My friend was craving soul food so we decided to come check out District. We came in the wrong way but found our way to the hostess area and was seated quickly. We were surprised by how large the restaurant is. There is plenty of seating. The waitress came and brought us menus. Since it was holy hour I tried 5of the fried shrimp for a starter. I lap got a bahama mama and my friend got a tropical margarita. The shrimp were big and full of flavor, a little on the salty side but the cocktail sauce balanced them out For entrees I got the fried pork chops menu friend got turkey wings. We both got rice & gravy and collards for our sides. While we waited for our food there was a DJ playing music that kept the vibe going. Even with the amount of people it did not take a really long time for our food to come. I hadn't had fried pork chops in a while and they were really good. Crunchy but not too crunchy. The rice and gravy was pretty good and the collards weren't bad, a little overcooked for my liking. The cornbread was light and super sweet. It went well with the collards. Defiantly a great place for good food and good music on a Friday!! read more

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This was my first visit to the establishment with my mother. We were seated promptly, and our drinks and meal orders were taken efficiently. However, the food took longer to arrive than I have experienced at other venues. While I am generally patient, the extended wait began to cause some frustration. When the food finally arrived, I was somewhat disappointed, as several dishes, such as the macaroni and cheese and green beans, were overly seasoned. My mother found the macaroni and cheese to be okay , but I found it excessively salty. Overall, I would rate the food a 5 out of 10. After some time, we were ready for our check, but our server was unavailable and took an extended period to return, even to check on how we were doing or to bring the bill. She did check on us after the food arrived, but during the wait, my mother and I grew increasingly annoyed and were ready to leave. Instead, we continued to wait. I later realized that she may have been assisting another group with a large event, which I understand is not her fault but likely a decision made by management. Ideally, she should not have been attending to multiple tables simultaneously, especially during a busy period involving a large party. As a result of the service experience, I did not feel inclined to leave a tip. We were aware that increased patience might have been necessary due to the larger party being served. Based on this experience, I do not plan to return to this establishment. read more

I'm only writing this review because I'm currently at the restaurant waiting for my food. I was first confused with what entrance to take, apparently I came through the "back door". No real direction when I entered the building, but someone eventually told me where to do. We waited for 15mins for someone to take our order. I FULLY understand the bar was backed up temporarily, but there were several servers around and no one helped. Our server eventually came over and took our order. We ordered quick cook proteins so I wasn't expecting to be waiting 45mins for my food. When my food arrived it was cold. I order: Turkey Chops (onions and gravy on the side) Mashed potatoes and gravy Collards (they were really good) The collards were the only thing that came out hot. I asked the young lady to have the food remade, but I kept the collards. I also started a stopwatch to see how long it would take to remake my food. Currently I'm at 20:21 and still haven't received my food. Food came out at 21:13 (mashed potatoes still cold). Don't get me wrong, the food is good when done right, but wait and customer service was horrible. Also, the music was loud for a midday lunch, of course that's my personal preference and opinion. I will give them another chance, but if I have to wait like I did today, ima just walk out. read more

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The food is really good! Nothing is overly or under seasoned. It's just right. Our waitress was super kind and polite, offering our drinks quickly as we sat down. It's a huge space for a restaurant and the bar area was large as well. Great for watching a game or two. My mom and I enjoyed our lunch and were pleasantly surprised that this gem exists in the area. My only suggestion is to adjust the audio to fit each space within the restaurant. For example, in the bar area, play tv and game audio. In the dining areas, something lyric-free or at a lower volume, like jazz/lofi, etc. so people can still hear each other speak while eating. We'll be back! Keep up the good work! read more

District - Delicious crab cake with mac and cheese. - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

This restaurant sits right off of airline blvd. Be mindful the airline blvd entrance is the back of the restaurant. Walked in and was immediately greeted and seated. Our waitress was very sweet and knowledgeable of the menu. The food is reasonably priced and it was so delicious. Recommend for anyone looking to eat soul food read more

District - Fried whiting - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

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We stopped by for a quick lunch. The location is located downtown on a street with good parking spaces. The ambiance was welcoming and the seating was comfy. The food was just okay and the prices were moderate. I think it would be a great business meeting location or a quick get together with friends. Their staff is wonderful and attentive. We were greeted right away and oour waitress was great. read more

We want to give him (Mr. Melvin) excellent thank you for the Christmas catering menu. The food, service was very good. I will recommend the District for all your needs. The atmosphere is good for dining in with pleasant customer's service from the waiters/ cashier. We will be back!!R. Robinson read more

Real good food, the people are really friendly the service is really fast and the food is hot. Really good music, the office spacious

This was my second visit to "District"..., no, my third visit. The first visit was at their prior location in downtown Portsmouth. It was there. I was introduced to their sausage, rice, and gravy appetizer. Incredible. This is my second time at their new location, and I've enjoyed myself both times. The ambiance is excellent--much better than the establishment that was at this location prior. The service in both instances was exceptional, even on my first visit to the other location. The waitstaff is very attentive and very accommodating. The food, is equally as good. I've an affinity to the freshly fried chicken wings. Although, I don't understand how four full wings and two sides costs $20.00; more than two whole pork chops and two sides. But I digress... The sides, good. Although, I've an issue with restaurants that don't de-stalk their greens. It's somebody's "Auntie," NOT "Grandmother" in that kitchen cleaning them greens. Those who know, KNOW what I'm talking about. Overall, really good. Them greens done right would take me to an "excellent" review rating. read more

District - Sausage with gravy and rice for wings, rice and gravy with onions and collard greens - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

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Nice place with a casual laid back kinda vibe. Almost felt like I was at one of the classy soul food eateries straight out of a Tyler Perry film. Came in for Lunch on Resurrection Sunday and they did not disappoint. Largest chicken wings ever! and Flavorful! Sides were on point and the staff were so nice and friendly. Love the uniforms! Will be back read more

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Went in on Friday about 1:30 to try the liver and onions. Brianna at the bar was very friendly and helpful. After about a 15 minute wait, my to go order was ready. Got home and found liver to be sliced very thin. It was not at all tender, very chewy and dry. I had read good reviews about the liver. Must have been a bad day in the kitchen. I would score the liver a 1 out of 5. Very disappointed! read more

These were the best turkey chops I have ever had! When I tell you they were MOIST!! Everything was well seasoned. Even the cornbread was amazing. Run, do not walk, and check this place out. read more

District - Turkey chops, mac and cheese, greens, cornbread, and Sweet tea. I already cut into the turkey chop lol! - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

We went here for Valentine's Day. The food was cold including the corn bread which I'm sure was straight out of the fridge. They had a DJ who failed to read the room. If you having a romantic dinner you don't need music so loud you can't hear each other speak. It should have been some nice love songs playing low in the background. Not a good spot for my husband and me on Valentines Day. read more

District - Their corn bread now. - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Food is great and very good service. The District has a nice vibe to it. I have eaten there several times both dine in and carry out. My favorite are the wings and Philly steak eggrollls. My wife enjoy the turkey wings dinner. read more

Great customer service in atmosphere with delicious dishes. We are a regular at this restaurant so they see us often. See you next time. read more

District - Table area - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

I went to The district on February 22, around 4:00. The building looked a little bit sketchy but once I got inside it seemed pretty nice. Everything was clean and well lit. It was a bit packed but i didnt mind because It was a Sunday and everyone was coming from church. I had to wait around 10 minutes which i also was mad about. But as soon as i got seated and my server comes she seems to be frustrated and has a bit of an attitude. She was acted like she didn't want to be there, but i brushed it off because maybe she had a bad day. As she's taking my order I asked for the half rack off ribs. Then she tells me there out of ribs. Then proceeds to tell me there also out of greens. So then i decide to get the four fried wings with mac and cheese, and fries. Then she goes to put our order in, mind you i ordered the philly cheese egg rolls for an appetizer. After about 10 minutes the appetizer gets to the table and i tried it. Immediately a no there was barely any cheese and the meat tasted like meat from a can and it had no seasoning what so ever. I didnt even eat one whole egg roll and there was three of them. After about 5 minutes since I got my egg rolls I hear someone (most likely a staff member) say "We're out of Mac and Cheese." at this point I was ready to leave. but i didnt cause it was my first time coming to this restaurant and I didnt want to be rude and waste have wasted my time. I get my food and I will admit the wings were good they were fried to perfection and the meat was very tender. And the cornbread that the meal comes with was ok, the flavor was good and the bread wasn't hard. But, on the other hand the mac and cheese tasted and looked like it came out of a box. The french fries had no seasoning what so ever. So really the only two food items that were good was the wings and the cornbread. Overall the food 4/10. But the service a 6/10 because based on how packed the restaurant was the food did come at a respectable time! To close up this review the food was not very good and I will not be coming back especially since this was my firsg time coming. read more

took over an hour and a half to get our food. took forever to get drinks. food was below average for the high price. Will never return

Love the new location; Food was good portion was size is good. Gave a 4 rating string beans were to mushy & salty and I was disappointed in dessert choices for a So food restaurant. No cobbler, Red Velvet or coconut cake & no Banana Pudding for those who like that. All in all I would go back. Maybe the dessert menu will have one of the items I mentioned read more

District - Pictured: smothered pork chops, corn bread, fried catfish, Mac & cheese, yams, collards, string beans - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Another good soul food spot in the Hampton Roads area! The place is kinda small so seating is limited. However, the vibes are good! Nice R&B songs are always bumping through the speakers, it is a chill but not dull spot to grab some good soul food. Not too rowdy. I went here on a busy night but my food did not take that long to come out. I was impressed by that being that it was a busy night for the workers. I ordered the fried whiting fish - it has bones in it of course but it was still enjoyable! Well seasoned and nicely crispy The cabbage was soo good! Nice and buttery and flavorful! As well as the mac & cheese - super cheesy! Overall the food was really good and so was the service that I had received read more

District - Mac and cheese, cabbage, fried whiting fish - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

I absolutely love this place! The food has always been good, and the service great. I probably eat here more than I do at home. The atmosphere is nice as well read more

If you read nothing else; DO NOT GO HERE. With that's being said we went last night and it was bad from the start. Our waitress sat us and asked for our drink orders. We ordered and asked for a moment to review the menu as it was our first time. Y'all. She didn't come back for 30 minutes. And the only reason she came to the table to take our order is because my husband was finally sick of watching her go to every table but ours for orders, food etc and flagged her down. To which she replies oh are you waiting to order. All I could do was shake my head. We ordered and afterwards she goes let me know if you need anything else. WHAT? What kind of service. You're supposed to come see if we need anything. Terrible service. Zero stars. Do not recommend. The room was a comfortable loud once they got busy. Pretty dark with glass covered tables on black table clothes. It gives speakeasy vibes. The food arrived about 20 minutes later and it was okay at first. The turkey was dry and the collard greens were not good. But the rest was palatable at least so we pressed on and ate our food. I don't want to give this too much hype because we had food poisoning immediately!! Before we even made it home we were feeling sick and that was the beginning. I will spare you the details however do not eat here. Before the food poisoning I would have given it 2 stars but this is truly a Zero stars review. Find somewhere else if you don't want to be sick. read more

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Overall a solid 3.5 stars from me for District. Basically I am a little suspect of many places labeling their selves as a soul food restaurant. Surprisingly in this area there are not many in this area and that might be naivety of not exploring more areas such as Hampton and Newport News. I have been to District on more than a few occasions and I have never been disappointed by the service or the food. What it comes down to is personal opinion on certain foods. This may come down to who is cooking on certain days. A smothered pork chop is not a pork chop with gravy poured over it and for some of you reading this review I have a feeling someone is saying "I know that's right." This also includes that fresh onions are not just placed on top of any meat labeled smothered. This is a small complaint but hey depending on where you from we take soul food seriously. This place is also educational as I have never heard chitlins called wrinkles until I came here. It is street parking but you will not have a problem finding a spot. Plenty of street parking within respectable walking distance but walking back after getting your full is another question. Good place to check out if in the area or maybe head to during some downtime to try something new and see what P-Town has to offer. read more

District - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and candied yams. - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

I should have listened to the reviews.... We got the turkey wings, fried fish, mac & cheese, cabbage, yams, cornbread ... everything was a miss (except the turkey wings) food was bland , maybe i have high expectations cause im from the south but it was not hitting . The drinks were cheap and strong so love that as we were going to a concert after , we got the lemon drop, the district, & the strawberry martini. The service was soooo slowww & it wasn't even packed. The restaurant vibe is relaxed & clean tho so always appreciate that. read more

District - Lemon drop & the district - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

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Everything was amazing. Stopped through on the way home from North Carolina. I found them on yelp and we were not disappointed. We will definitely be back. We had the porch chops, turkey wings, and the chicken. Sides included...Mashed potatoes, greens, yams, and cabbage. The wing meal was for the kids so they just had French fries. They give you plenty so we all went home with left overs. read more

The food was good. The waiting time was good. I will be eating there again. It was real nice. It was my husband birthday. He really love him food. read more

District - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

We love back-owned businesses over here and District is no exception. District is 100% undoubtedly a vibe. I've dined here twice so far and each time the food hit like a mf. From the seafood to the cornbread, to the mac & cheese, to the cabbage, to the potato salad, and desserts everything I've had here has been fab! I will say that you may want to look at the menu and maybe call ahead as both times I've dined here they have been out of certain dishes, but I mean baby, if it's right it's right, and this just means the food is delicious, and I just need to dine here earlier. I also want to note that even though I dined here on a weekday roughly an hour before closing, they were still packed, so if you come here to eat, I suggest having a bit of patience and understanding with the wait times for food. I promise you when the food comes out to the table, it'll all be worth it. I can't wait to come back because I have my eyes on their seafood mac & cheese, hot wings, and chicken & waffles! read more

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We went here on Juneteenth because we wanted to support black business and to celebrate my dad's birthday. This was not our first time dining with them but it was our first time at the new location. I'm sad to say it was a horrible experience. We waited so long for a waitress and then even longer for our food. We ordered the 4 wing meal and only 3 wings came out and had to wait another 30 min for 4th wing. Did not enjoy the yams sent those back for fries and waited I know another 20 minutes for those and when we did get our first plates everyones food was cold. My dad had steak which was more fat than meat. We waited to long to keep sending food back we were hungry so we ate what we could. I would not return they have fallen off it's sad. We would travel from chesapeake just to come to this establishment but now we have to move on. read more

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Wow! The food was terrific! The portions were ginormous and they were to provide separate checks for a party of 15.

Food was so amazing! It was definitely worth the wait. The vibes were it !! And the servers are great!

Went to get one Apple Jack and one sweet potato jack. They were out of the Apple Jacks so the server (very pleasnt ) highly suggested the Apple egg roll. I agreed to get the Apple egg roll and one sweet potato jack. I waited 25mins watching customers come and go, seat down, order food and have their food come out. I was then told that they had ran out of the egg roll dough for the "suggested" apple egg roll and would have to make what I originally wanted. The apple jack. 10 mins later, the apple jack comes out and then I waited another 3mins for the sweet potato jack. I waited a total of 33 mins and No compensation was offered. The young lady was nice and apologetic but the young man that walked around the restaurant the entire time watching me wait brought the last jack to me and said nothing and looked as if he was completely unbothered by the ridiculous wait time. We gotta do better. read more

Food is amazing and a must try spot! Came here on a whim for an event we were attending. I am so glad we did! Shanell (I'm probably spelling her name wrong) was amazing and had great recommendations. My friends and I loved this spot and shall return soon. read more

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12/29/20: First time here & I was hesitant about going after reading the bad reviews. My date told me to give them a chance, so I did. We had Lex as our server. She was friendly. There was only 1 other server & it was pretty dead in there. There is minimal lot parking, so we parked on the street. There are TVs all around for your entertainment. The establishment was pretty clean. They offered silverware or plastic cutlery due to Covid. Masks are required to enter the building. We ordered several food items: 1. Liver, onions, & rice = Hard rice pieces & was not hot. It was cold around the edge of the bowl & warm in the middle. 2. Chicken wings = They are huge and pretty tasty. They were warm as well. 3. Collards = Yummy but there were bones in them. 4. Candied sweet potatoes = Tasty in certain areas & bland in others. It was weird. 5. Cabbage = You definitely need to season them. They had no taste. 6. Shrimp = Tasty coating but they were very over cooked/rubbery. 7. Mac n cheese = It was ok. I may go back to try the smothered pork chop. It wasn't the worse experience I've ever had, but the food definitely needed to be fresher. read more

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The restaurant is nice, dark and welcoming- staff is very friendly. Overall the dish was great but I really enjoyed the catfish and Mac'n cheese. I will come back- and I'll bring a couple of friends. read more

District - Excellent food and service! Overall the dish was great, but I really enjoyed the catfish and Mac n cheese!! - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Such a great experience!! Food was amazing. I ordered the ribs with macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and collard greens. Everything was amazing! Ribs fell off the bones, salty collards with good flavors, and good cheesy Mac with texture. Then ordered the fried apple pie and it was so good as well! Just really enjoyed it. read more

Awesome place! The vibe is spot on! The meal was delicious however they could've cut back on the saltiness of the dishes. Overall good eats. read more

District - Turkey Chops, collard greens, Mac and cheese. - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Excellent food and service. Tea is too sweet for my taste but excellent all around. The corn bread is very good as well.

Food was delicious and the service was surprisingly fast. I ordered Turkey wings (gravy on the side). This entree came with 2 flats and tips, as well as two sides (I opted for cabbage - nice crunch remained along with collard greens - quite tasty), and cornbread which allowed me to skip dessert. :-) My mom had the liver and onions which was listed as a teaser, so it came without sides. She still couldn't eat it all! Mom added mac and cheese but saved it to go with my dad's to-go order of fried pork chops, sweet potatoes and greens. We also shared an add-on of two wings because WINGS. They were everything we hoped they'd be. read more

District - Two fried wings add-on - Bars Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

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Service was good and the food was delicious. I had to fried catfish with color greens and potato salad on the side Will come back again.

3.5 stars would be more appropriate. I appreciate District because there aren't many soul food focused menus that I know of in the 7 cities. Good food, nice menu variety. Considerate waitresses/waiters. Still, I have to be completely honest with my experience for the sake of growth. More staff and updated menus would solve the long wait times and regular let down of unavailable options. I usually call in for pick and I'm told that my food will be ready in about 20-25 minutes. It's always closer to 45 minutes. There's been a couple times that I waited an hour and a half. Now they're really apologetic about it, they even express whatever issues may be going on in the kitchen sometimes (understaffed). But I've been going for a few years and they're still having the same problem. I've only dined in a few times. Again, good food, professional and hospitable, but the food was either not available, or the wrong food came out, which doubled the wait time. You have to go when you have a lot of time to spare. read more

While I am not a huge fan of the soul food scene restaurant... only because my family can throw down in the kitchen hands down! Therefore, once you have had excellence, all others tend to fall way behind. As a result, I usually cannot recommend a 'soul food' restaurant when asked for recommendations. However... Krush back in the day, about 6 years ago was legit in Portsmouth. The restaurant closed and this was a major disappointment. Well looky looky... the owner is back on the scene and has opened the soul food restaurant, also in Portsmouth... District!! My husbae was in the mood for seafood... I threw around some spots... but I headed over to my Yelp bookmarks... District was on my list... I so had forgotten about this spot. It's been a little over a year now since District has opened their doors. Babe didn't have any issues checking out soul food for the evening. We walked in and business was steady and the bar was wide open... they must of known we were coming to dine in. We were immediately greeted by the bartender cutie, Nikki! She was super friendly and pleasant throughout our 2 hour or so dining experience. She suggested items, ask about our drinking preferences... just over the top customer service! I love love love when this type of service is given, because unlike others, Nikki seemed like a natural. I later found out she used to work at Krush as well... Well Eric (the owner) kudos to you for keeping Nikki on board... she's an absolute keeper! We experienced the teamwork throughout the night as well among the kitchen, the waitstaff and the hospitably demeanor given towards the guests that dined in and those that ordered take out. run on sentence... but it's like that :) Overall, the food was excellent. Definitely worth a visit. I must say if I am in the mood for soul food and my family isn't cooking this will be my go to place. I will also recommend this place to others for all their soul food needs. I can vouch for the: smothered pork less chops, collards and rice and gravy... yummmm!! My babe cleaned his plate: turkey chops, cabbage, and green beans. The happy hour drinks (which includes some top self, but not the top top such as patron) were on point... Nikki kept them coming. Our glass was never empty before she began to ask "another round" - she even gave us extra napkins without us asking... so in love with the customer service! The restaurant is small and intimate, but there is enough lighting inside to see your food. We visited on a Friday evening... about 930pm we saw a DJ setting up... I guess this restaurant becomes all the way live after a certain time. Happy hour... Mon-Thurs 1pm to 9pm and Friday 3pm to 7pm or I may have it backwards... but happy hour is Monday - Friday. Parking... street parking is free for 2 hours and free after 6pm/ parking garages are nearby if you do not mind walking. I recommend you give this place a try if you're in the area. Have fun and enjoy life :) read more

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