I love Oceans & Ale, so when it came time to hold my retirement party, choosing their private event room was an easy decision. The room is terrific--comfortable for 24-28 people, with doors that close it off from the regular restaurant so you can celebrate properly without annoying everyone else. Ashley did a wonderful job setting everything up, and PJ and the staff provided outstanding service throughout the evening. Everything went off even better than I expected--and I went in with pretty high expectations. I can recommend O&A without reservation for a private party or celebration. Great room, great staff, great food and drink. About the only thing they couldn't do was make me reconsider retirement. read more

We just had an event in O&A's private room and it was amazing! It was an awesome space, the staff made everything run so smoothly- from set up to the event itself- and the food was delicious! Shout out to Ashley and Lauren! If you are in need of a space for a private event, definitely consider Ocean & Ale! read more

Oceans & Ale - Private event space - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

The Seafood Spring Rolls are 10/10 everytime! I used to work i. Williamsburg, and live an hour away! I was having a bad day and put my little one in the car, and said the spring rolls will make it better! And they did! His chicken tender kids meal was decent. I did ask for plastic cups and silverware, my server thought it was strange, but with a 2 year old, glass ware is not the best route! Their new location is super cute as well! read more

See all

You cannot lose at oceans and ales our waitress. Jasmine was off the scale perfect and so was the manager Ashlea Lowery ... food is phenomenal. Service is phenomenal. The management is phenomenal ...ocean and ales in Williamsburg Virginia is second to none. read more

Twice at the new location they have served me red onion after I specifically told them I was allergic to them. I am never going back. read more

Oceans & Ale - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

See all

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

See all

Excellent food and service. PJ our server could not have been better. Wonderful. Always come here when we visit Williamsburg.

We've frequented O&A for a bit at the only location and always had a good time. Restaurant was always very busy! Tried the new location and feel like it's lost it's spark. Food isn't as good and service is definitely slower. It's still okay, just miss how it used to be. read more

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

See all

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

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

See all

Enjoyed the Seafood Pot Pie. Very unique seafood combination. Service was excellent and questions were investigated and reported prior to placing the order. Looking forward to try other menu items based on the pot pie experience. read more

The food was very delicious. Chilean Sea bass was tasty. The service was not at par. The food runner was funny and awesome though. The ambiance was casual, but classy. read more

Oceans & Ale - Chilean Sea Bass - Seared - Seafood Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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

See all

Food was good. Seafood pot pie was a unique dinner option. Fish tacos were a hit with the corn relish. Monday was burger night, which was a great option for non fish eaters! Would visit again and recommend. Great, attentive service. read more

Food was delicious and as customers choice if want side order awhile waiting for the meal with drinks like and menu is great to be organized and be cool if customers can earn gifts cards rewards by showing business appreciation day and showing interest and big thank you for enjoying the meal and very great to have business cards read more

The hosting staff were very friendly and seated us right away. Our waitress made some suggestions and then gave us time to order. She was sweet, professional, attentive and timely from start to finish. The food was so good 10/10. I will go again and try different options from the menu when we visit Williamsburg again as a priority. read more

See all

Muy bien get mahi the pineapple good on it. W service and ambiance. Like the pretzel also it's yummy

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

See all

Our friends came into town last Monday and we chose Ocean's and Ale for dinner. The food was great and our server Brittany was friendly, helpful in selecting from the menu as well as being easily on hand for additional items we ordered that evening! read more

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

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

See all

We had dinner tonight at Oceans and Ale. I had the she crab soup. A bit too much of Old Bay seasoning. Lump of crab in it was very nice but won't order this again Had the Asian chicken salad. That was very good and my husband had the seafood pot pie They serve it in this small dish. Ridiculous. When you cut into it, it went all over the place. They should've served it in a better bowl. But he said he did enjoy the taste Our waitress was excellent. The atmosphere is very nice. I would say it's more for adults than for families, but we did like the set up the way the restaurant was. We will be back wanted to try some other things that were popular 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

See all

This restaurant is owned locally. My husband and I ate there late this afternoon. He ordered the pork belly appetizer, and I ate a couple of pieces. Absolutely yummy! I ordered the Ceasar salad for my entree. I asked for no croutons, and I added blackened shrimp, per my server's (Trey) recommendation. The salad was well chilled and very tasty, and the addition of the blackening spice led to a great taste sensation. There were no croutons, a sign that customers requests are honored. My husband had the fresh catch sea scallops, and relished every bite. One other thing that makes this restaurant special is the ambience created by the sound system. The music they play is so appropriate for a restaurant named Oceans and Ale. We will return! read more

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

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

See all

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

See all

Thanks go to the busy bartender that stepped in to keep our glasses full when our bartender with no customers couldn't seem to find the time. read more

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

See all

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 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

See all

The food was epic. The service was amazing. I was extremely comfortable. The ambiance was exactly what I wanted.

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

See all

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

My husband and I ate at Oceans & Ale recently and had a few complaints about the service. Our waiter was a man named PJ he made the experience very unenjoyable. He made himself come across as very unprofessional within his longer hair down and blocking his vision and the way he spoke to us. My husband asked for a refill on his drink and he sighed and made it seem like we bothered him in some way and to top it off, It took at least 10 minutes to receive our drink order in the first place. When we were waiting patiently for our check we saw him seeming way more focused talking to someone using his phone trying to sell something to them instead of paying us any attention. Overall, I would come back due to the food quality but I would specifically ask to not be given PJ. read more