Virginia Beach Official Visitors Guide - 2025/2026
COASTAL FLAVORS
2025-10-08 10:32:53
Savor Our Coastal Flavors
With its location on the southern tip of the Chesapeake Bay, our coastal community has a seafood-centric culinary culture, boasting a wide array of unique restaurants and delectable fare. With the famously rich waters of the bay, hundreds of inlets snaking through the city and miles of farmland, Virginia Beach is the place for seafood and locally harvested ingredients — and that’s only the beginning. From a growing brewery network and our legendary Lynnhaven oysters to local chefs who are constantly pushing what it means to be farm-and sea-to-table, our culinary scene is truly something to be savored.
WE LOVE OUR SEAFOOD
During the fall and winter months, our regular seafood craze gets even fresher. December and January are the peak seasons for rockfish (striped bass), striper, black sea bass, flounder, speckled trout and blueline tilefish — all available within 50 miles. That’s not surprising though, since the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay is considered to be the largest and most biologically diverse estuary in the U.S., yielding more seafood than any of the country’s other 840 estuaries, making us — and all seafood lovers — incredibly lucky.
5 Iconic Virginia Beach Flavors You Have to Try
Our brackish water is home to an amazing array of sea life, and the sandy soil is perfect for growing many edible treasures. The main hallmarks of our coastal cuisine are fresh, seasonal and simply prepared ingredients — often sourced from our own rich farmlands.
1- OYSTERS
Once coveted by the English aristocracy for its size and salinity, the famous Lynnhaven oyster is a local legend that we can’t get enough of, no matter the season. Hop aboard a Pleasure House Oysters boat tour to taste an oyster plucked straight from the water beneath you, or order them how you like from one of our many seafood restaurants.
2- SHE-CRAB SOUP
She-crab soup is a staple of our coastal cuisine. From the East Coast She-Crab Soup Classic held each April to the numerous local restaurants that feature it on their menus, this dish is everywhere — and for good reason. When in the Sandbridge area, grab a cup at Margie & Ray’s Seafood, Crab House & Raw Bar. A staple since 1964, their she-crab soup has been voted the favorite in Tidewater more than once.
3- SOFT-SHELL CRAB
Soft-shell crabs are blue crabs whose hard exterior shells have molted, and they are found in abundance in the warming waters of the Chesapeake Bay, starting in the spring. While legend has it that they begin molting after the first full moon of May, the local softshell crab season typically starts in mid-April or early May each year and lasts through September. Whether you enjoy them lightly fried, beneath a perfectly poached egg or atop a spicy bloody mary (like on the popular Bloody Blue at Bay Local Eatery) there’s no shortage of delicious ways to sink your teeth into these mouthwatering delicacies.
4- ORANGE CRUSH
What better way to cool off during the hot summer months than with a refreshing fruity spirit? Virginia Beach is known for Orange Crushes, and if you’ve visited us before, there is a good chance you’ve already tried one. With its freshly squeezed OJ, triple sec and Sprite, there is no turning back. (They’re like fries: You can’t have just one.) This perfect summer drink first originated at Waterman’s Surfside Grille, but can be found on menus all throughout the city, such as Chix on the Beach and The Shack on 8th.
5- FRESH PUNGO BERRIES
Just a few minutes away from the windswept dunes of Sandbridge sit 23,000 acres of farmland known as Pungo. A drive through this expansive agricultural community delivers a rural serenity and countryside charm that feels worlds away from the bustle of the Oceanfront. Stop along your journey at any one of the area’s roadside stands or, for a truly Pungo experience, pick your own bushel of fresh favorites like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
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Virginia Beach Craft Beer Trail
The ever-expanding craft beer scene in Virginia Beach is overflowing with unique flavors. From juicy IPAs bursting with hops to complex barrel-aged sours, there’s a beer and a brewery for everyone. The Virginia Beach Beer Trail is about celebrating our great local breweries and brews, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Oceanfront, one pint at a time. Cheers!
Vibrant Shore Brewing Company in the ViBe Creative District blends brewing with locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. The artistic taproom hosts art events and music, and their rooftop beer garden is a must-visit.
Smartmouth Pilot House, near the Oceanfront, is set in an old post office. With food trucks, dog-friendly spaces and nostalgic brews like the Saturday Morning IPA with Marshmallows, it offers a laid-back vibe.
Back Bay Brew House Farmhouse operates in a restored 1912 farmhouse, featuring tasting rooms, food trucks and gardens. Enjoy games like bocce ball in their pet-friendly outdoor area.
Commonwealth Brewing Company in Chic’s Beach offers a friendly atmosphere with outdoor seating and an ever-changing beer selection. Try the Wapatoolie Tropical IPA or the Marvolo Imperial Chocolate Stout.
New Realm Brewing Company features 15 beers on tap and a spacious patio with games. Their Hoplandia American IPA and Euphonia Bohemian pilsner are crowd favorites.
Pleasure House Brewing in the Chesapeake Bay district serves delicious beers and hosts food trucks. Try the Glo Belgian style blond ale or a House of Pleasures hard seltzer.
Reaver Beach Brewing Company offers a neighborhood-bar vibe with excellent rotating beers. Their Hoptopus IPA is a standout.
Wasserhund Brewing Company in Hilltop serves German-inspired beers and food. Sample the Doggy Paddle IPA or the Wasserhund Pizza topped with bratwurst and sauerkraut.
Young Veterans Brewing Company combines military-themed decor with creative brews like the Pineapple Grenade Hefeweizen. Close to Reaver Beach, it’s perfect for a two-stop tour.
Virginia Beach breweries promise a delightful experience for every beer enthusiast.
Scan the QR code to explore the Virginia Beach Beer Trail.
Virginia Beach Distilleries
The craft breweries in Virginia Beach might be better known, but distilling craft spirits became a booming tradition in the region as far back as the 1920s during Prohibition. Today, distilleries in Virginia Beach blend art and science to create an incredible variety of flavors that can be enjoyed in fun tasting rooms and then taken home as souvenirs and gifts.
BEACH VODKA/VIRGINIA BEACH DISTILLING
Beach Vodka has a tasting room in a bright, airy and inland (but appropriately beachy) space near Oceana Air Station. It’s a rescued but new-and-improved brand. The former Beach Vodka closed its doors in 2019, attracting the attention of Stephanie Somers and Tony Gower Jr., who thought it was a loss for the community in which they’d grown up, as well as a business opportunity for them. After research and investment in a high-tech still imported from the Netherlands, the new Beach Vodka opened in July 2022. Unlike some distillers that branch out into flavored products and other types of spirits, Beach Vodka uses corn-based ingredients and its still to make one thing well: Beach Vodka. It uses its creativity to devise drink recipes such as the Beach Crush, Chick’s Beach Mule, Sandbridge Spritzer and Jetty Margarita.
CHESAPEAKE BAY DISTILLERY
Operating out of an iconic, vintage surf shop, Chesapeake Bay Distillery is serving up vodka and rum that is distilled and bottled in-house. The distillery is known for its spicy Ghost Pepper Infused Vodka and Mutiny Island Vodka, the world’s first breadfruit vodka, featuring tasting notes of honeydew, banana and citrus. This place is truly a paradise for connoisseurs of the clear elixir. Drop by their tasting room to sample each spirit on its own or in a prepared cocktail shooter, such as a lemon drop or a bloody mary.
TARNISHED TRUTH DISTILLING COMPANY
The Historic Cavalier Hotel’s Tarnished Truth Distilling Company is the country’s first craft distillery to be located inside a hotel. The smallbatch distillery’s dynamic portfolio includes their signature Old Cavalier Bourbon, Tarnished Truth High Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Tarnished Truth Bourbon Mash Moonshine, Fourth Handle Coastal American Gin, Old Cavalier Bourbon Cream and AVA Vodka, all of which can be enjoyed in the Hunt Room and Becca Restaurant & Garden — or by taking a bottle home with you. Tarnished Truth also offers private and hourly tours, flight tastings and a private room for dinners, cocktail classes and special occasions.
WATERMAN SPIRITS
At Waterman Spirits, it’s all about pride. Pride in the ingredients in its vodka and pride in the distilling process — all to ensure that owner-operator Mariah Standing can be proud of what she shares with friends, family and guests. The small-batch distillery and tasting room on Atlantic Avenue uses 100% certified organic corn — grown without pesticides, fertilizers or harmful chemicals. So, better tasting for you and better for the environment. Another step toward cleaner, brighter-tasting beverages is using coral-based filtration, which Standing says gives the vodka a smoother taste. In addition to its organic vodka, Waterman produces Waterman Spirits Organic Orange vodka, Organic Grapefruit vodka, The Perfect Crush and others to enjoy in your favorite cocktails.
Scan the QR code to explore Virginia Beach distilleries.
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