- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Hondo's
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
4 reviews for Hondo's
I went to Hondo's on Monday for a business dinner, which meant that I didn't have to pay for anything. Which was good because this place is pricey. Very, very pricey. The cost of beef is a lot of it, just because steaks are getting extremely expensive, especially the higher end ones. So if you're paying, maybe you should rethink this place.
In terms of the food quality though, I thought it was very good. My group got a number of different dishes, and all the ones I saw were fairly impressive. The appetizers were tasty, and the crab cakes were definitely more crab than cake, which is a big plus. They bring you fresh loaves of bread for the table, and though for some reason I was the only one eating them, they were excellent. They aren't huge though, so I think that if you really liked the bread it might be in short supply with a larger group. The salads were good, and I really liked my caesar. The waiter even asked if I was interested in anchovies, which is a sign of a good caesar place, because that's what a true caesar would have on it. As for entrees, I got the filet and lobster tail. The filet was naturally very tender and well cooked, and I found it delicious. The lobster tail on the other hand was pretty tough, and there was a lot of cartilage left in it which made it very difficult to eat. I don't know if maybe it was my lack of experience with lobster or what, but I wouldn't go for that one again.
One disappoint was the sides. I got the baked potato, and given that this place is pretty fancy I think I was expecting a similarly impressive side dish. However, what I got was literally just a baked potato on a side dish, and then the waiter comes and asks if you want chives, bacon, or sour cream. While the quality of all the add ons were pretty good (real bits of bacon and definitely heavy sour cream) when he just kind of plops them on your potato, compared to the excellent presentation of the other parts of the meal, its a bit jarring. I know many people don't want sour cream or bacon or whatever, but figure that out ahead of time, put the extra work in, and make that shit look good. When you're paying so much for dinner, presentation is a big part of it.
Last came desserts, which were good but not really amazing. No huge pieces of cake at this place, but really just desserts that suit one person and that's all. Not that every place needs huge, multi person desserts, but if you can't share dessert, then whats the point? Getting fat on your own is no fun.
Other than those complaints, the place was excellent. Service was very good and fairly fast, and they definitely were willing to do whatever you need to have a good time, save mixing the sour cream with the bacon ahead of time. My one last point would be that it gets REALLY dark inside. Like they turn down the lighting to the point where you can't see anything for five minutes until your eyes adjust. To make sure you can actually check the done-ness of your steak, the waiters carry flashlights. Maybe that's overdoing it, Hondos? Just my opinion.
Wow.
We had a rehearsal dinner for our son's wedding at Hondo's recently and I can't say enough good about these folks and this place.
The room was perfect--a richly-decorated library setting with crisp white table cloths and elegant place settings. We had maybe 35 people (same room would be perfect for a business luncheon or dinner meeting).
The management and staff are thoroughly professional--well-organized and efficient--attentive but unobtrusive.
The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented (you can tell someone in the kitchen cares about what they're doing). Everyone raved about the meal, two of the folks who had steak (not a big steak guy myself) said it was the best steak they'd ever had.
My wife and I went to Hondo's and had a great dinner last year but the true test of a place like this is whether they can deliver the same quality of experience on a larger scale. Hondo's can. We recommend it wholeheartedly.
I'd heard a lot of good things about Hondo's from people over the past few years, and since i'm a steak lover, i decided it was about time I give this place a shot.
Things Hondo's has going for it:
- Friendly, fast service
- Fairly nice ambiance
Things Hondo's does not have going for it:
- Excellent cuts of meat cooked to perfection
I came with 2 friends, and we were all disappointed.
I had the porterhouse medium rare. My friends ordered a rare strip, and a medium rare filet.
The porterhouse was mostly strip - the tenderloin portion was non existent almost. The tenderloin that WAS there was not juice and full of flavor, it was more like a thin, crappy t-bone steak. The strip portion of the porterhouse, though medium rare, was very difficult to cut, and very much lacking in flavor. My friends basically felt the same way about their cuts of meat. I tried the filet, and was quite disappointed.
I'd probably give Hondo's 2.5 stars, but our waitress was very friendly and gave us exceptional service. Thus, it gets 3. If the food was as stellar as our waitress, this place could be a top contender in the small steakhouse market of Richmond.
Love it, ask for George as your waiter
