50 Best American Restaurants in Norfolk

“The best tuna melt in town!!! A great spot for lunch, everything is delicious!

Update: still the best tuna melt in town, and the best soups. This is where I send people when they ask what to try in this area. Truly delicious food and wonderful people“

“This is by far the best restuarant in Norfolk. Chef Ticha is a magician with food. The prawns were the best I have ever had in the USA. All the Food prepared and presented beautifully. I come here without exception when I’m in Norfolk. The bartenders are fabulous as well and create some fabulous cocktails.“

“My wife and I have consistently enjoyed Swell for several years. Service and food are exceptional! However, I'm posting this review because of something that occurred this evening. Two days ago, I received an email informing me of a new addition to their menu ...... she crab soup. My wife and I were thrilled and decided to check it out this evening. We arrived, order wine and a beer, and were informed that the she crab soup ran out yesterday. I'm hoping that, in the future, if the owner is going to advertise a new menu item, that item should be on the menu. If it is not available, the owner should consider sending an email to his VIP members.“

“The food here is excellent and the owner is very welcoming and friendly. We would definitely recommend!“

“Food was great except the spinach was a bit salty today. Almost everything there is made from scratc. Though prices seem high, the portions are large and likely enough to split into two meals if desired.

It has a very cozy atmosphere. Wait staff was fantastic.“

“Unexpectedly delayed in Norfolk and happened to find this gem! Absolutely delicious! This is stuff you dream about. So freaking good!“

“Great people, food, atmosphere and affordable. I love the blueberry coffee by the way ❤️“

“The food never ceases to amaze! The menu changes frequently, a few mainstays, but a lot of seasonal adjustments, and regardless of when I walk in and what I order, I always have a great time.“

“Another excellent meal at Omar's Carriage House. The pork belly fried rice had just enough heat to it but not so much as to overwhelm the flavor.“

“I’ve eaten here now 5 times. Gone for an evening date, family gathering of 8, and a regular dinner for 4 out and about in town. They can accommodate anything. The food is excellent, creative and unique. Staff is nice and helpful, and hardworking. This is a staple for me. Parking on the street hasn’t been a problem but also garages are available or uber if you are enjoying the neat drink menu.“

“Brandon is the best bartender ever. His talents are unmatched. I saw him make 5 drinks in under a minutes like 150 times, it’s absolutely incredible. Blue Moon Brandon is what’s up Dudley.“

“We were in town for the night and a friend told us a out this place. OH MY I am so glad we went. Its a plate of big flavor. My husband had the chicken I had the filet..We talked to the chef after, very impressed and alot of experience under his belt. Wow is all I can say. We wish this place the best of luck“

“Who was bust down 10/10 must recommend came from out of town and was wanting seafood with my WOMEN and came across this gem of you looking for great seasoned seafood then come to PJK Not very busy but deserves to be have a great day stay blessed KINGCAMO757“

“Great food and staff, will go again“

“Great little find! Friendly and fast!“

“Good food for everyone, vegetarian and kids.“

“We stopped there yesterday for My Daughters First Birthday and The whole Experience was great the Food the People the Service was very good We will be back thank you“

“Always Amazing!! Best homemade bread! Had the softshells tonight incredible! Love the syds barrel cocktail whiskey! The mudpie is maddeningly scrumptilicious“

“We could not have asked for a better experience for our daughter’s wedding at Vista Point! Mara’s expertise was instrumental in bringing about a perfect weekend from the rehearsal to wedding to reception. The guests are still talking about the exceptional food and service provided by banquet manager Terri and team. And the bartenders developed and served signature drinks that were outstanding. When you combine incredible water views with some of the best people in the hospitality industry, you get the wedding of your daughter’s dreams!“

“Food is made to order and delicious 😋“

“Great food and awesome service I highly recommend it“

“Hidden Gem inside a family run convenience store. Been multiple times and food is always fresh and good quality, never a bad experience. The wings, wedges, cheese steaks, and homemade ranch are a must. They also have a large selection of drinks, snacks, and tobacco related items as well as cake slices that are great as well. Very nice people great customer service. Call ahead to avoid wait times as it gets and stays pretty busy most times of the day.“

“I've been going to see Eva for 20 years and her food is still the same, pure love and respect made with every meal, food is awesome, and the she hasn't aged a day. I always order a large bacon cheese burger add egg over medium with fries and 2 chili cheese dogs all the way with a LG sweet tea. Been hitting that hunger spot perfectly“

“Great food, great service“

“Cece our server was so nice and attentive!! Honestly, all of the staff was really great! They constantly came by to make sure we were good, bused plates off the table and made sure we were comfortable . It was a good place to watch the game in the AC out of the extreme heat.
The food wasn’t really good, even for buffet food.“

“The best burgers and mozzarella sticks!! Highly recommend!“

“best juiciest burgers by far! love this hole in the wall restaurant!“

“Booked our command Christmas party here. We had the back room with our own personal bartender. The food was amazing, the drinks were on point and the room was perfect for us. Our bartender went above and beyond and took everything in stride when we switched things up on her the last minute. Dave communicated with us every step of the way and made sure we had everything we needed. He let us view the space before we made the final decision and even let us come in early before they opened to let set up the day of the party. Will definitely be back.“

“They go above and beyond: I joined my book club ladies for dinner last night at Press 626. I have some mobility issues and was advised to take the back steps upon arriving. I was well assisted up the stairs and taken to our table. The servers could not have been more pleasant. When it was time to leave one of the female employees assisted me down the front steps and to my waiting car. They made me feel very comfortable and welcoming. Thank you so much.“

“We came here as a group of 6 on a Tuesday evening, and we were seated at their smallest table. When we asked to be moved to a larger (there were 3 open larger tables) we were told that the "wait" was too long. All 3 tables sat empty the entire time we ate. 3 of the 6 people in our party ordered the blackened sword fish at $34/plate. The orders came as grilled and they were severely over cooked. When we mentioned that the orders were wrong, we were told that they could take that fish back add blackened seasoning and re cook the same (already overcooked) fish. We asked to speak to the manager, whose immediate solution was to take off the automatic gratuity and just not tip our server. We never got an apology for the food being wrong, and the manager was completely rude the entire time. The manager's final solution was to take $4 off of a $80 bill. We will not be back.“

“Totally awesome atmosphere and service. Food was great too!“

“had a late dinner, after being rerouted on our way to NYC and had to find a last-minute stay. our server, Renee Barco-Miller was most gracious and professional; highly recommended. She made us feel very much at home after such an ordeal. They are very lucky to have her.“

“Great burgers n fries. The waitress is there by herself 4 nights a week but makes the magic happen. She is a wonder. Thanks Amy K. Dont know how you do it but you do. ;)“

“This is disgruntled employee that has been posting slanderous and fictitious reviews on multiple sites. She has been contacted to cease and desist.“

“Shout out to Yummo Bucko! A party of 4 we all spent close to $100, please know a 15% gratutity is added to each person no matter the size of group. This place will fill up fast (small and quaint), opens at noon on Sunday. I checked online to see if reservations could be set up and didnt see where that was an option, upon entering we were asked if we had a reservation. Even though we didnt we were told to select wherever we wanted to sit.

Food ordered: Sampler - grits where stiff and saudage links appeared and tasted as if straight out of (brown & serve box)

Fried shrimp - seasoned well and fried perfect

Eggs Benedict (2x) - one with fried, one scrambled it comes with two crab cakes and 2 lamb chops (lamb chops were supposed to be grilled medium well. Lamb chops was a new born baby lamb chop and so tough to bite)

Side order of original French Toast - ( one piece of bread cut in half $6.00)

Lamb chop brunch meal - comes with 3 lamb chops, smothered in brown gravy (I missed that part on the menu, I just wanted med well grilled lamb chops which came out the same as above. The menu stated mashed potates came with; however received cheesy grits with lobster meat. NO on the grits and the lobster was OK).

Lemon Pepper wings to go - brought order out and gave to the wrong person with no bag, just plopped down and walked away.

4 Mimosas which was ok.

Will we try this place again??? - Possibly on another day, just not BRUNCH.“

“Go Ninerssssssssssssssssssss“

“Great service food and wine! Highly recommend a visit with friends and colleagues!“

“This was my first time here. First person I talked to was security about where I could park. I parked in the section she was at and she walked me up to the door, told me who to see and to have a great time. I had a great time! I had two great waitresses Brittny and Cris. But to have someone walk me to the door and explain everything, I knew I made the right choice. Oh she said get the prime rib or steak…the security lady. I got the prime rib, boy she was right on everything!“

“We had a wonderful dining experience! Elaine was kind, courteous and very knowledgeable. She mentioned the daily specials prior to our ordering our meals. She was attentive to our needs and answered any questions we had regarding the menu. Our meal was delivered promptly after ordering. The food was delicious. We plan to visit again.“

“First time, really good!! Our server was Justin and he made sure we enjoyed the experience. Definitely would go again!!!“

“Had the Cajun chicken cheesesteak. Was delicious and had the perfect amount of heat! Would highly recommend it if you like spicy food!“

“Friendly, knowledgeable staff. killer drinks, and great food. hats off .. 🤙“

“Called in my order to surprise my fiancé with breakfast for his birthday. 🎂 I mentioned this to Karen, when I picked it up she told me she put a candle in his pancake. Such a kind gesture. She even wrote Happy Birthday 🎉 on the container. So very sweet. Excellent customer service. I always encounter a great experience whether I’m dining in, calling in, or ordering online. But I most definitely wanted to shout out The lovely Caring Karen. As always I highly recommend Belaire Pancake House.“

“Great place with good food and good service! Very unique fare. Highly recommend it. Upscale bar also.“

“Great place to grab a drink and hang with friends.“

“I was greeted warmly and seated immediately. Julia S. Was my server and she was lovely. The restaurant was clean. My cheeseburger and onion rings were delicious. My only complaint is if I’m asked how I want my burger cooked, it needs to be thick enough to actually cook it to the desired temperature. The burger was super thin so there is no way to cook it medium. However, it was tasty. The salad bar looked amazing so I’ll be back.“

“I went in with an open mind and my expectations were pleasantly met, the food was hot and had a good flavor.
My party stuck to apps since me and friends were going for a drink or 2 and just to socialise.
The mozzarella sticks were quite good, the wings were seasoned and had good notes of the garlic parm and lemon pepper.
The buffaloe bread dip was also worth ordering.
I was honestly pleasantly surprised we had someone that has celiac with us as well and we're able to find a gluten free option the steak bites without the sauce.“

“I've stopped by this establishment a view times during my stay in the city. Now the dishes have flavor and the restaurant has a vibe especially at night. Be respectful and have a good time while eating some good food! If you haven't tried it yet it is worth the visit.“

“Went here for Valentine’s Day dinner. Had a reservation already, so no wait to be seated. All of the tables were full inside, but the ambiance didn’t feel crowded at all. There was a specialty valentines theme menu that they had. Even with it being busy this night, our waiter was communicative and attentive throughout the whole night. We were informed early on that the kitchen was a bit busy/getting backed up, so we appreciated the transparency.

To drink: I tried the Sangria (8/10) I enjoyed the flavors; was a simple sangria. And the featured cocktail, Cupids Arrow (10/10) this drink should be on the menu permanently because I’d def dine here again just for this drink. It had a good balance of being fruity, fizzy, and decently strong for a light buzz.

To eat: we started with appetizers, the Fried Green Tomatoes (9/10) I typically don’t like tomatoes, but the batter alone on these had me wanting to order more! They were tasty. The Kale Caesar (8/10) felt like a little more dressing was needed, but it still tasted good. I ordered the Filet Au Poivre (7/10) I requested for my Beef to be medium; however, some bites were medium and some were much more medium rare… a couple burnt ends on some of the asparagus. I enjoyed the seasoning on the meat tho as well as the softness of the potatoes and the creamy pepper sauce. I got to taste a bit of the Santa Fe Chicken Penne and it was very tasty; I was lowkey wishing I had order that myself instead.

For dessert, we tried a slice of the Raspberry & Passion Fruit Mousse Cake (8/10) it was very fruity and sweet, def a “refreshing” sweet treat. Though the flavors were bold and complimented each other decently well, this was not something I’d see myself ordering again honestly.

I was decently pleased overall with everything I had for the night. I can see myself returning to try some other menu items.

My overall rate of experience : 8.5/10“

“One of the last bar's for OV locals to enjoy. Smoking at the bar, non smoking beyond the french doors leading to the pool tables. Plenty of TVs for your sports needs, cheap drink prices made with love, decent food menu with daily specials. Older crowd during the day, mostly regulars, but very welcoming atmosphere to all. Open 365 even today Christmas Day 11am.“