Big Sam's Inlet Cafe & Raw Bar

I went at a slower time, before the rush, and was able to get a small table inside to look out at the water. Really cool small establishment with big vibes! It got very busy as I was leaving, with a line waiting, so you know it's good and has a good following. I ordered a seafood platter scallops, shrimp, and crab and wasn't disappointed- seafood was cooked amazingly! And I rounded the meal off with a key lime pie - it was so fluffy and could easily feed 2! Didn't disappoint 💕

Absolutely loved the crap cakes and wedge salad. Oysters were good, just small. It was very noisy to the point I couldn't talk to the person sitting next to me without raising my voice. Very casual place.

The staff was nice enough. Extremely disappointed with the food and the value. I ordered the fried oyster sandwich "po boy" with bay fries. It was $18 after tax, market price. Market price typically means they are getting the seafood fresh. I watched them pull a retail brand bucket of oysters from the refrigerator. I got 6 tiny oysters on a tiny dinner roll. See picture. The cook who put them in the fryer forgot about them while he was working on another order. After about 5 minutes of frying, another guy ran over and pulled them out of the oil. He then took some old fries sitting at room temp in a bowl and reheated them in the fryer for my order. I'm sorry, is this a full service restaurant or fast food? As you can see in the pictures, the oysters were overcooked and the sandwich is tiny, like a Hawaiian roll size. Not anywhere near worth $18.

We ate at Sam's on a Monday night, waited about 10 minutes for a table. The food was very good, cocktails as well, service was friendly but took a little while to get our food. The open kitchen was fun but the cooks were arguing and cussing with eachother so it kind of got old.

My husband and I had a great experience here for lunch. We were craving some seafood and based on the reviews I decided to try. I had fried flounder and chips and my husband ordered fried shrimp and chips. His platter came with coleslaw and mine did not. The food was seasoned perfectly and I definitely got more fries than fish but I think it was a good portion. The waitress was very nice and welcoming. It was packed but we were seated immediately. We were the only minorities in there that I could see and so that was a little uncomfortable. I could see people from other tables staring at us but the restaurant itself had good service. We will absolutely come back next time we are in town and I will need to order a side of broccoli as I see they give you a whole crown! All of the food I saw looked really good. The fish and shrimp are not locally sourced but I was told they’re hand selected and fresh.

It is a rustic wooden interior with a small bar, delicious drinks, serves breakfast lunch and dinner. Atmosphere is a typical island vibe, noise level a little loud but everyone is so friendly. The menu is large with daily specials offered, and the food is outstanding! Seasonal beers are available along with all your favorites. Big Sam's is known for their She-crab soup and great variety among their daily specials.

Ordered blkned tuna tacos med/rare, pic below says it all. One of the raw oysters had a small crab in it, and it was eating it…LOL! They wouldn’t replace it even though the oyster was practically gone and seemed bad. Expect to be there at least two hours. Stick to the she crab soup and crab cake or lump crab balls. When there are signs around the restaurant asking customers not to complain, chances are, they’ll give you plenty of reasons to do so. Praying we don’t get sick from the food 🙏

Service was great. Shrimp Po Boy was really good as well as the chicken tenders and fries. The Chicken Fried Steak was frozen and didn’t have much taste. The mashed potatoes were cold. Always love coming here and will be back just a little disappointed with the CFS.

Food is great. Deep fried seafood. It's a dive, but it's on the dock and staff is friendly. I would t have it any other way. Beer is cheap, great spot to go with friends brunch, lunch, or dinner. Consistently good. Fried mussels are a yes.

Party of 6. 4 of us ordered the wings which were excellent. Kids ordered corn dogs and 4 cheese pasta. The pasta had so much pepper on top and mixed in that he could not eat it. And, he was hungry. It was too late to order anything else so he ended up going to bed hungry! Children like their food plain! We have eaten here many times and always given Big Sam's a 5 star review. FYI: They do charge for using a credit card.

August 29 2025 @approx 2:30pm We often go here and enjoy it everytime but the Quesadilla was horrible. It did not meet up to the standards of the restaurant that I'm so used to. The Quesadilla came out and as soon as I saw it, I had to open it up. It was paper thin with at least 75% of it only tortilla and no chicken or cheese. NOTHING! We were so hungry that we ate whatever we could that had chicken and cheese and even that was extremely minimal. We ended up eating a little of each other's food to get some sustenance. The wings were huge with a good char but it sucks that they determine what sauce you get and there was hardly any sauce on them. You get what you get and you better like it is what I felt this time around. I asked the server for more sauce but it never came. The place was not full at all so I don't understand what changed this time around. We'll go back but hopefully they give us the quality they were known for next time.

Back again.... had the fish (flounder) n chips with fries and my friend had grilled Atlantic mahi mahi with beans, spinach, pineapple salsa and chili sauce. Both were really good. Service was very friendly, food was fast and the views were beautiful today. Love this place!

Happy hour/ takeout and oyster only review!! My boyfriend and I stopped by for Friday happy and it was super busy. We tried to get a table but the wait was over an hour. We decide to opt for placing a takeout order since they still honor happy hour deals for takeout. We ordered a dozen oysters which took about 20 minutes to come out. The oysters were sweet, savory, and really fresh. Although I did find a mud worm in one of them which was unpleasant :( I probably would have liked them more over ice rather than in a takeout box but whatcha gonna do. There was plenty of outdoor seating and the harbor was a nice view.

3.5. Not bad. Good burgers and fries. Unique cocktails. Good spot for lunch after water activities. Affordably prices (relative to nearby spots)

Big drinks...Big breakfast ...Big Sam's. We rolled in hot on New Years morning and were met with some top notch bloodies at the door. Although the place was busy, the big idea at Big Sam's to just relax. No rush. I did the waterman's breakfast which is three eggs, toast, hash pens and a gigantic crab cake. I would argue that it's one of the best crab cakes in Hampton Roads. Nothing fancy...just a giant perfectly prepared cake. Loaded with crab and grilled so there's a little crispy carmalization on each side. Delicious. Prices are very mild and the service is friendly. If you're not in the right mood to 'relax' then go somewhere else.

We were told by the owners of the house we stayed at that this was food place all the locals use.... So we are in!!!! It definitely feels like a home dive diner where everyone knows your name. If you want to take your spouse out to dinner and you are made at them, this is the place- it's so loud there is no reason to talk to each other!! lol Service- meh! Maybe if I was a regular it would be better but our waitress stood at the end of the table and we couldn't hear what she was saying. Then our food came out in waves- three meals at a time...,,and while they were serving food to other tables- I think I would try to get all of one table out at a time. Wedge salad- bustin! Oysters- steamed and raw- good reviews from our table Fajitas - spicy Blacken mahi- over seasoned Halibut special- average Sea food broil combo- over cooked Cheese pasta- good Broccoli- mush Green beans- good Pinto beans- good Fried shrimp- awesome!

Cocktail sauce was amazing! Oysters were good. Wings during the happy hour were also good, but it seemed like the clams we ordered were sitting, getting cold while they were waiting for the wings. The clam shells usually even help them retain the heat. Just because we ordered it all at once, doesn't mean it needs to all come to our table at once, but Americans are obsessed with this for some reason, even if it means letting the food die to get all the plates together. I don't get it- maybe it's on us to incrementally order things. I'd also understand if the restaurant was huge, running back-and-forth several times would be a hassle, but we were sitting 7 feet away from where the food was waiting. The beer was barely cool, not "ice cold" as advertised - warmest I've had on the beach. Shrimp were good, but I heard that they are the frozen kind because they don't want the hassle of pulling off the heads. Oyster crackers were tasty. Charge a % if you use card, so be sure to bring cash!

Another must in VA Beach! Great food. We can't complain with the service. All the staff seem to work as a team. We had a party of 7, food didn't come out all at once but we didn't mind. It can get a bit loud so for people who don't want that I'd keep that in mind. This place was great. Lots of seafood to choose from! I definitely recommend.

I would only recommend trying Big Sam's if you have access to a car. It is pretty far from the main strip and I wouldn't have felt comfortable walking or ubering there. I got the inlet platter because I wanted to try a host of things. I personally would have been better off just getting the fried oysters. The oysters were great, the shrimp was good, the fish was overcooked and dry (I personally wouldn't recommend frying mahi mahi), the clam strips were the best I've ever tried but in the end they were still clam strips and were not worth the time it took to make them. I got the steamed broccoli and fries as sides. I was impressed to see an actual piece of fresh steamed broccoli. The fries were just okay.

Wow! Where do I start! I had the Jumbo Shrimp with Fries and their Beans. Jumbo shrimp was amazing! The fries were delicious! The only item I was simply content with was the beans, everything else I was blown away! The service was somewhat slow, but we went at the busiest time! The vibe of the place is awesome and it always smells great! My buddy got the Jumbo Crab Cakes and he said it was the easiest 5/5 he'd ever give someone if he were on yelp!

Food: Calm Chowder was a little salty however there were plenty of of clams in the chowder. Also shared the Big Inlet platter. The food came out hot and the seafood was very good. My wife and I shared a Big Long Island iced tea. Good Drink. Plate portions are good. Ambiance: it is loud. Inside. However it is expected Service: was good. Our waitress was attentive and not overbearing.

Some of the best wings in town! They also have a great burger. Definitely a local spot. Highly recommend!

Do not, I repeat do not order the meatloaf! Bland would be my description of the meal and probably a week old . I knew better but tried it anyway.....mistake! Most items on the menu are great though, I just wasn't thinking !! My bust....!!!!

The service here has been the best since we arrived to the area. The ladies are all hassle. The wings are grilled which has the perfect crisp to them. The crab dip is okay. But good. The overall simple feel is great. Causal atmosphere is perfect after a day of running around or on the water.

Amazing seafood, so fresh, and made to order. Small and tucked away, total local spot. Worth the wait. We came in, was told 1.5 hours, were seated in 30 minutes. Staff is amazing, very knowledgeable and helpful and patient. We ordered all of their breakfast shots, delicious. Definitely going back next we're in Virginia Beach!!

We were led astray by Yelp and its good reviews on this one and were terribly disappointed by our experience. We were craving some good seafood and even reddit pointed us this way so here we went. We ordered the crab dip, clam chowder, fries, green beans, raw oysters, and raw clams. The best part of the meal was probably the fries with the crab dip coming in second. Everything else was meh. When the food was brought out, they had ran out of clean sharing plates for us to eat off of, so they gave us the baskets that are used to hold the fries. Every single one of the baskets that they gave us were greasy and dirty, but here we already are. First off, the clam chowder soup came out room temperature. Green beans tasted like they came straight out of a can and had a slab of butter on it. The raw oysters were not shucked well, as the oysters looked like they had been in a bad fight and were beaten up. They also had some of their shell bits which added a nice crunch? Clams were small and tiny. For a place that's so close to the water, I would think that their seafood would've been a bit more meatier and that the restaurant would have more experience with handling seafood, but I guess not. When asked for crackers with our oysters, the crackers were really stale. So overall the food experience was not good and we were very disappointed to say the least. As for service, I typically review restaurants based off of how the food is. I don't really care about service if the food is good, but if the food and service are not good then I'll mention something and the service was awful. If the food was going to take so long to come out, you would think that the quality was going to be superb and that the food would come out piping hot, but that was not the case. Our waitress was also not present, felt like we were inconveniencing her by getting her attention to ask for what we needed. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place, as there are better options available nearby.

Hate to do it - gotta do it. Updating my review here. We've been here a ton of times and ordered To Go probably 5-10x. We live in Shadowlawn and it's super close to our house and easy for nights we don't wanna cook. I'm a big fan of their house salad with chicken and house fries. Yum! The menu is large with tons of seafood and other options as well. Plus, they do breakfast. The service is awful. There are several cranky gals inside who continue to ruin the experience every single time we come. Super rude, condescending and hateful, act put out when you ask for anything and take forever to come back. It's weird bc it only seems to be these gals - if you get one of the younger male waiters they're polite and genuinely friendly. We've been on weekends, week nights, earlier in the day. We've come when it's busy and when it's kinda not closer to close. Doesn't matter - these girls are rude all the damn time. I ordered take out last night - a wedge salad and the house salad with chicken. Spoke to a gal on the phone. When we went to pick up and pay the lady was rude as hell and acted put out as usual (fine, we expect it at this point) and then we get home and no chicken on the salad. wtf. It was a simple order. How do you screw that up?!?! That was my dinner I waited 30 mins for and then the most basic upgrade ever left off? Ugh. So mad. I'm done. We're taking a long break from Sam's. The staff needs some training or an attitude adjustment. Sucks bc I genuinely like the food and it's about 5 minutes from home. But hubs and I discussed it and there are too many other places to spend money around here than to be treated like crap.

This is your fun noisy place to drinks and have great seafood. Friendly atmosphere and fast service. Expect a little wait most evenings in the summer. The crab cakes are delish and the fresh catch is always perfectly prepared. I'll suggest happy hour because the bar tab can outrageous pretty fast. I've always had a great experience here and return every time I'm in town.

We're from out of town and wanted to grab some lunch. Stumbled across Big Sam's. We got the hot blue crab dip, buffalo wings, and a dozen of raw oysters. Delicious! We'd go back just for the wings. The drinks were good too. Our server was kind. We're definitely coming back next time.

If you love crab cake and everything big. Plus a water view this is it! Plus the service was great! I ordered the "Waterman" for breakfast. The crab cake was so large they had to put it on another plate. And they do load the hashbrown. Everything was yummy! Definitely will be back!

Small place, big flavor. I had the crab cake dinner and as someone picky about crab cakes (frequently not enough carb) I was so happy that these were available, they were delicious, as were the mashed potatoes and gravy. Because it's small and I visited on a Saturday at dinner time, I opted for the bar. Service was good, quite frankly the locals sitting there with me was the best part of the ambiance.

1st time trying Big Sams! Food was great, view was beautiful and service was quick and friendly

Been coming here regularly since its debut in 1996. It's my kind of place: a small dive bar with good food.

Service was great, but food was not so great. Blackened tuna doesn't mean shake some seasoning on the fish and the salsa was so old and brown - it was inedible. We also had a burger that had very old lettuce and tomato - and was not very good. She crab soup was cold, and we were told it was because the crab needed to be cold for portion control. Sadly, all I can say is yuck.

Funny as was leaving beach today a beach lover came up to us and started talking to us about food. Sooooo I said let's give it a try. Small little restaurant on the bay which was very nice. I had the wings & fried clams. My mom had the clams & shrimp tacos. Was amazing. If in area check them out...

We have been coming to Virginia Beach for about 4 or 5 years now and this place has some of the best food you could ask for. The wait times for a table are going to be kinda long if you get there around 6/630. But it's honestly worth the wait. Food is fantastic, service is great. It's a smaller restaurant with a small kitchen, but the views of the bay are great and the service is great as well. It's a must stop when we come down here!

The food, service and atmosphere was excellent! not fancy but that's ok but great food and reasonable prices. we will be returning! i highly recommend this place.

Big Sam's is one of the best restaurants in Virginia Beach. The food is outstanding and reasonably priced, and the staff are very nice and welcoming. Unlike other restaurants in the area especially the one that are located on the boardwalk that serves watered down and overpriced drinks. We actually tried everything, and it's all good! We came 4 times in 3 days. You don't want to miss Big Sam's happy hour everyday from 3pm-7pm.. Big Sam's is Where It's At!..

So read the reviews and saw it was close decided to try it out. Wait for a seat was about 20 minutes. Not bad. Got a nice both with a view of the kitchen. Hatteras Clam Chowder was dynamite! Not a creamy clam chowder but so much better than any creamy one. Also had the crab dip, not mind blowing but pretty darn good. Then finally the fried seafood platter. Just amazing. Who knew fried seafood could be that good! The fried oysters soft with a hint of crunch and moist. Delicious! The mahi-mahi OMG. Omg. Crispy on the outside and delicious moist flaky in the inside. Clam strips were good nothing note worthy there. Fried shrimp as expected. Finally the crab cake also awesome worth the splurge. Wait staff very friendly and seem to be bffs with all the customers. Looks like truly all the locals keep coming back. Oysters on the half shell worth a mention. Had few scraps of shell but otherwise excellent

Ordered the Stacy's Burrito Breakfast, I've ordered it multiple times in the past; however this time, it arrived and was substantially undersized compared to previous visits. When I inquired if they had changed the portions I was told that its always been that size, and that it was just because it was rolled tighter than usual. No attempt the explain it in any manner that made sense, as far as I'm aware, rolling a burrito tighter does not make it weigh substantially less than usual. I hope they see they see this.

Awesome restaurant delicious Seafood highly recommend the sheet crab soup! Service was wonderful and the atmosphere is rustic Beach bar and very casual but they make excellent cocktails

Normally very good lunch and dinner experiences BUT NOT THIS TIME. Came in for breakfast with an old friend visiting for Neptune Fest. I ordered the Early Bird(2 eggs over easy and 2 pancakes) with a side of grits and a large OJ. First of all, who serves OJ with ice?!? But I said nothing and when my eggs showed up 3/4 cooked and runny and no grits again I said nothing. I waited for our server to return for over 5 minutes without luck so I went looking for her and found her sitting in a booth in bar area on her phone and gabbing with another guy friend??? I asked for my grits and some honey and she tuded me, got up without saying a word and walked away into the kitchen and returned, dropped them off at our table with nothing said. I know that this is unusual behavior for employees of Sam's but she clearly was having a bad day or maybe even a bad month but the customers should never recognize your personal struggles at the workplace, very unprofessional and will think thrice before recommending Big Sam's again.

Delicious food, but weird incorrectly published hours. Two hour gap between breakfast and lunch, and won't seat you before lunch. Arrived 11:45 on a Sunday (Father's Day) Was told breakfast ended at 11, and kitchen closed until 1:00 for lunch. They don't take reservations. Not worth the delay/hassle.

Big Sam's is one of our '"Go-To" spots, every time we're in Va Beach. Always a great breakfast, especially when you pair it with a Bloody Mary (me) or a Poinsettia, Cran & Champagne (my hunny) & the pancakes are award worthy! All of the waiters & staff go above & beyond every time we're there. The atmosphere on the waterfront is definitely great for views, any meal you choose to be there.

Good Food, Great Atmosphere. Normally Crowded on warm and pretty days. We go there year round.

Wife and I went to Big Sams on Saturday at about 11:40 to grab some lunch. GOOD NEWS: the host attended to us promptly. BAD NEWS: he informed us that they stopped serving breakfast at 11 and won't start serving lunch until 1230. Interestingly, he had couple menus in his hand and was willing to seat us. I guess the game is to seat customers hoping they'll drink overpriced Bloody Mary's until the kitchen is ready to start serving lunch. Needless to say, we left. Went to Ray Ray's on 34th St. (they were serving breakfast and lunch) and the food was different and great. Not sure what the problem is at Sams but theres no sign on the door and their web site doesn't say anything about no food between 11 and 1230. Don't think we'll be going back to Sams anytime soon.

THE BIG SAMS WINGS ARE HEAVENLY 10/10 would come back the Friday night waits are horrible but worth it

Food is very good and reasonably priced. I enjoyed the oysters Rockefeller which were delicious and a generous portion. I also had the salad with a crab cake that was full of crab meat and well seasoned and pan fried. It was so wonderful to have freshly made food and not some frozen deep fried stuff. I know they call it a "dive bar" but it had the smell of a dirty mop or old wet carpet when you enter. Maybe time for new hard flooring.

I met a friend here. It's supposed to be open to open until ten pm. I get there and they are closing at 9 for maintenance. I have to order by 8:30. She got off at 8 so I had to text her to order for her. I ordered oysters Rockefeller and they were a bit over embellished with spinach and cheese. The calamari was ok. All the time we felt pressured to leave. I guess they had to clean the carpets and doing some other work. I won't be back.

We are visiting my daughter here in VB for Christmas, and Big Sam's is within walking distance. She and her husband had not tried it since moving here, so we ambled over for a breakfast for 5. Great food. Great service. Well run restaurant. These guys hustle nonstop, from refilling your coffee to getting the food out in reasonable time. The omelette was superb, the home fries nice and crisp, the biscuits are the real thing, and the pancakes will blow your mind. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, and hope to visit them again next time we're here!!

Read the reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor and decided to visit. My first and second choice was closed on Mondays. We put our name in and was told an hour. We got texted in 22 minutes. Our lucky day or maybe not. My wife and I got the broiled seafood combo with shrimp, scallops, and imperial crab. When it came it only had shimp and scallops. We asked our waitress and she asked the cook. Was told due to crab shortage they subbed it with more scallops and shrimp. Why charge us the same price and not tell us in advance? It came with mashed potatoes and gravy. Gravy seriously? The broccoli was old had black and yellow and leaves. The chefs are line chefs doing burgers, wings and more. My meal came in butter. My wife's had no butter. Why did I get mayonnaise? Scallops were decent. Shrimp were super small and overcooked. The crabcake balls were overfried. My wife from Maryland said they were bad and overcooked!. Had lots of shells but we were warned. My wife got the cherry limeade crush. She asked the waitress about it and was given a smirky answer. It was served in a plastic cup and was missing fruit and alcohol. I got a different rum drink that was ok but didnt have the fruit flavors that i expected. Net result for $110 meal this place was a joke. Restaurant has been around for 25 years. Must be living on past charm. Go elsewhere. Let me add our waitress didnt tell us the specials as i listened to another waitress.

We had an amazing meal! The wings and crab cakes were way better than we were expecting and the shrimp was good too! This was our favorite food spot in our short stop in Virginia beach. We were told the wait would be an hour but it was only 30 minutes. We didn't get any cocktails at the bar but they looked very tasty. Would love to come back!

I had the flounder and chips for lunch. They came in strips, which was not what I expected. They tasted fine overall, but I was underwhelmed that they weren't meatier. This is a small and intimate restaurant by the water, and they're understaffed. When we first walked in (11am Sat) they told us they were switching from breakfast to lunch and it would take an hour before they can enter our orders. We came back an hour later and they seated us immediately. The staff was very friendly and service prompt. Overall it was a nice experience. I probably won't get flounder and chips again though.

Delicious wings and broiled fish. Service is excellent and super friendly. It's tiny and cramped inside though-- only get a view if you're on the patio.

We had always enjoyed Big Sam's when visiting VA Beach. This time we went there in the middle of the afternoon, approximately 3:30, to sit outside with my Service Dog in Training. There was an event going on and no outdoor tables were available and it was extremely crowded outside. We sat inside by a window . Our puppy is still mastering not barking at other dogs. A few times a dog walked by and she let out a few barks. My husband and I quickly distracted her from barking to quiet her. The third time as I was calming her down the owner/manager rudely told us we had to take our food to go or sit outside. If she would have kindly walked over to talk to us we would not have been upset, however, the manner in which she chastised us was unprofessional and rude. She repeated a couple of times that she would be fined for a health violation because of our dog, and said service dogs don't bark. I tried to explain she is still training, however, the woman insisted that we leave. We did as she requested and will never go back. The picture is of her quietly under the table of the restaurant we ended up at and I will do a positive review !

Our hostess tessa was phenomenal and truly something else with her beautiful spirit and bubbly energy

Big Sam's has EVERYTHING!! Great food ALL the time. I have had so many great meals. This is my number 1 local hangout. Great location. Rudy inlet overlooking the water way. Watching the sunrise is the best. Great drinks. My husband likes getting beer but I love the mixed drinks. They make them right and they bring them fast. Great service. Every employee at Big Sam's is quick, friendly, and gets everything right. Great local hangout joint. Big Sam's is just one of those places that has that special spark . That you would walk through a flood to get there to get you Bloody Mary and breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If your a local you know what I'm talking about. Big Sam's we love you. I was just talking to a friend that moved to Arizona years ago and she said to me last night that every time she is near VA Beach she makes a point to stop in to grab a meal. This is why I'm finally writing my review. Just to let you know in words how much you mean to us and that you make our lives better. Thank You