In early November, we asked our readers what they thought Richmond’s signature cuisine is. As anticipated, you had plenty of opinions.
Sifting through all the answers in our inbox, some trends began to emerge. A significant percentage seemed to focus on the three familiar names. More on that in a moment, but first — some honorable mentions.
- “I vote for Brunswick Stew. Whether it’s from a fire department or American Legion post where the stew is a guaranteed sellout... it’s a local delicacy.” — Campbell D.
- “Craft beer” — Judy M.
- “The sailor [sandwich] isn’t celebrated enough IMO... Maybe PBR? ;)” — Katie M.
The big three
The vast majority of the responses focused on one of three brands: Ukrop’s, Duke’s Mayonnaise, or Sally Bell’s.
Ukrop’s classic White House Roll — either as-is or loaded up with chicken salad — was a popular contender. Ukrop’s was also mentioned for its fried chicken and its signature rainbow cookies .
Ukrop’s White House Rolls with chicken salad were a popular pick for Richmond’s signature dish.
Photo by RICtoday
Duke’s Mayonnaise — Richmond’s favorite egg-based spread — was another top response. Duke’s, which has called Richmond home since it was purchased by by the C.F. Sauer Company in 1929, made the list both on its own and accompanied by a Hanover tomato.
The third finalist isn’t a brand but a Richmond establishment beloved for its local eats for nearly a century. Located at 2337 W. Broad, Sally Bell’s Kitchen has been in business since 1924 . Though plenty of its offerings were mentioned individually, the consensus seems to rest on the boxed lunches , which include five components of its history-laden menu.
Have you had any of these local delicacies — maybe all three? It fell to our readers to let us know which Richmond classic deserved the crown. As always, they delivered.
The winner
After we put the question to our readers, we waited for the votes to come in, and they did — lots of them. After aggregating the data, it was clear as day. This was a close race, but Ukrop’s White House rolls with chicken salad had won, taking 38% of the vote.
Ukrop’s White House Rolls with chicken salad took 38% of the vote, followed by Sally Bell’s boxed lunches with 33% and Duke’s Mayonnaise with 29%.
Graph by RICtoday
The White House Rolls were followed by Sally Bell’s boxed lunches with 33% and Duke’s Mayonnaise with 29%. The numbers don’t lie, folks: Ukrop’s White House rolls with chicken salad are Richmond’s (un)official signature cuisine.
What do you think? Is this well-deserved or a taste bud travesty? We know chicken salad tends to bring out strong opinions in foodies around the river city — that’s why we want your take .