I would like to add a comment about the review that was just left about his experience with bringing in his dog. I am a regular customer and have never seen the staff be anything but respectful and polite. I was a witness to this interaction. His dog had no identification as a service dog. The manager politely informed him of Virginia's policy on service animals. She also showed him where the policy is posted in the restaurant. Virginia, unfortunately, does not recognize emotional support animals as service dogs who are afforded the same accommodations as such. The staff is phenomenal here, the food is amazing, and its 30 years in business is a testament to the iconic reputation Big Sam's has. We all love dogs but restaurants have to abide by state law and Health codes. Viva La Big Sam's! read more

To the owner who replied to my earlier comments that I posted, bringing in a service dog. You mentioned how your staff said our dog was misbehaving. That is totally incorrect as our fully trained Dog was in your reception area no longer than 12 to 15 seconds before we were told we could not bring her in. And they were told she had to have a vest that said service dog. I've taken her to many other establishments here in Virginia Beach and no problems whatsoever. As for my experience, I'm retired but I have 45 plus years in the business. I've operated multiple outlets at one time. Also restaurants that have had over 400 seats. A major comparison to your tiny outlet. I've even operated a restaurant where we once did 418 covers in a sit-down full-service restaurant from 6:00 until 10:15. It is called knowing how to turn the tables. It is still a record to this date. So I definitely know that I have the experience to make a full and clear objective comment regarding your restaurant. As for the Ho chi Minh comment, maybe you folks should approach the Virginia Beach city council and tell them you need to close until they get the road condition improved. They should be willing to give you a government handout after all, I am sure you took one during the covid epidemic. By the way, I have over 10 years experience with the department of Defense/ United States Marine Corps operating their food and beverage outlets. And during the epidemic we remained open after 3 days because we set up a food to go program that serviced our military personnel. Just work on improving your little outlet. You may be getting better comments in the future. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! Our go to order is their crab dip and their wings. If you're ordering wings ask for double grilled!!! We just love the "vacation" vibes they give off...even for locals it feels like it :) read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Mistletoe fizz & an El Guapo - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I cannot believe this place has so many good reviews. We get to the restaurant and they are extremely short staffed on a Saturday night (crazy that actually paid for a huge professionally printed board claiming they were short staffed) The only person taking orders is the bartender and she just started this job according to her. We waited in line for 30 minutes just to even get to order our food because she has to make drinks and take orders but not at the same time. We spent $35 on a plate of the broiled seafood platter and there is barely 1 tablespoon of crab on it (the menu said Jumbo Lump Crab in the description). They said they don't call out order names and we would have to come back and check on our food periodically. We waited another 30 minutes for our food and when I saw the small amount of crab I went back to ask if that was the correct portion and waited another 20 minutes because the only person I can talk to just started this job and is bartending while order taking. The other staff were waiters just standing around or running food out. Finally after another 10 minutes I get to get my order fixed. I wish I didn't come here because this place is clearly for locals who don't mind staying for 4-5 hours to drink. The food tasted amazing but not worth the price or all the trouble I had to go through which I didn't even include all of it in my review either. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Broiled seafood platter ($35) - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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! read more

See all

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Dozen oysters - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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. read more

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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

The wings are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good the crunch is amazing and the sauce is even better no better place for wings in the 757. Legit read more

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. read more

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

See all

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! read more

See all

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! read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Gross trash area outside (it's been here the past two times I've come) - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

See all

Illegally denied a registered service animal because he wasn't wearing a vest even though I had all the proper paperwork and they refused to even look at it have brought this dog in here without a vest 15 times in the past three weeks and had no problems until the extremely rude bartender decided that it's up to her whether or not they are a service animal according to the Americans With Disabilities Act they are not required to carry any identification of vest or anything at all and they're not allowed to ask for any kind of documentation, but I did provide documentation which they were not willing to look at this is illegal and I will be reporting this to the proper authorities read more

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. read more

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - inlet platter - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

It's a a good place to go if you've been on the beach all day drinking And just need something in your belly. Staff is friendly.

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! read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Jumbo Shrimp Dinner - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Hot Blue Crab Dip - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

See all

I FUCKING LOVE THIS PLACE he big sam big wings are sooooo good like i have been craving them for who knows how long i love them

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. read more

See all

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Big Inlet seafood Platter. Enough to share. - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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. read more

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. read more

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....!!!! read more

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

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! read more

See all

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!! read more

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. read more

See all

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... read more

See all

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 read more

See all

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

See all

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Seafood platter! - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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. read more

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. read more

See all

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. read more

Big Sam's Raw Bar - Oysters Rockefeller - Seafood Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

See all

My fiancé has been coming here since college; it's his favorite place for wings. He said they were a bit dry this time and could've used more sauce, but they were still great. I had the lobster BLT which was huge and full of lobster. Really good. The potato salad was fantastic. The service was great as well. We'll still stop by every time we're in town. read more

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!.. read more

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! read more