The Back Deck

I absolutely love this place food and drinks are worth going for and you cant beat the view.

I am a fan! On the water, inexpensive, good drinks and food and it’s outdoors on a pretty kick butt deck. Small but big enough to handle a crowd. I loved their mango crush, off the hook! And the bay oysters were pretty amazing. If you want a place where you do t have to dress up and get some good food, this is the place. A new Va Beach fave!

Love The Back Deck! Amazing view, great cold drinks and simple menu items. Taco Tuesday is the best! Friendly staff and Virgil always makes a point to stop and say hello to my husband and I. Love the gift shop too! I need blinders on to walk to the restroom without purchasing atleast one cool beachy thing. Their t-​shirts are great quality and make great gifts. We even purchased one as a gift to the concierge at a resort we stayed at in Punta Cana, DR.

So disappointing! I was so looking forward to coming here for a few beers and an appetizer, especially with the great view. My sister ordered a glass of wine-​which was literally hard to drink, it was like the bottle had sat there opened for 2 weeks. It has obviously been corked. She had two sips and opted for a beer. We had a few beers and decided to order the «fresh guacamole.» It was in fact, not fresh and our chips were stale! We took two bites and sent it back. When we received our bill, the guac had not been taken off. When we asked the server, she said «they are really bad about that,» and went to talk to the manager. She said the manager would not take it off our bill!
We then asked to speak to the manager, who told us, because we ate two chips, they could not re-​sell it, so we would have to pay for it. Obviously they should not re-​sell it, gross! He then went on to say that he tried the chips and they were not stale, basically calling us liars. Why would we lie about stale chips?! This «fresh guacamole» was made 5 hours prior to us even arriving. Not so fresh. This policy is completely bogus-​if they serve crap food, customers should be forced to pay for it? Was I just to eyeball the food and think it might be bad and send it back so maybe I could get my money back?
He never once apologized and was outright rude about the whole situation. He was not professional in the slightest. Do not waste your money or time here, there are other places with the same great view.

Worst place in Virginia the menu sucks we ordered guacamole and it was black as hell. service sucked ass never again will we come to this place.

I normally always have an all around good time here but today my guacamole didn’t come out until after my entrée, my crab was still frozen, my shrimp tasted like the ocean, and we had 3 different servers-​neither of them were good. We also waited 30 mins for the 3^rd different server to come see us for us to ask for our checks. Very disappointed! 2 stars today! Hopefully everything improves for next time!!!
On another note– adding frozen drinks would be a lovely thing :)

I’ve been coming to back deck for years — before it was even named back deck. The service and food have consistently gotten worse and worse over the years. Today was my last attempt.
I showed up around 3 to grab something to eat before work and a beer. The bar was totally full, so I sat at a little bench on the water. Watched the bartender look at me, see another group come over, go to serve them. Walked by me to deliver beers to another table, looked at me and walked away. Went back behind the bar and started stocking beer. I’ve heard horror stories over the years about this places management, so maybe that has something to do with it. After waiting patiently after seeing another girl show up in hopes she might ask me if I need ANYTHING (water? Beer? Anything?), I gave up after 10 minutes of being completely ignored.
There’s plenty of places on Shore Drive on the water with better food and better service. Please pick one of those.

Hard to beat the view :)
Solid draft beer selection of microbrews, daily food or drink specials M-​T-​W-​TH & Sunday + extra happy hour deals 3−7pm M-​TH.
We tried the nachos and a flatbread pizza special ($ 6! for a pretty darn big mushroom pizza). All good, no complaints, not mind blowing but definitely would eat it again. Did I mention the view and the reggae music?

What a Difference A Day Makes
Dinah Washington called it, I’m just repeating it. But she’s on to something here.
A repeat visit to the Back Deck, night and day. This time was primarily for some beers and the view, but did get some foodsies while hanging at the tables overlooking the Lynnhaven. So far, pretty much the same experience as before.
But this time: SERVICE was Off The Chain Great! My little group was attended to promptly and courteously. Waters all the way around, assorted beers for those assembled. Want some food with that? No hurry, I’ll check back with you in a bit.
And did! And we ordered, and it was brought to us.
So, in my view, the only thing that kept this place from a 5 star rating on the first visit was quickly and effectively fixed, and fixed well I might add.
5 Stars, hits the Must Do List. But don’t tell the tourists, ok? Let’s keep this spot to ourselves for a bit.

I was so excited to try this place out but left VERY disappointed.
I ordered the individual size shrimp and feta pizza, which I thought would be good. It was luke warm and repulsive. I couldn’t even eat half of it. I think the worst part of it all is that they use colby jack cheese on this pizza, which (in my opinion) is disgusting paired with shrimp, and not very good with feta either. One of the pieces of shrimp was either not cooked all the way (it was about half rubbery and translucent), or the pizza had been sitting out fo a while before they brought it to the table: both of these were feasible. Let’s just conclude talking about this abomination of a pizza by saying I had enough drinks to be tipsy when I got it, and I still thought it was horrid. Should have gone with the buffalo chicken pizza… :-(
My husband got the scallop sliders and LOVED them. My father-​in-​law got steamed clams and loved them. Mother-​in-​law got shrimp and said it was okay. The crab dip for the appetizer was edible, but nothing to rave about.
I think Back Deck is a good place to drink with a nice view. The best part about the whole place is the view of the water. I could get everything else they offer somewhere else, done better, for around the same price.

The food was good the beer was cold and the view is awesome!
Looking for a Nosh last Friday and a cold drink we headed down shore drive our initial destination was packed for March Madness so we Unilocaled this place and decided to give it a shot, you pass though a small fish shop/​general store kinda cool actually and out the back door to one of the cooler looking bars in the area with a million dollar view of the Lynnhaven. We had a seat at the bar and 10 minutes passed with out a greeting of any sort we were close to walking out when the Bartender came back around and asked if we were with the wedding party uhhhh no and asked if they were closed for a private party since they weren’t i inquired what was on tap? Either she was new to the restaurant or as a bartender but did not know and had know list seeing a dogfish tap i believe i went for that. My wifes orange crush was like watery orange juice guess not everyone can do a good crush. The food however was a delite we had the crab dip and a dozen raw oysters, the oysters we plump and juicy and fresh, the crab dip with pita toast was a tasty treat little cool in the center but good non the less! We will try this place again, it was a little uncomfortable to listen to wedding speeches when we were not there for that party, but all seemed to be having a good time and we were not the only ones not with the party. The food served for the party looked delish as well.

Holy cow! This is the place to be for Sunday brunch. We got here right when they opened and I’m glad we did because it got really busy.
Pitchers of mimosas for 7 something and they bring you a straw with it. No breakfast food so if that’s what you’re looking for go somewhere else. The crab dip was heavenly. This week not doing so well on the vegetarian thing. Also if you are a strict vegetarian this is not the place you want to go. It is a fish place people.
The fish tacos, Omg!!! Honestly the best I’ve had around here. The waitress told me they use Mahi or rockfish. Also it is grilled, not fried, which is another huge plus! Tiny bit spicy but I love spicy food. Seriously people if you don’t like these fish tacos you don’t know what you’re talking about.
I sat on the same side as my friend so I could look at the water. It probably scared him to death! Sorry buddy. Great place to get your buzzed brunch on with wonderful food. If you don’t like it something is seriously wrong with you!
Great food, great view, great buzz. Couldn’t ask for more! Oh yes nowhere on the front is «Back Deck.» So look for «Shellfish Company» and walk through what looks like a fishing shop. Weird but that’s the deal.

The view of the inlet was spectacular as were the fish tacos! Oh and the mimosas were on point!
I met up with a new Unilocaler bud after watching the Shamrock Marathon and we had a lovely meal. I had mentally prepared for brunch food and was planning to order a nice omelette and bacon, but they actually only offer lunch fare (my fault for not doing any research). It ended up working out just fine as the fish tacos were really good. The fish was fresh, well seasoned and succulent. We shared the crab dip appetizers which was pretty good (still like my mom’s better).
The mimosa pitchers were our main reason for checking the place out– thanks Ashlea L. And they definitely delivered here. They’re not as big as a normal pitcher, but to me are the perfect size to enjoy one all to yourself. $ 7 was a good deal too considering they weren’t weak.
The service was a bit slow (weren’t in a rush at all, so NBD) but friendly. I thought the prices on some items– including the crab dip– was a bit on the high side. Really chill spot, though, If I lived in the area I would come to the bar all the time on spring and summer evenings.

Small bar with a relaxing view, it was raining the day I stopped by but still a great view. The Mango Crush and Caprehenia’s are very yummy, the fish tacos are tasty but my favorite item on the menu is the crab dip. The bar area is out on the deck, inside is a Seafood market. It’s a great place to grab a few drinks with great company.

Feeling like a few cocktails with a wonderful view? Look no further than Back Deck. This place has an awesome view. It’s not the bay, the lake? creek? Waterway? Not sure, either way, it’s a great view and you won’t be disappointed if you go just before sunset and watch the sun go down with a delish cocktail in your hand.
I can’t attest for the food, as I was there for Sunday Funday and just drank. It’s a pretty small area, but very enjoyable atmosphere. I would def suggest checking it out if you’re down on shore and want a place with a view.
I look forward to frequenting this watering hole come Spring and Summer. I’m sure it will be much busier.

Zero customer service. The view is the only reason they would get a star. I had originally written this under the Shellfish Company that’s why my review is several months late.
We wanted seafood and try a different spot so we came here. It was seat yourself which was the first indication that the bar was more important than serving food.
After finding a seat and being ignored for about five minutes we called it quits and went next door.
They really need to figure out a hostess-​waiter system.
I’ll try again another time but not soon.

I think I would have been able to give this location a higher score if we had been able to sit where the bay was, but instead we sat on the side of the building facing Bubba’s since we had a large group. The waiter informed us that coming with 2 people is much better because you can squeeze into a smaller spot on the back and enjoy the view.
Even so, we were able to walk down the dock on the side and get a few pictures of the sunset!
He was immediately there to help us put tables together, brought some extra chairs, and was very attentive throughout our meal and quick to bring out our orders, so apparently these other reviews got stuck with the crappy servers. Go, our guy!
This was my first experience with Fish Taco’s, something that the sound of always grossed me out in the past. I finally decided to give them a try, and I’m so glad they did. Although they were expensive ($ 10 for three taco’s), I think it was worth it. A local let us know that Tuesdays (I think it was Tuesdays) are $ 2 tacos. If I were a local, I’d be here EVERY TUESDAY for those fish tacos. But I would drink somewhere else:
The cocktail menu was very impressive, but the drinks weren’t. They were definintely strong (I was buzzed after one Rum Runner, so nice job, Rum Runner!), but they just didn’t taste that great. Suprising, because just the descriptons on the menu had be salivating. They were also a bit too pricy. But I always think Cocktails are too pricy.

I would like to give this place a better rating, but I wasn’t too impressed with the service, which I will go into more detail later. The atmosphere was great! You can either walk through the Shellfish Company’s store or around the side of the restaurant to get in. It overlooks the water, and is just a calm environment (of course depending on the crowd that’s there at the time). It was such a beautiful day to sit by the water. I liked that you can see the bar from wherever you’re sitting. I also noticed they have shutters to enclose the deck if it starts to rain, which is definitely a plus.
After sitting down, it took a few minutes for a server to approach us. Then, once we get a drink menu, we had to wait again to place our drink order. Once we got our drinks, she didn’t come back to take our food order until I flagged her down. There was an older couple that sat down next to us and they were attended to right away. They also got their food and drinks at a significantly faster pace than we did. It was even busier when they got there. Hopefully the situation won’t repeat itself the next time I visit or I may not want to go again.
Despite the service, I was pleased with the food! I ordered the scallop sliders, which is something I have never seen at anther restaurant. They were AMAZING! I loved that the scallops melted in your mouth and were so flavorful. The sauce that came with it also was a great addition to the sandwich. My boyfriend had the fish tacos, and those were very delicious as well. I would come back again just for those sliders!
The drinks were okay, but were small even for happy hour. I’ll have to look more at the drink menu next time.

This place had a very casual, laid back atmosphere. When we first walked in, we were not greeted by anyone and later found that we should seat ourselves. After finding a table, we sat there for half an hour before anyone came to take our drink orders. I can tell that it’s definitely one of those places that favor regulars!
The food came fairly quickly after we ordered, though. The food was good, but nothing I would really come back and wait for all over again.

To say this place is confusing to find is an understatement. Let me start off by saying «Back Deck» is in the same building as «The Shell Fish Co.» The restaurant is located off the water off a back deck… go figure. Knowing this helps tremendously. If only I had read Troy’s first review. Parking was somewhat challenging with it having a shared lot with Bubba’s. Still spaces were available at 6 PM, but when leaving after 7 PM it looked full.
We found parking in the gravel lot and upon getting out of the car immediately noticed the smell of rotting fish carcus from the dumpster beside where we parked… not a good start. However, once you got away from that area and into the restaurant your in good shape and no smell to speak of… thank goodness.
Many of the other reviews had this pegged as mainly an adults place, but I decided to take my son any way. We got onto the deck as the sun was just setting and the view was nothing short of spectacular. Pleasure House Natural Area is visible by looking out to your right. I know a shameless plug for what I think is thee premier real-​estate in Virginia Beach… and Virginia Beach now owns it!
Waitress was good to start off with, but quickly fizzled and disappeared through most of our meal with almost no follow up. We we were seated off the bar at a table. I was hoping for a Friday happy hour, but it is limited to M-​TH. The food was pretty medicore unfortunately. I got the fish tacos and my son the boneless chicken not on the menu. My tacos were way over seasoned and too spicy for my taste. I am careful to note «my taste» because I am a whimp with spicy foods. My son said he really did not care of the chicken, but I tried and thought it was fine. Another waitress ended up bringing the bill, which was correct… but pricy for what we got. Fish tacos, chicken chunks a lemonade and beer $ 30+ w/​o tip.
As a Happy Hour place, which this visit was not, I am positive my review would be completely different. The atmosphere on the deck tonight was electric and very cool to be witness to this awesome location to meet up with some friends and enjoy some libations. I would love to come back, but not for the food, or poor service. I wanna rock out a Happy Hour here real soon.