Sally Bell’s Kitchen

This place is okay and I respect the fact that it has been in Richmond for so long but I really wasn’t that impressed with anything I got, besides the potato salad. I ordered the lunch bag which came with my choice of a sandwich and 2 side items. I got a roast beef and Swiss sandwich, potato salad and a grape soda. The potato salad was one of the best I’ve ever had. I liked the pickle slice that came on the top of it. I’ve never had potato salad with a pickle on it! Other than that the two other items I had were just «okay». I got a roast beef and Swiss sandwich which didn’t have much flavor and the meat was kind of dry. The other item I got was a grape soda and that was pretty okay too. I wish I would have tried a cupcake instead of the soda but that’s okay. I don’t know if I’ll go back because I found it pretty pricey for lunch and what I got, but if I do I will definitely be getting the potato salad again.

I was treated to this box lunch by my employer for an employee appreciation day. I ordered the corned beef sandwich, on white bread with mustard. On my way to work I was wondering if Sally’s would know to cut corned beef across the grain to avoid it being stringy. Well needless to say, I did not need to be concerned as it was like potted meat from a can! My co-​workers and I could not believe this what was served as a edible sandwich. I will say, the rest of the box lunch was good, based on the reviews I had higher expectations. I would not normally post this type of review, but when I called the manager today I was totally appalled. I was told that the corned beef spread was a homemade item and she told me it was her favorite sandwich on the menu. Why would a restaurant ruin good corned beef? It was just like canned corned beef that I would use to make hash. Although I was offered a free sandwich the next time I come in (never happen), I could not believe she was justifying this spread. I also have to believe that the James Beard Award of Excellence was not based on the corned beef spread sandwich.

While I’ve had their food literally hundreds of times before, I’m actually kind of ashamed it’s taken me this long to visit their actual brick-​and-​mortar store. With the exception of the Jefferson Hotel, I do believe this is one of Richmond’s longest standing food institutions.
It’s a quaint little spot on Grace Street in what looks to be like a little brick shack. The place is so old the sign has almost rusted off the hinges, but it’s SO GOOD. They also split their kitchen with the fine folks at Red Eye, so while you enjoy your delicious ham biscuit and potato salad boxed lunch, place an order for some fresh baked cookies and support two local businesses.
Southern staples, excellent boxed lunches, the best damn potato salad in the state, and a super sweet staff of Southern belles who would love nothing more to watch you bite into something delicious and leave with a smile, Sally Belle absolutely gets an A+.

I heard some good things about this place and I decided to try it out one day after work. First off, the outside of the shop is very sketch and seems like the place isn’t even open. It pretty much looks like an abandoned restaurant. The inside was okay and small. The workers were very sweet. There’s a number system for orders; I’m assuming for when it gets busy. It wasn’t too busy when I got there. The food is all already prepared which makes it a quick access. You pretty much tell the workers what you want and they arrange it for you. I got the «original box lunch.» At first, looking through reviews I thought it’d be huge but the box was small/​medium. This box includes your choice of sandwich, your choice of side, your choice of cupcake, a deviled egg and this little cracker thing. I got the chicken salad on wheat. It’s a regular sized sandwich. It’s good but I’ve had better. The potato salad was yummy! I loved the deviled egg, so good. The cupcake was delicious but I think after eating everything, I got too full and the cupcake ended up tasting dry. I didn’t like the cracker thing too much.
Overall, it was a good lunch and very homey and heart worming how the old ladies were packing your lunch basically. However; for $ 9 total I think the lunch wasn’t worth it. It’s good but the price is a little steep.

I spent a lot of time reading the reviews for this place so I didn’t have my hopes up too much. I called my order in (the lady that answered wasn’t all that friendly) and when I arrived my order was boxed and tied with swine (had two boxed lunches). The lady that greeted me and rang up my purchase was not the same one that took my order… this lady was all smiles and friendly. For the cost of the boxed lunch you would expect a bigger box, but I was prepared due to previous comments. When you open the box, the items are placed very nicely. The portion size is equivalent to a child’s meal. I had the roast beef and Swiss with potato salad and a pineapple cupcake. It also comes with a cheese cracker and ½ deviled egg. Everything was good but basic. No lettuce, tomato or onion on the sandwich. Potato salad was good (even better when I added my own smoked salt). The deviled egg was good (my mom’s is better) and not sure how I feel about the cheese cracker thingy. My cupcake was not moist… maybe a day or two old. All in all it was not bad. Pricey for the amount of food you get. I can’t really see myself going back but I can at least say that I’ve tried it.

I had the chicken salad on a bun, potato salad and lemon frosted cupcake. The potato salad was okay but none of the meal impressed me.

Tried this place for lunch today with a coworker and it is very delish! Great spot to grab a quick and tasty lunch to go. I had the chicken salad, which was very good, along with the potato salad and pineapple cupcake. Everything was fresh and homemade. Definitely know what you want to order and be ready to give your order when you walk in– those ladies mean business!

Got a tip to come here from a friend & RVA native. They have pretty limited hours (Weekdays and lunch only) so it took me a while to get here, but man I am glad I finally did.
Nestled between VCU and the chain restaurants behind Brandt you could easily miss it. These delightful ladies make amazing and authentic food. You could come here just for their cupcakes (which taste perfectly homemade — like if your mom went to pastry school) but you’d be doing yourself a disservice.
Get the boxed lunch. For $ 8.50 you get a sandwich, side, deviled egg, cupcake, and cute little cracker all adorably packed in a cardboard box. It made me think of when my mom would pack my lunches for me when I was a kid. You can taste the love and craft in their food. I personally got the chicken salad, potato salad, and devil’s food cupcake. All were wonderful, but I did like my husband’s cupcake (yellow cake w/​orange icing) more.
If you are out for lunch during the week near VCU’s Monroe Park campus do yourself a favor and make a stop here. You will be so happy you did.

I love Sally Bell’s! The boxed lunch from Sally Bell’s is my go-​to lunch when I’ve got some change to spare. I’m usually in and out pretty quickly, and it’s the closest thing in Richmond to a home packed lunch. I like the tuna salad sandwich, and the potato salad is THE best potato salad in Richmond, I promise. The boxed lunch also comes with a half a hard boiled egg, a cheese/​walnut cracker (not sure how else to describe it), and your choice of cupcake.

I’ve been reading about Sally Bell’s Kitchen for years and although I’ve driven down Grace Street a million times, I’ve never been able to spot where it is located. Today, I did and was a little embarrassed that it’s been right under my nose all along. If you are driving on Grace Street, you cross over Belvidere and boom it’s right there on the right in a small brick building beside of a book selling business and right before you get to Panera/​Chipotle/​Pie Five. Since I finally found it, I decided to come back to pick up lunch. When I did, I was relieved to see there is a small row of parking spots beside of Sally Bell’s and I was able to snatch a spot.
So, I went inside and this is where things got confusing. I pretty much knew what I wanted with the exception of the cupcake flavor I wanted. After standing there for about a minute, I realized that they wanted you to take a number. I took a number, but this system was not used to take my order possibly because there were so few people inside at the time. They were just serving people in the order they arrived. Also, I do think their menu board is a bit small and I did not realize the cupcake flavors were listed up there.
Anyways, I got the box lunch with a chicken salad sandwich on roll, potato salad, deviled egg, cheese wafer, and lemon cupcake. First things first, I loved the chicken salad. It’s simple and some of the best I’ve had in Richmond. The potato salad was full of sweet pickle and possibly onion (not sure), but I was not a fan even though they are known for their potato salad. The cheese wafer was delicious. The deviled egg was the most basic deviled egg I’ve ever ate. The filling was pretty much just the yoke smooshed up and sprinkled with paprika. Lastly, the lemon cupcake was delish. I thought the cupcake was the best part of the box aside from the sandwich.
I agree with other Unilocalers about the value. I was shocked when they handed me this tiny box because I knew it was supposed to have all of that stuff inside, but everything is very small. A box lunch will run you close to $ 9 and a drink will put your total over $ 11. Luckily, I was not hungry when I went so the box made me full, but I can imagine that people who eat larger portions would be really dissatisfied and hungry a couple of hours after eating it.
Overall, I’m pleased and I’ll be back.

Love this place. Get the potato salad.

Finally got a chance to check this out. It’s a real deal lunch box to eat on a nice summer day in the park. Very charming and old-​school. Definitely will return.

I got lunch from here today. The women were very nice. The food was great. The sandwich (I got turkey) was not as good as I was hoping but everything else exceeded my expectations. I was a little disappointed though because I heard that their potato salad was amazing and they had run out when I got there. Also they only had two kinds of cupcakes when I got there. So, that being said I would recommend that people go when it opens not at the end of the day. Also I love how they set up the box, it looks so nice and appetizing.

I *finally* got to stop at Sally Bell’s! On our way to the OBX for a long weekend, we stopped and got two boxed lunches and a chocolate pie to go. I had the Smithfield Ham with Swiss on a roll, with potato salad and a strawberry frosted cupcake. My husband had the turkey and Swiss on wheat, with macaroni salad, and a chocolate frosted cupcake. Loved it all. The ladies at the counter were very sweet. Definitely worth a stop!
(I just wish they had a public bathroom… since we had been driving from Baltimore, I really had to go — so I went down the block to the Panera and used their’s instead.)

My company ordered boxed lunches for us from this place today. Definitely one of the best in terms of freshness, presentation, and variety.
The freshness of the ingredients and softness of the breads are the real winners. The homemade flavor/​style of the food is something that some will like and some won’t. I gather that the potato salad is «famous». It was surprisingly sweet, if you’re into that sort of thing. I added salt and bacon bits to mine, to balance out the flavor to suit my own tastes. The deviled eggs were nice, but do not contain paprika or relish. I had to add salt and pepper to my chicken salad sandwich.
The boxes also included these oddly shaped little cupcakes. I could tell the strawberry icing was made from scratch. Fairly light on strawberry flavor, but certainly sweet overall. The cake itself was not a record-​breaker in moistness, but still tasted fine.

Great hidden lunch spot on the VCU campus. I’ve been here for four years and had no idea this place existed until a few months ago. It’s a shame because I’ve been missing out. Sally Bell’s is a nice change of pace from Chipotle/​Noodles and Co/​Panera, although the price leaves a bit to be desired.
I got the box meal with a chicken salad sandwich, potato salad, and a chocolate cupcake. Came with a little cheese cracker and half deviled egg as well. Everything was good, especially the potato salad. I love big chunks of potato in my potato salad, and this delivered. The chicken salad sandwich was good too, but I wish the chicken salad part had a bit more kick. The box filled me up, but if you’re used to eating chipotle sized bowls of food you may feel a little jipped when you finish your meal.
The prices here are too high. I paid $ 11.34 for the box plus a drink. Either they need to give you more food (maybe make the sandwiches bigger?), or bring the price down. I really liked the food here, but that’s too much for me to pay for lunch on any kind of regular basis.
Helpful hint: Make sure you grab a ticket from the machine when you order. They’ll call your number when its your turn to order.

I just stopped in Richmond to return something to a friend and thought «Let me try this place…» I’ve walked past it so many times while living on campus as a student, and now that I’m commuting I give it a shot?!
I ordered the box lunch, which comes with your choice of a sandwich, side, tart or cupcake, and then it comes with a deviled egg and a cheese wafer with a pecan on it.
I ordered the Smithfield ham sandwich. It was small so I was doubting its ability to be satisfying, but yum! The ham was super salty and the sandwich had some mayo and lettuce on it with a good bread roll. This sandwich was so delicious thanks to the salty ham… I love my ham salty.
I chose the potato salad as my side, which was topped with a spicy pickle slice. It was a nice surprise. I liked the potato salad since it had a unique spice to it, but maybe too much mayonnaise for my taste. I also wish it had been a bit less like mashed potatoes. I missed the chunkiness that is usually potato salad.
The cheese cracker and deviled egg were both yummy, nothing to complain about them.
My dessert I picked was their lemon chess and it was very yummy! It was a bit too sweet for me but that seems to be the style of flavors and food here: very homey and sweet, salty, comfort-​y.
I have found a new lunch place in Richmond and can’t wait to try again!
Don’t be turned off by the run-​down outside or interior of this place, it’s worth the try!

The best traditional lunch in richmond. I always get the chicken salad which comes on a freshly baked yeast roll. Every box comes with a side (macaroni salad and potato salad are my favorites), a deviled egg and a cupcake (strawberry or lemon). Everything is made fresh in house by the sweetest southern ladies you ever want to meet. Everything tastes like your grandma and her friends made it and when you look around you may just believe it.
They also do boxed lunches for meetings which are a perfect day escape from bland and boring Panera!

I went to VCU from 2006 – 2010 and stayed in RVA for 2 years after… never have I ever stepped foot inside until now and I regret it.
Imagine all the top grandma cooks in the city getting together and opening up a shop. This is what Sally Bell is.
I only stopped in to get cupcakes but they have lunch boxes available. I got the Mocha Devil’s Food Cake and Orange Yellow Batter. What I liked about their cupcakes is the fact the frosting covers the entire cupcake rather than just sits on top. That means the frosting to cake ratio is just perfect. The cake is moist and you can just taste grandma’s cooking.

A few days ago, I made the crucial mistake of going to work without my lunch. As the day grew longer, my appetite began to fight with my stomach and was getting the better of the fight. Then out of the blue, my lovely coworker suggests that I get a boxed lunch from Sally Bell’s. Being too weak to pick my food up from the establishment due to lack of food in my system, I allowed my coworker to pick my food up for me. How did my experience go? Read below to find out.
The Good:
Taste– I ordered the Smithfield Ham boxed lunch. With my lunch came macaroni salad, a half deviled egg, some cracker with a pecan on top of it and a chocolate cupcake. The Smithfield Ham was so salty, I felt my blood pressure increasing with every bite… just how I like my ham. The macaroni salad was very tasty too, having a fresh taste. The cupcake was ok.
The Bad:
Price/​Portion Size– When my coworker came back with my boxed lunch, I looked around my unit to see where the hidden cameras were. I thought for sure I was being punked. I paid a little under $ 10 for this boxed lunch and when she brought it back to me, I swear I could have fit everything inside the box in the palm of my hand. The Smithfield Ham «sandwich» was smaller than the size of a McDonalds sausage biscuit. With food that has such a great taste, the portion size and high prices lead me to believe everything over there is being rationed.
Overall– I like the food but come on. I am a man who needs a grown up meal. If I am going to pay adult prices, I dont expect to eat a meal that wouldnt even fill my 4 year old nephew. Do you know how many other filling meals I could have gotten for under $ 10? Again, good food, but this is not a filling meal, its a snack. THREE STARS.