Ironclad Coffee Roasters & Baking Co. — Restaurant in Richmond

Ironclad is not as warm and welcoming as it used to be. This review will be more on the subjective side, as I'm operating from a place of nostalgia. But I'll try to be fair.

I remember when I first found ironclad back in 2018 and was so excited about the good coffee and awesome people who worked there. I would regularly sit at the bar and talk to the baristas and felt so welcomed and taken care of. I also used to come and do work outside in the spring it was the only place with outdoor outlets.

First I'll say what's still good: The coffee is still good, albeit a bit pricey but hey what isn't now. The baristas are kind and cool. And the baked goods are tasty.

Since Covid a lot has changed in terms of vibe. The upstairs seating that used to be relatively spacious and cozy has been shrunken to a tight corridor where you bump into everyone when you adjust your seat. There is no wifi and when you ask they tell you it's a social cafe, which is a development from the one hour wifi rule they used to have which was annoying to begin with. The music was so loud in the upstairs and the heat was cranked up and it was just generally not a comfortable place to sit and relax. I think if the vibe you want to go for is high end coffee and food, and then not let people enjoy those things comfortably you're doing something wrong. Also people are on their phones and laptops anyway. All these attempts to bring people together by limiting comfort and the ability to do work come across as hostie and made me just want to leave. The food is fine. It's not incredible and there's only one vegetarian breakfast sandwich option which they got wrong. I'm not even vegetarian on principle or anything. I am allergic to red meat and poultry and I was given a sandwich with bacon on it. I just couldn't eat it or I'd be sick and they don't make the food to order so they cant edit anything on the menu. I didn't ask for a new sandwich I'm sure they would have accommodated if I had mentioned something but it was just frustrating along with all of the other stuff I noticed. Over all the one word I'd use to describe ironclad now is "inconvenient". It's inconvenient to order from here because many times I've also experienced them being out of the pre made food, it's inconvenient to want to hang out or get work done, it's too expensive for a cup of coffee or tea to go and it's just not a pleasant place. If you want good atmosphere, Go to afterglow, go to Riverbend, go to apothecary, go to fuel pump, go to gold lion cafe. All those places have great coffee and food and welcoming vibes. Iron clad is good if you want to sit on the bottom floor and would like to talk to the baristas. Don't come here if you want to work on or read anything, or if there's only room on the upper floor to sit because it's so uncomfortable up there.

It's not a bad place. Also all the staff is great. I want to leave a fair review. It's just disappointing that a lot of what made it such a cool place to me has been changed and that it's now just such an inconvenience for me to go here. I probably...

A few months back, we finally visited Ironclad Coffee Roasters in Shockoe Bottom. A beautiful red brick building, which looks to be an old firehouse, beckons you in. To the left as you enter is a piano and to the right, a line with menus and a display with t-shirts and locally made coffee scrubs for sale. In the center of this spacious room with a high ceiling is an island for the baristas to prepare your drinks. We were greeted quickly by an enthusiastic and friendly barista, and promptly placed our orders: one of the summer specials, the “Nero” Dark Chocolate Cookie Milk Latte, and an orange juice. I had no idea what a “Nero” was when I ordered this drink, but when I saw it, I knew I had made the right decision.

This Nero cookie was fresh baked, rich with decadent chocolate, and almonds. Had I not let it sit in the latte so long, it would have been even crisper along the edges. Baking this cookie perfectly brought its flavors and sweetness to life through careful caramelization. The milk latte was brewed and blended to perfection, with chocolate streaming down the insides of the glass. Because Ironclad steeps their milk overnight in luxurious dark chocolate, this creamy latte had a delightful fudgy flavor through and through. There was a nuttiness to the latte, which added a roundness and a richness to the flavor profile. This could be due to the roast of the beans, which I feel is a medium roast due to the balance of bitterness and warmth (it was not over roasted). Overall, this was the most indulgent latte I’ve had in a long time!

My husband opted for some freshly handcrafted orange juice by Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company. This juice was a sunny burst of citrus like you’ve never had at home - refreshingly sweet, cheerfully acidic, and thirst-quenching.

We really vibed with the relaxed ambiance at Ironclad. It was busy; there were four or five employees hurrying about, but they seemed to have great teamwork and a smooth operation. Soft music played in the background; old standards floated by with gentle lyrics and lilting horns. In the front, and along the right side of the building, are two outdoor seating areas for guests. Upstairs, there are four or five tables for guests to visit with each other or to work on their laptops with the free wifi.

In addition to their summer menu, Ironclad offers a variety of coffee drinks and teas. Some unusual offerings they have are a cortado, which is equal parts espresso and steamed milk, and a puntino, which is their name for a classic macchiato - espresso with just a little layer of frothed milk. Another interesting concoction is the Grimsby Fog, which combines lavender and sage white tea with housemade vanilla syrup and steamed milk.

This is your cue to take a trip to Ironclad to see what impressive items they may have on their fall menu! When you make your journey to Ironclad, don’t forget to check out the bagged coffees they have for sale, too - especially if you’re not coming...

I would like to start with a compliment. Food was good and the place has lovely interior, renovation from an old firehouse.

But that is where the compliments end. I walked in there and there were approximately 4 people in line and it took according to the owner that watch on his cameras (after I had sent him an email) about 8 min. It felt like 15 or so (I said to him 30 min.). Not to mention, It was creepy that he watches everything from his perch overlooking the floor. When I told him about my experience I was badgered and told I was "I'm sorry you did not enjoy your experience, but grossly exaggerating the facts won't help anyone."

So I replied, "You must be the overload on his throne that did not help while the people waited. I see you don't address the warm food. And the long wait for coffee after the meal was served. "I do understand when he said that the are "training" a new employee" but training is not sitting there and watching but empower/assist the new hire. In fact, the new hire did get our order wrong, go figure.

IronClad replied "what was inaccurate about the order?".

I replied "We ordered 2 pies, cinnamon roll, one tea, one latte with no foam and a shot of espresso. The shot was in the latte. And apparently we never got the cinnamon roll cuz the "new" girl did not ring it up as per the guy yelled across the restaurant. That was the one special thing my friend wanted. That whole thing made me feel uncomfortable. So thank you for making my stay in Richmond a memorable one.."

IronClad replied "Anyone who exaggerates a wait time to that degree is simply not a reasonable person -- so there's no use in trying to reason with you. I am liberal with full refunds when I can sense someone has a legitimate complaint and is willing to be reasonable. That's not the case here, so no refund is warranted. Again -- we look forward to you enjoying anywhere but here on your next visit to Richmond."

Me: "I did not ask for a refund ur majesty. I was just informing you about our experience. If you have the need to badger your customers from your perch, your entitled to if your the owner (not sure if u are). Maybe u should call Gordon Ramsey's 24 hours to hell and back. I see that money motivates you. You can keep the $35 or so dollars (enjoy), that must be the "Kings" tax. Good luck to you, ur "Royal highness"

By reading the reviews (after the fact, lol). Mr. Ryan likes to badger the people that leave unfavorable feedback. Lets see what his...