Tj’s Restaurant & Lounge

My wife and I love TJ’s, especially for Sunday Brunch. The champagne brunch here is a Richmond tradition and features amazing southern breakfast staples as well as local seafood and elegant desserts. The Jefferson Benedict and the spoonbread are wonderful specialties that you won’t find anywhere else. Make sure to get reservations well in advance as they often book up months out, and don’t forget to dress up! The days of the hostess asking folks to leave because they are underdressed are gone but most of the ladies are still dressed in dresses and the norm is jacket and tie for gentlemen. Don’t be the guy who comes to The Jefferson in a golf shirt, shorts, and sandals!

Treat yourself, and the one you love, to a mid-​afternoon burger with a big ol’ glass of wine. Sit next to one of the windows where the sun streams in at just the right angle. Take your time. Play footsie under the table. Let your mind ramble.
I dare you to do all this and not have the thought «we could book a room …» at least flit your mind …

Didn’t realize I’d never written a review on TJ’s. The last time in a had a cheese burgergler. I always order a cheese burger at the better restaurants and compare, but not always do I rank them. TJ’s is really good, fries excellent, also. This is also a terrific place to meet a friend for a drink or a business associate. This is one of the better burgers in RVA. That’s a Factoid! ;-))

Had a very authentic (I think!) Low Country Eggs Benedict for breakfast — food and service were stellar. The coffee was a little generic, but that’s the worst thing I could say about the restaurant. Check out the bathrooms — insanely decorative.

Came here last Saturday for lunch after an amazing night’s stay at the Jefferson Hotel. The place was pretty empty around 11:30 am (though I wonder if that’s an anomaly given the bike pre races that apparently shut down the city that day). In any case, the service was stellar, and our server was so friendly and helpful, she even offered sweet iced tea to go for us on our way out!
I will say my crab cake sandwich was perfect. Not too big or small. Lots of savory crab meat in a crispy fried cake tucked with lettuce and tomato in a buttery roll. .what’s not to love? Battered fries and a pickle on the side. .so good. On request, the server brought out house made honey mustard as well, which was on point. Higher price point for standard portions was well warranted, in my opinion, for the higher quality food.

I went there this weekend for the Champagne Brunch and it was everything I expected. Our champagne glasses never emptied, the drinks flowed, and the food was delicious. I would highly recommend and the price during the summer is a steal, only $ 38, plus tip.

I went there this past weekend with my wife and 2 kids for champagne brunch. The view from the mezzanine level overlooking the buffet and seating below was stunning. A jazz trio performed in the corner near the gorgeous staircase. Perfect volume.
Lots of food to choose from. All buffet style. I’d give the food 3 stars overall.
I don’t think the brunch was a good value for our kids (7 and 8). It’s a reasonable value for adults. Most of my four stars come from the ambiance and beautiful view.
We’ll try afternoon tea there next with just the adults…

TJ’s food was awful — in flavor and price. Totally poor quality and the prices outrageous. I had a hamburger that was inedible. Lunch for 2, just 2 sandwiches came to $ 49. The waiter was nice, but we had to wait over a half hour for anything to eat. Just one chef, I guess. It is located in the Jefferson hotel which has a gorgeous lobby. But the restaurant itself lacks views, décor.

Extremely let down. Not at all what I was expecting. We came here for lunch to celebrate a birthday and it was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
First off, they were not busy as only 4 – 5 tables were seated upon our arrival. However, for some inexplicable reason, our party of only four was seated in the bar area a table barely large enough to sip cocktails from, much less enjoy a proper meal.
Second, the table was not even set and we had to request silverware AFTER our appetizers had been brought out. Also, the table was in the back next to the restroom and kitchen door.
Third, the server was very casual and unprofessional for such an establishment, I believe he was only the bartender. He also spilled iced tea all over us and the table when delivering our bill.
The food was good and about what I expected, but the rest of the experience should not even be possible in an establishment such as the Jefferson Hotel.

Went back more! Sunday Brunch is to die for even without the champagne. I say I have regrets over how much I ate, expect I’d totally do it again if I were to have the opportunity for a do-​over. The lobby is essentially walled with buffet tables that hold, in no particular order, an omelette station, a waffle station, a carving station [with horseradish cream for the beef! bless’em] a breakfast bar with meats and french toast and things, a salad section [excellent green beans], a charcuterie section with terrine and cured salmon, a seafood section with oysters on the half shell and shrimp, a lunch section with pork loin and soup and spoonbread, and a dessert table with tiny tartlets and wee cheesecakes and killer chocolate mousse.
So, um, yes, overate a little bit. The coffee and orange juice were also good, but I didn’t overdo it so badly on those.

Very cool restaurant in a very cool hotel! I had the TJ’s burger with fries for lunch and it was very good. I would recommend stopping by.

Who goes to TJ’s to order a burger and fries?!? ME!!! And… I loved every bit of it. I also had a glass of wine that was sweet and yummy. But back to the burger and fries. LOL. They definitely have a more upscaled selection of food to order and I’m sure they are tasty. But, I’m a burger girl and I enjoyed every bite.

Went to TJ’s for Sunday Brunch. Love the Jefferson, and love TJ’s. Excellent food, good value, and the setting is beyond compare.
So why just 4 stars?
Because of what happened after brunch. It was my wife and I for brunch. Got the bill, and it was $ 100-​something dollars. Freaked me out, because one bill said $ 75 something ($ 30 apiece), but the receipt for the credit card said $ 100-​something. Discussed it at the table, decided it must have been the champagne and orange juice, so we left it at that. We get home, and the Jefferson calls my wife (she made the reservation) and she was told we had been overcharged, and to call xx number and speak to Jackie (I think it was). So I call, ask to speak to her, get Johnna instead… Johnna says we were accidently charged for three brunches; it’s totally their mistake; they’d like to reverse the charges and make it right. I told her point-​blank we’d be more than happy to pay for our brunches, she says ‘no, it’s just the two of you, we’ll make it right’…at this point I’m thinking the Jefferson is on point with their customer service, and I can’t wait to go back. 5 minutes later the phone rings. It’s someone else from the Jefferson, asking if we want to leave my tip on the credit card (based on the $ 100+ bill) or do I want to change it to reflect the new amount? I was caught way off guard; told them to leave it. Got my wits back about me, and called the jefferson back and asked too speak to Johnna… and I told her I must have been confused, I thought she told me they were going to comp the brunches after making the mistake? She says to me ‘no, sir, that’s not what I said… I said we were reversing the charges’
So, TJ’s/Jefferson, 4 stars for excellent food/​excellent atmosphere… and –1 star for lying to me.

I was fortunate to score a coveted Sunday Champagne Brunch reservation during the Christmas season thanks to an ice storm. We had a seating at 11 AM. We showed up at 10:45 and were seated promptly. The decorations were phenomenal and really gave us the «Christmas spirit.» My lovely fiancé and I were greeted by a very kind and attentive waiter who explained the layout and ensured our drinks were never empty. There was an omelet station, breakfast line, waffle station with cherries jubilee!, a carving station, a seafood station, a salad station, and lunch station. Phew! That was a lot. But so was the amount of food! I ate an unbelievable amount because all the food was amazing. Everything was delicious, but I did make one rookie mistake, i ate a piece of bread that was not very good and really, who goes to an all you can eat brunch and eats bread?! What a rookie mistake. We topped it off with delicious chocolate covered strawberries and some chocolate mousse from the dessert station located under the tree! This is a brunch that shouldn’t be missed and all Richmonders should try this once during their time in Richmond!

Dinner at TJ’s was delicious! The pimento cheese grit cake that came as the base for the sweet potato crusted salmon was the best thing we ate. Delicious!

This brunch was just what was needed for a very rough trip to Richmond. The Jefferson Hotel is absolutely gorgeous! TJ’s Sun. brunch is done smack in the center of the main room. Vaulted ceilings, old vintage walls/​décor, just incredible. The service was impeccable. Jackie was warm, welcoming, & just rocks.
The manager on duty Chauncey is just as awesome. We arrived early to grab a cocktail before our seating, but bar doesn’t open til 4pm (brunch was at 1pm/​arrived at 12). Chauncey was more than happy to sit us at the bar & make us our drinks. We got a chance to chat with him & found out that since it was our first time we would be seated upstairs in the veranda (you can request the area of seating). I wasn’t a fan of that since the food is all downstairs. It is a very large & long staircase. We were able to get it changed. We sat in the lounge area & it was just wonderful. We go to people watch, listen to the live jazz music, & jave a romantic moment together.
Love it!!!

Sure beats airport food.
That was my sentiment when my boss offered to get breakfast in the morning. I was actually excited as I have heard The Jefferson Hotel priding themselves on farm to table as well as being very opulent. The breakfast at Tj’s, however, turned out to be very plain, very unexciting, and very expensive. An average meal that would cost $ 4 to make cost about $ 12. Did you want a biscuit? Add $ 4, etc. etc. Made sense though, the high prices confirmed where we were staying at. Definitely not Hampton Inn.
My Fresh Fruit Salad plate with whole grain granola and Greek yogurt turned out to be very good. Not one berry was on my plate but rather sweet pineapple, grapes, and melon. I got a side of very salty ham. It provided a nice balance to my meal. Coffee was good and they offer fresh squeezed orange juice.
Service is extremely slow. Give yourself a whole hour for your breakfast. After the first initial obligatory checks, they will forget about your table and you basically have to beg for the check.
Lunch and dinner sound a lot better based on the reviews.

I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant, the classy mannered wait staff, high quality food and the very reasonable prices of the lunch menu.
I particularly liked the salad well tossed with the very adequate amount of dressing.

TJ’s is fantastic. I came here for lunch and brunch (two separate days. What kind of heifer do you take me for?) and was more than pleased each time.
For lunch, my guest and I shared a delicious shrimp & grits appetizer that came with greens and country ham. We both got the Oyster Po’Boy for lunch that came with a nice slaw that complimented the mayo on the sandwich and super yummy fries. I can’t remember the bread it was served on but it felt like biting into a pillow made of yeast. For dessert, I had the apple & oatmeal bread pudding that can only be described as decadent. Sooooooo good.
We also had the brunch, all you can and drink buffet. Oh. My. God. What a feast. It was a glutton’s wet dream.
Both of our servers were very charming and friendly.
An all-​around great restaurant!

I’ve been to TJ’s for lunch, and it was great! I had the BLT and my friend had a crab cake; both great portions and delicious! With great service!
But what I really love about TJ’s is the beer dinners they host, I’ve been to three! A different brewery is featured in each dinner, and you get about five different beers which are paired with five different courses.
The last beer dinner I went to Troeg’s brewery was featured. Our first course was a walk around Hors d’oeuvres, chilled sweet pea soup shooters, with jumbo lump crab meat, and truffle oil. It was refreshing, and paired with the Sunshine Pilsner.
Once we were seated, we snacked on yummy spicy popcorn, which was a great touch, perfect to tide you over in between courses. (not that you need more food with these dinners, you get so much!)
Our second course was a Pan Seared Soft Shell crab, which was served over romaine, crispy shallots, black beans and topped with a lime crème friache, and paired with a pale ale. This was the first soft shell crab I’ve ever tried, and I loved it. Especially the black beans, and went perfectly with the pale ale.
Our third course was my favorite of the evening. Slow cooked Berkshire pork cheeks served over silver queen corn, vidalia onions, pappadew peppers, surry sausage, and topped with a house-​made coca-​cola BBQ glaze. All of the components of this dish went together perfectly! The pork was perfectly tender, the sides were both sweet and spicy, and just deeeeelish! It was paired with the Hopback Amber Ale, which was also my favorite beer of the evening.
Our fourth course was «Veal Three Ways» Veal loin, Sweetbreads, and Jus. Served with asparagus, morel mushrooms, and goat cheese risotto. My veal loin was cooked perfectly, and I don’t know if you’ve ever tried sweetbreads, but if you ever get the chance, please do! So tender, and delicious! This dish was paired with the rugged trail nut brown ale.
Our fifth and final course was dessert. And boy, do they do dessert well! Chambord Crème Brulee, served with an espresso biscotti, and paired with the Java Head Stout. I always find the desserts to have the most distinct complimentary pairing, as was the case with this dish. If I hadn’t been so full, I would have finished my brulee, because it was soo good! Unfortunately, I only made it a couple bites through.
If you love beer, you should definitely make it to a TJ’s beer dinner, they are fabulous! They are usually either $ 50 or $ 60 per person; which includes tax and gratuity. 5 amazing courses paired with 5 great beers for only 50 bucks! It’s such a great deal. The servers are fast, friendly, and always come around in the nick of time to refill your beer :)
You can make reservations for a group, or go by yourself or with another and sit with strangers. I’ve done both, and it’s equally fun to sit with people from around Richmond and get to know them while eating and drinking! It’s a great time either way!
Even if you’re not a beer person, it really is fun to try dishes that are made to compliment the beer. Definitely widened my horizons!