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Dockside Dining Delight
A Virginia Beach Eating Adventure
Waterfront Restaurants
Waterman’s Surfside Grille kicks off the day the VB way—she-crab soup, fresh catch, and the hometown Orange Crush. Steps away, Catch 31 Fish House & Bar fans patio fire pits beside Neptune Park and a loaded raw bar; order oysters and let the surf soundtrack the set. For ocean views with a sushi fix, Mahi’s Seafood & Sushi rolls all day. Cottage-cozy Tautog’s plates crab nachos and blackened tuna in a Victorian by the sand, while Ocean Eddie’s perches on the Virginia Beach fishing pier with peel-and-eat shrimp and sea breeze.
First light on Rudee Inlet—nets drip, coffee steams, a skiff slides past with Lynnhaven oysters. A few miles inland, the morning’s other harvest rolls in from Pungo—berries, greens, and herbs still cool from the rows. Virginia Beach cooks from two pantries: the sea and the field. Everything—patios, rooftops, fire pits, tasting rooms—unfolds from that culinary duet.
North on Shore Drive, the Chesapeake Bay trades breakers for ripples and the vibe turns neighborhood-chill. Brunch heroes live at Bay Local Eatery (tater-tot nachos, seafood-forward plates). Hot Tuna lights the fire-pit tables, spins live music, and deals dollar-oyster happy hours. Leaping Lizard Café hides a shady patio for crab quiche and duck hash. At Buoy 44 Seafood Grill, diner pair flounder BLTs with views of the Bay and Bridge-Tunnel. At dusk, The Back Deck glows over Lynnhaven Inlet—and so do daily specials on apps and adultbeverages —while The Porch on Long Creek pairs seared scallops with a thoughtfully curated wine list.
Speaking of wine: Mermaid Winery (Virginia’s first urban winery) pours flights on a dog-friendly patio, and Virginia Beach Winery keeps things laid-back with easygoing tastings.
Local Surf & Turf
In Sandbridge, Margie & Ray’s is the cheerful crab house you hoped for—Tidal Wave platters, fried oysters, and soft-shell benedicts at breakfast. Drift into farm country at creekside Blue Pete’s for a mix of seafood, live music, and a Pungo Crush. Blue Seafood & Spirits (petite, chef-owned) turns out broiled lump crab cakes and coastal cocktails, and Lucky Oyster Seafood Company keeps the everyday feast going with stews, platters, and nightly raw-bar deals. Farm-country mornings? The Bee & The Biscuit slings biscuit stacks and strong coffee before you hit the you-pick rows of strawberries to take home.
Taste the ViBe
A few blocks from the sand, the ViBe cooks with maker energy. Commune—Virginia Beach’s first farmer-owned restaurant—builds plates from an on-site garden. Esoteric answers with charred octopus, poutine, and house pretzels with stout cheese on an herb-lined patio (local taps abound). The Pink Dinghy pairs small plates with natural wines; Java Surf fuels dawn patrol; and Beach Bully BBQ piles high at picnic tables. Saturdays, the Old Beach Farmers Market pops up on the 18th Street parklet—volunteer-run, Virginia Green certified—with berries, goat cheeses, warm loaves, chef-made savory pies, and armfuls of flowers.
Restaurant Week
Restaurant Week in January flips the switch citywide—tasting menus, tight prix-fixe runs, and chefs showing off. Spring and fall stretch into patio season minus the shoulder-to-shoulder crush. Book the buzzy spots, order for the middle of the table, and ask what just rolled in—from the docks or Pungo fields. Staff here love telling that story.
Raise a glass and dig in—in Virginia Beach, the coast isn’t just scenery—it’s on the table. Browse menus, markets, and must-tries at VisitVirginiaBeach.com.
Sunset Sips
Bay-Side Bites, and
Dinnertime
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By Monica Vanover on November 1, 2025
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Waterfront Restaurants
Waterman’s Surfside Grille kicks off the day the VB way—she-crab soup, fresh catch, and the hometown Orange Crush. Steps away, Catch 31 Fish House & Bar fans patio fire pits beside Neptune Park and a loaded raw bar; order oysters and let the surf soundtrack the set. For ocean views with a sushi fix, Mahi’s Seafood & Sushi rolls all day. Cottage-cozy Tautog’s plates crab nachos and blackened tuna in a Victorian by the sand, while Ocean
Eddie’s perches on the Virginia Beach fishing pier with peel-and-eat shrimp and sea breeze.
Dockside Dining
Along the inlet, boats glide past as plates hit the table. Rudee’s on the Inlet seats you at deck tables with raw-bar staples and sunset cocktails. Big Sam’s Grill & Raw Bar brings tiki-shack spirit (don’t sleep on the lobster BLT), while Dockside Restaurant & Seafood Market sells the day’s catch beside charter slips. Book a boat, bring back fillets, and some kitchens will cook your haul blackened, broiled, or fried while you rinse off the salt and adventure.
“
Call it your Oceanfront sampler: classics within flip-flop range, views set to widescreen, and sea air on tap.
Calypso Bar & Grill frames the Atlantic from a covered deck; Lager Heads nails burgers and craft beer. Fast-casual fuel Hit Aloha Snacks (poke, ramen), The Green Cat (plant-based bowls), or a Dough Boy’s location for their hand-tossed pies. Sky-high date night? Orion’s Roof.
For garden romance: Becca at The Cavalier.
Taste the ViBe
A few blocks from the sand, the ViBe cooks with maker energy. Commune
—Virginia Beach’s first farmer-owned restaurant—builds plates from an on-site garden. Esoteric answers with charred octopus, poutine, and house pretzels with stout cheese on an herb-lined patio (local taps abound). The Pink Dinghy pairs small plates with natural wines; Java Surf fuels dawn patrol; and Beach Bully BBQ piles high at picnic tables. Saturdays, the Old Beach Farmers Market pops up on the 18th Street parklet—volunteer-run, Virginia Green certified—with berries, goat cheeses, warm loaves, chef-made savory pies, and armfuls of flowers.
Local Surf & Turf
In Sandbridge, Margie & Ray’s is the cheerful crab house you hoped for—Tidal Wave platters, fried oysters, and soft-shell benedicts at breakfast. Drift into farm country at creekside Blue Pete’s for a mix of seafood, live music, and a Pungo Crush. Blue Seafood & Spirits (petite, chef-owned) turns out broiled lump crab cakes and coastal cocktails, and Lucky Oyster Seafood Company keeps the everyday feast going with stews, platters, and nightly raw-bar deals. Farm-country mornings? The Bee & The Biscuit slings biscuit stacks and strong coffee before you hit the you-pick rows of strawberries to take home.
Sunset Sips
Bay-Side Bites, and
North on Shore Drive, the Chesapeake Bay trades breakers for ripples and the vibe turns neighborhood-chill. Brunch heroes live at Bay Local Eatery (tater-tot nachos, seafood-forward plates). Hot Tuna lights the fire-pit tables, spins live music, and deals dollar-oyster happy hours. Leaping Lizard Café hides a shady patio for crab quiche and duck hash. At Buoy 44 Seafood Grill, diner pair flounder BLTs with views of the Bay and Bridge-Tunnel. At dusk, The Back Deck glows over Lynnhaven Inlet—and so do daily specials on apps and adult beverages—while The Porch on Long Creek pairs seared scallops with a thoughtfully curated wine list.
Speaking of wine: Mermaid Winery (Virginia’s first urban winery) pours flights on a dog-friendly patio, and Virginia Beach Winery keeps things laid-back with easygoing tastings.
Year-Round Harvest
The Virginia Beach Farmers Market runs daily, year-round—a maze of produce, fish counters, baked goods, ice cream, garden shops, plus hoedowns and ag tours that turn a grocery run into a field trip.
Pour Decisions
Commonwealth Brewing Co. pairs hazies with wood-fired Neapolitan pies. New Realm Brewing walks you through the brew house, then pours the payoff. Country-calm Back Bay Brew House Farmhouse serves flights under big sky, and Wasserhund Brewing goes full Gemütlichkeit with pretzels, brats, and schnitzel. Hit Pleasure House Brewing for rotating experimental taps and charity nights, or visit Reaver Beach Brewing Company for a hop-forward list. The Casual Pint pairs house beer cheese with their giant pretzels, and near the Virginia Beach Sports Center, a bright shipping-container beer garden throws movie nights beside Aslin Beer Co.’s scratch-kitchen IZZI.
Spirited Away
Inside the Historic Cavalier Hotel, Tarnished Truth Distilling Company tours end with sips of Old Cavalier bourbons, gin, and vodka (peek into production from the Hunt Room’s grand hearth). In the ViBe, Chesapeake Bay Distillery riffs with breadfruit vodka (Mutiny Island) and Dr. Stoner’s herb-infused line alongside classics. Waterman Spirits runs organic vodkas through coral filtration for a bright finish (look for Orange and Grapefruit). Inland, Beach Vodka keeps a single-spirit focus in a sunny tasting room and lets the cocktails riff.
White Tablecloths
For when the lights go low and you want your plates get composed, there’s Terrapin (tasting menus and that cult-favorite beet salad), Heirloom (elevated farm-to-table, tight technique), The Atlantic on Pacific (upscale raw bar with attitude), Zoës Steak & Seafood (prime cuts, sommelier-guided pairings), or Love Song (Basque-leaning small plates, a rotating natural-wine spine). Plan on reservations—and an unhurried meal.
Restaurant Week
Restaurant Week in January flips the switch citywide—tasting menus, tight prix-fixe runs, and chefs showing off. Spring and fall stretch into patio season minus the shoulder-to-shoulder crush. Book the buzzy spots, order for the middle of the table, and ask what just rolled in—from the docks or Pungo fields. Staff here love telling that story.
Call it your Oceanfront sampler: classics within flip-flop range, views set to widescreen, and sea air on tap.
Calypso Bar & Grill frames the Atlantic from a covered deck; Lager Heads nails burgers and craft beer. Fast-casual fuel Hit Aloha Snacks (poke, ramen), The Green Cat (plant-based bowls), or a Dough Boy’s location for their hand-tossed pies. Sky-high date night? Orion’s Roof. For garden romance: Becca at The Cavalier.
Dockside Dining
Along the inlet, boats glide past as plates hit the table. Rudee’s on the Inlet seats you at deck tables with raw-bar staples and sunset cocktails. Big Sam’s Grill & Raw Bar brings tiki-shack spirit (don’t sleep on the lobster BLT), while Dockside Restaurant & Seafood Market sells the day’s catch beside charter slips. Book a boat, bring back fillets, and some kitchens will cook your haul blackened, broiled, or fried while you rinse off the salt and adventure.
Year-Round Harvest
The Virginia Beach Farmers Market runs daily, year-round—a maze of produce, fish counters, baked goods, ice cream, garden shops, plus hoedowns and ag tours that turn a grocery run into a field trip.
Pour Decisions
Commonwealth Brewing Co. pairs hazies with wood-fired Neapolitan pies. New Realm Brewing walks you through the brew house, then pours the payoff. Country-calm Back Bay Brew House Farmhouse serves flights under big sky, and Wasserhund Brewing goes full Gemütlichkeit with pretzels, brats, and schnitzel. Hit Pleasure House Brewing for rotating experimental taps and charity nights, or visit Reaver Beach Brewing Company for a hop-forward list. The Casual Pint pairs house beer cheese with their giant pretzels, and near the Virginia Beach Sports Center, a bright shipping-container beer garden throws movie nights beside Aslin Beer Co.’s scratch-kitchen IZZI.
Spirited Away
Inside the Historic Cavalier Hotel, Tarnished Truth Distilling Company tours end with sips of Old Cavalier bourbons, gin, and vodka (peek into production from the Hunt Room’s grand hearth). In the ViBe, Chesapeake Bay Distillery riffs with breadfruit vodka (Mutiny Island) and Dr. Stoner’s herb-infused line alongside classics. Waterman Spirits runs organic vodkas through coral filtration for a bright finish (look for Orange and Grapefruit). Inland, Beach Vodka keeps a single-spirit focus in a sunny tasting room and lets the cocktails riff.
White Tablecloths
For when the lights go low and you want your plates get composed, there’s Terrapin (tasting menus and that cult-favorite beet salad), Heirloom (elevated farm-to-table, tight technique), The Atlantic on Pacific (upscale raw bar with attitude), Zoës Steak & Seafood (prime cuts, sommelier-guided pairings), or Love Song (Basque-leaning small plates, a rotating natural-wine spine). Plan on reservations—and an unhurried meal.