Rudee’s Restaurant & Cabana Bar

The food was good, but the wait on a Wednesday night was 50 minutes. Also be careful the valet does not put keys in a box he watches over, he/​she puts the car keys on the tire of the car.

Don’t know what the Karen W was talking about, must not use valets very often. The Valets at Rudees are the best, they work hard, run hard and all for tips only. The parking lot is small so at times the cars are parked three deep to accommodate all the customers who wish to get in for food and drinks. They have to use a different system or else they couldn’t park as many cars, and I know all the smaller restaurant use the same system at the beach. Unless a person is more informed about a process they shouldn’t give reviews. She is probably one of the many people who don’t even tip these hard working men!

We are enjoying our lunch at Rudee’s. We ordered she crab soup, which I think could be a little bit thinner, it’s a little too thick like gravy. But my kids liked it a lot. The Lobster roll with butter was very good lots of sweet lobster meat, the sweet potato fries are very delicious, though I think it could use a sweet tropical coconut pineapple sauce to dip in. Nice and quiet, we have a lovely view, I would return again.

The last time I ate at Rudee’s was during the winter time a few years ago, so it was about time for another visit! I didn’t notice the cabana area the last time I was there, and the server told me that they close it up during the winter time, so it makes sense. My friend and I came for a late lunch and were able to get a seat on the cabana right away. Happy hour was going on at the bar, but you aren’t able to get food there so we chose the tables instead. The tables are so cute and rock like a swing without making you feeling seasick. In addition, the view on the marina was so relaxing and I felt like I was on the water. I was feeling pretty basic, so I got the crabcake sandwich with sweet potato fries and a mango crush. The mango crush was sweet and you can’t really taste the alcohol. Luckily I only had one since I have a feeling those would catch up to you quickly! The crabcake sandwich was full of crab meat, and I got it broiled to preserve the crab flavor. I added tartar sauce and cocktail sauce with lettuce and tomatoes. I also liked the sweet potato wedges! As for service, Grace was amazing and super nice. Next time, I plan on checking out the happy hour. It is definitely on my list to go back!

What a visit. They just did it right and the Buffalo Shrimp wasn’t bad either! If the weather holds up, take your seat on one of the rocking swing tables and have the experience of eating on a small dinghy boat! We even got hit by a pop up storm and had to retreat to the island (bar area). The staff didn’t miss a beat and all of our food was kept dry and was still awesome. Definitely going back!

Great locale, courteous staff. However, mediocre food, small portion size and a tad bit pricey. A lot of items were a la carte which added to the already pricey meal. The staff definitely pushes the Chef and the fact they starred on Food Network. All the Chef’s picks were the most expensive on the menu and we can not comment on the quality because we did not choose any of those options. The happy hour is 3 – 6 and only honored at the bar. The kids menu is a joke $ 5.99 for two chicken strips the size of an index finger, add fries for .99. That in itself describes the overall experience.

It’s ok not fantastic by any means they don’t have any nonalcoholic beer which is a minus for me.

Absolutely beautiful outdoor cabanas! Fantastic pina coladas and other mixed beverages! Food was just so-​so but we loved sitting out there and enjoying the weather and drinks. I would definitely go back here for drinks but skip the food.

This place was pretty good! The best oysters Rockefeller my husband and I have ever had! I had the blackened flounder and fries were really good too!

Food was great, service was excellent. Don’t use the valet parking… There is NO secure lock box for your keys. They just leave them on a tire in plain view…

This felt like a tourist trap. Food was over priced and bland. The crab cakes were full of shells.

Went here with a party of eight for dinner. The service was good, our server was fairly nice and seemed like he enjoyed his job. The food is just average, nothing special. The menu seems over complicated and could be made much easier by focusing on select dishes and making them really really good. The atmosphere is OK. The restaurant seems dated with its nautical theme being on the water. Not sure I would visit again.

This place was ok. I came at the urging of a local but was not that impressed. Food was okay, service was okay, the waitress was okay. Not much to speak about. Just average.
Nothing special… go to Rockefeller’s…

Rudee’s recently featured a series of luncheon specials one of which included a lobster roll for $ 9.99. It was an outstanding menu item at an excellent price. Not Cape Cod but very good to be south of the Mason-​Dixon line. Service was also outstanding.
And the restaurant was immaculately clean and is situated on beautiful Rudee Inlet, just off the ocean in Virginia Beach. A great environbment with beautiful waterfront views.
This is a menu item I can highly recommend. We also tried the fish bites and broiled tuna sandwich — — not so hot — — had a fishy taste. The sweet potato fries, however, as well as the regular fries were equally outstanding.

My First time eating here but definitely not my last. It was a casual atmosphere. There was no staff at the door ready to pounce so it was cool to walk through. A server did walk up and asked where I’d like to be seated. I wanted the best view so I got a table near the dock. I know Rudees will be a great spot this summer! Even thru the rain the view is awesome. Once seated Management greeted us and welcomed us to Rudees, I like this!
I ordered Riesling (excellent) and the Lobster Roll with coleslaw and the She Crab soup. The lobster was wonderful! They weren’t skimpy with the portions, I had to eat some of it with a fork before grabbing the sandwich. The soup was so rich meaty and filling. I should’ve ordered more to go!
This is the perfect place to daydream and get away stare at the water with the faint conversation in the background and zone out with your wine. I also think it would make a romantic date at night.

Came here for dinner Saturday night after the wait time for our 1^st choice was an hour long. We waited for about 5 minutes before we were sat.
I love how it’s right on the water. Really nice views during the day.
I didn’t care for seat we got sat at. It was a 2 top right next to another table. Like I could literally extend my arm and touch the lady next to me. The table was so small and so cramped that it was annoying. Plus there was a decent size candle and basket that took up space that was needed.
We got some drinks, mine wasn’t too good. Way too much pineapple and just underwhelming. And then we had their Rudee specail drink that’s $ 11.75 each and they limit you to 2. So thinking wow, only 2 it must give a nice buzz. However again underwhelming. It tasted just like the first one and not worth the money.
Food was excellent, it was definitely the saving grace. We started with the Buffalo fish bites and wow I was impressed. I had the scallop dinner with veggies and sweet potato fries. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the fries were great too. The boyfriend got the seafood Alfredo with shrimp, local tuna, and scallop nixed in. And it was filled with tons of fish. A good surprise.
All together we spent about $ 120 including tip. Not bad. Would come back but not for their specialty drinks.

Elleana was the best wait person I’ve had In a long time. Oh the food was excellent too.

I was in town visiting family, and craving seafood, so this were we ended up. There were 6 of us, and we were seated immediately with no reservation, it was around 4pm.
The décor is meh. Just an older place with your typical boating, fishing, theme. The tables are kind of skinny, feels like you are eating on top of each other, but I can deal, I mean we all knew each other.
We ordered the fried calamari for starters and it was really good. The volcano sauce with it is tasty and not too spicy.
I had the lobster roll, which was not what I expected at all but, not the less it was decent. Its literally just a bunch of lobster on a roll with a side of butter. The lobster rolls I usually have are usually some type of salad. The lobster is usually mixed with mayo, some spices, not here. I mean its good, but its kind of boring, and bland and in my mind not a true lobster roll. I must say the lobster had been cooked to perfection though and tasted fresh.
Others ordered the fish sandwich, and oysters Rockefeller with no complaints or raves. I mean the place was not bad just not a place I would rush to try again. Maybe in the summer when they have outside seating available that looks pretty cool.

I give this place 3.5 stars!
Five stars for the location — how beautiful anything and everything is, when it’s by the water. Surrounded by boats, and the Cabana Bar and outdoor rocking seats — it’s the perfect place for summer time/​warm weather.
When we went for my birthday lunch a few days ago, it was on the chilly side and kind of windy, so unfortunately we had to dine inside.
You can tell that the place is older, but still clean and neatly decorated with a nautical/​beach-​y theme of course. We sat in an enclosed patio area facing the water. Our seats were ok, if we had chosen to sit on the left side, our view was blocked by some trucks. So we chose to sit on the right side, and unfortunately it was full, so we had no choice but to sit at a table probably only a few feet away from a few ladies. We pretty much heard their whole conversation. It felt a bit awkward to me to make conversation on top of theirs, so my bf and I were on our phones a lot (bad, I know.)
Our waitress was nice and attentive.
The food was decent. Even though I read the other reviews about the Lobster Roll not being the best, I ordered it anyway. It was a bit bland, as others have stated, but the butter and a dash of salt made it better. Their fries were decent — I enjoyed them more than I thought I would, especially with them being the «seasoned and coated» type of fries, which I normally dislike. Ranch sauce made them better of course. My boyfriend had the Calamari Salad — I thought it was ok — I prefer calamari cut thicker — these were super thin. He enjoyed it though.
Again, for the most part, the pros and props for this place definitely lie in the scenery and location. Food is ok. I still would definitely return to dine and drink outside though, and sit on the rocking chairs!

Ambiance: If I were to rate this place on the ambiance and location (i.e. the view) alone it’d be 5 Stars but unfortunately that’s not the case.
Service: Definitely polite and courteous wait staff and hostess… but the bar needs some work. It’s not like the bartenders were terrible but they’re no where near the level of customer service and efficiency as the wait staff let alone where they should be for a restaurant that usually requires a wait at the bar for your table.
Food: Being foodies my wife and I can be a little hard on a restaurant. Still for a place that praises it’s seafood dishes they’re just above average. That said this is a «bar-​beachcomber» like place so from that perspective it’s a big step up from the typical joints. Only with the relaxed (longer) wait for food that usually accompanies the finer establishments.
Drinks: Neither my wife and I ordered anything more than a beer so can’t judge the mixology skills of the bartenders but the selection of brews was limited. You’d think with so many local breweries popping up they’d implement some of that or have one come up with their own beer (s)…but no.
Meals: I had the seasonally offered soft shell crab dinner with one crab seasoned and the other fried. Both were pretty good but not quite as good as I hoped or the competition. However, the sides of broccoli and baked potato were done right so overall a solid dish.
My wife ordered the lobster roll with a side salad. The salad could’ve been fresher as everything looked as if it had a spent too much time in the sun with an average taste. Her lobster roll was better but nothing to rave about.
Desert: We shared the Key Lime Pie, which was supposed to be to die for. It’s not. In fact if I were blindfolded I’d probably guessed it was Key Vanilla pie not lime. Like the rest of the meal, it was good but missed the mark for the price and quality they tout about.
Cleanliness: Despite the large number of tourists, locals and lovers of the amphibious environment that funnel through here the place is kept pretty dang clean. Even the porty-potty’s were clean and odor free. Big points there! The fact that they allow the occasional emergency non-​customer to use them with a smile made all the difference to me. Good on you wait staff! Management you should know that’s why we came back there to eat after paddle boarding. Because your wait staff were cheerful and polite to me and my wife when she needed the facilities, and the potty’s were clean. Says a lot.
Overall: I’m torn between the 3 Star rating on the food and 4 Star for the view and wait staff so I’ll use bar as the tie breaker and round down to 3 for now but you can count on us coming back because the location rocks. Hopefully then I’ll be able to push it up a star or two?