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My wife and I visited to meet up with friends, on their recommendation. We have been by here a couple of times and chuckled at the Name. So happy we did end up stopping as it was absolutely delicious and terrific! The restaurant itself is well kept and very clean! Our server was terrific! We truly appreciated her friendly personality. After catching up a bit, we ordered our adult beverages. They have several beverages on special during their groovy hour! I opted for a bees knees. Absolutely terrific! For our dinner, I ordered their Greek salad with blackened tuna and a cup of she crab Soup well, my wife ordered their Western burger without a bun. Our friends ordered a lobster and shrimp roll special and his wife, the fish and chips. I was told that there was much more shrimp than lobster. The fish and chips portion was absolutely huge! We truly enjoyed our visit there and our time catching up! I know if we lived in the area we would be back as often as the locals!
Thanks to fellow yelpers we chose this "locals" favorite to stop for our first meal in Norfolk. This place is located on the ocean side of Norfolk. We stopped in during their early happy hour. The menu has so many options. We chose tacos off the happy hour menu and then had sandwiches for lunch. The taco had a bbq flavor mixed in a birria type seasoning. It was ribeye and the meat was tender but the sauce was unusual for my taste. The Cuban sandwich was my choice. It had large slices of pork, more than I am used to eating. The bread was thick. The bar area was dark almost lounge like. Seats at the bar were available. Service was good. Our server was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed.
The good: the cocktails. They were refreshing and had a good amount of alcohol in them. They also have a huge selection of cocktails. Service was also quick and polite. My only complaint was that she didn't tell us what kind of oysters she gave us. The not so good: The food was nothing to rave about. I got the oyster po boy. There wasn't much sauce on it so it was very dry. Our waitress even offered tartar sauce for it which I thought was strange because it came with a remoulade. The blackened rockfish was pretty disappointing. There wasn't much flavor to it. The raw oysters were okay but you could tell there were different kinds as they tasted different. It would have been great to get a description of them
I went out for a casual lunch at captain Groovy's and it was a great time. Serena was our waitress and was very friendly and helpful. I tried one of the mozzarella sticks my friend got as an app and it was delicious. For my entree I got the east beach trio and I was very impressed. The crabcake was legit and seasoned well. The fried shrimp were a good size and also seasoned well. The mac and cheese was creamy and had a good portion size. I didn't even make it to the flounder because everything else on the plate was so filling. Very reasonably priced, delicious seafood. One note I would offer is that the restaurant felt a little warm. Maybe turning the AC up a couple of degrees would help. Other than that, I will definitely be back to try their other seafood dishes.
Came for happy hour with my friend who loves raw oysters. It wasn't too packed for a Saturday afternoon, so we were seated quickly. I ordered the shrimp platter and a cup of she crab soup. My friend got raw orders and she crab soup. I tried the house sangria and she got the hh margarita. Our drinks came out quickly. Then the shrimp came. It was seasoned well, I was just surprised that it was only the shrimp. Typically a basket comes with fries. My friend enjoyed her oysters and we both enjoyed the she crab soup. I would definitely come back for the she crab soup!!
Second time I have been here. I came back because the place is always packed! People seem to love it! Drinks were great! The food menu is so large it's overwhelming. The service was great! Our server Eve and an older gentleman kept walking over to see if we were good and needed anything. The portions were huge, but the food quality was just ok. I got the scallop plate with rice and vegetables. The scallops though a lot of them seared were nothing special. The rice was cooked well but not a lot of flavor and the vegetables were severely over cooked. My friend got the grouper with hollandaise sauce and crab meat on top. It looked quite messy. She said the grouper was good but left 3/4 of the food on her plate. She may have been full but made no comments about how wonderful it was. I love seafood and took more than 3/4 home to my hubby who ate the scallops and discarded the rest. His opinion was the same as mine. Love the vibe but not the food! Not sure I can give this one a third chance
Stopped by around 7:30 pm for some dinner. No wait time, just a decent handful of people already dining in. Waitress was friendly and a lot of the items on the menu sounded really good to try. After placing out orders, it did it take a long time in between receiving each item. Our drinks came out pretty fast along with one of our appetizers, but following that, both our main entrees took forever. While we were waiting on them, we noticed my entree had been sitting on the hot bar for a good little minute waiting for the waitress to pick it up who was dealing with other customers for a long time; (4/10) on the wait time/service for me. We started with some Fried pickles (9/10) the batter and the pickles both tasted yummy, hot, and fresh. Voodoo wings in mild sauce (10/10) there was a slight like crunch and crisp to the wings that added to the already delicious flavors and the wings were really big! Crabbie Mac (10/10) it was tasty, creamy, and all around my favorite of the night. The groovy daddy burger (6/10) this was the very last item to finally arrive to the table and after such a long wait, I was expecting much more from it. It had a decent flavor but was dry. For drinks, I had the Cherry limeade crush (5/10) just tasted like soda honestly; don't think much to any alcohol was really in it. The flavor of it was refreshing though. I can see myself coming back again to try the other items on the menu, but I was definitely disappointed in the long wait times and my drink. My overall rate of experience : 6.8/10
I ventured here with a few other Yelp Elites after an event we were at, that failed miserably. I was left hungry since the event did not prepare well enough. We did a quick research for places in the area... through Yelp of course. We came across Captain Groovy's. One of our fellow Yelp Elites had been here a few times and suggested it. So we all hopped in the car and headed down the road to Captain Groovy's. Parking was plentiful, and easy to navigate. They are located on a corner and I am sure different times of day can be busier than others. But, we had no problem around 8pm on a Thursday night. Once inside we were seated towards the back. It was nice, and quieter where we sat. The restaurant kind of gave off a beachy coastal vibe with a little smattering of Jamaican rum. hehe Our waitress was phenomenal! She had no clue about what happened before we got to Captain Groovy's, but somehow turned our frowns upside down. We browsed the menu and made some choices. There was three of us and we ended up getting coconut shrimp, she crab soup, escargot, and fried shrimp. The coconut shrimp and the dip the pairs with it was fantastic and full of flavor. The fried shrimp was great as well. The breading had great flavor with spices. We ended our night with some dessert to include a slice of Smith island cake. I absolutely LOVE a smith Island cake. The perfect portions of cake and icing. Captain Groovy's is on the list of places to visit again when I am across the water.
First thing... eye lashes on the menu. Servers thought it was funny. No one came to apologize. They almost dropped the eyelashes on us. Took 2 hours for food and fish was rubber. Was sent back. Food came out one at a time every 20 min. By the time the last food was served , we had to box up and leave. No one ever came to apologize for the food coming out at different times or the fact it was utter crap. I do not plan to ever go back and I will tell everyone I know about this experience and caution them not to eat at this place. I NEVER LEAVE A BAD review Rates a zero.
We really enjoyed our meals. My husband had the fried catfish and shrimp, and I had the salmon Marsala. Our food came out hot and pretty quickly. Everything was very tasty. I also had the she crab soup which was delicious. It could have been hotter but the flavor was awesome. Our waitress was very nice and friendly, as well as, the other staff who interacted with us. The restaurant is decorated very festively. Oh, my sangria was tasty, too! In the area? Check Them Out!
Well it's been over 10 years since I've been here and the experience, service and food was the same as then. Went on a Sunday afternoon about 1pm and didn't leave out until 2:35pm, with my hubs. What did we order? 2 salads and wings! It took that long to be served those simple entrees! It was ridiculous! It wasn't the wait staff but the kitchen with 2 cooks. The wings were still good and the salads were good. You can have decent food, just expect to wait forever!!
Stopped in here for the first time to take advantage of their Saturday Happy Hour Specials, and they did not disappoint! First off our waitress was super sweet and attentive! Food wise everything was delicious. The salmon tacos had tons of fish in them, the wings were delicious, and the shrimp had a great flavor. The fries we ordered were just a side but also cooked well! The only complaint was that the ranch was more on the runny side and I like a thicker ranch. The white sangria was delicious! There are plenty of tables inside and beach/ocean themed! Will be back!
Went around 12:30pm on a Saturday, there was no wait and they let us sit where we wanted. We sat in the covered patio the weather was perfect. Decor was beach/cozy. The restroom was decorated very cute and it was clean! The food and drinks came fast. Oysters were fresh tasting and the fried food was also clearly freshly made. The drinks were delicious both flavors highly recommend. Service was great right amount of attentiveness. Highly recommend for either a cute date or just lunch/dinner near the beach.
1 month ago
9 days ago
Here's a polished Yelp version that keeps your frustration clear without sounding over-the-top: The food was very good, but the service really brought the experience down. The raw oysters were excellent, and the Bayou Steamed Shrimp with vegetables and Cajun spices was tremendous. The broth was fantastic and absolutely begged for some bread to soak it up. I asked our server if they had any bread I could get or buy, even garlic bread, and was told they didn't have any. That seemed strange considering they serve sandwiches on ciabatta rolls. A little bread with that dish would have made it even better. Unfortunately, the service was the biggest problem. We were seated in a front area away from the main dining room and bar, which would have been perfectly fine if someone had actually been paying attention to the section. Instead, we could rarely find our server or anyone else to help us. We even asked other staff members and a busser to help locate our server. I had to get up three separate times just to ask for things like additional napkins and an iced tea refill. My shrimp dish also came out well after everyone else's food. Eventually I had to ask the hostess where it was, and shortly afterward our server finally appeared with it. Later, when we wanted dessert and then the check, we again had to go looking for someone. What made it more frustrating was seeing several employees on their phones while customers were trying to get assistance. One person near the front appeared to be watching videos with AirPods in, and a couple of other employees seemed to be on their phones frequently. The food here is good enough that I wanted to leave a much better review. The oysters and Bayou shrimp were definite highlights. But when the food is this good, it's disappointing to have the experience dragged down by inattentive service. Being seated in a separate area is fine -- someone just needs to be responsible for actually taking care of the guests seated there. read more
On the way to our downtown hotel in Norfolk, we took a detour down the "Norfolk Beach Road". We found this popular place via Yelp. It was mid day and they were offering n early happy hour. Most of the "happy hour" was for the bar food. We started with the happy hour brisket tacos. We also ordered other snacks on the regular menu. The menu is huge and somewhat overwhelming. Food was served hot. Flavors were ok. We tried a variety of cocktails. Bar staff person was very nice. Seemed like it was a slower pace during this early happy hour(3:00ish). The parking lot is small and I'm sure can get crowded during the prime hours. read more
My wife and I visited to meet up with friends, on their recommendation. We have been by here a couple of times and chuckled at the Name. So happy we did end up stopping as it was absolutely delicious and terrific! The restaurant itself is well kept and very clean! Our server was terrific! We truly appreciated her friendly personality. After catching up a bit, we ordered our adult beverages. They have several beverages on special during their groovy hour! I opted for a bees knees. Absolutely terrific! For our dinner, I ordered their Greek salad with blackened tuna and a cup of she crab Soup well, my wife ordered their Western burger without a bun. Our friends ordered a lobster and shrimp roll special and his wife, the fish and chips. I was told that there was much more shrimp than lobster. The fish and chips portion was absolutely huge! We truly enjoyed our visit there and our time catching up! I know if we lived in the area we would be back as often as the locals! read more
Thanks to fellow yelpers we chose this "locals" favorite to stop for our first meal in Norfolk. This place is located on the ocean side of Norfolk. We stopped in during their early happy hour. The menu has so many options. We chose tacos off the happy hour menu and then had sandwiches for lunch. The taco had a bbq flavor mixed in a birria type seasoning. It was ribeye and the meat was tender but the sauce was unusual for my taste. The Cuban sandwich was my choice. It had large slices of pork, more than I am used to eating. The bread was thick. The bar area was dark almost lounge like. Seats at the bar were available. Service was good. Our server was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. read more
The good: the cocktails. They were refreshing and had a good amount of alcohol in them. They also have a huge selection of cocktails. Service was also quick and polite. My only complaint was that she didn't tell us what kind of oysters she gave us. The not so good: The food was nothing to rave about. I got the oyster po boy. There wasn't much sauce on it so it was very dry. Our waitress even offered tartar sauce for it which I thought was strange because it came with a remoulade. The blackened rockfish was pretty disappointing. There wasn't much flavor to it. The raw oysters were okay but you could tell there were different kinds as they tasted different. It would have been great to get a description of them read more
I went out for a casual lunch at captain Groovy's and it was a great time. Serena was our waitress and was very friendly and helpful. I tried one of the mozzarella sticks my friend got as an app and it was delicious. For my entree I got the east beach trio and I was very impressed. The crabcake was legit and seasoned well. The fried shrimp were a good size and also seasoned well. The mac and cheese was creamy and had a good portion size. I didn't even make it to the flounder because everything else on the plate was so filling. Very reasonably priced, delicious seafood. One note I would offer is that the restaurant felt a little warm. Maybe turning the AC up a couple of degrees would help. Other than that, I will definitely be back to try their other seafood dishes. read more
6 days ago
Came for happy hour with my friend who loves raw oysters. It wasn't too packed for a Saturday afternoon, so we were seated quickly. I ordered the shrimp platter and a cup of she crab soup. My friend got raw orders and she crab soup. I tried the house sangria and she got the hh margarita. Our drinks came out quickly. Then the shrimp came. It was seasoned well, I was just surprised that it was only the shrimp. Typically a basket comes with fries. My friend enjoyed her oysters and we both enjoyed the she crab soup. I would definitely come back for the she crab soup!! read more
8 months ago
Second time I have been here. I came back because the place is always packed! People seem to love it! Drinks were great! The food menu is so large it's overwhelming. The service was great! Our server Eve and an older gentleman kept walking over to see if we were good and needed anything. The portions were huge, but the food quality was just ok. I got the scallop plate with rice and vegetables. The scallops though a lot of them seared were nothing special. The rice was cooked well but not a lot of flavor and the vegetables were severely over cooked. My friend got the grouper with hollandaise sauce and crab meat on top. It looked quite messy. She said the grouper was good but left 3/4 of the food on her plate. She may have been full but made no comments about how wonderful it was. I love seafood and took more than 3/4 home to my hubby who ate the scallops and discarded the rest. His opinion was the same as mine. Love the vibe but not the food! Not sure I can give this one a third chance read more
10 months ago
Stopped by around 7:30 pm for some dinner. No wait time, just a decent handful of people already dining in. Waitress was friendly and a lot of the items on the menu sounded really good to try. After placing out orders, it did it take a long time in between receiving each item. Our drinks came out pretty fast along with one of our appetizers, but following that, both our main entrees took forever. While we were waiting on them, we noticed my entree had been sitting on the hot bar for a good little minute waiting for the waitress to pick it up who was dealing with other customers for a long time; (4/10) on the wait time/service for me. We started with some Fried pickles (9/10) the batter and the pickles both tasted yummy, hot, and fresh. Voodoo wings in mild sauce (10/10) there was a slight like crunch and crisp to the wings that added to the already delicious flavors and the wings were really big! Crabbie Mac (10/10) it was tasty, creamy, and all around my favorite of the night. The groovy daddy burger (6/10) this was the very last item to finally arrive to the table and after such a long wait, I was expecting much more from it. It had a decent flavor but was dry. For drinks, I had the Cherry limeade crush (5/10) just tasted like soda honestly; don't think much to any alcohol was really in it. The flavor of it was refreshing though. I can see myself coming back again to try the other items on the menu, but I was definitely disappointed in the long wait times and my drink. My overall rate of experience : 6.8/10 read more
1 year ago
I ventured here with a few other Yelp Elites after an event we were at, that failed miserably. I was left hungry since the event did not prepare well enough. We did a quick research for places in the area... through Yelp of course. We came across Captain Groovy's. One of our fellow Yelp Elites had been here a few times and suggested it. So we all hopped in the car and headed down the road to Captain Groovy's. Parking was plentiful, and easy to navigate. They are located on a corner and I am sure different times of day can be busier than others. But, we had no problem around 8pm on a Thursday night. Once inside we were seated towards the back. It was nice, and quieter where we sat. The restaurant kind of gave off a beachy coastal vibe with a little smattering of Jamaican rum. hehe Our waitress was phenomenal! She had no clue about what happened before we got to Captain Groovy's, but somehow turned our frowns upside down. We browsed the menu and made some choices. There was three of us and we ended up getting coconut shrimp, she crab soup, escargot, and fried shrimp. The coconut shrimp and the dip the pairs with it was fantastic and full of flavor. The fried shrimp was great as well. The breading had great flavor with spices. We ended our night with some dessert to include a slice of Smith island cake. I absolutely LOVE a smith Island cake. The perfect portions of cake and icing. Captain Groovy's is on the list of places to visit again when I am across the water. read more
2 months ago
First thing... eye lashes on the menu. Servers thought it was funny. No one came to apologize. They almost dropped the eyelashes on us. Took 2 hours for food and fish was rubber. Was sent back. Food came out one at a time every 20 min. By the time the last food was served , we had to box up and leave. No one ever came to apologize for the food coming out at different times or the fact it was utter crap. I do not plan to ever go back and I will tell everyone I know about this experience and caution them not to eat at this place. I NEVER LEAVE A BAD review Rates a zero. read more
8 months ago
We really enjoyed our meals. My husband had the fried catfish and shrimp, and I had the salmon Marsala. Our food came out hot and pretty quickly. Everything was very tasty. I also had the she crab soup which was delicious. It could have been hotter but the flavor was awesome. Our waitress was very nice and friendly, as well as, the other staff who interacted with us. The restaurant is decorated very festively. Oh, my sangria was tasty, too! In the area? Check Them Out! read more
Well it's been over 10 years since I've been here and the experience, service and food was the same as then. Went on a Sunday afternoon about 1pm and didn't leave out until 2:35pm, with my hubs. What did we order? 2 salads and wings! It took that long to be served those simple entrees! It was ridiculous! It wasn't the wait staff but the kitchen with 2 cooks. The wings were still good and the salads were good. You can have decent food, just expect to wait forever!! read more
1 year ago
Stopped in here for the first time to take advantage of their Saturday Happy Hour Specials, and they did not disappoint! First off our waitress was super sweet and attentive! Food wise everything was delicious. The salmon tacos had tons of fish in them, the wings were delicious, and the shrimp had a great flavor. The fries we ordered were just a side but also cooked well! The only complaint was that the ranch was more on the runny side and I like a thicker ranch. The white sangria was delicious! There are plenty of tables inside and beach/ocean themed! Will be back! read more
29 days ago
1 month ago
1 year ago
Went around 12:30pm on a Saturday, there was no wait and they let us sit where we wanted. We sat in the covered patio the weather was perfect. Decor was beach/cozy. The restroom was decorated very cute and it was clean! The food and drinks came fast. Oysters were fresh tasting and the fried food was also clearly freshly made. The drinks were delicious both flavors highly recommend. Service was great right amount of attentiveness. Highly recommend for either a cute date or just lunch/dinner near the beach. read more
2 months ago
4 months ago
First time and definitely not the last time coming here! I came in and was greeted with a waiter who was playfully joking at my seating choice to sit outside in 90 degree weather. I stepped one foot and turned around! Didn't want to put the wait staff through that! But fortunately I sat at the bar next to the Chef! And he was very pleasant and feed me great knowledge about the restaurant! Now, what attracted me here was the happy hour! I devoured some delicious cocunut curry mussels and some steamed oysters! They were very filling! I wasn't planning on drinking but the bartender definitely helped me decide on a bees knees martini. read more
Easily the best happy hour in the area. We found this place years ago and make it a regular spot to visit whenever we're in the area. The daily happy hour is a great way to get good selections of food and plenty to drink for an affordable price. The entire staff is excellent and add to the overall experience. Be sure to pay attention to the times for Happy Hour since they change based on the day. Outside of that, the menu offers other great selections. Virtually all the seafood is fresh and prepared well. Moreover, the other offerings are good as well. Definitely a place to go for cold drinks, great food, and awesome overall experience. read more
1 year ago
What a great place for locals and visitors. You know exactly where you are when you arrive. It's well marked and bright. We sat at the bar but they have more dining than bar. AKA....it's a restaurant with a bar. Good for larger groups. They have a smoking section too with TV's and it looks like an outside area but it was too damn cold to check it out. We had 2 appetizers....the psychedelic mushroom and the mussels. The bartender was very good about filling my water....I am doing dry January so I drank water like I have never seen it before. The food was delicious....that coconut dill sauce with the mushroom was freaking delicious. I could put that on anything!!! We asked for extra bread and sopped it all up!!! The mushroom was stuffed with crab. Very good! The mussels were delicious but spicy. If you don't like spice then be careful when ordering. The rustic bread was sooooo good. I could make a meal out of that bread and coconut dill sauce. They have HH EVERY DAY they are open!!! Check the hours because they change. I definitely want to go back. I really liked the vibe in there and the food was delicious and the bartender was very nice. I wish I got her name. Definitely worth checking out. read more
1 month ago
9 months ago
First timers will def be be back!! Everything was so tasty. Our server Jasmine very personable explained the menu which I really appreciate. The house marg was really good. The ribeye tacos were the start of the show . read more
1 year ago
The cleanest place I ever been in the US. Good food and drinks! Service was very friendly! read more
5 months ago
10 months ago
2 months ago
11 months ago
The food was phenomenal! I was expecting a lot of fried food but that was not the case. These dishes were top quality. The environment was clean and the staff were attentive. Definitely stop by Captain Groovy's and try these amazing dishes! read more
1 year ago
Seafood restaurant near the airport. It was a little muggy inside. Food was okay. Might come back. read more
8 months ago
3 months ago
3 months ago
1 year ago
This is a must dining when visiting Norfolk VA. When I tell you well seasoned, well fried, salmon cooked to perfection for the tacos and I removed most of what goes on there. My Fiancé loved the crab soup; he said " one of the best to do it". Lovely service was given , nice cozy spot to enjoy your meal. read more
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More info about Captain Groovy's Grill & Raw Bar
8101 Shore Dr
Norfolk, VA 23518
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(757) 965-4667
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http://captaingroovys.com/
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Captain Groovy's patio area is dog friendly. The porch and interior is available to service dogs.
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