The Black Olive Pizzeria — Restaurant in Richmond

I had the opportunity to dine at Black Olive last night, and I’m so glad I did! I’ve been craving some good food for a while, and they delivered.

First, let’s talk about the hostess and our bartenders. We arrived around 7 PM, and it was packed—and we didn’t have a reservation. But the hostess was so accommodating! She told us she would try to get us in, checked for space at the bar, and came back with a smile—there was room! That level of customer service set the tone for the whole night. Then on to Devin our bartender he was very friendly, funny, personable, and ensured that we were taken care of.

Now, let's talk about the vibe. The aesthetics were on point—hip-hop meets modern Italian. The energy was amazing, the music was a perfect mix of hip-hop and R&B, and there was even a live band. It felt like a whole experience, not just dinner.

On to the food—because that’s what we’re really here for! I was hungry and wanted to order everything, but I held back (for now). I’ll definitely be back to try more. Here’s what we had:

Lady Marmalade cocktail – So good and cute! It was like a lemony nectar—not too tart, not too sweet—just the perfect balance. Wings – Small wings (which I love), perfectly flavored, not too salty, just subtle and delicious. I can’t wait to try the buffalo ones next time! Caesar salad – Refreshing and so well-balanced. The presentation was lovely, and my friend even said it was the best Caesar salad she’s ever had! Carrollini pizza – Wow. The flavor, the crust, the infusion of pesto, pepperoni, and tomato sauce—every bite was on point. I was literally dancing while eating, and if you know, you know that means the food was hitting! The service? Immaculate. As soon as we ordered, the food started coming out quickly. What stood out even more? The owner was working alongside the employees, making sure everything ran smoothly. That level of dedication says a lot about a place.

Final thoughts. I’m already planning my next visit because I need to try everything on this menu. Between the food, the music, the beautiful aesthetics, and the great service, this place is a vibe. Next time, I’ll be making a reservation for sure.

I wish I had taken pictures, but I was too...

Me and the wife decided to partake in a meal to support Black restaurants and to set in on great music and vibe. The vibe and music was great and we new it would be a wait, we were seated upon arrival but it was a long wait and exact words from waitress was I can take your drink order but it will be 25 minutes bfo I can take your food order because we are backed up and the chef's have to catchup then your order will be placed. OK we want to support so we had our drinks and waited on the food with took and additional hour + pizza I ordered seafood crab with white sauce jumbo lump no lumps on mine but pizza was tasteful but cost $22 dollars needed more to it for that price wife had beef peperoni pizza with onions on it additional they put caramelize onions on it not usually should be raw then cooked unless told so by waitress. The atmosphere was great everybody viking but obviously upset at food to table times the thing that's not cool for and upcoming Black business is to have things like this Bar should be cleaned all the times once customers leave take empty glasses of bar and wife clean also you had a customer at the bar vaping who does that and shouldn't be allowed the other thing it was like so many people running around chaotic doing stuff needs more detail for workers and I understand it was busy for a multi floor establishment but this will probably be the way going forward because this definitely the beginning of something GREAT 👍 I will patronize your business because you are the...

There are two main things I look for when dining out: great food and great communication. If either one falls short, I expect the restaurant to make it right. Fortunately, Black Olive went above and beyond.

It was a busy Friday night, and we had a reservation. Shortly after we were seated, our waitress—who was also tending the bar—let us know the kitchen was running a bit behind due to an unexpected number of walk-ins. I appreciated the heads-up, which allowed us to manage our expectations.

Despite the restaurant being busy and seemingly short-staffed, our server remained attentive, checking in on us multiple times and even wiping down water spots on the table without being asked. When my friend’s pizza arrived before mine, I asked about the status of my order. She immediately checked and came back to let me know it would be out in about seven minutes. Just as promised, everything else flowed smoothly from there.

To our surprise, when the bill arrived, she let us know she had taken off the mocktail and discounted the pizza by half as a gesture of apology for the wait. Wow.

These days, mediocre customer service feels all too common. That’s why Black Olive’s thoughtful, proactive service stood out in such a big way. Kudos to our amazing server and the entire staff—you clearly care about your guests’ experiences. And for the record, the Carrollini pizza was fantastic.

This is exactly the kind of experience that keeps customers coming...