By Mace Funkhouser

As the clock struck 1:10 on a Tuesday afternoon, Heath Holmes (’25) and I, lucky to have second lunch and last period free, eagerly signed out for the day and walked to our cars to explore a new food spot. Where we were headed: HogsHead Cafe on Broad Street, a well-known and highly reputable barbecue and southern food joint. After seeing videos on social media and many reviews raving about the place, we walked in with high expectations.

HogsHead Cafe has a strong social media presence. I have seen multiple videos from one of Richmond’s most well-known social media food reviewers, Renzoeats, trying HogsHead Cafe and thoroughly enjoying it. The item that stood out most from his reviews was the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, which, in a TikTok, he claimed was “definitely the best I’ve had in Richmond.”

As we walked in around 1:30, I was surprised by the lack of people in the restaurant, but the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed nonetheless. A few other tables were occupied, but I expected the place to be packed with customers. Despite this, I am sure the restaurant gets much busier during more popular times. The staff was welcoming and asked us where we wanted to sit as we walked in. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and happily explained the menu and specials to us. He first stopped by our table a few minutes after we sat down to ask if we wanted anything to drink, and then came by again when he overheard us talking about ordering fried pickles. 

The wall next to our table featured a large mural of a pig cooking barbecue on a large smoker, and the kitchen behind us had its own tin awning and a light-up neon sign that says, “A Revolution In Food.” Both of these features gave the restaurant a southern, casual ambience. Each table has comfortable wooden chairs, as well as three of HogsHead Cafe’s homemade sauces: Hog Sauce (thick, smoky barbecue sauce), Carolina Sauce (vinegar sauce), and Paw Paw’s Sauce (spicy mustard). 

Holmes and I decided to order a large variety of food to split, so we could each try as much as possible. The fried pickles came out piping hot in only five minutes and were cut into spears instead of chips. The breading around the pickles was phenomenal. Crispy but still thin, and not too dense, it was a promising start to the meal. Despite the breading, I was thrown off by the pickles being cut into spears. I am not an avid pickle consumer, but I felt that chips would be a more effective way to serve them, making them more crispy and making the pickle flavor less overpowering. However, the breading and the fresh ranch it was served with brought my rating to an 8.1/10 for that appetizer.

For our main courses, Holmes and I split the cheesesteak and the Tiki Tacos. We figured out the Philly cheesesteak shown in the video we saw was the Big Philly, which comes with no sides and costs $22.99, so we opted for the regular cheesesteak. The sandwich had plenty of cheese and meat, but looked nothing like what was shown in the Renzoeats’ video. Aside from being smaller, which we expected, the bread looked like a regular, cheap hoagie roll instead of the fresh, toasted, seeded roll in the video. Additionally, the meat didn’t look as appetizing and cheesy as it did in the video. The cheesesteak tasted like it looked and was slightly dry, underseasoned, and bready. There was a generous amount of melted cheese, but it was certainly not the best cheesesteak in Richmond, or anywhere close. For these reasons, I rated it a 7.2/10.

We tried the Tiki Tacos because @Renzoeats rated them a 9.5/10, and they were priced at $12.99 instead of $16.99, since it was Taco Tuesday. They were easily the star of the meal, with smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors present in every bite. The order came with three tacos packed with chicken, pineapple, red onion, and a chipotle sauce, and we had no complaints. I strongly recommend these tacos; a 9.2/10.

For sides, we tried the sweet potato fries and potato salad, neither of which were spectacular. The sweet potato fries were fairly crispy and coated in sugar, which is a disputed technique. I am a fan of sugar on fries in some instances, but it did not make the fries better in this scenario. The fries came with a sugary maple sauce on the side, which made the fries too sweet for my liking, so I give them a 7.6/10. The potato salad was above average, with large chunks and a distinctive flavor. If you are a potato salad fan, I recommend trying this on the side; an 8.5/10.

Overall, this restaurant is relatively overhyped online. I have seen mixed reviews, with many people saying the food is amazing, and some saying their food looked much worse than online, but for us it was somewhere in the middle. On TripAdvisor, Hogshead Cafe has 371 5-star reviews, compared to only seven 1-star reviews. One TripAdvisor user, @joanp338, said, “Food was mediocre, certainly NOT the best BBQ in Richmond. Service was VERY slow, prices were not appropriate for the average value of what we received. Crowded dining area, noisy as well.” Another user, @Beachlvrgrl, said, “We were seated immediately & everyone was friendly. The food was delicious & you got a lot for your money. I would definitely eat here again.” Despite these divided reviews, HogsHead Cafe is a solid spot with a warm atmosphere and a diverse menu, so I recommend trying it if you are looking for new places to eat. I rate the restaurant an 8.5/10, and I would eat there again.

All photos by Mace Funkhouser.