’t even start soundchecks until 10pm.
The last time we played there, there was no promotion done outside of what all 4 bands could do, and they decided to pay us all AFTER they paid their door guy and sound guy. All bands left with less than $ 20. We decided that we would not be playing this venue again because, time and time again, they have disappointed us.

Still as great as it was last visit! Great bartenders and great drinks! Brass Monkey (aka beer mimosa)…is da bomb!

TL: DR = Let’s make no mistake here, this is a grimy hipster dive bar. With a small arcade.
If you don’t have your flannel (Grunge rock is rolling in its grave), skinny jeans, keds and hat, you’re going to feel way out of place. Oh, don’t forget to put your carabiner in your right back pocket beside your sense of «irony.» I’m 28, and totally felt like an old curmudgeon.
But, it’s nothing I didn’t expect being on VCU campus. I’m sure most people think this place is totally «scene» or whatever but I felt like this was a total waste of my time and money. Just go in there with this expectation and you’ll be fine.
I was there with a couple people for a post rock show, which was supposed to go on at 8pm, but didn’t start until 10pm, then they had sound check issues, so there was another 15 – 20 minute break, then they started again. I heard this was pretty normal. I found this rather annoying to sit around when I was there on time. I mean, a little delay is normal in a local show, but two freakin’ hours?! I’m really glad there was beer (besides PBR.)
Pros:
Right on VCU campus so convenient for students.
Decent sized venue for small shows.
Neat gaming murals.
Bar service was okay, the rest of the staff seemed pretty indifferent.
Arcade
Cons:
From what I understand shows do not start on time ever.
Bathrooms are, for lack of a better word «acrid.»
The place feels pretty dirty, I did not order food for a reason.
Zero parking, I found a spot about 6 blocks away, lucky for me.
They only take cash for shows — make sure you have cash.

Dark.
Hot.
Cramped.
Stinky.
All of these things describe what I experienced at Strange Matter last week while attending. I went for the video games and got sucked into the live music.
If you’re expecting something not dive-​y don’t go here. The bartender and I basically exchanged sign language to take my order for two beers. The sticker covered bathrooms looked dingy, the floor was old, the booths were wobbly, the video game décor was a nice effort but not a selling point.
There were 17 arcade machines, 9 of them were broken. *sad panda*
There’s really nothing that would bring me back here besides playing hipster bingo with the customers (people really try this hard to dress that bad??) and the live music and cheap beer prices.
Everything else below par.

Strange Matter restaurant is set up in the ‘retro– 80s punk’ imaginative… authentic, gritty, underground rock ‘n roll and punk nightclub scene. The atmosphere focuses on aesthetics but doesn’t alienate the diner who can indulge the menu that features both vegan and carnivore pub food. I had what looked to be a tricked-​out grilled cheese sandwich called «The Apology.» Full-​flavored and scrumptious! My friend tried the classic «Good Morning Burger.» Using the pretzel buns is a appealing twist but doesn’t really change much; the burger tastes like it should.
Want to point out a pet peeve. I wanna see my face staring back at me when I look in a bathroom mirror! There are tons of stickers and flyers on the men’s room mirror … sm-​damn-​h. But don’t let my shallow vanity stop you from the enduring alternative-​culture and unique restaurant that makes Strange Matter a cool experience!

So I want to go to a show, have a burger and maybe plan some video games. That’s 2 to 3 stops right? Well Strange Matter has all three under one roof.
Often times when a place tries to do too much they miss the mark, jack of all trades master of none right? There is a little of this going at Strange Matter, I mean there are video games but it’s not an arcade by any means. The main attractions are the venue and the food/​bar so if you’re going there for that, you’ll be okay.
The burgers are above average. The bearded hipster they have in the kitchen making the burgers seems to know what he is doing. Cooked well and tasted like a restaurant burger should taste like. Worth stopping by if you’re in the area.