A:

Hi Kevin,

Wow, that is a pretty loaded question! 🙂  You want the BEST place for seafood in Virginia Beach?  Yikes, that is almost impossible to answer.  There are so many types of seafood (oysters, rockfish, shrimp, crablegs, tuna, etc..) and on any given day one restaurant may have a better fresh catch than another… so there are a lot of things to consider.

We love a challenge so we will give it a try. 🙂

Here are some of the top seafood restaurants that we recommend in Virginia Beach (in no particular order).  If you come to Virginia Beach and love seafood, you should visit at least one of these during your trip:

• Lucky Oyster Seafood Co. – Just as the name states, this is the place to go for oysters.  They also have a full menu of seafood and it is all good so don’t just focus on the oysters.  Lucky Oyster Seafood Co. is south of the main oceanfront so you will need to have transportation to get there, but it is worth the drive.
• Bubba’s Crabhouse and Seafood Restaurant– This place is an institution on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach. Bubba’s was one of the FIRST seafood restaurants along the bay. They guarantee you the freshest seafood, delivered daily to the dock, prepared to your liking. You can relax and enjoy the best view of the Lynnhaven River, inside a rustic dining area or on a covered deck where the sounds of the birds & watermen will attract your attention.
• Salacia – One of the few restaurants at the oceanfront that has a full display of fresh seafood for you to view.  This is another upscale restaurant that will require some nice attire for dining.  Located inside the Hilton on 30th Street, Salacia is a popular place for tourists.  Our recommendation is to try the SEAFOOD TOWER. 🙂
• Chops– Located in the heart of the Oceanfront just one block from the Atlantic Ocean and the Virginia Beach Hilton in the new 31 Ocean area. Chops offers the very best steaks, incredible fresh fish and seafood. A great place for almost any occasion.
• Steinhilber’s– This is one of Virginia’s oldest restaurants and has an outstanding reputation for incredible cuisine and an enchanting atmosphere. You will want to try seafood options such as the Eastern Shore Oysters or Fried Crab Cakes. It’s a special dining experience for sure!

Well that about sums up some of our recommendations.  This is certainly not an all-encompassing list of seafood restaurants in Virginia Beach, but it is just a small list of our favorites.

You may have noticed that many of the places that we mention are not located at the oceanfront.  In fact, many of the good seafood restaurants are located near Shore Drive.  We think there are a few reasons for this.  Shore Drive has quick and easy access to the Chesapeake Bay through the Lesner Bridge, so the fishing boats can come and go and guarantee that the seafood is always fresh.  Also, these restaurants are not located at the oceanfront so they don’t have to serve a massive number of people.  Sometimes you lose a little bit of quality when  you have to serve so many people so quickly.  That is just our opinion.  Explore for yourself and we would love to hear your opinions of the best seafood restaurants in Virginia Beach!

Have a great day at the beach!