Attended the Christmas High Tea. First it wasn't a "tea"---it was a luncheon with lukewarm water in…read morea teapot to make a cup of tea with and the waitstaff were overwhelmed.

We stayed at the Boxwood maybe 10 years ago. Beautiful place . Apparently since then it has changed…read morehands more than once . We needed a place to stay near Norfolk this year to meet with a medical professional and thought of the Boxwood first . I explained my situation with the owner and she was gracious enough to allow us to stay a couple days . Lydia , the caretaker, was knowledgeable, very friendly and took great care of us . Unfortunately the property has fallen into somewhat disrepair thro the past owners but you can still see the old charm . The new owners appear to have plans to bring it back to its southern charm and are in the process of renovating it now along with a new large addition that they're working on now . Give em a little time and it could come back to glory . I'll need a place down there next year and I'll check her out first . Mike B , 3/20/2024

I've been here a couple times now and will definitely return. the food is consistently great. The…read morepeople are really friendly. I judge bbq places by their brisket and theirs is always perfectly done, as is the jerk chicken. you can do much worse at other bbq places but you won't do better in western Newport News.

My husband always gripes about going to BBQ places and getting cold or lukewarm food so we are…read morealways looking to find a place that meets this expectation. I found this place in yelp and wanted to give it a try. It's in a small strip mall and at first we were afraid they weren't there anymore because there isn't a marquee sign above the restaurant but there is a large smoker truck that looks like it's used for catering that helped us find it. The parking lot was full which blocked the signage on the doors/windows. The inside has a few small tables and a counter to the right to order from with the kitchen behind. There was a few chairs across from the counter to wait for to go orders. You choose your own table after ordering. The owner was personable and chatting an older gentleman that had been there awhile. We later realized he was the owner when he came out to see how our food was. The ribs fell off the bone and the baked beans had ground beef and some peppers. They were delicious and had such good flavor. Rolls were served with the meals. The portions were large and we took home our leftovers. I was a little surprised that our food was served in to go containers even though we asked to dine in. You pick up your own plasticware at the counter where you pick up your order. While it's not a typical sit down place with table service or bar drinks, the food was really good and hot. We'll definitely go again. Also love that it's veteran owned and he's present and cares about the service provided. It was also evident he cares about his staff as we overheard them discussing one of the kids preparing for high school graduation.

I recently left Piha Aloha a 5 star review. And I still really do enjoy their food, but I didn't…read morehave a great overall experience with them today (12/22/2025) . The worker at the register was rude. In the middle of me ordering, she interrupted me and yelled out someone's name to say their order was ready. A friend of mine also ordered from Piha Aloha today because of my recommendation, and the worker was rude to them as well. I also asked for a side of poke since I've gotten that here before (as pictured in my last review from a month ago), but I was told they don't do that and that a half-pound ($14) of poke was the only option. I was okay with that and ordered it, but I thought the inconsistency of their offerings was strange. The steak bites I got today were another letdown. They were very tough to chew (way worse than the last time we ordered them). Lastly, they didn't have receipts. I asked for one and was told they ran out of receipt paper. There was no option to have it texted or emailed as well. They didn't have receipt paper last time and I brushed it off, but the fact that they still don't have it a month later is a little frustrating. I really do love this restaurant and I'm sure I'll return for their delicious poke and BBQ chicken. But my overall experience today was less than satisfactory.

I am gonna say it, it's the most authentic, Hawaiian fare I've had off the island so far. We were…read morestationed on Oahu for three years, and there are two things that once you leave the island, you'll be scarred forever, like pineapple and poke (pronounced poe-kay). Since moving off the island, we have tried the so called "poke" shops in our next duty stations in Savannah and now here in Coastal VA, in the hopes of finding the real thing, but no. Every time, just end up sad. Until now....I first came across Piha Aloha at the Mabuhay Fest at Farmhouse Brewing Co. last November. Then, I saw them again at the Ube Fest last weekend and made my entire crew make a sharp turn into the area they were set up in. - Ono grinds (delicious eats in Hawaiian pigeon English) - Mabuhay Fest: Poke - the tuna is cut in the more traditional size (poke tends to have bigger chunks of tuna, rather than the mince cut that most poke/sushi places use). The fish was fresh, seasoned well and just delicious with the simplicity of ingredients. Poke nachos - The poke is the same from previous description, just on top of nacho chips and topped with their creamy sauce. Also delicious! Kalua nachos - Their kalua pig on top of nacho chips and also topped with their creamy sauce. Delicious. Ginutan (sp?) - This is, I believe, Filipino, it's in a warm sweet and creamy "broth" with chunks of plantain and I think it was tapioca? I can't remember all the components that was in the "soup", but it's a dessert and I really liked it. Ube Fest Ube ginutan - I want to start with this dish in this section, since I don't want to end an awesome review on a not-so-good note. This was supposed to be their feature ube dish since it was an ube fest, but I'm not sure what happened, but the "broth/soup" coagulated and it was not really that pleasant to eat. The mochi was super soggy in it and there wasn't much of an ube taste. The color was just really a bright purple and for $8, I thought it was a bit pricey. I definitely prefer their OG ginutan flavor as described previously. Combo poke, kalua pig and lomi salmon plate - this is a generous helping of the three. My crew loved the kalua pork especially! It was cooked really well, with that nice smokey flavor. The lomi salmon was the only one that was just ok, but I think I wasn't too crazy about this dish when I was in Hawaii anyway. I'm pretty sure it was raw salmon in Hawaii, but Piha Aloha cooks theirs. Chicken BBQ plate - This is the typical Hawaiian plate lunch: BBQ chicken, mac salad and rice, sprinkled with some furikake. Just great! Spam musubis - My kids devoured these. The musubis transported us back to our island days when we would buy a bunch of musubis from the corner store and bring them on hikes or to eat on the beach. Melon drink - My oldest inhaled this one AND my friend's drink. This reminds me of an agua fresca, but Filipino-style. It's basically cantaloupe juice, diluted with water and sugar and they added shreds of cantaloupe in it. It's super refreshing! Overall, if you want real Hawaiian food, chase down this truck! They are so friendly and the food is amazing! Mahalo, Piha Aloha Ohana! I appreciate you sharing your aloha through your ono grinds throughout CoVA! Enjoy, Friends and never stop exploring!

DREAM CAKE: Where Floral and Cake Artistry Meet…read more Working with J.J. Ash Events and Designs for a Jacksonville wedding was an absolute dream. I was the cake artist, and Ashanti handled the florals. When the bride shared her vision, I immediately thought of Ashanti because I've worked with her before and absolutely love her work. She's one of the rare designers who can balance creativity with realism while delivering flawless execution. For this wedding, we had to transform an inspiration photo into a glam-style red wedding design, and Ashanti absolutely delivered. The bride wanted florals showcased inside acrylic tiers for the cake--a unique and challenging concept. These acrylic tiers had to be sourced from London, measured precisely, customized with Ashanti's florals, and transported from Virginia to Florida and survive 3-4 days. Not only did the floral design make the journey, but it also held up beautifully throughout the wedding. The result? Stunning florals that tied the cake seamlessly into the overall wedding design. The bride was overjoyed, the guests were amazed, and I was blown away. Together, we created a once-in-a-lifetime piece for a deserving couple and seeing the bride's ecstatic reaction made all the effort worth it. Ashanti's talent speaks for itself, but what truly sets her apart is her professionalism. She's communicative, detail-oriented, and incredibly down-to-earth. She knew exactly how to bring the vision to life and worked closely with me to ensure every detail was perfect. Honestly, I couldn't have pulled this off without her expertise. Good on J.J. Ash for requesting reviews from vendors and guests--it's a smart move that highlights the joy they create for couples. I've seen Ashanti and her team work tirelessly through weddings, sometimes staying until the very end (I'm usually there past the cake cutting, haha!). By the time the dust settles, the couple is married, their photos are stunning, and their videos capture every magical moment. Reflecting on those moments reminds me how much of a privilege it is to be part of such special events. As a vendor, I appreciated how communicative and organized Ashanti was throughout the process. She asked all the right questions, provided clear instructions, and made herself available if I needed clarification. Unfortunately, not everyone in this industry is that dependable. I've seen vendors drop the ball, fail to respond, or avoid accountability--but not J.J. Ash. Ashanti and her team were on top of every detail and worked to have all vendors comply and work together seamlessly. Their dedication and professionalism made this collaboration a joy, and the end result was nothing short of magical. Their results don't lie--J.J. Ash Events and Designs truly delivers excellence. Hats off to Ashanti and her team for creating unforgettable moments for their clients. I can't wait to work with them again! -- @ButtercreamPlease * Modern wedding and celebration cakes

This is going to be a long review, so we will start with the positives:…read more Ashanti was nice & her assistants were helpful & worked very hard on the wedding day. We also had a music system issue about 15 minutes before the ceremony, & her husb& rushed over with a speaker for us to set up so that we could have music. This is where the positives end & the negatives & unnecessary stress begins with this vendor: TL;DR- Ashanti & JJ Ash Events lies, deceives, & does not provide adequate services for the price!!!!! & we have the receipts to back it up! To start, when we were interviewing her for her services (pre-hiring, 2-3 months before the wedding), she implied that tablecloths, flatware & chair covers were included in the package ($1500) we paid for. We thought that that was an ok deal. At our venue walkthrough a month before the wedding, she mentioned that she also had great votives, an arch, flatware & uplighting that she would bring. Later, to double check, we asked "that's included right?" based off of the way she was talking. NONE of that was included in the price we paid. No linens, no chair covers, no decor, nothing. Those were an additional '$300 package' that she didn't tell us about. & the disposable flatware wasn't included in that package; that was an extra $60 on top. Total was $1,860 (over $360 what we were quoted) Throughout our 2 months of "coordination", it would take several days/weeks to get responses back to our questions/concerns & she had to be reminded of things we asked for multiple times. For example, when we asked for a vendor payment timeline based off of our vendor contracts (month & a half before wedding), we did not receive it for over a week, causing us to miss a payment. Then, when we did receive one (after we reminded her), it was incomplete & inaccurate almost causing another missed payment. She claimed that she contacted our vendors & confirmed everything- Videographers did not hear from her until 2-3 days prior to wedding, Hair & makeup were NEVER contacted, Photographer was only first contacted 3 DAYS before the wedding after we called her out saying he had never heard from her. Then she lied to us saying that she's been trying to contact him for 2 weeks with no answer! (Photographer is a professional friend, who we had regularly asked if she had reached out to him- which she hadn't). We would not have had any of our vendors if we had not kept in contact with them OURSELVES, because many never knew who she even was until day of. We asked her a few days before the wedding the amount of tablecloths & other things she was bringing, she assured us it was "enough" but would not give a number. On the day of the wedding, she did NOT have enough, they were not steamed like agreed upon, & their steamer was not adequate enough, so they had to borrow the mother of the groom's steamer. She showed up to the venue half an hour late, & was still setting things up as guests started arriving (4 hours later, small venue with only ~25 guests). Instead of getting ready with the bride & socializing, bridesmaids chose to help completely set up front room & steam the tablecloths because she was running so behind & it would not have been completed in time. Right before the processional, one of the bridesmaids had a dress zipper issue which took 15 mins to fix. Ashanti stood in front of every guest & announced to the entire venue (including our ceremony livestream) that there was a dress malfunction for one of the bridesmaids, causing a delay. You're not supposed to say that anyone has a dress issue in this industry because that could make the person self-conscious & bring attention to the issue. During the evening, the bridesmaid confronted Ashanti about the incident & Ashanti denied, saying "When did I say that?!", when we have multiple witnesses & a live stream to confirm she did in fact say it. As we were about to make our reception gr& entrance, she tried to move the first dance to immediately after the entrance & before we ate. She was told by the groom that we wanted to eat first, but to ask the bride about it. She found the bride & TOLD her we were doing the first dance first, then told the groom that the bride had okayed the change. The bride & groom discussed seconds before the gr& entrance that neither of them had wanted the change & had to tell the DJ themselves that they were not doing the first dance before dinner. After a guest got sick during the reception, the groom's family started to clean up the mess. When asked if she could find a mop (didn't even ask her to clean it, just to help find one), she said there wasn't one after not even trying to look. The groom's parents had to search for it & found it almost immediately because it was not hidden; just in a cleaning closet. She generally did not seem to know what was going on during the entire 2 months. We had 10+ people mention that they felt the need to apologize to us because of how poor of a job Ashanti

So happy to see Chef K Cooking at a recent event (Blues, Brews, and BBQ) in Yorktown. She makes the…read morefreshest, low fat meals around. Her many years as a caterer have prepared her for her next great adventure: the opening of her restaurant, Chef K Tavern in Lee Hall. Super excited! Her chicken tacos with green peppers and guacamole were succulent and tasty. Her fire-roasted corn with garlic butter was charred to perfection. What a treat!

We used Chef K for our wedding. Everything was awesome. We got so many compliments from our guests…read moreabout the food. Some things fell through the cracks with our other vendors, and she totally rolled with the punches and jumped in to fill some cracks. She was a pleasure to work with. We cannot recommend her more strongly.

Worst catering service ever! We used Ms. Mary for my daughter's wedding, limited what people could…read moreeat, they ran out of food, and misplaced our wine.

We had such a wonderful experience with Ms Mary's for our daughter's wedding dinner. Everyone gave…read morerave reviews for the delicious food. They are a preferred caterer at the Mariners Museum so they already knew the layout and the buffet and bar flowed very smoothly. Thanks to Aisha we were able to plan a great celebration from long distance.

My wife and I recently joined my son and his family for a few days in Williamsburg to celebrate my…read moregranddaughter's 7th birthday. We stayed at The Cedars of Williamsburg Bed and Breakfast. This was a terrific choice. We stayed in the John Rolfe room, which was a second-floor room with a king bed. Every room has a private bath, but we found that this room, original to the home, had a slightly larger bath than some of the others. The owner and host at breakfast was a terrific guy with a great sense of humor, broad knowledge, and a wealth of information about what to do and where to eat in the area. The breakfast was very good and each day featured coffee and orange juice along with healthy selections from the gardens. One day, we had scrambled eggs, ham, and fruit. Another breakfast featured a spinach quiche with home fries and fruit. One small word of caution. If you are a hearty breakfast eater who enjoys bagels, toast, and pancakes in large quantities and intends to skip lunch and have dinner around 6:30 pm, rethink that plan. You will have to stop for lunch or, at the very least, plan to have snacks with you. In fact, the breakfast area had a supply of chocolates and snacks, such as corn chips, popcorn, and potato chips, to take along. The location, right on Jamestown Road across from the College of William and Mary, was only 1/2 mile from Colonial Williamsburg and 5 miles from the Jamestown Settlement and Archaeological Site. Even with a 7-year-old and two seniors, it was an easy walk to Colonial Williamsburg and a short drive to just about any restaurant you would like, from fast food to a variety of cuisines like Chinese, Mexican, and Italian. I have no reservations in recommending this bed-and-breakfast.

We loved this B&B! We stayed in the Juniper room, and it was so cozy, spacious, and a true gem. The…read morelocation is perfect, in the heart of Williamsburg. The parking was easy, the owner even helped me take up the luggage. The breakfast was fantastic, the living room was cozy, and our room was spotless. The owners were so friendly, knowledgeable about the history and the area, and gave us great recommendations.

We had a date night catered personally by Mocha's Kitchen. The food was amazing. The service was…read moreexceptional. We felt like our dining room was a 5 star restaurant!