Right Around the River Blog
Rocketts Landing Neighbor Flatheads Restaurant Now Open
Post Date: 08-05-2013
After months of preparation, Rocketts Landing neighbor Flatheads restaurant has opened for business! As Richmond's only floating restaurant, the Flatheads dining boat is docked beside our community near the University of Richmond crew club house (for old-school Richmonders, it's where the Annabelle Lee was located). We've been anxiously waiting for them to open, so we decided to spend last Friday afternoon testing out the latest culinary splash along the riverfront.
To start, the vibe is casual and friendly, and the James River and Richmond skyline views are fantastic. Since you are, literally, aboard a boat, the open-air environment is perfect for enjoying an afternoon along the river. The restaurant does tend to sway back-and-forth whenever a wake shifts the waters, but the movement wasn't as heavy as we were expecting. So just be forewarned: If you do suffer from acute motion sickness, the rocking may impact your experience. (They do have on-land patio seating, if you prefer more stable ground.)
After adjusting to the waters, we started off with the Flatheads’ happy hour house margarita, which uses homemade mix as the base — definitely a delicious choice and great way to take in the awesome views. We’ve always felt that Rocketts Landing restaurant Conch Republic has some of the best margaritas in town, and Flatheads brings close competition!
Overall, the menu is seafood and sandwich driven, so any vegetarians and gluten-free diners will have a hard time finding something to eat. With that said, we decided to test out the seafood, as well as Flathead’s take on an American classic: the burger.
For seafood, we ordered Steamed Mussels with a garlic sauce and a pound of Steamed Shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce. The food took longer than expected to arrive at our table, which was a bit surprising since there were only a few other patrons at the restaurant. But with tasty margaritas, awesome views and good conversation to distract us, we easily found our patience.
Once the food arrived, the mussels and shrimp didn’t quite live up to our expectations. While we’re sure the mussels were cooked in a delicious broth, they didn’t include any of it when serving the dish (bummer). The shrimp were low on flavor and the homemade cocktail sauce could have used more horseradish. So, we asked the server for some lemon wedges, which offered some zest.
As for the burger, it was a good-sized patty topped with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion, as well as Flathead’s special cheese sauce. We couldn’t quite discern the ingredients in the sauce but it pulled the burger together well. Homemade chips dressed the plate and were cooked just right, and while the burger wasn’t anything extraordinary, it came through as a filling, crowd-pleasing classic.
While sampling our fare and taking in the views, we were unexpectedly distracted by a Jet Ski and swimmer who seemed to emerge out of nowhere beside the boat. Much to our surprise, the swimmer shot straight out of the water propelled by a water-fueled jet pack tethered to the Jet Ski! Akin to something in science fiction, the water jetter reached heights of perhaps 15 to 20 feet, propelled completely by water. After flying high, the swimmer then plunged back into the river, diving like a dolphin as he made his way down the Rocketts Landing riverfront — certainly a surprising and entertaining addition to the afternoon.
Overall, between the impromptu river entertainment and awesome views, Flatheads provides a carefree place to take in the river and enjoy a relaxing time along the water. While the menu shows some room for improvement, we think this is a fine start to one of Richmond’s newest riverfront experiences.
Welcome to the neighborhood!