I was in Norfolk, Virginia for a work trip and my colleague and friend had been just Saltine the night before. They loved the experience and didn't mind going two nights in a row. The restaurant is located within the Hilton property and is a fine dining experience. We arrived on a Friday night around 7:30 with no reservation and tried our luck. We were able to be seated in the dining area with no wait. Our server Jarrett approached us right away to explained the menu and took our drink order. Martinis & Cosmos all around. When the martinis arrived, we were wondering why they glass was "half full." Also my friend asked for dirty rocks on the side but she just got ice. Jarrett says he'd check with the bartender and get right back to us. Michael, the manager came over and explained they use a jigger to measure the liquor pours in the martini just as they would any drink but since martinis are all alcohol, they appear empty. Michael also told us that they used to use bigger glasses and changed because of they looked even emptier. I did appreciate him coming over and personally apologizing and explaining the situation. That is great service. Also, I appreciated that Jarrett stepped in as he recognized we were unhappy. My colleague and friend remembered Michael the bartender, different Michael, from the night before and said that he was amazing and took such great care of them. I wasn't part of that situation, but it's definitely worth noting! The bar atmosphere looked really fun. We ordered oysters, they brought out complimentary bread with a white fish dip that was delicious and I ordered the salmon market special that came with sweet potato wedges and bok choy. Everything was delicious. If that wasn't enough for us, we went on to split the carrot cake. The cake itself was good but I thought the frosting was a little bit too rich and tasted a little bit too much like cream cheese. Overall, this is a great fine dining experience. The ambience is great, the menu has amazing items, the service was wonderful, and the prices are high! Our bill came to about $300, but it was worth it and everything tasted great, we had a good time and I would definitely return here if I was back in this area. read more

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Slow service even though I'm early for a weekday lunch and hardly anyone in the place. Host takes a phone call right after asking me "how many." (He later takes a menu off my table that I'm using without asking or acknowledging me.). They crammed the few of us there into tiny area though they didn't need to. Food was a different story. Raw Chincoteague oysters were amazing as was the she crab soup. Food is what saved this review. I get being "short staffed," but don't be open if you can't provide adequate service. read more

Gorgeous venue with a wonderful server! After an arduous drive from Syracuse NY we were craving some really good seafood. Saltine exceeded my expectations. My steamed little necks were superb and judging from my husband's guttural noises his raw ones were outstanding! We both ordered the tuna--David's blackened and mine grilled. Perfection. We could not be happier with this dining experience and strongly recommend a visit here! read more

Without a doubt, this is one of the area's best restaurants & bars.. if not the best Downtown. First, the place is absolutely beautiful, from the classic decor (checkered flooring/patterned wallpaper), to the clever layout, to the windows and patio overlooking Granby & Main St. The bar is the focal point -- open & inviting. My first visit was on opening day, where I enjoyed a delicious medium-rare Tuna sandwich! Very impressed with the attentive, well-informed service. My four-five visits since then have been for drinks with friends. The managerial and bar staff have it all down!! Honestly, could be the best place to have a cocktail Downtown. I highly recommend coming in and seeing Josh, the Mixologist (Norfolk's best) & Mark behind the bar, who I've become good friends with. Special thanks to the whole staff for always being so welcoming! read more

Saltine - Greatest Manager around. Thanks for everything Mike!! - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Conveniently located in downtown Norfolk, Saltine is on the first floor of the Main, Hilton. Valet parking is available. There is also street parking and nearby parking garages. The restaurant was very busy for a Thursday evening. I would highly recommend reservations. Delicious food and excellent service. Did I mention, management came by 3 times to check on us. (No we weren't high maintenance). This just showed that the staff cared and wanted to provide the best level of service. We started with the Blackberry, Rappahannock River and Sewansecott oysters. All were unique and tasty in their own way. I had the rockfish with roasted veggies. They were perfectly seasoned and cooked. The highlight of the evening was the chocolate Orb dessert. Warning, this dessert is for sharing. A chocolate Orb filled with gelato, raspberry and mango sauces on the side, brownie bites, cheesecake bits, and cookies sprinkled all around the Orb. I would come back here just for dessert! read more

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Went during happy hour and loved the all you can eat $1 jumbo shrimp and 50 cent oysters deal. The alcoholic beverages on the other hand were mediocre in taste for me. We were told that happy hour is only served in the bar or patio area and it's first come first serve, so don't rely on any reservation because it's open seating. read more

Saltine - Happy Hour - $1 Shrimp & 50 cent Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Food and drinks were okay, a little too pricey for the taste and serving size in my opinion. Our server looked like she was forced to work that night. Ambiance is nice, we sat outdoor though so unsure what it looked like inside. read more

Super disappointed. Sat at the end of the bar and waited for almost 10 minutes before realizing I'd never be acknowledged where I was, so I ended up moving to a more active area of the bar. Ordered an app and a steamed lobster. The app never came and the lobster arrived about 30 minutes later totally overcooked with zero flavor. I asked for clarified butter and the unsalted butter that they gave me wasn't enough to add any flavor. I powered thru the rubbery lobster because I was starving, but honestly, it sucked. When I got the check, I mentioned to the bartender to make sure I didn't get charged for the app that never arrived. She admitted she forgot to order it. Mistakes happen but if she had written down my order, perhaps it wouldn't have been forgotten. Anyhow, the staff was overall very nice but clearly needs to be managed. I wouldn't recommend coming here for the food. If a seafood joint can't steam a lobster, then I probably lucked out with my forgotten app. read more

So I was told by a friend to check out their happy hour...boy was she right!!! On the negative it was packed and you can only dine at the bar and patio area for the happy hour specials.We finally got a table but it was well worth the wait. Our waitress was super friendly as well as the rest of the staff. One thing that I will say is that they were appropriately staffed. Now on to our apps! The apps that we had were all 1/2 priced. The prawns were amazing which we had 1 doz, 1 doz oyster rockefeller was so good, 1 order of crispy calamari, the crab cake were on point with little filler which we had 1. We also had 3 beers and 1 Tom Collins. Our bill was only $50!!!! What a great way to start our 4th of July weekend. I will definitely return throughout the summer. read more

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First off, this place was so busy, which was expected. And they are not practicing any Covid regulations anymore, other than wearing mask in the building. We were in line to see how long the wait would be (it was 7pm) and the hostess said 9:30pm is the next available, but the bar was first come first serve. We ended up sitting at the bar. There was no socks distancing at the bar, you're RIGHT beside the next person. Two hours later, we saw small signs at the bar stating "bar seating is for vaccinated guest only". Would have been nice for the hostess to mention that because it would make me feel better about being around others who are actually vaccinated. Chris was the bartender and he was great and very attentive. The food took so long to get out to us. The calamari was over cooked. My husband was not a fan. I had the shrimp and grits and it was delicious! My husband got the scallops and they melted in your mouth like butter. He feel like he didn't get enough food and ended up getting Taco Bell on the way home . Overall the food was good, but the atmosphere was loud and overcrowded. Expect to drop a few dollars when you do go. We spent around $180 for two people (2 drinks each, a shot each, appetizer and 2 entrees) read more

Wonderful atmosphere. Service is prompt. I will reserve next time for a better, private table. Romantic place. Clean. Food was spectacular. The Rock fish ROCKS.....the drinks are spectacular. The server was very attentive. Use the garage for best parking. read more

Saltine - Drink menu - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Went about a month ago. Food and service were great. Quiet environment, but not uncomfortably quiet.

Popped in around 11pm for a late night snack and thought their lobster bisque was great! Definitely a 5/5 but portions are small. Burger was a little flat (4/5) - thought some seasoning would have gone a LONG way. Fish and Chips were solid (4.5/5) but fries weren't seasoned and were a bit undercooked. Overall - cute spot with a great cocktail list. read more

My friends and I come here frequently for their happy hour oysters and drinks. 5 stars for the oysters and drinks, but 3 stars for service. We usually have to wait 10 minutes for a server to come over, all the while many of their staff and other servers have walked past our table a dozen times. However once we have a server they are pretty attentive and will help is keep the flow of oysters and drinks coming to our table. Their oysters are exactly what I like in an oyster. Not too large and not too briny. And the price can't be beat at happy hour! Drink prices are good too! $3 beers, $4 wines, and $5 cocktails with a selection of about 4-5 different kinds in each categories. Happy hour stars right at 5 so if you're coming on a Friday with a group, get there about 20 min early to snag a table. The rest of the week you should be okay getting there right at 5 but it does fill up so don't delay! Happy hour is only in the bar area and it's self seating. read more

So I came here for a night out on the town with my lover. Lol! I told him it was Norfolk's restaurant week. And I wanted to try some of the restaurants out. The first place we went too told us they were totally booked until about 9:30pm. That was kind of a bummer cause their menu for restaurant week had look sooooo goood too. But we decided to regroup and go online and see what else was out there. Lol! Saltine's menu had look pretty good too. And we haven't been to the Hilton since it opened up. So we were like what the heckkkk!!! Let's go try it out. Now as we walked in..... The place was soooo beautiful. It kind of reminded me of somewhere in San Francisco. The bar was pretty cool too! They had allllll kinds of seafoods just sitting there on ice loooking soooo yummy and ready too eat. Sorry sea creatures..... Lol! We made our reservations. Sat in the lounge area and admired all the wines above us on this big ceilling/ shelf area as we waited for our table. It didn't take that long for the wait too. They gave us a table in the corner. Which was totally fine. Cause after all it was our date night. Lol! The waitress came, greeted us and gave us the drink and food menu. She explained a little bit about the seafoods and etc. Since it was our first time there. She also bought out some bread with the sweetest butter ever and a crab dip. I think it was crab.... Lol! But it tasted goooooodddd! I wanted an alcohol beverage. So I asked her what was her recommendation. She said the El Diabolo. Wow!!! What a name! Lol! It was pretty good too. It had cranberry juice, tequila, and ginger ale, and something else in it. Can't fully remember. But just go on up their and ask them for the El Diabolo. You won't regret it. Lol! Limit yourself to 2 or 3.... For the appetizer we got the fried calamari and the oysters. Letttt me tell you it was the bommmmmbbbb!!! Can you say nom nom!!! Or should I say yum yum. Lol! It was crunchy and moist inside. Not hard like some fried calamari I have tasted in the past. The oysters were soooooo goood too. I did liiiickkk the shells clean. Lol! For the main dish both of us got the salmon with the bok choy ( I think I spelled that wrong), and happy rice. Now!!!!! I'm going toooo be honest. The salmon melted in my mouth. But that happy rice was not happy at all. It was hard as HELLLLL! That type of rice is what you throw after people at their wedding when they are leaving the church. It made me sad eating it that I just ate my salmon alone. I just couldn't finish the rest of that rice. Sorry! Just being honest. Now they made up when we entered in the dessert portion of the evening. We got the carrot cake and the homemade cheesecake. Also a cup of cappuccino to top it off. Mannnnn!!!! That cheesecake wasss sooo good. I almost bit my boyfriend's hand off for trying to take a piece of it. lol! The carrot cake was pretty good too. Overall the night was romantic. The setting was cozy , relaxing, clean restroom, excellent customer service!!! From the hostess, wait staff, and management. I will totally be back again. To try their happy hour out too! Please don't serve that happy rice anymore though. It's making people sad. Lol! Just saying.... read more

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Let's start with I almost walked out as it was over 30 minutes and no soup. It turns out they lost my order and the manager and host was amazing. They immediately sat me and worked with the chef to have my food out right away unfortunately it missed the mark in a few places but was spot on too. So first the pros: Seafood chowder soup- big chunks and lots of taste Fresh catch bronzed was amazing and flaky. Plaintains are amazing!! The restaurant staff The cons: vegetable medley. The 5 minute steamers are better Sweet potato is cut in half and supposed to be baked and fried. Mine came out just hard and not baked. After all of issues I had, the staff worked to make it right and at the end of the meal they arrived for excellence. I am thankful that they did as I was on my way out the door but they made it right. Definitely worth going to if you like fish, downtown and have a staff of personnel that will work to make things good. Ps- sir in Amanda's section as she is always smiling. read more

So, I have to give props to our server, Erika. She went over and above what was expected. She was knowledgeable on every item we inquired about on the menu and was spot on with recommendations. After dinner, when we told her we were thinking of going upstairs for dessert she took the initiative to get a menu from the other restaurant so we didn't even have to leave our comfortable seats! A+ on the atmosphere, food and service!! read more

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Another very good experience in Virginia. I had the lunch special of soft shell crab BLT and my wife had the salmon salad. Both were very good. Nice atmosphere and great service. Would recommend! read more

My friend, boyfriend, and I wanted to check out Grain, but it wasn't open until 5 pm. Not a problem, since Saltine is on the first floor of the Hilton and had plenty of seating. It was a very, very good decision. Saltine is hands down the best thing about my recent visit back to Hampton Roads. We sat at the bar and were served by Chris. He told us about the happy hour specials, and boy, did they make me happy. Raw oysters for 50 cents! Extra large peel-and-eat shrimp for $1 a piece! Half-off appetizers! Drink specials you wouldn't believe! It's basically heaven for a seafood and cocktail lover. I had two gimlets that were the best I've had in a while. My boyfriend and I shared a dozen raw oysters. We shared another dozen charbroiled oysters - if you haven't had charbroiled oysters, try them. They're half off during happy hour, so they're $4. It will be the best, and possibly most life-changing $4 you've spent in your entire life. My boyfriend also got some of the peel-and-eat shrimp, which were huge and covered in Old Bay - as they should be. My friend also ordered the fried calamari and it was also delicious. Chris knows his stuff, and let us try his favorite Caribbean rum, which impressed my Puerto Rican, island-raised boyfriend. The restaurant supervisor, Miriam, also checked on us and couldn't have been nicer in making sure we had a great experience! read more

Saltine - Ridiculously good gimlet and absolutely perfect charbroiled oysters! - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

We went to Saltine tonight and it was utterly disappointing. The price tag is high, the food is mediocre. I have a rule that most hotel restaurants are over priced and underwhelming and this place just sealed that observation. First we had mussels and calamari. The mussels were good, the calamari was ok but it wasn't served with any dipping sauce, next we had filet mignon, short ribs, and tuna. Both filet's were asked to come medium. One was medium, the other was on the higher end of medium well. If you are charging almost $50 for a steak, it should be perfect every time. Our plates came without garnish and without one of the sides it was Supposed to come with. There are So many places in the area that serve delicious food, I would not waste my money here again. read more

Saltine was not a good experience. The food was far too over seasoned to the point you couldn't taste the fish or veggies. No one checked back or removed dirty appetizer plates or extra table setting. So many other options around, skip this one. read more

I went to saltines and the food was great the service was amazing I had Nikkia as my waiter/sever she made me feel comfortable and she was very helpful i definitely recommend her 5 stars read more

Wow what a disappointment. Service was not great last night. Food came out cold and really not worth the price you pay at all.

My server was Nikia. She was wonderful. She was friendly and knowledgable. When I come back to the area and dine here I hope she still works there. I will be requesting her. read more

The food and the service were outstanding! Our server Taylor and Elle were the best!

Made it over to the new Hilton in downtown again last night. Second time going there, and this one was much better than the first. My first visit there was NOT to Saltine. About that visit, lets just say u can't build a good bar around ambience alone. If that were true we could all stand around holding Dixie cups of water telling each other how hip we are. On to the main event: SALTINE. Began at the bar, wound up at a table. Drinks, apps and dessert. Erika the server was awesome. Mark the bartender was great as well. Management was very visible and attentive. Pics included of most of the food we ordered. Food was really good. Happy hour oysters 50 cents each!!!! Hard to beat. Crispy shrimp app was nicely seasoned. Calamari was very fresh and remoulade was good. And the dessert was served tableside so not only was it delicious. It was gorgeous too. One critique I had was the oysters Rockefeller was a little too cheesy and too dry. Pros: great environment. Great staff. Awesome location. Good food Cons: very few. For a newly opened restaurant I expected a lot more hiccups in execution but there were none read more

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Saltine is an exquisite restaurant in the heart of downtown Norfolk. It is contemporary with an earthy feel. I come here twice a year for work and enjoy their cocktails. Today I tried 2 to Mango (mezcal based) and Two Ton Lift (bourbon/ espresso). They also feature an extensive wine list. Saltine is a very busy establishment so make sure you make a reservation or arrive with time to wait. Seafood is fresh and all plates look delicious! read more

Saltine - 2 to Mango - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I was so excited for the opening of the Hilton Norfolk/ Main just for the food alone! As a native of Virginia I have had more than my share of Hampton Roads dining...good and bad...and then the Main arrives! As a day one customer of Saltine at the Main, I have watch the transformation of the best Happy Hour & Dining experience evolve that Downtown Norfolk has to offer! Yes, there were bumps in the road in the beginning as with any new venue; however MIke will always make it right...but you have to call his name three times for the magic to work:-) "Mike, Mike, Mike. As for the food, I have tried quite a bit. From the awesome Happy Hour $1 shrimp, the 1/2 price starters to the fresh catch for dinner. ALL I will say are highly recommended! The "Orb" dessert is amazing and creative as there is a little of your participation needed to "break the dark chocolate bowl" that holds the delightful assortment. It was the best!! My advice for the Main is visit with a open mind, empty stomach and prepare to try "something NEW" for Hampton Roads!! My new favorite place:-) read more

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I'm always rooting for upscale spots to succeed in Norfolk, but this posh attempt landed straight on its face. Saltines might be the only thing on the menu worth eating. Oysters were decent, but on the crab front, steer clear. Despite their best efforts, the kitchen couldn't add enough salt to the she crab(less) soup to pretend it exists--completely devoid of crab and possibly the worst I've had in the area (I've spent 19 years of my life here). But had they used crab, it would have undoubtedly been the same canned crab they use for their crab cakes--though admittedly, there was little filler. There is no place in this region for a seafood place that fails so epically at crab. Very disappointed. The stellar ambiance, however, provides a great space for you to reflect on the sad, overpriced meal you just had, and for that they earned an extra star. read more

Bar is open as well as main dining and outside seating depending upon weather. Food was delicious. Our server was very nice. read more

Saltine - Shrimp and Grits - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Visited one weekend and all I can say is wow!! Great food with a nice ambiance. The highlight of the night was Noah !! This guy's customer service is top tier!! Promote him. :) read more

Bartender was awesome, but good not do good. I had crab cakes. The presentation was beautiful but the taste was non existent. My fiancée beet salad was good. I ordered truffle fries and they were burnt. Totally disappointing. Bartender was awesome. I would recommend going to bar and ordering maybe a salad. No establishment can mess up a salad read more

We dined here and had the pleasure of having Noah as our server. He was so fun and very knowledgeable we wI'll definitely come back just for the outstanding service we received. read more

I felt like having an introvert lunch, so I stopped in here to have lunch at the bar. The staff was attentive and helpful. I got the 1/2 sandwich and 1/2 soup. The fires flounder was very lightly fried it was delicious and the she crab soup was perfectly creamy and flavored. Downsides were no fountain sodas and the dressing that came on my salad tasted off. Not sure what the issue was but I couldn't eat it. Other than that this place was perfect for me today. The garage doors were open and the atmosphere was right for my much needed introvert lunch! Side note...my Coke was $3!!!! Damn. read more

Saltine - A little biting not so light reading at lunch today. - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Visited this location for first time on a Friday evening. We had the Crab Cake dinner and salads (Beet Salad). The food was good but desert menu didn't impress. Service was excellent! Would definitely go again. read more

Saltine - Virginia Blue Crab Cake Dinner, All Jumbo Lump "Ultimate" Style - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Went in to escape a thunderstorm and found first class seafood. Proper old school raw bar, where you can watch the preparation. The prepared plates were fantastic and the bar is fantastic and well staffed and stocked. I might have been avoiding the weather the first time, but it will be deliberate the next time I'm in the neighborhood. read more

Poseidon himself sacrificed his own beloved minions for our gastronomic delight. She had red snapper, I had bronzini. Both meals beyond delicious. Terrific place. Raw bar with way more Chesapeake oysters than I could eat. I tried. Lobster tank with humongous lobsters, for those who haven't made it to the Great Downeast. Terrific experience, hands down. read more

Saltine - Bronzini - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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My husband and I recently tried Saltine for the first time for our 5 year anniversary and had an absolutely wonderful experience. We didn't make a reservation, but had no trouble getting a table (even though it was pretty busy as it was a Friday night). Our waitress was attentive and helpful. We looked through the menu and wine/cocktail list; the wine list was not very long, and we ended up deciding on two cocktails... him, and Old Fashioned, me something called the "Army Navy" made with gin, orgeat (an almond syrup) and lime... it was delicious!!! We were splurging as it was our anniversary, so we decided to get all the courses... we tried the oysters Rockefeller (a little different but awesome) for a shared appetizer, I ordered the diver scallops for my main, my husband the snapper, and we shared a chocolate raspberry tart for dessert. When we placed our order we got a bread basket, but not your typical bread basket... there were two types of bread, one had a lot of texture to it and cheese, one more plain but both flavorful, and instead of butter, they served a white fish pattee alongside it... very, very tasty. Everything we had was awesome... the risotto under my scallops was creamy and delicious, the broccolini was smokey and the scallops were perfect. My husband's snapper was seasoned very well and full of flavor... spiced but not 'spicy' (perfect for him, he doesn't do spicy). The table next to us was getting the chocolate orb shared dessert... we couldn't help but look as the waitress created the dessert art (not sure what else to call it)... it was a lot of fun and they said it was amazing. We may have to go back just for that! Great experience! Can't go back all the time as a little more expensive, but nice for our special occasion! read more

Saltine - My husbands snapper (served whole with head) - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Enjoyed the customer service which our server did an awesome job. The calamari and cod fish where cooked perfectly, but the truffle fri s where lackluster. They soggy and the fish was put on top of them to catch all of the grease so they where soggy and greasy. The mixed drinks were great. read more

Saltine - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This was my first time here. We went for lunch. It's located inside of a Hotel so you should park in the garage. They do validate the parking. The food was good the lobster roll bread was buttery and the seafood was fresh. read more

Saltine - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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