The Camel

The Camel is a great venue to watch local bands play, get drinks, and the food is even pretty good! The times I have been, were to watch a friend perform, and they’ve turned out to be great nights! There’s a big area to stand around to listen to the music and even dance. I like it too because if you aren’t in the mood to be front and center watching the band, the bar is in a separate connecting room! My bf had a burger and fries which was actually really tasty compared to other venues whose food isn’t so appetizing. I recommend even stopping in on their Wednesday Open Mic Night if you’re looking for something to do! There’s great talent that shows up and you may be surprised by what/​who you come across!

Love this place. The music is not my taste for the most part but its live music and its fun. The beers are usually on the cheaper side from most places Ive been. The food is actually REALLY good.

My wife and I had pancakes for Sunday brunch, an we agreed they wasn’t good at all, #theworstpancakesintown, I’ll try the breakfast burrito next visit, other than that, the service and coffee was good.

The service was awful and rude. The music was too loud. The food was mediocre at best. Will not be back.

Came here for dinner on New Year’s Eve. Super amazing food. Had the crab cake which was great and the grilled chicken panini. The atmosphere is great. Music is even better. Xavier is the man!

The food here is pretty good! They make a killer burger. Desserts are good too. Thumbs up.

The food… No.
So much went wrong with the food, I don’t know where to start. First off it took forever and a day to even get the food, we were at brunch. When we did get it, my sister’s mac and cheese was barely edible. I did not know how she managed to eat it at all, I could not force it down my throat. She left most of it on the table as well.
My crab cake eggs benefit was overcooked so much that I could not finish ¼th of it, and before this time I’ve always finished my crab. The crab soup was ok, but it had sharp crab pieces that my sister and I both chocked on, in fact she said she almost threw up right then and there because a big piece of crab shell got in her throat. Overall it was a horrible, horrible waste of money on the food, and it won’t happen again.

I moved to Texas a year ago from VA, just made a Unilocal– this used to be one of my favorite places to go to see bands/​to drink and hangout. Has great local music and fun staff, atmosphere is just great. Two thumbs up guys– open a venue in AUSTIN TEXAS!

Real good food! Recommend trying the sausage stars or if you’re real hungry or with friends the nachos are fantastic! Good beer selection.

I liked this place and found it be incredibly fun! Music was great and staff are super friendly! I found it to be mixed aged with older at bar and younger on live music side. Awesome beer selections and staff will help you worth selection. Go and have. A great time!

Love this place.
First of all, this is an ideal place for a first date. You can test a lot of personality traits here, like taste in music, alcohol tendencies, and culinary gusto.
This is one of the best venues in town, and always has something going on. Went to see That1Guy last night, loved it as always. They pour a strong drink, and have a great selection of beers. The owner is usually there, making sure everyone is having a good time. Fairly decent sound quality for the divey feel of the place.
P. S. the food is not really an afterthought like it is in the review. Its all simple bar food, just done well and correctly. Like I said, please please utilize this as a date spot.

Awesome live music spot. I’ve only been here for drinks and a show so I can’t comment on the food, please note this review is purely on The Camel as a music venue.
The building is split (roughly) in two with a small space housing a bar and seating and a larger space housing a stage, more seating/​standing room, a great sound system and ample room to dance or just jive out to the music. The two are connected by a large divider and hallways so even if you’re in the bar you can enjoy the music.
The spot has a dive-​bar-​type charm, an inviting and warm atmosphere yet the stage and equipment packs the punch of a serious music venue (it’s not just some speakers from some kids’ parents house), enough that you can really enjoy the bands’ sound. A nice beer section round out The Camel to make it a really great spot to enjoy some music. Reminds me of bar/​concert venues in bigger music cities like Austin and makes me feel like it’s the best place in Richmond to catch a show. Try and see an act you know or discover a new favorite. If you ever see Richmond band Griff’s Room Band playing, check them out! I saw them last night and they played a great show and their openers were equally awesome, made for a really fun night!

My wife and I went to The Camel today for the first time and were very impressed by the menu and Chef’s attention to detail. Everything from the appetizer to the desert was excellent and we will definitely be going back again soon.

So happy to have found this place! After moving from Colorado I was convinced I would never find good beer again!
We went early on a Sunday so we were the only customers there. It was great! I love a comfortable bar when you spend most of the time talking to the bartender and cook like they’re old friends.
The Camel offers a ton of beer on tap. I ordered the beer flights Virginia Play and the Pumpkin Play. Finally! A place in VA with good beer!
We ordered the Southwest burger and the Creole burger (black bean). Both were delish.
Unfortunately we went too early and didn’t get to hear any live music so that was a bummer.
If you’re in the area, you can’t go wrong grabbing a beer here!

I was at The Camel last night for a concert. Everything sounded stellar, so props to whoever was running sound last night.
After the show, I ordered the mushroom and harvarti burger, based on the recommendation of another review, which was amazing. Service was good.

I know the Camel to be a hot music venue, and for that, it probably deserves five stars for promoting «underground» talent alone. It is also a home for the James River Writers, which had an event with the Richmond International Film Festival last week that was a triumph. So, as a person attending events at the Camel for entertainment, you’ll probably have a five star experience.
Unfortunately, booking events and getting what you agreed upon isn’t always seamless, so just be sure if you do, you have your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.
Food wise, it’s a bar. Don’t expect much. Mostly local beers on tap, which is also good for the local businesses, and good for you if you can find something you like. I ended up with something in a bottle. Bartenders are friendly and fast.
In short, come here for the music.

The Camel is my go-​to bar in RVA!
Good music, good crowd, nice environment, attentive bartenders, tastey food, and GREAT beer menu!
If you ever need something to do and want to see local or touring bands play, you should ALWAYS check The Camel’s events page. They have EVERY style of music rotating daily and there is always something upcoming for everyone! Surprisingly enough, I have seen some of my favorite shows here! They truly are proud advocates for local art and music talent!
The environment is clean, candle-​lit, current and cozy. Local artists showcase their art on the walls. There are booths and tables, a nice large bar, and an outdoor patio. The crowd is great! Many different kinds of people, lots of musicians or supporters of!
My favorite place to play a show in Richmond! :)
Thank you for so many fun times!!! You will forever be my first choice!!!

My first non-​hotel stop during my weekend in Richmond, and it was a vibrant and colorful live music bar that featured an impressive brews, a better than decent food menu, and an eclectic mix of local and traveling musicians on a daily basis. And while I can only give 4 stars for now as I was an outsider looking in and grabbing a sample, I can easily acknowledge it as being everything I look for in a solid local music bar.
After walking through an endless portion of open chain stores and local businesses that closed during wonky hours (the one and only thing I couldn’t figure out during my first experience of Richmond), My partner in adventure and I were instantly drawn to the sound of live bluegrass, stained glass windows that resembled elaborate tattoo art, and the steel camel sign that instantly made the place stand out. And upon entry we were instantly welcomed by the warm servers and 15 – 20 taps of brew that were ready for indulgence. the only flaw I could give to such a number of taps was that there were no mention of what they were on a menu or wall. But they did yield plenty of something for everybody; including plenty of local drafts, imports and well known craft brews; and NattyBo and a coupled special taps for those who were looking to drink on the cheap.
Walking in around 7:30pm led to a free bluegrass/​folk music session to enjoy, but you could also see a couple of young indie/​alt bands getting ready to setup for the evening and live it up for on stage. To give an idea to the Philly Phaithful I’d consider it a cross between an old school Tritone meets Khyber of yesteryear. AKA a strong eclectic stage that gave everyone a chance to play on it, while offering good acoustics. Combine all of the above and the Camel is an instant destination when and if I’m ever in Richmond again.

If you eat here, get the burger.
It has an egg, some havarti cheese, and there’s a bunch of garlic and spices mixed into the beef. Also it’s really big.
I picked it up and found I couldn’t converse with anyone until it was done.
The potatoes were good, a little undercooked, but who cares.
It’s probably one of my top 10 burgers. I’m looking forward to another Stay Sweet Fest, but really I’m looking forward to that burger again.
Beer selection is good too, staff are nice as well.

Amazing Live Music Venue for the Wombats
I came here to see the Wombats. A week before, I couldn’t get into their set at Bumbershoot because more than 500 people had already filled the venue and hundreds more were still in line. At the Camel, I didn’t have to deal with any such crowd. 30 people filled the venue twice the size of a living room. The show was the most intimate I’ve seen out of 50+ shows that I’ve been to. Their weren’t even able to leave before their encore, so instead just hit behind their equipment and reappeared. Unforgettable.