Reviews & Press


Happy hour drinks are $3 at this sandwich shop in Richmond
"I popped in on a recent weekday and was delighted to find a stellar wine list of about six bottles, all available by the glass and all available for $3 at happy hour." happy hour wine glasses

BEST LUNCH SPOT & BEST SANDWICHES IN RICHMOND
Located in the heart of the Fan, Garnett's is a quintessential neighborhood lunch spot, with a cozy, retro interior and a comforting selection of sandwiches, homemade cakes and pies. If it's packed inside, as it usually is at lunchtime, opt for a picnic in the nearby park with a returnable vintage picnic basket. Best Lunch in Richmond

No Wheat, No Meat - An ode to gluten-free and veg-friendly sandwich offerings
Garnett’s is unmissable for gluten-free and veg folks, with a sandwich menu that rolls out like “Star Wars” credits, and gluten-free bread and Tofurkey available for any selection. gluten-free lunch and vegan lunch spot

6 easy RVA take-out options for picnics and the pool all summer long
Garnett’s Cafe has a date night and picnic basket. Choose any two menu items, plus a bottle of wine or pitcher of beer for $33. When ordered to-go, it’s already packaged and in a picnic basket with blanket. picnic basket date

18 Essential Restaurants in Richmond
This relaxed and homey corner cafe offers some of the best sandwiches in the city. [...] ]Garnett’s happy hour and week-long $33 date night special are two of the best-kept secrets in Richmond. cheap lunch in richmond

Highest-rated cheap eats in Richmond
#1. Garnett's Cafe cheap lunch in richmond

Richmond Magazine - 50 Restaurants We Love
"Conversation comes easily over your preferred combination of meta, toppings and sauces, or "hot with gravy" selection such as a Croque Provençal" lunch in richmond

RVA Mag - here are some great local sandwiches you need to try today
Grab your plates, grab your napkins, and fill up your beverage of choice. We have searched high and low and polled around town to get an idea of some of the best sammiches in the capital city. lunch in richmond

Charlotte Observer - Your ultimate guide to a weekend getaway in Richmond, Virginia
Known for its hearty sandwich menu, Garnett’s is a great lunch or casual dinner spot. The shop’s Date Night special lets you pick any two menu items and pair them with a bottle of wine for $30 after 6 p.m. lunch in richmond

RVA Magazine - Richmond Restaurant Romance: Ideal First-Date Spots For Any Budget
"I’d encourage you to stick around and try a slice of one of Garnett’s homemade cakes or pies — especially if it’s the Hummingbird cake. Thank me later."
picnic in richmond

Richmond Magazine - Oh What a Night
"Every night is date night at Garnett's. Two sandwiches and a bottle of wine are on order for this special, which happens from 6 to 9 p.m. daily. If a tuna Niçoise sandwich with olive spread and classic croque-monsieur doesn't sound perfect for a random Monday, who are you? Garnett's wine selection is always top-notch, so you can bet that you'll be washing those sammies down with a pretty pink, red or white - all for $30. "
Bannana Pudding

Richmond Magazine - Our Best Bites
"This banana pudding is what you imagined as a kid when daydreaming about dessert."
Bannana Pudding

Richmond Magazine - Best Cheap Eats
"Get two menu items plus a bottle of wine for $30 every night after 6 p.m. at Garnett's ."
Richmond Date Night

Richmond Times-Dispatch - Dish: And the Elby winners are...
"Co-owner at The Roosevelt, Kendra Feather, won the reader-selected award for Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant for her Fan District spot, Garnett's Cafe, and her co-owner David Rohrer at WPA Bakery was recognized as best Pastry Chef / Baker for his work in their Church Hill bakery."
Elbys Bread 2014

Richmond Times-Dispatch - Cheap Eats: Garnett's Cafe
"The sandwiches were the star of our show, but the charming, vintage look with plates hanging on the walls and a cake stand on the bar makes you feel like someone's grandmother is cooking behind the scenes. That's a tall order. We'll be back."
Garnett's Cafe

River City Food and Wine - Garnett's: Casual Goodness and Lovely Photo Ops
"Need an inexpensive, cozy spot teeming with deliciousness? Garnett's Cafe is just the place. We did not want to cook, but did not want to spend a fortune. We still wanted wine with our meal. Date night at Garnett's Cafe fit the bill. Two sandwiches and a bottle of wine: $30. Boom."
bicycles at Garnett's Cafe

Style Weekly - Snack Six-Pack: Add bite to your happy hour without breaking the bank.
"Low-key and unassuming, Garnett's Cafe 4-6 p.m. happy hour is a respite from all things fried. A mayhaw jelly (a Southern fruit that tastes of apricots, apples and peaches) and blue cheese crostino ($3) is a scrumptious, uncommon combo of salty and slightly sweet. Devils on horseback (huge, bacon-wrapped dates, $3) are an even more decadent mix of the same flavor profiles."
bacon wrapped dates

VCU Ram Natio - If Shaka Smart was a sandwich...
"The Garnett's chefs have created five Ram-inspired special sandwiches, named after the former VCU greats jersey numbers. Garnett's owner is a huge Ram fan [...] For my money I'd go with J-Rod's "#12", but also recommend the Croque Garnett or Louisville Hot Brown once you've eaten the entire VCU roster."
VCU Ram Nation

Richmond Wine Culture - Let Us Have Date Night...At Garnett's!
"The bestest, most charming dining room in Richmond has one of the bestest dinner deals. Garnett's Cafe serves some of the great sandwiches of the city all day and all night, you and your date can enjoy two of them with a solid bottle of wine for 30 bucks. The wine list is short, versatile and appropriate. "
Richmond Wine Culture

Style Weekly - Best of Richmond
Most Romantic Table & Best Lunch (2nd)

"A tiny two-seater in Garnett's Cafe makes for a natural romantic getaway. It's slightly elevated above the rest of the restaurant, offers a beautiful view of the Fan's Meadow Park and is just far enough from the other tables to allow for private conversation."
Style Weekly

Richmond Magazine - 50 Best Food Finds
Garnett's Chocolate Pecan Pie

"Blow your mind a little order a slice of sticky, fudgy chocolate studde with pecans and layered over a buttery shortbread crust."
Richmond Magazine

Richmond Magazine- Date Night Deals
"Plenty of us know about Garnett's for lunch, but it's also a nice place for dinner if you want a quiet spot to actually listen to your date's conversation. From 6 to 9 p.m. daily, Garnett;s offers two entrees and a bottle of Virginia wine for $30.[...] Throw in a shared slice of pie for $4, and you've got a great date. "
Richmond Magazine

RVA News - Date night in Richmond
"Take your stomach (and the stomach of your loved one) over to Garnett's for their incredible date night special: $30 for any two menu items and a bottle of wine. Then, and here is where it gets next level, grab some coffee to go, and take a romantic stroll-hand-in-hand of course-down historic Monument Avenue."
RVA News

Shafer Bird- Garnett's Cafe: The Art of the Sandwich
"A sandwich is easy to make, but hard to master. Sure, anyone can throw together something at home, but there is something special about sitting down and ordering a well thought out and put together sandwich. Located in the heart of the fan at Park and Meadow, Garnett's Cafe has indeed mastered the art of the sandwich."
Shafer Bird

New Happy Hour Food Specials at Garnett's
richmond.com 1/25/12
"In my opinion, with $3 glasses of wine and beer from its fabulous list, Garnett's has one of the best happy hours in town, and now this little sandwich shop has added daily snack specials to the mix - all for just $3."
mayhaw jelly

Richmond's Gluten-Free-Friendly Restaurants
richmond.com 1/18/12
"This quaint cafe is a great gluten-free lunch spot that features sandwiches with gluten-free bread. It also offers gluten-free pies and cakes from Ipanema's bakery as dessert options."
 

Fan-area restaurants heavily represented in Elbys bids
Fan of the Fan 12/26/11
"The January 2012 issue of Richmond Magazine has info on the 2012 Elbys, a new awards and recognition program for the Richmond region's restaurant community. These awards will recognize winners from a list of nominees in nine categories. Garnett's Cafe has been nominated as best Neighborhood Restaurant (along with The Black Sheep, Aziza's on Main, and Mama J's)."
elbys richmond magazine

Garnett's
Gayot 10/15/11
"Souvenir plates adorn the walls and pickling jars line the shelves at this pie wedge of an eatery, exhibiting the quaint and quirky charm of a favorite great-aunt. But there's a hipness, too, a contemporary undercurrent, that makes sandwiches like chicken salad and sliced cold meatloaf, which could have come straight from a mid-twentieth century American housewife's playbook, feel fresh and now. Classic croque monsieur (grilled ham and Gruyere), a WBLT (roasted garlic white bean spread with lettuce and tomato on toasted Italian bread) and a savory cheesecake du jour add to the eclecticism."
garnetts cafe richmond

Cheap Date Night at Garnett's
River City Food and Wine 9/17/11
"To eat we ordered a Louisville Hot Brown (open-faced with turkey, cheese, mornay sauce, and the ever-important bacon) and Croque Florentine (Black Forest ham, cheese, spinach, onion, and mornay sauce). Very satisfying with a lovely homemade pickle slice. After hearing about dessert options we could not resist sharing a slice of lemon chess pie. Yummy."
garnetts cafe richmond

Garnett's Cafe, simple and delicious
The Beaten Biscuit 9/12/11
"Walking into Garnett's is like walking back in time. There are old photos on the wall, a 50's-style lunch counter, just a handful of small wooden tables and usually only one person behind the bar, one server and one chef in the kitchen, which might actually be smaller than mine. All of this adds to an atmosphere of comfort and ease, like walking into your grandmother's house and just knowing something good that was made with care is soon going to pass your lips."
beaten biscuit richmond garnetts

Local haunt: Garnett's Cafe in Richmond, VA
Corks and Caftans 7/15/11
"The menu is succinct, perfect, and sandwich-shop sophisticated. The decor is scattered, eclectic and multigenerational. The crowd is young and unwilling to swallow the work week without breaking for simple pleasures. It could be in Brooklyn or San Francisco, but luckily it's not. It's in Richmond; it's in the Fan - and it's on our block."
bar stools garnetts

In Defense Of Pie
GayRVA 7/5/11
"Strawberry Apple Pie awaited us at Garnett's Cafe. I love their pairing of two common pie fruits, whose combination is rather uncommon. More should try it - the result was fantastic."
bar stools garnetts

Outdoor Seating: Picnic Style
navyblueshoe 5/14/11
"I immediately fell in love with its casual and very charming decor. Located at a corner building in a triangle-shaped space, it offers a nice variety of salads and sandwiches that are catered just for you. Its retro-looking bar has a good variety of wine and beer. Their freshly-baked pies and cakes are amazing."
painted chairs

Garnett's Cafe
Michelle Chu 5/11/11
"You can't go wrong with ordering the grilled cheese, perfectly packed with melted gouda and gruyere on your choice of bread. [...] The chocolate peanut butter pie was amazing! The strawberry rhubarb pie was excellent, loved the crumble on top."
sandwich

Rozell, Skeen, and Nixon are now delicious
Fan of the Fan 3/29/11
"Joining the Joey Rodriguez, Garnett's has unveiled sandwiches for all 4 seniors on the Final Found-bound VCU men's basketball team: the Brandon Rozell, the Jamie Skeen, and the Ed Nixon."
brandon rozzell

State of the Plate
Style Weekly 3/16/11
"A year's worth of options all over the map. Our annual critics' picks: Favorite 52, and Best Lunch - Second Place: Garnett's Cafe"
style state of the plate 2011

Lunch Review - Garnett's
Thrifty Richmond 2/3/11
"Garnett's has a menu of what I like to call "feel good" sandwiches all for less than $10. They list fancy French toasties like Croque Monsieur and Croque Florentine and American classics like the BLT and Roast Beef & Swiss. There are so many great sandwiches on the menu. I was drooling just reading it. If the basics aren't what you crave, even the classics come with a twist at Garnett's. Sandwiches like Roast Beef & Anchovy, Grilled Turkey and Pepperoni or an MLT (meatloaf, lettuce, tomato) are sure to satisfy."
thrifty sandwich

Retro Good Old-fashioned favorites shine at Garnett's Cafe
Richmond Magazine 7/10
"If all things retro are trendy, then Garnett's just might be the most avant-garde little joint around. I ordered an old-fashioned favorite, the croque monsieur, on another visit. Stuffed generously with Black Forest ham and tangy Gruyere on grilled Italian bread, it was ladled with just the right amount of Mornay sauce - making me an instant fan. The side of black-eyed-pea salad with bits of red pepper sealed the deal. The drawbacks are nominal. The diminutive space limits seating, and no overtly dinner-style entrees are offered. Still, with its beadboard walls and decorative plates, this is one restaurant that is just as good as it is charming."
 

Garnett's Honors a Kindred Spirit
Richmond Magazine 1/10
"Garnett's is less than a mile from Ipanema, Feather's below-ground, mainly vegetarian restaurant near the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, but it feels much farther, as if it hails from an earlier era. Jars of pickles line the top shelf, and there are decorative plates on the walls. Sandwiches - served with house-made refrigerator pickles - are filled with roast beef, ham, turkey, bacon and smoked salmon, with no seitan in sight. The cafe's hummingbird cake was inspired by Feather's late grandmother, Grace Feather, who often made banana cake."
 

Dining Out Review: Garnett's Cafe
Richmond Times-Dispatch 12/31/09
"Garnett's is a retro version of a sandwich lover's dream. Forget the boring clubs and grilled-chicken sandwiches found at any other bar-type restaurant in town. This place pays homage to the eats of yore, offering its nostalgic menu in just as nostalgic environs. [...] Garnett's nostalgic menu and retro-kitsch decor make the eatery seem as if it's been around for decades. One bite of just about anything on the menu will leave you hoping it will be around for decades more."
Dana Craig

Good Memory - Garnett's considers what tastes right now.
Style Weekly 10/23/09
"Drawing from a genuine fascination with the history and the story of a place, a town and the development of Richmond's particular and peculiar cuisine, has led Feather to find what's old and make it new again. That's a trip I'm happy to take along with her at lunch or dinner or midafternoon. An old-school lunch counter that's open nearly all the time is a serious addition to the local scene and I can only imagine how lucky the neighborhood feels having such an affordable and reliable destination within walking distance."
Dana Craig

Garnett's Cafe opens on a sentimental note
Style Weekly 10/21/09
"Garnett's Cafe opened last week, and already the retro-styled business is developing a fan base."
Dana Craig



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