The Virginia Beach Food Guide: The best seafood of 2025

From the first light of dawn when fishing boats head out to sea to the evening hours when families gather around steaming platters of local catch, our relationship with the ocean’s bounty defines much of what makes Virginia Beach so special. It’s a celebration that our local restaurateurs have been inviting us to for generations.

The concept of exceptional seafood dining in Virginia Beach goes far beyond simply having access to fresh fish. It’s about building relationships, trust, and understanding with our local watermen. That way, we can better understand the flow of the sea and where to find the best and sweetest catch. Our finest seafood restaurants serve as bridges between the working waterfront and dining room tables, translating the daily harvest into memorable dishes.

READ MORE: The best waterfront restaurants in Virginia Beach

After collecting votes from hundreds of passionate seafood lovers throughout the area, we’re thrilled to present the results of our first-ever Virginia Beach Food Guide. What emerged from this delicious democratic process are two restaurants that represent the very best of what makes Virginia Beach’s seafood scene so remarkable. 

So prepare your palate for a journey through the salt-kissed, flavor-packed world of Virginia Beach’s finest seafood destinations.

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2. Margie & Ray’s Crabhouse

Few restaurants feel more “Virginia Beach” than Margie & Ray’s Crabhouse, a Sandbridge landmark that’s been serving locals and visitors since 1964. What began as a simple country store has grown into one of the region’s most beloved crab houses, famous for its casual charm and down-home atmosphere.

Margie & Ray’s isn’t a polished dining room or classy waterfront deck. It’s a place with paper-covered tables, wooden mallets, and heaps of steamed blue crabs that bring people together in a mess of shells and laughter. Over the years, the original store has transformed into a sprawling crab house that seats hundreds, yet it still retains the laid-back, beachy character that made it a community staple.

The menu is a tribute to Chesapeake Bay classics. Their crab cakes are among the most popular in the area, packed with lump crabmeat and seasoned just enough to let the natural sweetness shine. The steamed blue crabs, served by the dozen and dusted with Old Bay, are a rite of passage for anyone craving an authentic Tidewater experience. Add in fresh local oysters, shrimp, and fried seafood platters, and it’s easy to see why generations of families make Margie & Ray’s part of their Virginia Beach tradition.

Beyond the food, the restaurant has become a gathering place for both Sandbridge locals and beach vacationers. During busy summer months, the line often spills outside, with visitors chatting over cold beers and buckets of crabs. It’s the kind of place where birthdays, reunions, and “just because” nights all feel special.

For nearly sixty years, Margie & Ray’s has proved that great seafood doesn’t need to be fussy. It just needs to be fresh, generous, and served with a smile.

1. Waterman’s Surfside Grille

If Margie & Ray’s represents rustic crab-house tradition, then Waterman’s Surfside Grille captures the polished side of Virginia Beach seafood dining. Standing proudly at the south end of the Oceanfront, Waterman’s has been a Boardwalk icon since the 1980s, when the Standring family transformed a former gift shop and snack bar into what would eventually become one of the city’s best-known restaurants.

The name pays homage to the watermen who have long worked the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic waters, and the “Surfside” reflects its unbeatable location. Diners can watch the waves roll in while enjoying a cocktail on the patio. The Waterman’s connection to the ocean runs deep, both in proximity and in the restaurant’s sourcing practices.

Waterman’s is perhaps most famous for inventing the Orange Crush cocktail, a drink that’s become so iconic it spawned an entire East Coast trend. But behind the bar program is a menu anchored in fresh, local seafood. The crab cakes are a perennial favorite, alongside daily fish specials that highlight what’s freshest from the docks. Diners might find rockfish grilled with lemon and herbs one day and blackened mahi-mahi the next, always prepared to showcase the natural flavors of the catch.

The restaurant balances casual and upscale seamlessly. Families flock here after a day on the beach, while date-night diners linger over wine and oysters at sunset. Inside, the nautical wood-paneled dining room pays tribute to the restaurant’s long history, while the bustling raw bar and oceanfront deck keep the energy lively.

Over the years, Waterman’s has expanded its role in the community as well. The Standring family operates other popular local restaurants, including Chix on the Beach and The Shack, but Waterman’s remains the flagship. Its combination of history, location, and consistency makes it a must-visit for anyone who wants to experience the heart of Virginia Beach dining.

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