Always awesome. Wanchese risotto is amazing every stinkin time. As soon as you get there ask to put aside a coconut pie if you intend on getting one, they go fast! Had a musician playing saxophone in the bar area. Very mellow! read more

So this is my second time visiting Black Pelican after having a bad first visit, but I thought I would give it another try. To sum it up, the food is overpriced for the quality you get. So disappointing. And on another note. The chips that came with the seafood dip have MOLD on them!! Super gross, none of the food seems fresh... screams frozen old seafood to me... beware!! read more

Black Pelican - MODLY CHIPS!!! - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

My oldest lives nearby in Suffolk and was telling us about the yummy shrimp and grits served at this establishment. Being from Florida we are pretty particular about shrimp and grits, and the Black Pelican did not disappoint. Creamy grits, plump perfectly cooked shrimp, sweet red onions and a sauce with just the right bit of spiciness. The lunch size was perfect and I left full and satisfied. My youngest daughter had the Greek Salmon lunch dish. The salmon was excellent. She did not care for the rice, and they offered her a side of freshly steamed broccoli. Our server Josh was personable and attentive. He had a very pleasant personality, and was very helpful with all of our questions. I would return here on our next visit to the area. The ambiance is casual and the servers were all friendly. To top it off, the food was very good and we had a great lunch. read more

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We could smell the yumminess outside of the door. Plentiful seating. Waitstaff friendly. We started with the she crab soup and calamari. Neither to brag about but both good in flavor. The calamari was piping hot (great) but the soup's temp was as though it had been sitting out. I had the seafood risotto. It was a full plate of cheesy risotto, shrimp,scallops and crab. I enjoyed it!! My friend ordered the crab cakes and green beans with coleslaw. The crab cakes were packed with crab but they weren't hot. The coleslaw was vinegary and the green beans were perfect! read more

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Over cooked appetizer, undercooked entrée, no follow up from the wait staff, had to send the entrée back and never got a visit from the manager ... to top it off both my daughter and I had significant upset stomachs before the 20 minute ride home was over. Must've seen at least three different people drop and break meals on the floor. If you don't have enough staff weather on the floor or in the kitchen, would prefer that you just make us wait for a table. Not sure there is much service recovery that can be gleaned from such a uniformly poor visit. read more

This place is in a really competitive area for foodies. When you walk in you'll immediately note the decor and see it somehow has both a bar and dine-in feel. Kinda unique but I think that's what they were aiming for. One other thing to note is the expansion area to the left. The expansion area is generally reserved for private parties or overflow if they're busy. One big thing I would suggest is that if you're trying to have a quiet time, you may want to avoid the expansion area if it's busy or has a party that can be rowdy. The expansion has windows and zero sound absorption. The area can get loud real fast. The other spaces are rather indicative of what you would want if you're going for it. There's a space that is somewhat more formal and the bar area (as mentioned) itself. Wanna party? Stay at the bar. Want to go a little low-key, go to the formal area. It's a unique idea that can work if the conditions are right and fail if people are jerks. Just about timing I guess. The food is good. Not gonna say omg gotta have but it's respectable and you won't be completely crushed thinking 'that sucked'. Overall, I'd say it's a decent place to visit and definitely worth a try if you haven't been here before. Food Taste: 4 Overall Service: 4 Value of food to cost: 4 Facility: 4 Repeat customer: yes Dog Friendly: no read more

The waiter, ambiance and food was excellent! I would recommend this place. The prices were decent. I've been twice.

I have always heard wonderful things about the food here, but had yet to come by for dinner. I was not disappointed! The next day all I could think about is eating here again. I told all of my coworkers and browsed the menu. Needless to say, the food and atmosphere were perfect. Great portions sizes and well with the $$ spent. See you soon! read more

I came in today wanting to order a bowl of she crab soup since it's rainy and icky outside. The service was very quick however I was given my soup in a styrofoam cup with a drinking lid!! I asked the server, "is this how the soup comes"?!?! She replies, "yes for to go." I'm just shocked that a restaurant would actually be ok with serving orders this way. The soup is always awesome however presentation is just as important. I DO NOT want to eat my meal out of a cup! read more

Black Pelican - A "bowl" of she crab soup - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

The atmosphere was fine and the staff was friendly and prompt however the meal I ordered was not good. I've had my fair share of tuna as I've lived most of my life on the gulf coast in Florida and immediately after cutting into my fish, I realized something wasn't right. The color was off and the flavor was suspect. The coleslaw was different than your usual but in my opinion, lacked flavor. And the rice (I love rice as I'm half Filipino) also had em something a miss. I should've tried their pizza. read more

Black Pelican - Yellowfin Tuna dish with house coleslaw and rice - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

If I'm being honest, I never heard of this place until last week. Smokey Bones and Olive Garden were packed and the wait was long so we were trying to find a place where the wait was short due to our time crunch. This place was next to the restaurants mentioned earlier. The host said there wasn't any wait and we could be seated right away. Social distancing is being promoted which is a plus. The menu consists of mainly seafood (not a big fan off) but also had fire oven pizza, ribs, and steak. I got the steak! The steak was cooked to my preference perfectly! And the amount of fat on the steak was just perfect as well. The fried onion stings were delicious, the bleu cheese crumbles were a bit overpowering but then again bleu cheese can do that. The mash potatoes were made we care and attention, perfectly paired well without steak. The only downside was the green beans, they were flash cooked al dente style with sliced up peppers which isn't the best tasting. This place is nice and somewhat quiet, it's behind other restaurants so it's one of those places you could go if you didn't want to be bothered with a lot of people. Again my steak and potatoes were great, I just which they had more options on the menu. While I don't plan to visit again any time soon, I would eat here again just because of the steak and potatoes. read more

Black Pelican - Blackened Blue Cheese Steak with Green Beans and Guda Mash Potatoes - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

I don't often have a big night on the town in Chesapeake, but this past Saturday I did. The family was in the area and I had wanted to check Black Pelican out for quite some time since I am familiar with their OBX location. The restaurant is located on the grounds of the Greenbrier Mall. If you know where the old Friendly use to be it's in the same building. Our family adored Friendly's and was so sad when it left. I could not wait to see how they transformed this into a higher end dining. Parking was plentiful around 7 PM which had me somewhat worried. The exterior looked really awesome, I could tell no signs of the rather boring brick building that housed the previous business. No debris in the lot, or door way was a great start. The hostess was prompt in seating us and the waitress quickly followed after with menus and specials. Drink orders taken and were quickly brought back. I asked for a recommendation on the specials and was guided to the Rock Fish which was what I wanted any way. My wife ordered the Salmon and my son the pepperoni pizza. Our waitress smiled and was professional. I was really loving the start of this service. From looking around it was busier than I would have thought by looking at the lot. The bar is in the same place as the soda fountain and seats around 12-15. The decor was neutral colors with wood floors and had a beach vibe to it. The dining room was spic and span. I excused myself to wash up and found the restrooms in the same location as previous in the rear right corner. The facilities were in excellent condition with proper supplies. The food hit the table all at the same time within 15 minutes. Drinks were refreshed and our waitress confirmed that our order were correct and we had everything we needed. Every dish look and smelled amazing. I was completely blown away by my fish, possibly one of the best fish entrees I can recall in a while. I have not had Rock Fish in ages and was really enjoying. I sample some of my wife's Salmon that she was enjoying and found the flavors were really popping. My son tore into his pizza and I sample it and found yet another hit. Our waitress checked in again within minutes of the food arriving to confirm all was good. Drinks during the service was somewhat slow with a couple of times water hitting the bottom. I think her section was spread out. It was never empty for long. We decided on desert and got the brownie sundae and creme brulee to split. The sweets were out with in minutes of ordering. I am a creme brulee fanatic and this was darn yummy! Same for the brownie sundae. As we enjoyed I noticed a man standing at the end of our row of booths. He had been talking to a table of guest for close to 20 minutes. I suspected he was the GM and confirmed with our waitress he was. I had seen him around the bar area too! But I never once saw him at another table, or assisting the staff. This is where a deduction is being applied. I was disappointed that the service was not so easily elevated with the GM making rounds, especially considering he spent so much time at one table evidently talking to friends. Check out was efficient. This was a fantastic meal and I had to ask the waitress more about the chef. It turns out it's the Outer Banks Executive Chef that now runs the Chesapeake kitchen. He also is the part owner with the family in OBX. I have always enjoyed the NC location and was excited to hear this. I'm at a 4.5 rounding down due to the the above mentioned issue with GM. If the owner is reading this put this guy to work promoting great customer service that will set you apart from the crowd. I can't wait to return. read more

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Excellent customer service from beginning to end !!!! As you walk in the two young ladies that greet you and try to find you a table make your arrival so pleasant. The knowledge of the waiter, waitress, and bartender of the dishes and drinks make your decision a lot easier when in doubt of your choice !!! The food is very delicious, that you might wanna make a bucket list to have your top five to top ten ??? That good, so choose wisely !!!! Enjoy the Black Pelican and oh yes they have souvenirs also read more

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THREE visits this month because I LOVE IT! This is one of my favorite restaurants to meet friends for a consistently wonderful dinner, and I have been there 3 times in the past month because I love it so much. Twice, our server was Walter, who took great care of us and made great recommendations. Our dinner visit was so delicious. I had Pecan Crusted Mahi with red wine fig reduction, and Kahlua mashed sweet potatoes with sauteed vegetables...how yummy and creative! My husband really enjoyed his ribeye, and my friend's fish tacos were good. See pics of all. This week I met friends there from Seattle, and they were quite pleased with the shrimp and grits, the soft shell crab sandwich, and My nuts and berry salad with grilled chicken was delicious as always. But the crowning glory is the huge coconut cream pie, on graham crust, big enough to split 3 ways. It is legendary, and I get it every time, asking before I order for them to save me one. On our visit this week, we were served by Brooke and her preceptee Lindsay, and they also did great jobs! Love that this restaurant has a blender for frozen drinks, plenty of parking as on the ring of a mall, and its Greenbrier location makes it a perfect place to meet friends from Chesapeake/Suffolk etc right off I-64. The menu is American, diverse, lots of apperizers, salads, fish, chicken, beef, sandwiches. Love it!! read more

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I can't put into words how good this place is but I'm going to try for y'all. Fish tacos are perfection. They do not skimp one the amount of fish you get. The slaw on top was so fresh and crisp. What ever sauce they put on the tacos I want to bottle and take home!!! The mahi-mahi is the best I've EVER tasted and I lived in Hawaii. They put this corn blend topping on it that I could eat straight out of a bowl, it's THAT good. The fish was perfectly tender the seasoning was on point. It's a nice size just so good. Shrimp Risotto was so creamy and filling and seasoned very well. Stuffed jalapeños!!!! what ever they put in their cream cheese filling is Devine. BEWARE they have a strong kick to them!!! One of the best seafood places honestly and it's not even by the beach! It's tucked into a mall parking lot. read more

Great food, awesome servers and it's becoming a favorite place to eat when we're in town. The seafood risotto is so good! Nice inside, local twist. read more

Black Pelican - Tasty seafood risotto - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

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15 percent service fee for orders over $50 when the average meal is $50 seems suspect to me

I came here excited because every summer in OBX we visit the Black Pelican. It is our go to place for great seafood and atmosphere. This location is nicely decorated and the staff is super friendly. The service is amazing. The calamari is not the same quality as in the NC location. The calamari tastes store-bought unlike in the OBX where it is fresh cut and fried in delicious light batter. The flounder dinner was huge and the mashed potatoes and vegetable medley were great. The flounder was fried a little too long and crispy to the taste. The wahoo medley special was great. The fish was well prepared and the sautéed vegetables were great. I had the baked crab and shrimp dinner really great. The vegetable medley was great. I am going to save my future trips to the Black Pelican to the OBX location for awhile but I will be back to update their review because I have faith that they will elevate their overall performance. read more

The staff were all super friendly and helpful. Everything that we ordered was really good. The kids chicken tenders were outstanding! My Shrimp and Grits with andouille sausage was like a time warp to when I worked in a New Orleans Restaurant. It was wonderful. The only hiccup was that my wife ordered the salmon special, which didn't say that it had shellfish in the sauce. They made a new plate really quickly, so it wasn't a big deal, but a minor oversight. Could have been bad for someone with a severe allergy, though. read more

Got our order to go and ate in our hotel suite. Was surprised and pleased to find this place. Food was delicious. Kids loved the pizza and pasta. Even purchased a bottle of wine. Would love to go back and eat in. Desserts looked great. read more

My first visit here! I ordered the clam strip basket for lunch. It was very good. See the pic! Hannah was my server. She was very attentive and nice. My only con is the hostess Brie ("like the cheese" as she came and told me unsolicited after I asked Hannah her name) not treating me with care nor seating me in a timely manner. I walked in. Needed a table for one. She asked was a table okay? I told her I'd prefer a booth and I spotted a booth. She said it's not available so I said I'd wait. I waited and more people came in. Still no one in that booth. She talks to another employee quietly. So a few minutes later she said "I can sit you there but it's going to be a wait" ... no problem. So I sit down, there's no wait. I enjoyed my meal. Once I got my check to pay and tip. I asked Hannah the hostess' name and she provided that. 2 minutes later I get a surprise visit from Brie to clarify her name is like the cheese and that she knows I'm mad at her. I'm not mad just disappointed in her service alone. She said we just cut servers. It's 2p on a Friday and it's beautiful outside... I understand she's not the manager but a table for one... you made that difficult for no reason Brie. Thanks for the chat though girl. Overall I enjoyed my food, atmosphere and service besides the hostess. I will return. read more

Black Pelican - Clam strips basket - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

I've eaten here 3 times so far on my travels to Chesapeake, each time trying something different. All of the food has been spot-on with flavor. However; the presentation of all of it has been messy and not all that attractive. But, I'll give 4 stars due to the taste. Other than presentation, the only shortcoming is that on one visit, we had a table of 7 people, and I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. I was the last person to be served. And it took an HOUR to get my food. I ended up taking it to go so we could get back to work. Tables all around were receiving their food and had been seated after us. read more

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I'm beyond disappointed. This was my second visit and my last. The first time everything was hot and delicious. This time complete opposite I ordered shrimp tacos with sweet potato fries for lunch and my son ordered grouper Reuben. I waited a longtime over 40 minutes just to get cold old sweet potato fries and the tacos were disgusting. The shrimp not cleaned and devained the backs split with all the black stuff still visible in them. The slaw that was inside look like moldy cabbage inside. I had to send the entire plate back after waiting 45min. I asked to speak with the manager he came over to only say it's because they were swamped earlier and they didn't expect that on a Thursday.:( He asked if I wanted a replacement meal or something to eat because I had poor quality food and the long wait. I said ok, just make a pizza that he said ok. The server came back with the bill charging me for a meal that I still had to wait on that was offered by the manager. I see the bill and the meal that it sounded like he was offering as a courtesy for the wasted time and poor quality food due to them being busy was on my bill. I didn't ask for anything free and I had my card to pay in the check holder even before he came over. I even said I didn't want another order of tacos which he said should be fresh, but he said let me get you something to eat I said ok. After the server returned with the offered pizza on the bill. I said just remove the pizza from my bill the manager suggested this. I'm not paying for another meal after my time was wasted for a poor quality meal. My bill was adjusted the pizza never came and I left without any lunch after being there for over an hour. I will never return and I hope this helps others not be served less than they deserve. Management this was not how you deal with your short comings. *All please look at most recent reviews of this place I wish I had. It looks like quality of food and wait times are an issue.:( read more

I've been here several times, and each time has been great. Staff is really friendly and accommodating. Food is good. I've not had anything here that I did not enjoy. read more

Meal: Wanchese Risotto. Lacked flavor and consistency was watery mush. Other reviews indicate inconsistent experience. Mixed drink was very small. Waitress was friendly. read more

It's good, but not great. It has a Red Lobster type devour. Patrons are large families and couples. It's relaxed and easy to feel comfortable. Service is decent and staff is friendly. Cleanliness is fine but tables can sit a few mins longer than they should. Food Options are a little limited and no bread to start. That should be part of the meal. Food prices are med-high for the main course. Portions are not large so order and add on with meal. Flavor for most of the main courses was good but not great. Bill, without drink, will set you back about $45 w tax and tip. It's ok overall given the price. Some dishes are rather culinary and some are just meh. I've eaten here a few times so it's is an avg rating for me. One time it's a 4+ and another is barely a 3. It's worth a test if you haven't been. I'd say the overall review is accurate. read more

This spot has excellent food as well as service! The Carolina Caprese was our first plate and it did not disappoint. Large fried green onions an delicious mozzarella with basil, balsamic reduction and a finish with corn salsa, it didn't last long on the table. Also had: Tuna Tatake Flatbread Gulfstream Tuna Bites Also tried their specialty margarita. Everything was delicious and the staff were lovely! Will definitely be back to try more of the menu! read more

I love black pelican! Highly recommend for families, the kids were entertained by the coloring books and they love reading about the black pelican story on the menus. Shrimp and grits was a 10/10-will absolutely be back during our next visit! Sarah the bartender was SO sweet - love her!!! read more

Wait staff were very polite and relatively attentive. However, that's where the good experience ends. The restaurant itself is rundown and tired looking. I ordered the Baked Shrimp and Crab with rice pilaf and green beans (a $28 plate so you would expect something pretty good). Shrimp and crab...way over cooked. Dry and completely tasteless. Lacked salt and the beurre blanc was an extremely thin sauce that also lacked any flavor. Rice Pilaf...also dried out and tasteless. Green beans were not green but had taken on that grey, limp look of overcooked vegetables. Again, no seasoning. Did you guys forget to order salt for the kitchen?!? The pizzas that other guests ordered looked far more appealing. I won't be back. read more

Service was great. Food was not good. I really wish I could recommend. We were 4 in agreement. Only dish worth recommending was the risotto. Do not recommend the steak at all. Looks amazing taste horrible. read more

We went last night for a late Father's Day dinner. It's a rare occurrence, but everyone loved what they ordered. First off, we were greeted immediately and seated. Our waiter was friendly and efficient. The pita in the bread basket is so good! My husband and older daughter both had the shrimp and grits (that is the dish we came for) and were not disappointed. It was fresh and delicious. I got a Mediterranean chopped salad. You think it would be hard to mess up a salad, but many restaurants do. Not Black Pelican. The salad and bread it came with were excellent! I couldn't finish it all. My younger daughter is a picky eater, so she got the cheese pizza and loved it. We will definitely be back. We love the BP on the OBX and we're happy to have one close. ***We went to BP again....twice in the last two weeks. (September) Need to give a shout out to our waiter, Joey. (Sure hope I'm getting his name right.) Great sense of humor and hooked us up with some pita bread. Love this place. read more

The food is is delicious however when I received my disk it had black smudges that easy rubbed off. I brought it to the attention of the waiter and he replaced my disk. I was comfortable after that point because a disk replaced can sometimes provoke a negative response from the kitchen. read more

Ranch dip, buffalo shrimp and fish bites were good but overall unimpressed. Beans and rice were not seasoned at all, Baja fish taco's "slaw" was dry salad mix. read more

Ehh..not as good as the obx location. I sat at the bar. The seating was really awkward. There was a foot support thing that was really far away and to have any hope of reaching it you had to slouch really far down in the seat. It was really uncomfortable. The bar was sticky from previous diners. I ordered the shrimp and tuna bites. The shrimp was mushy and had no flavor. The Tuna bites were decent but I ordered medium and they were well done and not as flavorful as the other location. Service was decent but no one going out of their way to be friendly. I was so excited there was one of these in Chesapeake, too. But it's just not the same. read more

Food was horrible and the seating was too the waitress was horrible she kept flirting with the table behind my family very loud using vulgar language wit her skimpy shorts that were way too short management needs to be fired the food came out late and she forgot my daughter food when we asked she said she didn't kno my daughter was going to eat like really we are having a family dinner what do you mean!!!!!!!!! Over all all the food was cold we just got up and left read more

I've been here a couple times, and havent had the greatest experiences. My friend had chosen this place for her birthday. When we came in no one greeted us. I like to be greeted when I walk into a restaurant and get seating arrangements started quickly. Its only polite. We waited about 20 minutes, which was acceptable because we had a larger party than family. We sat down. Our waiter was very sarcastic. I am huge joking and sarcastic person, but some people don't like sarcasm and the jokes. My friends thought he had come off kinda rude. I ordered a Pina drink and it was kinda warm! 10 dollars for a drink and it literally sucked. I also ordered the Salmon with the veggies and mango salsa. The food came out fast. My fish was undercooked, but I wasn't there to complain just to rate. I ordered creme brulee for dessert and that was delicious. It was really yummy. The restaurant itself seemed clean. The tables and chairs were wiped off. The restroom was clean. I probably won't come here anymore unless I am invited to go with a friend. read more

Tried Black Pelican tonight for a family date night. It was okay. Nothing was wrong but it was an average chain-like establishment. Started with drinks and edamame and bread nibbles with butter. For dinner the kids had little Ceasars pizza and milk and I tried mahi with dirty rice and roasted veggies ala Oscar. Again, it was okay. Nothing wrong, just average. Our server was great! Willie, our server did an outstanding job with our party, patient with the kids and the parents!! Restaurant was clean and actually very crowded for a Friday night. read more

I really don't do reviews... but the manager at this location served uneatable chicken wings, than argued. We order a different kind of chicken wings and she did not comp the wings. Extremely poor management. read more

The Fisherman's risotto was delicious!! I've also had pizza here before that was great. I've only ever sat at the bar & the service has been nice. They also have great drinks & daily food & drink specials. Definitely recommend! read more

Black Pelican - Fisherman's risotto - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

The she crab soup is usually pretty good..failed on Valentin day dinner. Real bland and runny. read more

Black Pelican - Delicious bass with cous cous. - Pizza Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia