This café has quickly become one of my absolute favorite places. It's the perfect halfway point between where I live and where my sister lives, making it our go-to spot to meet in the middle. From the moment you walk in, you can tell this is a place meant for slowing down. You can sit, relax, and never feel rushed. Every single person who works here is wonderful, and the owner is an absolute hoot. She's a ball of personality in the best way possible, and it genuinely adds to the charm and warmth of the place. You can feel the care that goes into everything they do, especially the food. So much is made from scratch from the biscuits to the sweet treats and it truly shows in the quality. The layout of the café is also really well thought out. When you first walk in, there's a seating area up front, and then another space in the back that feels like the main gathering area. As the weather warms up, the front area opens up and gives you that airy, open feeling and honestly, there's nothing quite like enjoying seafood by the water. Families are clearly welcomed here, which I really appreciate. The front area has a few toys for kids, like oversized Connect Four, and the bathroom is spotless. It even has a changing table, and right outside the bathroom there are coloring books and crayons neatly set up such a thoughtful touch. I also have to give major credit for the seasonal décor. When they decorate, they truly go all out, and it makes each visit feel special and festive. On top of all that, the pricing is very reasonable, and the food is consistently excellent. I've loved everything I've tried from something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly to the seafood platter. This place has heart, personality, and amazing food. I can't recommend it enough. read more

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The food was good, the service was great. We were there with our two dogs and were made to feel at home. They didn't even mind when mom lost track of her end of the leash and her dog wandered into the dining room proper. Pinky just walked him back out to the patio and asked if anyone was missing anyone. And make sure to ask for Pinky's special homemade sauce. Doesn't matter what you're eating. She should bottle it. read more

Overall, we had a nice experience at To Do Cafe & Seafood. We stopped by this restaurant while driving to Va Beach because I think it was one of the few places that was: 1. no too far off route, 2. allowed dogs and 3. was open. The restaurant has a pretty low/relaxed vibe. So low/relaxed that I thought the two people at a dining table who let me know that the porch was open for service were customers. Oh! The paper place settings have little tidbits on Virginian trivia and history. For our dining enjoyment, we went with a couple of orders of burgers. I thought my burger was pretty tasty, especially with the restaurant's special BBQ sauce. Also, I thought the portion sizes were pretty generous for the price. The only very minor issue (as of March 2026) was that the restaurant did not have its liquor license, so we could not order a round of beers go accompany our burgers. Other than that small detail, we had no problem with the restaurant. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that service was pretty good, and the prices were pretty reasonable. read more

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The food was mediocre. Nothing good to tell people about, just underwhelming. Service was average at best. The building was OK, nothing special. Will not return. read more

The name of the restaurant was intriguing. We rolled up and got a great table inside. The servers were very friendly. I had the Crab Cake Supreme (a grilled crab cake, grilled shrimp, melted provolone cheese, and smothered in crab bisque all laying on a slice of buttered toast). It was quite delicious. For appetizers we had hush puppies and coconut shrimp. The hush puppies were flavorful and had pieces of corn in them. The coconut shrimp looked like it was air fried and covered in a thick batter. read more

To Do Cafe & Seafood - Crab Cake Supreme - Seafood Near Me - Tappahannock, Virginia

Great place to stop in Tappahannock for an above average lunch. The catfish was as good as anywhere, with a nicely seasoned batter fried filet. The oysters were sweet and local. The crabcake was made with less than top quality crab but was okay to good, per my wife. Service was attentive. Very tempting old-style dessert tower / carousel tucked in the back of the dining room. Maybe next time. read more

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A great find... We are new to the area and we're so happy this place was recommended to us by our mechanic... The food was amazing. The staff was so friendly and the service was excellent... We will definitely be going back. read more

The best cafe around! Definitely stop in and be sure to get some of their seafood! Also their desserts are incredible and on display. The humming pig cake is my favorite! Service is great and it's very quaint and comfortable in the restaurant! Definitely a must stop! read more

To Do is a wonderful place with a great set of people running it. The service is fantastic, patient, and attentive. Excellent food, the onion petal sauce is delicious and the MBS burger was well cooked. read more

The fried oysters were so tender and soft. Definitely will be ordering them again. The BUTTER BEANS- were the best I have ever had. The coleslaw was also delicious. The fries were delicious. We got my father in law the Philly cheese steak to go and he said it was a 10/10 and my son the bacon cheeseburger, he said it was delicious. Now to the crab cakes- I have never had grilled but it was the best ever. I got fried because I didn't know how amazing the grilled one would be. I don't think I'll ever eat another fried crab cake, from here on out it'll be grilled only. read more

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Where to start.... We have been here twice now and have had two different servers and both were amazing, everyone has been so friendly and you just get that hometown welcome kind of vibe. The food!!!! Crab cakes all the way for me from the appetizer to the sandwich to the smothered dinner special and don't forget the crab dip, omg , it has all been so good and priced fairly! My fiancé had the chicken sub tonight and said it may be the best one he has ever had. Highly recommend read more

Honestly? I think it's trying to be like the Java Jacks of seafood, but it just ain't that place. Everything's ok though.

Fried oysters were spectacular! And the catfish supreme was an incredible dish and hush puppies were excellent!

Excellent customer service. Friendly wait staff courteous and very polite. The owner is friendly to the patrons as she checks on their satisfaction. All food is homemade and is excellent. There's a great variety from seafood to steaks, chicken tenders and several kids choices. Many sides including fried apples and onion rings. Not to mention all the homemade deserts, so many cakes and pies to pick from. Do yourself a real favor head out to the ToDo Cafe and enjoy the family atmosphere and wonderful food. read more

The ambiance in the restaurant is rustic and quaint. The food is excellent and the service is excellent! They have the best Carrot Cake. It was light, moist and not overly sweet. They are a family own restaurant and most of the workers are family members. They are very polite. read more

Great little family-owned place! The food was very good and so were the prices. The menu is quite large for a small restaurant. Excellent service too - the servers really made sure we were taken care of. I don't live in the area but I'll definitely be back! read more

The service was phenomenal, the food was fresh delicious and the atmosphere so welcoming! Such a great family feeling! They went out of the way to make my order to accommodate my food allergy, which meant a lot to me! read more

Always good food and service by family owned business! We have been dining there since it opened.

I have driven by this little café 100 times on the way to our place on the river, but I am always with my dogs that don't handle being left in the car so well. Today I had the opportunity to run some errands without the dogs and decided to stop by this little café. It is a small place right on the main highway with an extraordinarily friendly and attentive staff. I got there about 1 o'clock in the afternoon so the lunch rush had just settle down. I was immediately seated and my order was taken. I decided to try the crab bisque and the grilled crabcake sandwich. The bisque was OK, could've used a little more flavor, it was definitely made with real crab. The crabcake sandwich was just fine with a little bit of tartar sauce and hot sauce as well. Prices were reasonable and comparable to the same type of meal at other places. I've had better food, but I have also had worse! I love little small family owned diners and always work to support them. There are a couple others in the stretch of highway that I need to check out, but I am sure that I will be back to the To Do Cafe! read more

To Do Cafe & Seafood - Broiled crab cake Sammie with fries - Seafood Near Me - Tappahannock, Virginia

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Wow! It's like eating at your favorite aunt's place assuming she was southern, loved to cook and had competitive sisters. There are a lot of regulars coming in and there is a good reason why. They know the menu or the owner. Local is the key here. All the fish is local. Cakes and pies are baked on site-save some room. This is comfort food at the peak. The seafood bisque appetizer is home recipe made every day that will make you go"wow" this is so amazing we ordered and the ordered a couple of portions to take and it keeps. A little microwave and you ate in bliss with the great bisque. I've always had lunch here when I'm on the road through and it has always exceeded expectations. My goal is to have dinner here and walk it off at the. Oat launches. I leave thinking this is the pinnacle of dining not just here but I would hold this offering up to Richmond. Or northern Virginia when given the chance to compare. read more

Callled in a "to go" order. Two burgers. Was told it would be ready 20-25 minutes. Showed up 30 minutes after calling in the order. I was told they were "working on it." 15 minutes later "they are boxing it up now" I left an hour after placing my order. No food, no apologies, no information. Disorganized. Avoid during peak times. read more

The food here is amazing! The servers here are amazing! The owner "nana" is the sweetest lady! However... the owners sister is rude, disrespectful to the other employees and she's completely unprofessional. There's never a reason to raise your voice at an employee or reprimand them out on the floor in front of customers. This is the kind of behavior that will stop me from returning. Sad... cuz the food is really good. read more

To Do Cafe & Seafood - Crab bisque - Seafood Near Me - Tappahannock, Virginia

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I loved this cafe. I hiked 5 miles and was feeling hungry and was not familiar with the area. Took the advice of the reviews and was not disappointed. Great service and yummy food. I ordered a new beer and the workers were curious what I thought of it. It became a conversation without the people around me. What a warm and friendly place. I felt like the expert of IPA beer. I enjoyed my solo experience in a very unique place. I highly recommend it. read more

The food tasted fresh. The staff was very attentive and friendly. The restaurant was clean and decorated nicely. It had a homey vibe. We will definitely be coming back! read more

I just love eating there the food is awesome and delicious. The staff is awesome no complaints.

"To don't" would be an appropriate name for tonight. Not using the front door is confusing. Waitress seemed friendly. Main course took approximately 50 minutes. We were not addressed until about 40 minutes into waiting and told our ticket was lost in the back. No compensation for the wait, however, the table behind us had a similar issue and was offered free dessert. Most of the staff seemed not well used and one main server was doing the majority of the work. Overall, the food was well prepared and tasted great. read more

Friendly service and very good food! We had their crab cakes! Homemade desserts were wonderful!

Just found out that ToDo Cafe adds 3 1/2% to your check if you use a credit card. I discovered this from a friend who says there is a sign to that effect near the cashier. I dd not see that sign but if it's true, if/when I ever eat there again, their servers will be getting a much smaller tip. I'm not paying credit card charges for a business since it's a tax write-off for them & it's part of the cost of doing business. Credit card charges should be factored into the cost of their food which isn't inexpensive anyway. A disingenuous way to treat your customers! read more

This is my favorite place to eat in Tappahannock. The food is outstanding, the people are awesome, and the prices are reasonable.

Traveling through and decided to stop at this lovely spot. Super yummy food! Had a wait a bit because we hit it right at the lunch rush but so worth the wait! read more

Food was great: my mother had a breakfast dish and they used real eggs, I had the catfish and Mac n cheese. It was on point, my sister had a burger that was cooked to perfection. Service from Kristen was outstanding! I'd give her 3 thumbs up! It's very cute inside for this cafe, the wood finish is beautifully done. The bathroom is super clean! read more

After looking over the other reviews I assumed I had found a local favorite place for dinner. Oh boy was I wrong. Ordered take out as I hate eating out alone- oyster dinner with baked potato and cole slaw with coconut cake for dessert. 10 min wait time and was ready to pick up my order- "where's the cake?" Cashier/waitress Mmm I didn't take your order so I'll check ok you have the check and the bag if there's no cake in the bag but cake on the check???? Finally received the rest of my order after dine in guests were given their menus and couple dining out on the patio received their desserts okkkkk Now finally back at the hotel only to actually look at this $20 oyster dinner! 1st butter for baked potato was placed on top of oyster dinner so 6 packs of quickly melting butter, no salt or pepper no utensils and no napkins. The one star is because the oysters, hush puppies and coconut cake were good, the baked potato wasn't fully cooked and cole slaw had a weird taste and was basically inedible! read more

To Do Cafe & Seafood - Oyster dinner carry out - no utensils- no sauce- no napkins - Seafood Near Me - Tappahannock, Virginia

Wanted a nice lunch on the backroads feom thw beach... no chain places. Saw the menu and reviews on here and gave it a shot! So glad we did. Greeted with smiles by the staff and sat outside on their covered eating area even though it was pouring( was nice to be outside). Stated with cream of crab (good but not great) just the right amount of spice . BF had the grilled crab cake sandwich with beach fries.. really yummy! I had the fried shrimp Po boy... try with their house tarter almost like a romulade sauce! Will come back for sure! read more

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Good food, great staff. Liked the pork barbecue burger with the coleslaw and fries. Very laid back and relaxing atmosphere

We ordered the black & blue burger, a cheeseburger, crab cakes, and the seafood sampler. Their prices are better than the other burger joints in the NN, and the burgers are just as big. Our meal averaged $16 per person. Food was good and I kinda like the "down on the farm" feel. read more

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Came to this little gem based on Yelp reviews. But the best clue was that the parking lot was almost full for an early lunch and the couple that arrived the same time we did said they made the trip from Glen Allen just to eat here. Christy was our server for lunch and greeted us warmly as soon as we walked in. Being in Tappahannock we sought out oysters. Hubby had a pick two platter with fried flounder and oysters, butter beans (like your Grandma would make) and cole slaw. I had the oyster lunch basket with delicious homemade cole slaw. Both came with two hush puppies. Everything was seasoned perfectly and the fried foods were lightly battered and not greasy. For dessert we shared a very generous piece of Christy's homemade apple pie. No canned pie filling here and the crust was buttery and flaky. Topped with homemade whipped cream. Yummy! Service was delightful and prompt even though we weren't in a hurry. We'll be back. There's so much else on the menu that sounds wonderful! read more

I adore this place! The food is excellent and homemade. My favorites are the crab bisque, the crab cakes and the oysters. The desserts are really special and very homemade. All of the sides are great. The owner is so sweet and comes by and chats - making sure all is well with the food and with you! The waitstaff is consistently friendly and service is prompt. A perfect little family-owned diner-like restaurant. read more

Wonderful family own place! I had the steak with macaroni salad and mash potatoes which are both home made as well. I asked about the size of the steak and I was told it's an average size that you buy from the store, I decided to try it out from the great description of how good it was to eat. As the food came out to my roommate and myself, wow the size of that steak looked more than the average size than a store bought steak about 2.5 to 3 times the size of any steak I have seen at any store. The macaroni salad is very creamy, nice cool and has a lot of flavor. Outstanding job on that! Mash potatoes are very fluffy and has great texture to them. read more

To Do Cafe & Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Tappahannock, Virginia

A true "diner, dive and deal" local ambience and seafood! If you are avoiding I 95 and find you self taking the scenic route " on 17 ( which can be faster and better in the summer) definitely stop here for local crabs and oysters as well as the usual fries and burgers read more

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To Do Cafe is My favorite to go place for great food. I love the shrimp poorboy, I drive one hour one-way to get one. Diane the owner is a real person, she genuinely cares about people. Oh yeah the staff is great also. To Do Cafe has other great food as well and they really do have the best burgers in the Northern Neck. I can't say enough about To Do Cafe, if you haven't tried it please try it you will be glad you did. read more