Dot's Back Inn

This little spot wouldn't be hard to miss, but once you're inside, you're glad you didn't. The atmosphere is quaint as could be, the food is quite good, the staff are friendly, and the prices really aren't bad. There's a cute patio too that gets enclosed in cold weather, so it's always an option for seating.

If you're in Richmond, VA & you're looking for an outstanding diner-style restaurant, look no further than Dots Back Inn! A wonderful menu full of a delicious variety of both diner staples & a whole lot more. They also make cocktails & a mighty good gin & tonic, I might add. Exceptionally friendly staff, great food, cool, Americana atmosphere, check it out!

A quintessential neighborhood American restaurant. This place was so busy when we came on a Saturday night, full of families and just people having a good time. But service was prompt and we were checked up on regularly. The food was delicious with very generous portions (none of us had any room for dessert)! I got the catch of the day, which was blacktip shark. I had it grilled with green beans and mashed potatoes. I was pleasantly surprised with the green beans, which were cooked with tomatoes (I'm told it's a Greek preparation style). My husband got the lamb cheesesteak, and his parents got the fried catfish and a salad. Everyone heartily enjoyed their food! There's a good amount of seating, though I would call ahead for larger parties. We came in with a party of 6 (4 adults, 2 kids), and while they were able to accommodate us, it was a lucky and close thing. There's indoor seating and outdoor patio seating, mostly in 4-person tables. There's also bar seating. It's certainly very beloved neighborhood spot, and for good reason. Highly recommend for a quaint, comfort food dinner!

Heading south on I-95 to Florida and we were looking for somewhere to eat dinner. So glad we stopped at Dots Back Inn. Wonderful, friendly service. Food was great! My daughter had the baked salmon with pesto, mashed potatoes and broccoli. The entire dish was delicious,,crisp broccoli, homestyle mashed potatoes, and the salmon was cooked just perfectly. My husband had the Monday night special which was the meatloaf, collard greens and mashed potatoes. He devoured it! I had the grilled corn cakes with black beans topped with fresh onions, tomatoes and peppers. It was very satisfying. We will definitely return on our yearly travels back up north. If you are looking for a wonderful little spot to eat, close to I-95 and you are looking for some delicious home-cooked food, this is a place to go. You won't be disappointed.

My son and I stopped by Dot's as I was visiting this particular part of Richmond and this was the closest restaurant to me. I had no idea Dot's was featured on the food network a while back but was pleasantly surprised. This locale has an interesting story and I encourage anyone visiting to read up on it before or while dining. Loved the older WW2 era photos! Our waitress (Danielle) was very pleasant. As this was my first time here, I asked her for a burger recommendation (they all sounded good). She suggested the Ultimate burger while my son got The Club. The food took about 15-20 minutes as there were several seated customers ahead of us. When the food arrived, the burger looked good but the fries (potato chunks) were overcooked. The burger (smash burger, yum,) was good, cooked as I asked. My son's club look really good to which commented after eating all of it that it had a good flavor. I mentioned to our waitress about the fries to which she apologized, stating she would notify the kitchen All in all, I feel like Dot's is a five-star location because of the history and TV publicity but I was disappointed by the fries (potato chunks). The kitchen allowing that food to be served to a customer was concerning. Considering how everything else was good, I will definitely return another time and recommend to friends.