3601-A Cox Road
Richmond, Virginia 23233
The Shoppes at Twin Oaks
(Off of Broad Street/Innsbrook Area)
Atmosphere/Decor:
When you walk into The Patio you can still see the upscale Asian decor (ceiling, carpet, chairs, plates, bowls, silverware) which were obviously leftover from the Dd33 restaurant, which the same owner closed a few months prior to our visit. To save expenses he kept a lot of the same items from his "asian-fusion" creation, but David Du has now turned Dd33 into an upscale Sports Bar. As I stare at the 12 huge flat screen TVs, a game machine on the bar, and all the sports memorabilia hanging on the walls, you can easily see that they have tried hard to change the decor. (But, you have to wonder why they changed it to a sports bar only steps away from Big Al's Sports Bar & Grill? How many sports bars does one little shopping center need?)
Food:
It was still Happy Hour when we arrived, so I felt the need to participate, and I am glad that I did! Their $5.00 Mojito was the best Mojito I had ever tasted and the price was right for such a tall beverage full of fresh mint! Props to the bartender! I'm glad the waitress mentioned the Happy Hour Specials (they also had 6 beers in a bucket for $10, which is a great deal)
We started with the Zucchini Spears ($6.99) as an appetizer. Which arrived with two dipping sauces, a marinara and a pesto-mayo-herb sauce. I could easily tell that the marinara sauce was a store bought, watery, flavorless slop - just gross (I could not take another dip in this sauce) So, for me, I was hooked on the pesto-mayo-herb sauce, which was extremely fatty, but so darn delicious! Tommy ordered their signature burger, "The Patio Burger"($9.99), with spinach, tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese, and balsamic vinegar and a side of fries. Tommy was extremely pleased with the way it was cooked and served. He agreed it was a good "speciality" burger. I ordered the chicken sliders with coleslaw and fries ($6.99). The chicken sandwiches were dry and bland, thank goodness I still had some pesto-mayo-herb sauce to add to the bun. The coleslaw was fresh, crunchy, and had a touch of ginger/asian kick to it. I thoroughly enjoyed their french fries, which seemed to be hand cut, and sprinkled with a unique seasoning with little red flakes for a little spice, but not too much heat. My fries were served in a separate white, slanted, oblong asian bowl and my two chicken sliders were served on a rectangle sushi dish, which seemed odd, but it worked!
Service:
Our waitress was cute and courteous, she filled our drinks without asking and checked on us frequently and was prompt with the check at the end. Our appetizer came quickly and there was enough time to enjoy it before our entrees arrived. (I hate it when everything comes to the table at once) The only distraction was the really creepy manager guy walking around the restaurant stopping to stare at the TVs and watch the customers eat. His huge jingling key chain on his hip with 100 keys was extremely annoying. He could of at least walked up to the tables to check on customers and look like he was busy or helping out in some way. (I'll send him my "to do list" later)
Other Distractions:
The lighting was horrendous! I found myself squinting to read the menu. The overhead lights were so harsh I had to read their menu at an angle. The lights were reflecting off my husbands watch and on the silverware. I highly recommend they dim the lights!
Bathroom Report:
Somewhat clean...both mirrors were dirty and the paper towels were a scattered mess. The faucets were cool, black and chrome with a waterfall feature, too bad the sink area was boring. I suggest a little housekeeping. (I'll add that to the manager's "to do list")
Side Note:
They have a huge covered patio, hence the new name, "The Patio". With a large black canopy, ceiling fans, outdoor speakers pumping out hit music and plenty of seating, this looks like a great spot for a fun Happy Hour gathering!
Total Price: $32.00 (1 hh drink, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees)
Rating: 3 stars
Overall Suggestion: I would considering going again to meet some friends and watch a game or chill out and relax on "The Patio". (Although there are no TVs on the patio, so I'll have to pick one or the other)
Resturant picked by Tommy Joyner
MB is a little nit picky. The marinara wasn't that bad. It just needed a little seasoning. I thought it was a great upscale sports bar if you want to relax, have a few drinks, a good meal, and watch the game. Big Al's is a different type of bar. It's more laid back and fun. I recommend both.
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