Vintage Kitchen

Way over priced and very small portions. Ate the flounder and it was just ok. The vegetables consisted of 2 small carrots, 2 asparagus and ½ dozen string beans (the carrots were the best item). Also, $ 16 for a mini cheeseburger and fry for a small plate? To make it a dinner size meal, you basically order 2 small plates for $ 32 (just for a normal cheeseburger & Fries). The service was the only thing that we thought was great.

I saw Chef Thomason on Hampton Roads Show today making his famous Black and White Mac N Cheese. I wrote everything down in my Chef notebook and can not wait to try it. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe and again thanks for making my anniversary last year just a wonderful night.

This was our first visit (my husband & myself).
We started out by sharing the she crab soup. We live she crab soup & try it everywhere that offers it. While the taste was delicious there wasn’t very much actual crab in the soup & for $ 14.95 a bowl, it really should have crab in it (there really was very little shreds).
Then I ordered their black & white Mac & Cheese for my entrée while my husband ordered Pig Picking which was supposed to have among other things a bone in chop. It didn’t include a bone in chop, nor did it consist of a chop at all. What was given to him did taste good, but a very small portion for 25.95. It had (2) spears of asparagus (2) green beans, a sliver of beet, a sliver of squash and a sliver carrot. My mac & cheese tasted different (not bad, but different), an incredible amount of butter however. I couldn’t eat it all, so I brought it home and let it drain on paper towels and I dabbed it as well.
My husband ordered their apple tart for dessert. It was really baked apples on puff pastry (not a typical «tart»). It was good though.
We had a table overlooking the water so that was pleasant. It was hard to see the menu since the lighting was so low. We plan on trying it again, we enjoyed it more until we realized (after we got home & looked at the menu) that my husband didn’t actually get what was listed on the menu.

Been meaning to write to the owner and keep forgetting. Glad I checked in here and Unilocal reminded me. Was not very happy with the service, the quality of the food, or even the price. Ordered a plain hamburger with zero of the fixings that came with the premium burger. Was charged the same $ 15 for meat and bun. The flavor of the burger was not great. And for a «fancier» place, the fries were very lacking in style of flavor. Pretty generic.
As for the service, no one greeted me when I sat down. There were 3 people working and nothing. Took a little longer than I thought it should. Maybe we caught them on a bad day
Value of food and service were not worth the cost. Wine list did look nice though.
If someone else were paying, I would try this place again. I will not be spending my money here though.

This is hands-​down my favorite restaurant in Norfolk. It’s a little tough to find the first time (located in dominion tower) but once you do… oh my goodness it is worth it. The view of the Elizabeth river from the main dining room is gorgeous. This will become your new favorite restaurant in Norfolk I promise! They don’t advertise so this is truly a hidden gem.
They also serve lunch everyday which is great, I’m always looking for a good meal at the bar or for a client lunch spot that’s excellent, quick and convenient to downtown.
Favorites for lunch: grilled pimento cheese on sourdough (very generous helping of the cheese and I still want more), buttermilk fried chicken sandwich (the spicy mayo is spot on), root beer braised beef brisket, and of course, the sugar pie pumpkin soup. I would buy gallons of this soup and keep it in my fridge. They should bottle and sell it.
My go-​to spot for spontaneous weekday dinners at the copper bar and for celebratory dinners, the prices here are genuinely reasonable. Especially considering the quality of the food and that I would end up spending the same amount at Buffalo Wild Wings or some other national chain. This place is so much better.
Favorites for dinner: mini cheeseburger slider with whipped foie gras, bacon wrapped dates with surry sausage, mushroom pot pie, flounder with brown butter, flat iron steak, and obviously, the black and white mac’ and cheese.
Go today!!!

It is such a huge fancy restaurant! I visited here on 2015 summer restaurant week. Fortunately I made a reservation on early evening so could finish my meal before night but the service was overall very slow. (I came in 5:30 and out 8:00) The food was delicious thought the main menu was not that impressive. I tried their truffle mac and cheese with extra charge which was really really delicious. Worth the money. Their cream brulee was also good. I wish they could handle the large volume in more professional way as it is naturally expected cuz it is a fine restaurant!

Had the She Crab soup to start, soooo good. Then the goat cheese with home made toast points, delish; then the duck leg confit with a seared duck breast in orange sauce, with beets, carrots, green beans and asparagus, ridiculously good!!!

Great place for a date night. Service did not rush you through dinner but also didn’t take so long you were concerned. Amazing food, views, and mint juleps. Highly, highly recommend for a special night out.

This is my first Unilocal review, so bear with me here, I might include too many details!
This place has been on my Norfolk bucket list for YEARS. I finally went and I LOVED it!
My friend made our Thursday reservation for 8 people on Monday and had no trouble getting the spot for our big group… even though it was during restaurant week… probably because it’s a Norfolk hidden gem; most people I know have not heard of it.
The restaurant week dinner is $ 30 (so expect to pay more for this outside of these weeks). Drinks are not included but mint juleps were $ 5 that night so obviously I got one. It came in a cute metal glass and was STRONG! So strong that someone at our table did some drink-​switching. I just waited for the ice to melt.
First course I got the she-​crab soup. It only had a few chunks of actual crab but the flavor was so good I didn’t even care. Second course I had «The Old MacDonald»; herb-​crusted chicken, sausage, bacon, grits & haricots verts. Yeah, just as good as it sounds on paper, um, internet. Anyway, I had the chocolate parfait for dessert, which comes w/​bourbon whipped cream, sea salt caramel & peanut brittle. The portion was perfect (not overwhelmingly large) and again… ran out of descriptive words to explain how good it is outside of just listing ingredients. This Unilocaling thing is harder than it looks!
Other observations:
— You can see the waterfront from almost every table in the place — they definitely capitalized on a strength there.
— I wore a nice blouse and was glad I did — most women there were wearing that or dresses.
— They’ll validate your parking for the attached garage. However, the garage entrance is a little sneaky (several of us missed the turn) so watch out for that!
— Our server was knowledgable and nice to a large group getting separate checks. One of the first things I noticed walking in was how professional-​looking the servers were. Maybe that’s weird to say, but thought I should mention it as several reviews say the opposite.
TL;DR: Was I biased to love this place before I even came? Yes. Would I go back? Overwhelmingly yes. It’s a great restaurant week spot and it’s now on my shortlist of celebratory occasion restaurants.

No one was there when we walked into the establishment. Which I thought was nice at first…
Our server was young and was wearing converse shoes-​a bit unprofessional. The bartender, also young, had her baby with her behind the bar which looked like it was ready to nurse the way it was grabbing her breasts. This was all from when we walked it. Not a stellar first impression.
We got a couple of drinks which were definitely unique and fun. We ordered a cheese platter and their Mac n Cheeas which we had heard they were known for. Both were quite good! Then came our entrees. I was underwhelmed to say the least. Especially with how expensive everything was. I got the salmon. It was incredibly salty and literally sat over butter sauce, 2 asparagus, 2 green beans and a half moon sliver of a beat. There was nothing to my meal. My sister got the steak, which was good, but nothing to write home about.
We finished off with the bread pudding which, I’ve had better elsewhere. I feel like it should have been served with ice cream or something. The bread was also a bit too dense to be able to soak up any of the sauce.
All in all the drinks are what saved this place to me. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this place to anyone, but I might go back to try other fun drinks and maybe try another appetizer. I would not sit down for a meal though.

Enjoyed a lovely dinner overlooking the Elizabeth River after walking from the TowneBank Plaza next to Waterside. We picked the right evening because it was not crowded and we had outstanding service. Very attentive wait staff.
Child-​friendly-​rating: meh… only bring kids if they are flexible eaters and can sit still. No kids menu, but they have amazing burgers and mac-​n-​cheese (you can hold the truffles upon request).
What I love:
— use of local ingredients year-​round
— cheese plate with ONLY cheeses from Virginia
— great wine list, with lots of VA wines
— interesting cocktails
— consistently good lunch for the business crowd
— food made with Dave & Dee’s mushrooms
— a variety of fresh seasonal vegetables on the side!
I like that dinner includes small plates & large plates, but I will say the organization of the printed menu was a bit odd, or maybe just difficult to read. And a few more options for starters to share with the table would be nice…

We are visiting Norfolk and stopped in for an early Mothers Day meal. Again the food was delicious and atmosphere excellent. The service was great and the view of the river was a nice addition to our dinner. Highly recommend.

The food here is really good, but the service is slow and the prices are a bit high.
The chicken salad and crab cake sandwiches are delicious and my mom raved about her chef salad.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for years. My office is literally located in the building and by default more times than not, it used to win for lunch. The fact that when I did burgers regularly, the one here could NOT be beat! Hands down one of the best in the area.
The food is good; the pumpkin soup in the Fall/​Winter can’t be beat. I was introduced to «Doc Lusin» (a Riesling) here and again, the burger is the best.
Owner is a great guy, very nice, personable, actually quite accommodating.

My husband and I took another couple out to dinner at Vintage Kitchen several weeks ago. We will not be going back for another visit.
The service was truly abominable. We had a reservation for 7:30 — we arrived on time, yet we still had to wait almost 10 minutes to be seated. After the hostess finally seated us, it took our server 15 minutes to come to the table & take our drink order, and we waited another 10 minutes for her to bring our drinks. She was not able to answer even the most basic questions about the menu: my husband asked if a dish was more like a soup or a casserole, to which our server replied, «It’s kind of medium.» Medium??? Ohhhhkay. (The dish was nothing like either soup or a casserole — it was dry as a bone!) One of our friends couldn’t decide between two dishes, so he asked for the server’s recommendation. She told him in an irritated tone, «Um. Well. It just kind of depends on what you want.» No shit, Sherlock.
The food was laughably overpriced. Most of it was not very good. The «medium» pork soup/​casserole my husband & one of our friends ordered was dry, tough, and flavorless. The salmon our friend ordered was cooked poorly and under seasoned. I had the pumpkin soup — it’s disgustingly and sickeningly sweet. I wouldn’t even eat it as a dessert, much less as an appetizer! The truffle mac and cheese was fine, nothing particularly offensive about it, but it isn’t any better than the Evol brand frozen truffle parmesan mac and cheese. Save yourself the $ 20 and pick up an Evol bowl at Kroger. :-)
I am deeply disappointed in our experience, and I’m pretty upset we spent over $ 250 on a less-​than-​mediocre meal and piss-​poor service.

Valentines Day Special?
Pros: The bread pudding was delicious. Also, the «second course» of the sorbet was surprisingly delightful. The atmosphere was modern and jazzy, very nice.
THE CONS:
–The waitress was not helpful in explaining the menu and did not supply us with the proper utensils for our order.
–Don’t get the green salad unless you fancy sour avocado paste at the bottom of it.
–The flounder was nothing to write home about.
–Our waitress came to apologize for the wait and stated our food was being plated «now»…20 minutes later we got our entrées.
–OUTRAGEOUSLY overpriced! This is your warning… don’t waste your money, you would be better off going to Outback.

My wife and I went for Valentines Day and there was very little that was good about our experience.
1) The restaurant was semi busy but in no way crowded yet they sat 3 couples right next to each other. There were 3 empty tables on either of the end couples. Why would you not spread us out? We had to whisper because we were so close.
2) The service was terrible. She didn’t explain the specialty menu and made it awkward when we asked about the menu, she did not give me a steak knife for my beef when others around me had them, and never offered the voucher for the parking garage.
3) This could have all been remedied by spectacular food, which I was expecting at the $ 75 per person price point, but the food was mediocre at best. I personally have cooked better food at home. Do not waste your money it is NOT worth the price!

Came here for dinner with reservations. I would comment on the food if we were able to eat… however we waited for over 30 minutes to be seated (and never were). No one came over to ask if we needed anything, gave us an update on our table… NOTHING! Asked 3 times when our table would be ready and kept getting told it was «bused». Finally left after 40 minutes and went to a MUCH BETTER RESTAURANT Viola Cuisine Internationale. AVOID Vintage Kitchen and the crap staff they have working there.

I was a little apprehensive about going here with my dinner club because of some of the reviews (under «not recommended»)… I still take those into account, even if Unilocal doesn’t.
The fantastic parts:
The view! It’s a little industrial but it’s water, and it’s pretty and it was lovely.
Loved the décor — very nicely done, fresh flowers and candlelight on the table.
Hostess very pleasant and understanding when our reservation for 5 turned into 3.
Our server was awesome. I am sorry I do not know her name — but she was very attentive, offered us a sample of wine when we weren’t sure what we’d like — kept our drinks refreshed, poured our wine through the meal, on top of all of it.
The good:
I did enjoy my meal. I had a taste of my friend’s items as well — and I think it was really good. I had the crab cake appetizer, truffle mac and also tasted the mushroom «pot pie», and the tenderloin.
The truffle mac was delicious — very, very rich — you definitely need to eat something else with it, to balance it out. The crab cake and sweet corn was yummy. Lots of fresh crab meat and the sweet corn paired well with it. The tenderloin was tender, good. The mushroom «pot pie» (I forget exactly what it was called on the menu), was good — very rich — if you love mushrooms, this is your dish. But, the deconstruction of it wasn’t what we thought it would be. It’s not really advertised that way, in my opinion. The puff pastry was delicious but my companion stated he wished had a more traditional crust. Just wasn’t what we expected.
This is the perfect anniversary type dinner place. Very quiet, reminds me of the country club kind of crowd. We were probably too loud :) Three friends going and talking and having a blast among a crowd of couples and quiet folks. Whoops! :)

I came here to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend. It’s an over-​commercialized, expensive, and kind of pointless day but I use it as an excuse to have fancy dinners. This place is wack. It looks quite hidden. In the front it’s just a small sitting area, a bar, and a long table. You wonder… where is dinner? Well, it’s hidden in the back past curtains and once you pass those curtains it’s a beautifully designed and organized dining room. It’s VERY intimate. I mean VERY. You’ll feel rude if you talk any louder than above a whisper. My boyfriend did point out that he hated that our little 2 top was almost touching the 2 top next to us. It makes it awkward when you can hear their conversation while you try to talk about your conversation that you know they can hear. Get my drift? It’s kind of uncomfortable.
The cool thing, though, is that the wine is like 8 dollars a glass… on one page. I looked at other pages and I wonder who in their right mind would order a $ 900 bottle of wine. The food is phenomenal. It took us a while to figure out what we wanted to eat. We decided on the mac and cheese, the potatoes, and both of us got the tenderloin. OHH it’s amazing. The mac and cheese is very unique with the truffle accents and the potatoes are just… heavenly. The tenderloin fell apart… so tender and delicious.
I will complain, however, about their bait and switch technique. I looked at the menu online and then looked at the menu in person. $ 7 – 10 dollar differences in the meals. Granted, I was expecting to pay a hefty fee for dinner but at least get your prices right.
The service was nice… a little spotty and I didn’t see him much. But when I did see him, he was professional, funny, and a pleasure.