The Boathouse

Another great night at the Boathouse Shortpump! Service was fantastic!
Shrimp and grits, shrimp tempura sushi, grilled scallops, boathouse mojito was great but our fantastic server talked me into trying the black cherry mojito and THAT WAS AMAZING!!!
Almost forgot the pizzookie and apple cobbler shut me down!!!
Love Boathouse!!!

This was our second visit. The best food you’ll ever find at a convenient mall location. Great atmosphere & especially nice when the weather permits the windows to be open for fantastic al fresca dining. Today we started with oysters & then ordered salads for lunch with the addition of salmon. The waitress said they normally cook salmon to medium. We said we actually prefer closer to medium rare. They came out perfect, perhaps the best salmon I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Don’t forget to ask for bread. You have to ask & I try to limit carbs, but this bread was totally worth it. Not a cheap lunch, but we’ll definitely be back!

Yeah, it’s a little pricey. Gotta pay the rent for a high end location. Been here twice and enjoyed our meal.

Visited this restaurant for a corporate dinner. And everyone was pleased with their entrée. The selections varied from seafood selections to steak. I ordered the shrimp and grits. And it was awesome.

Probably one of my all time favorite places to dine at. It’s a very classy upscale restuarant with a modern taste to it. I love their simple décor and layout of the place. From the silver to grey seating to cotton plants all along the main dining area, it just fit nicely together.
For apps: oh dear lord, get their oysters. Raw, fried, whatever you like! They are impecable! Their oyster rockerfeller was darn good! Their fried oysters came out with a jalapeño aioli which I drowned them in. Lastly, for apps we got calamari. It was light, crunchy and was paired with 2 nice sauces
We ordered a few sushi rolls: Tsunami, I Love Shrimp & Fuji!
They all have a delicate touch and the raw salmom was so fresh, it’s nothing I’ve ever had. My boyfriend who hates fish loved the salmon on the Tsunami roll. Rolls are pricey and adds up, weighing in at $ 15 a roll
For the entrée: we ordered shrimp & grits! $ 27
Definately my favorite shrimp & grits out of the many I have tried. Grits were creamy while they used Tiger Shrimps (EXTRA EXTRA LARGE SHRIMPS). They also add baby tomatoes for sweetness and bold andouille sausage for saltiness.
For drinks: I got their Ghost, do yourself a favor and get this bad boy. It has a ton of alcohol and has bacardi 151. It’s sweet but once it flows down your throat you instantly feel your arteries open up with the rush of alcohol. What I’m trying to say is, if cocktails and beers don’t cut it for you, THIS WILL. Felt pretty amazing after a few sips.

I am giving this place a 5 stars due to the excellent service and very classy, trendy and relaxing ambiance. The restaurant was packed on Friday evening but the hostess was able to seat us at a high table next to the bar. The crowd was good looking And most were of the guests were in their thirties and up. The food taste was good, ok and nothing super special but our entrees were very nicely decorated on our plates. My BFF and I would definitely come back again to eat because we had a great time and a great waiter!

Easter Brunch was very good, shrimp and grits, crab balls, eggs station. All kinds of salads, fruit, and prime ribs and ham. Well done. Thank my son for the gift card. Great atmosphere. Staff was great.

I always love it when you accidentally find a place. When reading the reviews, I expected to see a menu written on the wall, and newspaper on the tables.
Instead we found s restaurant proud of its local sourcing of very fresh ingredients, an amazingly refined touch with every dish, and all of us leaving very satisfied.
The shrimp and scallop pasta, the lobster roll, the oysters Rockefeller and the fired stump were all special.
Five very strong stars, and I almost forgot to mention the friendly and professional staff. If we’re back in Richmond, we plan to definitely come back!

I came here with my bf to try the brunch. He got crab omelet and I got biscuits and gravy. My entrée was good not amazing. Don’t expect Millies or Lulus or The Mills kind of biscuit and gravy. Comparing to their competitors in the area the food is the best I tried by far. Easy and simple. I think the Richmond location is much better foodwise but I have only been there for dinner. What I disliked about this location is that they serve only ½ carafe of their brunch specials and it is a bit pricey (mimosas for 12 dollars).
the lighting is amazing in the restaurant. its hard to get a decent soft omelet in richmond. this place follows that trend. great ingredients but mediocre execution especially at this price point and so so # of tickets. service does make up for it. looks like a great place for shellfish and drinks at the bar.

Valentines Day. Booked via OpenTable for 6:15.
Don’t recall the waiter’s name but he was great.
We were a party of 4 and were seated promptly by a friendly hostess.
All the food tasted fresh and delicious. #hushpuppies
The dining room is designed for intimate conversation with loved ones over wine/​cocktails.
Looking forward to the Spring when the huge garage doors in the bar will be open to the mall. Wondering if we can enjoy our cigars?

I was there with a dinner party of 7 and some of the food was outstanding (the raw oysters and the mussels steamed in wine and bacon) and some was mediocre. I was somewhat disappointed with my swordfish filet as it was a small portion, very thinly cut, and definitely overcooked. The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their entrées, so maybe I just made the wrong selection. Elevated prices make this a special occasion only kind of place.

Decided to give this restaurant a shot because a friend recommended it to us and it’s literally connected to our hotel.
I love love love the vibe of this place. Incredibly friendly hostesses and staff! You can make a reservation on Open Table but we failed to do so and were lucky enough to be seated immediately upon arrival (it was packed inside but there were only two of us and we got there right at 6pm before the dinner rush).
I do have to say… if seafood isn’t your thing, run FAR FAR away from this place. As soon as you walk in, the smell of seafood smacks you right in the face (no it’s not a sign of bad sushi, it’s because they actually offer a variety of seafood dishes). It took less than 2 minutes for our server to greet us, bring us water, and our wine. The menu had a decent variety of appetizers, salads, entrees to choose from but we were in the mood for sushi so we opted for a few roles to share. The sushi menu wasn’t too extensive, but the rolls all sounded delicious. We ordered the kamikaze roll, the volcano roll, the Washington roll, and the Mexican roll. They were all so different from one another but incredibly delicious! The portion sizes were large and in charge, but we were able to finish most of it between the two of us (likely because we didn’t order any apps). The fish was fresh and even the Volcano roll, which was lightly fried on the outside, didn’t feel too heavy.
The price was average for sushi ($ 13-​$ 15/​roll) and other entrees on the menu were somewhere between $ 20-​$ 30. I didn’t get a chance to see other entrees being delivered to tables near us, but I can tell you that everything smelled amazing.
There’s a bar area as well if that’s more your dining scene, and looked like folks were able to order from the full menu there as well. They offer a full bar as well as a solid cocktail and wine list to choose from. Cheers friends!

Ambiance: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Price: 3.5÷5
Quality of food: ³⁄₅
This restaurant has one of the most beautiful interiors of a restaurant that I have ever been to. It is luxurious and elegant without being over the top and made me feel like I was dining at a very upscale restaurant. This is Boathouse’s third location in Richmond I think and it’s located in Short Pump mall right next to Lehja.
I came here for my friend’s birthday party and there were 18 of us so our party had to be split into two tables. Our waitress, Jaqualyan, was absolutely amazing. She handled our party with the utmost professionalism and had a great sense of humor. I actually thought her name was Jacqualya but they cut off her name on the receipt and we all had a good laugh from that. She was able to check on both tables, take all of our orders in a timely manner and the food came out quickly as well. What was even better, the restaurant itself closed at 10 (bar area stays open for another hour I think) but she had no problem letting us stay an additional 30 minutes so that they can serve us the cake that someone brought for the birthday girl. How awesome is that?
On to the food! From the raw bar I got: 6 oysters; 3 Ruby Salts and 3 Anderson’s Neck. The oysters were fresh and served on a bed of ice with hot sauce, Mignonette, and cocktail sauce. Although they were fresh, I didn’t really taste a distinct flavor between any of the two kinds that I got. As for my entrée, I got the fish tacos with fries. The presentation of the dish was amazing and very clean. Unfortunately, the tacos itself were below average. The fish and tacos were bland and had very little seasoning. What was really surprising were the fries. they were delicious! Slightly crunchy on the outside and flavorful on the inside and seasoned perfectly.
I would come again but I think I would order either one of their more specialty dishes like something with lobster or their shrimp and grits.
Since it’s not on their menu, the oysters are $ 3 a piece which is very steep!

Had the day off so hubby and I came to The Boathouse at Short Pump. Oh my effing gosh… this place is good. Had the Mexican tuna roll and the Kamikaze roll. Both were a unique experience… I love that they did something different and I got to try something completely new. Also tried the oysters… great options and also different from what we can usually get. It was lunch and the place was hopping. Sam both worked the bar and waited on tables. Service was flawless. I’ll be back many, many times.

We came to the Boathouse while we were visiting family in Virginia. My boyfriends family brought us here for drinks and appetizers. They told us the view was great and a perfect spot for out of towners to visit! Unfortunately, we didn’t have the best experience. When we arrived, the hostess was very short with us.
They told the hostess we wanted to sit at a table where we could see the water. This shouldn’t have been a problem, considering there was only four other people in the restaurant. Once we were seated, it took about a half hour for a waitress to come to the table to even take our drink orders. The guys ended up going up to the bar themselves and ordering drinks and asking for menus and bringing them back to the table. We truly didn’t understand because there was no one in the restaurant. We ordered four appetizers to split for the table. The waitress was apologetic and said it was due to a shift change. However, it still didn’t make sense us. The food was just okay. My favorites were the crab and artichoke dip and the crispy calamari.
I don’t think I would return to The Boathouse during my next visit in Richmond. There are plenty of other places I would prefer over this!

I have been here quite a few times. I haven’t had the chance to try its other older locations downtown yet.
I love the place. The food is great. My absolute favorite is their bread and butter pudding ! Holly Molly it’s awesome!!! You will never regret trying that out.
The other fish dishes are great too. Always nicely done. The staff is always super friendly and awesome.

I was a little bit apprehensive about making a reservation at the new Boathouse location because we have had mixed reviews with the other locations. I have found their service and food to be mediocre and the prices very high. I was very pleasantly surprised with this location.
The décor is modern and relaxing and I love the location right at the mall. Service was on point. Our waitress was friendly and attentive without being overbearing.
Now for the food. I ordered the broiled seafood platter and my husband ordered a whole lobster. Both had a price over $ 30. The platter quite large and included a magnificent crab cake, 2 Jumbo shrimp, 2 scallops, potatoes and asparagus. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The scallops melted in my mouth. The lobster was also cooked perfectly and was a good sized lobster for the price.
I can’t wait to go back and try the sushi that everyone is raving about, but will definitely order the seafood platter again.

The Boathouse was everything I needed and so much more!
My boyfriend and I love seafood, love the Rockett’s Landing Boathouse location, and we (mainly I) love to dine al fresco. After getting some particularly great news on Friday, we decided to celebrate by dropping serious dough on a delicious meal (what other way is there to celebrate?). Enter: The Boathouse Short Pump.
It’s right across from The Baker’s Crust and next to Lehja. Technically inside the mall, but far enough away from the action that you do feel separated from the hustle and bustle. It was an unbelievably gorgeous evening on Friday night, so I was super excited to see that this is, in fact, an open air designed restaurant! Garage door-​like (but much fancier) windows line the front perimeter and there are plenty of fans throughout to circulate the fresh air. We were promptly greeted and shown to our seats at once. The inside is so much bigger than it seems on the outside. If you’re not so into the openness of the front half of the restaurant, there is a quieter, completely enclosed area toward the back.
We sat behind the bar and enjoyed watching the bartenders do their thing. They had my boyfriend’s current favorite beer. The cocktail list looked delicious but I opted for water (booooring). Between the two of us, we ordered the mussels as an appetizer, and scallops and lobster entrees. All were superb! I actually think that the food is better here than it is at the Rockett’s Landing location. Don’t get me wrong, the food is good there, but I was really impressed by the food and presentation at this location. My scallops were plump and flavorful. The mashed potatoes that came with it were awesome as well. The boyfriend couldn’t get over how fresh his lobster tasted. Both of us walked away unable to breathe because we ate so much. T’was a good night…

The new location and décor are terrific. I like that every Boathouse does something different to make it unique (this one sushi). Not the best sushi ever but still very good. Everything just goes together here and as with all their restaurants (including Casa Del Barco — one of my favorites) they do everything right!
Great addition to Short Pump — we have already been several times (great place to meet up with friends at the mall just for a drink).

This Boathouse location is not quite there yet. Skip this location and go to Rockett’s Landing.
Pros: Robin, the bartender is very friendly and personable
Cons: Not the full menu; staff isn’t as friendly as Rockett’s Landing location; food didn’t taste the same.