Cookie Giannini opened Dot’s Back Inn in 1990 and named it after her Aunt Dot, a server who waited tables for nearly 50 years. In 2007, Jimmy Tsamouras — a longtime friend of Cookie’s son and a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who had cooked in kitchens in Hawaii, New York, Arizona, and Hilton Head — bought the restaurant, saw its potential, and built it into a destination. One year later, Guy Fieri showed up. Dot’s Back Inn appeared in Season 3, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “Something Different,” aired April 14, 2008 — and has since appeared twice on the show. The Food Network description was precise: “inside this small nondescript cafe is a menu filled with tons of custom-built food.” It has since attracted visitors from as far as Alaska chasing the black bean corn cakes.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Dot’s Back Inn
City: Richmond, Virginia
Cuisine: American Comfort Food
DDD Season: 3
DDD Episode: 6
Episode Title: Something Different
Original Air Date: April 14, 2008
Address: 4030 MacArthur Ave., Richmond, VA 23227
Phone: 804-266-3167
Website: https://www.dotsbackrichmond.com/
Status: Open
About Dot’s Back Inn
Dot’s sits in the Bellevue neighborhood of Richmond — a residential area where people actually live, which is why the place has always felt more neighborhood restaurant than destination, even after multiple Food Network appearances turned it into exactly that. Jimmy Tsamouras grew up in the restaurant business at his parents’ College Delly in Williamsburg, and the neighborhood institution DNA runs through everything he does at Dot’s. There are staff members who have been there nearly as long as Tsamouras has owned it. The menu is built around scratch cooking, house-made pesto, creative vegetarian options, and the kind of casual comfort food that earns regulars who order the same thing every time.
What to Eat at Dot’s Back Inn
The Black Bean Corn Cakes are the DDD signature — loaded with fresh vegetables, the dish that Guy highlighted first and that visitors from Alaska have traveled specifically to eat. The Chicken MacArthur pasta — chicken with onions, tomatoes, and feta cheese — was the other featured dish, described as “really popping.” The Chicken with Feta, White Wine, and Artichokes and the Homemade Pesto dishes round out the menu highlights. Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM is the most popular service of the week.
If Dot’s creative comfort food approach inspires your kitchen, Guy Fieri Cookware is the foundation for replicating that level of scratch cooking at home.
Plan Your Visit
Dot’s Back Inn is open Monday through Friday 10:00 AM to 10:00 or 11:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Sunday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (brunch only).
Address: 4030 MacArthur Ave., Richmond, VA 23227
Phone: 804-266-3167
Website: https://www.dotsbackrichmond.com/
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Dot’s has been featured on Triple D twice — stream both appearances on Amazon and plan your Richmond DDD run with More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
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Dot’s Back Inn appeared in Season 3, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Something Different,” originally aired April 14, 2008. It has since appeared on the show a second time.