SandFiddler's Cafe Off Shore Drive I stop by SandFiddler's Cafe whenever I bring somebody to the Ocean View Medical and Dental Clinic. While I wait, I grab a cup of coffee and something to eat. Most of the time it's breakfast, but I've tried a few different things here and the food never disappoints. I've had the Crabby Benedict, the Sand Fiddler Special (eggs, meat, pancakes, toast, coffee), and one time I had a burger with beef, hash browns, eggs, cheese, and onions - loaded up and really good. The food always comes out hot, filling, and full of flavor. Even the pancakes, which at first looked like they might be the frozen kind, turned out to be homemade with little touches that let you know they care. The coffee's solid too - not that bitter Starbucks taste, just smooth and easy to drink. What I really enjoy is the cook in the back. Every time I come in, he's singing along with the music. He's got a nice voice and it sets a good vibe - not too loud, just happy. Having worked in restaurants myself, I know when the staff is enjoying themselves, it makes the whole place better. You can feel it in the food and the atmosphere. The café is clean, with artwork on the walls (for sale), plus bags and t-shirts since this area gets touristy in the summer. The waitresses are always kind and helpful - I even saw one go the extra mile helping a man who was having trouble get his food out to the car. That stuck with me. The guy at the register isn't the most smiley, but he does his job, no complaints. Overall, SandFiddler's is just a good, comfortable spot to eat. Not too loud, friendly people, and good food that fills you up. If you're in the area or don't mind a short drive, it's worth checking out. read more

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Haven't been here for a while and decided to stop by. There was no wait but I was also there on a Tuesday at 11am. I love the vibes of small hole in the wall diners. This one has local art on the walls you can purchase which is really cute. This time around I wanted to try the pancakes and they did not disappoint. Cherry is not a topping you see often and let me tell you, the combo of warm fluffy pancakes with sweet and sour cherry topping was 10/10. read more

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Lovely spot to stop by for breakfast. The staff is super friendly. Skip the orange juice though, it's from concentrate. The waffle and fruits and the French toast combo were delicious. read more

I decided to venture out and try a new, breakfast spot on a Sunday afternoon which led me to Sandfiddler Cafe. The reviews were great so I couldn't wait to try it out. I arrived a little after 12pm and it was packed, the only seating available was at the high-top seating area in the back, which I didn't mind sitting at. The staff were super friendly and gave me a menu right away. I decided on the Crabmeat Omelette which came with two sides so I ordered the potatoes with onions and some fruit. As I waited for my food, other locals arrived and sat around the counter area as well. You can tell they were regular customers which I loved. The Crabmeat Omelette came out fairly quickly and was amazing! The hollandaise sauce was flavored perfectly and the crabmeat was filled all throughout the omelette. I love veggies in my omelette so if I were to order it again, I would definitely add some onions and peppers but it was still great as is. The potatoes were just as amazing and definitely tasted homemade. Overall, I highly recommend stopping in and trying out this cafe. The space isn't super big so you may have to wait, depending on the time you arrive, but if there's space at the high-top seating in the back, I say take it and make some new friends with the locals. read more

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Wanted to go out for breakfast this morning, first time in months since having surgery. Decided on Sandfidler cause they never disappoint, well not till this morning. Sat down got drink order and asked for a minute to figure what I could eat vice what I wanted. The waitress went and took the drink order of a table of fire fighters, brought them their drinks and then took all 8 of their orders. A few minutes later she walked by and took the order of a couple that had just been seated. And with that I got up and left. Thing is I had been going there for years, probably not any more unfortunately. read more

Delicious! & Great service! We had a party of six the day we stopped in and we were fortunate to get a table at this busy local neighborhood cafe. We had the best server! Leilani was very friendly & helpful navigating us through customer menu favorites. Our food was delicious, we will come back for sure! Thank you! read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - Sandfiddler Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Cute neighborhood place with really good breakfast pretty fast. Also their art collection, available for purchase, is reliably cool and interesting and beachy. read more

This place was just okay. The customer service was okay not the most welcoming. The environment was quite crowded. We waited 40 mins for our food to come. When we finally received the food it was not hot and the taste was okay. The food was not worth the price. read more

I came here because the reviews were good. The people were friendly but the food was bland and our order was wrong in a couple of ways. I'm mostly reviewing so I'll remember not to come back. read more

Brunch was great with my server suggesting banana pancakes instead of my original request, English muffins, which was outstanding! Friendly, attentive, staff and a relaxed atmosphere made for a really nice visit. I went back the next day for brunch again. read more

Looking for a great local breakfast in East Beach? GO TO SANDFIDDLER!!! I stopped here with my son and was blown away with the service and quality of food. Sandfiddler sits in a strip mall with other local businesses but is very welcoming and warm inside. They have a large menu full of lunch and breakfast choices. My son ordered the pancakes and I went for the chorizo breakfast burrito and blueberry pancakes. Our waitress name was Karen and she was absolutely fabulous! She made sure the food was hot and my coffee cup was never empty. Another huge plus of this establishment is their prices! Very affordable, family friendly and clean! We will be going back soon! read more

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Live sand fiddle cafe food always good and waiter always nice will come back here again

Locals favorite!! We have had SO many 5 star meals here (can't believe this is the first review I have actually written), but last Saturday was a little disappointing. Again, so many meals here have been great, so thinking last weekend was just a bad day. That's why they get 4 stars instead of 3. We arrived on Saturday at about 11:30. They were on a wait, as usual, but also as usual, they were turning the tables fast. Seriously, don't let a wait deter you. Luckily there were seats at the counter with no wait, so we took it. As usual, everyone was super friendly. This crew is AMAZING! They just get the job done. And as usual, the owner was there - busing tables, seating people, getting refills, whatever needed to be done. We complimented him on his amazing staff and that is when we learned they weren't his anymore - he sold it 3 weeks ago to his kitchen manager, but he was still there in support. Nice! And here is where they lose a star - the kitchen was in the weeds (to the point where they stopped putting orders in - maybe that has happened before, but we have never seen it). We did now because we were seated at the counter. People that came in after us got their orders. We had not. That can be forgiven because stuff happens. But where they lose a star (should probably be two), is because of SALT. Seriously, I am a salt addict. But Hubby's and my eggs (his sunny side and mine scrambled) were WAY over salted. In fact my bacon was so salty that it was inedible (which is saying a lot coming from me). I'm guessing they didn't clean the griddle because they were so backed up? Again, hoping this was an off day. This is a fantastic breakfast and lunch spot that is beloved by us locals. I'm looking forward to updating this review soon. read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - Pancake combo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Overall, a wonderful experience! My dad and I were looking for a local breakfast spot since we were meeting up for a short amount of time. We arrived in the mid brunch rush and were able to get on the waiting list. We got the phone call pretty quickly after getting on the list and were seated. The wait staff was all super friendly and wanted to give a shout-out to Meg, our server. She was extremely helpful in decision making and gave great suggestions while being attentive to our needs. My dad ordered the crab benedict with pancakes and he enjoyed it all. I had a crab cake and it was exceptionally good - not overly greasy and tasted more like crab than anything else (which sometimes can be an issue!). The restaurant itself had a great vibe, extremely clean and a fun environment! I'd recommend to locals and tourists alike. read more

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Let me start by saying service and food were good. But read on. Was immediately greeted, asked how many in my party, I decided to sit at the bar/counter, I was handed a menu to take with me to seat myself. I was greeted and was asked if I wanted anything to drink. I settled for iced water for the moment. Looked through their massive menu that offers a variety of breakfast favorites like omelets, Benedict's , waffles, pancakes, salads, sandwiches. All great brunch staples. I ordered the Irish Benedict which is two poached eggs on corned beef hash and biscuits and gravy. You get a side with your Benedict (grits, greens, hash browns, etc) . I chose fresh fruits. Food came out in 10 minutes. The Irish Benedict was okay, just wish they heated up the English muffin to have that crisp instead of just soft right out of the box texture. The corned beef hash - seemed like they just took out of a Hormel can and didn't bother to heat it up. Then this is the part where I really am not keen on. They have a designated person checking the food that the cooks put on the window ready to be picked up by wait staff to be served. I know high end restaurants have taster. But the food check person lifted omelets then touched trays and put away counter items then touched the food again without at a minimum wiping her hands. Not going back, I know people say it could be worse, but why are we accepting sub-standard health protocols? read more

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Service was stellar, ambiance was local mom & Pop Diner vibe. The food was really good not a single gripe, this was a random yelp pick (my favorite way). Looked like alot of vets having an amazing breakfast so I loved that. Definitely will return since it's 4 miles from ORF. EAT LOCAL, explore your own state 1st. read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - Amazing Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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food not cooked properly, there is a huge difference between cold over easy eggs and over medium. also its nice when you don't have to request the other half of your order to arrive, and when i attempted to bring up the fact my eggs were undercooked by a big margin i was cutoff rudely and told ill just take it off your bill. bottom line, i went in hungry and walked out hungry. poor service and untrained cooks. read more

I have eaten here numerous times over the years. Everything has always been great. Today was even better than great. I ordered the Greek Omelette. This one was slightly different than the ones I have had at other restaurants. It had grilled chicken in it. Plus other goodies such as pepperocini, kalamata olives, feta, red onions, and small cubed tomatoes. I am not a big chicken fan unless it is seasoned and tasty. This chicken got a 10! The omelette was a 10. Along with delicious and tasty raisin bread and delicious fruit. It was well worth the 14 mile drive. Every one of the staff members was friendly and welcoming. Coffee was plentiful. I highly recommend eating and enjoying a meal here. read more

Service was slow. We tried to order everything at once, but apparently we can only do drinks, then food. Which makes us wait even longer for the food. Server seemed very irritated and miserable. Not sure why because front desk is great and menu has a great variety. read more

I really wanted to love Sandfiddler. It's a charming, low-key diner, and the service was great. But unfortunately the food ranged between ok and iffy. We got the big country benedict (chicken fried steak and sausage gravy) and the Irish benedict (corned beef hash). The biggest issue was that the hollandaise seemed to have cheese in it??? It was very heavy and got less and less appetizing as it came to room temperature. Bottom line is that I would totally come back here, but stick to just eggs and bacon, or something along those lines. read more

I have driven by this place a couple time, on my way to CoVa Brewing. Today I decided I'd treat my husband to breakfast, so we went in. The place is cute. It has a lot of handcrafted decorations on the wall, that can be bought. I really loved the coastal vibe they were going for. We were sat pretty quickly, and our waitress was also fast to get us our drinks. There were no issues with service on our end. I did see a couple people mention they had some issues with their server. I did give this place 4 starts because the food was good, but it wasn't great. I had a breakfast burrito, and I felt like my tortilla wasn't heated. It was room temperature, and for me that was a big red flag. My husband ordered the chicken and waffles, and I would compare the tenders to what you can get at Denny's. However, the waffle, was so good. It was fluffy like a marshmallow. Overall, I would come again, but I would definitely be ordering something different. read more

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We love this breakfast spot! The staff and owner are super friendly and always welcoming. The food is classic and they everything you can want for breakfast. Their lunch is great as well and we have been for dinner once and that was delicious too. Their lunch decor is local art which you can purchase right off the wall! I have bought a few things there and love that feature. Kudos to Becca, Pearl, Theresa and the rest of the team there! read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - East Beach with Turkey Sausage & Rye Toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Pleasant experience with my son and I. My son had a simple breakfast with eggs, sausage and fruit. I had French toast (pictured) and eggs and sausage. I loved the sausage links. The atmosphere was cozy and they also have art on the wall for purchase. The pieces make for really great gifts or to add to any beach lover's collection. read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - French Toast with blueberries French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

So the food and service was great, but wow, the cook had some anger issues. I sat at the counter, and I could hear him yelling and cursing at the servers. I've been in the industry and that was so unprofessional and just rude. I was so worried about how my food would come out. I don't think the kitchen staff realizes that the whole restaurant can hear them talking shit. Very disappointing. And the servers looked so sad. That cook should be fired. His attitude made it seem like he hated his job and didn't care at all about customers. Such a shame. Remember, you are as strong as your weakest link. I hope management cares about the overall energy of the place. If so, that guy needs to go. Also, i saw more than one cook touch food without gloves. Pretty gross. But the attitude of the cooks was worse. Servers were super sweet and felt bad I had to witness the cook having an emotional meltdown. read more

Cute local spot tucked away in an East Beach shopping center! Parking was a breeze and right when you step in, you're greeted by the friendliest staff and the coziest vibes. I ordered the French toast combo which I really enjoyed! Their menu had all the breakfast classics from pancakes to Benedicts. I wish the portions were a *little* bigger but all in all, it's not gonna stop me from coming back! read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Always on point. I've only eaten breakfast here, but it's always fresh hot and delicious. The portion sizes are incredible and the sides make it worth every penny. It's at least twice the food you would get at a drive-through for the same amount of money. read more

One of my favorite little spots in Norfolk/Virginia Beach! Great service, and reliably good food for a reasonable price. I love that they feature local art for sale on the walls and that the cafe is bright and cheerful. They're known for their breakfast, as well as their sandwiches. I had their French Dip the last time and it was a good balance of meat, fresh bread, and the sweet potato fries were perfectly crispy and fluffy. I've taken out their chicken salad it's so good - seriously one of the best I've had. They also have GIANT desserts if you're in the mood. Only critique is that they've been a little slow for dine in once or twice, but generally service is fast and friendly. Bonus is that they have active duty military discounts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - French Dip Sandwich with sweet potato fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Located on Shore Drive. The place was pretty packed and staff was very busy so food took a whiiiiiiiile to come out. Food looked appealing, everything tasted good, fresh and flavorful. Prices are fair and parking is not an issue. Definitely would return, hopefully when not as busy. read more

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WOW!!!! Great Service and GREAT staff and of course GREAT food!!! I would certainly return to this restaurant when I return to Virginia.

Not so good this visit. Arrived around Sunday 12:15 and the four of us were seated after 20-25 minutes. Very crowded. Very noisy. Service was expectedly slow. Two of us canceled our chicken and waffles order upon learning the raspberry and chipotle jam was "gone." Not happy. My cousin went with (cold, hard) hash browns instead (thats it). I went with eggs, grits, hash browns, and corn-beef hash (grits were cold, hash browns and CBH were both cold and hard). The other two in our party were satisfied with their cream dried beef and their Belgium waffle and bacon orders. I sampled some of the bacon and I was not impressed. It seemed thin (microwave ?). Slow on getting seconds on coffee. I knew weekend were to be avoided...and I'll never make that mistake again. read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

New ownership and there is a better vibe in the cafe. Nobody directing traffic. Good fantastic wait servers all great the biscuits and gravy IMO best in town. Vacationers give it shot, won't be disappointed. read more

I probably have not been to Sanfiddler Cafe in over a year. Honestly there has been no reason to rush back for pretty average food. The place is exactly the same and continues to have a friendly hands on owner and great staff. I sat at the small bar and received excellent service from start to finish. The dining room and restroom were immaculate. Also of note my walk-in tidy. The operation is well ran and clean. My order pancakes, eggs, hash browns and sausage paired with coffee. The pricing is very reasonable at $10 w/ tax. The coffee was meh, they are using a lower quality brand I suspect. Pancakes cooked up correctly but not as good in the past as they were more dry. This was the biggest disappointment because they are known for their pancakes. Sausage was overdone, potatoes browned up nicely and eggs good. The food has trended downward significantly since my first visit over 5 years ago. My suspicion is lower quality products to hold pricing. Also labor cost would have risen. If menu prices go up there local clientele would immediately notice. I will hold at a three star rating for Sandfiddler and try them again but no rush. The food is not a draw as I consider it mediocre. However, the fast friendly service is a big reason this Oceanview diner has a strong local following. Maybe a lunch visit next time. 3.5 rounding down. read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - French toast, eggs over easy and sausage patties - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Big menu, bright natural light, ocean theme, good service, good food! It's a clean diner with solid food for breakfast or lunch tastes. (I've not sampled any dinner items). Lots of parking. Strip mall. Bring the whole family. read more

I really don't want to write a review for this place because the last thing they need is more business, but I will and yes the food and service are five stars! They could probably fill a place three times their current size. I had a smoked salmon eggs Benedict and it was amazing. My hubby had waffles and eggs and said they were very good. Service was perfect. We will be returning, often. read more

Day after Christmas visit with our family of 6, spawned by a gift card from Grandma and Grandpa. Don't you love food gifts? Anyway, lots of free parking in the shared shopping center lot. Place was pretty packed but we were sat immediately at an 8 top table (4 2 tops) closest to the bathrooms. Small town feel, decorated in beach themes with local artists works on display (for sale). Menu expanded since our last visit from a front/back paper placemat to 8 laminated pages (front/back) of breakfast and lunch options. Kid's menu available ("Little fiddlers"). Our server Kat wasn't bad though she didn't mention her name until I asked. Come to think of it, there was no conversation from her end, just short answers to our multiple questions. We settled on crabby omelette with pancakes and hash browns, chicken and waffles, patty melt with fries, kids French toast with egg and bacon, Cali omelette with hash browns and toast, and 2 large pancakes with hash browns. Grand total with tip? $81. Aside from the single meal's lofty bill, we found the atmosphere to be pleasant, definitely better than iHop. The overall food quality was average, not worth the disproportionate cost. Bright spots: homemade raspberry chipotle sauce (chik waffles) was uniquely good; pancakes were warm and fluffy (above average). Coffee was better than expected, Kat said it was "chock full of nuts" brand. Lessons learned? You can't tip using gift card funds. Hollandaise sauce on crabby omelette was overbearingly salty, suggest ordering on the side. This accentuated our lack of refills when needed. Fyi, free refills aren't available on milk, juice or lemonade. Gender neutral restrooms were again decorated in beach themed decor. One I went into was clean and easily accessible. read more

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New ownership, but still great food. The smash burger was amazing. Atleast 1/2 lb. We will be back.

Sanfiddler Cafe's staff was SO awesome and friendly! I would give Sanfiddler a 3/5 because although the staff was great, I would say that my order (biscuits and gravy) was a little cold when it was served to me and it was a bit bland. I unfortunately wasn't extremely hungry, so I didn't get to try more of their food, but I'd actually want to come back and try other dishes and hopefully leave a more useful and fuller review. I unfortunately didn't get to take a photo of my order, but hopefully next time! I do want to emphasize that the service is awesome though. Our waitress was really friendly, and the owner was awesome and even gave us a call since it was pretty full inside and we didn't want to wait in the heat right outside! read more

The service is amazing! The owner is out helping snd working his butt off! The waitress was super friendly and attentive. I came here with my two girlfriends after the beach. It was packed!! But they got us a table in ten minutes. :) I had the breakfast burrito with sausage. It was soooo delicious. The eggs were soft and the sausage was super juicy. Best I've had in sooo long. I had home fries as my side and ordered sausage gravy to go with. My friends both ordered wraps and said they were good too. This was an awesome place to go!! And awesome prices. :) we will be back!!! read more

Sandfiddler Cafe - Breakfast burrito with sausage. Side of homefries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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One of our favorite breakfast spots. Fresh made to order, tasty food. Service is top tier. You can tell they are held to a high standard. Only downside is no alcohol, but the food is worth the trip. read more

My husband has been going here with his golf buddy for breakfast and FINALLY took me there to test it out. We went Sunday morning around 9ish. The interior of the restaurant its cute, and the pantings and art on the wall are for sale which is really cool! Brings a sense of community together! It was packed and we knew that, so we decided to eat at the bar. We were greeted by pearl, she was really nice and accommodating despite how busy it was. Food came out quick, hot and tasty! My husband had the fisherman and i had strawberry french toast. It was delicious. We cant wait to come back! read more