A group of four of us were excited to finally go to the new location of Oceans & Ale, and I'm sorry to say that we were disappointed. The fresh catch meal included a simple house salad, and it took 30 minutes for the salad to arrive. Shortly after the salad arrived, our meals came out, and they were lukewarm. I had the grilled mahi mahi with lemon dill butter over some roasted fingerling potatoes and corn. While the fish itself was a nice piece and well prepared, its not-quite-warm temperature made it less appetizing to eat. The same was true for our other meals: the seafood pot pie and the mahi mahi fish tacos. While our waitress offered to have them all reheated, we both didn't have time as we had theatre tickets and reheating the tacos with their toppings, the pot pie with its pastry crust, and the seared fish didn't sound appealing. The restaurant's dining room was comfortable, and the bar area looked vibrant. Hopefully they are still breaking in their new facility, as we liked dining with them in their previous location. read more

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I want to give them another chance with different menu items. I think there's potential this place is better than our experience. We went on a Sunday afternoon at 3 PM and were promptly seated. The atmosphere was fine, pretty open and unexceptional, but modern and new. Big screen in front of us playing the Sunday football game. Server was quick to get drink orders in, 12 oz. Commonwealth Modern 'Smores stout for $8 and my wife got a $16 Peppermint Espresso Martini. I appreciated the nice Commonwealth stout and the price was fine. The Peppermint Espresso martini was mediocre and very overpriced considering that. Our food took a long time. Like 3 apologies from the server long. There were 2 parties of like 10 that were in process when we sat so I get it. But I do feel like something should be given when it's 45 minutes plus on food. Anyway, on to the food.... My kid is not much of an eater and they did not have any type of kid menu. Ended up with a soft pretzel for $13. Add cheese fondue and it's $16. It was very big and delicious.... At $16 it's hard to be excited about it though. The cheese fondue definitely made the pretzel. I was not overly hungry and got She crab soup $8.50 for the cup and a Caesar salad $5. The soup was good, they add the crab on top so you can see they give you about half a cup and for the price it was good. Definitely not the best she crab soup in the area, but good enough. Caesar was just croutons, Parmesan and dressing and was fine. My wife got the "fresh catch" Chilean Sea Bass for $33. It was kind of fishy tasting. Fresh fish is rarely fishy. It was overcooked, horribly plated and the blackened seasoning had minimal flavor. It was bad. We asked for some tarter for it and it made it tolerable. The server offered to replace it, but having just waited 45 minutes for food we weren't going to chance something else, particularly since we were with another couple. While we were waiting I had 2 $3 special Budweisers and my wife had a $14 Snowflake Margarita. They were all fine. My kids sprite was $4 which feels outrageous, but I don't know what places are charging these days for sodas. I normally don't pay attention. Bill came with another apology for all the waiting and no discount. Tough to make it as a seafood restaurant when you are struggling with your seafood. I heard their seafood nachos are excellent.... Maybe I'll give them another chance for those. My first experience was not a good one. read more

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We visited Oceans & Ale for a casual family dinner on the last night of vacation. The restaurant is beautiful, especially the bar area. Menu features primarily seafood and has a nice bar menu as well. Service was pleasant and our food came out quickly enough even with us having a large party. The food was decent, I ordered the salmon imperial and it was tasty, but I would probably order something else if I were to return. My partner ordered lemon pepper wings and fries and enjoyed them. Everyone else in our party enjoyed their food as well. read more

Oceans & Ale - Salmon Imperial Asparagus - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

We've been visiting O&A for several years now. An easy breezy bar atmosphere where the service is always friendly. We've experienced several menu items. The seafood mac is a treat. Cookie skillet is great. The seafood pot pie is excellent. But, for us the attraction is always the Seafood Nachos. When we first started visiting they were loaded with she-crab soup layered all through the chips with scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster generously sprinkled throughout. Add the lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream and it was seafood Mexican mash up for the ages! However on today's visit we were a bit disappointed. The layering was gone. The chips were not nearly as loaded as they have been in previous visits. Don't know if the specs have changed in the kitchen or if it was an off light. The restaurant is changing location starting next week, so maybe something is up there? We will definitely be back to check out the new location. Hopefully this was blip and our beloved fave will delight us again. read more

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This restaurant is on such a perfect location with great parking area. Service was swift, the restaurant is very clean you can tell it has recently been opened. Food was tasty and will definitely be coming back to try more of their menu. read more

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We arrived very early, as the restaurant opened. The staff was lovely. Our server was excellent, making sure we understood the menu. While we over-ordered, we enjoyed everything we had. Crab dip was excellent as were the pretzel and soup. Would definitely recommend read more

We showed up on a Saturday at 6.30pm without a reservation and waited 30 minutes for a table for two. We ordered: Moscow mule - Okay Bold Rock Apple Cider - Good She Crab Soup - Good Fish and Chips - Good Cole Slaw - Good Our server, Patrick, was friendly and upbeat. The restaurant was full of locals having a good time. We will go back if we find ourselves in Williamsburg again. read more

Oceans & Ale - Mule, She Crab soup and Bold Rock apple cider - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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sat at the bar alone on a saturday at 7pm, bartenders were efficient, ordered the wild caught salmon, so delicious came with a salad ( not pictured). i would definitely come back! Also definitely a better price for the wild caught you get a salad plus the salmon dish versus the salmon imperial doesn't come with a salad for little more. cocktails cheaper then up north, for a martini. great vibes, and good selection of liquor! read more

Oceans & Ale - Wild caught Atlantic Salmon - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

From start to finish our entire experience at O&A was perfect! I called ahead of time to make reservations, and even though we arrived a little early we were promptly seated. I had she crab soup, salmon limone, and cheesecake. My partner had Cesar salad, seafood pot pie, and molten lava cake. My beverage was the pear mule, and he had a local beer. All of our food and beverages were served textbook! There's plenty of options for all palates regarding food and beverages. Our server was extremely attentive and knowledgeable without being overbearing. The vibes at O&A give off an upscale local watering hole with fine dining quality food. There's lots of sports on the TVs but it's laid out perfectly that you can hear the person sitting across the table from you without yelling. We loved this place and look forward to enjoying it again! read more

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First of all ... great customer service .. good food!!! We were taken care of by Brandon .. and he is an exceptional human being!!! Very personable ... making sure we were takin care of!! Can tell the staff work in a cohesive manner!!! read more

Great atmosphere with friendly service from Madisyn! This place has a great casual vibe! We ordered the seafood Mac n' cheese and the Seafood pot pie! It was piping hot and absolutely delicious filled with chunks of scallops, shrimp, fish! Highly recommend this place for lunch or dinner!! read more

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Most of the food here was phenomenal. I recommend getting the shrimp tacos, the seafood pot pie, and the cookie and ice cream for dessert. I don't recommend the sea bass. It was very bland, didn't have any seasoning on it, and it was undercooked. The shrimp tacos were seasoned perfectly and were delicious. Overall, the customer service was good. Our waiter wasn't very attentive but other waiters and employees nearby were very helpful and friendly. The ambiance was perfect. The restaurant has a bar vibe, but also a very welcoming family atmosphere as well. read more

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03/23/25 We were in the Williamsburg area for a few days and was looking a different place to eat and decided on this place. It's in a shopping center they do have an out door seating area, it was too cold to sit outside so we sat inside at the bar there was a wait for a table. The bartenders were very pleasant took our order and took good care of us. My wife and I both had the shrimp tacos I had coleslaw and she got fries. When they came out I was very disappointed, there were only 3 shrimp on each taco. I'm paying $16.50 for 6 shrimp 3 on each taco most of it was cabbage. We get shrimp tacos at a lot of places and we usually get 5-6 shrimp on each taco e is more of an appetizer. The island fire shrimp costs less $15 and you get 14 shrimp and cabbage with that, I get it food costs are going up but if you want me to return don't rip me off. Your food cost was what .30 cents for cabbage .40 for the tortilla 3 dollars for the 6 shrimp .50 cents for the fries. I don't mind paying for what I order but be fair to the customer make me feel like I got something this isn't fair. The tacos were good but would have been with more shrimp, I was really hoping we found a new place to eat we come down for bowling tournament and other short weekends. Now the other food items may be good and the portions may be bigger I only know about the tacos. We did order the Lava cake to go it was ok, came with vanilla ice cream and a small container of chocolate syrup. read more

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My family, party of 12, had dinner for my mom's 80th birthday. My dad asked about mocktails when making the reservation because 2 of our party don't drink. The restaurant enthusiastically assured him they have a mocktail menu. They don't. They don't even have a list of n/a beers. 3 of our party ordered blackened tuna from the fresh catch menu. All 3 tuna servings had a minuscule amount of blackened seasoning and were not seared in the slightest. No crust, barely seasoned, as if the kitchen had run out of blackening mix and instead of telling our table, the cook used the last bit of what they had and put a little bit on each dish. The texture was like a hockey puck. Not cheap, and not good. I hope the kitchen saw the filets come back with 2 bites. The waitress was nice but not well trained. She cleared most of the table but not all. My plate of cold fish and green beans sat in front of me even after the check was paid. The cold seafood nachos and crab dip were also left dying. Very unappetizing. It should just be better than this. read more

Good was good. We had Island fire shrimp, Shrimp taco and seafood pot pie. All were good. I did not like the Mocktail. It was just sprite and. Lime. Why? Then they should not charge for micktail! Charge for soda. Island fire shrimp and the shrimp taco had same shrimp. So, my friend had the same item two time at same time. The server should have warned us. We sat outside which was nice but with plenty of smokers. Inside was VERY crowded. read more

Oceans & Ale - Shrimp taco and seafood pot pie - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

We came here on a Friday and waited in the bar for about 40 minutes for a table. The service in the bar was quick and friendly. We should have stayed there. The service at the table was fine, but we waited long periods of time for a drink and for our food. The food was also, fine. While we waited this long for a table, half of the restaurant was empty, leading us to believe they were understaffed. We would be back if we were going to bar, which was packed for the right reasons. read more

Nice new location and great service. Portions are smaller though. Fish tacos only came with two tacos and very light on the fillings. But excellent quality. Wanna see what a real fish taco looks like. The second pic is from The Wheelhouse, Lewes, DE. Now that's a fish taco, a full fillet! read more

Oceans & Ale - Oceans & Ale fish taco - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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Great local place The bartenders were awesome Danny and Ashley gave me great recommendations The seafood pot was amazing I loved it Good whiskey selection I highly recommended this restaurant read more

Ocean and Ale is a nice pub / restaurant. Very clean and has some great outdoor seating. The wait staff is on top of their game quickly seating me and very attentive. The menu options are plenty and pleasant. Everything from steak to fish tacos with healthy sides not just French fries. The drink menu is ample and sure to have something you will like. read more

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Great food and service. Love the new location. Always our go to place when visiting Williamsburg.

Great seafood and draft beer. They also have half price wine every Wednesday. Seafood is fresh and they have great sides. Great selection of bourbon also. read more

Great food and drinks! Friendly staff and great service! Highly recommend. Love the new place - lots more room. read more

Good food. Great service Fun atmosphere! Enjoy dining here. So nice it's close to home.t read more

I love a restaurant that takes a reservation! We had an engagement on Thursday evening so we made a reservation to eat before hand. The restaurant was moderately busy and well staffed when we arrived. I had not been to this restaurant before but thought the fresh catch wall was a cool touch and it seemed like a good bar vibe. Our server was attentive and the food was excellent. I enjoyed the steak tacos with asparagus. Good serving size. We ordered the cookie skillet for dessert and it was awesome! Only wish there was more cookie- the cookie was pretty thin and in a smallish skillet. read more

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We loved our lunch at Oceans & Ale - the crab cake sandwich and ahi tuna stack were standouts. Great service and ambiance as well

Omg amazing. Seafood egg rolls were amazing and the sauce was awesome. I had the pot pie !! Full of seafood and had a puff pastry on top!! Sorry starting eating before I took picture. So great. Awesome service. Friendly. A definite must to come and try and return read more

Oceans & Ale - Seafood Pot Pie - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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It was our first time visiting Oceans and Ale. I am not sure how we missed this amazing place for so many years. I absolutely love it. The service is outstanding. The menu is extensive. I love the whole vibe. read more

Shauna is the best Bartender!! She made my Grapefruit Mule..Outstanding! Definitely coming back here. read more

Oceans & Ale - Grapefruit Mule - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Food is delicious and the service was great. Very attentive server with quick service and great quality food. Definitely will be back!

One of my friends and I had come here after doing some needed shopping for an upcoming trip. We both had delicious food. My friend had a really nice salad and I had their mahi mahi fish tacos. The service was very good, timely and polite. The restaurant looked clean and they have a nice layout! They have a large parking area and the place was packed, so this is always a good sign. Highly recommend read more

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This is a good spot for lunch or dinner. They used to be located outside of the Prime outlets on Richmond Rd with more of a bar with food vibe. But now it's def more of a family stop -still with a nice bar to the right of the dining room. Food is good end priced well. They also have good deals at the bar and in the dining room daily or happy hours (bar). Tacos are always good whether it's the steak or shrimp. Burgers are good as are all of the accompaniments. Service is always prompt and efficient . The only item I would steer from that we have tried is the fish and chips. Fish was good but the batter was way too thick and as a result undercooked. But so far after many visits that's the only complaint. Want to add that the dining room is much nicer than the old location. Will keep coming back to this one ! read more

Really enjoyed coming here for dinner over Thanksgiving weekend. The crab dip was a bit spicy but also creamy and a good amount served with pitas. My husband got the prime rib special and that is a great choice if you want a large and hearty meal. It comes with potatoes and a salad. I got the Cobb salad with a crab cake on top and it was also delicious. We ended our night with a spiked coffee the bartender made for us and it was really good! I'm excited to see their new location coming this summer. They're a great restaurant and would do well at a place with more foot traffic. read more

My wife and I stopped into the new location where they moved too. The staff was very nice and the seafood nachos are very good. They offer a discount for cash so we paid in cash. When the change came there were no coins. I asked for my change. I was told that they round down for everything under .50 up for everything over .50. I told the bar tender this was not right that they are asking for cash and they have no change. He said he was going to get the owner and I said that's fine. He brought back my change. There is no excuse to not have change when you are next door to a bank. Keeping someone's money you are not owed is stealing this practice is THEFT. This is A deceitful practice. Please do better. read more

Good/Service/new ambiance It's always been a great restaurant with great service but I love the new location! read more

Finally got seats at the bar which was our norm at the old location. Have attempted to get seats at bar multiple times since opening the new location and were able to get seats on only one occasion but were successful tonight a Tuesday night. We were so happy to see Shawna who works the bar. She along with Shannon and Ashley were the primary reasons along with the incredible food that O&A has been our favorite place to eat in Williamsburg and Shawna made our night on this visit. The three of them are worth their weight in gold. read more

This was a last minute pick - we for couldn't be more pleased with our happy find! They have something for everyone and the service was amazing! Fabulous find! read more

Great kids meals! Affordable and not on the menu. The seafood nachoes had seafood soup instead of queso. Quite different but good!

It was my first trip with friends for lunch. We came a few weeks ago on a very busy Saturday. The restaurant was crowded and noisy. I ordered the seafood pot pie, which was soooo hot, I had to wait for it to cool. The large top of thick pastry like crust seemed to keep the heat in It was tasty, but the pieces of seafood were so tiny that I wasn't sure what I was eating. It was also difficult to eat, as it was thick and hard to cut into without making a mess. I was disappointed, but might give the restaurant another try. Our waiter was accommodating and attentive. read more

After seeing good reviews on Yelp and even on local pages for their seafood nachos and their steak nachos we decided to try this place out, and sadly was very disappointed in the nachos! The seafood nachos didn't have a lot of flavor and I'm not sure if they came from bad unflavored she crab soup or what. The chips were stale as well. The steak nachos were also nothing exciting and the same stale chips. The lettuce was also soggy and instead of coming with salsa it came with bbq sauce on the side. They did bring out salsa once I asked for it. Had to go home and make a sandwich, bc just not good food. Service was also slow. They had plenty of waiters but I guess not a lot of kitchen staff. Had to ask our waiter after waiting 30 minutes for our nachos appetizer if it was on its way. Not sure if I want to come back and take a chance o their other food! read more

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Great food and love the ambiance inside! We started with the trio which included seafood and number of ways. My personal favorite was the spring rolls, unique take on. Them and the seafood was fresh. For my entree I got the French dip and there was so much food! Great value. read more

Oceans & Ale - O&A Trio - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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