Set sail with the Captain and crew with a bunch of friends for a Saturday night dinner. Â I was disappointed they didn't have oysters, but understand why they won't serve local ones in warmer weather. My crab cakes and crab soup were both excellent. My wife's sauteed shrimp and scallops combo were tasty, but the portion was a bit small for the money, and oddly served on a thick slice of toast. Service was excellent. Visiting out of the way joints featured on DDD can be hit or miss; this was a big hit.
Review Source:I almost missed out on this little gem because it was getting late and the sun was going down over James River and as I left the Hampton area via the bridge, I had to stop and snap a few pictures! So lovely.
After driving through a dark, windy, country road for half an hour, I finally pulled up to this restaurant next to a marina. It was featured on Diner's, Dives and Drive-Ins so I had to make the trip. I'm happy I did. I was lucky enough to meet the man behind it all, Chuck. And what does Chuck eat for dinner? A steak covered with onions and damn near the size of that dinner plate.
Why not seafood, I inquired? We have good seafood, he told me. It's very fresh. But if it's not the best of the best, I don't mess with it. I'd rather eat a really good steak. I felt right at home here, to be honest. Seated at the bar, talking to the waitresses and Chuck. Â Originally I sat outside but the bugs were eating my legs so terribly I asked to move inside. Â The waiter had no issue!
At each table, alongside the menus, was a prayer menu. It explained that the family owned business is run by Baptist Christians and the menu provided several suggested prayers. Â I thought that was pretty bold and interesting!
I couldn't decide what I wanted and I hadn't had fried fresh seafood before, so I got the seafood platter. It had shrimp, oysters, scallops, hush puppies, rice, beans and fish. It was good, but fried fish is fried fish. Lol. I really liked the fried oysters. Â I also ordered a root beer. Just so you know, soda's come in a can. No refills here. Â I'd also heard or watched via Triple D that the Key Lime Pie with homemade toasted coconut is to die for. So at the urging of my hilariously flaming waiter (who had a brief spat with Chuck over his snapping at other employees), I obliged. Â It was pretty good. I'm not a big key lime pie fan though, so I wouldn't get it again. Â All in all, great experience. Worth the trip!
After viewing this restaurant on a repeat of Diners, Â Drive In's, and Dives, Â I had to visit. It's very close to my home... I arrived- in a small fishing village across the river. I wouldn't have known that a film crew ever visited, the restaurant certainly didn't show or share any of the experience which i felt was a mistake... I should have known better to continue!!
The show boasts of the crab cake, and of course, I had to have it. I bought it as a "a la carte" because I really wanted their shrimp and scallops which i ordered. Though the shrimp and scallops were fresh and tasty, I only had 4 of each for over $20 served on top of a random thick piece of bread?!?
The reason for my visit- the crab cake- was awful!! it was like they had a ball of filler, sliced it in the middle- stuffed a few pieces of lump crab, smushed back together, and pan seared. The flavor was off... it was yellowish... and it tasted awful. Looked way different than the tv episode. I was shocked... you can't do mediocre crab cakes in hampton roads... its just wrong. Take it off your menu please!!!!!
The home made key lime pie was amazing and made up for that awful attempt of a crab cake i ate moments before...
Service was great. Food was hot, prepared quick. place was clean and quaint. I did find my Triple D' moment- Guy signed a cap barely hung in the gift shop just up the hill from the restaurant. The kind cashier showed it to me in protest when I shared my disappointment in not seeing anything Triple D related.
My wife and myself were in the area for a day and decided to try this place since it was on Triple D. Food portions are very good and the price is reasonable.  We had the crab cakes and they are decent.  We are from Maryland and spoiled so we were let down a little.  However, if we were from anywhere else, we definitely would have thought they were really good.  The potato salad that was served was outstanding, as was  the greens that we got.  We decided to indulge on the browny as a desert.  Be very careful with it as it is huge, loaded with ice cream and pecans, and will kill your points if you are on Weight Watchers :-). We also had the fried calamari for our appetizer and it was not the best that we have had, but decent to good. Overall,  great service,  decent food and good experience.  I think that this is one of those places that you will never be sorry that you went to but wouldn't be a first choice as well.  I did want to mention that the owner came around to every table at least 3 times during our dinner to make sure that everyone was happy.  That is huge points in our book.
Review Source:Good solid fresh food. Â Food is a three service pushed it up to a four. Immaculately clean... I saw the cook wearing gloves. Â We had the steamed oysters - very good and fresh. Â The fish tacos were also good. Â The peach cobbler was ok - mine is better :). Â The service was fabulous...staff went out of their way to seat us where we wanted. Â Our server was very nice and attentive.
Review Source:The food here is very good. Â Great crab cakes and I have also eaten the tuna steak which was wonderful. Â Amazing potato salad as well. Â Since coming to Virginia, I have noticed terrible service at most restaurants. Â This place is the polar opposite. Â Some of the friendliest service I have received in the area. Â The food and service is 5 star easily. Â The reason I am giving it 4 stars is because the cost of the food does not reflect the fact that you get paper tablecloths and Styrofoam cups. At $20+ per plate, I expect some better decor and at the very least, a glass for my water. Â Other than that, this place is great.
Review Source:Love this local restaurant. The wine pour is great and tastes very good. As for the food, that is wonderful too. Expect the traditional seafood selection, but they do it very good. The fish tacos and fresh oysters are fabulous. The Captain tries to visit his patrons which we always enjoy.
Review Source:Daughter and I visited today. Â Unfortunately we both ordered crab cake sandwiches, so we don't have much variety to comment on. Â Calamari was cooked perfectly. Â Clam chowder was fabulous. Â Crab cakes were bland, with no evidence of seasoning. Â Maybe you just can't get good crab cakes outside of Maryland.
Review Source:This is my wife and I's favorite restaurant. As a novice chef myself I find it hard to find a place I truly feel is worth my hard earned money. The restaurant is of the beaten path and that atmosphere isn't fine dinning. But the food is great and the staff is always friendly. If you haven't been before take someone with you and split the captains feast. It's the best bang for the buck.
Review Source:First time visit to Chuck's....not pleased with pricing and overall food. Paid $23 for fried shrimp and scallops. Â I wanted scallops broiled....not an option. Only got 4 medium shrimp and 4 scallops. Had apples and green beans as well. Â Food taste was ok but pricing was outrageous. Also, if you want a soda you have to pay 1.75 for each one. If I'm paying $23.00 for an entree I want to have free refills! Â Will not recommend or visit again.
Review Source:As a fan of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network, I love seeing places here in Virginia featured. Unfortunately, most of them are down in the southeastern part, such as Captain Chuck A Mucks. But as a biker, nothing like finding new roads to old places. I've been down in this area quite a bit; camping in Virginia Beach, attending rallies in Chesapeake and just riding. And, of course, eating at dive restaurants. This place is quite unique. It's an old fishing shack on one of the tributaries of the James River that was converted into a restaurant. They screened in the porch and added more tables. Picnic tables covered with plastic table cloths, Â plastic silverware, mason jars for glasses (check out the "wine glasses" if you are ever there) and fish and fishing paraphernalia on the walls. Parking can be a challenge for motorcycles, being that their lot is gravel, but right across the street is a boat storage facility that is never busy, so we just park in their paved lot.
I crave good crab cakes, and Captain doesn't disappoint. They are nice and fat, just enough filler to hold them together, cooked just right. The coleslaw is freshly made, but could have used a little more celery seed and mayo. Chuck always comes out to say hello and to shoot the breeze, which is pretty unique for ANY restaurant. The down side is they don't have Budweiser in bottles, just Bud Light. Oh well...
If you are bringing a group, make sure you call and let them know about what time you are arriving. They have only two tables that they use for groups of more than 6.
Way overrated. Decent food, but very small portions for the price. We got the seafood sampler  that was the usual price of about $30 but was not the amount of food I'm used to. kid meal had one piece of chicken and a few fries. Worst was a drink called "jet fuel" that claims you need a dd after you drink it, that I swear had no alcohol in  it. Nice people, nice place,but was disappointed .
Review Source:i've been here seven or eight times over the last year or so, and yes, i'm a fan, particularly of the crab cakes---i've had both the boat and the dinner, and i've learned to get the dinner, especially if they have butter beans on the menu that night...the other sides are good too. Â i've always had very, very good food and service. Â lynette is always a fun person to have as a waitress---very outgoing. Â casual, funky atmosphere, and i really enjoy having dinner on the deck during the warmer months. Â very pretty place, definitely off the beaten path, and in my view, worth an extra dollar or two for a nice dinner at a great location.
Review Source:I visited CAM's today for lunch. Â The location was off the beaten path in Rescue, VA, and offered decent riverside views from its dock location. Â
The staff on shift was friendly, and the building was clean, with an outdoor, dockside motif. Â We ordered fish tacos, fried shimp boats and lemonades for a quick lunch. Â The hushpuppies served were sweet yet very tasty. Â Some say that they are the favorites of a small meal. Â In all, the main courses were above average. Â The selling points of the Captain's are the location and the profound freshness of the seafood and fish. Â I would recommend a visit for a change of scenery...and if you value freshness of ingredients.
The only suggestions I have are that napkins should always be tableside for this type of eatery...and that larger servings of fresh squeezed juices be the standard. Â
I'm an honest and tough grader, so this 2.5 is accurate, and the changes above would make the 3.0 solid ;)
Seems overrated. Â The hush puppies were the best thing. Â The crab cake, boat size was so-so. Â The flavor was good with a buttery finish. Â Very small portion. Â The Mahi Mahi tacos were not good at all..the salsa was nice but the crumbled fish was without flavor and grey... Not tasty!!
Review Source:I would suggest ordering something that's not fried. This way you can enjoy the freshness of the seafood. I had the Fish Tacos w/ Caribbean Rice. This was excellent, the tacos had mango salsa it was delicious - fish used was Mahi Mahi. The Caribbean Rice had small bits of pineapple in it, was delicious.
Sampled some of the crab cake - they were great. Wasnt a big fan of the batter/seasoning of the fried items...it was average and took away from the premier seafood to me...so if you dont like that it  appears they use the same for everything. All of the seafood was fresh and delicious.
We came here for dinner (4 adults/2kids). Â This is a quaint little place with picnic benches for tables. You can view some photos on their website. Â We started with the fried calamari which was tender and not stringy or chewy. Â My husband and I had the Mahi fish tacos which we thoroughly enjoyed. Â The Mahi was moist and delicious and the small cup of caribbean rice was yummy. Â The kids had corn dogs with french fries so they were happy. Mom had the fried oysters dinner plate which came with 6 large oysters and two sides. She had the coleslaw and potato salad. Dad had the fried shrimp dinner plate with coleslaw and french fries. Â They both raved about their meals. They had the option of ordering dinner plates or baskets. The basket meal comes with one side and the dinner plate has two sides and hush puppies. Â They both ordered the dinner plates but neither of them could finish their meal. Â We had a margarita and a strawberry daiquiri...both were great. Â If you're looking for fresh fried seafood this is a great little place. The fish tacos were not fried and suited us well. Â The nightly specials when we came included an angus steak dish, a chicken dish, and a seafood platter. Â The service was awesome! Â Check their website for hours since they seem to vary. We recommend and will be back.
Review Source:Very basic seafood that is a little overpriced. Â I had a cup of clam chowder and the fish tacos, which came with a side of Carribean rice. Â The clam chowder and fish tacos didn't have much flavor. Â I poured tartar sauce on the tacos. Â I loved the rice. Â Service was excellent.
I don't really think this restaurant is worthy of being featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
Came here having high expectations after seeing them on Triple D. Â Left feeling disappointed. Â While I thought the food was decent, I felt that the portions were small for the price. Â Limited side dish options, especially for someone who doesn't care for beans.
The owner of the restaurant was working the floor while I ate at the bar, and while he must have walked past me at least six times, he never once said a word to me. Â A "hello" or "hope you are enjoying the food" would have been nice.
Although I don't have this new-fangled "Cable Television", I was told that Captain Chuck A Mucks was featured on some show about dives with some guy named Guy. Knowing that Muck's is a dive while also knowing that it was featured on a real live "Cable Television" show, I was very confused on what to expect. So I went with the most obvious expectation....good food, dive atmosphere, local fun service...
Ding ding ding!
The rumor is true, the food is served in plastic baskets with plastic silverware and the wine glasses were re-purposed Ball Jelly Jars. I'm not sure what everyone who gave bad reviews of the dinnerware was expecting from a restaurant featured on a show about DIVES with a host named GUY, but if they were expecting anything more than baskets, plastic and re-purposed jars, they are not smart and should not be reviewing a dive with their uppity crap attitudes.
The food itself, was far finer than the dinnerware and I enjoyed every bite. Most of our table ordered the crab cakes which were some sort of truffle-esque lump of minced crab with lump crab in the center. I did not try the crab cake but a close source (so close she was sitting next to me) told me that it was "the best crab cake she has ever had". The hush puppies were hush puppies, just as most other hush puppies are simply that. They were quite delicious but I have a hard time raving about something that is so completely hard to screw up.
The food comes in two sizes: Boat size, which is enough for a nice meal for one, or Dinner size which is Boat size x 2.
I ordered the Yellowfin Tuna Steak Boat, which turned out to be Yellowfin Tuna Steak cooked to order on a bun with fries. I also got a side of sauteed green beans and coleslaw. The Tuna Steak was perfectly cooked but altogether plain if you don't use the "Special Jerk" dipping sauce. The dipping sauce consisted of some sort of apple-cinnamon/Jerk Seasoned syrup that looked a lot like maple syrup. It was a perfect and unexpected compliment to the Tuna and made my belly happy. It was not quite as spicy as I like my Jerk (and I do like my Jerk spicy) but yummy none the less.
I wolfed down the green beans. I would say that it was because these green beans were out-of-this world, but I think it was mostly because they came out before my other food and I adore green beans. They were tasty though.
The cole slaw was also cole slaw. Just as the hush puppies were hush puppies. It was good, I ate it, and I enjoyed it, but nothing to write home about.
The service was phenomenal. I was a bit scared after reading some of the reviews but apparently we got the cream of the Chuck A Muck crop in service. We had a table of 10 women, some slightly inebriated on wine, some very outgoing, and some just plain crazy. The servers (we had two ladies) handled it perfectly. They took every picture we asked them to take of us, got us everything we wanted in a timely manner, replaced things that weren't to our liking, and even got the captain to take a picture for us at the end of the meal. A++ to both of them.
So service gets the extra star this time. This was the kind of place where I wish I had the option of 3 and a half stars. It was above average but not quite four stars. For lack of options....four stars it is.
My boyfriend and I are visiting Norfolk and we decided to go here based on the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives tv show (which I love) and pretty much got what I was expecting. Â Our iPhones were taking us to the location listed and until we pulled on the road that this place is located I thought for sure we had the wrong address. Â Its located back in a really remote part of town with houses along a water way. Â
Here are a few things that bothered me:
If you get the shrimp and don't want to eat the poop vein you'll have to de-vein the shrimp yourself. Â I ate the first one without realizing and I'm trying to not think much of it because it grosses me out. Â It's easy to peel off but yeah, I ate the shrimp poop.
The other thing that bothered me is how the food is served. Â My iced tea was served in a styrofoam cup. Â The creamy crab soup (was AMAZING) but was also served in a styrofoam cup. Â My shrimp and scallop combo dinner was served on a party-type plastic plate. Â All of the utensils were plastic. Â I don't care that it was cheap - I care about the environment and the amount of waste that is produced. Â I don't know if they recycle but I'm guessing probably not. Â
Service was fantastic! Â All of the food was good. Â I think some items were a bit over priced for what it was. Â My shrimp and scallop dinner included two sides and you got four nice sized shrimp and four scallops for $22. Â My boyfriend and I felt like it should have been more like $17 at the most.
Went there again, for lunch this time. We got there right as it was opening, and as we walked in, the wait staff was in a circle holding hands in prayer. I personally found it odd, but hey, if you are into that kind of thing, you might appreciate it more than I did.
Food is good. Sat out on the deck, which was very refreshing. They used a boat sail as a "roof" to shade the deck, which is very cool. Â The service was good. Â I like the crab cake boat better than the soft shell crab. Something about eating the crunchy legs just freaks me out.
We saw this on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives and felt we needed to try it since we were less than an hour away. Â Our GPS got us there without a problem.
We went for a late lunch. Â It is clean, the service was great and the food was excellent. Â We loved the views. Â We ordered onion rings that were some of the best we have had, home made with panko bread crumb breading and delivered hot & crunchy to our table. Â We both had the crab cake sandwich boats with fries and wish we had skipped the onion rings! Â Way too much to eat so we had to skip dessert which look wonderful.
We enjoyed the "House Rules" "Use Your Inside Voice" "No Potty Mouth - This is a Family Establishment".
Well we came back....fortunately the waitress with the neck tattoo was not there. We decided to go in with a fresh start and totally open mind. Their specials of the evening were oysters and Mahi Mahi. When I asked about the oysters, she informed me they just came in and were fresh, but that they werent served on the halfshell, but fried. That's odd. If they were fresh, why would you toss the halfshell and fry them? Makes me suspect  they were NOT fresh, but frozen. I asked if the scallops were frozen, she said no, but that they were (again) fried. That's strange, I know if I had fresh scallops I would saute them; at a minimum, grill them. When I asked if we could have them sauteed, she said it would depend on who the cook was that night. Excuse me? For a $22 entree, I should be able to have my scallops prepared however I want, cook or no. I decided to go with the Mahi Mahi, since it was the "special" and my husband ordered the fish tacos (which we had to request to have the mahi mahi grilled instead of fried). When it came out (rather quick I might add), the Mahi Mahi was definitley overcooked and bland. My husbands tacos were also mediocre, as was the caribbean rice and coleslaw served on the side. I will say the hushpuppies were really good though.
So here's my overall problem with this place: you're sitting on uncomfortable benches, you're eating on plastic bowls with plastic utensils, you're drinking wine out of mason jars, and you're eating food that is on par with Long John Silvers.......but you're being charged prices of $20-30 entrees. I'm all about supporting small, local businesses, but I think because this is the only restaurant within a 5 mile radius of civilization, it CAN charge those prices and therefore it's a monopoly. I get that they were featured on Diners, Dives, and Drive-ins (for their fatty crabcakes), I get that they're going for a kitsch atmosphere, and I get that they're redefining the term "laid back", HOWEVER, I return to my theory that price MUST reflect food and atmosphere and without that, you simply have an overpriced restaurant scavenging on their customers. We so desperately wanted to like this place after our initial visit and particularly so because we have been dying to find a great local seafood place, with an emphasis on fresh catch. But sadly, this is not the place and we remain dissapointed with the lack of quality this establishment puts out. Pass.
Great food, great service, great location -- what else is there?
Capt's is right on the water, and the menu reflects the setting. Â Fresh seafood dominates the menu (beef and pork selections available, but why?) -- I especially like the fried shrimp or the grilled yellowfin tuna. Â The tuna is also featured in an excellent salad, if you want something lighter.
Get out there early, grab a drink, watch the sunset on the deck, then dig in to some great chow. Â Life is good.
I can't believe I'm the first person to review this. Considering that finding this place was a bit tough...I can see why.
Captain Chucks is a hidden gem in the middle of nowhere. I first learned about it from Guy Fieri on a episode of DD&D's on Food Network. It's a seafood shack which was pretty nice on the inside. There is indoor & outdoor seating and it's right on the water with some nice views. The staff was very friendly and checked back on us often. We were sat by the owner Chuck, and he greeted and checked on many tables while we were there.
We started of with some steamed shrimp, and bowls of "unisex" crab soup. The shrimp were perfectly steamed, large, and fresh tasting. The soup was excellent. Creamy & thick, nicely seasoned with no shortage of crab meat. For lunch we order some fried flounder, fried scallops, & crab cakes. Everything was excellent. Nothing was overcooked. The crab cakes had very little filler, and had tons of lump crab in it. The scallops were plump & fresh. Even the fries & cole slaw were delicious.
It's definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area. The food was excellent and it's a great place to grab a few beers, relax, and eat some darn tasty seafood. It's very casual & also super family friendly. Just make sure you print the directions from the website. It's definitely a "hidden gem."
They take Mastercard, Visa & of course Cash.
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