I came here because I wanted a quick dinner and it was close to my hotel. Â I figured I'd be in and out quickly. Â I was surprised by how empty the diner was. Â I liked the interior of the diner -- looked retro and fun, though definitely on the dingy side. Â I ordered a salmon burger with fries. Â The service was friendly and efficient. Â The food was all right -- the fries were too crunchy for my taste but the burger wasn't bad. Â I was also really hungry so I probably would have eaten anything. Â
I wouldn't recommend this place if you want outstanding food but if you just need to eat and get on your way, it wasn't bad at all.
I definitely think this place has potential to be awesome depending on time of day and/or whos on staff.Food wasnt as bad as ive heard and the drinks were awesome. But then again my first visit wasnt late night. A friend and I wanted something filling, quick and somewhere we could get drinks. Â We went around 10pm on a thursday because we didnt feel like going to shockoe bottom(or the fan, or cary town) & hunting for a parking space!! =p We were about to drive past and he said last time he came it was good so we decided to give it a try. Â Decent prices, nice portions, I was full and buzzed! I will say that the waitress' attire threw me off when we first arrived and the carpet 0_o ..but, oh well...everything in RVA cant be perfect
Review Source:DIVE DINER!
I came here at 3am for "breakfast". Â Our table of 4 were the only sober people in the place but it was funny to listen to the conversations that were going on at other tables.
The food was greasy and nothing great. Â I ordered an omelette and it was blah. Â Side of potatoes were blah. Â We were scared to order the grits. Â My friend ordered the chicken fingers and said they were ok but it's kind of hard to screw deep friend chicken tenders.
Our waitress was good. Â She had a good sense of humor which is expected when you sign up for the 3AM shift on a Saturday night/Sunday morning.
1 star for the food and 2 stars because it's the only place to get a late bite to eat in a 30 mile radius. Â So basically this is a one star place getting 3 for convenience.
The reign of terror must end. Like a bad relationship, I always think the next time is not going to be like the last...and yet, Â the cycle of disappointment has ensued...that is... until now.
The experience at 3rd street is absurd. The wait time is absolutely unacceptable. 1 hour for eggs and bacon! ME THINKS NOT!
The problem is that 3rd street is the only joint open late night for drunken empty stomachs. The key word is "drunken". Drunk patrons allow 3rd street to continue what they do because by morning the trauma is forgotten.
NO MORE. Let us stand up to 3rd street. A Gyro should only take at most 30 min.
A GRYO SHOULD ONLY TAKE 30 MIN AT MOST
Alright folks, I'm going to give you the real scoop on this place. I had a few friends who worked here, and came and visited them a few times. I'm so glad they found jobs shortly after they started working here because this place is a nightmare.
First off, I alone have encountered at least two dozen cockroaches. I've heard from my friends of even more, which in itself is completely disgusting, and I'm guessing the boss has some back room deal with the inspectors because this place should not even be open.
Second, they make their waitresses put up with way more than they should. They are not allowed to tell off customers who are being creepy and borderline threatening. My one really good friend who worked there had a few close encounters but THANK GOD one of the cooks there was a good guy and was watching out for her. Also, they have to work 8 hour shifts without any breaks, and when you are waiting tables on three floors that is a lot of work.
I know some people complain about the food, but really, what did you expect from a this place? It's a total dive, and not in the fun way.
My very last words, if you do go here, please please please make sure to tip your waitress well. She has probably put up with a lot of shit and is not making much money for it. This message is especially for those who go in late at night and ESPECIALLY for those who sit on the third floor. Be kind, don't be a creep, and tip well.
I have never been anywhere where acceptable work attire is booty shorts, a tank top, and ripped fishnet stockings. Â (And this was November, so I don't know what this girl was thinking anyway.) Â I really did not appreciate having to look at that during my meal.
Although the diner was half empty, we had to wait for a table to be cleared. Â Then we had to wait for a waitress to show up, who told us that our assigned waitress was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, and she would be serving us instead. Â I thought this was pretty unprofessional. Â A simple, "sorry for the wait," would have been appropriate.
Coffee cups were chipped and dirty.
For a place that has won awards for late night dining, the food was sup-par. Â Perhaps it's just the lesser of all evils in regards to late night dining? Â I'm not sure. Â We all ordered different types of eggs, and none of us finished them. Â Grits were too soupy, and the home fries had too many different things going on. Â The biscuits were fine, but if you really want a good biscuit (or breakfast in general), go to Perly's which is just around the corner.
My love and I were in RVA for the Labor Day Holiday and we went to the 3rd street diner on Monday. I think we got there around 1, 115 ish. The place wasn't empty, but wasn't full either. We waited to be acknowledged for seating for at least 7-8 minutes. There was a girl wiping down the bar who made it her business to ignore us. Finally a young lady wearing tiny black shorts, ripped fishnet pantyhose, a hoodie and high top converse came up to us and told us to "just sit wherever"
We selected a booth in the back towards the kitchen. I had a birdseye view of everything that was going on near and in the kitchen. I'm not going to elaborate, but I'll just say that it wasn't pleasant to look at.
After sharing a menu for about 10 minutes, Miss Fishnets brought us another one and took drink orders. I got sweet tea - very good and my love got orange juice. She was kind enough to refill his orange juice after letting us know that she shouldn't be doing it.
On to our order. He got a western omelette, English muffin, pancakes and a side of cheese eggs. I got the Greek omlette (feta cheese, lamb and onions) fried potatoes with onions and peppers, toast and a side of sausage links. Everything was very good! My omelette could have been hotter but it was very tasty. Love licked his platter clean and he was pleased.
Giving them 2 stars for food overall service, attitude and cleanliness....children running around, waitstaff not paying attention..mingling with kitchen staff, being ignored, waitstaff in unprofessional attire and just sitting around eating while paying customers are being ignored.
I can't say that we'll be back anytime soon. Richmond has soooooooooo many diners, no need to waste my hard earned money on this one.
In contrast to most of the other reviews of this place here, I should say I haven't ever had an issue at 3rd st. diner. The waitresses were nice and friendly, the food was always served quick, the service overall was good, and the food itself is alright. Not great- but not bad either. If you just want to hangout, have some food and chill with a couple of drinks, this place is just fine. I have been there at least about 10-12 times already, given that I live nearby. Its definitely not 5-star amazing, but certainly doesn't deserve the bad reputation it seems to be getting.
Review Source:Getting worse guys... come on.
7:32AM... Walked in and see a server chatting with friends or potentially off-duty co-workers, tells me to grab s seat.
7:42... she finally leaves her friends to check on the table behind me & I think remembers I was sitting there (because she saw the back of my head) and asks if I want a drink.
She gets me a drink & asks if I need a menu... I've been here 11 minutes now  and she asks me of a need a menu.  Uhh-Hhuhu (as Butt-Head would say) well if I'm not a local wouldn't you think a menu might be something you simply bring to the table without asking?  Just saying...
7:45... She gets me a menu; Â I ask for cream for the coffee... cream never comes.
7:53... she departs from her friends again & finally takes my order. Â I ask again for cream... she does manage to remember this time... however I asked her for cream only after she looked @ my full cup of coffee and asked if I needed a refill??? Wtf???
8:06... My food arrives but only after I hear the cook walk by for his smoke break telling her, hey, your food has been sitting in the window.
The GOOD NEWS is the breakfast arrives & it looks stellar...
The server (who while not great is very sweet) asks if I need more cream with my coffee refill... again not noticing I still have 5 of the 6 she have me.
The food, for the most part is as good as it looks. Â The eggs, bacon, & home fries are great. Â The English Muffin is good however it had gotten kinda soggy because it was lilkely toasted/buttered before the plate was completed and then it sat in the window too long; but stil;l tasted okay. Â The Sausage links were cold and frankly, not very good, tasted more like a crappy hot dog than any link I've ever eaten (so ask for a double order of bacon & skip the sausage)
So the good...
1) All the food except the links were great & it was well presented with typical diner flare.
2) If you like the dirty yet cute look on chicks... you'll love this place... & everyone who knows most guys like it whether they admit it or not
The bad...
1) Nothing you haven;t heard before... the service
The funny...
1) Don't let the Heinz bottle fool you... its filled with some cheap watery crap they call ketchup
2) The server who keeps asking if you need something that is clearly still in abundance on the table
This place is golden for breakfast. I have gone here many nights after a few drinks at the bar and had the best meals....as well as bringing out of town guests here for a meal or two. Great mimosas. Amazing breakfast dishes and the prices cannot be beat. The staff are always super friendly and even though parking can be a bit difficult, it is worth the extra bit of walking you may do to get here. Decor is a bit dated and the bathrooms are nothing to smile over. I have not had lunch or dinner here, so this is purely based on breakfast!
Review Source:If Jim Jarmush stepped into this place he would hire the whole staff for his next movie. On the other hand I understand why some people don't like the vibe here. Some of the clientele and some of the waitresses have this weird, sleazy, flirting situation going on, that is entertaining but also degrading and sad. The food is fine, I mean it's a diner, there is no fine dining cheese fries or burgers, that's a modern fraud for hipsters. This place is honest, it is what it is and I was always served nicely and attentively maybe not in timely manner but those 5 extra minutes spent here aren't  going to kill you.
Review Source:This is a good place for a good time... if you're a broke college student and have never been anywhere. Â When I was a broke college student who had never been anywhere, I loved it. Â Once your world view changes along with your idea of good food and good fun, then you will see that this place is pretty ridiculous. Â Service is awful. Â Kids come here pissy drunk and argue or dance on the tables. Â Not a good look. Â Oh, did I mention it's haunted?
Review Source:I went to the 3rd street Diner twice during my few days in Richmond. The food is adequate. It's normal greasy spoon diner fare. I got breakfast both times, and it was fine. The biscuits are nice, the grits are good (although sometimes they come with a giant heap of butter on them and sometimes they dont? Luckily for me, I always add butter.) My friend's burger was good, and cooked a nice medium rare the way he likes it. The drinks are strong and fairly priced.
The service, on the other hand, is lacking. The first day we went we were told to sit wherever we wanted and then waited for a while for someone to take care of us. We were asked by a couple different people if we had been helped, but still waited for service. Our waitress only brought one drink at a time which was...odd.
The second day we went we had a different and worse waitress. We ordered a small and a large orange juice. Our waitress just stared at us for a minute and then told us there's only one size. Okay, just tell us instead of staring at us? I ordered the $3.95 breakfast, which doesnt come with meat, as I thought maybe the sausage had upset my stomach the day before. When we got our food I had a giant pile of bacon on my plate. I told the waitress I hadn't ordered that and she explained that it came with the meal. I verified that I was still getting the $3.95 special and she said yes. That was the last we saw of the waitress before she came by to ask if we needed anythign and gave us the check. What a nice surprise! I was charged for that bacon. I would've tried to get it taken off, but our waitress was missing and we had to get going. I was displeased.
I've avoided this place thus far because their menu doesn't look particularly appealing even by Richmond standards. Finding myself looking for a place to grab a bite at approaching 3am this town doesn't offer a surfeit of options, so any port will do in a storm. I wish I could comment on the food but after 25 minutes of waiting, no one offered to take my order. They seemed decently staffed and were not particularly busy so one can only guess as to the reason. I'm not much for begging people to take my money for food that I will optimistically guess is average at best so I left. I will not be returning.
Review Source:I really appreciate the concept of an all night diner itself, being that the hours I keep can be kind of weird. Â
I ordered wings and a garden salad. Â Usually ordering a garden salad is a gamble that one can almost never win, but the romaine lettuce was fresh, and so crisp it cracked. Â The wings were slightly breaded, and crunchy without being dry. Â The mimosa wasn't the best OJ or sparkling wine, but it still hit the spot. Â
The atmosphere was very laid back, which I appreciated. Â I liked that I didn't feel rushed. Â My server was really friendly and helpful. Â She noticed me reading on my Droid, and we talked about Kindle books. Â
I feel like I'm not exactly qualified to make a definite rating, since the only other two times I've been I was dragged along by friends while being really drunk. Â But my experience was great, and I will probably be back.
This place has changed a lot since I was a VCU stoner in the mid 90's on an all night quest for the perfect cheese fries. Back then the diner was your traditional looking 1950's retro Americana hangout filled with hipsters and homeless. For some reason the jukebox had a Grateful Dead cd that included a 34 minute version of "The Other One". I would play it for a quarter and bathe the room in psychedelic bliss for a half an hour, before a frowning guy would hop on that thing and queue up a large serving of Tom Waits. The main claim to fame back then was that it was open all night, and they seemed to require European supermodel looks to waitress there. I would sit there for hours smoking and sipping a drink with friends, get a 2 buck check, and then use my student credit card to leave a ten dollar tip as a thank you for being allowed to share the room with that kind of beauty.
A couple years ago my midlife crisis arrived a few years early, and my friends and I began revisiting old haunts of our Confederate education whenever possible. We were shocked to see the whole place was now wood paneled, and the servers had gotten a lot rougher around the edges. You could still get a pitcher and sit all night, but things weren't the same. I hit this place up a couple times a year because of nostalgia, convenience, and price. The breakfast is their strongest suit, but you won't be revolted by anything on the lunch and dinner menu either. You can get a pretty decent grilled chicken sandwich with a huge portion of fries or rings for $6.50.
You may have to wait when you go to the counter to pay, as the register lady tends to be standing on East Main having a smoke whenever the opportunity avails itself. And, ladies, the cigarette machine by the front door also sells tampons!
Dirty, rundown looking establishment (no, not in the trendy/antique way). The food is almost totally prepackaged fare (I can make that at home for less). I've personally seen cockroaches running around. We won't go into how this place passes health code but if you're a local then its no secret....(no really, it hasn't been for years). All in all, yuck.
Review Source:I used to go here back in the late 90's. Â While the food wasn't great back then, it certainly didn't have the pure sleaze factor that it does now. Â It was really all it needed to be... Â a cheap, 24 hour, retro themed diner. Â
Since I've been back I can't help but wonder what the owners must be thinking?! Â The best descriptions for this place by posters below were "looks like the inside of a casket or bordello" and "Looks like the bowels of a muppet" ... Â funny and true. Â Going to 3rd Street late night and slightly drunk (to me at least) used to be sort of a right of passage to being a real Richmonder. Â You couldn't pay me to eat at this place now. Â
I heard that it was intended to become a strip club/diner (can you imagine anything more disgusting? Â "Yeah, give me a lap dance and a plate of eggs!" *barf*), but perhaps it didn't end up swinging that way and now they are just left with this hideous decor - the below par, pre-frozen, pre-cooked, microwave heated food... - the surly waitresses (I suppose I would be too if I was required to sling burgers with my arse hanging out the back of my skirt) - and the memory of what once was a city favorite (at 2 am, when we all had our judgment so happily skewed) hole in the wall eatery.
This place used to be everything. Funky, fun, retro, chic, and a place to be seen, especially late night. The interior was retro diner cool and the food and service were great. The only good thing I can say about this place is that the breakfast hash browns, my favorite item here, are still the same.
Everything about what used to make this place great has been stripped in a "renovation" that occurred a few years back. I have one thing to say that sums it all up .....wall to wall carpet.....eeeeek!!!!! Yes, a greasy diner with carpet.....who the hell is driving this bus, Mr Magoo?!?!
The waitstaff is surly, the food quality has gone into the toilet and what was cool and fun has been stripped away leaving just a really bad restaurant resting on a name that no longer applies.
Update: Â Yet another recent "upgrade" has made this place look like the inside of a massage parlor or the inside of a casket even.....maybe even a Bordello. Â The lovely wall to wall carpet has been replaced with a more "hotel lobby" look and I can honstely say this could not look any further from the diner it once was......3rd Street Greek Wedding is more like it.
Nothing really memorable about this place for me, accept that it was open when nothing else was. Servers were friendly, but wearing next to nothing, which made my friend and I uncomfortable.
Atmosphere was that of late late night diners looking for fried food, which we got. Don't think I'll go back again though.
I used to go here for a huge and cheap breakfast: I was addicted to the apple-topped pancakes. It used to be an iconic downtown dive with its own cast of characters, but I never hung out there late night so I don't know what's going on with that.
I love the quirky diner-meets-dive-bar atmosphere and the juke box. I'll have to go by one night and check out the last call crowd.
Went there for lunch during work thinking we could get in and out of there quick. I ordered soup and salad (both of which are probably prepared before I ordered), my boyfriend ordered something similar that shouldn't have taken long to prepare. We sat for 20 minutes before we even got our drinks, and an additional 25-30 minutes later, our sub-par food arrived. We left disappointed.
I might recommend this place for some late night grub since it stays open 24 hours, but definitely not for lunch. Poor, slow service.
The best way to enjoy a day of exploring a city is to make sure you have a good healthy breakfast. This will ensure that you have enough calories to burn through when those excruciating walks up the hills of Richmond start beating you down.
Nat and I decided to give the 3rd Street Diner a shot for our morning fuel. After all, anything that is located on 3rd and Main, must be good... right?
Well, I knew we were off to a bad start when we get to the door of this famous 24 hour diner, and it is locked. Hmm... maybe it is shift change, maybe there was recently a robbery... many things may explain the reason to keep the door closed to patrons. After a few moments we notice what appears to be the manager sitting in the restaurant talking on the phone. Patiently, a first door knock occurs. As we watch the lady, no movement. A second knock... acknowledgment, no action. At this point we begin the movement away, and another young lady comes up to the door, and knocks a third time. Finally the waitress/manager comes, phone on head, and opens the door begrudgingly. Supposedly, a waitress did not show up this morning, and yet instead of letting us sit in the restaurant, we were forced to make sure all the paint was drying properly on the outside.
After our bad start, we sit down and survey the menu. Nothing sticks out to me, but we go with a traditional plate of American Breakfast favorites. A typical egg omelette for me, with some hash browns and a cup of coffee. I also ask for a bottle of Tabasco or some other form of hot sauce, which comes when my meal is nearly completed. On a scale of one to delicious this mean received a resounding, won't be back.
We even had a bit of trouble on the way out paying for the meal, as an itemized receipt seemed very difficult to receive! Altogether, I would recommend trying any other diner in the greater Richmond Area... as this one receives the old Pass! from me.
I lived in Richmond for the first half of 2008. Everytime I drove by this place, I thought, "That's gotta be a rad place to hang out late at night." I went there a few times and everytime I thought "This place is horrible. Why am I here?" I no longer live in Richmond, but if i did, I would be shouting from the rooftops to avoid this horrible place. I can't think of a diner I'd NOT rather be at.
Review Source:Classic Richmond.
Sure, the waitresses dress/act like angry Roller Girls; the service is poor; the music too loud; the crowd too drunk - whadduya expect they're open 24 hours - but I've never had a bad time here.
The food is typical diner grub: unhealthy and decidedly delicious. But really, you don't go for the food; you go because it's the only decent place open, and you just know you're going to run into someone.
I've been on a couple of 'dates' here (back in the day) and think I actually may have formed more favorable impressions of said individuals given the atmosphere.
it's 4am, you're drunk, hungry and horny: Â You can sure take care of the hungry part, you may take care of the horny with what is left of the night there, but unfortunately you can't take care of the drunk part...damn you ABC.
umn...drunk food..and anything is good. Â
At 6pm, dinner...sober..not so good.
good hunting!
3rd Street is the Village for people with cars.
No, really. Â It's a wonderful diner with an atmosphere defined by the bright space, the amazing waitresses, and the strange sort of veneer that builds up on a place that's open 24 hours a day. Â There aren't that many establishments like this near VCU, so 3rd Street is pretty essential.
The crowd's got more variety than the Village, and the flavor changes greatly depending on the time of day. Â The food's passable, the booze is flowing, and the tables are wobbly. Â What more could you want?
I have to give this place a big ol' 5 star rating b/c I used to wait tables here. Plus, at least when I worked there, it had some of the best diner food in town, with a greek twist. And their salmon cakes rocked. Not to mention the fried donut for dessert (all the way - with ice cream and chocolate syrup).
Review Source:I used to go here at 3 am, when diner's like this are at their best. Our service was always pretty good. Their menu is okay..typical diner food. There really is no item that sticks out. It might not be much, but it sure hits the spot when you're hungry that late at night. Prices are good too. Oh, and they have a nice jukebox (probably my favorite part).
Note: They recently renovated the interior. Though I haven't been there since, I have heard some good things about the new look.
You'll find your standard diner fare here and I won't say that they do it better than anyplace else. I will say the crowd here is a mixed bag (especially after 2 AM on a weekend) and that's just the way I like it. The "ambiance" at 3rd St. is created by the characters in the kitchen and the ones that bring you your food. All Freaks, in the very best, most complimentary sense of the word. Celebrity sighting: Bumped (literally) into  Natalie Merchant and several members of 10, 000 Maniacs here after a Classic Amphitheatre Show.
Review Source:
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