The Blue Goat

Enjoyed delicious midday cocktails at the Blue Goat on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Had an order of beignets that were delicate, delicious, delightful. Sat at the bar. Bartender was very nice, good service. I’ll be back.

The atmosphere was calm and relaxing even with a party gathering near the bar.
The staff was friendly.
I ordered the chicken and waffles which was good but not great. Some more sauce or syrup would have helped since it got a little dry.
The menu selections were good but I did find anything in the end to rave about.
If you are catching a movie at the Hamoton, a nice stop for dinner.
Good just not great.

My wife and I had concert tickets (schedule to keep) tonight and were unable to get seated at our go-​to dinner spot, so we did a search for restaurants that were on our route and decided to try the Blue Goat. That turned out to be a good choice.
Our server was friendly, offered her opinions about the menu when asked and was attentive enough so that our glasses were always full.
We started with the crab dip appetizer, which was far better than I expected and not your average appetizer. The primary ingredient was big pieces of backfin crab with just the right amount of cheese… It was a hot, delicious mess. The «flatbread points» that were served with the crab dip were good enough to eat by themselves.
For dinner, I had one of the daily specials, Sliced Sirloin served over a bed of mushroom farotto and carrot purée. The steak was PERFECTLY cooked — a beautiful rare /​medium rare and had great flavor. The mushroom farotto added a nice texture and flavor, while the carrot purée was attractive on the plate, but didn’t add anything other than color. All together, it was a nice dish and a very tasty steak.
My wife had chicken and waffles, which she said was VERY good and was a huge portion. I personally don’t care for maple syrup, so I didn’t enjoy my taste as much as I would have had she not already drizzled syrup on it, but the chicken was well cooked and tender.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to try desserts. But I can’t wait to go back so I can try their lemon custard pie.
I should also note that the drink menu included some really fascinating cocktails. Again, if we’d had more time… But we’ll definitely eat there again, soon.

Loved the food I tried at the Blue Goat! The menu is beautifully prepared, and making a decision was not easy. Ultimately from my table I sampled the sweet tea-​brined turkey sandwich, the chicken and waffles, and the duck sausage pizza. I had no complaints about the food, everything was superb! Every ingredient seems to be meticulously selected for the dish and it shows.
The only reason I gave 4 stars was because the service was on the slow side, and it was difficult to get someone’s attention. Oh my party felt forgotten about from time to time, but food itself did not take long to get to table. All in all, it’s a great restaurant that I would love to return to!

I met a friend here for lunch. Neither of us had been so we were both excited to finally get to try this place out. The service was a bit slow, especially since there were only a few other patrons while I was there. I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you expect to get out in less than an hour.
I ordered the Seared Duck Breast Salad. Oh. Em. Gee! The duck was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Each of the ingredients blended together in just the right way. I would definitely get this dish again!
I can’t wait to come back and try another mouthwatering dish!

Beautiful place! Our waiter, JB, was excellent! Very attentive and friendly, he offered great suggestions for beer and entrees. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast. This dish was incredibly flavorful and the presentation is beautiful. Everyone at our table enjoyed their entrees and appetizers too. We will definitely be back again. The Chef’s Table/​room is a unique concept. Beautifully decorated: love the light fixture and window to the kitchen. I would love to come back with a group and reserve the room!

Ordered fried oyster, Mac and cheese with pork belly and waffle and chicken!
I wasn’t big fan or fried oyster from blue goat but everything else was great!!!
Waffle and chicken tastes amazing with great portion! Great service and nice out door seating
Will come back again

We are here a couple of months ago for dinner with a large group of friends. It was good, but not as much of a «Wow» experience as we were hoping for.
Then we came back last week for brunch. It was excellent. Everyone at our table ordered a different meal and every single plate was clear by the end of meal.
If you have a good sized group (8 – 10) I recommend asking for the room in the back. We have been in that room both times. You can see through the glass window to the kitchen which is kind of cool.
We will definitely give it another chance for dinner.

This place used to be a tail to snout farm to table bottle of awesome sauce.
The cutting edge chef left and now it’s not as adventurous as it was.
Homemade pizza good burgers and a top flight cocktail service are what brings people now.
It’s fun to get a bunch of folks to share the small plates.

Just prior to the last two weeks of stifling heat we ate outside and had excellent service, the food was just as the service was, and we had an enjoyable experience. We dined w/​another couple and I discovered their food must have been as good as mine. Since we had such a beautiful day it made everything refreshing… my salad was yummy, crisp and chilled! It had a nice presentation. All local produce !!

We had dinner there last night, party of 9, at the Chef’s table. Our reservations were at 6:00. We had an OK experience, which is why I’m only giving 3 stars. It felt like we were being hurried through the whole meal. We found out that they had another reservation in that room at 8:00. Whenever you have more than 6 people, you can almost guarantee a 3 hour meal. This was a family gathering and we didn’t feel we could linger. The waitress talked very fast, rambled through the specials so quickly, we had to have her repeat them. The food came out really fast.
The food was OK too, nothing really stood out. I had the Bistro Steak. It was flank steak that should have been sliced very thin before it was brought out. The steak knives they provided could not slice the meat very thin and it was difficult to try and slice. Others at the table tried different things, like the blackened catfish, NY Steak, soft shell crab, chicken and waffles… again, nothing wowed anyone.
The Chef’s table is nice and it can be closed off from the rest of the restaurant, so it is good for a larger group to converse.

Was very excited upon entering this beautiful location. Then I saw the beer draft menu with a beer flight and my wife and I actually said this place is getting 5 stars.
Then came the service, or lack there of. We were always looking for our waitress. Beers once ordered were slow to be delivered, emptied and awaiting our waiter to be refreshed.
Food was delivered as ordered, all 8 of our meals were correct and underwhelming. I ordered the bistro steak with sweet potato gnocchi. Steak temperature was correct but lacked flavor. Sweet potato gnocchi was dry.
Meals were consumed, no desert menu was offered. We waited a long time for our waiter to come check on us so we could get our checks.

Warning: this is not for their food, as we only had an appetizer (crab dip, which was tasty but nothing to write home).
I had a great time having drinks with friends at The Blue Goat! The drinks were VERY good! I tried their version of a blueberry mojito that was very refreshing with just the right amount of each ingredient to ensure one flavor did not overpower another. The ambiance was also very pleasing! The customer service was excellent, and we even had a small conversation with the owner who was out conversing and having a good time at the bar with his patrons, which is always a nice touch. I will definitely go back and try their food so that I am able to update my review.

Average service. Average food. Average prices.
Went in for brunch at 12pm on a saturday. The hostess was neither pleasant nor rude. The waitress came several minutes later to take our drink order. She gave us weird vibes the whole time. She was either nervous, hung over, or clueless. At one point my friend asked me, «Do you think our waitress is okay?» She laughed at odd moments, took several seconds to answer us, or would be staring off into space.
To the food:
We got the FRIED GREEN TOMATO appetizer. It was the only above-​average dish (4 stars). Crispy fried tomato with pimento cheese, country ham, and marinated tomatoes. Tasty!
I ordered the FRITTATA. It had gruyère, red potatoes, red bell pepper, celery, and onion. It was topped with greens and a corn relish. The eggs were over cooked and very bland, the potatoes were overly salted, and there was no gruyère cheese. I asked the waitress for a side of gruyère; she stared at me, laughed, and then said, «sorry, I was trying to remember if we have gruyère.» ??? I covered the FRITTATA in hot sauce, cheese, and ketchup. It was better. The portion size was generous, which is the only reason it gets 2 stars instead of 1. DO NOT ORDER THIS. 2 STARS.
Friend got the CRAB CAKE BENNIE. I tasted it and thought it was fine. Probably 3.5 stars.
Overall, this was a strange dining experience. The two-​top tables are strangely close together so it feels like you are dining with the people next to you. Also, the draft from the cold is intense. We were freezing at our table the whole time. I don’t think I’d give this place another go.

I love the décor, seating, look and feel of this restaurant. It’s basically a hip fan restaurant but not in the fan. It’s located on Libby close to U of R. The parking situation is also ideal because they have a whole lot in the back for those that aren’t into parallel parking.
I loved the beer selection and they had a speciality cocktail list but it didn’t quite make sense. My friends ordered a drink named after a Willy Wonka character that was really good but I just didn’t get how the name went with the restaurant.
We also ordered 3 appetizers to share. All of them were good but nothing exceptional and all that different than anything I’ve had before. We tried the macaroni and cheese, tot-​chos (loaded tator tots and the barbeque on top was YUMMY), and crab dip. I look forward to going back for a full dinner to really give the menu a decent shot. This place definitely has potential and I know a lot of people that LOVE it!

Went here for dinner and just missed happy hour! But it seems like they have a relatively good one for this part of Richmond. The ambiance is very cool and Richmondy and they have a great chef’s room that seems cool for groups.
We got fried okra and the «Totchos» to start. The fried okra were crispy and coated in a classic southern batter, served whole with a tomato based sauce– overall I would say they were very good if you like fried okra. The «Totchos” — tater tots with pulled pork, mournay sauce, and a bunch of other stuff were a little much. My husband liked them, but I thought they needed something to cut all of the richness.
For our meal I got Cioppino (on special), my husband got the pork belly and our parents got a burger and a pizza. The Cioppino was okay– none of the clams had opened while cooking but the other seafood was relatively tender and flavorful, definitely not like west coast Cioppino but not a disappointment. My husbands pork belly was delicious. It was served with collards that were extremely sweet– not our favorite, but definitely one way to cook them. The burger and pizza were reliably good, but nothing special.

(Drunk in Love… My Burger Love Remix) I been thinking I been thinking. These burgers looked mighty good… So I start eating I start eating… That beef was flavorful I want more… nah nah. Can’t wait to get my hunger back I want more nah nah… Burger Love!
A tried and true restaurant fave. Being the burger connoisseur that I am… I would rate this a yum, yum, yummy type of of burger and fries plate. The angus was cooked to perfection and to my surprise (probably on the menu, but I missed it) there were a few slices of delish bacon on my sandwich. The parmesan fries were definitely a side item hit. I did not have an adult beverage this time… only water. Shocking, I Know! But I wanted to keep it simple since I did go there following a dance workout.
This place appeared to be a Friday night hot spot as the bar was full and most tables were occupied. We did get immediate seating and that was nice, of course it helped make the experience even better. This is a definitely a «return to» spot that I am looking forward to returning to some day soon. Burger Love!

This was my first time here and man was I missing out. This place is great, the staff was very nice and the food was excellent.
This is Friday night and most places in Richmond are crowded but we got a seat right away in the bar area at one of the tables. The bar was pretty packed and happy hour had already passed. But it wasn’t too noisy. It was a comfortable atmosphere.
We got fried oysters to share and I got the crab cake sandwich with fries. It was soooo good. And to my happy surprise the fries were Parmesan fries. Yum. The crab cake wasn’t bready, it was a good size and seasoned very well. I definitely enjoyed my dinner and was very satisfied. I wanted to try the desert (pumpkin crème brûlée which supported breast cancer month) but I couldn’t eat another thing. I will have to go back soon.

In Richmond for a friend’s wedding, we wandered into town and decided to try Blue Goat for lunch on the day we arrived.
Outdoor seating on an amazing day definitely made our experience pleasant. We shared a few different appetizers and loved them all — fried green tomatoes, roasted okra and mac and cheese, yum!
Highly recommend the Kentucky Hot Brown! Very interesting presentation with hot turkey served open faced on bread, oozing with cheese, gravy, bacon and tomatoes. My friends also enjoyed their veggie burger and margarita pizza.
Wash it all down with a beer, great selection of draughts on the menu. We chose some of the local VA brews.

Came here for Restaurant Week with a friend. It was such a nice day that we decided to sit outdoors, so I didn’t really get a good look at the restaurant’s interior, but memorable items included some T-​shirts displayed on a shelf behind the hostess and a small, stuffed animal blue goat. There seemed to be quite a few booths/​tables indoor, as well as interesting paintings on the wall.
Our server was very friendly and attentive, making the trek outside to check on us periodically. He was very patient with us after we took forever looking at the menus to decide what to order, and my friend Eveline and I also had a lot to catch up on, so we dragged our meal on to about two hours long. In the end, we realized two hours had passed by already (we had plans to catch the 9:30PM showing of The Grand Budapest Hotel next door), so we rushed inside to get our check and pay, for which our waiter was very understanding and accommodating.
The food itself was great! What stood out to me the most was the stunning presentation. Portions were on the smaller side, but the quality was phenomenal. Everything tasted very fresh and flavorful, and nothing was exceedingly heavy. My three-​course meal consisted of vegetable consome, duck breast, and pineapple upside-​down cake. See attached photos.
All in all, delicious and a pleasant dining experience.