Lucky Oyster Seafood Company — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

I had lunch with a friend on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. There is sufficient parking around and near the restaurant. As indicated by their website, this was not a busy period for the restaurant and it becomes busier during the dinner period. There are sufficient tables and booths available. We were immediately seated in a booth and our server was at our table quickly to take our drink order. Our server returned with our drink order, iced teas, and asked if we would like an appetizer. We did not and were ready to order. My friend wanted something not on the menu but they have provided in the past visits. It was not available on the weekend. I then ordered the Greek Islands Calamari Salad ($18 - Crunchy tender Calamari, garden greens, Kalamata olives, diced tomatoes, Artichoke hearts, Garbanzo beans, Pepperocinis, red onions, Feta cheese and our classic Greek dressing) and a bowl of Creamy She Crab Soup ($12 - A Chesapeake Bay tradition- made fresh daily! NEW HOUSE RECIPE). My friend then ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger in Paradise cooked medium ($15 - Fire grilled Angus beef burger with melted cheddar, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pickles.) The server brought my soup out first. The soup was as advertised; it was creamy, very tasty, and both oyster and saltine crackers were provided. As I was finishing my soup, our main meals arrived. Without asking, I received two Greek dressing servings for my salad. The Cheeseburger and fries did not disappoint. The server asked if we needed anything else and my friend asked for a special seasoning for the fries and the server returned in a timely manner with it. The portions were generous and during our meal our server showed up with take-home containers and asked if we required them. We declined and did finish our meals. This is not a busy time, so minimal staffing; however, our server was most attentive, refilled drinks and attended to her customers very well. Lucky Oyster Seafood Company is an awesome place to dine. It is easily accessible for handicap individuals (large doors, ground level, and tables), their menu provides alternatives to those who do not want seafood, it is very clean, the noise level is very moderate even when full, the menu price to order received is very reasonable, always great to exceptional service, and never a disappointment in an order. A takeaway, years ago while dinning with my brother I saw the "Mile High" Carrot Cake cost was significantly higher than the other desserts. I love carrot cake, so I ordered it. It was definitely worth it and I took half of it home with me. The dinners from the beach (Neptune's Feast, The Outer Banks Platter, and Broiled Sea Scallops) have been favorite meals from past visits. So from lunch to dinner, Lucky Oyster is a destination for friends, dates, and family...

BLUF: Food is perfectly cooked and seasoned, the service is fast, staff are attentive, and the place is packed with locals.

Food: I had the Raw Oysters, which were a great price especially for the size of the oysters. I expected to pay $3+ an oyster and it was closer to $1.50. The oysters were definitely on the “large” end of the spectrum, especially coming from someone who grew up in lowcountry SC. The Caesar salad and baked potato were average, good but average. The side of asparagus was resting perfectly in a nice garlic butter bath and seasoned really well. The Sweet Chili Thai Salmon resting on Pina Colada rice was well cooked and flavorful. If you’re not a huge sauce person you wouldn’t appreciate this dish as it was covered salmon to rice in the sweet chili sauce, but I think the veggies and rice evened the sauce out well. The chocolate volcano cake was fluffy and flavorful with decadent ice cream and real, thick, whipped cream. The Carmel drizzle added a turtle twist to the dish making it that much better.

Service: I sat at the bar as there was a bit of a wait in the main dining area. The hostesses were a little cold on introduction, like they were tired of accepting customers, but the bar staff was amazing. The bar was hopping with locals who were here when I arrived and stayed after I left which is a testament to the food and drink service. The bartenders were very attentive and I never saw a drink at the bar go empty without staff asking to refill. With a 20+ seat bar and one main bartender, it was impressive.

Drinks: I had a bourbon on the rocks, a beer and a cocktail. While there were much prettier drinks being served I picked the basics. The espresso martini was good, also average. Nothing “spectacular” but a well make cocktail. While sitting at the bar I noted the attention to detail when making cocktails and pouring drafts. If you don’t mind a short stubby glass, the wine was always poured on the heavy side for a bang for your buck option.

Atmosphere: the bar was packed with locals. The staff knew them by name and vise Versa. Some places that are “local heavy” tend to be really exclusive and cold as the locals get grumpy about tourists or visitors, but this spot was the opposite. Locals were welcoming and friendly to all around and very inviting and helpful to visitors offering suggestions for dining and entertainment.

Parking: it’s nice that this spot has its own parking lot and it’s quite large.

Overall: this is a solid spot whether you’re a 10+ year local or a visitor from out of town. The food is superb, staff are friendly, and atmosphere is welcoming and...

I wanted to wait a couple of weeks before sending this to make sure I wasn't lashing out in anger. My wife and I have been regular patrons of Lucky Oyster since it's opening day. We have celebrated family and business events there on numerous occasions. Most of the wait staff are familiar with us since we eat there 2 to 3 times a month minimum. A situation arose with parking that made it impossible for us to access our vehicle when we were ready to leave and we approached the hostess counter requesting assistance. They verified the situation and said they would let management know. We waited about 15 minutes and no one came forward. Out of frustration, I began to ask patrons but when I could not determine who's vehicle it was, I shouted it out in the bar, the bar tender berated me (maybe rightfully so but it's the most I've heard her say in the years I've been going there). E few minutes later, a couple of obviously inebriated gentlemen came out saying "let's see what we can do". They began insulting me and my wife and when I told them they were doing no good to go back inside, they continued with the insults and making statements like, and I quote "I don't think we need a gun". I told them to be careful what they were saying, but they continued. Eventually the very obviously inebriated owner of the vehicle came out and move it. The other 2 gentlemen continued to hurl insults as we were leaving and telling us not to come back. I saw the owner there just a few minutes before but maybe she had to leave, no management or establishment employee came out to quell the situation and allowed the situation to escalate and continue. It's truly a shame, but we will not be back after so many years of patronage, partially out of my embarrassment for allowing these gentlemen to elicit such a response from me, but mostly for the complete and total lack of response from ownership/management, even after calling, apologizing, leaving my number and requesting...