One thing I love about Apelu Island is that it's not just "another cute coffee shop" that are a…read moredime a dozen. It's Samoan-owned and you can feel the culture in the space and on the menu. The decor has Polynesian touches, the drinks and food nod to Samoan flavors (like taro and Spam musubi), and you can tell it's a true family business built with a lot of pride and hard work. My friend and I first heard about this spot and literally drove about 25 minutes from Ghent Norfolk over to Bel-Aire Norfolk just to try it out, and it still remains one of our favorite coffee shops in Norfolk. Totally worth crossing town for. On my first visit, I got the Apelu Island Iced Latte, a Taro Cupcake with vanilla icing and toasted coconut, and a Spam Musubi with egg. That combo right there? Dangerous. The latte was smooth and lightly sweet with that pretty taro purple, the cupcake was super moist with the coconut giving it that little crunch on top, and the Spam Musubi with egg was the perfect salty-savory bite to go with my coffee instead of the usual basic breakfast sandwich. Second visit, I pulled back up for their Taro Pumpkin Roll Latte with oat milk (one of their fall specials), and I'm still thinking about it. It tasted like fall but with that island twist; cozy, a little earthy from the taro, and not overly sweet. Just really well-balanced and comforting. The staff has been warm and welcoming every time I've gone in; smiling, chatting with customers, and making it feel like a neighborhood spot even if you drove in from across town. It's the kind of place where you can sit, catch up with a friend, get some work done, or just enjoy your drink and snack without feeling rushed. If you're anywhere in Norfolk and haven't tried Apelu Island Cafe yet, go. From the lattes to the taro treats to the musubi, it's one of those places that makes you want to become a regular. More people need to know about this place.

I visited Apelu Island while my daughter was getting her nails done in the area. I got an iced…read morewhite chocolate blackberry mocha and it was delicious! The service was quick and friendly and willing to help me with my order decision (so many things sounded good!) It was really cute inside and even had a little play area for kids with a little kitchen setup. I really enjoyed my visit!

If you love burritos, you need to track down The Coop food truck. Hands down my favorite food truck…read morein Virginia Beach! I stopped by during their pop up at Farmhouse Brewery and, once again, they did not disappoint. One thing you need to know: their burritos are massive. We're talking "the size of your head" big, so come hungry or be ready for some epic leftovers. The menu is small and focused (usually around four burrito choices), but every single one is packed with quality ingredients and flavor. The Coop spends most days serving on base, but keep an eye out for their local pop-ups. They're always worth chasing down. This time around, I ordered the Pepper Jack Chicken Burrito which was grilled chicken breast, maple bacon, melty pepper jack cheese, and their signature Coop Sauce, all bundled up in a warm tortilla. Every bite was the perfect balance of hearty, savory, spicy, and just a hint sweet from the bacon. Their Coop sauce is one of a kind. Tangy, and delicious. I'm sure adding an egg would take it to the next level (that's an option on all burritos). My friends had the Breakfast Burrito! This one comes with fluffy scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar cheese, juicy sausage, more of that craveable maple bacon, herby potatoes, and (of course) the signature Coop Sauce. They raved about every bite. I appreciate that The Coop keeps things simple with their streamlined menu and focus on top-notch burritos. Whenever I see them around town, I make it a point to stop ... even if there's a line, it moves fast and is absolutely worth the wait. Whether you're looking for a new lunch favorite or just crave seriously great street food, The Coop is a true gem on the Virginia Beach food truck scene. Can't wait to catch them at their next pop-up!

Super fast and friendly service and large portions. I usually go for a burrito but heard the…read moreparfaits were awesome. Did not disappoint! Coop sauce is pretty tasty too if you want a little kick on your burrito or bowl!

10/10. Fantastic food. Great service. Amazing place all together. The cauliflower bites were…read moreamazing, as was the rest of our meal.

Happy Cafe is located in the Diamond Springs Shoppes in VIrginia Beach. They are closer to the…read morenorthwestern part of Virginia Beach. They aren't too far away from Northampton Blvd. Coming from I-264, you can get off at Newtown Rd. and head north to it, as the road name does change to Diamond Springs Rd. Coming in while heading northbound is easier than if you were coming in the southbound direction. One thing I noticed is that parking can get limited here when there are lots of visitors to this shopping center. My visit here was on April 17, 2026. The first thing I noticed was parking. Although this is in a shopping center, parking can be hard to find at times, especially during peak times. I was able to find one on this visit, but there wasn't much available. The Yellow signage for the name of the business on the outside helps see it pretty quickly. When my mom and I came inside, it was already busy. There was a wait to get a table, but I wasn't totally surprised at that. It would take about 15 minutes to get a table. Once we got to the table, we had a chance to look over the menu for a moment before the server came around and asked for our drink orders. Water came to the table at that time too. I decided to try their Bloody Mary for a drink and my mom did a Pepsi. The Pepsi comes in a can. I want to note that they have vegan options on their menu, so that adds to the amount of items to choose from. They have a pretty big menu covering both breakfast and lunch options. After having some time to look over the menu, we were finally ready to order. I don't do French Toast too often, so I decided to do the French Toast Meal with scrambled eggs and bacon (crispy). My mom decided to go with the Veggie Egg Scrambler, adding cheese to it. She got white toast and bacon as the sides to go with it. While waiting for the food to come, I tried the Bloody Mary. It was in a tall thin glass. The Bloody Mary was good. After about ten minutes or so, the food came out to the table and it looked really good. The server brought over syrup for my French Toast, but I told her I didn't need it, as I don't normally do lots of sugary items. As we started eating, the food was definitely hot, which is great as it came out pretty much when it was done from the kitchen. The French Toast was really good and it was a great indulgence for me. The eggs and bacon were really good too. My mom liked the Veggie Egg Scrambler too. The only minor issue was that the salt dispenser was low on salt, so it was primarily just the rice at the bottom to keep the salt from binding together. Overall, this was a great first experience outside of events. Even though it was packed, the servers were on point to check things along the way. It was only towards the end where I didn't get a chance to catch them about the salt shaker, but I did let them know when we were headed out. Prices are quite reasonable for the amount of food you get, and there was no surcharge if you use a card of some sort instead of cash to pay. If you're looking for a great locally owned breakfast/brunch/lunch spot in that area of the city, this place is worth checking out.

I'm so glad I found Pendulum. I actually have yet to eat lunch here, but I am a member of the…read morePrimal CSA. The meat is great quality and there is always a nice variety of meats. Staff is very nice every time I've been in. The sandwiches (which I will try one day) look delicious! They have butchery classes as well, which seem like a great experience!

FOOD The Butcher: 4/5…read moreCleaver Burger: 4.5/5 Fries: 4.5/5 Garden Salad: 4/5 SERVICE Amazing service! Got checked on to make sure we were good every five minutes or so AMBIANCE Chill but lively environment!

Absolutely love Session. We sadly moved away from VB but regularly enjoyed getting breakfast there…read more I still think about their breakfast fried rice. Yum. Everything we've tried was so good! Fantastic staff. Wonderful outdoor space. Nothing bad to say.

I visited a few months ago with a friend for lunch and we enjoyed ourselves. I like that they have…read morebreakfast all day and I chose the breakfast burrito bc I'm really on a kick where I like those right now. We both got smoothies and they were large and tasted very very fresh with lots of fresh ingredients (not the watery ones you know only had some concentrate). Order at the counter and find your own seat-type place. Seating was mostly full but we lucked out with one available table that they had to bus and wipe down for us. The patio is really cute when the weather is warm. I liked the menu and could see this being a cute place to come with friends for lunch or bring out of town folks if they want to try a new brunch or lunch spot.

First time here, found it on yelp searching in the area I was going to…read more Outside it's a small grey and black building, next to the laundry mat. I was craving a Reuben, so ordered a sloppy sailer. It was a Great sandwich, only thing that would have made it better is if it was served on marble Rye and toasted. The owner was cool and polite. The only recommendation I would give at the moment, except the marble Rye for the Reuben, would be to put an open sign in the left window, honestly when I pulled up I wasn't sure if it was open. Some ladies were getting a shake when I was in there, they said the shakes were really good but I didn't get one. I will definitely stop here again for lunch and try a different sandwich as well as maybe bring one of the grandkids to get a shake

I finally got a chance to try Sloppy Sailors today through DoorDash. To give you the bottom line…read moreright up front,... WAY OVERRATED. I was highly disappointed. I ordered the Torpedo--which is essentially an Italian sub, The Chief--which is a burger, and vanilla milkshake. Not one item is anything I would ever order again. The Chief Burger - the patty was a hefty piece of meat, right on the verge of too thick. I could taste some light seasoning on the patty which I appreciated, but it could have been doubled. The patty was overcooked and dry, and the sandwich overall was very dry. Mine was missing any lubricating condiments. This burger was in desperate need of some mayonnaise or ketchup or more cheese or something to give it juiciness as a person who really loves smashburgers, this patty was really too thick and it was packed to tightly... It made it feel like it was heavy and sitting in your stomach, like a rock versus being a lighter more airy and tender type of patty. The top bun was sesame seeded, but dried out like it had been exposed to a heat lamp for too long (the bottom bun was fine). The Torpedo - this is an essentially an Italian with only two meats... Just ham and salami. It had all the right fixings for an Italian sub, and it matched the menu description; however, it just did not come together very well in my opinion. First of all the bread was thick and hard-ish (especially the top bread), making it hard to chew. I removed the top breads, and put the two bottoms together to make this easier to eat and cut out a few carbs at the same time. Lastly the Vanilla Milkshake - I had such high hopes for this based on reviews I had seen about it being a "real" milkshake, not from a mix, the time it took to make one etc. and alas, this too was a disappointment. Milkshake has hardly any vanilla flavor, and it was 75% foam -the effect you get when you overblend incorporating too much air and the shake had no body to it at all. It essentially dissipates on your tongue immediately without giving you the mouthfeel and satisfaction of the creaminess or even the coldness that one would expect from a milkshake. I took three sips from three different levels/areas of the cup to give this its best chance, but ultimately it was a two thumbs down experience. All in all, I deeply regret that I spent $35 having this meal DoorDashed to me... What a waste. I would still encourage anyone reading this review to try the restaurant for yourself, perhaps I caught them on a bad day. To give context, it was a rainy day, which perhaps means that There were more people using DoorDash than normal, and maybe they didn't get to make their food at the normal level of quality that they typically do, but I definitely caught them on a bad day or overall they are just overrated. Not sure which one and I doubt that I will try anything from them again. I tried my best to give them a decent opportunity to be great, trying something from a few different areas of the menu--nothing too exotic or complex--and every single item was a miss for me.

Is this actually a business, or the owner's odd idea of a hobby? I will say that the sandwiches…read moreare excellent and I've never had any concern about the quality of the food and it's a cool space. What I do have a problem with is the hours and service. They are only open 12 hours/week - Tuesday through Friday 11am to 2pm! Even with that limited schedule, it is not at all uncommon to go in well before closing time only to be told (and not always in a pleasant manner) that they're sold out. It is also not unusual to try to go in during their posted hours and find that the door is locked and they're not open at all. I have precious little time to spare during my workday and walking to get their delicious subs is a luxury. I won't waste my time anymore.

A true small business sandwich shop with high-quality subs. Limited hours--Tuesday through…read moreSaturday, 11am-2pm, but the food is fresh and good. A one-woman show, and she does it well!

So cozy! The churro latte was delicious. One of the best coffees I've had in Virginia Beach.read more

The coziest coffee shop in VB!…read more From the baked goods, to the specialty drinks, Colattao has such great offerings. There is something for everyone here! I loved the cozy atmosphere here, especially the cute mismatched plates, mugs, and saucers. It feels like you're stepping into someone's chic and welcoming home. The cheese danish & leek and parmesan were absolutely delightful. My husband loved his vanilla cinnamon horchata and I loved my house coffee. Definitely the best hot coffee I've had in VB. We will be back!

5/5 no notes. The chicha drink was such an unexpected, sweet…read morelittle treat, honestly reminded me of an elevated milkshake in the best way. The Pabellon arepa with shredded beef, cheese, beans, and plantains? Omg - perfection. Add a dash of their hot sauce and garlic sauce and it's literally the best thing ever. The salad was fresh and a perfect side to the arepa, could've used a bit more dressing, but that's easily fixed by asking for extra. Everything was so good. Will absolutely be back, and this is definitely a place I'll bring friends and family when they come visit from out of town.

I cannot say enough about this place! Every single dish at Pa'l Carajo is so incredibly full of…read moreflavor and rings true to the authentic Venezuelan cuisine it advertises. This place not only got me through every pregnancy craving, it also was my go-to during my postpartum era when I needed nutrient dense, flavorful food that I knew would always hit the spot. Pa'l Carajo will always hold a special place in my heart because of this - especially as my child grows and I get to share so many delicious dishes with him!

I'm a huge advocate of Halal food, and although I haven't been around much this last year I'm…read moresurprised I haven't noticed this place the few times I've been home. The owner told me April 2026 will be there 1 year anniversary here. The food was really flavorful and the rice was good too; not dry at all. You can't see from the photo but under the pita bread was a fried green tomato or egg plant (not even sure really) but I would order a dozen of them if I could it was that good. The wings were cooked to crispy perfection, the only thing I would add would be that the wings are not fully covered in sauce so you may want to ask for extra, but I would definitely order again. This place also has a small shop inside and butcher in the back. I saw they had some tomahawk steaks in the back hanging and offered oxtail which I would love to try the next time I'm at home for a longer period of time. Definitely 5 / 5 for me.

This place is THE SPOT! The staff is friendly and greets you when you enter. The gents are…read moreadorable! It's exactly what you would think of as a NY halal spot, dropped in VB. Ordered the halal plate, the beef shawarma, and falafel. Watched a bit of TV and browsed the groceries, lots of delicious products. Will be back definitely. Halal plate was too much to eat in one sitting. Falafel was crisp and delicious. Beef shawarma disappeared so fast I hardly saw it! 13/10 stars! The ONLY thing I didn't love was the shopping center. The smoke shop and staff always smoking outside and the trash can out front is over flowing. Don't let it stop you because to go is amazingly quick!