Soft opening: Fanboy, Richmond's best new not-restaurant
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Fanboy is in former Temple space at 2713 W. Broad St. Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
👋 Karri here, still feeling like the cool kid in school after a recent visit to Fanboy.
What's happening: I popped by the self-described "intimate cocktail bar and vinyl listening room" a few weeks back for dinner with my old pal Ned, his wife and a fellow local journalist.
Details: Fanboy was loud. It was dark. It was crowded — and it was awesome.
I want to be sarcastic about the restaurant (which notably doesn't call itself a restaurant) — truly, I do — and it gives cynics ample reasons to.
- There is zero signage on the building to indicate its location, not even street numbers, save a 4-centimeter-wide sticker from a label maker affixed to a corner.
- The lighting is so low, and arbitrarily red, that one cannot read the menu without using their phone (which our server assured us was OK to do).
- Vinyl is spinning, or something is, loudly enough to make conversation difficult.
- And nearly half the menu can be made vegan or alcohol-free through some substitution I literally couldn't hear described.
Fanboy doesn't call itself a restaurant because it's not a restaurant. Fanboy is a vibe. And that vibe is magnificent.
- The service was top-notch. The cocktails terrific. The interior warm and sleek, and the food was exceptional.
Zoom in: Fanboy encourages sharing, and so we shared everything as though COVID was never a thing and half the table didn't have a toddler in day care.
- The consensus: a teal leaf salad, truffle fries and blistered shishitos peppers are all worth ordering.
- But we'd fight someone for another round of the mushroom cheesesteak (sautéed maitakes, onion, three-cheese fondue on a Flour Garden roll, $15) and tikka masala dip (pulled chicken, tomato curry and cream cheese paired with cucumber yogurt and naan, $15). I am still thinking about that dip two weeks later.
- And do not sleep on the milk, mangoes and honey cocktail ($14).
The bottom line: There are plenty of spots in the town where one can see their food and hear their dining companions. Fanboy is trying to bring something different to the scene, and I am here for it.
- So you should go, and save me a seat if you do. If that sounds weird, no worries. Just porch drop me some of that tikka dip on your way home instead.
Fanboy is open daily for lunch and dinner (and lunch might be a good option for folks who want brighter lighting and a quieter experience). Reservations are accepted (and strongly recommended), and there's an adjacent parking lot.