The Hampton Roads area might be one of the best places in the world to get seafood, but that’s not all you’ll find to eat at the many restaurants in Norfolk, Virginia and beyond. Here are just a few of the best restaurants to check out if you live in the area or even if you’re just visiting.
Freemason Abbey Restaurant
Sitting near the Elizabeth River waterfront at the corner of Freemason and Boush, Freemason Abbey Restaurant is exactly what the name claims: it’s an old church which is now a fashionable and very popular restaurant. The menu is just what you’d expect from an American coastal town: salmon, lobster tail, crab cakes, steak, and plenty of pasta meals. You can also find a very reasonable list of vegetarian meals, including a fried green tomato sandwich, but the house specialty is the She Crab Soup.
No Frill Bar and Grill
No Frill has two locations, one in Virginia Beach and one on Colley Avenue in downtown Norfolk. Despite the name, No Frill has plenty of frills, with a cozy, warm interior, a blazing neon sign out front, and a cooking staff that cares equally about serving big portions and providing a nice plate presentation. Their dinner menu takes inspiration from all over and includes meatloaf, baby-back ribs, chicken burritos, pierogies, Cajun catfish, and teriyaki chicken pitas. The chef also offers new specials every day.
Chartreuse Bistro
Located just across City Hall Avenue from the MacArthur Center, Chartreuse Bistro is a small European-style bistro with high prices and high standards. The owners, a husband and wife team, take pride in offering food they buy directly from farms that grow their products organically and sustainably. The bistro provides three-course meals with several options for each course, but their menu changes daily, so there’s no sure way of knowing what you might find on any given day. Some examples include cucumber gazpacho, oyster mushrooms, potato gnocchi, and chocolate cake.
Handsome Biscuit
Unlike the restaurants listed above, Handsome Biscuit is a breakfast and lunch place, so don’t expect to find it open past 2 p.m. except on Friday and Saturday. The small restaurant sits at the corner of Colonial Avenue and West 26 Street, and as you might have guessed from the name, the main reason to stop by is to have a sweet potato biscuit sandwich.
A few egg sandwich options are perfect for breakfast bites, or you might prefer the one with peanut butter, jam, and salted butter. Lunch options include chicken and pork sandwiches, and on weekend evenings you can enjoy one with fried fish and cabbage.
There’s no shortage of great places to eat in the Hampton Roads area, and in Norfolk alone you can find restaurants that offer down-home cooking, exotic meals inspired by international cooking, and uniquely Virginian flavors that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. So whether you’re looking for a high-class meal you wouldn’t expect to see outside of Europe or possibly New York, or you want a warm biscuit for your lunch break, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
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Image via Flickr by Joe Wolf
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