Karisa: The Hill Cafe became famous to me during the filming of Lincoln, when several friends lit up the interwebs with sightings of Daniel Day-Lewis at this Church Hill spot. I've had drinks a few times with friends that live in the neighborhood, but have never had a chance to try their food. I had a tough decision between my two brunch loves, the California Huevos and the Crab Benedict, but eventually the draw of avocado led me to choose the Huevos. The flavors were all very good and I especially/surprisingly loved the potatoes mixed in, but I did have two complaints. First, my meal was a little cold (why does this seem to be a recurring issue?) Second, the presentation in the tortilla bowl made it difficult to eat. Since the whole thing was on a big plate, I was worried that my runny egg yolk would get lost and run away from the tortilla bowl. Luckily I was able to wrangle it all pretty well, but perhaps a bowl would be a better serving dish, if only for piece of eating mind. I see how The Hill Cafe is a big hit and regular spot for those who live in the neighborhood, and I'd happily go back for happy hour when I'm nearby, but I doubt I'd make a special trip.
Andrea: I'm really glad the Hill Cafe is in my neighborhood. I like the intimacy of the space with its kinda dark lighting and red brick wall. It's a hangout for hipsters and longtime neighborhood residents alike. Unfortunately, the food and service fell a little short during this weekend's meal. I ordered the "Green Eggs and Ham" but somehow that sounded like "Benedict" to the server because that's what came out with everyone else's meal. The waitress was quick to try to rectify the error, taking away my plate and going back to the kitchen but everyone else was pretty much done with their dishes by the time I got a new entree. When it finally arrived, the eggs came scrambled with cilantro, country ham, and sliced avocado. Diced potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit came as sides. The avocado was the star of this dish and managed to save the meal for me; I found the ham to be a bit fatty and I didn't love the flavor. The potatoes were a bit underdone and the biscuit was on the cold side. Despite that, the menu had lots of potential and I probably just made an ill choice because the other ladies liked their dishes a lot better. We agreed that the Hill Cafe would have received a higher rating if we were judging restaurants by neighborhood, because this is definitely one of the top spots in this neck of the woods, but compared to all of our other fabulous destinations around town, fell into the middle of the pack.
Kathy: The Hill Cafe is a go-to spot for me, as there is a dearth of dining options in Shockoe Bottom, particularly for the affordable laid-back brunch vibe this cafe offers. When I have visitors, we almost always end up here, as it's a short and beautiful walk from my apartment. I need to stress how pretty the Church Hill neighborhood is - walking to the cafe on a perfect fall day put me in a fantastic brunching mood. The aesthetic of the location matched well with the atmosphere of the cafe - good music, a booth near windows for people watching, and kitschy but not obnoxiously so decor. This time I "outsmarted" the standard Richmond style mimosa and ordered mine without ice. I think I got less bang for my buck ordering a classic mimosa (because of the smaller sized glass), but I did not care. The price is ridiculously affordable regardless - only $5 - and nothing beats a proper cocktail in a champagne flute, served with a cherry (a nice touch!). My one complaint is that the mimosa was a tad watered down.
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I also ordered tea and was pleased the waitress left the tea selections on the table (it was quite a good selection; love you orange spice) and refilled my hot water without every charging me for multiples. I ordered the french toast with a side of sausage, one of my favorite items offered here because the menu has a typo that says the french toast comes with "powered" sugar. While I may not have grown actual powers from my meal, I'm going to count feeling sated and happy. The french toast is not incredibly special - regular bread and slightly too few strawberries on top, but it's done well despite those minor flaws. The side of sausage was delicious - patties, not links - and a tad spicy, but not too much so. After brunch, I hit the nearby park to read and enjoy the afternoon.
Rating: 3 (perhaps a restaurants east of downtown 4...)
Food - Good plus. Wide variety on the menu but heavy on the eggs. Karisa and Kathy's dishes were stellar; Andrea wasn't in love with hers.
Atmosphere - Very Good. Red brick lines one of the walls. Space is small and intimate. We loved the music selection, which leaned toward the alternative/folk. Unlike other places we've been to recently, the temperature inside the restaurant was very pleasant.
Service - Fair. Server was slow on refills, got the wrong entree for Andrea, and took a while to bring a replacement dish. In addition, she wasn't overly friendly or funny, which would have helped us to overlook some of the service snafus.
Coffee/Tea - Good/Very Good. Tea was Very Good because Kathy was able to get three new bags all for the low price of $2! Good selection of flavors too. The coffee was Good; a standard, quality cup of coffee but without any bells and whistles.
Mimosa - Good. We all were happy that Kathy asked for and finally got her wish to have a mimosa in Richmond without ice. The special addition to the Hill Cafe's mimosa was a cherry on top. Despite that, we still felt it was slightly watery (even the non-iced version) and
thought the quality of the orange juice itself wasn't sufficient to give it a higher rating.
Bloody Mary - Not rated this week. No Michele :(
Andrea: I'm really glad the Hill Cafe is in my neighborhood. I like the intimacy of the space with its kinda dark lighting and red brick wall. It's a hangout for hipsters and longtime neighborhood residents alike. Unfortunately, the food and service fell a little short during this weekend's meal. I ordered the "Green Eggs and Ham" but somehow that sounded like "Benedict" to the server because that's what came out with everyone else's meal. The waitress was quick to try to rectify the error, taking away my plate and going back to the kitchen but everyone else was pretty much done with their dishes by the time I got a new entree. When it finally arrived, the eggs came scrambled with cilantro, country ham, and sliced avocado. Diced potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit came as sides. The avocado was the star of this dish and managed to save the meal for me; I found the ham to be a bit fatty and I didn't love the flavor. The potatoes were a bit underdone and the biscuit was on the cold side. Despite that, the menu had lots of potential and I probably just made an ill choice because the other ladies liked their dishes a lot better. We agreed that the Hill Cafe would have received a higher rating if we were judging restaurants by neighborhood, because this is definitely one of the top spots in this neck of the woods, but compared to all of our other fabulous destinations around town, fell into the middle of the pack.
Kathy: The Hill Cafe is a go-to spot for me, as there is a dearth of dining options in Shockoe Bottom, particularly for the affordable laid-back brunch vibe this cafe offers. When I have visitors, we almost always end up here, as it's a short and beautiful walk from my apartment. I need to stress how pretty the Church Hill neighborhood is - walking to the cafe on a perfect fall day put me in a fantastic brunching mood. The aesthetic of the location matched well with the atmosphere of the cafe - good music, a booth near windows for people watching, and kitschy but not obnoxiously so decor. This time I "outsmarted" the standard Richmond style mimosa and ordered mine without ice. I think I got less bang for my buck ordering a classic mimosa (because of the smaller sized glass), but I did not care. The price is ridiculously affordable regardless - only $5 - and nothing beats a proper cocktail in a champagne flute, served with a cherry (a nice touch!). My one complaint is that the mimosa was a tad watered down.
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I also ordered tea and was pleased the waitress left the tea selections on the table (it was quite a good selection; love you orange spice) and refilled my hot water without every charging me for multiples. I ordered the french toast with a side of sausage, one of my favorite items offered here because the menu has a typo that says the french toast comes with "powered" sugar. While I may not have grown actual powers from my meal, I'm going to count feeling sated and happy. The french toast is not incredibly special - regular bread and slightly too few strawberries on top, but it's done well despite those minor flaws. The side of sausage was delicious - patties, not links - and a tad spicy, but not too much so. After brunch, I hit the nearby park to read and enjoy the afternoon.
Rating: 3 (perhaps a restaurants east of downtown 4...)
Food - Good plus. Wide variety on the menu but heavy on the eggs. Karisa and Kathy's dishes were stellar; Andrea wasn't in love with hers.
Atmosphere - Very Good. Red brick lines one of the walls. Space is small and intimate. We loved the music selection, which leaned toward the alternative/folk. Unlike other places we've been to recently, the temperature inside the restaurant was very pleasant.
Service - Fair. Server was slow on refills, got the wrong entree for Andrea, and took a while to bring a replacement dish. In addition, she wasn't overly friendly or funny, which would have helped us to overlook some of the service snafus.
Coffee/Tea - Good/Very Good. Tea was Very Good because Kathy was able to get three new bags all for the low price of $2! Good selection of flavors too. The coffee was Good; a standard, quality cup of coffee but without any bells and whistles.
Mimosa - Good. We all were happy that Kathy asked for and finally got her wish to have a mimosa in Richmond without ice. The special addition to the Hill Cafe's mimosa was a cherry on top. Despite that, we still felt it was slightly watery (even the non-iced version) and
thought the quality of the orange juice itself wasn't sufficient to give it a higher rating.
Bloody Mary - Not rated this week. No Michele :(
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