Restaurants in Short Pump

The culinary savants at Helen's Restaurant have been loading plates with international comfort fare since the restaurant first opened its doors in 1935. Today, much of the original décor has survived Earth's upgrade from black and white to technicolor, creating a retro ambiance in which waiters serve meals made with organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Chefs draw from a blend of American and European influences to craft the menu's seafood, pork, and steak items, which diners can nibble in vintage wood booths or at intimate tables beneath the soft glow of a neon sign. Throughout meals, bartenders top glasses with a rotating selection of potables.

At Don Pepe Mexican Restaurant, an expansive menu of fajitas, burritos, and steaks illustrates the breadth and depth of the Mexican culinary tradition. Nachos in 10 varieties greet diners with juicy morsels of chicken or beef and a crunch that could wake a jet-lagged Rip Van Winkle. Enchiladas team up with tacos or tamales to form hearty combos, or go solo to showcase classic Mexican ingredients such as poblano peppers and green tomatillos. Quesadillas can be stuffed with vegetarian-friendly fillings, such as mushrooms, or meaty delights, such as house-made chorizo. To round out meals, xangos come with a dusting of cinnamon sugar that impresses sweet teeth as much as a coating of edible diamonds.

The menu at Strange Matter has plenty of meaty offerings, but chef Paul Webb prefers to focus on vegan food. Diners averse to animal products can munch on mango donut holes, house-made lentil burgers, and even vegan grilled-cheese sandwiches. Visit Strange Matter’s graffiti-decorated space during the day, and you’ll feast amid the blips and bleeps of an arcade stocked with classic games including Space Invaders, and Street Fighter II, where players see how hard they can punch a cobblestone road. At night, the restaurant transforms into a music venue for indie acts such as Jeff the Brotherhood and Titus Andronicus.

The pub has long served as the epicenter of Ireland’s social life—a place where friendships are made and stories are shared over foamy pints of beer. Finn McCool's Irish Pub positions itself firmly within this tradition of communality, inviting guests to bond while eating fish ‘n’ chips or clinking glasses of Guinness at a hardwood bar that spans the length of the room.

The convivial atmosphere isn’t the only aspect of Finn McCool's that recalls the old country. Traditional Irish staples such as shepherd’s pie, corned beef, and bangers and mash fill the pub’s menu. Savory scents waft through the air as guests throw darts, play billiards, and soak in the sunshine on the outdoor patio. A lineup of flat-screen TVs hums with the sounds of the day’s sporting events, which guests can wager their pots of gold or leprechaun manservants on at the pub’s Colonial Downs betting hub. :m]]

The owner and chef of the recently renovated Royal India Express was born in Punjab—an Indian region famed for its tandoori cuisine. Now under new management, the restaurant re-creates the tastes of that region, with a particular specialization in biryani. The chef roasts marinated shrimp in a clay tandoor oven, stuffs naan with garlic, and simmers tender goat meat in creamy curry sauce. Diners can also order from the Indo-China portion of the menu, which includes entrees such as chili-spiced paneer cheese with onions and peppers. An on-site sweets shop allows customers to taste traditional Indian desserts such as doughy gulab jamun or kheer.

Glasses and silverware clink against a wooden bar that extends in a long L-shape, its size proportionate to a tavern with lofted ceilings and exposed-brick walls. On the Rox—a recent addition to the historic Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond—seems to do everything a bit bigger than most, and its upscale menu is no exception. Depending on the time of day, the neighborhood bar’s kitchen sates appetites with grilled paninis, succulent steaks, and hangover-busting brunch fare. On weekday nights, servers ferry plates of chorizo paninis and pan-roasted trout to diners sipping on craft beers at four-top tables. Early risers scarf down waffles with bananas and bacon-maple caramel during weekend brunch, and the more health-conscious crowd nurses vitamin C–laden mimosas and iron-rich bloody marys.