The Speakeasy Grill

I came in the Speakeasy Grill not expecting much. My day was terrible beforehand… you could say my day was pretty shitty. My closest work friend took me out to eat for lunch to cheer me up, and honestly I could not have had a better time. Everything was perfect. it was almost unreal! It was almost as if the stress of the work day had washed away. I completely forgot about it after I took my very first bite in the warm (and extremely fluffy) waffles and the seasoned chicken. I usually am a very plain person– I like my stuff simple– but the chicken and waffles were DELICIOUS. I couldn’t believe it. Still can’t, actually, haha.
My experience here went so well, that I would be happy to revisit anytime. Complements to my server and the chefs behind the scenes. Also to the owner of the establishment. Truly one of the few places around here that I would (hands down) be my first choice to dine.
Definitely something I would suggest checking out or stopping by!

Incredible! The server, Cameron, was wonderful! Quick, polite, witty and charming! Then he brought perfect mimosas and the most incredible cornbread muffins! We started with the gumbo and I wanted to lick the bowl! Then we shared «the little nasty»!! Fabulous cannot describe this enough! Two light flaky homemade buttermilk biscuits with perfectly prepared chicken and a gravy that is a party in your mouth! The eggs were perfectly scrambled with a hint of cheese! The atmosphere is wonderful! The music is phenomenal! waiting for my Al Capone Cake now!
Just had the cake and it was better than delicious! Light, subtle lemony flavor with a raspberry coulis! Not heavy but huge on flavor! Will definitely return for a dinner!

Food was freakin fabulous including desert of chocolate gelato & molten lava cake. Catch Ron if you can, he does two shows daily and is a hoot.

I was so disappointed. The pictures/​gallery promised a refined culinary experience, but what we got was mediocre at best. We had the crab dip appetizer– which tasted like cheese wiz and had (literally) chunks of sea legs instead of the lump crab it promised. My dinner entrée was a $ 26 fried seafood platter– of which only the 5 shrimp and the French fries were edible. The fried oysters and fish were completely destroyed in the fryer. I thought I couldn’t go wrong with fried seafood, but I was wrong. Most of the seafood entrees had been crossed off the photocopied menu, so the options were limited. The atmosphere was very nice, and the martini menu was creative, but if you’re looking for good food; look elsewhere.

Southern comfort food at it’s finest had the shrimp & grits my guest had the yardbird waffles everything was awesome quaint welcoming atmosphere and awesome service !! We will be back soon !!

This place is overrated… great atmosphere nice intimate feel but when the food doesn’t give the same feeling its a blower. Ordered the Shrimp & Grits my friend had the Waffle w/​potatoes plus bacon. Two seconds in my friend spits out the waffle… its undercooked. The waitress states that the cook says its the way the waffle iron cooks smh so he offers Pancakes. Eats the pancakes the batter is disgusting. So my friend meal was ruined and mine was bland had to add salt a few times the cornbread that came with tasted like it was un thawed out the freezer and I was only given like 3 shrimp O_​_​O what am I going to do with that? Cutting it up in to pieces just made it all worst. Besides this nightmare… Our waitress was great lol but will not return

I was very impressed with this restaurant. Stopped in for drinks and want to go back for the food. Menu had a lot of variety and the place has a tremendous historic feel bringing back the culture of Jackson Ward.
Drinks were tasty and very well crafted.
Definitely worth checking out. Will depend on future visit and dinner to see if it can upgrade to a full 5 star destination for me.

I don’t know what to say other than I cannot believe I was unaware of this place. We had gone to take my in laws to Mama Js but it was packed, this was a short distance away and sounded good so we took a chance. I am very glad that we branched out on it. Atmosphere 5 stars, service 5 stars, plating and portions 5 stars, priced right, and don’t get me started on the drinks. I had the yard bird (chicken) and waffles, my wife had the yard bird cordon blue. My in laws both had fish. Noone spoke during the entrees it was so good.

Ordered the chicken and waffles based on a local recommendation and it exceeded expectations. They have a new cornbread waffle that is phenomenal. The service was great. Definitely a restaurant to visit when you come to Richmond.

We stumbled on this place by accident looking for a graduation celebration location. We lucked out! Starting with the ambiance — what a beautiful place and so nicely renovated. Loved the secret door to the «speakeasy.» Wish there had been music in there so we could’ve experienced that part. The banquettes were so nice and the service was excellent. We had a delicious dinner with a large party of 8. The shrimp and grits, chicken cordon bleu and chicken&waffles were so very good with generous portions. The shrimp with crab was not so — very skimpy and not so good crab. The salmon salad was delicious with Never had gumbo fries before so these were a very tasty treat — everyone at the table liked them. We will definitely be back!

Visiting Richmond with a craving for authentic Chicken & Waffles, I visited a few places and didn’t get satisfaction. Until the SpeakEasy Grill. The place is sort of imposing — looks almost like a private club that you’re not invited to, but they’re actually friendly and welcoming. In mid-​afternoon, I was actually the only patron, making me a little uncomfortable until the Chicken & Waffles arrived. Boneless filets of spicy breaded top-​quality chicken goodness on a fresh hot waffle — really hit the spot! Can’t wait to get back for more.

I had the «Lil Nasty» which was delicious. The flavor on the chicken popped and had a little spice to it which I love. The biscuits were perfectly cooked. The staff was very gracious and fun. They showed us the back area which looks perfect for events. I’m a fan, looking forward to coming back.

We went here today for Mothers Day brunch. I wish we hadn’t. We arrived promptly at our scheduled reservation time and were shown promptly to our table in the theater area. It’s a great space. That’s where the good ended.
Our server came to the table to take our drink order, however they were «short on menus». Problems started right from the drink order. They were out of lemon aide. We finally got menus and ordered appetizers and mains at the same time.
45 minutes later, with our drinks empty and requesting status updates from our server, we finally had appetizers. 5 chicken wings and chicken and waffles. Actually, more like chicken fingers and waffles. Make that poorly seasoned chicken fingers and waffles.
Main dishes were more of the same, chicken fingers, poorly seasoned, scrambled eggs, omelets. They used too large a pan for the omelet so they were paper thin. I mean really? You can screw up an omelette?
3 hours later our nightmare ended with a bill that included an 18% gratuity. Are you kidding? Then I paid with cash. Final mistake of the day. They couldn’t give me $ 4.60 change. LESSON LEARNED. NEVER AGAIN.
This place is a prime candidate for kitchen nightmares.

I have an interesting relationship with the Speakeasy Grill. In short, the food is meh, service is good, and atmosphere is great. It’s a doozy, so continue to read if you dare.
I decided on Speakeasy Grill, formerly known as Mansion 526 (they underwent a name change recently), for my birthday dinner. I saw that the atmosphere looked great online and they were able to accommodate a large group, so that was the choice. I was already kind of on the fence about my choice, but I always like to try new things for my birthday so I just went with it. I should have trusted my gut.
I made the reservation very early in the week for that Friday. Then, Thursday afternoon I received an e-​mail saying that the time that I had reserved was unavailable, but they could accommodate me 45 minutes later. At this point I should have known things were going to go wrong. But, being optimistic, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. When we arrived that evening, we were told that there was a party of 300 at an event in the Hippodrome next door and a party of 100 in the Speakeasy in the back for a Paint Nite event and there was one kitchen providing the food, so it would be hours before we received our food. Now my friends let me ask you, why was this not the first thing they told me when they moved my reservation? It seems like that would be a huge problem that they would want their guests to know. Anyway, the waitress was really nice about it when she told us and she gave my whole party a free round of drinks, which were pretty good! After some discussion at the table, we decided to stay and take the risk of waiting hours for food (we had time to kill anyway).
The good: They somehow made it work and got us good, hot food within an hour. We got a crab dip appetizer which was incredible. My crab & shrimp cakes were awesome as well. I also really enjoyed the seating area. We talked to management about the scheduling issue and he offered to pay for me and my boyfriend to come back on Valentine’s day for a complimentary meal, champagne, and music from a live band. To which I replied, «Count us in!». Speakeasy Grill had completely redeemed themselves at this point until…
The bad: When we went back on Valentine’s Day it was just… not good. I ordered chicken marsala and what I got was not chicken marsala. I had one mushroom and 6 green beans as my side. The dish was just nothing special and I was actually a little disappointed since my birthday meal was actually pretty good. Jarrett (boyfriend) was not too pleased with his meal either. There was no champagne, and no music. The band was supposed to start at 6 and by the time we left at 6:30 there was still no music to be heard. Bummer. However, they did honor the complimentary meal with no questions asked.
Overall, I can tell that Speakeasy Grill is trying, but for me they are just not hitting the mark. I would be willing to give them another chance, though. I hope that in the future I would be able to update this review with a higher rating!

Upon arrival the doors were locked, but a very nice man came to the door and apologized to us for that. The atmosphere was delightful, very chic and modern, very inviting. Our server was funny and kind. He was very familiar with the menu and told us about the different event that they have and also about the past her story of the establishment. The food was very delicious, seasoned to perfection. I had the fried oysters for my starter, and the yard bird and waffle for my entre with green beans and risotto. The chicken was very tender. I look forward to going back and trying other things on the menu!

Upon arrival the door was locked but a nice gentleman opened the door and. Sincerely apologized My first impression of the atmosphere was warm and inviting. the décor is beautiful a nice mixture of modern, Royal and cheek; Every tables had fresh flower arrangements. Our server was extremely polite, he was knowledgeable of the menu options and appeared to enjoy his job. I ordered the grilled Salmon and my friend ordered the yardbird with waffles. Both were really tasty. The server also told us about the pass history of the speak easy during Prohibition. He told us about the venues events that are hosted at that location. I look forward to attending some of the upscale events soon.

Went to the Speakeasy last night (Tuesday) to catch a staged reading that friends directed and appeared in. What a beautiful space, which is accessed through the side door! Cozy and warm. And yes, the show was great, too!
Bar service was a little slow, and the kitchen closed pretty early. We got there at 8, and I think around 9 tried to get some nibbles but were told nothing was available. Kind of a bummer. And anything other than shots or beers were too tricky for the bartender. No mixed drink action happening.
Lots of potential. Can’t rate the food since I didn’t have any, but the space is great for small, live performances.
3.5 stars

VIsited Mansion Five26 again. Food was really good with just one exception — the burger was way overcooked for such good meat (angus and pork belly combined) — the flavor was there, but it would have been fabulous if cooked with a little pink left inside. The 2 Street Shrimp was great as usual and the chicken and waffles and shrimp poboy never disappoint!
We had the attention of two waiters who were knowledgeable and extremely courteous and well-​mannered. Another successful meal at Mansion.

As I was on my quest to step outside of my comfort zone and try out new restaurants, I stumbled across Mansion Five 26. From the outside, you would not have guessed that this place was a restaurant, but indeed it was. How did my experience turn out? Here is my review.
The Good:
Taste– I arrived at the restaurant today around 11:20am. Brunch was being served and I had a taste for an omelet. So I ordered the Meat Lovers Omelet which came with bacon, sausage, onions, peppers and cheese. After one bite, I could tell that all of the ingredients were fresh and the processed taste that you might find at one of your lower tier restaurants was absent. The omelet came with two biscuits and potatoes. The biscuits were also fresh tasting and light while the potatoes were ok.
The Bad:
Service– Upon entering the restaurant, there was no hostess to greet customers. My party waited a minute or two before a server spotted us and ran to do other tasks before seating us 3 – 4 minutes later. Keep in mind that up until this point, there were only four other guests in the restaurant. Once seated, the server who sat my party also served my table. She did not appear to be too enthusiastic or personable during her serving experience. There were also long periods of time where she would disappear while my party waited on her. The food came out longer than expected and while the ingredients were fresh, my dish was lukewarm at best. It wasnt until 10 minutes after the food was served that my server brings butter and jelly to the table for the biscuits that came with my partys meal. At this point, there was only one biscuit left between all of us, so bringing out a container of butter and jelly only made her look worse.
Price– The Meat Lovers Omelet cost $ 11.95 before taxes, which is somewhat expensive for an omelet that served such little portions. In retrospect, I could have went to IHOP, ordered a Create Your Own Omelet with the same ingredients and gotten an omelet twice the size with three buttermilk pancakes for the same price. The Brickouse Diner also offers the same portion of food for $ 3 less.
Overall– The menu may be upscale and the food may be tasty, but the service was far from good and the lack of portion size did not seem to justify the price. Often times I give restaurants a pass of the food was a miss but the service was great. But in this case, the food was good but the service was a miss. At the end of the day, I hesitate to support a business that does not appear to want me there. TWO STARS.

I am not sure if I set my expectations «too» high but from hearing so many rave reviews from my Unilocal buddies to my co-​workers, I was really hoping that my experience would be equally amazingly.
The outside looks like a normal downtown rustic/​colonial type of building and I am pretty sure that this place used to be someone’s house? The downstairs is for dining in and the upstairs are the bathrooms and possibly a lounge/​speak easy of some sort. This place probably had seating for maybe 40 or 50 people max and the wait staff/​hostess was pretty attentive.
We had a party of 15 and we made reservations before hand. Upon arrival, they already reserved/​set aside our one long table. Before our last few guests arrived the hostess informed us the table was «too long» and was obstructing the waiters access to the near by tables so we had so split the last four guests from our main table. BAD MOVE. You guys should have thought about this BEFORE we arrived or at least told us that we would not be able to all sit together because of our large party.
We had one waitress who was really nice, accommodating and very attentive; she stopped by multiple times to check up on us and never seemed overwhelmed. There’s a special on tues/​weds nights where it’s BOGO half off on all the Main entrees which was a really good deal.
I got the «large» bowl and I say «large» b/​c it was just a normal serving size. of the Gumbo with a side of dirty rice. The Gumbo itself was alright. It wasn’t really packed with flavor and there was no heat to it. It had chicken, shrimp and celery were cooked nicely, but it could have used more seasoning for sure. The rice was under par for me and there were some parts where the rice was a bit crunchy/​undercooked… I also got a very citric/​lemon-​y arnold palmer. Tasted more like a lemonade to me.
I also got the peach cobbler which was also kinda of meh… crust was gooey and falling apart and it didn’t scream peach cobbler flavor at all. I like the ice-​cream more.
I really wanted to like this place, but i couldn’t. No one really verbally expressed that they really enjoyed their meal but I definitely want to come back and give this place another try.