Urban Farmhouse in Shockoe Slip

The Wife met me for lunch on Thursday at The Urban Farmhouse. We had seen it had been open for a few weeks and were excited to try it. We weren't sure what to expect, at first we thought it might be something like Founding Farmers in D.C. but their menu looked to be more soup/salad/sandwiches coffee house, not a gourmet restaurant - and no liquor license yet.

We met right before noon, and this was the perfect time as there were only a handful of people in line. About 10 minutes later the line was out the door.
The interior is cozy, just like a country kitchen in a farmhouse, with hardwood floors, tables and couches for seating and an array of natural and gluten free goods for sale on the back wall arranged like a pantry.

Their menu offerings aren't extensive, a couple of soup options a handful of sandwiches and salads. Wanting to try a little of everything, both The Wife and I ordered 1/2 soup and sandwich. I had the ginger carrot soup and Virginia ham cubano sandwich while she had the red pepper and sweet potato soup with the blue q chicken sandwich (the combo is about $10.)

The food at Urban Farmhouse is very fresh, very straight forward and good portions. The sandwiches come on fresh rolls that are pressed so they are crunchy on the outside, but light on the inside. The soups also have a very simple flavor. It tastes like exactly what it is, and looks as if a handful of fresh ingredients have been pureed with an immersion blender or food processor.

My ginger and carrot soup was very light, only mildly sweet with a finishing hint of ginger on the palate. The cuban was great. The ham was salty and you could individually taste the freshness of the chicken, cheese and pickles.

The Wife's soup was more sweet potato than red pepper (she didn't taste any), very sweet - almost like sweet potato casserole bisque. Like mine it tasted very fresh, almost as if sweet potatoes, red pepper and chicken stock had been freshly blended when we ordered. Her sandwich was billed as barbecue - to me it was more like buffalo chicken sandwich. The chicken was tender, the sauce was spicy/tangy and the blue cheese complimented it perfectly.

They came served with a side of kettle chips. Their drink selections were limited to a few bottled drinks and iced tea. They also have an extensive coffee menu, which we didn't get a chance to try.

The Urban Farmhouse offers a nice alternative to the typical Shockoe restaurant, with simple, fresh ingredients and a open and airy casual setting. We both left wanting to return, especially to try their breakfasts.