This place was very cool and loads of fun. Â Right on the water, great place to hang out and have a few drinks. Â The food was pretty good, not great but not bad either. Â The services was very good and I would recommend giving this place a try if you are considering for a casual bite / drink.
Review Source:Came here for brunch. Don't know why it's called an oyster bar, the oysters were definitely not even close to good. Â There were hardly any meat in the ones we got.
A waste of money for a dozen. Clams were ok not the best.
What got the four stars was the the outdoor waterfront seating and the Tidewater egg benedict, crunchy calamari, and burger with crab meat. Not a fan of the clam chowder either.
Went there today for lunch with family from Dallas. Â We waited all week to go out for seafood and I chose Chick's Oyster Bar as it USED to be the best in Tidewater. Â Very dissatisfied with the food. Â Oysters on the half shell looked like they had been sitting awhile, they were flat and dried, the oyster sandwich was disgusting, I tried one oyster and had to spit it out as it was mushy and tasteless, the crab cake sandwich was small and did not taste like crab, we were told it was lump which was a joke. Â Again I am disappointed with C.O.B. Â Oh and did I mention the prices!! Â outrages for lunch and what you get. Â on the plus side the manager did reduce our bill but we really wanted some good seafood and did not get it.
Review Source:My first trip here was a good one. My entire office took my boss here for her birthday with a total of about 18 people. We sat on the covered deck taking over three picnic tables. It was a rainy muggy day but the server opened 2 windows at our request (since the rain had just stopped). It was nice to get the breeze right off the water. We saw deck lights and imagined how nice the place must look at night.
Service was good, the food presentation was nice. Everyone in my party enjoyed their food. The atmosphere was relaxed and we had a great time with lots of laughs.
I had sweet potato fries which were delicious. Very sweet, not too crispy, just the right texture. I also had the lobster mac n' cheese which had a significant amount of lobster visible. I was hoping that the serving size would be sufficient (this dish is on the appetizer menu) and it was. I liked seeing the large pieces of lobster claw meat whole, showing that the price was worth it. But I really wish that the lobster had been in smaller pieces and intermixed with the mac so that I could have lobster in every bite. It was more like mouthful of lobster followed by mouthful of mac. A bonus would have been if the mac was creamier.
Overall I was very pleased with my visit and so was the rest of the team, as well as my boss's family.
On the way out you can grab an Atomic Fire Ball (offered instead of mints).
Just go for drinks. The food is beyond lack luster! Asked for raw shucked oysters and got warm flesh that was NOT scraped and a creepy crawly, nachos had more lettuce that ANY other ingredient, and the sweet potato fries don't even taste like sweet potato! Seriously, I have never had sweet potato fries that LACKED that much flavor or any flavor for that matter!
Only reason I gave this place two stars is because the bar tenders in the 2nd half of the restaurant were actually attentive.
Stay in the restaurant if you want to be served by the C team; move farther back for the A team.
Located right by the water with great outdoor seating, this place is the perfect spot to grab a drink, take in the view and enjoy some fresh seafood.
We stopped by around 7 pm on a Thursday and the place was packed. A huge plus is the complimentary valet parking, just make sure you have a few extra dollars to tip the guys (your choice, but we did, seeing as they were quick and friendly). Â When we arrived, the hostess told us the place was full and that there'd be a wait; however, she did suggest looking on the deck for open seating where there was plenty! Honestly, especially when the weather is as great as it was, we preferred the outdoor seating. Â If you're looking for fancy, padded seating, keep looking. Â These are good ol' wooden picnic tables, perfect for pickin' crabs and drinking beer. Â The atmosphere was fantastic! Everyone was smiling, service was quick and friendly, and the food was delicious! Several folks docked their boats and stopped for a meal while we were there, and there were children all around giving it a family-friendly appeal. Â We ordered the Jimmies and overall were pretty satisfied. Â It was so nice to be able to eat some fresh crabs after living in Phoenix for the past three years! They weren't huge, but were cooked well and not watery at all. Â For 6, we paid $20. Â Our appetizer choice was the peppered tuna bites and they were unbelievable. Order them, order them, order them! The portion is generous, the flavoring is perfect. Â
If you're looking for great seafood, friendly staff (valet and waitress), and a great water view, this is the place. Â We just went this once, so we can't comment past this order, but it was 5-Stars the whole way. Â We'll update when we go back, and we will definitely be back!
Great local hangout! Â Loved the open-air seating options, and glad to find menu variety -- (more than just seafood) Â - salads, sandwiches, entrees, grilled, broiled, or fried. Â Clean, roomy. Â
Only downer: traffic backed up two blocks waiting for valet parking! Â Folks were giving up, turning around, and going elsewhere.
I wanted to like this place but I just couldn't get there.
Went with a group of six on a co-workers recommendation.
I was disappointed to see that most eerything on the menu was fried.
The oysters rockefeller were just not good at all. They come out of the loca river and are not the quality I expected.
The wait staff of mostly young gals sporting shorts and tee's were all really nice and smiling and friendly. It sits right on the water which is a big plus.
Most everyone in my group had the same impression that it was almost OK.
The free valet parking is a nice plus.
Great place for a sunny afternoon or early evening. Â Beautiful waterfront views. Â There are basically three different restaurants/bars. Â Whatever your age, speed, music taste or family situation, you'll find one that suits you.
All the appetizers are great - I especially recommend the tuna bites and the crab dip.
Not what it once was...which is sad because this place ruled ALL at one time. Â I went for lunch here recently to see if the rumors were true, and ordered fish and oysters. Â The fish piece was no bigger than the heel of a shoe and the oysters were tiny and unappealing. Â Wings you say? They are OK. Â Beautiful wait staff? Yes, and they know it. Â Once was the time when this was a great TEAM bar...no more.
Review Source:I used to frequent Chick's when I lived in Chesapeake. Â My husband and I make trips down to the beach from Northern Virginia for weekends every now and again. Â On our last visit, I introduced him to Chick's.
Let me start by saying this last trip down on a Friday was particularly rough - horrible traffic, rain - what normally takes 3 1/2 hours took us over 7. Â Neither of us were in the best of moods when we stopped in for a bite.
It was Friday night and Chick's was fairly busy, but there was seating available outside, probably because it was still misting. Â The deck is enclosed with the plastic screens that are rolled up in nicer weather so no issues. Â We stayed warm and dry and still got to enjoy the view.
We were greeted by our server and she was quick to bring our drinks. Â We started with the fried shrimp and lava sauce. Â These were really fresh and delicious. I really enjoyed the side of lava sauce and our server was gracious enough to bring us a bit extra. Â My husband and I split the steamed crab legs and the fish special for the night. Â We had our fish grilled, and it was served with red beans and rice and one side - I chose steamed broccoli. Â Everything was tasty, but my husband especially loved the red beans and rice. Â By the time we finished out feast and had a couple of drinks, our moods were much improved. Great company, great meal and great service.
As others have mentioned parking is valet. Â It is also free, but tipping is always appreciated obviously. Â We did not have to wait long to get our car even on a Friday night so no complaints at all. Â We'll visit again when we are in the area.
There are several reasons to choose to come to Chick's. The location is really ideal even when its on the colder side. The service is good and prompt even when its crowded. The food, especially the appetizers are fantastic. The crowd is a mix of locals, transients, fisherman, families, business types and tourists/travelers. Maybe its just the location but we came back twice for the clam strips and local beers. My wife and I came here on a date and had a great time then a few days later with our kids and their grandparents-- it was perfect for everyone, even the non drinkers in the group.
NOTE: Other reviewers comment on the mandatory valet and mark this place down for that- I guess you can go that route or you can say that the place is packed (because its good) and the lot is oddly shaped and the valet really helps keep some order in the lot- you would get blocked in without it. So put two bucks in your pocket and tip the kid when they grab your car- its less than you gave the wait staff inside that thought you were really "cool".
Came here on a Saturday night for a Mardi Gras party. Valet parking only, unless you can find a spot on the street a block or so away. The place was packed. I had never been here before and didn't realize it was such a large place. I can only imagine this place is packed in the summer time because they are right on the water. The bar was nearly impossible to reach because there were just so many people crowding it that weren't necessarily ordering anything. There were also plenty of 20-somethings searching for Mr. or Ms. Right (can we say popped collars on dudes?!?!). The vibe was definitely a party scene with a DJ playing today's greatest hits. I think I would prefer some live music here in the summer.
Review Source:At the end of our 3month visit to Virginia Beach, my family and I decided we were not going back home without trying Oyster Rockefeller's. After a quick search on Yelp we decided that Chick's was our lucky pick. We were not disappointed. Son had the Grilled Cheese (can never go wrong). Daughter had the Lobster Mac (Huge pieces of lobster unlike anything in San Diego). Hubby and I had Claim Chowder, Tuna Bites and the Oyster Rockefeller's. YUM!!! Everything was perfect. Our waiter was awesome! Our only drawback is we wish we could have experienced this place on a warm, lively day as we hear it is a lot of fun. It snowed on our visit. Nevertheless, still very beautiful scenery in the enclosed patio.
Review Source:Great place near the Lesner bridge!
Good prices, good drink specials, casual atmosphere, fresh seafood - My favorites include the fish taco's and Ahi Tuna Bites.
Best time to go - warm months and be sure to sit on the rear decks, they are right on the water... you're sure to see some amazing sunsets over the Lynnhaven Inlet.
My husband and I wanted to try a new place and saw that Chick's was a local favorite. So we headed there for lunch today.
The two things that we enjoyed were the ambiance of the restaurant and the wait staff was very friendly. Hence a star for each on my ratings.
Now to talk about the food. We both ordered a bowl of chili to start. It came out lukewarm at best, but the flavor was good. Then my husband had a crab cake sandwich and french fries. Both were cold and the french fries were soggy. I had a side salad. It was decent for a salad and I really enjoyed the corn salsa.
All in all, the experience wasn't horrible, but it could have been better. Maybe we will try again later for dinner.
This is a very hard one to write...Today as I ate here I ended up choking on my food. Two great guys jumped up to help and saved my life . After the owner/manager came to check on me a few times and showed genuine concern. I am thankful not only to the two men that saved my life but  the staff that was understanding and caring about the whole situation.
The food and service was great! The Oysters tasted very fresh. If it's a nice  day outside I would recommend the patio it has a beautiful view!
Yum!
Coming to the Coast from out of town I knew I wanted seafood. My friends and I went here at 7 PM on a Saturday. First off, apparently all the parking here is valet? Cool, I guess. The wait was only 20 min or so, but we decided to just eat at the bar because we could sit immediately. We split a couple of dishes, ranked in order of how much I liked them (from lowest to highest):
A dozen raw oysters - good, these are freshwater oysters, as pretty much all of the oysters in VA Beach are.
Clam fritters - perfectly fried, and bite sized.
Steamed shrimp - just like I remember from my childhood in the Gulf! So good!
Crab dip - soooo yummmy!! Might have been the best crab dip I've ever eaten. And the pita chips they served with them were homemade and warm! Pure love.
Highly recommended locale for fresh seafood!
Back again and once again it was a decent meal. Â We started with the tuna bites, "no, not med, briefly grilled"....some were pink in the middle and many were cooked through, too bad. Â Even though they were over cooked the salsa and seaweed that came with them were delicious.
He had the lettuce wedge (I don't understand why people like iceberg) and he enjoyed it. Â Then he had the fried shrimp with cole slaw and I had the 'browned' flounder with broccoli. Â Our server described 'browned' as a sweet rub with just a little bit of heat, sounded good to me. Â It was overwhelmed with salt. Â I mentioned that to our server and he said it is inconstantly prepared and inconstantly applied to the fish. Â This was not the right answer. Â He made no attempt at offering to have it redone. Â I had obviously scrapped it off the fish to the side of my plate. Â The fried shrimp, almost like a tempura, was delicious. Â Now, there is one thing I don't understand about entree's from Chick's, they all come with a side of rice and beans, you get to pick one more side. Â Rice and beans don't go with fish, they just don't. Â And it shouldn't be a mandatory side. Â This rice was over cooked and dry. Â We both left it on our plates. Â I have to think they see a lot of this side dish go into the garbage......why???? Â Make it an option!
Chicks has expanded, again, and the new area is super nice with a huge bar and more piers to dock boats. Â This is a cool place to just sit back and watch the entertainment on the inlet. Â That is the primary reason I like coming here.
Came here after a drive from nyc to va beach. I wasn't expecting much and was plesantly surprised. Had the 1 lb crab legs, lobster mac n cheese and a dozen oysters between 2 of us.
The outdoor seating overlooks a lake or bay and it was pretty. The wait staff is very friendly and the food was overall decently priced. i would probably give the food 3 1/2 stars.
Great place to start a typical Shore Drive evening. Â Normal beer prices, water view and two bars. The lights come on at midnight and last call occurs at a reasonable time beforehand. Â Chicks is a text book local bar and...that's about it. Â I personally think the food is terrible. Â Eating here reminds me of eating in an airport. The menu, food and delivery exist simply to provide sustenance and pass time until you can get on to the main event. Drinking.
Review Source:A former coworker of mine is obsessed with this place and has been since it was basically a counter that sold oysters. Since then it's expanded, with their newest edition opening yesterday-- a massive outdoor area in the back with even better views of the water. The back room has its own restrooms, bar, and kitchen (with a smaller menu offering). It's like Chick's lite, really. I loved it. Huge ceilings, wide open deck, and plenty of seating.
Come here when the weather is good, since most of the seating is exposed to the elements. This is not a place for a rainy day meal, but instead for sunshine and a nice breeze. The atmosphere will make you forget about all your worries.
My favorite item on the menu BY FAR is the peppered tuna bites app, which is a pretty big meal for one person. It's market price (of course), but worth it. The tuna is cooked just right (a little rare) and I consistently have to be told to stop licking the soy/wasabi sauce off the plate.
Cousins invited me here, it's on the water and a great sea faring vibe!
Good news? They have Summer Shandy!!! Â Â YAY!!!!!
I got a seafood offering but it was like 5 clams, 5 mussles(one hadn't opened and I know what THAT means!!!) 5 oysters on the half shell and a billion shrimp that were neither peeled or mud veins removed...
Crap...
So I tear through the easy stuff but the shrimp are so labor intensive! I had to de-shell and de-leg and do the best I could do with getting rid of the mud vein....
For craps sake people!!!
Hire hs kids to work in the kitchen for dirt cheep to prep these things!!!!! My plate alone cost $22.00!!!! Â I could get that in CleOh with MUCH better presentation!
Good grief I did that in a landlocked restaurant in Ohio back in the day...
How can you NOT do that here???
Guuuuh...
wednesday lunch 1230-130
FOOD:
ordered:
dozen raw oysters
large steamed seafood combo
lobster mac & cheese
calamari
kids mac & cheese
raw oysters NOT GOOD! Â they were WARM! not cold or laid/served on ice. Â they also were not sweet, as most other oysters i've enjoyed both in pac-nor-west & east coast. Â some were a bit gritty inside. Â
large steamed combo was more like small order. Â oddly they had celery, carrots, and onion steamed with it, giving it an odd flavor. Â then it was drenched in a old bay-like seasoning. Â it was very bland and had no flavor...even with the spice seasoning.
lobster mac & cheese was dry and had little flavoring. Â i don't mind not having salt on a dish, but no flavor...and it was a lobster mac & cheese. Â where was the lobster flavoring, or a rich creaminess. Â this was lacking...although the lobster they used was real. Â not mac noodles, but even with a different name...or the actual pasta name for the dish...this would not have made the dish better.
calamari was bland! perhaps the calamari used was old because  the calamari was over cooked, but they batter was under cooked.  for all of you that are afraid of the leg pieces, not to worry...there wasn't a single piece of legs on the plate.  the marinara sauce was also not good. Â
kids mac & cheese was probably the best thing ordered. Â it tasted like it came from a box, which salvaged the mac & cheese because it had flavoring.
RESTAURANT:
free valet parking....but of course you should tip. Â
outside seating right along the water offering nice views of the bay as boats, jet skis, yachts, kayakers pass you by. Â you could even dock your boat right up to the lower restaurant seating.
bathroom appeared clean, but smelled of urine. YUCK! Â
staff seemed friendly. Â greeters were prompt as we entered. Â they were attentive and refilled drinks well enough. Â
IMO:
i wonder if the cooks were laying off seasoning, flavor, salt in the back because dishes were lacking today. Â and the raw oysters being served warm was pretty gross! Â
perhaps a few drinks and beer would have helped the experience.
So I rolled to Chick's last night as a one man wolf pack and kicked it pretty good all by myself. I've eaten there a few times and have had a fairly decent experience. I cannot remember their food being oh so good that I was dying to go back but it's the nightlife that draws me there.
First, the place sits on the water. On a warm evening it's so calming to sit on the dock and slowly sip your sorrows away as the moon shines on the water. Nice to be in an environment when boats come passing by...day or night. When you're in the mood to people watch you can easily find a seat at the bar and observe what silliness everyone is getting into for the evening. Overall, fantastic views...on many levels.
The place is separated in a number of ways: a main dining area with a bar when you walk into the joint, a private area on the far left of the restaurant, a bar area up a step or two to the right and a sort of secluded area in that same separate bar area that has a few seats along the water. Whether you're rolling deep, looking for a nice dinner for two or four or are interested in getting wild and crazy there are plenty of options there. TVs throughout the right side bar allowed me to keep up with the NBA playoffs while watching the fellas trying to score digits with the eye candy.
Beer was pretty cheap, too. I think I might have spend some $15 (after tip) for three drinks. It's an overall cool spot for some nightlife. The place was packed yet the service from the bartenders still seemed pretty good.
Valet parking is required and if you get there after 10pm for nightlife it can be a pain the butt.
No one at the hostess stand.
Bar is full.
Wait on the hostess ... was sat in a dining room near the bathrooms. Â
Got sweet potato fries that were drenched in cinnamon and brown sugar. Â Also got a HUGE tree of broccoli, and fluffy tasteless rice and beans.
My date got sick off his food- too greasy of a crab cake.
Random valet parking even when its slow. Â Its a dive, but at least my shoes dont stick to the floor.
I organized a going-away get together for a friend since I thought it would be nice to dine near the water. Â Although the view was nice, I won't be coming back...
Food:
No one at my table seemed to enjoy their food. Â I had the crabcake sandwich with potato salad. Â The crabcake was small and came with lettuce, tomato, and pickle, no sauce, generic bun. Â Small portion of red potato salad that was runny and didn't have much flavor. Â My friend's side of sweet potato fries looked like half of them were burnt. Â The nacho appetizer didn't have much cheese, but a lot of lettuce. Â
Service:
The server spilled a beer on one of my friends. Â We were originally seated at a bench that was literally crammed in a corner (I had to walk on the seat to get in), so we asked for a bigger table. Â The server said that she only served her "area" and told us that we would have to go see the hostess for a bigger table. Â The server would also come back to drop off a beer or something, but not ask us if we needed anything, so we had to flag her as she walked away. Â She also brought our checks pretty early without asking if we were ready for them- I hate that! Â
Atmosphere:
Eh. Â Nice view, but weird smell. Â Not the nice fresh ocean smell either- more like a fishy smell. Â We sat outside and there were fans running, but it was still pretty uncomfortable. Â Inside was pretty packed. Â My booth-like seating was fine, but friends said the stools were uncomfortable. Â
Parking:
Valet parking lot and very little options for free parking within comfortable walking distance. Â It didn't take long to drop off my car, but one of my friends had to wait 10 minutes.
Pros -- well prepared food, especially the seafood. Â Big selection of beers. Â Setting right on the water, with plenty of outdoor seating.
Cons -- not many. Â Not big on decor, but it is a casual dockside place, so picnic tables should be de rigeur, n'est-ce pas?
How did I not get to Chick's Oyster Bar in all the years of living in VB? Â DW had a good idea, for Friday evening of Labor Day WE means big crowds all over VB due to the visitors for Rock N' Roll Marathon. Â Arrived around 5:30 -- no troubles parking (valet) or getting a table near the water. Â Started with beer and wine, and the smoked fish dip. Â Finely minced smoked fish, and house made rounds of warm, crisp bread for dipping. Â Yum. Â DW had the broiled crab cake sandwich with steamed broccoli -- I had the fried shrimp dinner, with hand cut fries and an excellent crisp, yet creamy cole slaw. Â Just the right blend of richness and tang. Â The shrimp are a worthy competitor to Surf Riders' . Â In fact, I'd like to try them side by side -- they are that close. Â So full that we didn't have room for dessert, but the Red Velvet Cake almost got us. Â Maybe next time.
For a place with so much water around it, HR has a paucity of restaurants on the water -- and many are mediocre at best (are you listening Lynnhaven Fish House?). Â Chick's Oyster Bar delivers good food in a beautiful setting. Â If you go, you won't be disappointed.
Great little spot on the water with a fun beach vibe. Â Very attractive, helpful, and genuinely nice staff, well rounded bar/dinner menu with a nice mix of land-loving and seafood options (everything we had was delicious - soup, nachos, crab cakes, and mahi mahi).
Reasonably priced drinks ($4 beers, $5 shots) and a fun bar scene in the "tiki bar" section playing classic rock in the open-air but permanently covered area(smoking outside, no drinks allowed).
When I was there this past weekend there were a couple of birthday parties, a neon 90's bar crawl (whatever the hell that means), and a good mix of local regulars and visitors being shown their hosts' "favorite place," as was the case with my crew. Â
Would love to have stayed later as the crowd loosened up, but my boy's wife called to say she was on her way home from work...so you can figure out the rest of the story. Â
The valet is a pain in the ass to wait for when you first get to Chicks, so make someone else drive and say you're going to put your name on the wait list and go directly to the bar.
Hope to come back for my annual visit next year!
We went there for Sunday brunch. Â We were visiting a friend and he recommended it as a place that's a little different than your typical brunch establishment, a good place to take kids, a place on the water, and with a neat bloody mary bar.
Nice location - right on the water. Â Valet parking is a nice plus - although we were at the end of a week+ long vacation and our car was a wreck - they probably laughed at us as we left. Â The building has that well worn appearance that makes it somewhere between a dive, a charming establishment, and a place with "character".
I loved the whole make-your-own bloody mary bar . . . although the price was shocking - it was $15 for two. Â I did appreciate the blue cheese olives and the extra horseradish, but the olives looked that they had been around the block a few times. Â They also had other olive types, celery stalks, other pickled items, ground black pepper, old bay seasoning, a large selection of hot sauces, etc. Â It was kind of fun to be given a old bay-rimmed glass with a straw and let loose on the fixings (you could even customize the amount of tomato juice and Tabasco brand spicy mix).
We ate there for brunch on Sunday, although the total number of brunch offerings were kind of limited. Â Three of the four kids opted for lunch - the grilled cheeses looked decent and the hand cut fries looked pretty good. One opted for mac and cheese - it looked like it came out of a box and came with nothing else. Â All of those were about $4. Â One kid ordered the kid's breakfast which is eggs, fruit, bacon, and a mini-muffin (not bad for the price of about $5.)
I picked the crab cake benedict - on the special board. Â For $11 I got two small un-toasted english muffin halves, each topped with a small crab cake (adequate but a little fishy), a nicely poached egg, and some hollandaise (which was pretty terrible). It also came with bacon, some cut up melon and a mini-muffin. Â I thought the crab cake was too fishy and the dish definitely needed a better sauce and a larger amount of sauce.
Hubby ordered the traditional benedict, which he didn't really like. Â The ham was very salty and he thought they used pretty cheap english muffins. Â He also agreed on the quality and quantity of the hollandaise sauce being lacking.
Our friend ordered the mahi mahi sandwich (with pineapple mango salsa) off of the special board. Â It was around $10 and the slice of fish looked pretty thin for the amount of bread. Â The salsa looked fresh and there was a good amount - he didn't say if it was good or not.
We started the meal with a dozen steamed oysters (the price was really high and they were a little over cooked - just short of rubbery). Â Several of them were left uneaten.
My friend also ordered an oyster shooter. Â It was a beer shooter and I'd prefer a vodka shooter. Â It was $2 and that's pretty competitive - although I think they should cost about 50 cents.
We were seated at a long booth in the corner, I sat on the side against the wall where there were many, many spider webs. Â I ended up being bitten by a spider towards the end of breakfast. Â It was small and brown, it might have been a recluse. Â My arm is still stinging and I'm thinking I might need medical attention.
If you go, and you sit outside, make sure you don't sit against any walls!
So, my star ratings: 5 for the bloody mary bar, 3 for the prices, 1 for the spider bite, 3 for the "ambiance", 3 for the overall food quality, 4 for the view, 3 for the service, 2 for the steamed oysters, 4 for ignoring our antsy kids,and 5 for the company (although that doesn't count in my scoring).