I've been to all the Little Bar Bistros on the Southside, and Pacifica falls behind Empire and Crackers, I'm afraid. The service is always just OK, never great. Their drink menu is just as impressive as its sister bars, but the tapas menu falls behind. It doesn't seem as... inventive, creative, adventurous as the others. There's also not a lot of vegan options, but that's a personal nitpick. I like Pacifica as a bar, but as far as the tapas go, it's OK. Not awesome, but OK. Worth a visit. read more

Went here for some late night drinks. The ambiance is pretty chill. Can't review on the food or drinks because I only had beer and shots! I hear they have a patio and fire pit, is only stood inside. It was alright for a place to chill and drink. read more

Pacifica - New American Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Warm welcome on Christmas evening even though 15 minutes early for their opening..fun tapas nice atmosphere food was good until we got to dessert slightly disappointed 2cm thick crime brûlée and cheesecake taste more like flan..not gross just not what we expected otherwise experience was great enjoyed dinner read more

Great location down at the beach! The atmosphere is great and unique for the area which makes it refreshing. They keep it clean and use fresh products and even even grow some of there own herbs and spices!! The food is fresh with a kitchen that doesn't close. Service is top notch and personable which is refreshing and very much appreciated!! read more

I went here for the first time with a group of friends to enjoy some light food and good drinks. The ambiance is dimly lit, nice fireplace and very inviting. It was a great location for socializing and I greatly enjoyed the tapas. Be sure to try their bread and house-made flavored butters. It was some delicious sort of plum butter when I went. I was pleasantly surprised by the potato and leak au gratin which we couldn't stop eating and should have ordered seconds! They have an extensive drink menu and the cutesy names will entertain you before your meal. Enjoy! read more

Great meal. Husband and I split 5 different meals from the hot tapas menu and all were excellent. Service was attentive and professional. We have been to some of the larger and more well known places nearby and this meal topped them all. read more

Great place casual place, food is 5 star I have worked for some great chefs and this place is right up there.

great food, great drinks, great prices, great service. need I say more. Buttermilk fried chip with coleslaw is unreal! read more

I thought the tapas were all excellent. We didn't hit a bad one when we went - particularly the scallops and the lobster roll. The fried chicken special was the weakest. The drinks were tasty. We went back a second night. The food again was solid. But for some reason I can't explain, it wasn't as stellar. No clear reason. Same excellent beer on tap, nice ambiance - casual... and friendly, efficient service. I would definitely go back again when I am in VB. read more

Everything from the charcuterie to the drinks to the salmon and pork butt, to the bartender (Mike), were great. Sit at the bar and enjoy the flavors and general atmosphere. You won't be disappointed. Tons of mixed drinks and 6 taps. Have fun! read more

Pacifica - New American Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Cool little spot for seasonal and interesting tapas, with lots of good beer and a large cocktail menu. We had a great dinner with lots of interesting small plates -- I haven't heard of Beet Sliders or Beet Fries before, but both were delicious. The Lamb Lolly's were yummy and everything seemed fresh. We also tried one of the specials on the Chalkboard, the Octopus Stir Fry, which was just OK. Stir Fry isn't the best small plate kinda food. Still, it was adventurous by the chef, so I'm not going to knock their score. Please remember that its a small plate and shared food kind of place. The table behind me each ordered one thing, specifically for themselves, and I could hear them commenting about how each dish would come out separately (when they were ready). The dad ate his Lamb alone, the wife at the salad, and the whole time they were confused and dumbfounded. I felt a little embarrassed for them. Apparently they are open past midnight with the kitchen still going, which is a big plus. Dope spot. read more

Excellent food, service and drinks. We only get to VA Beach once a year and this is our first stop. Scallops were melt in your mouth delicious read more

Terrible experience, short staffed, messy kitchen, BAD FOOD. Restaurant only had two employees on the floor, yes it's a small restaurant but service was lacking due to this. Not a place for kids, no high chairs and no kids food. First appetizer, yuca, was terrible. Tasted of freezer burn, cheese was old and yuca was plain disgusting. We didn't wait for food to come out and opted to take rest of food to go. The "fresh catch of the day" was bad, and by bad I mean spoiled, had an off smell like it had been left out all day or old, couldn't eat it. The wings were asked plain but freezer burnt and tasted bad as well. The ribeye was good and the only food that was edible. This restaurant and it's kitchen need serious help. If the kitchen is going to be exposed like that the least you can do is keep it organized and clean, and have the cooks wear gloves. Would not be back or recommend this place to anyone. read more

Came here while visiting family, looking for something OTHER than the gross chain restuarants that are all over the place. Decor is cold and impersonal, nothing to write home about, and it was located in a strip mall. Not exactly great ambiance, but the food made up for it! We had 7 or 8 different plates and a couple of drinks. The tapas, both hot & cold, were fantastic- all tasty, and served very quickly. We'll definitely return, and try some other options. read more

Girls night out! Martinis by the fire place in this charming little tapas restaurant. By far my favorite place to go with the girls or even on date night. I swear they're putting something in the food because it is sooooo good. They change their menu seasonally and have daily specials so there's always something new and equally amazing. Cool staff in a classy laid back environment. read more

This probably the very best tapas bar in the Hamptons Roads area!! Crafts drinks are on point!! Great service!!

Date night and we loved it. Everything we ordered was really good. They also have thier own parking which is a huge plus on the oceanfront. I would have given it 5 stars but our waitress was too busy talking to guys at the bar and we had been waiting to get our check for 30 minutes. read more

Tasty and interesting food, excellent service. Cute spot. Love the drink menu. Only downside is that it can get pretty loud when it is crowded. read more

Great late night local bar with awesome late nighir and specials menus. Their specials are great too. Definitely worth a try.

This place has some of the best food in VB. I'm always blown away when I eat here. It's super classy and low key as well. Wonderful beer selection. I kind of wish they opened earlier! read more

I'm a Virginia Beach local (live about 5 minutes from Pacifica) and have been eating there a few times a month for the past 5 years. Generally the food is good and the location is convenient. However, the restaurant does have a few significant issues. I'll use my experience from last night as an example: I arrived at Pacifica with two other locals at 8:00PM. After we sat down at an open table near the door, we were promptly given menus and served drinks by a waitress. (So far so good) Based on this prompt initial service, we assumed the waitress would return for our food order within a few minutes. Unfortunately, she never came back. After 45 minutes (now 8:55PM) we looked around the restaurant and found that our waitress was behind the bar busily mixing drinks. Apparently she had shifted into a bartending role without letting us know. Confused as to what was going on, we flagged down another waitress, Caitlin, and asked if we could place our food order with her instead. She told us "no", that our table was technically part of the bar area and not part of the restaurant, therefore she could not serve us. We started to ask why we had been served drinks and given food menus if we were seated in a "no-service" area, but Caitlin walked away in the middle of the question. Hoping that we might have better luck getting service at a different table, we moved to an adjacent open table. As soon as we sat down, Caitlin came over and told us that she would not serve us at that new table either because there was apparently now a waiting list for tables. We began to tell Caitlin about our situation, expecting at least some type of help, but she again walked away with her last words to us being "if you stay at this table, you won't be served". Through the tone of her voice, she was essentially telling us to leave. (I'll note that we have been served by Caitlin dozens of times and tipped her very well. Nevertheless, she acted as if she didn't know who we were.) On our way out, a family (that had apparently been watching our ordeal from a nearby table) came up to us, told us they felt bad for how we had been treated, and offered to buy us a round of drinks. It was a nice gesture, but after an hour of waiting for service and getting the cold shoulder from the waitstaff, we were ready to leave. I have 2 takeaways from this experience to share with the Pacifica management team: 1. It appears that some tables in your restaurant are considered "bar area tables" and do not receive service. These tables need to be clearly marked, with some type of signage, so that customers do not fall into the same trap that we did last night. 2. The wait staff's attitude needs to be considered. I am very understanding of the fact that waitresses can be rushed during peak times. However, being rushed is not an excuse for poor communication and a dismissive tone. That type of behavior will quickly alienate customers, especially your high-value regular-customers. I will check in on Pacifica from time to time, but will actively steer my friends and neighbors (many of which are also Pacifica regulars) away from the restaurant until I see that the issues above (primarily issue #2) have been resolved. read more

The best tapas in town. The menu is diverse, fresh, creative, and always changing. The best kitchen and serving team. Have a seat at the kitchen bar any try the menu. You will be pleasantly surprised. One of the best restaurants in Virginia Beach. read more

Pacifica is a hip locals only spot to come hang out, meet a few friends, and have a little bite to eat too. I always wish this place was bigger because the bar and the tables fill up quickly. I usually enjoy a night up here by starting out with a Moscow Mule at the bar. Sometimes I venture over for something a little more cozy on the couch by the fire. They have a seasonal tapas menu with nightly additions. The plates are small so you can order about 3-4 plates each so you don't have to commit to just one dish--this is the beauty of tapas and sharing amongst friends. My recent favorite are the dates stuffed with truffle goat cheese and wrapped in a surryano ham, baked up to appropriate cheese ooze/crispy ham temperature. I moaned so much when I put this in my mouth that I think the entire restaurant had to place an order for these afterwards just to see what all the noise was about. Most of the food is typically pretty good, but I will be honest, I have always thought that Pacifica's sister restaurants, Crackers and Empire (both in Norfolk), were much better--but Virginia Beach isn't exactly filled with the amazing food that Norfolk is. In a city packed with chain restaurants, Pacifica is a gem. Check out the S'mores for dessert--always makes you uber happy, doesn't it? read more

Pacifica - Dates stuffed with truffle goat cheese and wrapped in surryano ham. So in love! - New American Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I really enjoyed the food here. Looks unassuming but highly recommend this spot. I'll definitely be back.

I rarely get down to Virginia Beach for more than a quick layover during the summer, but I try to find time to make it here every chance I get. I'm always impressed and tonight was no exception... the wine was amazing, the food was perfectly prepared and presented and the bartender, Laura, was attentive and knowledgeable. Thank you for making my mini vacay a memorable one. I'll be back, as always. read more

My comment is for J.M. You obviously are new to the food scene around here. I'm a local and have lived here all my life. Pacifica is definitely one of the hottest places to eat. Finally a place that is progressive in the food scene here in Virginia Beach! It's so refreshing to see a place serve something besides crabakes and burgers! The food is always fresh and cutting edge. Who else around here serves things like cold smoked wheat berries, pork belly over vanilla waffles, or brined and braised bison short ribs?? If you choose to eat at other places on the boardwalk like Mahi Mah's or Catch 31, Pacifica is definitely not the place for you until you refine your palate for good food. And as for Jody E.... You kinda put your foot in your mouth because the whole situation was your fault. How do you expect to carry around an expired coupon for over a YEAR and have it honored?! Especially on a weekend? Most places don't honor VALID coupons on the weekends because the whole premise of the promotion is to get business in on the slow nights of the week. It blows my mind that you would be so rude as to give a perfectly good restaurant a bad review because you messed up. read more

I came here with my boyfriend on a friday night and met another couple. The ambiance inside is nice and dimly lit. I'm glad to have found a real tapas restaurant in Virginia Beach! We ordered cheese/fruit place (VERY nicely done), tomato/basil/motz salad, edamame, and the smoked salmon and pineapple canapes. It was all amazing and very well done. They also had a lavender and herb hummus that was off the chain. Their wine list was quite expansive and impressive. I had the Oregon pinot noir, which was excellent. Their martini list is also really overwhelming and creative. I made the best selections, Sex at my house (i know, SHOCKING. It had Amaretto in it though and was by far the best drink of the night) and my classic favorite, French martini. My bf and friends chose alright selections, in fact, my friend got the Purple Haze, which ending up being NOTHING like its name and was NOT good. Despite only taking one sip, our waiter gave us a hard time about comping it for another drink. I know that ordering drinks and returning them CAN be a subjective judgment call for restaurants, but the fact is that our bill was going to be well over $150 and it was our first time there. I was disappointed at the back and forth we had to go through to get my friend another drink. That's something that good management can make a call on and frankly we were very disappointed at how much of an ordeal they made it. They eventually comped it (after much finagling) but that could have been a deal breaker for us. For that I give it 4 stars. The food and drinks were great, the service could have been better, but for now, I'm just glad that a real tapas place EXISTS down here. read more

Waited at the front door for 17 min. Server looked at my fiancé and I 3 times. Walked away 3 times. Cool story.

The exterior is a bit sad and doesn't do the inside justice. Staff was a great and the food was 50/50. The empanadas special was great but I would pass on cheese/Charcuterie plate next time especially for the price. read more

Excellent small plates. Pricey but worth it. Scallops tasty, gnocchi very good, dessert wunderbar!!! Great service too!!!

Welcome to Pacifica. If you've had an opportunity to experience it, congratulations! You see, despite some management changes, ownership changes, expansions...our "Crackers" which grew from a little spot on 21st in Norfolk under a dental office with about 12 barstools and less tables has grown into several restaurants, is still a local mainstay and has stuck to it's roots. No hostess? Yep, no hostess. Grab a table. Need a drink? Swing up to the bar, the guy with beard isn't a "hipster" he is a master. You won't be disappointed. The servers...think about it, they aren't serving dinners, they're serving tapas, course after course, cocktail after cocktail. They work hard. Body art...irrelevant. They have fantastic descriptions on their ever changing menu, close your eyes, point, and go with what your finger decides. Fried chicken and waffles, tuna poke, duck, check out the specials, get the edamame, and dear goodness, live a little and try the pork belly. I know. I know. Just do it. Head to the little bar on the right, you can watch them cook. They are chefs...artists. The main thing is to make yourself at home and you will be. They are different. Most importantly, different strokes if you will. So, if you call tapas an "appetizer" well, they don't have blooming onions or "pick three" and it's ok, if you spell Filet Mignon, "fillet", if you require A-1 or ketchup, it's fine; however, this is not "dinner" but a dining experience and a lot of fun. Pacifica gives you get little bites of heaven. My favorite part of the menu..."No separate checks...what's a few dollars among friends." Love it, go with a sense of adventure, you won't be disappointed. read more

This place has amazing food. We came very late and they still made everything fresh and quick for us. The server was very friendly and prompt. We will definitely come back the next time we come to Virginia Beach. Everything is delicious. We highly recommend the duck and grits, seared tuna steak, marinated ribeye, tuna tartare wonton cups, grilled peach and waffles, chicken lollies, and pretty much everything else on their menu. It's definitely well worth it. We ordered some cocktails: the Mai tai, the Diablo and mango lassi. They were all delicious and well made. They have a very extensive beer, cocktail and martini list. We didn't even get a chance to look at their wine menu, we were already intrigued by the other stuff. Good luck picking a drink, it's hard to decide since everything sounds amazing. read more

Nice low key atmosphere. Great food comes out fast and service is great. Will definitely come back

We have been visiting VA Beach for many years and stumbled over Pacifica last 3 years. Always had great experience. Great food. We stop by every time we are in the area and have referred friends to go there. Normally the food is great and service friendly. We usually find two guys working the bar area and floor. Recently we visited Pacifica one evening and our normal guys were off and we encountered the worst, rude, inexcusable service at a public Bar/restaurant from a blonde woman working behind the bar. She was hostile from the time we entered the establishement, as if our presence of was unwelcoming. We felt very very unwelcomed. It took her a very long time to even acknowledge us standing at the bar trying to get her attention to order food and drinks. Every time we tried to get her attention to order drinks or food, she would turn to us with a mean, hostile, unsmiling, lips tightened face and speak to us in a very rude, unfriendly voice and often time yelling. We were wondering what is wrong with this woman and why she was behaving like that. We had said or done nothing wrong to her. We were treated as if she did not want anyone bothering her other than the people she knew and was friendly with. It was around 12am and they were still open, we ordered food and drinks. At 1:30am we tried to order a round of drinks for our party only to be told rudely that she had already called last call, but she would give us our last drinks, but she would take them away if we did not finish them by 2:00am. At 1:45pm she calls out to everyone "Last Call, Last Call, although she had already told us she had already called last call and proceeded to offer her friends more drinks. At 1:55am two more of her friends walk in and she serves them alcoholic drinks (way past the last call), smiling and friendly to them. Her friends were still at the bar, who she continued to serve and drink. At 2:00am she turned on the lights and rudely yelled "everyone get out" Im closed!!! and the addressed us rudely, yelling , you have two minutes to "chug your drinks" or i will take them away..... We tried to tell her we were leaving and she continued to be rude. At 2:02am we exited the bar and just left the drinks there in total disbelief of how rude this woman was to customers and why any establishment allows someone like her work behind the bar serving people. We are probably never going back. We found another great place across the street, EATS where the customer service was just amazing, extremely welcoming and food is excellent. We visited EATS establishment 3 times in one week...where we would have normally gone to Pacifica... Shame!!.. Great place but the woman is very rude......she may ruin your night and your experience with this establishment...great place but if she is working the bar go somewhere else!! read more

Harsh critic here too... Pacifica scratched my itch for the best hand-crafted Martinis and delicious, mouth salivating tapas! Thank you Christin for your original, off-the-beaten path Martinis. Avoid the riff-raff of ghetto Virgina Beach and come north for a much classier beachfront! read more

There were 4 of us and we each ordered 3-4 plates. Everything was delicious. Make sure you check the board of specials when you first walk in. They had some really good stuff on there. read more

Absolutely delicious small bites, BIG drink menu. Local fave. Creative, fresh, seasonal menu offering something for everyone. Comfy cozy atmosphere with great music, couches, and fireplace, perfect for catching up with friends, romantic or casual meetings. read more

This is place is on point!! Super cozy with the best atmosphere possible. They make some of the best drinks and tapas I've personally ever had. I'm in the hotel industry so I know how much service counts and these folks have it nailed down. Bartenders, servers, chefs and even the guy doing dishes are always smiling and genuinely seem happy you are there! The owner even takes time out of his busy day to stop each and every table to ensure his customers are more than satisfied. It also has a "Cheers" type of vibe because most evenings you will see familiar smiling faces, I think this is a testament to how well this joint is operated. Everything on the menu is super good, but I tend to crush the following: Pulled pork tacos, Roasted jalapeno bean dip, Gochuchan-Spicked Brussels, and the 8oz CAB Ribeye. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND CHECK THIS PLACE OUT.........YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED read more

The sign for this establishment proudly states "eat, drink, repeat"; with this tag line and the size of their drink menu, I was hoping for consistently well-made and inventive cocktails... this was not to be the case. Between my selections and those of my table-mate, I was able to sample the following four cocktails: The Trophy Wife, The Gemma, The Sazerac, & The Side Car. The Gemma was quite good and The Trophy Wife gave me little to complain or rave about, but I'm easy to please with fruity flavors such as these. Attempts at the classic cocktails, on the other hand, left a LOT to be desired. Ingredients were out of balance, including so much Pernod in the Sazerac, it could barely be choked down. As I noted, this not what I'd expect at a place that seems to pride itself on cocktails. Perhaps it was an off night? Hard to tell, but if I were to return I'd stay away from cocktails and get beer or wine instead. Service was slow and not particularly friendly. The only saving grace (and the reason for three stars) was the food; while I found the ricotta ravioli & vegetable pot stickers average, both the NY Strip & the goat cheese/tapenade bread were to die for. I probably won't be back as I'm not from the area, but if local might frequent for the food and a non-cocktail beverage. read more

The place is cute and has a hipster feel. Unfortunately the staff tries to be too hip instead of doing their jobs. The bartender of course has the obligatory en vogue beard. The waitstaff of course has multiple tattoos because they want to be different. The ironic thing is all of them have tattoos so none of them are different. Instead of paying attention to the guests the cool hip staff rather talk to each other. The food, is creative, and the presentations are well thought out. Unfortunately it is not enough to make up for the lack luster service given by the front of the house staff. read more