508 Crafthouse

Review summary

1. T

   Trevor

   Richmond1 review

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The staff was warm welcoming with great menu suggestions. We felt seen and was treated like family. I will be returning
   

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2. P

   Patricia

   Washington DC4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 2 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   We tried 508 Crafthouse when it first opened and sadly, we were not impressed with the food, drinks or service. We decided to give it another try this past weekend and we are very glad we did. Since the restaurant's opening they have a new chef and a new bar manager (Chris) and everything, including the service, was fantastic. The food is creative and executed perfectly. My husband had a mushroom pasta dish that was out of this world and served under a "smoking" dome. Our friends both had the smash burgers (delish!) and I had the salmon which was wonderful. The desserts were just as good as everything else we tried. Our waiter (Chris, the bar manager) was awesome (as was his lovely Australian accent). It was a great evening! My only suggestion would be for the restaurant to warm up it's dining room. The bar area looks great and is so inviting, but the dining area is somewhat bleak and stark looking. The food and drinks make up for it though!
   

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3. K

   Kylie

   Richmond1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Delicious food, fantastic drinks, and great service! Place is a bit small, but overall awesome experience
   

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4. R

   Rachel

   Richmond1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   First time going. Was on our try list. Was not disappointed. Nice selection of spirits. They make some crafty cocktails but I didn’t try any. Just had wine on the mind. Creative main dishes. Ended up have the smoked Birria Mushroom Pappardelle and husband had the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast. The Birria was amazing. Husband’s first time having duck and we weren’t sure on temperature. So he ordered it thinking steak temp. Big mistake! Came out dry and tough. One of the owners came out and talked to us. Recooked the duck the correct way and was perfect!! We insisted several times on paying for the second duck and we were refused. So note trust the chef to prepare the food. Lol. We had Oreo cheesecake for dessert . We also had oysters Rockefeller and tuna bites for appetizers. All the food was deliciously amazing. If you are looking for a special occasion place or some great cocktails this is your place. From hostess to owner fantastic people. You won’t be disappointed.
   

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5. L

   Lauren

   Richmond1 review

   4.0

   Dined on 14 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   The food was delicious! The only things we found odd were that we had a waitress who attended to our needs, but also a busboy who would come about two minutes after our waitress left and do some of the same things (he brought water just after she brought water, brought spoons for our dessert just after she brought spoons, etc). We were informed after we sat down and ordered drinks that they expected to be busy that evening (Valentine’s Day) and we would be held to a one and a half hour time at our table. We found that as an odd time to bring this up and ultimately said that our time there would depend on how swiftly they got us our food and drinks. Ultimately, we finished within the allotted time, but sat for 20 minutes over the time waiting to pay. That didn’t bother us, but felt strange since they had made a point to tell us they wanted us to leave. Lastly, the tables (at least in the back room we ate in) were very short. We were leaning down in order to eat and they were low enough that I couldn’t cross my legs under the table (and I’m not a large person). When we were shown to our table, all of the rooms in that space were set up so that couples sat next to each other on the same side of the table to eat. I immediately questioned this and asked if we could grab a chair so that we could look at each other and talk during dinner. They did accommodate that. Overall, the staff was friendly and the food was excellent and we will likely return.
   

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6. r

   raymond

   Richmond1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 14 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Fantastic dinner! It was our first time going to the 508 Crafthouse and we will definitely return.
   

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7. K

   Kerry

   Richmond2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 8 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This restaurant is a hidden gem. The food and drinks are fantastic and the service is great . The Scallops and Gnocchi entree is phenomenal and I am drawn to get it every time we dine here. My husband has tried many other entrees and everything is delicious. I really want this restaurant to succeed because Norfolk needs more special dining experiences like 508 Taphouse.
   

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8. L

   Leah

   Richmond1 review

   3.0

   Dined on 2 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   We saw so many positive reviews of this place and wanted to love it so badly! Unfortunately, both our meal and the service were severely disappointing. I am hoping this was just a bad, understaffed night — the poor bartender was the only server and we’re pretty sure there was only one cook running the whole kitchen. Still, there were only 3 tables eating while we were there. It took 30 minutes to get half of our drinks and we had to ask repeatedly to get the rest. One of our apps, raw oysters, took about 45 minutes to come out and they weren’t even very good. We never saw the other app we ordered. When our dinners came out, most of them were not hot anymore. In the rockfish with risotto, the fish was bland and the risotto was crunchy. The gnocchi was average and the short rib was decent. The one amazing thing we had was the lobster mac n cheese. We wanted to order dessert because it sounded yummy (Oreo cheesecake!) but didn’t because we were worried it would add another 45 minutes to our meal (and at that point we’d already been there for 2 hours). To top it all off, the bartender didn’t seem concerned or apologetic about our experience. I understand that staffing can be challenging and having an off night happens, but there were just so many things wrong with this meal. It was like thinking you’re going to the cool new spot in town and ending up at a chipotle run by stoned teenagers. For these prices, you expect a lot more.
   

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9. T

   Tracy

   Richmond1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 24 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing birthday dinner. My family and I enjoyed immensely. Food was incredible. I wish I had taken pictures, but could not wait to eat every bite. Especially loved the octopus appetizer. Highly recommend!!
   

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10. S

    Shirley

    Richmond1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 18 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We had a great evening. It is so nice to have such a great addition to Norfolk restaurants
    

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