313 Franklin - Cocktails and Kitchen

Tonight was DEFINITELY an OFF night. When I travel from Richmond to visit my Mom in South Hill, we always order at either Kahill's or 313 for take-out or dine in experiences. 313 had been our first choice because it was consistently good. Tonight was the first 313 horrible experience we've had for an online order. Everything was horrible. I mean everything. The tenderloin steak at a $38 price point, appeared to be their best cut next to filet mignon; we requested that it be cooked well. It was burned so badly Mom couldn't chew it and it tasted bitter. The rice pilaf was just basic rice, not even sure what kind of rice but it wasn't basmati or jasmine for sure. They forgot to pack Mom's salad. But, a thoughtful staff member was so concerned about us not having dinner that she kindly drove the missing salad and another steak to our home; hence the one star. That lady deserves a promotion and a raise because that is next level customer service. She went above and beyond for us to make our experience worth the cost. The manager and owner could have cared less; their suggestion was for me to go out of MY way to return the steak for a refund, something I hadn't requested. My scallops were seasoned with something that did not pair well and they hinted of a burnt bitter taste too, I suspect from being cooked in burnt cooking oil. The salad that came with the replaced steak was simply romaine lettuce with two cucumber slices, one cherry tomato sliced in half and three croutons. By the way, the replaced steak did look better but the taste and texture did not improve. It wasn't as burnt but it still had a burst taste, it didn't have any seasoning and it was still tough. The desserts were just blah. I'm not saying that we won't go back but it will be a very long while in the hopes that they find better cooks.

May 22 2024 UPDATE: Whenever I'm in South Hill and I want fine dinning, I'll always give this place a shot. It's got a lot to offer in terms of ambiance and customer service. For example, it's clean, beautifully decorated and has live music occasionally. The engery is high, you don't feel like you're in a small town once inside. Staff are friendly and open to opinions about food, typically.

Although some of the food is hit or miss, I would still recommend dinning here.

Now. Last night I paid $36 for two mid-sized crab cakes, the only side being ½ of a lemon. Price aside, I had hoped for quality. No. I didn't get that. All I could taste was breading. They were awful. Because I eat super clean, my body rejects bad food. I get migraines whenever I've eaten poor quality foods loaded with sodium, artificial flavors and preservatives. Well, it's the next day after eating those crab cakes and I have a low grade migraines. 🙃 I WOULD NOT recommend ordering crab cakes, unless you like'em without crab meat (or very little of it) and with a LOT of breading.

We also ordered side salads; good quality romaine lettuce; but, very basic. One cherry tomato sliced in ½, a few slices of red onion, 4-5 croutons and romaine lettuce.

In addition, we ordered the skewered shrimp that I was told was delicious. It came with asparagus, which I heard was...

In South Hill visiting a relative. I looked up where to eat before getting back on the road to go home. We arrived in front of the building, we were pleasantly surprised just from the outside of the building and upon entering, the decor was just spectacular! Almost made us think we were underdressed! The ambiance was just amazing! I had the crab cakes, fries and slaw... just great!!! The tartar sauce was homemade and fries, perfectly cooked and seasoned! The crab cakes were fantastic!!! My sister had the shrimp and grits. And no, not your traditional...it was a fried cheese grit cake!!!! I tasted a piece and my goodness, they need to offer just the grit cake as an appetizer, because I would have ordered it!! It was delicious!!! Those schoolhouse rolls, ordered more to take home!!! We also had drinks and dessert..... MOLLY was our server, and when I tell you she added that cherry on top.... she made the visit even more fantastic!!! One of the managers came by a couple of times to make sure we were ok, and that definitely added a personal touch! That showed us that they do care about you and it's not all about the profits! We even met the owner's mother as we were leaving and ended up having a 20 minute conversation about that beautiful building! We have made plans to go back and bring more people with us, because a place like this needs to be shared with others! And for us, price was not an issue as other reviews stated, because we believe in delicious food, great customer service, beautiful surroundings, all in a come as you are setting, because sometimes you just want something to eat and not have to put on your finest to have a great experience...you got what you paid for! All the boxes were...

We went with friends to dinner, when my buddy Gary mentioned excellent prime rib I was in and he wasn't wrong. It was about 45 minute travel from where we were in Blackstone but ultimately worth every minute spent in the car. I was told that this restaurant was in an old school, which at first seems very strange but it had incredible decor which made it feel warm and charming. Our waitress Katelyn was just the right amount of attentiveness. One item that I did miss but probably didn't need was bread. She didn't ask and neither did we, I'm not sure if they had it or not. We started out with shrimp corn chowder, it came out quickly but could've been slightly hotter, it was however very tasty. The salad was up next and was of significant size and had a good variety of ingredients. The ranch dressing was solid. Next the main course, three out of the four of us got the prime rib, medium rare and all were right on. Along with the rib came a baked potato, mine should've stayed in the oven a few more minutes since it was not quite done. I didn't send it back, good luck getting food off my plate once it's in front of me. The rib was done perfectly, it was tender and nicely seasoned with an incredible taste. It was served au jus along with a horseradish sauce with just the right amount of kick, by the time I was finished I emptied both vessels completely. We finished the meal off with coffee and a slice of brown sugar pie. It was delicious, it reminded me of my daughters pecan pie without the pecans. Overall a memorable evening especially since we were with such great company, thank you Gary & Rose! Definitely will go back next time...