Tautog's Restaurant

My son was here from Brooklyn. He wanted some of the amazing fresh Chesapeake Bay catch he grew up enjoying. I let him peruse our choices since he wanted a new spot.What he found was Tautog's at the Oceanfront on 23rd Street between Atlantic & Pacific. Their menu looked fabulous. So we made reservations.Driving up I was surprised to see that they were located adjacent to Doc Taylor's with parking for both behind. This was much welcomed because I'm suffering from a sprained ankle & walking with a cane. The parking czar showed us right to a spot & invited me to enter through the back kitchen door.A pleasant hostess told us that our table was waiting. We were presented with menus listing all kinds of goodies that were hard to choose between.My only disappointment was their being out of mint. So I had to settle for a Vodka Martini instead of my preferred Bourbon Smash. But that certainly wasn't a game changer.We began with a dozen Raw Oysters. Tautog offer 2 varieties of Virginia Oysters. We chose 6 of each. Because it's an R month they were deliciously fresh.Our entree choices were perfect. It has been so long since I've seen catfish, a staple where I grew up in Mississippi, on a menu. It looked as if the preparation was perfect, maybe even better than I had in my youth. The Catfish Filet was covered in a light cornmeal & sage coating and was baked, not fried. Hurray!! Their dish was served with a salsa & white sauce, which I asked to not be included. I explained to my server that I was a Catfish purist, having grown up with them.Their Catfish entree is served with either Rice Pilaf or New Potatoes, the latter being my choice. I added Steamed Broccoli as an optional side.My son ordered the Shrimp & Grits. I told the server that I never ordered that dish for the same reason. I'm also a long gone Mississippi Grits purist. I've never seen them prepared correctly in the Mid Atlantic.When our Server returned she had told the Chef about my history with both catfish & grits. She relayed that he was under great pressure & couldn't wait to hear my verdict, :)My verdict was absolutely perfection.Sage added a wonderful dimension to the slight cornmeal coating. The New Potatoes were the best I've ever had. Slightly broken in pieces to better absorb the butter & parsley flakes took them from bland to ultra delicious,My son's Shrimp & Grits were served with a barbecue sauce drizzle. Because they looked the perfect texture, I decided to taste the grits. Now this is a restaurant where I would order this entree! The grits were delicious, serving as a well formed base for the shrimp layered atop. He also chose the She Crab Soup, which was wonderful. Surely one spoonful wouldn't add too many calories to my diet regiment.I sent the Chef a message that both the catfish & grits were perfection. He came out to the table for personal praise.Tautog's has a casual, beachy ambiance that is perfect for a restaurant a half block from the Atlantic Ocean. It's in an old beach cottage but has the modern touches. A television behind the bar featuring football made me wish our table had a clear line of sight. This is a restaurant I love, love, love. 5 Stars is the correct rating for location, parking, service, food, ambiance and anything else I forgot to list.

my husband and i and another couple went last night for the special winter happy hour. wow! what a fabulous deal. teri was our server, and she could not have been nicer or more attentive. despite it being happy hour, the drinks were good, and the food portions were plentiful. we had she crab soup-lots of crabmeat-tuna bites, white shrimp flatbread, oysters, and artichoke dip. everything was delicious. we topped off our meal with the bread pudding which was probably the highlight of the night for me! don't miss this winter special!

We were looking for a family-friendly restaurant near the beach that could accommodate a variety of food preferences and dietary restrictions after a long day of driving and this place took care of us!From the moment we walked in, the staff was warm and welcoming to our big group and we felt comfortable. We have a range of dietary needs in our family--and the team handled it all seamlessly. They offered plenty of menu options that catered to everyone's needs, and even adjusted dishes to suit individual preferences.The food was delicious and fresh (we tended toward the seafood) with each dish clearly prepared with care and attention to detail. There is no dedicated kids menu but the waitress knew exactly what to suggest and the kids loved their food (see flatbreads yummy rices and even a noodle dish..)Reliable parking and a short walk to the ocean after dinner makes it the perfect night!

Their oysters remain some of the greatest and the price was not bad for them. The service is quick and friendly. Great place for family dinner or a celebration.

We sat outside on the bar area and it was H.O.T. But the staff there was SOOO welcoming and made sure to bring us fans to cool us off. We were seated right away (Monday night, 8 people). I have a severe seafood allergy, and they were really accommodating (I got the Greek salad with chicken and the Mediterranean flatbread). The flatbread was fantastic (dough felt homemade), and the salad was really good too. Their non-seafood menu was limited but that's ok, I knew that before going here. Our server was SOOO sweet, he was so friendly and really knew the menu. There is also a small parking lot behind the restaurant with free parking. Highly recommend!

We've been here twice now and love it. The staff are so friendly and the food is delicious. The vibe of the restaurant is really adorable as well, with an outdoor patio area that is covered for warmth. We ordered the shrimp and grits, which was so delicious. My fiancé got pasta which they were able to add crab to that he really enjoyed. We finished it off with a brownie sundae. highly recommend coming to this restaurant when you're visiting.

Outstanding historic restaurant in downtown Virginia Beach. Unique old home vibe just a block from the beach.The food is expertly prepared with attention to the little details. I had the crab cakes and rice pilaf. While on the smaller side compared to others restaurants, these cakes were primarily near with no unnecessary filler. Cooked with a delicious crispy edge, these were more than enough for a meal I tried the she crab soup. It was delicious and crazy thick. Could easily work as a dip. I also tried the crab nachos. Good but the she crab was so good it's an unfair comparison.They feature creative drinks and old favorites. A great place for a date or meeting friends.

Fantastic she-crab soup https://blainerestaurantreport.com/2024/10/12/tautogs-restaurant-virginia-beach-va-report-751/

For the last 5 years my Wife and I have celebrated our anniversary in VB. Tautog's is the place we ALWAYS plan for our actual Anniversary Dinner. Great service (they all act like they WANT to be there...) and Great Food! Reservations is a good idea, the few times we didn't there was already a line forming before they opened! But even then we didn't have to wait long....

We found this wonderful restaurant while just strolling around as we are visiting from out of state. As soon as we stepped up to read the menu we knew it was going to be good. You can also tell right away it's a local favorite. The staff was so friendly! We walked in without a reservation on a Friday night and were able to put our name in with an expected 30 minute wait. My husband and I walked around the area while we waited and they called us when our table was ready about 30 minutes later. Our waitress was fantastic! I sadly cannot remember her name but wish I did so I could give her the 5 star recognition she deserves for her customer service!! She was fun and super personable!! (She mentioned she is the special events coordinator as they were also hosting a special event there this evening)We started with the raw oysters they had on the menu -2 kinds- both local and both delectable.Next up we both had the Red Drum Oscar with rainbow chard they had on special. It was cooked so well and tasty. It was served over garlic mashed potatoes. Now I'm not typically a mashed potato gal but these were delicious! And the old bay Buerre Blanc- OMG. We were so full so skipped on dessert. The place was warm and inviting. Great place for couples and families. I loved that you knew you were dining in a space that has a special place in this area. The history of the restaurant is on their website and reading it made me love this restaurant even more. If we get back to the area I'm definitely coming back to try their she crab soup!