This is the best place I've gotten a bite to eat since I've moved to Virginia 2 weeks ago. Albeit, I've only been to a handful of restaurants in the area. Regardless, I still think No Frill Bar and Grill will maintain a high rank in my mental Virginia food experience list. The service was great and the food was delicious. Every time I ask someone about this restaurant they rant about how great it is. I'll be surprised if anyone were to drop the word hate in the same sentence as this joint.
I had the Funky Chicken Sandwich with some chili on the side. The chili was pretty tasty--be sure to get it with sour cream and cheese on top. I don't recall having a better cup of chili in my life. The sandwich I had was juicy with melty cheese goodness. It was a unique chicken sandwich experience and I recommend ordering this entree. I wish I got some of the local beers they had on tap--I haven't had any local brew yet. Perhaps I'll be back sometime, especially because it's tucked away in the nice historic neighborhood of Ghent that I need to explore a little more.
The food game here is no where close to what it is where I come from (California) but I'm happy there are still some spots to look forward to.
I decided to go here for brunch b/c I've heard such great things about NFG's sunday brunch.
The shrimp and Grits were amazing.
The side of biscuits and gravy were only $3 but Hardees has better biscuits and Gravy. Sorry....
The bacon was really good. Cooked to perfection.
The brunch menu seemed a little limited.
5 stars if they had more extensive brunch menu.
Their lunch and dinner is good.
1 time I went the bartender brought me some type of corn salsa I think to eat with my meal. It was really good and fresh ingredients.
My favorite dish here is the tuna pita. I've had it for yearrrsss!!
The service is usually really good when I come here. The bartender I had the 1 day I came in for lunch was super personable.
Everything we've had on the menu so far has been delicious. Â Some dude on here was singing praises about the burgers as if they were god's gift, we found them to be just burgers. Â The staff is super-friendly. Â The service is super-fast and always great. Â There is usually a wait, unless you get there right when they open, but it's never long - 15 mins at max. Â We love this place and will continue to come here often as long as we live in this area.
Review Source:LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I have never had a meal here that I didn't love. The atmosphere is so perfect for a date or business meeting. The staff is always amazing.
Ahhhh!! I was just there a few weeks ago and now am craving to go back. Do yourself a favor and check out a delicious local's secret.
So consider this a place holder until I check this place out again. I hear great things, so I'm thinking my meal was just a series of bad choices. I had the drunken cheese bread. It was a grease bomb without much redemption in terms of flavor. The hubs had a lunch special, a fish sandwich. It okay, but nothing I'd order again. The breading was a touch burnt and rather thick compared to the size of the fish. He very much disliked the cole slaw, I thought the smokey taste was unique but didn't enjoy the end result. Service started off pretty hostile, but the waitress relaxed by the end of the meal. Guess everyone was having a bad day.
Review Source:I've eaten here three times in the last two weeks; twice at this location, and once in the VA Beach location. Â This one has much more character and in a funkier location. Â
The meatloaf dinner is really, really good. Â I never get meatloaf when dining out, for a variety of reasons. Â But someone here gave it high marks, it was the special on my first visit, so I gave it a try-wow! Â I liked it so much, got it again on my third trip. Â Get extra sauce-that stuff is GOOD!
Tried the bacon cheeseburger on my second visit--another home run. Juicy and tasty.
Great portions, decent prices; you can't go wrong here.
Everything here is amazing. Â Call ahead or make a reservation for this locals favorite. Â I love the seared tuna (medium) salad .... Â Had a cheat day last time with the shrimp and grits. Â Mouth watering perfect. Â I could cheat with this meal everyday. Â Get a to go box. Â Portions are huge.
Review Source:I've been a couple of times, but never during the lunch rush. It was packed and we came in with a huge group. Â Every order was correct and served in a timely manner. The service was absolutely wonderful and the food was great. Â I had absolutely no complaints! I'd go back in a heartbeat.
Review Source:No Frills is a great place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner....probably even makes a great place to recover from surgery, it is just that great!
The sandwich menu is what keeps me coming back for more. Â Today it was the New York Deli Style Special sandwich.....Pastrami, Swiss, Cole Slaw, Lettuce, Onions on toasted rye. Â With some onion rings on the side, please. Â My lunch partner had the Salmon BLT and with a side of pasta salad and said that it was amazing, a claim i would not dispute.
Even though the place was packed on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, we were taken right to a table and given the usual fantastic service. Â
Of course I will be back....all of this PLUS the vibe that is Ghent? Â What's not to love?
I love the food, the atmosphere, and the service. Also despite their near constantly filled restaurant the prices are fair. Â I have gone here several times and will continue to do so. Â All of the servers are prompt and friendly and one in particular whose name I can't remember brings the jokes, which who doesn't love. Â It is perfect for the small groups of friends I come in with, but let it be known this place is hopping but not for the "rowdy" crowd like red dogs.
Review Source:I've eaten at this restaurant 4 times and each time was great! The portions are more than generous, and the prices are very affordable. Â The environment is very cozy and inviting. Â The staff is knowledgeable and very helpful. Â I would highly recommend the meatloaf and cornbread. Â It taste better than my grandmothers...hope she doesn't see this lol
I will definitely be going again
Can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! Â It's one of the few go-to Sunday brunch places that we go to, and have yet to be disappointed. Servers are friendly and responsive, and understand the importance of quickly returning with the post-church mimosa. Â Breakfast fare is good, but I always end up getting the reuben. Â It's a fun, friendly and welcoming place. Â If you're lucky enough to get seated on the sidewalk side of the restaurant you also get the benefit of joining the impromptu peanut gallery as you watch people try to parallel park!
Review Source:I usually come here with a lunch party of about 15-18 people, so we are squeezed into a sectioned off area to contain us all. Â Once everyone gets their seats, no problems.
Love the food and the service. Â Our end of the table started out with an order of the Chicken Nachos, which came as a mound of savory goodness perfect for us all to share. Â The other end opted for the homemade hummus and buffalo shrimp, which I've had in the past and also recommend to get the palate ready for the main dish.
I opted for the Funky Chicken Salad and have also enjoyed the London Broil Salad, and Honey-Smoke Pacific Salmon. Â All are excellent.
No one had any complaints about the service, and our waitress kept the (non-alcoholic) drinks from running dry. Â It's a great place for lunch.
Im so full I can't move, in a good way. Which means I ate too much cause it was too GOOD! We were going to go to another place but seating was limited so since this was around the corner and on my list of places to check out we went. We walked in and luckily got the last two top table, as they were pack for the 1 pm lunch rush. Our server greeted us within minutes. He was overall very nice and personable. The decor is artsy and fun, the bathrooms were fairly clean and had as much flair as the whole place.
We opted for an appetizer which is rare for us. The Artichoke Dip with Pita wedges was awesome. tIt contained actual huge pieces of artichoke, not the tiny little chopped up chunks you usually see in this kind of dip. They make the pita wedges themselves seasoned with a parmesan seasoning, very good. I see so often a dip of this nature will be so tasty but served with boring run of the mill tortilla chips or something. It was a nice touch having the pita wedges, they added flavor and held up against the heavy dip due to its giant artichoke chunks!
After much debate I ordered the Spotswood Melt, and thats what it does, it melts in your mouth. The burger was not over cooked, the cheese and onions are all melted into the crispy grilled sourdough bread. You cant just say there is bacon on this burger because its not your average bacon, it is thick cut, cooked perfect and delicious! This burger  was perfect and full of guilt! I originally ordered fries which i would have to say were the only thing I did not like, they were nothing special, just frozen fries. So I asked for an extra order of coleslaw after the fact, Im glad I did. I find good coleslaw to be hard to find. Most is watery and flavorless or has been sitting in the cooler way too long. This had long chunky cuts of all  colors of cabbage, with an awesome sauce. It was not just sweetened mayo, it had an asian flavor too it and i immediately  recognized a sesame oil flavor. I flagged down the waiter to ask and he told us it  was called Dragon sauce. Whatever its called doesn't matter though, it was good. I was so pleased with my meal however the portions are large so I took half home with me.
My boyfriend ordered the Bacon cheeseburger which to me looked pretty awesome. The Bacon makes it, its such good quality bacon. He seemed to really enjoy it so it must have been good. With it he ordered onion rings, which I would refer to as onion tires! they were giants and the batter was light and not too over powering. similar to a beer batter I would say. They serve the onion rings with another lovely sauce they make that you could dip anything you were eating into and it made it good. It was delicious! I would like to go back here many more times, next time is to try their Funky Chicken which they are known for.
Food porn......that pretty much sums up the experience here today. I was sweaty, at times I got dirty, and in the end I was satisfied.
The portions are more then generous, even with the artichoke dip appetizer we started with. Brought to the table sizzling and bubbling, even the dip knew it was the "Dog's Bollocks". Â Whole pieces of creamy artichoke accompanied by pita wedges enough for two people easily.
The service was great even tho they were busy, gave us tons of time to decided on what to get and everything we ordered came out as requested and in a pretty short period of time considering how busy it was around 2 pm on a sat.
Now lets talk about my thick cut bacon cheese burger.... The bacon was most likely cooked by Jesus in heaven from one of his prized Jesus pigs, and  then sent forth down to earth onto this mountain of a burger that was presented before me.
From its arrival I knew for certain I was going to be dirty soon from handling it and also that it was going to be one of those burgers that had its own highlight reel of flavor moments where everything just comes together as sinful delight in you're mouth.
The bun was like a fluffy but firm vault that held this beast together. Never tearing, never giving up , it held its own and was the perfect vessel for my glutinous hunger hole.
The onion rings that I also had tag along for the ride to pleasure town were also fantastic and had a dipping sauce with them that worked perfectly. They were firm, crispy and most likely will have taken a year off my life from eating them all but ya know what?
F$@#! that year. It most likely would have sucked anyways. So dig in.
Cheese steak was very good. Â Fries were extremely hot. Â Have a local selection of beer. Â My date had the sirloin salad, which she loved. Â I tasted the sirloin and it was great. Â
Place was packed and lots waiting. However, they said the wait was 15 mins. Â We were also seated in 15 mins.
We like this place.
A Ghent staple.
Been coming to No Frill for many years.
Can't beat the price for the large portion size.
The standard menu is very tasty as well, though there have been a couple of specials that were a little lacking.
Their salads are amazing. Fresh&Tasty.
Spotswood Melt and Funky Chicken are our two go-to dishes.
Happy to bring out of town guests here to represent our area.
I wrote my initial review for this place after eating here once. However, upon my multiple visits to Norfolk, VA, I have come to appreciate the consistency, portions, affordable prices, and outstanding service this restaurant offers.
I've recently tried the Spotswood Melt, and oh my goodness, it is sooooooooooooo delicious. The buttery and crunchy bread, the juicy patty, bacon, and melted cheese comes together into a hot and savory crave-curing package of goodness.
We had some time to kill during our free day in town. A barkeep from earlier in the day advised us to visit Ghent. As we looked to find an entrance to the Green Onion, we found No Frill Bar and Grill.
The place was packed and had a line when we arrived. This is always a good sign. While waiting in line, I asked a nice women if the food was good. She recommended the Crab Benedict. So, we took that advice and were provided with an excellent meal. The poached egg was made in a mold (if you know what I mean), but it was cooked properly with nice runny yolks. The crab patties were excellent. They could have been slightly larger to cover the muffin, but that is what the tomato slice was for. The cheesy hash brown ball was an interesting method to serve potatoes (could have been cooked a bit more, but was otherwise really good).
Since we were hopping throughout the day, we didn't try other items on the menu. But looking around afforded us a chance to see some full plates and happy customers.
Definitely a place to return to. Will need to bring a larger appetite next time.
Maybe I ordered the worst dish on the menu because I don't see why this place is rated so high.
I had the funky chicken sandwich. Â That was one huge greasy sandwich! Â The bread must have been drenched in butter and fried. Â It was served with what appeared to be oreida frozen fries. Â Ate a quarter of it before my gag reflexes kicked in. Â The smell of old dish rags didn't help. Â The place had that familiar old diner smell.
A friend ordered some kind of beef dip sandwich. Â He said it was ok and ate half. Â We stopped fighting off the flies and just let them have our meals.
4.5 stars
This is a great place to go with people especially if you don't know what you're in the mood for. The menu has a pretty good variety and as others have said, the portions are large.
I had the seafood trilogy, which came with shrimp, catfish, a crabcake, rice, spinach, and cornbread. I was hungry so I finished it, but you could share it (theoretically).
The crabcake was really tasty, whereas the catfish and shrimp could have used a little more flavor.
Service was good and and attentive. The interior is a great for dinner, although it can be a bit loud.
If you're undecided or with friends that are the mood for different things, no frill is a solid choice.
I keep meaning to write a review, as this has been one of the standby places over the years where I feel like there's something to please everyone. My mom is a meat and potatoes type of eater; I don't care for red meat; one friend is gluten intolerant; several friends are vegetarian; my husband thinks mushrooms are evil. All of us can eat there and leave quite happy.
The only complaint I have is the coffee - I can't remember what brand they've switched to, but I just don't like it.
Pro: Â Great comfort food at a very reasonable price. Â You can point randomly at anything on the menu and get a great meal. Â I recommend the Funky Chicken Sandwich, the London Broil Pita, and the Meatloaf.
Con: Â No reservations, so peak mealtimes on weekend nights may require a wait.
You know when you go out to eat starving, and at the end of the meal you are not completely satisfied, and kind of wishing you had gone somewhere else? Well, you won't get that feeling after visiting No Frill in Norfolk. Not only will you be stuffed, smiling, and scraping your plate, you will feel content with every penny spent on your dish.
I have never had a meal I didn't enjoy when eating here. The portions are HUGE, and I love it! Everything is delicious, and reminds me of good comfort food you would crave, but with a unique twist on it. The amount of sides you can choose from is plentiful but not overwhelming, and they only compliment the delicious main courses.
I ordered the Buffalo Shrimp Sub sandwich and the Pasta Salad ( my fav! ) as my side. The sandwich literally covered the entire side of my plate, and was packed with at least 12 smaller, deliciously breaded shrimp. I pride myself as being a lover of all things buffalo, and the sauce at No Frill held up to my test! It was so yummy, I asked my server for an additional dipping side, which he promptly brought back to me. The sub also comes with blue cheese, which is perfect! I may or may have not eaten the entire thing....that's up to you to guess ;)
The pasta salad, which I have had many a time at the Virginia Beach No Frill location is more like a smaller serving of a main pasta dish. You will find no little elbow macaroni, or mayonnaise here my friends. No Frill packs their pasta salad with full penne pasta, mixed in with a flavorful blend of olive oil, shredded parm, pepper, sundried tomatoes, and spices. It's amazing, and I could probably eat it every day.
If you are in the mood for a meal that will not disappoint, I strongly suggest hitting up No Frill Bar and Grill. The food is great, the service is quick, and even with the substantial portions, you will always be hungry for more! :)
Started going here regularly a few months ago, it's pretty awesome!
My husband and I usually sit at one of the 10 bar seats. Service is pretty good up there and the bartenders are friendly. The main downside that I've seen is that their happy hour is from 4-6. Doesn't realy work for 90% of the working world that get off after 5pm.  It's a small  bar area and the servers all have to get their drinks from there, too, so be prepared for a lot of activity around there. Â
It's primarily American style food with sandwiches, ribs, and great salads on the menu. The menu is pretty massive, though, and there is something for everyone on there.
I've had their salads and flatbread quesadillas, both of which are very large portions and delicious. The salads are literally mountains of fresh veggies topped with your choice of meat. I like the flank steak on the greek salad. It amounts to a like 2lbs of feta and a bunch of meat, only barely meeting the qualifications for a 'salad'. My husband has had a few of the sandwiches there and has had no complaints.
Definitely a consistently great place for dinner in Ghent.
No Frill is an awesome local restaurant. It's not strictly a seafood joint, but it's what I wanna get when I'm there.
True, they have awesome salads, great pita sandwiches, and a yummy meatloaf dish, to name a few. But, the crab cake and shrimp dishes are amazing, the catfish is so good, and the seafood trilogy is... well, it's way too much food for one girl to eat, but it's simply heaven.
The restaurant gets pretty packed around 7-8 Friday and weekend nights. On those nights, service can be spotty but generally they're good. They also serve good craft brews. I love to stop in when I'm home visiting my parents.
I've been going to this restaurant for the last year..probably too often. Â When my group of friends is indecisive about where to go, we have a running joke: "Well, No frill never disappoints!"
I have yet to get anything on the menu here that was less than just the way I wanted it. I try to to get something different every time to test its boundaries, but No Frill wins every time. Having said that, the food here isn't a culinary wonder of the world, but if you look on the menu online you will get an idea of the food and can be confident that it will be exactly as you would imagine it.
Favorites among my friends are the Spotswood melt, grilled chicken pita, teriyaki grilled tuna (asked for it seared!), and reuban sandwich. I have also tried the chili and french onion soup and they were both great!
In conclusion, if you're near Ghent and think 'I just don't know what I want to eat...', I give you permission to use my group's phrase: 'No Frill never disappoints!'
Looks like you don't need frills to have a great meal.
My friends and I stopped by No Frill Bar and Grill over Memorial Day weekend for dinner. Â Our entire meal from appetizer to dessert was so delicious. Â The ambiance was laid back and comfortable but not so casual that you'd want to wear sweatpants.
I started with the chili and cornbread while my wife ordered the french onion soup. Â Both were excellent. Â For my entree, I had the BBQ sandwich. Â It could have used a bit more sauce...that would have put it over the top. Â To wash it all down, I had a sweet tea. Â It was sweetened perfectly...not so sweet that it was crunchy and gritty but enough to satiate my sugar-craved palate. Â For dessert, my wife and I shared the chocolate chip cookie sandwich. Â If the cookies had been a tad bit warmer, I would have given the meal a five star rating.
Overall, No Frill is a great spot to grab a bite in Norfolk. Â Excellent portions, good service, and very reasonable prices. Â On our way out, I looked around the hostess stand for a post-meal peppermint . Â But wait...that would be a frill.
This is a fun place to eat at! Â Had lunch here today. Â Very diverse menu and a pretty good beer menu as well. Â I had the tuna pita. Â The tuna was cooked perfectly and their homemade dressing on it was awesome. Â
Pretty central location in Ghent, great place to eat at, then walk around the area. Â Great place for a date.
Oh man, did we love this place!
It was recommended to us by my parents for us to try on our visit to the Norfolk area, and we were told there wasn't anything on the menu that was bad. Well, we didn't have time for everything on the menu, but I'd like to just say it's been a while since I've enjoyed anything as much as I enjoyed my Asian Porabella salad. First of all, it was beautifully presented in a crispy rice bowl that tasted so good when broken into pieces and eaten with parts of the salad piled on top. Really, it was soooo good! I added the optional grilled tuna, and that's how I recommend everyone have it. YUM!
My husband and son got the cheeseburgers because they are boring. I did have a taste, and they were good... they tasted like cheeseburgers... good cheeseburgers.
I'm not sure if I would be able to order anything else but the Asian Portabella Salad if we were ever to find our way back to Norfolk and the No Frill Bar and Grill; but I will try and get my husband to be more adventurous so I can have a bite.
You can't go wrong at No Frill. Every single time I have dined here (which has been about 10 times) , it was AMAZING! Fresh food, massive portions and friendly staff.
The atmosphere is great.. from the funky art deco wall art to the exposed brick to the high ceilings.
While I have tried the scrumptious quesadillas, the juicy meatloaf, the yummy funky chicken sandwich, and several other great items, I LOVE the salads (especially the funky chicken salad). No matter which one you get, it is literally a whole salad bar on your plate. Did I mention the homemade salad dressing, parmesan pepper? YUM!
Love this place!!
Had brunch here last weekend. Â Good stuff. Â Friendly waitstaff.
We had the corned beef hash and chicken & biscuit plate. Â The hash was okay, not great. Â It was house made, not from a can, but lacked flavor overall. Â Ended up more like steak chunks with hash brown potatoes. Â Came with eggs, hollandaise, and an english muffin. Â Hollandaise was forgettable, scrambled eggs were tough, Â under seasoned, and tasted like the came from a carton.
The chicken and biscuit plate, on the other hand, was amazing. Â Panko breaded tenders, two biscuits, and sausage gravy, with cheesy hash browns. Â Out of this world.
Oh, and the coffee was pretty blah. Â Both of ours had grounds in the cup.
Rushed.
That is how I felt today at No Frill.
Perhaps its a holiday coupled with prime time for lunch, but it irks me when the waitress continues to ask if I'm ready to order when its apparent (and trust me, it was), that I was very engrossed in selecting my lunch time cuisine. While I do appreciate timely service, when my french onion soup shows up mere minutes after I've requested it, I become suspicious as to how many soups are waiting in the queue during the mid afternoon rush. I really do not like to receive a cup of soup - or, excuse me - bowl; as I was corrected as to the only size available for french onion - to appear to be sloppily dropped in front of me, with splashes of onions on the otherwise clean spoon.
As far as the food goes, its great. Tasty, huge portions, nice selections.... I do like to come here for lunch while in town.
But today... I left a bit less satisfied.
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