Quaker Steak and Lube

1.5 stars maybe
ordered a couple buckets of wings — they are small with little meat, and lacking flavor. There wasn’t enough sauce on them. Thai r cracker and golden garlic were ok but nothing to write home about. don’t order fries to go, they put them in a sealed plastic bag to ensure they’re soggy by the time they hand over the bags to you. definitely don’t try the beer cheese — i can’t be sure it was even cheese. the «fried mozzarella» were not melted in the least — it was like eating a lukewarm cheesestick that was breaded.
the celery was pretty good.

Wings and burgers are fine and the service is decent.
They cater to Steelers fans and Cowboy fans on game days.
They have an outdoor smoking area.

Wanted to try something new in the near west end and decided on this place. I heard the wings were good so we split two flavors the spicy garlic and the thai flavor. We both preferred the thai one as it was sweet and spicy. Wings were good, probably one of the tastiest we’ve tried in Richmond. We also had this onion ring cheese steak which was ok and sriracha taco which was a little less than ok. Service was fine and it was quiet on a Monday. Seems like it would be good for sports fans on game day. I would go again when in the mood for wings.

Lunch was ok, I guess because we came so early (11:30) service was slow. I got the mustang burgers, nothing special all I taste is onion. The fries were good. My cousin ordered the 6 boneless chicken tenders that came in a egg carton with two packets of ranch. Not to much to look at visually. Overall it was an Ok meal for three at a reasonable price.

This place has good service which makes it worth a visit if that’s what does it for you, though nothing that will really make you later think «hey, we should really go back to Quaker Steak!» I kinda wish I hadn’t gone in the first place.
Came here at the request of a lady friend who used to go to one in West Virginia that she liked very much. My initial impressions were positive: great atmosphere, low noise level, friendly hostess/​server, all very nice. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was one of the best service experiences I’ve ever had in Richmond. However, the food and portion sizes were not quite as stellar.
They do «happy hour» appetizers for $ 5 (from 4 – 6 and 9-​close, I think), though if you look at the normal food prices, that’s usually only a dollar away from normal prices, with the exception of the spinach dip. Considering the steep discounts many places offer of a similar nature, this was not much of a deal worth advertising. I had received an incentive offer as a result of signing up for their email club, a short stack of O rings. I’m glad they were free, since they were pretty loosely done, not what I was hoping for at all. The spinach dip we ordered was probably the weirdest thing that has happened to me in a long time: it was so incredibly stringly/​sticky, I could dip a chip into it, pull it straight up a foot-​and-​a-​half, and it would still not be separated from the rest of the dip. While hilarious, this was not worth the $ 5 we paid, and they want over $ 8 (!!!) for this crud when it’s not happy hour. At Mellow Mushroom, the dip is well worth it; here, I’d probably ignore it even if it were brought to the table and free.
My entrée was similarly disappointing. You pay $ 1 extra for «magna fries», which are basically just fries with cheese and two or three bacon bits on them. With this entrée, you can pick a few bone-​in wings or a few more boneless wings; I opted for the boneless. The taste was what I would call average, the portion size was small, and these wings had clearly either been pre-​made a while before or had just sat in the window for a while. Considering that all you get are the few fries and pieces of chicken, $ 11 is outlandishly high. This place does not give good value for your money. There’s a reason there are no pictures on the menu.
If you want good wings for cheap, go to Wing Zone or Hooters (which is literally less than 200 feet away). This place doesn’t have much going for it, unless you care more about the person bringing you the food than about the food itself. Also, they have a sign posted about motorcycle clubs can’t wear their club patches? Not sure what that was about, and as a motorcyclist, not a big fan of restrictions when there are so many places that cater to us without restrictions.
Overall: 2.0 stars
— — — — —
Pros:
— Great service and polite staff, a rarity these days.
— Decorations/​ambiance are both very nice.
Cons:
— Portion sizes are incredibly small for the price, despite the menus making it seem like you’ll be getting a lot.
— Food quality is poor on most counts, with the wings being passable.
— When your appetizer experience makes you feel like a participant on a Candid Camera show, you know something is wrong.
— Rules relating to motorcyclists off-​putting.

This place use to be so much better. But the food prices have gone up, the amount of food went down. My family and I use to go once a month, but had to cut back. Last night after a horrible day, we decided to head back to our old favorite spot. The service was horrible, the food cold, the server never came back to check on us. It took forever to get the bill. The food was good minus the cold, but it is really dropped off from where it use to be when it first arrived.
I do not mind paying a little more if the food was hot and the server was remotely interested in giving descent service. But the drunk ladies next to me, was sat after us, and got their food before us. I guess she assumed they were better tippers. On that night, she was right.

Okay well I seriously don’t know how this place is so popular… I went here and got the boneless wings. I convinced them to let me try the spiciest and the second one to that. I have been all over the country to try wings from many different places, whether it may be a chain or a local restaurant.
This place the wings… the quality of the chicken was just so bad that I will never be back here again. Never… maybe I just had a bad day at this place but I mean a place like Applebee’s has better wings than this.

All you can eat wings on Tuesdays and plenty of beer to drink. What more can a person ask for… This is a fun spot to step into for burgers, steaks, and wings… The interior has every type of old gas station decoration imaginable hanging or on the walls… The bartender named Bubbles was very helpful as she explained to me what type of beer was on tap and what the meal specials were. The wings are the customers favorite here with countless amounts of sauces to choose from. Very mild to insanely hot. I chose to keep mine somewhere close to the original Buffalo style. No need in ruining my food by ordering it any hotter.
An added bonus when eating or drinking here is if you’re staying at the hotel directly behind it, a 10% discount is given when you show them your room key. Not a bad deal.

Went here Saturday night about 11:30pm and it was not crowed-​no wait. We walked in and sat ourselves don’t know if that’s the normal being that it was my first time there. Serves was very fast, drinks was decent. The place have a sports/​racing/​biker Hard Rock Café look/​feel. It’s casual attire. I had the shrimp basket came with fries & coke slaw which I didn’t see. My friend had the grilled salmon, rice & chili both dishes taste good. The noise leave was on point I was
able to hear my conversation this could be because it was about 12 people total. I like it and I’ll be back.

Slighly better food food than it’s two neighbors, way worse service and atmosphere
The good: the wings (bone and boneless) are generally of a higher quality meat than you’ll find elsewhere. The boneless wings are usually meaty, the breading does not overpower, the sauces are generally tasty.
The bad: the atmosphere is loud, obnoxious, and all the charm of the worst of chain restaurants. The theme is a biker bar at Disney world. The atmosphere of «forced fun» overwhelms immediately and does not stop. Never go if you want to be able to hear your conversations. Also, despite having a takeout window they advertise from their website, ordering takeout usually means standing around 20 – 30 minutes waiting for anyone to bother paying attention to you.
Food 3.5 stars, service 1.5−2 stars, overall experience 2 stars

My and my friends decided to get some wings for Thursday night football. Hooters was packed so we decided to go to Quaker Steak and Lube. We just wanted wings and heard decent things about the place so we tried it.
We got in, it was completely empty so we were expecting some attentive service. When I say empty, I mean even the workers were no where to be found. We started to call out for people and finally someone came out what felt like 10 minutes later. The host or server pointed to an area and said, «Sit wherever yall want» The only table big enough to seat us still had trash and dishes left from the previous customers. The girl said she will be right back to clean it up. We waited for about 5 or so minutes for her to return and we looked over and found her talking to a co worker by the bar. We thought to ourselves, No wonder everyone is at Hooters. My friends and I walked out and ended up going to Bön Chon right down the street. Now if you want some good tasting, good sized wings, GO TO BON CHON!
Probably never going back here

Having not a desire to feast on Steak nor Lube, I initially wondered why I ended up in such a location. Then I remembered that it’s right by where we live, seems to have reasonable prices, and looked like a good menu for that American diner food night out. And it was in fact pretty good.
–Food: My fiancée was yearning for a fish sandwich and I really like Steak and Cheese, so that’s what we ended up with.
–Steak and Cheese: I believe they call it the Phil-​M-​Up Steak or something ludicrous that I refuse to reference it as, but all in all it was a passable meal. I’m used to my steak being seasoned with at least pepper and the lack of seasoning on the meat was its biggest downfall. It comes with mushrooms and onions too, which were actually pretty good. The cheese is provolone and not that cheese whiz nonsense, and it was good. I wouldn’t put it on my list of favorite steak and cheeses of all time, but I wouldn’t put it on my worst either.
–Fries: They’re a bit thicker than typical thin cut fries, and not quite as crispy. The salt and pepper (and maybe another seasoning or two) make them work though.
–Fish Sandwich: I didn’t have this one, but one of the reasons we came here is because it appears to be one of the only places in the West End with a battered fried fish sandwich that isn’t a McDonald’s or notorious fast food chain. She said it was good and had similar feelings to what I did with the Steak and Cheese.
–Cost: I feel that the bill came to around $ 20. Not too bad!
–Atmosphere: Maybe other people have been to car themed Sports Bar type restaurants before, but I have not. So when I saw motorcycles all over the interior, cars hanging from the ceiling (really, haha), and other automotive themed items, I wasn’t sure what to think. But it’s not unpleasant; Unilocal had warned me prior with photos and it was honestly kind of interesting!
–Service: Service was pretty good! The waitress that waited on us was nice and let us know the daily special (All You Can Eat Boneless Wings, which honestly sounds pretty good and I may try them sometime!). Extra points to her because she pronounced all the ridiculously named menu items with a straight face.
–Overall: Quaker Steak and Lube probably isn’t somewhere you’re going to take your first date, but it was a decent, solid meal. I’m sure we’ll be back as it’s close, and a lot of the menu looks pretty decent. Obviously West Broad is littered with higher class establishments and fine dining options, but if you’re in the mood for some quick and decent food in a sports bar atmosphere, I’d recommend it.
PS, they give you Twizzlers instead of After Dinner Mints!

I only come here on tuesday night for their unlimited wings. I think is 14.99 with unlimited wings, shrimps and fries. Their wings aren’t those small one, it is huge and very favorable. My favorite flavor is probable the Thaisian (the spelling might be a little bit off). It is with sweet chilly sauce on it and I definitely can eat more than 10. Since tuesday is all you can eat wings, therefore the place tends to get crowded for dinner time, I would suggest to come a little early like around 530pm or 6pm the latest. If you decide to come around 7pm, expect to wait at least 30 minutes, because their wings are that good to attract many customers to come back.
I am no longer living in Richmond but sometimes I do make a random trip to go back so I can eat their wings. It is definitely worth the drive because Buffalo wild wings cannot compare to Quaker. If you ever in the Richmond, VA area, this place is definitely the place to try for wings.

I’ve come to the bar here and always gotten great service. The food is chain restaurant food, so not stellar, but sometimes I get a hankering for wings.
Brought my daughter here for a family dinner and sat in the dining room, Terrible experience. We actually left and didn’t order dinner for ourselves.
First, it was a beautiful day so I asked the host gentleman to seat us near the open bay door. He said ok, and then explained they were getting ready to have a band and that he could seat us at table number 413, 414, or 416. That would be super helpful if I worked there and knew what the table numbers were.
Awkward.
Our server took almost a full five minutes to come take our drink order. The host did initially take our order, but obviously told the server the wrong drinks, because my daughter’s drink was wrong. She then came back and IDed us for the beers (after we ordered already).
We ordered my daughter’s meal and also some wings for us to share, and we told the server we were going to get a burger to split as well. Some different servers brought food to our table three times. All three times the food wasn’t ours.
She never came back to take our order for the burger because she got tied up with a party of 8 or something. Obviously guaranteed gratuity trumps family of three.
We really never saw her again. I had to ask another server for our tab. I waited tables for years. It should not be that difficult to handle a party and your other tables.
I would say only go here if you plan on hanging at the bar. The dining service leaves a lot to be desired… and the food isn’t good enough to override the lame service.

I haven’t had wings in awhile and I knew the ONLY place to get wings were at Quaker State. I came here with a friend recently around 6 on a Friday night so we were able to beat the normal dinner crowd. Our waitress was really friendly and attentive and the hostess was nice as well.
I got the single order of wings which came with 10 wings/​drums combo. I got the split flavors of Arizona Ranch and Haute Parm. First off, IF you want to split flavors, they’ll charge you an extra 1.29. which I’m not sure how I feel about it yet, is it that much of a hassle to charge the customer to get 2 different flavors.
Arizona Ranch Sauce– it’s the last «level» of spiciness in the medium range before you get to the «hot» stage. It was a good amount of heat, didn’t really taste too much like ranch, but the flavor was solid and it wasn’t so spicy that all I could taste was heat.
Haute Parm– has black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and hot sauce. sounds kinda confusing and a little too much going on, but all the flavors worked nicely together. There may have been a little too much black pepper though.
My only reason giving them a 3 star this go around is because the size of their wings. I remember when this place first opened up, their wings/​drums were pretty large in size, but now it’s gotten smaller. not sure If I just got a small batch, but I did wish my wings were bigger for sure. Good flavors, chicken was moist, and it was cooked perfectly. I’ll come again for sure b/​c they got some other new flavors I wanna try out!

Too much kitsch and the food is largely forgettable, even with your choice of 20+ sauces for your wings.

Fellow Unilocaler Toni G. inquired about Friday night karaōke in Unilocal Talk, and I mentioned knowing about Quaker Steak and Lube’s, but having never gone. So, I decided to check it out and report back :) So, this review is strictly on Friday night karaōke.
I had already eaten, so I didn’t get to try any food at all. Our table had drinks only, and our waitress was friendly and quick with the orders.
First, the song books are outstanding. Lots of choices, and lots of current music. That’s a huge plus! Another plus is the pad of paper that you write your info and song choice on to submit to the DJ. It’s an actual professionally printed pad… not torn pieces of paper, not the back of a menu, not your business card. Simple pleasures. Also, the sound system is great. I like it loud with just a touch of echo. The DJ knows what she’s doing, and I think I saw her adjusting at just the right times when I was belting out Gaga’s «Bad Romance.»
The downside of QSL karaōke is that you can expect to only get to sing one song all night. We were there for three hours and that was the case. The singers are regulars here, and the list of those waiting is long (and most of them have respectable talent on the mic). Plus, the DJ throws in some actual songs to get people up and dancing — Cupid Shuffle, Gangnam Style, etc. — which also takes time away from singing opportunities. It’s a great time, but maybe not for those who are looking to sing more. This is also not the kind of place where the crowd sings along. The crowd respects your performance and lets you do your thing. Some people like this, some don’t.
A number of teenagers from Tucker HS showed up, but the crowd overall is a mix of young and older, black and white, and the songs they sing will vary, too. One guy sang all 90s songs (he got to sing at least three times since he dueted with the DJ on her opener, kicked off the rotation, AND was in the ongoing QSL Idol contest). Some will sing country. Most of the choices are pop, though.
It’s a loud but low-​key, jeans and t-​shirt kind of good time. They even had cornhole going on outside on the patio. Next visit, I will not eat beforehand and try the wings.

Never would have stopped here if not for «Man vs. Food», and wouldn’t have appreciated the motor theme if not for «American Pickers». Without these associations to distinguish it, QSL wouldn’t hold any more appeal than a Ruby Tuesday or Chili’s.
Though no wing/​drumette fan (I passed on wings in Buffalo before I had a food bucket list), I feel that their crispy wings with the mild classic Buffalo sauce elevate them to a must-​try 4 stars. HG gives the Philly Burger 3.5 of 5. The Lube-​N-​Ade tasted artificially sweet to me. Nothing wrong with the Cobb salad or Philly Cheese Steak Flatbread pizza, but I’d only go back to indulge the rare wing craving.

Loud & busy!
Before heading to my hotel for the night I stopped here for dinner. The place was loud and busy, but not so much to interfere with the level of service or to make you feel it was too crowded.
I ordered the grilled boneless wings with a tequila tangy bbq sauce and fries. It was ready with minimal wait time. Server was kept busy, especially with a large table of birthday celebrating next to me, but she kept tabs on me and made sure all was well.
Enjoyable place to dine. Hope Raleigh gets a location soon.

Beer. Do you like beer? I mean, you have to like consuming beer to even have a reason to come in. I mean they serve food as well, but it’s massively overshadowed by the towers of beer and the gallon glasses full of beer that you pretty much see on every table. I’m a little surprised that you don’t see cops parked outside. There’s a lot of drinking going down in this establishment.
The wings are pretty good, too. With so many wings choices out there, I think Quaker Steak (still haven’t tried said steak) has created their niche by offering consumers the abundance of beer (I think their big beers are bigger than Hooters’ big beers) to wash away the wing sauce. I wonder how obnoxious this place is in during football season. I might just have to check it out.