Eat in The Fan, Richmond

Edo's Squid ★ 4.4

Edo's Squid runs Italian-seafood plates above a Fan corner store on Harrison. Ed Vasaio of the long-gone Mamma Zu opened it in 2013; no reservations, cash.

Signature: Grilled calamari, Hand-cut pasta, Whole fish

Joe's Inn ★ 4.2

Joe's Inn on Shields has been a Fan standard since 1952. Italian-Greek-American plates, oversized spaghetti and a regulars-heavy bar, daily until midnight.

Signature: Spaghetti a la Joe, Greek salad, Souvlaki

Sticky Rice ★ 4.2

Sticky Rice on Main has run Asian-fusion sushi and a bucket-of-tots tradition since 1999. Open until 2 am daily, the late-night sit-down in the Fan.

Signature: Bucket of tots, Sushi rolls, Vegan rolls

Edo's Squid ★ 4.4

Edo's Squid runs Italian-seafood plates above a Fan corner store on Harrison. Ed Vasaio of Mamma Zu opened it in 2013; no-reservations, cash-leaning.

Joe's Inn ★ 4.2

Joe's Inn on Shields has been a Fan standard since 1952. Italian-Greek-American plates, oversized spaghetti and a regulars-heavy bar, daily until midnight.

Signature: Spaghetti a la Joe, Greek salad, Souvlaki

Sticky Rice ★ 4.2

Sticky Rice on West Main runs Asian-fusion sushi and a bucket-of-tots tradition since 1999. Open until 2 am daily, the late-night sit-down in the Fan.

Signature: Bucket of tots, Sushi, Vegan rolls

Edo's Squid ★ 4.4

Edo's Squid runs Italian-seafood plates above a Fan corner store on Harrison. Ed Vasaio of the long-gone Mamma Zu opened it in 2013; no reservations.

Signature: Grilled calamari, Hand-cut pasta

Dinamo ★ 4.4

Dinamo on West Cary is Ed Vasaio's casual Italian room near the Altria Theatre. Pasta-driven menu, Tuesday to Saturday for dinner, reservations recommended.

Signature: Pasta, Seafood plates

Garnett's Cafe ★ 4.4

Garnett's Cafe on Park Avenue is the Fan neighborhood sandwich shop. Long-running daytime counter, made-to-order sandwiches and a strong salad menu.

Signature: Sandwiches, Salads

Lamplighter Coffee Roasters ★ 4.5

Lamplighter's Addison Street cafe pours espresso and single-origin pour-overs in the Fan. Plant-friendly menu of breakfast sandwiches and pastries, daily.

Signature drink: Espresso with house-roasted single origin

Rostov's Coffee and Tea ★ 4.5

Rostov's on West Main has roasted coffee since 1979 on a 1930s Jabez Burns. Tammy Rostov runs the family shop; one of Virginia's oldest roasters.

Signature drink: House blends roasted on a 1930s Jabez Burns

Garnett's Cafe ★ 4.4

Garnett's Cafe on Park Avenue is the Fan's long-running sandwich shop. Made-to-order sandwiches, salads and morning coffee, Tuesday to Sunday.

Signature drink: Drip coffee with house sandwich

Lamplighter Coffee Roasters ★ 4.5

Lamplighter on Addison Street is the long-running Fan cafe of the Lamplighter brand, founded 2009. The roastery operation was sold to Afterglow Coffee Cooperative in 2021; Lamplighter still pours its beans from the Addison cafe alongside a plant-friendly food program.

Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala

How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail

Rostov's Coffee and Tea ★ 4.5

Rostov's has roasted coffee in Richmond since 1979, originally as Carytown Coffee. Tammy Rostov runs the West Main shop on a 1930s Jabez Burns.

Sources from: Colombia, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Costa Rica

How they serve: Whole bean retail, Drip, Subscription

Joe's Inn ★ 4.2

Joe's Inn's bar in the Fan has poured for regulars since 1952. Bar runs through midnight; the seat-mix is VCU faculty and Shields-Avenue regulars.

Signature drink: Cold beer and pours, longtime regulars

Food: Italian Greek American food

Sticky Rice ★ 4.2

Sticky Rice on Main runs Richmond's late-night sushi bar program until 2 am. Sake, Japanese whisky flights; bucket of tots is the appetizer.

Signature drink: Japanese whisky flight, sake list

Food: Sushi rolls and tot specials

Goatocado ★ 4.2

Goatocado on West Main runs healthy salad bowls and quinoa plates. Started as a food truck, the Main Street counter is the year-round bricks-and-mortar.

Try: Salad bowls with quinoa and avocado

8 1/2 ★ 4.2

Ed Vasaio's 8 1/2 on Strawberry Street is the Fan's Italian takeout standby. Pizza, pasta and sandwiches; cash-leaning room with quick-service counter.

Try: Italian takeout pizza and pasta

Birdhouse Farmers Market ★ 4.3

Birdhouse on Grayland in the Randolph neighborhood is Richmond's Tuesday afternoon farmers market, May through November. Online pickup year-round.

Joe's Inn ★ 4.1

Joe's Inn on Shields in the Fan has poured drinks and served Italian-Greek-American food since 1952. Spaghetti a la Joe at under twelve dollars per plate.

Order: Spaghetti a la Joe for under twelve dollars.

Tip: Half-portions on most pasta plates run several dollars cheaper.

8 1/2 ★ 4.2

Ed Vasaio's 8 1/2 on Strawberry serves Italian pizza, pasta and sandwiches at takeout pricing. Slices, sandwiches and whole pies under fifteen dollars.

Order: Slice and side for under ten dollars.

Tip: Cash discount on whole-pie takeout; slices priced as the cheapest sit-down in the Fan.

Joe's Inn ★ 4.2

Joe's Inn on Shields in the Fan has cooked Italian-Greek-American since 1952. Regulars-heavy bar one block off the main strip; daily until midnight.

Order: Spaghetti a la Joe.

Why locals love it: Joe's has cooked Italian-Greek-American food on Shields Avenue since 1952. A regulars-heavy bar that tourists usually miss because it sits one block off the main strip.

Tip: Saturday late-morning is best; the bar runs through midnight every day.

Edo's Squid ★ 4.4

Edo's Squid sits upstairs from a Fan corner store on Harrison Street. Ed Vasaio's Italian-seafood room runs grilled calamari; no reservations, cash.

Order: Grilled calamari.

Why locals love it: Hidden upstairs above a corner store on Harrison. Ed Vasaio's no-reservations Italian room takes a while to find on a first visit, and that is part of the room's pull.

Tip: Walk-up only, cash-leaning, and the wait at 7 pm is shorter than it looks; order at the bar.

Garnett's Cafe ★ 4.4

Garnett's Cafe on Park Avenue runs Richmond's neighborhood sandwich shop. Long-running breakfast and lunch counter on a quiet Fan residential block.

Order: Made-to-order sandwich.

Why locals love it: Hidden on a residential block in the Fan, a stop-in spot for VCU faculty and Park Avenue neighbors. Tourists rarely find it.

Tip: Sandwiches make Tuesday-Sunday from 8 am to 3 pm; the patio fills first.

Joe's Inn ★ 4.1

Joe's Inn runs all-day breakfast and weekend brunch from 9 am. Spaghetti a la Joe runs alongside Eggs Benedict in the Fan; daily until midnight.

Order: Breakfast plate with Joe's home fries.

Tip: Walk-up only; the wait is shorter at the bar.

Sticky Rice ★ 4.2

Sticky Rice on West Main keeps the kitchen open until 2 am. Asian-fusion sushi, Japanese whisky and the city's most-photographed bucket of tots.

Order: Bucket of tots and a sake flight.

Tip: After 11 pm the kitchen pivots; sushi rolls and tots dominate.