The Landing

Once again we visited one of our favorite restaurants for a Friday night dinner. The house oysters on the half shell were very sweet, had lost of juice and no grit. My wife’s app was the Caprese stack made with fresh home grown basil, homemade mozzarella and tomatoes without all the nasty white stuff. Her Mozzarella chicken entrée was delicious as was my broiled platter. It contained two U-​10 scallops that were super sweet and tender. Kyle and Brent have done an amazing job here, food is always fresh, well prepared and delicious. Courtney did a great job serving us.

Wonderful fresh seafood! Everyone gave two thumbs up from the kids grilled cheese, French fries, jumbo shrimp and the Maui Maui. I looked up this place from Unilocal.I was thankful surprise. Even hubby was not too upset about the higher than usual prices. Well worth it!

We have been frequenting The Landing since they opened a few years ago. It is one of our top spots for seafood as they are serving some of the freshest around. To top it off their prices are incredibly reasonable.
Our normal order is to start with a dozen oysters on the half shell, which are sourced from oyster beds on the Eastern Shore that are owned by the restaurant. They are always scrumptious and taste like they were just happily bivalving away in their cages a few hours ago, which is very likely the case. I then go for the crab stuffed flounder and my wife will go for the scallops. Both entrees are consistently some of the best you will find in the 757.
But for this past Father’s Day, I decided to branch out and try some other corners of the menu. I started with an order of their wings and was blown away. They were exactly what I was craving. Large, meaty wings slathered in a delicious, sticky, nearly-​burnt-​but-​not-​quite-​so citrus BBQ sauce that tasted like heaven. The guys at Bdubs aren’t worthy to clean out the fryers here. So good!
I followed this up with the Smokehouse Burger, which I will argue is one of the best burgers around. I would stand it up against any of the Norfolk burgers that are generating so much positive local press and social media OMG’s these days. The patty has such a beefy taste to it that I suspect the grind may have some short rib or brisket lurking within. The shoestring fries that come with are also perfectly crispy and delicious.
A final note is that the cocktail program earns kudos for most improved anywhere. When they started they tried to have an entire menu based on moonshine cocktails. I tried a few and none of them quivered my liver. In fact, I hated them. But now the menu they present as you sit down has the hallmark of professional bartenders. They mix some new age concoctions along with some of the classics like negronis and martinis. They are also happy to take special requests like stirring your gin instead of shaking it for your martini.
I have always been, and will continue to be, a fan of The Landing.

It was ok today. I was excited to come back to try the happy hour but I was a little put off by the bartender’s blah attitude when I decided not to order a drink but wanted appetizers. I’m not a drinker but I’m an EATER. Just because I don’t order a drink doesn’t mean you ignore me. Anyhow the wings were good, oysters on point, but I could have done without the bartender. Downside to this place.

I met a fellow Unilocaler for lunch here today. For the most part, I will keep the social aspect out of the review, but I can’t help dropping a little info about our meeting. This place is first and foremost a seafood restaurant. For years I was a vegetarian, my room mate, best girl friend and the man I ended up marrying weren’t. To co-​exist with them, I had to give in or end up starving. LOL… But after 20 plus years, seafood is one that I still have a hard time with. So I was planning on ordering the wedge salad and soup of the day, which wasn’t seafood.
Instead we both ordered the fried fish tacos. Thank you friend for making me order the seafood! It was cooked to perfection. Not greasy like some places do it. The fish was light and flaky like it should be. Most fish tacos have grated cabbage on it, as well as this place did. The only difference is here, they added a little grated carrot on it as well. Their spin on the fish taco, good move. Of course it had sour cream, and a slice of jalapeño. Fish taco has kick to it, but my body can’t handle straight peppers. So I scooped it off and planted it to the side of my plate. Their lunch portion of the fish taco is 2 per order with rice and black beans resting on top of a mound of rice. Hubby wouldn’t like that because he doesn’t like dried beans. Even though I didn’t eat the whole thing, I did notice the beans weren’t canned. A plus for them! They soak them, hand pick the ones that can’t be cooked and cooked them slow for a long time. Being an ex– vegetarian scored big time with me. My lunch date and I both agreed that it was good. We knew they added a special something-​something to it, but what? There lies the mystery! And in any great kitchen, they will never give out their secret! Can you blame them? After all they are a business! And another big plus in my book about the fish tacos. For each taco, there was a generous slice of lime. Meaning two fish tacos, two slices of limes. And a generous size to boot! When it comes to food, they want to satisfy your taste buds. A very good move in my book.
Now onto its location. Where I was coming from, I had to drive by the municipal buildings of the city. She came from another city to meet me, how sweet! It’s location is easy enough to get too, but finding it can be a bit hard. It’s in an area of what I call strip mall meets business offices. All the buildings have a grey colored, rough wood type of siding, low maintenance but gives the idea of weather worn wood that’s near the ocean. Each building holds so many businesses depending on each business square footage, or that’s my assumption. This particular building faces the street, a dentist office is connected to it. To make finding the restaurant even easier to find, a water fountain is in the grass in front of it. Parking is in the rear, great for the handicapped because of a wheel chair ramp is on that side. And extra parking is on the dentists side of the building.
I say, give this place a try. With what I know on the fish tacos, it’s worth it.

Top-​notch dining for any special event. Very casual setting and atmosphere sets this place off. Having a couple drinks and food while sitting outside on the beautiful porch. The food is very appetizing and pleasant to the eyes and the staff is always on point. No complaints about this place but it does get pretty busy so call ahead if you can for a heads up.

This restaurant is quite a gem. The outside of the building is very cute and relaxing with the rocking chairs and the lake with water fountain. We made reservations for restaurant week and picked the landing due to the variety of the menu and having three courses of food vs a appetizer, main course and dessert. The two courses we had before dinner were amazing and a decent size. We were just about stuffed by the time dinner came. My husband order the crab stuffed flounder which was awesome. I also ordered a whiskey with a splash of lime and grenade and was made perfect, which is a first. Despite the place being busy our waitress was very nice, attentive and on point with service. We will definitely return here especially when it gets warmer.

We went to The Landing during restaurant week and were very impressed. Our waiter, whose name escapes me, was the capstone of the whole experience. He was extremely friendly and helpful while our drinks were never less than half full. The food was absolutely delicious and the atmosphere was wonderful. The she-​crab soup was hands down the best I’ve ever had. We will definitely be back.

Had an excellent dining experience for VB Restaurant Week. Great menu and the service was superb. Still enjoying the Happy Hours too! If you have never been, what are you waiting for?! This place is definitely one of the best in Virginia Beach!

Came to check out The Landing for VB Restaurant Week and was not disappointed. When I called to make a reservation for a Thursday night, they were mostly full but were able to squeeze us in for a late dinner. I have seen this place pop up on Restaurant Week menus but never had the chance to make it out before. It definitely is a hidden gem because it is a bit of a hike out there from the North End.
The inside of the restaurant is pretty, exposed beam ceilings and waterfowl painted around the restaurant. It definitely has a masculine feel to the atmosphere but low enough lights for a romantic meal. We had the oysters rock which were served on a bed of rock salt in a round tin which made for a neat presentation. For my main course, I had the sweet potato encrusted salmon over a bed of garlic spiked spinach and parm risotto. It was surrounded by a tangy Thai chilli sauce that I originally thought was an odd combination but it turned out delicious.
My only suggestion for improvement would be a bigger beer list. The wine list was great but the brews left something to be desired.
This would be a fun place for a date night to get out of the usual hustle and bustle of Virginia Beach and enjoy an upscale neighborhood eatery.

So I had a pleasant experience here for Valentine’s Day — and the food was good — but it was WAY overpriced for what we had.
They, like many other establishments on Valentine’s Day, had a pre-​fixed menu with about 4 – 5 options for 3 courses you could choose from. For I believe $ 65 – 70 a person.
I’m tiny and rarely eat that much so for me to eat $ 75 worth of food is next to impossible — this is the reason I never go to expensive all you can eat seafood buffets as a general rule…
For the first course I got the baby wedge salad — it tasted fine but was a very baby-​sized salad. My husband ordered the soup of the day which was tomato bisque (yum) and our sister-​wife got the she-​crab soup (also yum).
For course number two I got the meat and cheese plate — which was also pretty tiny and I wasn’t overly impressed — both my hubs and sw got the thai chicken lettuce wraps and I made one from my husband’s plate — it was good — the chicken looked a bit sketchy but it tasted just fine and it was a generous portion size with large lettuce pieces for wrapping.
For the third course — I got the scallops with risotto, sw got the tuna two ways (which was sort of like sushi and sashimi) and my husband ordered the surf and turf. He’s REALLY picky and only likes certain foods though so he asked for the lobster tail on the side — with the asparagus it came with on the said as well. The lady was nice enough to substitute his red potatoes for fries from the kids menu also… lol.
When the food came out it looked great but they had, unfortunately, plated my husband’s surf and turf as they normally would meaning things had touched other things and his nearly well-​done filet had béarnaise on it and had lobster tail on top. He was less than pleased but, because we didn’t want to wait for another filet to cook, he ate it. Sw and I ate his lobster tail and it was DELICIOUS. My scallops and risotto were on point and sw’f tuna was good — I had a few bites.
They did have a few options for dessert but we had a cake waiting at home so we decided to pass. The sweet tea was good and our waitress was prompt with refills and pleasant.
My husband and my check for the two of us was around $ 180 — including around 18% mandatory added gratuity.
They had some high-​priced menu options but it was exceedingly overpriced overall. I know it’s Valentine’s Day but, geez. It was like we ate at Ruth’s Chris — except we didn’t actually eat at Ruth’s Chris and that’s the rub…
The ambiance was nice, service was good, food was pretty good (but with few options for my husband).
We will come back at some point — but not for any special occasions — I don’t like being gouged.

Just came for Brunch yesterday,. When we walked in to this place, my lady and I noticed the décor, very fitting for the location of this place. We were greeted by our server, who told us the specials. Also, she informed us of the $ 3 mimosas, smart! We ordered our mimosas and then our appetizer. We got the She-​Crab soup and split it. Only thought I had about this was, this was something we were sharing, we talked it over with the server, so why not serve it into two separate bowls… no biggie, it was more for us and it wasn’t bad.
As we waited for our entrees to come out, I kept mentioning how the bar area looked so rustic and awesome, the mimosas were doing it’s job.
Our food came out, my date ordered the stuffed omelet, which came with tater tots, a mini muffin and fruits. Only difference was I ordered the salmon bennys which were on special. My date really liked her omelet, I loved my bennys, the hollandaise was made just right. The flavor of the salmon wasn’t overbearing and it was cooked well. Safe to say, we love this spot.
Can’t wait to come back!

A solid lunch place. I would say: upscale, local sources, diverse menu.
I have never been for dinner, but I am sure it is delicious. Soups are all fantastic, and there is usually a non-​seafood/​fish option. Salads are fresh and assembled beautifully. As a non-​fish/​seafood eater, I still find great options here. I AM a huge soup fan, so the daily soups are always on my radar.
I wouldn’t bring my 3 yr old, but older kids may enjoy it. It isn’t that a 3yr old wouldn’t be welcomed, I just think she wouldn’t have fun — and thus I wouldn’t have fun.
If you love fish/​seafood/​local fare this is a solid bet to please everyone. Not cheap, but fair prices for the quality of food. I will keep coming back — and encourage others to give it a try.
Note: parking can be a pain, but it is worth the struggle.

Was super impressed with the food, service, and atmosphere at The Landing. I will definitely be returning in the future to try another one of their delicious offerings.
Highly recommend.

Great place to take a special someone for a date night!
They had a chef’s special pan seared duck featured this evening — FANTASTIC!

Nice location near the Virginia Beach municipal center and a nice sit down location for eating inside and outside on the large verandah. Decent options for lunch including sandwiches and salads and some other things. I decided to be good and had the chunky chicken salad, which arrived on a bed of mixed greens and with a fruit salad of cantaloupe and grapes.
Mom had the turkey reuben which she said was excellent as she demolished it down to the plate.
GPS was a little squiffy. Take Princess Anne to the old courthouse, turn right and it’s at the second right.

This place i think has not yet been exposed, I’ve never heard about it yet im sure its been around for years. Its in a quiet area, with a great atmosphere. The drinks and selection are awesome. I sat on the deck which had a great peaceful view. And the food was awesome. Reasonably priced as well. The food selection a little slim.

Went this morning for brunch and the place was nearly empty. Service was quick and the food was good. I had the seafood omelet which was good. My husband had the shrimp and grits which he said was great. Would definitely come back for dinner and try some of the other things on the menu.

Nice ambiance. Surprised they didn’t serve any bread. A little on the pricey side though, $ 9 for soup is a little ridiculous, IMO. However, the drinks were on point. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and it was perfect. After hearing rave reviews about their sweet potato salmon, we had to give it a try. Unfortunately the risotto that came with it was undercooked. Also ordered the filet which was decent.
Not sure if we would come back for dinner but might give their brunch a shot.

The maître d’ was fantastic. Despite being full, she managed to get me into a table that had a pending reservation, knowing that I’d be out on time. The place had a great assortment of mixed specialty drinks and a nice looking wine list.
It’s an interesting place, look wise, super tall ceilings, like a boat house with really dark wood tables. The wait staff were in black tops with jeans, it looked good.
First minor negative for me, was no bread. I know, it’s not a must, but at a classy joint like this, a dinner roll or some corn bread would go a long way!
I decided to start with the lollipop lamb appetizer special. I was VERY pleased with this, they added this super earthy gravy on top with… maybe a red wine reduction underneath (or some form of balsamic). It worked well together, and was my favorite course of the evening, it’s a 5-​star course.
I decided to go with a salad, because I knew I wanted dessert! I had the Tuna salad. So, few misses on this one, the avocados weren’t the most pleasant looking things (I know, it’s not their season), but they tasted fine. What was really wrong was the tuna, it wasn’t cut, it was just a lovely tasting seared tuna hunk. Now, there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, except that they only armed me with a dull butter knife. Because I wanted to eat my tuna right away, I went to town on it and just murdered that thing. It was served with a fairly generic Italian dressing. The Tuna was seared well, with a dark red center, spices on it were a little light for my tastes.
As mentioned, I wanted dessert, they had your standard offerings, Key Lime Pie, crème brûlée, etc… I was most excited by the Banana’s Foster though and ordered this. As an individual eater, I’m quite capable of entertaining myself between courses. So when I say that *I* was surprised at how long this took, you know I mean it. By my watch, it was 22 minutes from the time I ordered till the time I got it. That’s fine if I ordered a soufflé, not so much for a simple dish like this. This is what brings them down to just, «Okay» from me being a fan.
So there are a few things with Banana’s Foster, I don’t need the thing set on fire table side (although, it’s a nice touch), but in general I do expect rum. It was absent from this dish (or if it was there, my pallet couldn’t detect it, which is plausible!).
Overall, I’m not sure I’d classify this as «New American» this is pretty standard fare. I think the Landing has a few things to work on, to become a serious contender for the restaurants of Red Mills. I’ll give them another try in a few months to see where they’ve gone!