I guess this was part of the tour, but you can enter from 1 side, go up the stairs to the private dining room, then down some stairs to the more and whatnot. Anyhow it's confusing because it looks like an old house. Actually if I'm not mistaken someone told me it was an old house. Here for a semi private large party dinner of 18+ we felt like we got our own part of the house.
The bar upstairs carries a half dozen craft beers, full liquor selection and room for a few dozen people. The half up stairs room could hold 2 parties of 10, but the pocket doors keep free movement limited. This is why we decided to split the tables up. With a  group this large you are not going to get the service you would at a regular restaurant. We overwhelmed our bartender with some 50 drinks at all times.
The gal who brought the food only brought the food and no one filled our water. The menu is simple, but good. I found the salad boring, but the chicken parm was interesting. Well made pasta, thick hearty sauce and 3 large chicken pieces filleted well.
This place seems as old as Patrick Henry himself with the seemingly original wood floors, and steps the bathrooms aren't clearly marked either. On this hot summer night I found the read outdoor patio courtyard pleasant to vape with other patrons. It's almost a garden back there. Post dinner drinks had me sitting on the porch missing my pipe before we hightailed it to start out bar crawl. It's an interesting place to visit and I can see its appeal for locals to entertain guests, but not a place to come and get rowdy.
My family stopped in for lunch on a weekday after visiting St. John's church nearby, where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. The patio out back was pleasant and our server was very attentive and helpful, even offering a sample of the beer I was thinking about having. I had the caprese sandwich, made with homemade mozzarella. It was delicious. My husband was equally pleased with the blackened salmon sandwich, and my dad with the tomato bisque. This place is not just a dive bar - check it out for lunch or dinner too. If I lived here I would definitely be back.
Review Source:It's spring. Â Patio season is here. Â And one of the best patios in Church Hill, possibly in the whole of Richmond, is at Patrick Henry's Pub. Â Surrounded by nicely ancient-looking brick walls, it's a place to chill out under trees and enjoy surprisingly good food. Â And for you dog owners, the patio's puppy-friendly too.
There are times when I feel bad that I don't hit up PHP more often. Â Yes, I know it's a pub leaning more towards drinking. Â I see it advertising trivia nights and am always tempted to go so I can thoroughly humiliate every other player, but ... I used to smoke. Â When one stops smoking, as I did fourteen years ago, one gets very sensitive to the smell of smoke. Â The pub portion REEKS of smoke even when no one's smoking. Â The first time my husband and I went there we sat in the pub and about five minutes later I was begging the server to get us upstairs, where smoking's not allowed, or the patio. Â That's how we discovered how awesome the patio is.
PHP keeps to fairly simple food, but what it has is extremely tasty. Â I'm a big fan of its chicken tenders and fries appetizer, which is, at least for me, enough for a meal. Â It comes hot out of the fryer, well-seasoned and with delicious honey mustard sauce into which to dip both tenders and fries. Â The chicken parm sandwich has great marinara sauce. Â The burger is always good, and I had one of the better caprese salads in my life here. Â Someone in the kitchen knows what he or she is doing.
I wouldn't call it a destination place, but for us Church Hillians we're glad it's here.
The kind of bar where everybody knows your name, and I have always been glad I came. Not only is the bar environment chatting-friendly and comfortable, but the food is excellent. I particularly enjoy their Caesar salad, french fries and Sunday pasta specials.
Only caveat: avoid the downstairs bar portion after 9-10pm if smoke bothers you. But I believe the upstairs is still smoke-free.
A dive bar among dive bars.
I unfortunately cant speak to the quality of the food yet but I intend to come to eat very shortly. From what I saw of the food, it was generous portions and SMELLED AMAZING. I was there for the drinks and the company.
Its a small joint but a lot of character. I was instantly attracted to the corner booth as a james bond fan due the awesome JB poster (i believe it was Dr. No) they had hung up. The walls are covered in old school movie posters. The service was great and friendly. Always willing to lend a helping hand when your between beers and have no idea which to choose next. Your glass is never empty (which is key in my book). The atmosphere is warm and they have trivia night!
Great place to kick back and relax by yourself or with a few buddies. Cant wait to go again
This has quickly become one of my favorite spots in Richmond. What a great little gem of a bar. I've been here a few times now and always have fun. There is always a great cast of characters for entertainment and everyone just loves to chat about anything. I've only had the chicky chicky parm parm sandwich and burger, but I've had the pleasure to smell the fish and chips and I have to confess that they smell delicious. I imagine this will become one of my regular spots when I move downtown. They have a great ceasar salad and while I can't comment on the fries (lent, boo hiss) they LOOK delicious and my friends have told me that they are good. The only thing I dislike about this place? They allow smoking inside after 9, yuck. Oh well. It is what it is.
Review Source:I love this bar. Its quite literally a whole in the wall in some ones basement. I have never had a bad meal here and the atmosphere is awesome. Especially when you are tired of amateur hour at the "club".
Summers are well spent on the hidden, classy upstairs deck taking advantage of drink specials and table service. Its an awesome Richmond staple that I couldnt live without.
A rather interesting place. you have the choice of two types of ambience in one restaurant. A great basement and outdoor patio with a more subdued but terrific colonial atmosphere upstairs.
The upstairs or the basement I've been to both! Flip a coin! They are both great! I still like the ambience of the upstairs, .......the basement....beer time! Patio in the summer is nice.
If you're here for the first time, you've made a good call. The drinks flow freely at a good price and the food is seriously on point for a basement dive bar. The crab cake meal never disappoints and I love that their choice of side veggies changes with the season.
Whenever I'm visiting Richmond, this is one of my first stops.
I have been here numerous times and I have never had anything I didn't like. Â Burger night is awesome, but just have some patience...There is seating downstairs, upstairs and on the patio. Â I would give it 5 stars but...I can't stand the stale smoke in the bar area... it would be nice to have it smoke free all the time, not just before 9 PM.
Review Source:First of all, the Patrick Henry Inn, despite its name, is a bar/pub, not a housing establishment. However, it IS located in an actual converted house! My favorite part about this place was its charm. I was hooked the minute I walked onto the front porch and entered through the front door! Since Patrick Henry is literally located in a string of houses up in Church Hill, it really felt like I was entering someone's home.
The lively scene area is the basement bar, but my friend and I were here for dinner. We were thinking of sitting outdoors in the back since the weather was so lovely, but several of the members of a large group dining on the patio were smoking cigarettes. Inhaling secondhand carcinogens for an hour during my meal? No thank you, I actually like my lungs.
Thus, we dined in the "dining room" area up front. Although we were the only two diners in this part of the restaurant, I loved it! There were several fun paintings on the wall and a lot of very unique artwork in general. The drapes adorning the front windows were nice, and I loved the wooden accents throughout. The wooden tables were a nice touch (they seemed more like small tables you would find at home than in a restaurant), and there was a wine bar/counter in the back (with no bartender; again, the main bar is downstairs).
My friend went to flag down a waitress, who subsequently brought our menus. There are a lot of daily specials and rotating side dishes in addition to their standard menu. We decided to share the scallop appetizer, which was butter-rich but delicious. It came served with the most absolute scrumptious bread that crackled and crunched upon touch. Additionally, although the waitress advertised the special as containing five scallops, we actually got seven! Yay for the bonus two! :D
For my main meal, I ordered fish and chips. I really wasn't in the mood for french fries though, and asked the waitress if I could substitute for a different side. She said probably not, since fish and chips usually come as a pair in the typical basket. I told her I was hoping to have some coleslaw since I really didn't feel like fries, and she responded with, "Oh, you don't want any fries at all and just want some coleslaw? I think I can do that. ;)" Now that's great service! =) My fish was fried to a delicate, crispy golden-brown, and had an amazing texture. The coleslaw was pretty good too.
My friend ordered the eggplant parmesan sandwich and added one of that day's special sides: wasabi mashed potatoes! We were intrigued by this combination, but thoroughly enjoyed it and agreed that it was the perfect ratio of potato to wasabi.
My only problems with Patrick Henry is that the portions aren't particularly large given the price, especially since entrees do not come with any bread or sides. Additionally, two-thirds of the menu is salad, burgers, or sandwiches, whereas I prefer entrees. A lot of dishes are also deep fried, and although I like my share of fried food, I like to have healthier options too. Nevertheless, for bar food, Patrick Henry is not bad at all! The quality of the food is top notch, and I find the specials very creative and fun, which makes for a different experience during each visit.
My friend and I stayed to chat for a good one-to-one-and-a-half hours after we finished eating our meal. We started feeling bad when the waitress had come back to check on us three times, even though she assured us that she was not rushing us out and with no one else in the dining room, she obviously didn't need the table space for guests. (I think she was probably hoping to clear the tables and not have to worry about coming back upstairs.) We truly did have a very friendly server during our visit! =)
I highly recommend exploring this gorgeous gem of a place, hidden among the bushes of Broad & 23rd!
This is a basement bar review. Â To be honest, I didn't even know there was an upstairs (I swear I recently read something about a outdoor patio?) but after a few trips to the basement bar here I can say this much:
True Pub feel (some might say divey) -- Old, historic building with low ceilings in the basement, old wooden tables and benches. Â Even the sound system sounds old school - not 18th century old school,but just crackly enough to add to the atmosphere. Â Usually cool music playing too - Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, etc.
Surprisingly good food and ample portions. Â I have never been shy about admitting that I am a bit of a squid fiend so I have to note that I found my favorite calamari dish in Richmond here. Â The Calamari here is above average size, sauteed in a kind of herb garlic broth, and served with a side of toast. Â Love this dish, I cannot not order this when I go. Â
I have also tried a cheese burger, the catfish po-boy, and a baked lasagna dish from Patrick Henry's and none disappointed. Â They cover a broad spectrum of foods very well. Â I can't wait to go back...
BAR EXPERIENCE:
I can't speak on behalf of the food, but as a bar, this is one of Richmond's hidden gems.
I've been here three times and love the atmosphere, but it seems like one of those places you either love or hate. Â For starters, it's one of the few bars you can smoke in. Â It also has an interesting mix of Richmond natives varying from mid 20's to late 30's and almost none of the hipster crowd you get so much of in the Fan. Â This might make some feel out of place, but everyone's really friendly and there's none of the pretentious elitism you get at other Richmond bars. Patrick Henry Pub makes for a great place to meet and mingle or just have a beer on your own.
The bar itself is in a relatively small room, but there's a larger room for groups just to the side. Â The ceiling shows the exposed wood rafters and the whole setting is reminiscent of an early American pub without any modern day flare. Â One of the bartenders will be playing a solid mix over the stereo and it's never too loud.
The beer selection is pretty extraordinary for the setting. Â They have Leffe Blonde on tap, among many others, and a large selection of bottled brews from PBR to Bitburger and smaller American breweries like Dixie. Â At $4.50 for most beers, it's a pretty good value for the variety. Â Another major plus is how easy it is to get a bartenders attention and how quick they are to serve.
PROS:
- Staff
- Beer Selection
- Smoker Friendly
- Easy To Blend In (No elitist/out-of-place vibe)
- Atmosphere
-Location (corner of 23rd St. & Broad, just a couple blocks from Richmond Hill)
CONS:
- Smoker Friendly
(If you have a problem with smoke, you'll probably want to steer clear as you can't really avoid it regardless of where you sit.)
BOTTOM LINE: Â Well worth a visit. Â Makes for a great place to become a regular.
OTHER DETAILS:
- Monday BBQ deals & trivia night
- Tuesday $4 burger night
- Upstairs patio (closes at 10pm)
- Food served until 11pm upstairs
My GF work had their Christmas party here the other night. We came in thru the basement pub although the party was up the stairs in the other part of the building.
We peered around the low ceilinged dimly lit pub and on first glance it seemed tiny but inviting.
We made our way up the stairs and into a room with a table or two in it and a fireplace in pretty bad disrepair. this room opened into another room that had a large table in the center with  5 or 6 plates lining the middle. The table was bare except for the food and another table had a couple napkins and plates on it, The rooms were basically bare and sterile, the windows were filthy and covered in cobwebs with dead critters dangling.  The food while oddly presented (no centerpiece, no appeal, totally spartan) was not bad and the barbecue sliders were very tasty. We made our way down a small flight of stairs into another bar/dining area. The intial feel was homey historic building, dark wood, neat bar space etc. That wore off real quick. On closer inspection, it was dank, dirty and gross. More dead things in the windows, nothing is clean, dust and dirt everywhere, the front railing outside is broken, the porch is filthy, the lighting inside was bizarre (soft yellow light from one area then naked bare white bulbs casting an ugly glare over everything). The art work on the walls dramatically added to the creep factor, the drapes were hideous, the floors dirty. There is a potentially gorgeous rear deck and enclosed area with a large tree and carriage house. The upstairs bartender was surley at best, the tables were covered in food bits and he stayed behind the bar looking irritated and frowning instead of policing his area.  Whatever happened to Mise en place?
A huge disapointment.
Such a wonderful building, interesting history, HUGE potential to be a destination.
at the very least they could clean themselves up a bit not present the place as a dirty crud filled soon to be condemned building.
My boyfriend, our roommate, and I went here kind of spur of the moment on a Friday night. It was super busy, which is to be expected on a Friday night. The guy helping us was a funny kind of weird, but he was really nice and helpful and he even made up a mixed drink for us, memorizing the recipe from off of our phone. He was cool. We didn't even realize that 45 minutes after ordering we hadn't gotten our food, since we were still nursing our drinks and this guy kept regularly checking on us, but then another guy came and apologized that it was taking so long and explained that they had a huge party upstairs, so our first round of drinks was on the house. This was so awesome. Oh, also, my roommate wasn't sure what to go with and the waiter's suggestion was exactly what he wanted. Overall, this was a great experience, and I hope that business goes really well for these people since the place is only a few blocks from our house and it seems like a great place to read and drink a beer during the day.
Review Source:My husband and I were wandering through the Church Hill area and decided to give this place a try. Â We had expectations of a decent beer selection and pub food, however we were pleasantly surprised when we got here. Â One of the specials of the night was a cioppino made with salmon, mussels, shrimp, and scallops. Â Our server, Justin, recommended this dish, so my husband and I decided to give it a try. Â All I can say is wow. Â I could bathe in that stuff. Â The sauce/broth was savory with a slight touch of sweetness without overpowering the delicate flavors of the scallops. Â Following our dinner we ordered the triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, which was decent.
All said, the Patrick Henry Pub and Grille is a win.
3.5! It's been awhile since I actually had food from here, but I'm sold on the excellent atmosphere of this little public house. Â I think this is going to be my regular spot for as long as I'm living in Church Hill. Â
Being sort of out of the way of the rest of Richmond's nightlife, it's a real neighborhood place, where you can appreciate drinking a few beers at night with the people you run into on the sidewalk during the day. Â Very laid back, but still very fun. Â And *everyone* comes here: Clubsters, thugsters, hipsters, prepsters, old, young, whatever. Â Best part is that you're all in such close proximity, that you don't have a choice but to get past being uncomfortable.
The service is always prompt and accurate, although when the bar's a little more packed, it can be difficult and/or awkward to snake around the seated patrons to order and collect your beverage. Â
Always loved Acappella, and I'm happy to see that Patrick Henry is at least holding up the old neighborhood pub standards.
Wow, what the hell happened? Go away for ten years or so, and this happens, a very good restaurant, in a lovely house, becomes a dive bar, with bad food, loud music, and a dirty toliet.
Obviously, a number of folks like the neighborohood bar aspects, but I'm not one of them. Shame, this place had the best, the very best, Peanut Soup in Richmond, now I'm pretty sure the only peanuts around are stale.
The food is progressively going down hill and doesn't look like it'll climb back up anytime soon. Â I fear that because this really is a cool place to hang out and drink, and it's always a good time, that the owners are content with bad food. Â My guess is enough people order food, don't love it, but enjoy the place nonetheless and end up repeating this sad process.
My advice though... pony up for a real chef and do this place right. Stop half assing it.
This place is the local bar you wished you lived next to.
Sure it's not chic, sure the menu only has burgers and about three other dishes, but you know what, the mood in here is pretty good, the people are laid back (except for the douche in the corner who clearly wants to be Charlie Sheen's 3rd baby momma), and they have Allagash on tap.
Non-smokes need to keep an eye out. At 9pm the bar becomes a smoking area so if you are not a nicotine neddy watch out.
***Stalk, stalk, stalk***
It was surprisingly packed for an early Sunday evening. Â The upstairs dining room was empty, so we sat in the underground bar area, of which I was apprehensive because that's the smoking-allowed section and I hate cigarette smoke. Â It wasn't too bad, but my BF thought otherwise (Hi honey! Â I KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU STALKER). Â The space can be a little claustrophobic, especially when it's packed.
They had the UNC v. Kentucky game on, so everyone was engrossed in watching that. Â I got a very undergrad-y vibe from the place, though...loud obnoxious guy in a sports shirt in the corner yelling "Winning! Â Tiger blood!" was pretty damn annoying. Â Otherwise, there was a good conglomerate of people.
I got the Patrick Henry burger, which is essentially cooked to your liking, with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and your choice of cheese (the bar wench forgot to put cheese on mine. Â Bah!!), and then there's a whole range of toppings you can add for $0.50 to $1.00. Â I added a fried egg, and it sat atop my patty in all its delicious, runny yolk glory.
Not a bad place to hang out and watch the game. Â The indoor smoking thing would definitely be the only thing preventing me from coming back.
When our favorite watering hole on the Hill, Acapella, closed we were crushed. It took over a year for someone to rescue the old corner house and turn it into Patrick Henry's Pub and Grille. I remember the opening day, with regulars filling the bar stools while bartender James was still unloading the liquor cartons.
The pub is still a dark, basement hole-in-the-wall where smoking is allowed after 9 p.m. and you'll find the same 10 guys anchoring the stools. The upstairs is really charming (and non-smoking BTW) and features artwork from the gallery across the street.
I've spent many a happy Happy Hour in this underground tavern, and if you've been there more than once, it's like Cheers: everybody really does know your name.