Ernie T's

You might pass this local gem in RIchmond non descript, set back from the road. Cozy, rustic very nice bartender.  REASONABLE prices! We have only eaten at the bar area so I cannot speak about the rest of the staff.   Specials include prime, snail salad and quahog chowder (excellent!)

Our favorite: STUFFIES they are a must! we get them everytime we go!

After living in the area for the past eight years, and with few restaurants nearby, I was encouraged to see a new restaurant opening!  We first ate at Ernie T's about two months ago after reading some good reviews online.  The food was average pub fare, but it was good albeit nondescript.  The waitress, on the other hand, was apathetic and "low energy."  Kinda rough around the edges, if you will.  We thought, well it is another restaurant besides the Wood River Inn.  Tonight we went for our second meal and boy it was awful.  We ordered the flounder fish and chips.  It came quickly, but the portion was miniscule.  Typically restaurants pile the french fries overflowing on the plate.  There is no way that the flounder was fresh!  It was mushy, thin and virtually tasteless!  We each got three very small pieces.  Just as we were leaving the man next to us was served fish and chips and his piece of fish was three times larger than ours!  What's up with that?  So, it's back to the Wood River Inn for us.  We will not be giving Ernie T's another chance.  AND, on the short drive home, my stomach started feeling very queasy, and by the time I got home I had to take 3 Tums.  This is definitely not a good indication of fresh food or fresh frying oil.  I would say, unless you're going to just watch a game and have a beer with friends, it's not a place to eat.

I've lived in Richmond for the last 12 years and there have been at least 4 different, unsuccessful restaurants in the location that Ernie T's now inhabits. So when they opened, I grabbed a To Go menu. At first, I wasn't too impressed with the selection of items, as it appeared to be rather common pub food, so I figured that this place would probably become extinct, just like the previous places. But one night, after work, I was craving some Buffalo Wings and I stopped in here. The place was quiet and one of the owners was bartending. He was very friendly and while I was waiting for my wings, he poured some root beer barrel shots for a couple of other patrons and he offered one to me on the house. It made me feel very much welcomed and put me into a good frame of mind about the place. That feeling was then heightened when my plate of wings arrived from the kitchen. They were typical tasting Buffalo Wings, but these were the biggest and juiciest wings I've ever eaten in all my years of pub dining.

A couple of weeks later, I popped in for lunch and had the fried fish sandwich. I was told by the waitress that the owners pride themselves on serving the freshest seafood around and when my sandwich arrived, I could definitely agree to their proclamation. In my younger days, I ran a seafood market back in New Bedford, Massachusetts, so I'm well acquainted by what truly fresh seafood should look and taste like. When my wife and I want Fish and Chips, this is the place we go to now. Their French Fries have that Olde English quality to them and really compliment the fish well. When doused in Malt Vinegar, they rival any fries you could have anywhere else.

I've also had a Bacon Cheeseburger here, and there was an abundance of Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato on it, while the burger was cooked to the temperature I requested and it was delicious and juicy.

I'm hoping that this restaurant survives in this location, Richmond is not known for its plethora of good dining establishments, and for me, Ernie T's is a welcomed addition.