Smalls BBQ & Oysters in Cape Charles had been on our list for a while, and we finally made it in for a quick lunch. The smell of smoke hits you as soon as you step out of the car--which is always a great sign. We were greeted and seated quickly, and our waitress was attentive from the start. She walked us through the highlights and shared a few of her personal favorites, which was a nice touch. We kicked things off with the Oyster Rockefeller. The oysters themselves were nearly perfect, though the dish leaned a bit salty. Still, a solid start. The crab soup was good as well--also slightly on the salty side, which could just come down to personal preference. Now to the burnt ends--one of my go-to orders anywhere. I'm happy to say these didn't disappoint. Like others have mentioned, the brisket was a touch dry but still impressively tender and full of flavor. The BBQ nachos were messy in the best way and packed with flavor--definitely a hit, especially with my son. As for the slaw, we were told it would be "wet," but it's actually on the drier side, so keep that in mind depending on your preference. Overall, a really enjoyable stop with good food and friendly service. We'd definitely come back again. read more

See all

Took a few minutes to get seated, even though the restaurant wasn't very busy. It looked like they had just finished up with some large groups. Jennifer was pleasant and took our drink orders, but it was about 10 minutes before we got our drinks and placed our food order. The appetizers took about 20 minutes to arrive. We ordered a dozen fresh oysters, but only 10 came out. We had to ask for the other two once we were finally able to get someone's attention. Making a joke that the kitchen could not count to 12. The food was really slow coming out. The calamari and crab soup were great, and the sausage and pulled pork were delicious. The ribs, unfortunately, were not a favorite. We decided to stop here because there was no wait, but honestly, we might as well have waited at the harbor. The food was good overall, but the service and wait times definitely took away from the experience. Seems to be a kitchen help issue more than anything. read more

Great service. Pulled pork was really. It was Carolina style. Not too tangy just how I like it a you can still taste the seasoning. Beans was great too. She crab soup was delicious. Not a fan of the brisket. Slightly dry. Will come back again. read more

See all

This is a decent place to stop in, especially if you're on the road. We found the Harbor area to be slam-full with waits. So we headed back up the highway as we saw this when we came in. Food was pretty good. I had the Texas Brisket sandwich, which was good, it wasn't overdone with sauce, spice and the meat was cooked right. Down in Hampton Roads they would have this smothered and too sweet! The fries were WAY over salted though with sea salt. The Pulled Pork was well balanced too, nothing crazy going on, which was nice. Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was very quiet. We were surprised to not see more people in there on a Friday afternoon, on Highway 13. We were the only customers once the people before us left. Anyway, worth checking out. Easy fixins both affordable and convenient if you're local or taking a break from the road. read more

See all

No idea if it's any good. My wife and I couldn't get anyone to acknowledge us standing at the "wait here to be seated" sign. Waited way too long and finally left. We saw staff hanging out in the kitchen, so I know someone was there. Do better. read more

Wish I rate the food, but left without ever receiving it. Went in a little before 2pm on a Friday. There were tables seated in both dining rooms. We sat at the bar, right in front of the bartender. He was ringing in a big order and said he'd be right with us. After about 5 minutes. I asked if I could grab some of the menus, over the bar (which were in reach). I reached over and grabbed a couple so we would be ready. He said he'd be with us in a minute, which turned into over 10 minutes. We ordered our beer and food at the same time. The keg was blown and he was about to leave again, so we insisted on any other beer that was ready NOW. Meanwhile people are coming up to the bar asking for refills, for their checks, for food. It seemed there was another girl working the dining room, and another female employee was trying to get with a bar customer. Our beers ran empty, other people came and went without ever being served, it sounded like a party in the kitchen. We kept thinking about leaving, everytime he came out of the kitchen without our food. He finally gave us a beer refill, and said our food would be out soon. One guy sat for 20 minutes, got no service and the bartender thanked him for leaving. Everytime he came out of the kitchen he had someone else's food. At one point he ran by with a mop bucket to mop the floor, in front of the front door! After over an hour, we flagged him down and told him we wanted to leave. He said he was sorry and our food would be out soon, "4 people called out." I disputed that fact, saying making a bbq sandwich takes as long as it takes to slap meat on a bun and we had already waited over an hour. I worked in a BBQ restaurant for 15 years. Everything we ordered was already cooked. We could hear plenty of people in the kitchen and BTW, where the heck is the manager of this place? Did they call out too? He asked if we wanted our food to go lol. If they can't get it on a plate how long will it take to put it in a box? Then he overcharged us for our beers, which I corrected, because it was Happy Hour, we paid and left. What a shit show. read more

We were excited about eating at your restaurant, for the very 1st time. Server was very slow, took quite some time to get our drinks. Ordered appetizers and sandwiches. Never received our appetizer. Took over 45 minutes to get our food (burger and pulled pork sandwich)and when it came out it was cold, fries where so hard you couldnt even bite into them. Our server basically said it was taking so long because a table of 8 was ahead of us. She also said she completely understood why we were upset. Very disappointing. We really were looking forward to eating at your restaurant. It was not so busy that we should have waited 45 minutes for sandwiches read more

Sadly inconsistent. Sometimes the meat dishes are excellent, other times not do much. Never tried the seafood. Mac and cheese is like well paper paste, no flavor. Baked beans are very good. Don't like ordering at the counter. Inside space needs eork, quite unappealing! read more

If you're going for the BBQ Smokehouse experience, this place misses the mark by a mile. I got a TexMex salad topped with pulled brisket. The brisket was dried out and chewy, and cut/chopped up so fine it didn't look like brisket. The salad was fresh and delicious! My husband got the full rack of ribs ($31) I have NEVER SEEN SUCH A SIGHT!! He fought and fought to get the meat/gristle off of the bones. There was so much jellied cartilage that it couldn't have been a grade A piece of meat. Usually the meat can be sucked right off of the bones...not here at Small's! However, the sides were tasty yet a bit on the small side. read more

Wow I was hoping for a good experience but it wasn't to be. I had a combo with brisket and sausage. Let's start with the sides. Beans were pretty good. The cheese grits were excellent. Sausage was ok. Not much smoke flavor at all. The brisket was the worst I have ever had. It was dry dry dry and so tough it was difficult to cut. It was a major disappointment. I could not recommend this place. read more

Small’s Smokehouse - Brisket, a major failure - Smokehouse Near Me - Cape Charles, Virginia

Very disappointed as we arrived this evening as a double date for Valentine's dinner. Our orders were taken immediately. My gfs food came out solo. We were served a second drink and still waiting on food (25min). Asked to speak to mngr and was told she'd take care of it. We informed we were leaving and weren't stopped or asked for tab. We left. read more

The whole restaurant smells like smoker I looove it Service was very nice Food was delicious We had seafood plater and cocktail sauce Brisket sandwiches and fried pickles. Everything was very tasty. Coleslaw did not have much flavor but the rest was very tasty. The place is large and has many tables. read more

The staff, Kasey, Michelle, ivy, and Jennifer all super friendly. Amazing place to go get a couple drinks, shoot some pool, and enjoy some really good food all at the same time. read more

Small’s Smokehouse - Smokehouse Near Me - Cape Charles, Virginia

Cool building. Order at the front, everything is a la carte, they call your name when it's ready . Food was very average. Brisket was dry, the onions in the baked beans were still raw, and the Mac n cheese tasted just like the Kraft Velvetta from a box. Service was friendly. read more

See all

I was in the area working and stopped to try some BBQ. Sure glad we did. I ordered the 3 protein dinner. Sliced brisket,pulled chicken, the sausage. All three were delicious. The brisket has a great smoked flavor with a great seasoning. Not a great fan of pulled pork so I got the pulled chicken, which was very good nice and tender good portion. Along with the sausage they had great taste and a little bit of kick to it. Add the great smoked mac & cheese, along with coleslaw and their baked beans and you have a delicious dinner. If you're running down Langford Highway and you like barbecue, I would definitely recommend you stop here. My understand is they have a great selection of beer also, but we got our food to go. read more

See all

I would have liked to enjoy the food more. The service was friendly and my take out order was ready relatively quickly, but the ribs I got were just not that great. They were relatively tough, definitely not fall off the bone. The broccoli salad was great. I think it would be a fun spot to come hang on the weekends and I'd be willing to give it another go, but I was just passing through. read more

Casual comfortable self serve BBQ ambiance! High quality beef and pork; well prepared!! Five choices of in-house handmade sauces to accompany the brisket with home grown, house made sliced pickles which added an amazingly tasty complement to the burnt ends tender brisket! (I'm from Texas; I KNOW brisket! The sliced pickle and onion on the side added a succulent flavor I've not had before with brisket!! YUM! Yum!) Coleslaw (also made in-house) is a very pleasing side to the tender burnt ends brisket! Hubs had the waffle fries which are also freshly prepared and served crispy with a hot soft center! Good accompaniment to his single freshly (upon ordering) pan-fried filet of catfish! Serving was good size for an entree. Assorted Pepsi (products)fountain drinks and both sweet tea and plain. Fun surprise was discovering a bar on site! Jen, the bartender has an extraordinary gift of hospitality! Good selections of beer, wine and mixed drinks! And Happy Hour 2-5 pm for beer and well drinks!! Logan Small, is owner, meat smoker and talented creator of homemade meat sauces and yummy FRESH pork rinds!! Definitely a GREAT lunch-find on our travels south to VA Beach! Looking forward to their fresh oysters on my next visit! read more

14 of us descended upon Small's yesterday unannounced....we had a great experience! The food was good and the service was wonderful..especially Carrie! Thanks so much! read more

The fried oyster platter, $26, came with 2 sides . there was one whole oyster and a bunch of small pieces of coating, very little oyster flavor.It was never like this in the past- the oysters used to be whole and not so heavily coated. The hush puppies were over cooked , they were dry. Luckily, the Cole slaw was good. If you have any questions, call me at 757-678-7286. read more

Not a traditional sit-down restaurant; you stand at the register, make your order from the menu, then pay and wait for them to call you from the kitchen window, That said, the BBQ was good and the sides were fresh and flavorful. The portion is a little small for the price, but if that's the worst thing I have to say, then never mind. They have a decent bar, sports on the TV, and plenty of seating. Give the place a try. read more

It's getting better, the menu has expanded. They just need to have the food available That's on the menu. a couple times that I've been there and there has been several items that weren't available but overall it's good. read more

Such good food! The smokehouse meats smell awesome as soon as you walk in. Nice beer options, wine and soda. Several sauces available. The best mac n cheese! Broccoli salad is also amazing! read more

We stopped in to get some lunch in the middle of our road trip. Zero expectations. Everyone there was super friendly. I'm assuming one of the guys was the owner and gave us a friendly howdy. We ordered our food and they prepared and served four starving teens and 2 adults in only a few minutes. We had 4 more hours to go on our trip otherwise we would have sat down, ate some delicious food and ordered a $3 pitcher of PBR. I think they thanked us and told us they appreciated our business like a dozen times. They had a cool vibe inside and they also had some outdoor seating and some cornhole sets. Looks like a fun place to spend some time at. Ok so now the food... we ordered pulled chicken and pork sandwich's on a brioche bun, a couple different kinds of smoked wings and of course some hush puppies. You can just tell when the food is made with love. Everything was amazing and the wings were some of the best we've had. They gave us an extra box just to fill with all their homemade sauces. We tried them all and they were all bangers. I'm not going to spark the debate of who or where has the best BBQ because if it's good it's good. When we were leaving, they said "y'all come back sometime ". Smalls is just about the half way point from NJ to Outter banks so we plan on makings this place a way point. Keep up the great hospitality and great food and we will see you again in a few months! read more

Very clean and spacious. The pulled pork was fantastic!! The mac and cheese was also fantastic. We mixed pulled pork with it and it was great!! The brisket sandwich was piled high!! The waffle fries were a bit too peppery and the cole slaw didn't have a lot of flavor, but it wasn't bad. read more

First time here. Was really looking forward to the barbecued ribs. Worst I ever had. Tough, over cooked. They seem to have been reheated multiple times before they were served to us. Far from fall off the bone. To make matters worse, a rack of ribs was $32 with no sides included. Got a side of broccoli salad $3.50 and it was maybe five bites worth. Strange thing was that they put five pieces of white bread on the plate with the ribs. Who eats plain white bread with barbecued ribs? There wasn't even any butter. Now, if it came with cornbread, that would be expected. The entire menu is much over priced. I hate to roast a business like this, but this was seriously not a good experience. No one even asked me how it was when leaving. Had they asked, I would have given my honest opinion. Sorry to be so negative on this place. read more

tried to order some wings online. Menu says $12.00. Only one sauce allowed. How many wings for $12.00 you may wonder? Don't try calling for info. The Robo voice directs you to E-mail your question under "contact us". Went there, I guess U have to sign -up to ask a question? I REALLY rather NOT sign up and then get a bunch of unwanted E-mails. Simple question? went elsewhere. I mean EVERYBODY sells wings. Bob R read more

While working in the area we were looking for a place to lunch and Small's was close by. When you enter the restaurant you will order your meal from the counter and give them a name for the order. Then you wait a few minutes while your meal is prepared. They have a bar area and pool tables upstairs. I ordered a pork BBQ sandwich with slaw and 4 hush puppies. The meal was excellent with the BBQ piled high in the sandwich. The hush puppies were crispy and crunchy. Great food nice restaurant for couples and groups. read more

Went to this location in route to Norfolk Virginia and I have to say it's hand down some of the best bbq I've had. So good we had to go back for seconds. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Will never go back here again. Went Friday evening for my birthday and was disappointed in how they changed the place. Removed alot of the seating downstairs, put in arcade games, etc. We were disappointed in the food - I got the chicken slider (I know sliders are small), but this was ridiculous. It seemed as if it was a 1/2 slider and a small order of the waffle fries (maybe 7-10 fries). My husband got a pulled pork sandwich; which was dry and no flavor. You leave a tip when you pay after ordering at the front. When you left, you weren't even asked if everything was ok or have a good evening - she was too busy on the phone. We have tried them 4 times now and they are definitely on the list to never go back to. Don't see them lasting with locals very long. read more

Stopped in for dinner on Sunday. Was a slow night, but the staff was friendly and attentive. When the food arrived, we were surprised at how large the portions were. We ordered brisket, pulled pork, sausage, and burnt ends with sides of slaw and waffle fries. All were very good, but the burnt ends were the best, truly outstanding. The meal also came with bread, pickles, and pickled red onions. We will be back. read more

Pretty awesome pulled pork, solid sides, great prices! Like six different sauces to try as well.

The food at Smalls is amazing. Would not expect good smokehouse food in a seaside area. We were greeted at the door by Iyonna (sorry if I spelled your name wrong) who was very helpful in our first time there. We ordered a pulled pork sandwich, St Louis ribs, sliced brisket and an order of the shrimp salad. Our food came out promptly at the pickup station and after getting a sampling of their 6 sauces we dug in. Wow! Very delicious. The brisket was tender as were the ribs and the pulled pork. All had good flavor and the sauces added to those flavors. They are adding full service tables soon which in my opinion are not necessary. The experience was enjoyable. Will be back again when in the area in August. Good Job!!!! read more

A group of us went in together. One ordered ribs and reported they were extremely tough. Another ordered a side of the waffle fries, they were not hot. A replacement was offered and instead of an apology the kitchen staff gave a scolding, saying they are like McDonalds & order differently next time. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise! Good service, good location and great food! Had the pulled pork sandwich and waffle fries.

If there were 10 stars I would put 10. Absolutely would recommend and all I got was the NC pulled pork sandwich. If you're in this area definitely try it out. read more

This place was awesome! We didn't have our kids with us but would be very kid friendly. Showed us whatever football game we wanted. Every table is a great spot. Outside space very cute for fall. Orange crushes were delicious! read more

Now known as Rockin Robins...One of the few places locally you can get a beer and not have to eat a meal...although the food is good and has a local following. Right next to the new Shore Bank Building and across the street from Mc Donalds. read more