Channel Bass Inn

Review of pre-fixe 5 course dinner.A bygone era is alive and well here. I appreciated the service that emphasized decorum and gentleness.The courses were so different; a lot of thought has gone into the menu and prep. The crab bisque was delicious and appropriately sized. I loved the subtle touch of sherry. A smart way to begin the evening.I found the amuse bouche plate that consisted of a single scallop, French onion scone with strawberry preserves, Gruyere cheese, and other foods, to be a bit confusing.The salad plate was top notch, enjoyable.Red snapper, the main course, was right in there. A lovely fillet, placed on a bed of delicate mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable medley, was excellent. The chocolate fig cake dessert looked superb but some of the other chocolate components weren't complementary.The whole dining experience was very relaxing.

We went for piano night on a Tuesday. Service was nice, prompt, if not somewhat rushed. I was a part of a dinner reservation party that came reserved before the menu was announced and could not cancel once we learned of it. The bed and breakfast has a niche, kitsch and old feel. Like stepping into someone's great grandmas home. Very quaint!Their wine and beer selection has a decent amount of options to satiate. I appreciate that local coffee from AmaRin is served as both regular and decaf, though it is brewed as you'd expect of a diner. The food was largely flavorless and relied on basic butter and salt to carry it. We started with a tomato bisque with a parm crisp that came pre-dipped so half was flaccid and mushy while the rest was crunchy. Another appetizer was the grits cake and shrimp with a tomato jam-- it was fine. My partner ended up eating mine as I was not compelled. The cheese scone was decent and very rich between its butter, cheese, plus the thick layers of balsamic and caramelized onions and more cheese inside. Very dense so I'm glad it was quite small. I wish it came out warm!The salad was very sweet between the 3 cubes of melon, candied nuts, and sweet vinaigrette (the feta and bacon's salt did not cut through). Overall an unbalanced plate that most of us regrettably ate as something green and fresh. Not my thing nor would it be something I'd expect from a prepared dinner. It was more like something one could toss together at a salad bar. My fish was overcooked, tough, leathery, and more suited for shredding with a knife. It is a lean fish but this was truly something like pressed chunks in a can without water. Unfortunately, my crab-cream sauce began to separate on my plate. The crab itself was fluffy and probably the few flake I could salvage were my favorite thing I scraped out of the cream. I was hopeful for the bright vegetables, but the broccolini was fibrous and still somewhat raw while all of the carrots, bell peppers, and broccolini only tasted of room-temperature butter that thickly overwhelmed my palette. Not sure where the red pepper was hidden. The saffron rice was probably my favorite thing but it was simply rice with light seasoning. I tried my partners beef dish which was fine, coming with mashed potatoes and a wine sauce which had good texture but mostly tasted of salt. The vegetable accompaniments were disappointingly dying in butter same as mine. The cheesecake was introduced as a basque style cheesecake. I'm no pro, but we seemed to be served regular cheesecake? I believe basque style should reveal a light, burnt/toasted top with a gooey interior but instead we received a crustless, whipped cream cheese flavored mound. I enjoyed the cherries and bitter chocolates which reminded me of luxardo maraschino cherries.Overall, I think this menu would have been more fun as a culinary cooking demo for some additional entertainment and reminded me of similar menus. I think the idea of a pre fixe on this small island is grand, but the lack of competition and influence of other dining in the world is quite evident in its limits in flavor and application. Don't worry, we paid in full and left a 20% tip as it was not serving staff's fault. I hope the restaurant can read my experience as something to consider. To anyone reading, please please, please make sure you know your menu before committing to a seating!

An amazing dinner. I have been in Accomack County for 30 years and worked on the island for 5 years. I don't know how I missed the Channel Bass Inn. I was aware of their formal tea, but it was not something I was interested in. My friend had attended a tea there a couple weeks ago and raved about the experience. I was taken last night for a birthday dinner. We enjoyed 4 courses and a nice desert. First course a mushroom bisque. Delicious. Second course a crab cake and a couple of seared scallops served on a very flavorful roux type of sauce. Then a really nice salad with everything from apples to Gorgonzola with a maple Dijon dressing. Wonderful. Fourth course was Chilean Sea Bass served with a shrimp sauce. Again well prepared and presented. Desert was an apple butter basque cheesecake. We drank a terrific Chianti. Ambiance was very nice. There was a piano player and the staff (Ken) was attentive and helpful.

Review for dinner only. Quaint little dining room. When arrived for 7pm dinner was semi-crowded and empty by time done with dinner so I guess idea is to go early. OK with us as it was piano night and we had him all to ourselves. Piano play very nice and gave us info about the area and the different social groups that lived on the island including the Teagues, summer people, and transplants. We enjoyed our stay. Food for me was just OK as my med rare fillet came out well done. Not inexpensive. Three of us had the all-inclusive dinner (don't recall if a la carte was available). The vegetarian menu was not available and needs a pre-call to arrange it seems.

This place was amazing! We came for afternoon tea and absolutely loved it. The food was so fresh and homemade and the ambience and all the little details were perfect. Can't wait to come back here on my next vacation.

I wanted to share the wonderful dining experience I had today at the Channel Bass Inn Restaurant for Saturday Tea! The food was delicious, the plating was gorgeous, and the atmosphere was tranquil and refined. Our friendly server brought us seemingly endless courses of savory and sweet treats; he and the Maître d' were so on top of things, I don't think my teacup was ever empty for longer than a nanosecond And Chefs Kristan and Bill even came out at the end to say hello and share the inspiration behind today's special St. Patrick's Day-themed menu!I've heard great things about their breakfast and dinner menus as well, and I can't wait to come back to try those out. I believe they will be offering daily breakfasts, Thursday/Saturday afternoon tea, and dinners on Sundays through Wednesdays -- which is fantastic, as I know those days tend to have fewer dining options on the island!The Channel Bass Inn checks all my boxes: scrumptious food, beautiful presentation, friendly service, and best of all, an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere. It's perfect for special occasions, but it feels cozy enough for an everyday treat as well. And there's even a whimsical garden out back that's straight out of a fairytale!Here's their website where they post daily menus and offer online reservations: https://www.channelbassinn.com/restaurant/Sending big thanks to the CBI team for making today such a special occasion for me and my gal pals! We'll be back soon, and often

We were lucky enough to stop by Channel Bass Inn for their high tea experience. High tea includes four course with homemade baked goods. The first course was savory (my favorite) and every sandwich was its own unique experience. The second course featured fresh and seasonal baked scones with jam, butter, and whipped cream. All of that deliciousness was followed by a cookie course (who doesn't love cookies?!?!) with the final course being a light fruit salad as a pallet cleanser.Since I'm Celiac, we both ordered high tea gluten free. These are some of the best gluten free baked goods I've ever had. My husband (not gluten free) couldn't taste the difference and is still raving about it! Pro Tip - Not only do they accommodate special dietary restrictions (vegetarian, gluten free, etc.), but you can enjoy their world class breakfast and tea even if you're not staying at the inn. Just make sure to get reservations in advance.

We were invited to a dinner party and I was so impressed with the food. The crab bisque was so good! The salad was pretty and tasted fabulous. We had the short ribs with mashed potatoes & gravy and brussel sprouts. It was all so good! The sweet potato biscuits were good! Our friend told us it's the best on the island. It was just lovely!

My husband and I made a reservation for the 5:30 seating on a Sunday evening for our first anniversary after visiting the website and choosing a menu we liked best. The food was absolutely fantastic! Every dish was thoughtfully done and tasted wonderful. Our steaks were perfectly cooked - something we are both very picky about. The food is brought out in a timely manner but by no means rushed. The wine list is great and the server recommendations were spot on for our meal. Both servers were very interactive and personal without being overbearing. It was by far the best meal we ate on our visit to the island. We will be returning every time we visit Chincoteague!

What a delicious Thanksgiving 5 course dinner. We loved the ambiance. It was so warm and cozy. We felt we were in a friend's home. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the outstanding service. Thank you for making our Thanksgiving so special.