Chops Seafood & Steak — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

I had a very disappointing experience at Chops this past Saturday evening, from beginning to end.

From the jump, when we tried to enter the building, one of the doors was locked. Why have a vestibule with the internal doors wide open and keep only one of the external doors unlocked? Very confusing.

Upon entering, my guest and I waited at the "Please wait to be seated" sign which is placed immediately inside the restaurant,. After a few seconds of waiting, we notice a host stand about 20 feet away, located centrally in the restaurant. We reluctantly walked to the hostess and mentioned that we were just following the directions on the sign. This was met with "Oh I'm so sorry about that". I told her the sign should either be moved or put away, but since it is there, it must be a directive.

We waited at the bar for the remainder of our party arrive and were promptly seated at a table a little too close to the main entrance for such a slow, empty Saturday night.

Initially, our server Jesse was such a breath of fresh air and took our entire table's drink orders and delivered them without having to take any notes. Also, we ordered our food with no hiccups.

I ordered the Tasting menu with Caesar Salad, Sirloin (with broccoli & Mashed potatoes) and then the Cheesecake.

Each item was very lackluster; a sad salad, then instant mashed potatoes from a piping bag with unbuttered and unseasoned steamed broccoli, then an overcooked sirloin, which I ordered Medium Rare. The entire ensemble was probably worth $20, not $59.95.

If you stayed this far, here is the climax of our experience: Two ladies ordered the chocolate cake and each noticed visible mold on the surface of their respective cakes. Once we were sure that it wasn't chocolate bloom, we got a hold of Jesse to help us reconcile this.

When this was brought to her attention, she immediately picked up the plates and asked "What do you want instead?" Obviously no one wanted any mor food from the kitchen after that, so we requested to just have the cakes taken off.

Jesse stated that "since the chocolate cake rings in as a modifier to the Tasting Menu, if I take it off the bill, then it takes off $0". At this point, the vibe was completely ruined. Jesse is still standing there holding the cakes and has deputized herself to decide how this situation should be handled. The fact that a manager wasn't at our table yet is bewildering.

Since our appetites and attitudes were ruined, both ladies asked for just a simple discount, which was almost vetoed by Honorary-Manager Jesse before I just said "Could we please just talk to the manager about this?" A waiter, Victor, was summoned another part of the restaurant was brought to the table and Jesse explained the situation and asked his opinion. The poor guy was obviously not in leadership, but mustered out a $5 discount offer. This isn't even the price of the cakes on the menu.

So as to end this experience, we just agreed, hoping we could get into touch with more competent staff at another date. Unfortunately the contact forms and phone numbers listed on their website are not monitored.

My bill for 2 glasses of wine and the tasting menu came to $118 after a very undeserving 20% automatic tip.

Photo of chocolate cake with mold...

Chops Restaurant Review

During our family vacation in Virginia Beach, we stumbled upon Chops Restaurant, drawn in by its inviting exterior. It was me, my wife, our two young daughters, my cousin, and her husband, along with their two toddler kids. As we stepped inside, we were surprised to find the restaurant largely empty, with plenty of tables available. However, our initial excitement quickly faded.

The hostess along with two servers at the front greeted us with a lukewarm reception. When I inquired about seating for our group of eight, including two high chairs, the trio exchanged uncertain glances. Despite the emptiness surrounding us, the response was hesitant: “I’m not sure if we have the vacancy.” It felt as though our presence was unwelcome. Eventually, they reluctantly offered us a small section but mentioned that it would require some squeezing in of the high chairs. We agreed, hoping for a pleasant meal.

Once seated, our experience continued to decline. We immediately noticed flies and ants crawling on the menus, which was off-putting. I flagged this to our server, but her nonchalant response, simply saying "Oh, okay," was dismissive as she walked away. After a 15-minute wait, a different server approached, apologizing for the delay, stating, “Sorry folks, we’re pretty busy tonight.” This struck me as odd, given that patrons were few and far between.

We promptly ordered the children’s meals along with three alcoholic beverages. The kids' food arrived after a staggering 30 minutes, yet our drinks had still not been served. When we asked about the missing drinks, the server casually revealed they were sitting at the bar. It felt as though we were completely invisible to the staff.

For our entrees, we ordered two catch-of-the-day fish and two New York Strip steaks. Regrettably, the steaks were overcooked and dry, despite being ordered medium rare. To add insult to injury, our server accidentally spilled water all over my cell phone, leaving it drenched. I rarely complain about dining experiences, but this was undeniably the worst I had ever encountered in Virginia Beach.

With our children’s food taking so long, we had to ask for bread, only to find that there was an additional charge for it. To make matters worse, we were charged a gratuity despite the poor service. My phone was soaked, and we barely touched our entrees, with both plates of rock fish looking barely nibbled. When we inquired about our drinks—three separate times—the server would simply respond with, “They should be coming right out,” while we could clearly see the drinks lingering at the bar.

By the end of our meal, the bill came to just over $500, a painful reminder of the disappointing experience we had just endured. We left feeling unwelcome, undervalued, and frustrated.

I will not be returning to Chops Restaurant, nor would I recommend it to anyone, whether they’re dining with family or alone. The presence of flies and bugs on our menus, alongside the overall uncomfortable atmosphere, was shocking. I genuinely do not understand how this establishment remains operational.

I hope management reaches out to me as soon as possible regarding this dreadful experience. It was truly...

I used to love dining at your establishment. Whether I was visiting by myself, with friends, or enjoying a date night, this restaurant was always a go-to spot I could count on. However, my last visit left such a bad taste in my mouth that I feel compelled to share my experience.

Upon arriving, my spouse, our two children, and I were not greeted warmly. Instead, we were met with, “Do you have a reservation?” in a condescending tone—no hello, no welcome, and no genuine acknowledgment.

Once seated, our waiter poured water and promptly walked away, only returning five minutes later to ask if we needed more time with the menu. I had to request drinks for my family and myself, despite never being offered them. Additionally, I wasn’t informed of the chef’s specials that evening—something I’ve come to expect during my previous visits.

To make matters worse, one of the glasses of water had a bug in it, and there were gnats hovering around our table. This was unacceptable. I had to request bread and butter—something that is normally brought out after ordering but never appeared until much later. My children received their appetizers and meals before my husband and I received our dinners, and the server seemed more preoccupied with being on his phone at the bar than checking on our table or assisting when needed.

To top it all off, when our food finally came, there was a hair in my meal. At that point, I was so disheartened and frustrated that I simply wanted to leave without even taking a photo.

When I asked for a manager, I learned that our waiter was, in fact, the assistant manager. This experience left me shocked—not just at the poor service, but at the lack of attention to detail and customer care.

I am incredibly disappointed that a place I once cherished has fallen to this standard. I don’t typically leave reviews, but the fact that I’m still in disbelief about this experience a week later compelled me to share my concerns. I sincerely hope you take this feedback as an opportunity to reassess staffing and service practices.

Customer service matters. As someone who has owned and operated several businesses, I can say that this is not the way to run a successful and respected establishment. I truly hope you find better staff and return to the high standards that earned you a loyal customer base in the first place.

Unfortunately, as of now, I do not plan...