Marylous Soul Dining Experience

We had the pleasure of being a part of the Marylou's dining experience yesterday and it was superb. The overall ambiance was truly a vibe. The slow tunes, exquisite decor, and color patterns were aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, I did t take many pictures because I was overwhelmed with the food in a good way. The service was impeccable. I was running late to a dinner with my girls and I was truly welcomed from the time I entered and exited the building. The wait staff was very friendly and truly created a space for us. Our waitress or "vibe consultant" was extremely attentive and made us feel at home. Her recommendations were great. Now, let's talk about the FOOD! I am always very eerie of soul food because I come from a family of cooks, but MaryLous has the secret sauce. Our table tried the crab dip, corn bread skillet and lollipop lamb chops for an appetizer. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection they were very tender and moist. They weren't tough and they were seasoned to perfection. The cornbread was also very moist and flavorful. The crab dip was amazing! It actually had real crab and not just cream cheese. Inflation has not impacted the quality of food here at all. The main character of my night was the turkey wings. They were slow cooked and tender. They were falling off the bone, but firm. I asked for the recipe and our "vibe consultant" respectfully declined.. lol I would rate the turkey wings a 10/10! The sides were also very flavorful I had a chance to taste the collards and broccolini. I had a blueberry, Prosecco, mint drink (can't remember the name) and the bartender did his thing! It wasn't too sweet and it was very refreshing. I also had his signature lemon drop and I would say it is one of the best lemon drops I've had in Richmond! If you are in the mood for some "down home cooking" or soul food run to Marylou's!

Mary Lou's has a great vibe, but after a few visits, I have to update my review. The interior looks good--stylish and inviting--but the food? Not the best. It's not terrible, but it doesn't stand out. The drinks, on the other hand, are solid and definitely the highlight of the experience.Service can be hit or miss. Sometimes it's great, other times it's spotty and inconsistent. If you're coming here, it's more for the drinks and atmosphere rather than an amazing meal.

Soul Food.. according to websters dictionary the definition is, a type of food southern black Americans typically eat. Keep that in mind. Saturday my best friend and I had a Galentines dinner date at Mary Lou's located on Main Street. I found the Black Woman Owned restaurant from an Instagram post of their bartender Chaney making new cocktail called "Forever in Bloom". I'm a sucker for a cocktail and beautiful stemware. His unforgettable personality from a 2 min post made me look up their menu which looked amazing. So we made reservations thru toast and Saturday were so excited. We were greeted by the most pleasant host. Not only keeping the restaurant organized, but gave suggestions, was keeping everything clean and pre bussing tables. Sims is absolutely amazing. They got us seated as soon as we arrived. The menu was great but we weren't even prepared for the art work and jewel colored seats. The comfortable seating, immaculate restroom. Did I mention the stemware choices??? Cici was our server and is otherwise known as fluffy. Her personality is heavenly. It's like sitting down with your homegirl to talk about good food. She gave us suggestions and helped us choose great drinks and food. I spotted the infamous Chaney from the IG post and told him he was the reason we made a reservation. I ordered an espresso martini with tequila, Brussels as my appetizer and Turkey Wings and Yams and Collards as my meal. TENDERRRRRRRR! My turkey wings were so flavorful and falling from the bones. The greens... the greens... let's just say I drank the pot liquor. My yams were so delicious and melted in my mouth. Someone's Granny is definitely in the kitchen throwing down! Chaney even dropped by our table to see how our drinks were. When we finished our meal we were so sad to leave this atmosphere with the great staff, food and the music was top tier. So we went and sat at the bar to have a drink made by the wonderful Chaney! His personality is truly infectious and whew can he make a drink! He made us strawberry Cosmos, Blackberry Burbon Smashes and lastly Green Teas.Mary Lou's features recipes from her grandmother Ms Mary Lou. I know what Webster says, but soul food is not just a food black southerns eat. Soul food is comforting, it reminds you of home. It's a safe place. It's nourishing to the soul. Soul food is dinner at granny's house after church on Sunday! Mary Lou's is all of that and I can't wait to return.

We celebrated my Mom-in-love's 89th Birthday here! The food was delicious: cornbread, crab dip, shrimp & grits, catfish, mac-n-cheese, collards, and short ribs. And I had to have a grit cake! Our waiter, DuJour, was patient and professional!! I've visited previously in groups and also just me and hubby. I appreciate consistency in cuisine! I want it to be very good every visit, every time! I was not disappointed. Val 2/23/25

The location & decor is nice but the overall experience needs a ton of work. First & foremost... We ordered 2 Big breakfast which comes with eggs, steak, potatoes, and biscuit.... When food arrived to the table (early reservation) they had already ran out of potatoes, they subbed our potatoes with F R U I T !!! There is no comparison... Then to top it off they charged us by charging $37 per meal, and as you can see on the menu it should be $32 ! THEN proceeded to add another charge for homefries & we did not even receive the ones in the actual meal so no way we ordered extra (?) The french toast arrived soaked in some type of fruity sauce. They did comp that meal as the person sent it back immediately & ordered ala carte instead. Please keep in mind they drizzle sauces all over the food***The steak & eggs were good but the menu is extremely small, if you are a picky eater... try somewhere else for brunch. overall they overcharged $15+ tried to contact the # listed on TOAST and there website, called 5x over several days and no answer + voicemail is full. Extremely Poor customer service

Cool newish spot with amazing food. Came during brunch weekend and ordered quite a few things to try. Server was super friendly & really knowledgeable about the menu. The drinks come with cute inspirational quotes. And they taste good. The biscuits and gravy were so good & flavorful. But the shining star in my side was the shrimp and grits. That grit cake was delish and innovative. The shrimp and tomatoes yummy. The sauce - chefs kiss. On the flip side, the french toast was pretty bland. We opted for the regular one because we heard the crunchy one was hit or miss. May have to try that one next time. The only thing that could be worked on is wait times. It took about an hour to get our food, even though we suggested it could come out staggered. Apparently they had a rush, but I think because we sat outside it was easier to forget us. However, the food was definitely worth the wait.

So I really want to write a review about Mary Lou's. The food was really good. The atmosphere was really cute and our waiter was really nice. it seemed like a really friendly restaurant bar with a space that look like it could be great for event space! Dinner was lovely!

Let me tell you, I consider myself a bit of a Yelp bourgeoisie--if a restaurant has less than 4 stars, I'll practically break a finger trying to scroll off the page to find somewhere else to eat. But this spot? It had only 3 stars, and I was ready to dismiss it until I actually tried the food. My whole perspective shifted, like a flat-earther discovering the world is round. Mind blown. Now, if I see a restaurant with 3 stars, I have to pause, dig deeper, and figure out why it might have low ratings.This place was fantastic! I ended up here as a plus-one for a friend's work outing and wasn't planning on ordering anything. But then, I tried a Brussel sprout, and I nearly marched into the kitchen to place my order--seriously, they were a 10/10, possibly the best I've ever had. The calamari? Spot on! Perfectly seasoned with a dipping sauce that took it to another level--because, let's be real, the sauce can make or break a dish. The crab cakes were so good that I had to double-check that I wasn't in Baltimore instead of Richmond. The ambiance was on point, the music was great, and the waitress was super friendly, showering us with compliments. Overall, I had an amazing time, and my stomach left very happy!

The place seems new and the staff is working to keep up with orders. The place is close to the VCU campus.With a little more time and training I believe they will be hitting a nice stride!

This spot was a pleasant surprise. I spied it on a prior solo trip from DC and my bestie and I made the trek. We were specifically looking for good brunch at a spot that had tv's so we could watch the game. I recall seeing on their IG, that the bar had tv's. I expected a heavier crowd and was a tad worried cause we didn't have reservations. But our timing was perfect. We were seated immediately and had a great view of the tv's, as requested. We ordered French toast, avocado toast, shrimp and grits and steak and eggs. Oh and a side of collard greens. I was a bit unsure cause some reviews aren't the most favorable. I didn't prefer the avocado toast, but my bestie liked it. The collards were amazing, the cornflake crusted French toast was also good. I love their take on shrimp and grits, the grits are like a fried cake. The texture is yummy. The steak and eggs wasn't bad either. I prefer however a better grade steak, it was obvious that it was a lesser grade and honestly, tasted cheap. I love the ambience, very colorful and the spot is HUGE! Very deceiving from the outside. They have private dining rooms and a penthouse upstairs as well as patio w/ hookah. We tried to grab a table upon finishing our meal but the patio was full. And even w/ two private parties going on, we were not disturbed. It's like a HUGE old colonial house w/ just rooms everywhere. The service was great and everyone was really nice. The experience only could've made better had the tv's not gone out in the middle of the game ARGH! Something happened with the signal. And the drinks were just ok. Definitely look forward to returning soon. And I see they're opening a sister spot. Way to go!