With DJs and delectable drinks, Fanboy is bringing San Francisco vibes to Richmond
Brandon Pearson isn’t afraid to experiment. After his Laotian restaurant, Temple, failed to take off at 2713 W Broad Street, he converted the concept into Sabai Jai — a casual grab-and-go market that extended the success of the popular Thai spot he co-owns next door. Certain that the nondescript storefront located along the border of the Fan, the Museum District, and Scott’s Addition could become so much more, he and his co-owner Sara spent a year and a half planning out the menu, aesthetic, and bar program of Richmond’s latest industry darling: Fanboy.
Despite the bar’s location on the northern edge of the Fan, its name comes from the owners’ obsession with travel and desire to bring the dishes, drinks, and beats they are fans of back to the capital of the commonwealth. If those who frequent their new establishment become fangirls and fanboys of its fusion and finesse, all the better.
The vision for Fanboy was to marry West Coast influence to the aesthetics of a Tokyo listening bar all while delivering dishes and drinks to delight palates with flavors from across the Pacific Rim.
The luscious interior highlighting the beauty of light wood was all crafted by one master carpenter to ensure an elevated ambience. The attention paid to aesthetics is paying off; Esquire just named Fanboy one of the 42 best bars in America thanks to its “walls glow[ing] in swatch-card rainbows of orange Pantones” and “pristine arches that brighten the mood like a martini.”
Beyond the ambience, the offerings designed by chef Kevin Coleman are a draw. Told by the owners that there were “no limitations” on the cuisine, he has crafted a menu of small plates that are modern takes on classic bar snacks re-envisioned to be both casual and elevated. General manager Mike Truxton refers to the Fanboy concept as “fine diving” — a blend of fun, creativity, and approachability wherein wine service with caviar sits comfortably next to burgers, fries, and a beer shot combo.
A perfect example of fine diving in practice is Fanboy’s Philly cheesesteak which uses maitake mushrooms roasted and sauteed on a flat top with caramelized onions. Topping off the sandwich is a housemade fondue from three cheeses, including a three-year dry-aged parmesan.
“We don’t cut corners with our ingredients here, and it shows,” says Coleman.
In addition to bouncing between refined and familiar, Fanboy also crafts its menus so that guests’ palettes jet-set from dish to dish. Global flavors from Mumbai, Beijing, and beyond pair with local ingredients like bread from Flour Garden and beef from Seven Hills Foods Company so that a night out can feel like a weekend getaway.
“I hate the word fusion, but some things on the menu like our tikka masala dip are a take on buffalo dip that leverages spices straight from India,” said Coleman. “Internally we call that dip “the showstopper” because it’s our most popular dish, and I could eat it every day.”
From the marinated bahn mi to the smash burger and lobster roll, the menu feels carefully crafted to please any age group or type of eater that chooses to enter Fanboy’s nondescript door on Broad Street. The drink menu similarly dazzles.
With Fanboy as Truxton’s seventh restaurant he’s helped open, he admits this was the most leeway he’s ever enjoyed in crafting a cocktail menu. Whether Truxton’s bar team is concocting homemade yuzu soda or clarifying classic cocktails, the goal behind Fanboys bar program is to get creative and collaborate across the kitchen to produce the finest flavors with the least food waste.
Foams can often feel like unnecessary add-on designed to impress inexperienced guests, but at Fanboy such flourishes as the prosecco and coconut salted foams actually serve a skillful purpose in rounding out drinks. Examples include the OnlyFans martini — made up of Cirrus vodka, passoã, passion fruit pureé, vanilla bean and prosecco foam and designed to play off of the famous porn star martini — as well as the Carajillo, Spain’s answer to the espresso martini combining café bustelo cold brew, Licor 43, Haku vodka, nutmeg, and coconut salted foam.
For those who would rather imbibe at a lower ABV, Fanboy offers a menu of wines, sherries, vermouths, sakes, beers, and ciders as well. Perhaps the simplest fun to be found on the menu are the assortment of 50/50s: Ferrari (fernet and campari), M&M (Banhez mezcal & amaro Montenegro), Ryenar (Wild Turkey 101 rye & Cynar), and more.
What most sets Fanboy apart from other establishments around town is Pearson’s dedication to hosting live DJs. With just a small booth in a back corner, Fanboy has hosted the likes of locals such as Hip Hop Henry, DJ Nobe, Eliott Ness, and the Disco Cat as well as international acts like DJ Minx from Detroit who actually flew in from abroad to play at Fanboy.
With delicious dishes, creative cocktails, and an award-winning ambience, Fanboy presents a concept that is globally-inspired yet all too rare in Richmond. Its rapid rise to becoming a fan favorite as well as an industry icon may be due to its willingness to pair fancy with familiar — fine diving at its best.
Story by Wyatt Gordon
