the citizen

liked food - waitress was ambivalent -never smiles- never says your welcome , nurse kratchet

i discovered this place by accident and if i was a local it would be a regular place to eat. the decor is airy and fresh and the staff are friendly and extremely helpful. the menu is not huge but there is an interesting range of breakfast and lunch options with food allergies and vegetarians catered for well. i ate the puposas (black beans and cheese in a flat bread) coupled with lemony white beans and sensational lightly pickled vegetables. if you are in the richmond area do yourself a favour and eat here!

we found this hidden gem by the delicious fragrance of bacon. friendly laid back atmosphere. has classic meals but enhances them with spices. great place!

this place is absolutely wonderful for what it is and wants to be, perfect execution. counter ordering breakfast and lunch, with classic and new breakfast, lunch option, open kitchen, very fast service, they make traditional things taste a lot better than you would expect.  great prices, and very friendly staff, if downtown for breakfast, this is the place to go.

very good and cheap breakfast from a small menu. unusual very good grits-- not your normal fare

awesome!. it's a hidden treasure! it's in an alcove, downstairs ... literally hidden! i'm so glad we didn't give up!! i had the huevos rancheros with homemade sausage and it was so good!!! big servings. my son had the breakfast burrito and loved it. the people are so friendly too. i will be back for sure!!

not a healthy lunch like i was expecting but it is very tasty.

this ain't no subway...... yes, the citizen isn't easy to find. and, yes, it's worth it. the entrance is on ninth street. there are so many restaurants/pubs/diners that have different versions of the same lunch menu. this is not that kind of place. unique ingredients i had the butternut squash, curried cashew butter and celery root slaw. i'm familiar with the ingredients as they stand alone. i didn't know how this combination would taste. and then- the taste is something new and pleasing and there is that contentment in finding the culinary unique. lunch with drink is about 10 dollars. i'll be back.

a tasty (and healthy) lunch alternative. having just moved to richmond, this was one of the first places i discovered for lunch. it was a bit of a trick to find but well worth the effort. the food has a bit of a south american flair, with interesting pickled vegetables and amazing grilled sandwiches. it seems that richmond agrees too, because it's getting to the point where you have to time your lunch excursion to avoid the rush. every time i go there it seems the menu has been updated. their combinations are very inventive and (again) their ingredients are locally sourced. i am all for supporting places like this, where they provide a great alternative to the run-of-the-mill burgers and fries.

great food. i've had the black bean pupusas several times and absolutely love the homemade hot chocolate. i tried some jerked collard greens that were out of this world and today tried the byrd mill grits.....delicious. pricing is not bad at all and the dishes are far more healthier than some of the other down town spots....kudos!!!

dang that's good!. just stopped in for lunch. in fact i'm still relishing it.
i didn't know what i wanted so ended up following some people who looked like they had a plan. what luck. everything on the menu looked interested and what a refreshing change from the same old same old. i couldn't even decide so i asked for suggestions and got the grilled plaintain torta and fennel salad and it's delicious. can hardly wait to go back.

dang.

sounds tasty..usually is.... creative ideas on the menu. definitely order ahead of time! most delicious macaroons in richmond - don't miss out if you see them by the counter!.good deal too - some coworkers of mine are very big fans of the omelette, and i can certainly understand why. i was pleased with the taste of my sloppy jose, but the portion of meat on the bun was just okay - but i really can't complain about that too much because of the price. the chicken/artichoke sandwich was good, but i was expecting more flavor after reading the description..it just didn't wow me. same for the cumin potatos - i was expecting lots of cumin flavor! as fried potatoes go they are awesome, but as cumin potatoes they are only so-so...still because of the varitety and creativity of the menu,the price, and let's face it, the food is good, i will most certainly be back!

better with each visit. expectations are low for the lunch crowd downtown. that's why a place like citizen, with it's idiosyncratic menu of "tortas" and low-country sides (like gumbo & grits) gets the foodies & vegetarians excited. with names like "cumin potatoes" and "jerk collards" this menu has it's own interesting take on pan-american cuisine. the sandwiches include a muffeletta-like salami & tapenade, pulled pork, and pimento cheese. the sloppy jose needs to deliver a little more of the cilantro and sour cream flavor that the menu promises and the cumin potatoes could actually use more seasoning. but the salvadoran papusas are hot off the grill and delicious and the chili has a wonderful smokey flavor from beef smoked in-house. the breakfast menu looks good, and you can't beat the prices - i just hope they continue to evolve.

best downtown lunch. the staff at citizen is very accommodating. the menu is small but meticulous and there are always inventive options for carnivores, vegetarians, and quiche lovers. the tempting country style donuts are reason enough to visit, but i would highly recommend seeking them out for lunch. on my last visit i had tofu and greens wrapped in rice paper spring roles with lentil salad- all for under $10. ok, i also went back for a donut, but who can resist.

awesome. also tried the salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and creole tapenade... well worth it. will add to list of regular lunch venues.