I had dinner recently (2/7/24) with friends in order to check out Green Onion's ayce mussels night. Although The Green Onion has had better days, I enjoyed my experience at one of Ghent's longest-tenured businesses. We came across TGO's Wednesday ayce mussels deal via social media (maybe Instagram), and since we're always looking for excuses to dine together, we opted to check it out. I always look forward to hanging out with my Yelp peeps, so I was excited for this event. Upon entering, I noticed TGO changed up their interior. It's not as bright as it used to be, it's more minimal, and as you're walking past the bar to the dining room, there is a foul smell that permeates for a 3-5 foot stretch. I was immediately turned off after that, but luckily it's confined to just that area. Toni E. helped us - she was a sweetheart and was eager to answer our questions. She informed us up front of items that were sold out of (which turned out to be an unusually high amount), but all of us ordered the mussels. In addition, we drank a little, just because we could (ha!). After trying it out, I can tell you that ayce mussels isn't as cool as it sounds. They serve it in a bowl and you keep ordering until you're full. Ayce mussels would be great if there were different preparation choices, but that's not the case. But for $20, this is a decent route to go if you're hungry. Another plus is that the mussels were pretty good. So overall, I wasn't disappointed because I got exactly what was advertised and Toni was great. I hope to return and order something outside of mussels, and something needs to be done about that odor. Regardless, this was a decent night out. Thank you, Green Onion! JV read more

Beautiful place with a very impressive menu. Staff was personable, knowledgeable and friendly. Went for lunch with an old friend and we loved everything. Highly recommended. read more

The Green Onion recently reopened after briefly being closed for a renovation. I have been there twice since then, once for lunch and once for dinner. The renovation of the dining furniture and decor was much needed. The ambiance and aesthetic is so much more cohesive and visually pleasing. Well done! I had a wonderful crab cake dinner and as always I love the lobster roll for lunch. Our servers for both meals were super. Very engaging and served us promptly and with a smile. Keep it up TGO! read more

Had a delightful meal here with my husband and his family! We had the scallop mushroom appetizer and each enjoyed a different fish entree. I had the salmon with mushroom risotto which was delicious and cooked just right! Our waitress was very sweet and helpful and everything came out quickly. The ambiance is a very cute trendy Parisian vibe. Would definitely come back!! read more

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This was first time at Green Onion. Went for brunch. Ordered eggs Benedict w scrambled eggs. Brought me everything but no hollandaise. I asked if this came w hollandaise. She said I ordered eggs different. I indicated that I wanted Eggs Benedict. She said she would check. 14 minutes later brought hollandaise but by that time. Eggs and ham were ice cold. Awful taste. Then when the bill came they charged me for hollandaise. One of the worst dining experiences ever. read more

I went with a couple friends to grab some drinks and a snack during the "Shamrockin' in Ghent" 2024, and it was a decent crowd. We wanted to sit outside, even though it was freezing, so we ordered drinks & food at the bar and had the best seat in the house for the views- no one else was out there! The bartender was great- he was obviously very busy, but still attentive and gave me a beautiful selection of hot tea bags to choose from. I will definitely be back again- it's been a few year since I had been. Good food, good service, really cool ambiance- 5 stars! read more

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Haven't been here in years so I was glad to come back. Started with crab balls and spinach dip. Both were very tasty. For dinner I had the NY strip rare with the fries. Hubby had the chicken Marsala with mashed potatoes. The strip was slightly overcooked than rare, came out more mid rare or medium. The truffle fries were good. Ashley was our server and she was very friendly and attentive. read more

The Green Onion - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The food was delicious and everything was cooked really well. Service was very friendly and helpful. The inside is super cute and Parisian but we loved sitting outside. We got the chicken and French roast brunch dish and a burger. While the dinner menu is very French, the lunch and brunch menus seemed more American but with a French twist. read more

The Green Onion - Chicken and French Toast - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Very pleasant experience. Good food, nice service and conveniently located in a great part of Norfolk.

I absolutely love this place. I tried the fries on a whim and was blown away, so I came back for a full meal. I got the 1603 burger and was blown away! The owner is fantastic, and the chef....OMG. If you know of this place and haven't been in a while...GO BACK! If you don't know of this place and find yourself in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, VA try this place out! Service is great! Ambiance is great! Food is great! read more

Food and service was excellent! We came in on a rainy Saturday afternoon and there wasn't a lot of people. We sat at the bar and got brunch. My husband got the two lobster rolls with a side of truffle Mac and cheese. He didn't offer me a bite so that's his way of telling me it was too good to share! I got the breakfast bowl and it was excellent. The potatoes were crispy and the vegetables weren't over cooked. Happy hour is daily 11a-7pm with mimosa specials for brunch! We had been on a walk when it started raining and didn't feel under dressed. I can see the ambiance being a bit more upscale for dinner but nothing too fancy. We are looking forward to coming back to visiting again soon! read more

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Our party of five looked forward to dining at The Green Onion in Ghent on Thursday October 17th . The service was great as was the atmosphere, but when you advertise your special as prime rib and serve ribeye or another cut of meat instead...Disappointing. Two weeks later and NO RESPONSE read more

amAzing!!!!! i'm picky about my caesar salads & they pass with flying colors. the lobster roll pic is older, but it very much stands out in my memory as one of the best lobster rolls i've had down here (way better than the overpriced/overrated masons lobster rolls). the truffle mac was heavy, but so tasty! everytime i thought i was done eating it, i kept picking the fork back up! don't get me started on the fried green tomatoes... its really hard to find good ones now that everyone tries to do them, but the breading is so light and airy & the tomato was perfectly cut, not too thin or thick i don't eat mussels, so i can't comment on that, but the bread dipped in the sauce the mussels sat in was greAt. i LOVE that they locally source their food & the menu is so vast with some options that aren't found everywhere. definitely one of my top 3 dinner spots, it's a great for a nice yap with your friends & you can enjoy from inside the pretty place or on the patio people watching! read more

The Green Onion - (2) New England Lobster Rolls T - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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My husband and I were in the area today and were driving around trying to find some place to eat. This was open and we found a parking spot so we decided to give it a try. We came around 1pm on a Friday afternoon and we were the only two people. Two other people came a little after us, but that was it. The restaurant was cutely decorated in a Parisian style, but it smelled like old people. At other times, it smelled like poop. Not sure if our waitress was farting or what the deal was there. Anyways, I ordered the French onion soup and the apple, bacon, spinach salad. My husband got the she crab soup and a steak sandwich. The soups were luke warm, but not hot. I would have preferred they be more on the hot side. Both were good though and the she crab was the better of the two. The salad was nice, although the dressing was cold. Yes, normally salad dressing is cold but on this particular salad it is usually warm. I would have preferred warm. The sandwiches are also served with mashed potatoes, which is a little weird to me. I love mashed potatoes and all, but it seems strange with a sandwich so my husband opted for the Gouda grits. He said everything was just okay. Their menu looks really good though and I would love to come back and try the escargot. We think they were maybe having an off day as there was only one server and one cooker. They were also out of a ton of things too. If I'm in the area again, I'd give it another try but I won't go out of my way to come back here either. read more

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I've been to the Green Onion for lunch before but it had been awhile. Went for dinner last night and OMG what have I been missing. Best meal I've had in Norfolk in years. Started w the lobster Mac and she crab soup. Both were 10/10. Delish. I had the grouper meunière and was voted best at that table. The others had steak frites, scallop grenobloise and Ratatoulle. They were all amazing but the grouper was the star. Can't believe I've been missing out on this amazing talent right there on Colley all this time. Will def go soon and often! read more

This has to be my favorite restaurant in Norfolk. Food is always amazing, staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. The ambience is very cozy and inviting. Went today for brunch and the food was great. Not to mention, four dollar mimosas. read more

I decided to try The Green Onion, located at 1603 Colley Avenue in the heart of Ghent, today for Brunch. My server Hunter was prompt and courteous and helpful with menu questions and suggestions. I started out with a "Classic" Bloody Mary for $5. The drink came out quickly but it was nothing special. There was no garnish, no Old Bay rim on the glass and other than it being slightly spicy (as I asked for) it tasted like tomato juice and a little bit of Vodka. Things went down hill from here. I had my heart set on Eggs Benedict and I gave Hunter explicit instructions for how I wanted the dish cooked. I like a lightly toasted English muffin and I like the eggs to be cooked with a warm, runny center. The dish came out within a reasonable time period and it was visually pleasing but upon close inspection, I noticed that one of the poached eggs was missing. I alerted Hunter of this once I got his attention and he assured me that he would take care of it but just as he left, he said that "it probably just popped on you." Ah, NO IT DID NOT POP, it was never there in the first place. The only thing that was there was a few pieces of poached egg whites and a little bit of Hollandaise sauce. And that is another thing, they didn't use much (any) lemon in the Hollandaise Sauce, are you kidding me? This was very runny, not thick and rich like it is supposed to be presented. I wrongly assumed that they would remake the dish but I was disabused of that notion when Hunter brought out a single poached egg on a saucer with a preposterous "here ya go." I promptly paid the check and left, thoroughly disappointed. I suppose that I should have asked to speak to the manager but I guess that I expected the manager to come out personally... read more

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Lobster mac & cheese, French toast, chicken French toast was all good. $4.00 mimosa and $3.00 bloody Mary's. We went on Mother's Day. The service was pretty good. Inviting music playing. read more

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My husband & I went years ago & were baffled but thought it could be improved so we went again today, Sunday 12/29/24. We got in around 1 & we were servers forever so I get the tail end of a brunch shift. We were seated & selected sandwiches. The server came & said they were only serving 2 pages of the menu (which didn't include sandwiches). Odd. Why not only print those or have the host say that as you're seated? Ok, we chose again. Drinks came in styrofoam cups because they were backed up & the server said he'd "try" to get us silverware for our meals... bizarre. Unprofessional. I've cleaned cups & silverware myself as a server... My husband asked for no hollandaise on his omelet & again the server says he'd "try." What? You just tell the kitchen. So my husband resigned himself to hollandaise. Food comes out. Yup. Hollandaise. A few minutes later we got silverware. Salt & pepper came first. The server says the kitchen was backed up. How does that mean they have to add a sauce? And why not provide silverware before food? The whole thing was so odd & definitely overpriced. The atmosphere was ok, just get the back of the house together. As we left we were like, yeah, this is pretty much what happened years ago. read more

Service is terrible, out of items on the menu not available, too expensive for what they offer.

I stopped here for lunch with a friend, and it did not disappoint! We sat on the patio to get some sun, and it was perfect! We ordered crab balls and spinach dip as the starters. My friend had grilled cheese and tomato soup, and I had the blue cheese burger with fries. It was all amazing! We will be returning for dinner soon! Definitely give this place a try! The chef mentioned they will be switching up the menu, and we can't wait to try what they have next. read more

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The staff were excellent! Our server Christine was helpful when a small snafu happened with my meal and were so accommodating. Love the fries, and my partner had the lobster rolls which she still raves about. If you're ever on Colley, maybe about to see a movie, would 100% suggests stopping by! read more

I had high hopes for this place given its prime location, but my experience tonight was nothing short of disappointing. Our waitress seemed incredibly confused, as if she was in a scene from 50 First Dates. It took nearly 30 minutes just to get one cocktail! The food was a disaster. The grouper was overcooked to the point it could've been mistaken for a strip of leather, and the pomme puree was more like a hockey puck--ice cold in the middle. One guest ordered the steak au poivre, but it looked more like a slab of hamburger meat topped with a jelly-like brown gravy. The French onion soup? Barely French! It was essentially beef broth with thinly sliced onions floating around. Not a single dish had a hint of seasoning. This restaurant is begging for a Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares intervention. The location is fantastic, and it has so much potential to be a great spot, but the food falls far, far below par. Very disappointing. read more

This place is a gem! Beautiful art work. You can tell the owner loves art and likes to support local artists! Which for me that's a win win!! I love supporting small businesses! The service was good the waiter was SUPER knowledgeable when it came to the menu, he even help us and suggested items to try!! I would definitely say support local and you won't be disappointed!! They have a small outside patio area for seating as well which looked very nice. read more

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I already was a fan of the restaurant before the recent revamp of the menu. With a wide range of drinks to enjoy you have plenty of options to pair with the delicious food they offer. The frutti di mare and the crab cakes are solid favorites if you don't know what to choose. The interior is intimate and comfortable to dine at alone or with a party. If you're like me and not the best at pairing the staff are exceptionally helpful with their suggestions. read more

I'm giving the place 3 stars for historical reasons. Pre-COVID we had been here dozens of times and never had a bad meal. Post-COVID we have been back twice and it just hasn't lived up to its past greatness. Even the service has declined slightly. Where as in the "pre days" the servers were energetic smiling and helpful, the service now is a little more brusque. The food was always good and now it's okay at best. I'm still hopping for a comeback and we will keep trying since it was one of our favorites for years. read more

Ambiance: . French . A musty smell upon entering dining area. . Dated decor throughout. Service: . Kitchen/food took awhile to be served, like 25 min just to get our appetizer's. After that, food service was okay. Food: . Fish (Grouper Meuniere) was NOT fresh. STINKY fish upon being served. . Filet mingon was seasoned/cooked perfect but was tough/chewy. . Nice appetizers (cheese buttons). Nice sides (roasted beets and mush/cheese risotto) read more

Awesome food and staff. I enjoyed the crab soup. It came out hot and tasty. I like the new ambience. The new management is making more pleasant experience. read more

The Green Onion - Crab soup - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

On the outside this place doesn't give you any indication of how great this food is! If you are in downtown Norfolk, you must stop by. I've been for both lunch and dinner and I had a great time both times. The staff is very friendly and chatty. For dinner I had the shrimp and grits and they were pretty good. The shrimp is seasoned to perfection! We also tried the mac and cheese, and while it wasn't my favorite it was still pretty good. What I was really blown away by were the lunch sandwiches. The bread tasted like was freshly baked that day and the meat was so good. I couldn't believe how good that sandwich was, and I was sad I was only in town for another day otherwise I would have come back again for lunch! read more

The Green Onion - Shrimp and grits - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Ordered the pomegranate mimosa & lobster roll it came it out before I was done with my first drink. Tasted incredible. Mimosa was so good I had to order another one will be back very soon read more

The Green Onion - Lobster Roll - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I was very iffy about this place. I thought because they were serving groupons online that they might not be that great. However, I looked up the menu, and saw a couple things I was interested in. My husband and I had an available date night and I had told him that I wanted to use this groupon for The Green Onion. He agreed and headed over to Norfolk. When we arrive...it looked like a cute little bistro from the inside, but once you walked in...it was a pretty nice decent size. The atmosphere was moderately loud, but yet elegant for a fancy dinner. I love that the kitchen is open. I love see how people are making my food, and that they are using food safe techniques to make sure they are staying sanitary. I order the New York Steak. I am really Bougie with my meat, because I have a butcher that sells USDA PRIME and it is always the best. Better than Ruths Chris in my opinion...but I thought Ill take the chance...They brought it out fairly quickly. After the first bite I was instantly impressed how good it was! Cooked perfectly and seasoned to taste PERFECTLY...the fries were so delicious and they give you a ton. I don't ever go to a restaurant and not order dessert. I got their Pumpkin Cheesecake. Umm three words OH MY GAWD...It was soo delicious. It was so much smaller than a Cheesecake slice from Cheesecake Factory and was the same price as a slice from Cheesecake Factory, but totally beat Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake. It was delicious and worth the money. I am definitely coming here again. It was amazing. read more

The Green Onion - The New York steak was amazing! Love the pomme frittes! - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Came here for lunch one afternoon and we essentially had the place to ourselves for a little while. In the heart of Ghent, across from Blair Middle School, this was an enjoyable dining experience. I selected the shrimp and grits for my entree. It was a decent size portion and the flavor was on point. Not a terribly long wait from ordering to plating but seeing that it was a thin crowd during my visit it wasn't as quick as one would imagine. The host was comical and very cordial and very accommodating. Parking in this area can be a challenge so shimmy into one of the street parking spots or walk a little bit if there is no parking close by. This is an older building. A few baby spiders made guest appearances while we were eating but it didn't kill the vibe. Nice decor throughout the establishment and this is a place frequented by the locals and they do offer outdoor dining. Will wait until a second visit solidifies an increase in stars for their overall review. read more

The Green Onion - Shrimp and grits - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I left this restaurant a very poor review over a year ago. I ate there again recently because a friend wanted to go and I had a pleasant experience. The food was very good! The service was great and the decor was improved. And their Happy Hour Chardonnay was delicious! read more

My husband and I went to check this place out it was completely empty but we decided to give it a try. We ordered the crab poutine fries. There was a little bit of crab but not like the menu said. It was mostly cream. It tasted great but more so like old bay seasoning than crab. My husband ordered the burger. They forgot to put his burger ordering in they said. Well when he finally got it it was cold. They'd given his fresh burger to one of the workers there who was just sitting around. We've had stomach aches since last night and can't stay out of the bathroom. We both are very sick now. We will not be going back. I should have known not to eat there from it always being empty. read more

Very popular for weekend brunch. Rest of the week is a limited menu. Lots of uninspired baguette sandwiches, ok, but not awesome. Prices are high given the quality of the food. read more

Always love the Onion! Can't go wrong with the food, drinks, or price. And now they're open weekends until 2AM. read more

The Green Onion - a plate of food and a glass of wine - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I went to the Green Onion today and it was a great experience. The inside of the restaurant looked phenomenal. Despite how nicely the inside looked, my family and I decided to sit outside because it was such a nice day. It was great. I wish I remembered the name of my server, she was friendly, responsive and knowledgeable of the menu. Our son wanted Mac and cheese (wasn't on the menu) and she spoke to the cook to see if they had the material to make it for us. She was awesome. read more

This place used to be great. After a few very disappointing visits in recent years, I heard that it's under new management. We went for brunch yesterday to give it a shot. In short, this is one of the worst restaurants around. Food was awful, barely better than airplane food. I had the french toast with fried chicken. Both the chicken and the toast were a soggy mess. I seriously had to look at the chicken closely to determine if it was a chicken nugget, or real chicken. The toast was just awful. My wife had scrambled eggs, they were overcooked and grayish brown. The place had leaves all over the ground in the outdoor seating section, and inside there were leaves on the floor everywhere! The place smells, feels and looks like it needs to be cleaned. The really sad thing is that this is such a great location in Ghent and would really help to bring up the area, if it was at all quality. It needs to be closed and completely revamped, which is why I'm writing such a bad review. The service was good, and I feel bad for anyone working there, having to serve that food. Gordon Ramsey from Kitchen Nightmares needs to do an episode here. read more

We got seated promptly, the completely ignored. The restaurant was half empty, but the young woman that seated us and the other server would rather stand around talking, clean the occasional table, and walk by us repeatedly without acknowledging we were present. Got up and left. Should also mention the table was sticky beyond belief. I only leave bad reviews when it is truly earned and this was one of those times. Went around the corner and had a good meal with great service! read more

The food we ordered was truly delicious. The spinach dip is amazing! If you plan on going when it's hot out, might want to sit inside to avoid the evening flies! The menu wasn't as expansive and I thought, but like I said - dip we got was yummy! read more

The Green Onion - a plate of food and a skillet - French Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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