Julep’s

Stopped in for dinner. The place is meticulous and quaint, service was impeccable and the food was delicious to say the least. Had the fried oysters and the kale salad, followed by the soft shell crab which was cooked perfectly in a light breading. Finished off dinner with the bananas Foster the presentation and flambé was most entertaining. Highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Richmond

I stumbled across this restaurant because of their sign that hangs on the back of their building stating, «best shrimp and grits». As I walked by, I found a quaint but classy restaurant. I ordered their special, the grouper, with a glass of Pinot and couldn’t be happier.

Great southern food! Chose this restaurant out of many for restaurant week and really happy we did. For my appetizer I chose the fried oysters which were really really good. They were extremely juicy and came with a great side sauce. One of my friends got the fried green tomatoes which I liked, but definitely preferred my oysters. For the entrée I got the fish of the day, which was huge and came with a raspberry tartar sauce which I enjoyed. Dessert had to be my favorite part. I got the vanilla bean éclair cake which had the consistency of a tiramisu and was so good. I think it was a special dessert for restaurant week, but they should make it a regular menu item! Oh and I can’t forget the corn bread! They gave it before the food came out and it was probably the best cornbread I have ever had. We kept asking for more because it was that good, but the waitress said they had to save some for the other guests haha. Great experience, and highly recommended.

I’m such a huge fan of Julep’s. Unfortunately, I never went to the restaurant back when they were at their old location. I’m so happy for them that the business was doing so well that they had to move to a bigger place. I absolutely love it there!
We had a Unilocal event at Julep’s back in February. Working with Amy and her team was an absolute dream. That was the first time I got a chance to try their famous shrimp and grits and fried green tomatoes. I couldn’t stop eating them all night. They both are amazing, but the fried green tomatoes with that pimento cheese sauce takes it over the top. I had such a great experience that night, that I decided to come back for Restaurant Week.
My friend and I set up a mother/​daughter dinner. We sat at the front of the restaurant which offered us a perfect view of Grace Street. I ordered the kale salad, which I’m still thinking about today because of how awesome it was. The cornbread croutons were so unique and delicious. Of course I got the shrimp and grits as my main course and the key lime pie for dessert. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the key lime pie, but that’s just a matter of personal preference. Everything else was outstanding.
Definitely a place to bring visiting family, bosses, or to celebrate a special occasion!

Amazing southern style food. The shrimp and grits were really good but I do wish I had been given more than the one spoonful of grits under the shrimp.
The pecan pie was also quite good although I was disappointed that they didn’t have the salted caramel gelato that was advertised to accompany the pie.
My husband had the crawfish pot pie and strawberry shortcake and he was very pleased with all of it.
The service was absolutely amazing.

Food uninspired. But this was a prefix menu for restaurant week. So maybe the full menu on a different day would be better. This was on my restaurant bucket list but it maybe a while before I come back again, if ever. #disappointed

Bottom line: Very good food and exceptional service.
Went with a pretty large group, and it took a while for waiter to get our orders. He was very knowledgeable about the menu items and helpful in making selections. Cocktails are very expensive and very good.
We ordered shrimp and grits, lump crab cake, and beef tenderloin entrees. All were delicious. In particular, the crab cake had plenty of crab, not fillers, and was on a bed of delicious veggies that complemented it perfectly.
The only complaint is that the fried green tomatoes were a little undercooked in the center.
It’s a pretty expensive place, so although I’d like to go back more it will probably only be on special occasions.

I dined at Julep’s before Christmas with some friends and had an amazing meal! My mind is drawing a blank to what our appetizer was but I had the filet for an entrée and it was PERFECT! So tender and cooked to perfection. The service was excellent and the waitress was very knowledgable about the menu.

Had dinner with co-​workers here on Tuesday night. Server was friendly but awkward. Had to reach over table to serve and pour drinks because no room to get behind table. I had a dry aged NY Strip that was not representative of good dry aging. Served with a wooden steak knife that resembled one at chain restaurant. The soup spoon with my coffee made it hard to take this «fine dining» serious. Was ok experience but way underwhelming for money spent. Scallop appetizer was most flavorful item we tried. Recommend that for starter.

Had another excellent dinner at my favorite restaurant! Friends and I shared our meals, so I got to try more than usual!!! Fried green tomatoes (a must), frog legs, then entrees: Duck, grouper, rockfish, lamb shank AND shrimp/​grits (another must) Honestly it was all delicious!
Service and atmosphere are wonderful too! Can’t wait to go back.

We went last night for Valentines Day. The specialty drinks were really good and so were the fried oysters we had for an appetizer. The «special» was a lobster with filet mignon and four sides (for two people). They would not split the portions onto two plates. We asked for the filet to be cooked medium. It came out medium rare. My second bite was a bunch of chewy fat and gristle. I had to spit it out in my napkin. I could not swallow it. It is very rare for me to leave filet uneaten, but this one was not good. Then the lobster was a disaster. It had a few shavings of crab on top. It was not ready to be eaten. My husband finally broke it apart with his hands. We got about a teaspoon of meat from the claws and a tablespoon from the gloopy insides. We got shells and lobster all over us as he tried to get the meat out. We were not dressed for a crab picking. I saw other poor men trying to open lobsters for their dates. We had to laugh it off. The sides were small and unremarkable. The grits were the best. We were starving after our $ 75 entrée, so we got the s’more. It was tiny, but good. I feel the other location was better. The service was good and they gave each lady a rose (nice touch). We go out to high-​end restaurants all the time, but, unfortunately, I have no reason to return to Juleps.

My review is not for a traditional visit to a restaurant but for a special event that was held at Julep’s recently. I was completely impressed by my time at the restaurant from the moment I walked in the door.
The hostess was really friendly and quickly show us to the event area. When things weren’t quite ready because we were a bit early, we came back to the bar and were served by Abby. She shared daily specials with us and was very personalbe during our wait time.
At the event, every employee had a great attitude and was fun to be around. Everyone really knew their jobs and seemed to be having a good time.
Of course it wouldn’t be a worthwhile review if I didn’t talk a little about the food. We were served some of Julep’s classics, the carrot dill soup was creamy and warming on a cold night, the fried green tomatoes were really crispy and the sauce had a nice spice to it. The hit of the night was the shrimp and grits. Flavorful grits, savory sauce and jumbo shrimp that were perfectly sauteed.
To top this off, we had the signature cocktail, a champagne julep. My husband is a big fan of a traditional mint julep but we both really enjoyed this refreshing version.
Amy, the owner, was on hand and actively involved in making sure everything ran smoothly. We were planning to stay on a grab a table but they were all full when we left the event! Oh, well. There will be another visit!

This was our first time visiting the new Julep’s location – very much overdue as I had been to the Shockoe location a number of times. Unfortunately, I am not a total fan of the new space simply because the last building had such a nice charm to it (minus of course, being on sketchy 18^th street). The food, however, was as great as always. Drinks: my date had a martini and I had a Mint Julep. Appetizers: the hushpuppies (not a total fan of the remoulade that came with it) and the scallops (best part of the dinner – so amazing!!). Dinner: my date had the NY strip and I had my typical shrimp and grits without the sausage. All in all, food was fabulous. We had the same waiter we’ve had many times, and over all it was a lovely dinner. That being said, I miss the old spot! But thank you Julep’s for being a constant great restaurant. You are never hit or miss. Always a hit!

We have been to Juleps several times down in the old location in Shockoe Bottom, but this was our first visit to the new location in downtown Richmond. Very nice building and space, and it seems like a good area. The food was a great as always, as was the service with Tim our waiter. My wife and I both had the beef tenderloin, and it was cooked perfectly. They have an interesting way of cooking asparagus by slicing it thinly and it was awesome. The fried green tomato appetizer is one of the best… and I don’t even like green tomatoes! A little pricey, but this is our favorite special occasion restaurant in Richmond.

Food ok. Service horrible. We decided to have dinner at the bar last time, hoping to get better service. Nope. It was worse. The female bartender was rude & seemed bothered to have to actually work. I can expect rude wait staff at a place like mama Zu’s because their food makes up for it, Juleps can’t afford to do so. I’ve never craved anything from this restaurant.
Until they get new staff, I will not go back! Go over to Croaker Spot and get your Southern Food fix!

Food good.
Service Bad.
New location not as good as the old.
So you know the food is good but we were really disappointed with the service. Wrong drink. Still charged us. Messed up the bill two more times after taking off the drink. Just disappointed overall.
The new location is kind of boring. The décor is uninspired. Probably won’t go back.
Food is still good tho…

SO BEAUTIFUL! I never had the pleasure of going to the old location, but I did come here earlier in the week and met the owner Amy. Nicest woman ever, and was telling me about her plans to upgrade the already gorgeous restaurant. Will be back next time I’m in town.

I eat at Julep’s on a regular basis. It’s a block from my office and convenient for my clients who are lobbyists and government officials. The sound issues are under constant repair because it’s a new business even though it’s a relocation.
Be considerate as the are spending slowly to make audio correct. It’s an expensive process and requires the right direction.
The food is beyond reproach. Staff is seasoned and aware of daily specials.
This is the best regional restaurant in Virginia. Try it for the experience of a wedding or a raise or promotion. Maybe even a divorce should be celebrated here. Just experience it.
Call 3 773 968 to begin the creation of your own personal experience!
And thank you for the opportunity!

This is a Restaurant Week Review only!!!
Now, I usually don’t review places during restaurant week since it’s an overload on the kitchen. However I will try to tell you what to avoid if you already have a reservation.
Starters: DH had fried oysters which were lovely. Soft and tasty not like the hard little things we had at McCormick’s. AVIOD the fried green tomatoes. The tomatoes were cold and the breading was not attached and slid off. The pimento cheese was great but not enough to overcome the terrible tomatoes.
Mains were great. They were obviously fired to order. We had the pork and the snapper and would recommend both.
Now dessert. The bread pudding was disgusting. It was cold and dry and the topping tasted like it came right out of a can. The woman behind me also thought the bread pudding was awful so I know it wasn’t just me.
Our waiter was fine but it was obvious the full restaurant was keeping him busy. I actually had such a bad dessert that I may never be back which is a shame. But when they moved they also lost their longtime chef which may have something to do with the poor quality courses I had.

I’ve heard so much about Juleps & I know a chef who said Juleps is her favorite restaurant & she comes here all the time so I finally saved up & came. The hostess was friendly & sat me next to a gigantic window right in the front of the restaurant & I was dining for 1.
I heard the green fried tomatoes is a prized appetizer but I decided to go with the Fried Chesapeake Oysters. Before I got my appetizer I was just offered 1 complimentary corn bread which was hot & served with butter. Kinda weird I was only offered 1 at a time but it was very good. Not to sweet but just right. It took a bit for my appetizer to arrived & when it did I got 7 oysters & I swear it literally melted in my mouth. You didn’t even need the remoulade sauce that was offered with it because it was good by itself. Best fried oysters I have ever had!!!
My entrée I ordered another prized winner the Shrimp & Grits. It was delicious but I didn’t really care for the andouille sausage that came with it, & they could’ve skipped the shrimp broth. But it was very delicious & the shrimp was huge & filling. I wasn’t able to finish it so I took a to-​go bag. By then I was extremely full but since I was going all out I decided to get a dessert.
For dessert I went with the Peaches & cream. It was tasty & just the right amount of sweetness but I didn’t really care for the texture of the peaches. I think the skin was left on at the bottom & the lavender cream is a different taste. It came with 6 decent size peaches so you definitely get full with that, but I probably wouldn’t order that particular dessert again. It really was delicious.
For my drink I wanted something very sweet where I don’t taste the alcohol & the server recommended the Champagne Julep. I have to say I liked it. It has a bubbly feel, & it had the perfect amount a sweetness & that buzz you needed. So I probably will order that drink again.
Overall my experience was nice. I went on a Tuesday evening & had the section to myself. My server was very friendly & great at recommendations & offering helpful advice. What I liked the most is I got to meet the CHEF! He shook my hand & gave me a hug when I left. I had to say it made me cry a little bit, but it was definitely happy tears. Good job Juleps

I’ve heard a lot about this place being one of the best places for Southern food in Richmond, but this place was underwhelming when it came to how the food actually tasted.
I’m giving it three stars because for fine dining in Richmond, would have expected more flavor from the food.
Appetizers: We ordered the Hushpuppies, Cocktail Shrimp, and Arugula Salad. All of them tasted generic. The Arugula Salad did not have a memorable taste and the salad leaves themselves were too large and still had long stalks, making them difficult to eat. I had to cut my leaves and am never a huge fan when I have to do that with a salad. Also vinaigrette wasn’t very orang-​y or lemon-​y.
Bread: This was unique in that they served cornbread. Taste was neither too sweet or too bland, but a good neutral. Wished they would have served it hotter, but then again I like bread hot enough that the butter automatically melts when it’s put on.
Main: I ordered the grouper with light butter and oil. What I really liked was the barley and fig sauce. They did a great job juxtaposing the flavors. The actual fish was a bit too thick and a little too much fat was on the fish.
Drink: I think I was most impressed with the simple unsweetened tea I ordered. It had a minty flavor and it was very unique for a drink so generic.
Service: Definitely five stars. Our waiter was so nice and cleared plates right away. I do wish he had gone through the menu and recommended popular items.
Ambiance: This is a great place for large group dinners and a more professional setting. There are a lot of tables and space so you can have a good conversation and the volume levels are medium. The environment is more classic upscale dining than modern.
Overall, great restaurant for dates and large group dinners. Don’t think food was that great compared to price.

Love the new location. I loved the old location in Shockoe Bottom, but I like this one even more. We got to sit at a nice table in the front window just as the sun was going down. I didn’t realize the bar was so big. I think I would like to go back for drinks and appetizers with friends. The Fried Green Tomatoes were delicious– nice and juicy! The Fried Oysters were good too– weren’t overdone.
I think Julep’s will do great at this location. Their food is always delicious. I think Rappahannock, Pasture and Julep’s make a nice trio on Grace Street. I can’t wait to go back.