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)…