Jerri P.
Yelp
My husband and I stopped in at The Deadrise for lunch around 1 pm on a Tuesday. We sat outside with our dog. The place had a steady stream of customers going in and out but wasn't busy. The service was quick, friendly, and professional. He ordered a beer and I ordered a white wine, which came out promptly. Both were cold and refreshing.
We started with a bowl of she-crab soup to share, and it came out piping hot with plenty of crab. Some fresh green garnish would have taken it to the next level, but we loved it as is. He gave it an 8 out of 10, saying it needed a bit more salt, but I thought it was perfect. It came with warm bread and butter--I even dipped some bread in the soup for a dog treat and she approved!
He ordered the catfish jambalaya from the chalkboard menu, and I chose the seafood basket with fried oysters and clam strips, served with fries, hush puppies, and slaw. The food came out quickly and piping hot.
The jambalaya, which had plenty of catfish, shrimp and sausage, he said, could have used a little more seasoning, some okra would have thickened the broth more to his liking, and the celery pieces were cut a bit large, but overall, it was tasty with some added salt and hot sauce. He used the bread from the she-crab soup to soak up the broth. He ended up taking half of it home.
The fried clams were tender, juicy, perfectly cooked and plentiful. Our dog enjoyed a few of those as well. The oysters were briny, well-seasoned, and perfectly executed--honestly, the best fried oysters I've had for lunch in Tidewater! And there were at least 10 oysters, maybe more. I couldn't tell because he kept eating my oysters! The fries were crispy and just needed a touch of salt and pepper. The slaw and hush puppies were good, and the basket came with both tartar and cocktail sauce. This was more food than I could eat even after sharing with the husband and the dog.
Sitting outside was a little breezy on a 72°F afternoon, but the delicious food kept us warm, and we enjoyed the view. We'll definitely be back on a warmer day to sit outside again. We felt the value for the venue, the quality, and the service was exceptional. Highly recommend!