I was in Virginia Beach, headed out for a night fishing expedition beneath the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. My guide said we could cast to breaking stripers beneath the lights of the bridge and they would hit flies. On our way out of Lynnhaven Inlet, we docked our boat at a restaurant right on the water. I had a trout sandwich and it was the best fish sandwich I’ve ever eaten. We sat on the porch outside, watching boats come and go and enjoying the chatter of the gulls. When we finished eating, we headed for the Tunnel and caught so many stripers I tired of bringing them in.
Later, passing through that area of Virginia Beach on Shore Drive, I told my wife Nancy about Bubba’s and suggested we try it. When we finished eating, she said, “Don’t you ever come here again without me.”
We both fell in love with Bubba’s – the food, the ambience, the views. Everything was perfect. Still is.
Often, we go out of our way to Highway 13 towards the Tunnel and then a right down Shore Drive (Route 60).
The owner of the restaurant has a commercial fishing license and fishes almost daily. What he catches, he serves. They have dishes such as cobia steaks and sheepshead filets that you rarely see on any seafood menu. They catch flounder, trout, bluefish, mackerel, drum, stripers, sharks and most all types of fish found in the bay and ocean. And they know how to cook fish. The owner’s wife is the maître d, so with both proprietors on hand, the service and the food is always top notch.
Bubba’s has terrific Oyster Po’ Boys, and as I said, the fish sandwiches are superb, always fresh, fried to perfection and a great bargain. You get a huge piece of fish on a fresh roll with creamy tartar sauce, homemade coleslaw and crispy French fries, all for under $10.
Their burgers are also terrific. Sometimes if I’ve been at the beach for a few days and don’t think I could eat another piece of seafood, I’ll get a Bubba Burger, medium rare, and it’s as good as it gets.
This may be our favorite restaurant of all. Certainly none ranks ahead of Bubba’s on our list of eateries. Reservations are usually not necessary so if you find yourself in that area, make it a point to stop by. I think you’ll agree that this is a place that’s worth a review in Eatin’ Out.
The address is 3324 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, telephone 757-481-3513. The web site is
Bubbaseafoodrestaurant.com
Got a place you’d like to recommend? Send us a write up on your favorite place to eat and we’ll try to get it in this, our new section, Eatin’ Out.
