We've been here many times, so this is definitely a mixed review. We live nearby and come here frequently, and unfortunately there is one issue that happens almost every single time: dirty plates are rarely cleared from the table. The one exception was Michelle. She was GREAT -- truly great! We actually wished we had her every time. She was attentive, friendly, and the only server we've had who consistently removed dirty plates without us having to ask. I highly recommend asking for her! Otherwise, we regularly end up sitting with appetizer plates, dinner plates, and other dishes stacked on the table throughout the meal. It's gotten to the point where we joke about it among ourselves because it happens so consistently. For the price of dining here, the service should include something as basic as clearing finished plates. I've honestly never experienced another restaurant where this was such a consistent issue. We enjoy coming here and will likely continue because we live nearby, but please, please train the serving staff to clear dirty dishes throughout the meal. It would make such a difference in the overall dining experience. read more

First time coming here, and babe wanted to try it out since she is a seafood lover. The food was really tasteful. The hush puppies you won't be disappointed in at all. Our service was really nice and smooth, with no complaints. The ambiance is chill but I'm sure during the summer it is nice looking over the water. The white peach sangria is top tier with real peaches. It was soooo good!!!!!! read more

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After a very long travel day, I came to Decoys exhausted, hungry, and just hoping for a good dinner before heading back to my hotel. I ended up having such a wonderful experience. The waterfront setting is beautiful. I sat outside overlooking the water and marsh, and it was peaceful and exactly what I needed after traveling. My waitress was exceptional. She was genuinely kind and helpful, but never overbearing. It almost felt like she read my mood and responded to it perfectly--she checked on me when I needed something, made sure I was taken care of, and otherwise let me relax, enjoy the view, and eat. It was such a small thing, but after a long day it made a huge difference. And then there was the food, which was absolutely the star of the show. I started with the Oysters Rockefeller, and they were fantastic. For dinner I had the seafood platter with fish, shrimp, scallops, and a crab cake, with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Everything was delicious, the portions were generous, and the seafood was cooked beautifully. I came in tired and just wanting to eat a ridiculous amount of seafood and go to bed. Instead, I got a beautiful waterfront dinner, wonderful service, and one of those meals that completely turns around a long travel day. I'm so glad I chose Decoys. read more

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I paid $43 for the thinnest ribeye I've ever seen at a restaurant. It was overcooked, dry and terrible. The cucumber on my salad was frozen. So disappointed. My husband's tuna sandwich was just okay. read more

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We met some friends at Decoys this afternoon for the Crush Fest. They were really busy but we were still able to get great service from Kim the bartender. They had a DJ cranking up the music, plenty of people were dancing and everyone was having a great time today. We decided to go for the Chicken Wings with Mango Habanero sauce and also the Crunchy Fried Shrimp. Both were piping hot and delicious. This is a great venue to meet up with friends or to make new ones! read more

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Might have been the combination of perfect weather; the comparatively incomparable setting; the charm of the young ladies manning the outdoor Tiki Bar deck... and the reliably good, more than ample bar menu - attached to that 'annex' ... But a wholly delightful experience and highly recommended 'in season'. The only caveat must be that we waived 'indoor'/roofed deck dining offering a more reaching menu. That commodious space was counter-intuitively 2/3rds empty and yet - the receptionist was 'holding' new arrivals for 50 minute waits at the door... A classic signal of an over-extended/under-staffed kitchen and front-of-house cadre. So - if you're headed there by boat, for by horse, for refreshment and frivolity, you'll be better than fine. If you're taking in-laws and a party of 6+ out for a seri-serious meal - call ahead for a sitrep. read more

Nothing like family time on any good ole Sunday! I ended up seeing this place advertised over Facebook. Decided to send it to my man and he made arrangements for us to check it out the following Sunday. Let's talk about the fact that Decoy's sits off on water which gives a small marina type vibe. Small boats come in and out. They tend to pass by so gracefully. I love water because it brings me so much peace and serenity. To be able to eat my food and look out on the water made my entire day. Let's start with how well the hostess showed phenomenal customer service upon arrival. As we entered we noticed that the inside of the restaurant was busy so we were asked to wait ten minutes. About three minutes passed before we were being escorted to our table. The magnificent guy we had as our waiter went above and beyond. He made sure we received piping hot food and didn't let us go without. Decoy Seafood offers AYCE(All You Can Eat) crab legs ONLY ON SUNDAYS! I'm literally a crab connoisseur in real life. lol! I ended up ordering the snow crab legs. My man ordered steak and grilled shrimp. We ended up getting the buttered pasta with a side of grilled shrimp for our little one. Everything was delicious. My only complaint is that the crab legs were on the smaller size. They were seasoned and steamed to perfection; just a little too small to my liking. The atmosphere amongst us was as to be expected. Everyone was chatting amongst themselves and just enjoying their time together. After eating we went out on the patio to enjoy the live music playing. The guy was really good! He was playing all ole school music via his instruments. We ordered drinks while listening and the vibe was life. I will continue coming here overall. You should check it out if you're reading this as well. read more

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Great weekend visiting. The weather is scrappy. We ordered.the seafood platters, the asparagus,, broccoli, fish and chips. The food was absolutely great. However, the asparagus was overdone and a bit soggy. The service was nothing less b than fantastic. An extra touch, the management staff made it a point to visit every table to check in. The ambieance was family oriented. read more

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I don't know where to begin.... We lived up the Bennett's Creek for many years and watched the place being built. When they first opened and for about 2 yrs after that their food, service and cleanliness were impeccable! We now live in Florida and were visiting our old stomping grounds and wanted to go to decoy's. Well things have changed!!! The place is filthy. At the entrance where the decoy's are sitting on shelves, have dust on them that must be from when I was there yrs ago. The bathroom too was gross!! Food..... my corn, crab chowder came out barely Luke warm. I was starving so I ate it. I ordered oysters Rockefeller which were inedible! They were filled with some sort of cream and loaded with Parmesan. I tried one and almost chucked it.......sent back....ordered 6 raw oysters.....figured they couldn't ruin that......well. I tried to eat one but there was so much shell in them....too much to pick out. The oysters themselves looked flat and dull.....not fresh. Not appealing at all.......sent back.......had a cup of soup for lunch/dinner..... husbands po-boy with fish was mediocre. His sweet potato fries which there is a $2 up charge for, were cold and soggy......yuk..... Oh. We always get a new bennetts creek marina t-shirt at the marine store.....well went in and said, wow no t-shirts? the kid behind desk replies we ain't got nothing. These are our last days. I think they are turning this store into BAR...... read more

Had lunch today. MIA was our server. We ordered shrimp poboy & cheese burger. Poboy had plenty of shrimp but the bun failed( too wimpy) and the shrimp kept falling off. Their aoli made the bread soggy. The burger was the reverse, cheese was overcooked as the burger ( ordered med-well) it was a brick. The bun was left too long on the grill & was left with that awful charcoal taste( not in a good way) They were not too busy but it appears the cook was not attentive. By the time the server came back. She seemed unfazed, but did offer to have it cooked again. The meal we had last week was better.​ read more

Decoys Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

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Yesterday, we attended a 70th birthday luncheon for a close friend at a restaurant we've never been to before. Decoy's Seafood Restaurant is located on the water in Suffolk, VA and, after meeting and greeting everyone, we sat down to enjoy the beautiful view of the boats on the water. The place was crowded and, though they don't take reservations, our group was seated rather quickly. The waitress sat us down and began to take our orders. I got the Decoy's Seafood Platter, including fresh flounder, large sea scallops, wild-caught shrimp, and crab cake served boiled, while my Grubbing Buddy had some deliciously looking fish tacos. The seafood, the view and, mostly importantly, the wait staff were fantastic. I'd like to thank them for making our first visit a memorable one. read more

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I have to tell you how disappointed I am with the food at Decoys. I have not been there for a couple of years and some friends and I decided to go there last week. The food they hot was not up to the standard. I had come to expect from this restaurant. This may sound petty, but the garnish of lettuce on my plate was wilted number. We ended up sending our appetizers back because there was a fly. They replaced the appetizers and did not charge us but. Still not good! I've had better fish from fast food restaurants. On the positive side or waitress was very nice and very accommodating. She's the only thing that made our evening positive. read more

So we have stayed away from this place for over a year due to several factors. Let me say that they have remedied the issues that we have had. Service was great, we ordered, my wife got a cheeseburger and it was good. I ordered the salmon and shrimp over risotto. Wow it was very tasty and fresh. Right kind of seasoning very tasty and good sized servings. We will be back. We did ask the management about the changes, knowing it is a chain I give it some space in my reviews. They have changed the chef and management to make it better and it's working. read more

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Our first visit to Decoys today and we were not disappointed. How did we ever not know about this restaurant?! The restaurant was beautiful inside and out. Our waitress, Kendall, was fantastic! I had the fried flounder and my husband had fish tacos, the food was absolutely delicious!! The prices were reasonable. We will definitely make Decoys a favorite "go to". read more

Decoys Seafood - Fried flounder and fish tacos. - Seafood Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

The view during dinner on the porch was amazing but it all stopped there. The service was okay but we really felt her attitude could have been much better. Almost like a burden to be there. Our food was awful. The fish (fish and chips) was way overcooked and tough beyond belief. The stuffed flounder had a layer of cheese (?) and what was supposed to be crab meat but it was difficult to find the crab. Onion rings and French fries were cold. The only redeeming items were the hush puppies, which were delicious, and the wine, but they can hardly take credit for that. We've had better fish at long John silvers. Sorry but I think it will be a while before we're back and we used to love this place. read more

First I must say that the location and the staff are amazing. That deserves a 5 rating. I have a long history of visiting Smithfield Station and raving about the food and the southern focus on food choices. Decoys is operated by the same family, I think. That said, some changes are needed by management. The beer inside and out, especially needs to be colder. Outside, forget the plastic cups. Your deck is an enclosed area. Simply enforce "no glass in the pool" area (which also has a fence). Frozen drinks in plastic stay cold. Not beer and wine. The food inside and outside seems to be prepared by different kitchens. The inconsistency of the results is confusing. To the owners and management try sending in mystery diners to see if they agree. You are more than capable of delivering a better product and experience. read more

Great food, ambiance and polite service. Definitely recommend this place for date nights, out of town friends.

Decoys Seafood has great food and friendly service! I had a seafood platter, and everything was cooked to perfection. Although the outdoor area has a beautiful ambience, the mosquitoes were terrible I would not recommend sitting outside. Definitely better to dine indoors to fully enjoy the experience. read more

Fresh seafood, service (servers, great; hostesses, need to be more friendly); beautiful views of the water as well as nice to sit inside.

Went here on a Sunday around sunset for dinner. I was expecting it to be more empty but there was actually quite a lot of people there. There wasn't a wait time to sit so that was nice. Also I absolutely loved the location and scenery outside. Def made sure I took some cute pics before going in! Now, though I really loved the location and had high hopes, I was very much let down when it came time to order. First, we ordered the crab dip which is supposed to come with pita bread but the waiter informed that they didn't have anymore pita so we were given tortilla chips instead (6/10) I really didn't care for the dip at all and it didn't have a strong crab flavor either. Next I had originally asked for the blackened salmon and shrimp but they were all out of salmon apparently....so I got the jambalaya instead (8/10) though it wasn't what I originally wanted it actually tasted pretty good, I'd get it again. I also had a spiked strawberry lemonade (5/10) just tasted like regular strawberry lemonade barely tasted any alcohol in it honestly. I can see myself returning but probably just to experience one of their specialty days like their $1 wing Thursdays. My overall rate of experience : 6/10 read more

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After moving away from Virginia Beach six months ago, I found myself back in Suffolk for a personal matter and decided to give Decoy's a try. After a four-hour drive, I was excited and starving. Expectations were high. I ordered the broiled seafood platter, and at first glance, it looked promising. Unfortunately, the taste didn't match the presentation. The flounder had no flavor beyond an aggressive coating of Old Bay seasoning. The crab cakes were mushy and forgettable, the scallops had the texture of rubber bands (and frankly, I think the rubber bands might have had more flavor), and the mashed potatoes were so bland that not even salt could save them. The shrimp were just... there. Mediocre at best. Surprisingly, the asparagus was the highlight of the meal and that's when you know things have taken a turn. On the bright side, the service was excellent and the restaurant itself is beautiful. Sadly, the food just didn't deliver, and for over $100, I expected more at the very least, maybe a piece of bread? I won't be dining here again, but hey, at least the asparagus tried its best. read more

Came here for a birthday dinner and the place was absolutely beautiful! Loved the private upstairs very accommodating and comfortable! The server was knowledgeable and did amazing getting everyone food and drinks out! The food was just ok very bland special the food looked good but was disappointing. The crab dip was watery and everything lacked flavor! The food wasn't worth the price in my opinion! read more

Decoys Seafood - Salmon and shrimp dinner - Seafood Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

Came here today, of course as it's sunday, there was a bit of a wait. They have valet parking, and it operates on tips instead of a set payment. The valet parking is in a smaller parking lot -- and they have street parking, if you decide not to do valet. The views are amazing, as the restaurant is on a marina. The food was okay, but a lot of it was unseasoned. The crab and spinach dip was not flavorful at all. The calamari was really good as well as the fries. I'm unsure if i will return, but i just might for the sake of the views and ambiance. read more

I went with high expectations, keeping in mind that high expectations are hard to meet. I would have settled for mediocre and left this establishment feeling 'okay' about the time and money spent to be there, but that was still too lofty of a goal based on my experience. Let's get started... Valet service was the only good thing here...although they really need to figure out which way we're 'coming or going'...but at least they hustled. Once seated, our server eventually greeted us and she was very nice...but after that initial order, we had to 'gain attention' to get things (e.g. straws, more water, food orders, etc.). Granted, it was a 'busy' evening, but not so busy that you can't attend to your tables...especially at this price point. There was also a point, when we had decided that this place wasn't for us and wanted to GTFO, we asked another server to take the stack of plates that we had already cleared and cleaned (because that's what people who have worked in restaurants do)...she said "no" and walked away. 1 star for service. When we received our food, I was extremely disappointed. The quality was 'meh'... this is not at the fault of any employees...I would blame it on management, because if this is what you're dishing out and charging for, you should care about the quality of the food. Zero stars for the food. The drinks were 'okay'...at least the first round. When you have a limited cocktail menu, and the main item is something containing watermelon juice...you'd keep that 'in stock', right? Our first round took a loooooong time because they had to 'make more' watermelon juice. That was a red flag. The second round was served in a totally different cup (the first was in an actual 'signature drink' glass, the second was in a standard water glass) and tasted gross. We also had no water refills. 1 star for drinks. To add insult to injury, the cost of the food, convenience fee (which makes no sense because people use credit cards all the time, especially when you are spending a significant amount of money), AND added gratuity for 'large parties' (we were a party of 2 families, 4 adults and 4 kids), it felt like we were preemptively charged money before service. Nobody likes to be 'okie-doked'. When the service is sub-par and the food is bad, we still pay and tip...albeit begrudgingly. When you are 'forced' to pay MORE to 'receive' the above, it hits worse. I've never written a negative review, but this was significant enough to do so. Beautiful location with a lot of potential...but I will never return to this establishment. read more

Good food and excellent service. Would recommend to everyone. Crab cake was delicious.

The food was fresh and prepared wonderfully. My waitress was a terrific waitress. The sourounding where nice and cool to look at.

Amazing seafood and Hayley was truly one of a kind. The whole experience was fabulous!

Went last night for my boyfriend's birthday and everything was delicious and the service was TOP TIER!! it only took a second to be seated the waiter made sure we had our drinks as soon as we were seated he brung us the complementary hush puppies fresh! The ambiance of the place was very pleasant great views and just overall amazing. I had the blacken salmon and shrimp with fresh veggies and mashed potatoes everything was perfectly seasoned and hot and fresh! 10/10 I highly recommend. read more

Decoys Seafood - Blacken salmon and with blackened shrimp with mixed vegetables with mashed potatoes. - Seafood Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

Fantastic! My family and I visited last night for my great aunt's 98th birthday party. Everything was perfect. The party room upstairs is a great size. It has a balcony with a really beautiful view. The service was excellent. Everything went smoothly and all the guests seemed really happy. The food was wonderful, especially the mac and cheese. The food was very southern and home-cooked style. The fried chicken was very good as well. I'm a pescatarian, but I had to try a bite of the chicken. Can't wait to come back and try the regular dinner menu. read more

Decoys Seafood - Upstairs Balcony View of Sunset - Seafood Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

Horrible in every way. I waited over ten minutes and no one spoke to me. Finally went to a server and asked how do I get seated and got a nasty response. Lost any interest in this filthy restaurant that looks like a dump! read more

After a 30 minute wait for a party of 3, which was no big deal at all, we were seated at an outside table. After 20 minutes, no one had come to take a drink order, let alone a food order. We saw one person bussing tables but no servers. After another 10 minutes of no service, we left. Nice place on the water and the food is probably good, but we won't be finding out anytime soon. read more

Best Tiki Bar in Town! Shout out to the best bartenders on the water Hailey, Amanda and Lindsey! Check them out next chance you get! We love Karaoke Thursdays! read more

They were so accommodating to our party of 10. They made special seating for us on the deck. It was beautiful. Everything we ordered tasted fantastic. Fried oysters, crab cakes, ribeye steak, scallops, gumbo, shrimp, hushpuppies. The drinks were very good. The staff could not have been better. I highly recommend Decoys and we can't wait to go back read more

Decoys Seafood - Family all together at around the table. It was a happy time of reunion with great food in a beautiful setting. - Seafood Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

New management and thought we would try again. Nothing has changed. Small drinks and big prices. They also restarted applying 3 q/2% for using credit cards. Overall this place just continues to be stuck below average. If it weren't for their tiki bar, they would probably go under. read more

Tiki kitchen overwhelmed. Friendly staff but struggling to keep up. The oven and frier were not clean and was clearly visibly dirty. Who's checking standards? Food safety and quality at risk. The food came out cold and wings were so over fried you could barely get by the crunch of the first bite. I did speak with a manager who was not very interested in feedback. He just looked at me as if to say what do you want me to do about it. When he finally broke the awkward silence he said he would take care of the cleaning and my food. When we I went to pay my bill he gave me 25% off for cold fries and terrible wings and food not removed from my bill as he said he would. read more

The restaurant overlooks Bennett's Creek so grabbing an outdoor table when it's nice out to watch the sun set is a great accompaniment to the meal. Decoys, along with River Stone Chophouse and Vintage Tavern, is more of an upscale dining-in experience than your generic chain restaurants are. We're local so we try to time our visits to Decoys when it's less busy, but even when they're hopping the service has always been punctual & professional. The menu offers something for everyone, but is not overwhelming; the focus is on quality dishes. As the name suggests, seafood is the main theme. We particularly enjoy the cheese curds and fish-N-chips, but pretty much anything you get here will be good. read more

Great location and venue here. Service is adequate. Food is mediocre at most and well overpriced.

I wish I could give it zero stars. We tried to stop by about a month ago for the first time and we waiting 20 minutes just to talk to hostess and then we were told we would need to wait an additional 40 minutes to each. So we left. We tried again, another disaster!!!!! Tuesday night and not even busy and was on a wait again!! The host was nice but seemed clueless. She sat us on patio and we sat there for at least 5 minutes while a server walked by us several times and never gave us the time of day. No one greeted us at all. Finally I grabbed my family and left after telling a manager. All he said was oh I wish I saw that. Don't go here to eat you will be VERY disappointed! read more

The food was amazing! We went for the all you can eat crab legs on Sundays. They recently got new owners, and every aspect of the restaurant has been elevated, from the food, service, entertainment, everything it seems but the prices! I would have paid more just for the view! It's minutes from Norfolk and Chesapeake, but you feel like you're a world away watching the sunset on Bennett's Creek. The outdoor tiki bar and deck gives you sunset views that are second to none in Hampton Roads. What a great experience. Congratulations to the new owners! We will be back again and again. read more

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Decoys sits on Bennet's Creek and it's a beautiful setting. I think the food has improved and the service has always been great. It gets crowded on the evenings, so get reservations. It's mostly seafood, but you other types of types of food. They have a pool and sundeck where they have entertainment. You can also come by boat and tie up. read more