The Republic Restaurant and Bar

such a cool place to find just in time for last call! Laid back, bohemian kinda bar w
‚. ask where you can go after 2 am, there are options in Richmond. good selection of draft beers, this appeared to be the most happening place in the city on a Wednesday night when crickets could be heard anywhere else in town.

Went in for a supposedly family friendly atmosphere. you can smell smoke when you walk in the door. They try and keep it separate, however, fail miserably. It visibly is a beautiful place, however A– on aesthetics (exception of smoke), and D-​/​F on the food. I got a burger and the meat had ABSOLUTELY ZERO flavor. my wife thought the flavor of her black bean burger was OK. and my children’s meals were flavorless and felt as if they were warmed up from something frozen.
IF you like good food this is not the place for you, they did, however appear to have a decent beer selection.
Its not a horrible joint, but if you are a foodie, fogitaboutit.

So I know the people at Republic, all good people that really love Richmond and support the heck out of local music, artists, and all kinds of bands.
Chef Auggie Lopez makes some great bar type food with a twist. I would recommend any specials that they have. A lot of there choices are local favorites for bar type food and they do a good job at it. Pricing is always really good and you get a lot of food. Try there shrimp and grits and cuban for real!!!
Beer! Lots of good beers of course as this is an awesome bar to walk into for a drink. They have craft, domestic, local, and a few special rotating taps. There is something for everyone when it comes to drinks at Republic. Where Republic really shines is in there catering to the local area in music and weekend entertainment. If your looking to go to a place where people are hanging, well then you have found it here. Good place to see a band and have some drinks with a really diverse crowd.

By night the Republic becomes a bar scene for Richmond’s young hipsters. But don’t discount the food. It’s excellent. We like the Sunday brunch, with a menu of both traditional and unique breakfast offerings.
It’s basically a long bar with a few tables/​booths, but the décor is comfortable and inviting. They also have a great corner location across from Pleasants’ Hardware. The dark wood sets the mood.
Our service was good, too, until we pointed out a couple of small mistakes on the bill. Then our waitress turned super-​defensive. Otherwise it was a wonderful experience.

The good:
The crab cake sandwich with the mac & cheese was awesome! Very tasty & a lot of food for $ 10. My brother loved his bananas foster french toast as well. I had one of the banana slices & it had a sugary crunch to it… yum!
The stage is also pretty cool. I’ve spent a few Sunday afternoons drinking here & the first time I was there they were giving away any juice drink for $ 3. Hello $ 3 screwdrivers (and Sunday night hangover)!
The bad:
After we finished our meals, our waitress never came back. After many minutes, I saw her walk from the smoking section to our section & then walk into the kitchen without even a glance in our direction. The bartender finally saw me sitting there with empty plates & asked me what I needed.
The first time I was there (as mentioned above), I was getting my screwdrivers in regular sized glasses. Then I asked the guy who bartends for one, and he put it in a much smaller glass! That was annoying.
The drink specials are good & the food is delicious… the service needs a little help.

It’s a bar that doesn’t want to be a bar. But face it the Republic, you are a bar.
Happy hour — I could tell you what the drink specials are if I’m actually there, but usually I succeed in the saucing to the point of forgetting how I got there for about $ 20 including tip according to my credit card statement.
Food — The white bean hummus is ok, but I’m there more for the brew and vodka cranberry. Not much veggie/​vegan food on the menu.
Bathrooms — Trippy weird curtains and toilet paper above your head. Take a friend to lean on if you are enjoying the bar portion, because the bathrooms are down little stairs.
Drink — Very Full bar with reasonably talented bartenders, usually a rather good selection of beers. $ 5 will get you some better than usual beers.
Atmosphere — Random. I sat next to an ex-​catholic priest one evening and just-​turned-​21-​bride-​to-​be the next.

Went here for late night drinks on a weekend and it was crowded for sure. I feel sorry for the non smokers as it seems that they get the short end of the stick as that side is smaller and they have to deal with bathroom traffic on top of the already crowded space. This is a bar for sure. We could not get seats and bowed to our smoking majority and sat on the bigger entrance side. Now there IS an entrance on the non smoking side but I did not see that it was being used the night we were there. I would think that this might make non smoking patrons upset as they would have to wait in the clouds of billowing smoke from the smoking side while waiting for a table in non smoking… not a good impression I wouldn’t think.
The décor is made with reclaimed wood and is supposed to be very green friendly, and I guess it is. It is very wood-​centric for sure and it gives a cozy enough vibe. The old elevated area to the rear I assume serves as a spot for late night live entertainment but there wasn’t any the night we were there. From what I was told on our visit, this is the spot for now and it would seem to be so as it was a good looking crowd. Since we only had drinks on this particular visit I can only say that our particular server was quick, attentive and efficient. It did get too crowded around midnight so we chose to leave and find a less hectic scene.
The time I went for lunch was with friends who knew one of the investors so it had just opened. The particular monthly menu that is part of the «Republic» theme was Asian fusion. I didn’t venture into that arena and instead shared the three cheese macaroni, the Pork Empanadas, and Chicken Philly Sliders. All were good but no particular item was raved about. I am willing to give it another try but there was nothing that really jumped out at me, from décor, to service to food. All perfectly acceptable but me thinks Republic is definitely bar oriented. Young and hip, this is your drinking spot du jour.

I went here for Brunch last Sunday morning.
I ordered the Salmon Benedict and had a side of hashbrown with it. My buddy ordered a hamburger with their tots… those tater tots are delicious… something so simple, so delicious.
I will def go back here for the perfectly, and I mean PERFECTLY poached eggs and it was only $ 3 for the 16 oz. bloody maries, marias, and mimosas.
It’s only two blocks away and I have a feeling I’m going to stumble here more often on Sunday mornings.