Brick House Diner building new location in Midlothian at Westchester Commons

The family-owned diner is moving its original location at 13520 Midlothian Turnpike farther west to Westchester Commons.

The building will be larger at 5300 square feet and a brand-new build from Fultz & Singh Architects.

“It gives us a little more parking and our own property,” co-owner Vic Routsis told the Richmond Times-Dispatch last year.

The restaurant’s lease is up at 13520 Midlothian Turnpike at the end of the year.

Brick House Diner is aiming to open the new Westchester Commons location at 100 Schofield Road by October. The Midlothian Turnpike location will close when the new location opens.

Brick House Diner is known for its half-pound steak burgers that are ground every day, an extensive breakfast menu, and desserts homemade daily.

The new location will have the same hours and the same menu as the current location: Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We’re family-owned and -operated so we’re hands-on for everything,” Routsis told The Times-Dispatch earlier. “We’re definitely not a chain. We’re four brothers looking to continue what our father started years ago.”

The Routsis family’s restaurant legacy began when Routsis’ father opened Four Brothers Steakhouse in Chesapeake. Now, there are two locations of Brick House Diner in the Richmond area. In 2022, a location opened in the city at 3336 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., the former Kitchen 64 space. Brick House also has a location in Virginia Beach.

Tito’s now open in former Mojo’s spot

Tito’s Taqueria & Bar is now open in the former Mojo’s space at 733 W. Cary St.

The taqueria from Tito Padilla has been in the works for about a year.

Tito’s Taqueria is serving a variety of tacos including trompe tacos (where the meat is cooked on a trompe), birria tacos, fajitas and more. Presentation is a big focus at Tito’s with several special cocktails served in novelty glasses like a mini-bathtub and shots that arrive in a ceramic bull. It looks festive and fun. Nathan Hughes of Sperity Ventures represented the landlord on the space. We’ll have more details soon.

The restaurant is located near the Virginia Commonwealth University Monroe campus. Mojo’s was a popular spot for the VCU crowd. Tito’s hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Black Restaurant Experience kicks off Sunday

Richmond Black Restaurant Week kicks off Sunday with Mobile Soul Sunday in Monroe Park from noon to 5 p.m. Over 20 food trucks will be serving a variety of cuisine — from BBQ to Caribbean to soul food and much more — along with music and local vendors.

The week is a chance to purposefully dine at Black-owned restaurants such as Mama J’s, Penny’s Wine Shop, Ms. Girlee’s Kitchen and many more. Now in its eighth year, the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience aims to celebrate the diversity and excellence of Black-owned restaurants in Richmond. Find the full list of participating restaurants at rbre365.com.

St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans

St. Patrick’s Day is about a week away — this year it falls on a Sunday, March 17 — and Richmond restaurants are already celebrating the luck of the Irish.

Three Notch’d Brewing Co., where you can throw axes and drink beer in Scott’s Addition, has turned into a St. Patrick’s Day pop-up bar with a themed cocktail and food menu. Cameo Cakery & Café is decked out with a rainbow and pot of gold outside and a themed menu inside.

I took my kids to McDonald’s for our annual Shamrock Shake pilgrimage and it was glorious.

RTD dining correspondent Megan Marconyak will have lots more details on St. Pat’s dining picks coming next week.

And pace yourself, Richmond, next weekend is going to be a blowout with Shamrock the Block and the Irish Festival in Church Hill being held on the same weekend — the first time that’s happened in a while. We’ll have more coverage on all the festivities next week.

We’re still taking recommendations for our first-ever Richmond Times-Dispatch fried chicken bracket in honor of March Madness. Readers have sent in some great suggestions; thank you! Keep sending them, and we’ll launch the fried chicken bracket later this month.