Virginia Beach was our home for all of August, which we were looking forward to because neither of us had ever been. Sam’s program was technically based in downtown Norfolk, but they covered multiple hospitals between Norfolk and Virginia Beach. We stayed in an apartment in Town Center, which was centrally convenient and literally on top of several restaurants and shops, plus right across the street from several stores and a small mall.
The state of Virginia is very rich in history, and we wish we had time to make a small road trip to Jamestown. I heard and read great things about it and think it would be super interesting to visit. BUT our month flew by and we ran out of time for a road trip. Here’s what we were able to do:
Beaches
If you’re going to Virginia Beach, you’re most likely hoping to go to the beach! We had no idea there were multiple different beaches to visit and some are better than others. Both of the beaches we visited had free street parking with public beach access. We did walk the boardwalk starting at Grommet Island Park, but felt the span of the beach was very touristy and crowded. I wouldn’t recommend visiting that area.
North End Beach
Spanning from 42nd Street to 89th Street, North End Beach is just North of the boardwalk area. The further North you go, the less crowded it becomes. This beach is wide with plenty of space to set up for the day to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean.
Chesapeake/Chicks Beach
Located on Chesapeake Bay (not an ocean), this is still a great option for a less crowded beach. The town surrounding is cute and seems more laid back. The beach is narrower and was decently crowded on the day we went, but still a good option for variety.
Food & Drink
Hearth Wood Fired Cuisine & Craft Cocktails
We came for date night to enjoy some wood fired pizza! Tip: since it’s a smaller building, I’d recommend making a reservation, especially on the weekends. We did not have one, but were able to sit outside after a short wait. We grabbed cocktails (watermelon margarita for me and whiskey sour for Sam) at the bar and were at our table quickly. We enjoyed the Luciano and mushroom pizzas, but would skip the peaches & cream dessert. It sounded incredible but left a lot to be desired.
The Grilled Cheese Bistro
The yummiest & most sinful food! Located on Granby, the “main street” in Norfolk, you’d probably pass right by this place if you didn’t know about it. It’s a very small building with tiny tables/bar seating, but the food makes up for it. It was packed when we arrived for an odd lunch time of 2pm, but they’re efficient with their table turns. We had a really hard time deciding on our order because the entire menu looked incredible, but landing on splitting the Hangover and Don Quixote with a side of tomato bisque. Get. The. Tomato. Bisque. The Don Quixote was overpowered by the olives in my opinion, but the Hangover was just as delicious as it sounds. I also liked their sangria!
Hot Tuna
We stopped in for Happy Hour after our bike ride at First Landing since we parked in the same parking lot. Their Happy Hour is daily until 6pm, featuring many food & drink specials including $4 crushes and sangria. We finally tried the well-known “crushes”, and my mango one was pretty good! We didn’t get food, but it looked solid.
Chix on the Beach
We came on a rainy night, which was admittedly not the best time to visit because it’s located right on the boardwalk with a view of the beach. With that, I’d recommend coming for an afternoon drink! The food was decent but not my favorite. It’s a massive building so there’s plenty of indoor seating but the patio is where it’s at since you can see the beach!
Orion’s Roof
A must-visit, come for the vibes and drinks! Situated at the top of the Marriot Oceanfront, this is the place to be on a sunny day without getting sandy. The floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows show off blue skies met by the beach, which fills the entire place with natural light. There’s a small outdoor seating section, but plenty of the indoor seating provides beautiful views too. We sat at the bar which we thoroughly enjoyed and had DELICIOUS cocktails. I got the Kentucky Buck but substituted the bourbon for tequila, and Sam got the Japanese Old Fashioned. Everything here is typical hotel pricing, but worth the splurge for at least one round. There’s a station near the Host stand where you can validate your parking in the Marriott garage up to 2 hours.
Lager Heads
A decent happy hour, we really chose to come here to have a drink by the beach. Nachos scored a 7/10 from us but still would come back for a drink. There’s plenty of metered and garage parking nearby, but we parked on 34th street for free and it was a short walk over.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
A place near & dear to me heart! I know this isn’t local to VA Beach, but they don’t have locations in many of the places we’ve lived so I was super excited to be near one. This was my first job back at age 14 and their ice cream is seriously some of the best I’ve ever had. You can’t go wrong with any flavor, but I have a hard time getting anything but the Graham Central Station. Yummmmm. Fun fact: my mom also worked here as an ice cream maker.
Jack Brown’s
A Beer & Burger joint also located on Granby in Norfolk. I sadly didn’t visit, but Sam came for lunch with some Residents and said it was exceptional. He got the Dr. Gonzo burger, cooked to perfection with crinkle fries. You can also get your own “beer card” to keep track of the beers you try there. They’ll keep your card on hand for when you come back!
Town Center
The apartment we stayed in was located smack dab in the middle of Town Center, an area of restaurants and shops surrounding a plaza where they often showed movies or had live music. The location was great because it truly is very central to both Norfolk and the beach. In addition to the recs below, there are tons of chain options as well like California Pizza Kitchen, Ruth’s Chris, Yard House, Cold Stone, and more.
Quirks
Truly a quirky place, ha! Definitely recommend for dinner. You know we LOVE our nachos, and these received an 8.2/10 because they had cheese all throughout, even at the bottom, but too many olives. We also split the California Dreamin’ burrito. Getting those two items were plenty for us because the nachos were massive, accompanied by a Mango HoneyHab Mule and Tequila Smash Margarita.
Cantina Laredo
This was connected to our apartment building which made for a convenient happy hour! Available in the bar area Monday – Friday 3pm – 6pm, their $6 Casa Ritas are strong. We ate once for dinner and Sam loved his chickichanga.
Tupelo Honey
Adorable southern comfort restaurant with a cute name! Pro tip: sign up for the email club ahead of time for $5 off your visit! We came for happy hour (Monday – Friday from 3pm – 6pm) and of the two drinks I got, I liked the Tupeloma the best. The fried green tomatoes were also a hit among us, but all the Happy Hour food looked enticing too. We wanted to come back for brunch because their menu looks so good, but the wait on a Sunday morning was over 2 hours! Definitely recommend a reservation.
Cava
Not local to VA Beach, but this is the first time we’ve ever had it. I’d describe it like a Chipotle for Mediterranean food, which is one of my favorite types of foods. You can choose from pre-built options or create your own bowl or pita. Yum!
TASTE Unlimited
There are several locations throughout the whole city and this is a local favorite lunch spot. They offer sandwiches, salads, and wraps for dine-in or to-go, plus boxed lunches, wine & beer, and a variety of specialty food and gifts. We grabbed our online order and took it to the beach for a lovely Saturday lunch! I also got this Red Rocker Candy Rocking Chair Mix to snack on at home and OMG. I crushed it in like a day.
Activities
Chrysler Museum of Art
OK – I am NOT usually much of a museum goer or art appreciator. However, our first weekend in VA Beach was filled with rain so we had to find an indoor activity. The Chrysler Museum of Art is located in Downtown Norfolk and admission is FREE! Bonus. The museum has several wings and exhibits a great variety of Contemporary, Glass, Ancient, and Modern pieces. We spent a few hours roaming around and observing. We especially enjoyed the landscape paintings, GIANT oil painted canvases, and ancient tombs. Some of the ancient statues were massive and I had to take a picture of Sam standing next to one for reference!
First Landing State Park
Did you know the first English colonists landed here in 1607? I sure didn’t, but clearly First Landing State Park taught me a few things. The park offers 20 miles of trails, beaches, fishing, and camping. Rather than paying for entrance and parking within the park, we parked our car at a shopping center and rode our bikes down the paved path into the park. (You can search Hot Tuna on your map, and that will take you to the right shopping center). While there are several trails, there’s only one bike-friendly trail which is Cape Henry. We road it all the way to the end, which brought us to a small beach area on the bay. Seemed like a great spot to escape the crowds! The trail is about 6 miles each way, but totaled 13.6 for us since we started outside the entrance.
Visit the USS Wisconsin
Also located in Downtown Norfolk in the Waterside District, the USS Wisconsin is an impressive naval battleship. We simply walked around the area, but you can actually tour the ship and museum (Nauticus) which is a great option if you’re interested in learning more and seeing the inside of the ship.
Funny Bone Comedy Club
Located in Town Center, a good option for some night-time entertainment depending who the comedian is.
Mount Trashmore
I was honestly so turned off by the name of this park that I almost didn’t want to go. Ha! But it’s actually kind of neat as it was the Nation’s first landfill park created in the early 1970’s. The giant grassy hill was created with solid waste and clean soil. I thought it would be gross and smelly, but that’s not true at all. This became a great place to run for me whenever Sam got home early and I could snag the car! The paved 2.2 mile multi-use path around the lake also offers fitness stations along the way if you’re wanting to challenge yourself to some body strength along your route. In addition to the mountain there’s also a skate park, two playgrounds, and lake.
Thanks for the shout out! And now I want tomato bisque and a grilled cheese 🙂