Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Richmond by diners

When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.

Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hushpuppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.

What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.

The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in the Richmond area using data from Yelp as of May 2, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "southern" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Richmond were included. As a result, some restaurants featured may serve other food items.

Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.

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1 / 29

#29. O'Charley's Restaurant & Bar

- Rating: 3.0/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9990 Brook Road Glen Allen, Virginia
- Categories: American, Burgers, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 29

#28. Jackie's Restaurant

- Rating: 3.2/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1241 North Laburnum Ave. Henrico, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 29

#27. The Fishin' Pig

- Rating: 3.2/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4028 Cox Road ste J Glen Allen, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Barbecue, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 29

#26. 150 North Restaurant & Lounge

- Rating: 3.2/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 6856 Midlothian Tpke Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: American, Bars, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 29

#25. Daily Menu Restaurant

- Rating: 3.3/5 (52 reviews)
- Address: 1706 East Main St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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6 / 29

#24. Bar-Q

- Rating: 3.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 2600 West Main St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Barbecue, American
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 29

#23. Tj's Restaurant & Lounge

- Rating: 3.7/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 101 West Franklin St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Lounges
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 29

#22. Helen's

- Rating: 3.8/5 (284 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2527 West Main St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: New American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 29

#21. Southern Taste Diner

- Rating: 3.9/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9951 Hull St. Road North Chesterfield, Virginia
- Categories: Southern
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 29

#20. Croaker's Spot - Richmond

- Rating: 3.9/5 (910 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1020 Hull St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Soul Food, Seafood, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 29

#19. Inner City Blues

- Rating: 3.9/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3015 Nine Mile Road Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Barbecue, Southern, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 29

#18. Family Secrets Restaurant

- Rating: 4.0/5 (200 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7103 Brook Road Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 29

#17. Soul Taco

- Rating: 4.0/5 (174 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1215 East Main St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 29

#16. Toast, New American Gastropub at the Village

- Rating: 4.0/5 (819 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7007 Three Chopt Road Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Gastropubs
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 29

#15. Big Herm's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.0/5 (160 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 207 West Brookland Park Blvd. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 29

#14. McCormack's Big Whisky Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 1420 North Parham Road Ste k210 Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Barbecue, Southern, Whiskey Bars
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 29

#13. Farm And Oak

- Rating: 4.0/5 (121 reviews)
- Address: 3601 Cox Road Ste A Henrico, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 29

#12. Southern Kitchen

- Rating: 4.1/5 (521 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9210 Stony Point Pkwy Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Wine Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 29

#11. Julep's New Southern Cuisine

- Rating: 4.2/5 (346 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 420 East Grace St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Whiskey Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 29

#10. The Roosevelt

- Rating: 4.2/5 (627 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 623 North 25th St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 29

#9. Smohk RVA BBQ

- Rating: 4.3/5 (169 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3112 West Leigh St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Barbecue, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 29

#8. Jadeans Smokin Six O BBQ

- Rating: 4.4/5 (74 reviews)
- Address: 1126 Westbriar Drive Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Barbecue, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 29

#7. Strangeways Brewing RVA-Scott's Addition

- Rating: 4.4/5 (56 reviews)
- Address: 3110 West Leigh St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Breweries, Southern, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 29

#6. Lunch. Supper!

- Rating: 4.4/5 (2182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3023 West Marshall St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 29

#5. L'Opossum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (441 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 626 China St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: New American, French, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

26 / 29

#4. Fall Line Kitchen & Bar

- Rating: 4.4/5 (428 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 500 East Broad St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: New American, Southern, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 29

#3. Lillie Pearl

- Rating: 4.5/5 (636 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 418 East Grace St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 29

#2. Redemption BBQ and Market

- Rating: 4.5/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3420 Lauderdale Drive Henrico, Virginia
- Categories: Barbecue, Southern, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 29

#1. Harold's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.7/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 806 East 22nd St. Richmond, Virginia
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches, Southern
- Read more on Yelp