I visited Thyme on the River for a friend's birthday gathering, and overall, I had a very enjoyable experience! The establishment was clean, offered beautiful views of the water, and had a welcoming atmosphere that made it a lovely spot for a group celebration. Let's talk about the food! The lamb chops were absolutely stellar -- flavorful, delicious, and definitely a highlight of my visit. My only disappointment was learning that I received the last of the four available portions of lamb chops. With food that good, I can certainly understand why they were in demand, but I would have loved to know there was such a limited quantity available! Everything else I ordered was delightfully flavorful as well. A few guests in our party enjoyed the spirited drinks, and I didn't hear a single complaint about them being watered down, which is always a plus! Our server was a little slow at times, but I'll give her some grace considering our party consisted of more than eight people. Larger groups can certainly present challenges when it comes to timing and service, so I understand that there may have been a lot to manage. I also had the pleasure of meeting the owner, who was genuinely nice and welcoming. I'm proud of him and what he has accomplished in downtown Portsmouth. This is a beautiful waterfront location tucked away in an area I only recently discovered, and I'm glad I did! Overall, Thyme on the River has great food, a lovely setting, and a lot of potential to become a favorite dining destination. With a little improvement in service timing and better communication about menu availability, this experience could easily be five-star worthy. I'll definitely be back! Portsmouth has a gem here, and I look forward to seeing this establishment continue to grow and thrive. read more

Thyme On The River - Dinner Menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Went to Thyme on the River for a small family gathering and we were the only group there. It was a Friday evening around 6pm. It took forever for us to get water. The food came out cold. We were told our drinks were coming but they had to get more ice. There was no one else there so what happened to the ice and why is the food not piping hot... I will not be returning. read more

Very Disappointing Experience Unfortunately, the service at Thyme Restaurant was horrible. We waited about 30 minutes, only to have someone come back and tell us it would be another 30-45 minutes before we received our food. We were so disappointed that we never even got our food so we just decided to leave. Another issue was the drink menu. The menu listed 14 draft beers, but the waitress told us they no longer offer them. If they're no longer available, why are they still listed on the menu? On top of that, the menus themselves were dirty and sticky, which was very unpleasant. All we ended up having was one alcoholic drink and one beer, and our bill was $29, including gratuity. In my opinion, this restaurant is extremely overpriced, especially considering the level of service and overall experience. I understand restaurants can get busy, but the excessive wait, poor communication, outdated menu, and dirty, sticky menus made this a very disappointing experience. I gave one star because our drinks were decent, but unfortunately, that was the only positive part of our visit. I will never go to Thyme On The River Restaurant again. read more

Met a couple friends here last Friday and Whew chile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it was not for our waitress being so kind, attentive, and providing wonderful service I would have given this place 1 star. Outside of the friendly service the food was not it. It's just a no for me. read more

Thyme On The River - Catfish Candied Yams Macaroni & Cheese - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

I really wanted Thyme on the River to be one of my go to spots, but after my last two visits, I'm pretty disappointed. First off, the menu is already on the limited side, and both times I tried to order things that were out of stock. Not a great start. Then, out of nowhere, the hostess informs us they're closing early because the band canceled. Strange but okay. To top it off, two members of my party ordered meals, and they both agreed that the food was overpriced for what you get. Honestly, it's a shame because I had high hopes for this restaurant on the water but after these experiences, it's hard to justify coming back. Sadly, it's a hard pass for me moving forward. read more

Thyme On The River - Oxtails, rice and peas and a side of cabbage. I had already started eating the cabbage Utopia cocktail! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

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I have been wanting to visit this restaurant for some time now. Out daughter's 25th birthday dinner she chose Thyme on the River. I was expecting a lively atmosphere since it was dinner time on a Friday night. Nope, daughter and SIL arrived first and were seated, when hubby and I arrived. We were welcomed and the outside door was opened by a tall man on his cell, he said THANK YOU for coming. This was where the hospitality started and ended. Im not sure if I interrupted or startled the hostess at the front desk, she didnt bother to speak, smile or offer a welcome, so I walked to their table. Almost immediately after sitting, my eyes were drawn to the dried mud and dirt on the floor. Just scanning the floor around the dining area. dried mud was everywhere. Nice wood floor that really needed some cleaning!! Shortly after Angry hostess now is our waitress. Informed us that they were sold out on. We pretty much ordered fried fish with different sides. They were out of tarter sauce, Cocktail sauce and Iced tea. My fish has a light dusting of seasoned flour, hot and flaky, rice and peas were over dry from being microwaved, Mac and cheese had been tossed with more cheese and stuck n the microwave with the rice n peas. I tasted the yams, I could not figure if they were over cook hard or undercooked hard. This dining experience was a 2/10. We were allowed to bring an have her birthday cake. That was a plus. read more

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So much to write about this place... Review and Pictures to come. In the meantime please know that the Jerk Chicken Egg-rolls are Amazing and do run out quickly... My cocktail of choice here is always the Lemon Drop. read more

Thyme On The River - Jerk chicken omelette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Thyme On The River is one of my favorite places to dine. I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner. Make sure to try the Jerk Chicken Egg Rolls and check out the brunch menu if you are dining early on the weekend. Everything I've tried has been delicious and flavorful. The food, drinks, atmosphere, and views are wonderful. They offer great entertainment and fun as well, such as live music and games. I have gone at various times, and even when they were very busy, they found space for me. During slower times, I've had nice conversations with the staff, adding to my list of reasons I love my visits to this restaurant. read more

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Went here last Saturday for a birthday dinner. The restaurant was nice and right on the water for good views. It seemed to be a decent size but i didn't really check out the restaurant in its entirety. A lot of people in our party wanted oxtail, which they were out of. They also ran out of vodka for some people's lemon drops. The food tasted good and were pretty good portions. The menu was pretty small so the options were limited. I would come back, but i definitely wish they had a more extensive menu so there were more things to try. read more

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So I went for the breakfast food I was told about. Sadly they only serve breakfast on Sunday so I wasn't prepared to order. So I just went with the smash burger and sweet potato fries. Absolutely delicious, made in a simple way nothing fancy just let the flavor do the work. I'll be back on mother's day family in tow for breakfast or brunch!! read more

Thyme On The River - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

The worst. Food was out of stock. One of the meals came out 30 minutes after everyone was finished eating. Will never go back again.

Food is really good, although some items are inconsistently available. Service is hit or miss - some servers are really good while others should consider positions where customer service is not a requirement. read more

Service and food was great. We got seated right away and our server checked on us often

First off the restaurant is beautiful. Great views of the water from the table and a perfect temperature. We were greeted promptly and offered water by our server to get started. Everything started wonderfully, then it derailed slightly and got back on track. We ordered our food, and we're informed that the food he wanted was not available as the chicken hadn't arrived yet. A bit annoying but okay. He changed to a ham and cheese omelet, they dont have ham so swapped to bacon again no big I got the pineapple upside down pancakes with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. The food arrived and his omelet had spinach my potatoes were cold, like almost below room temperature cold. So his omelet was remade my potatoes were remade. The pancakes were delicious, soft and fluffy. Thr pineapples gave it a sweet and tart flavor. Very tasty would order again. The bacon was perfection would most definitely order again everytime. The eggs were not consistent two were over easy while one was over medium. Id definitely come back to try the other sweet options. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised how good the food was. I cook so I'm picky. This restaurant is pretty darn impressive. Makayla was an amazing server!! I absolutely Love her!!! read more

Restaurant Manager/Owner not equipped to handle crowd. Owner did not update after hour wait. People seated waiting for food after long wait eventually left. They need to hire enough to handle holiday crowds and give updates instead of ignoring customers. read more

1st time ever going inside this place, though I didn't eat inside, I took something real quick out. Liz & Mo were very nice and helpful. I had the MacNChz and it was superb. Looking forward to going back to dine In. Gotta pretty nice set up. If you can make great macaroni & chesse, the other food gotta be like that. read more

10 out of 10 highly recommend!! The food was cooked to order came out hot. Service was top tier .One of the owners came out to greet us and he was also nice and welcoming. Will definitely visit again read more

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The service was good. It was a friendly atmosphere. I enjoy chatting with the owner. I ordered the oxtail and beans and rice, cabbage, macaroni and cheese, and as an appetizer I had the wings. I also had a martini that was so delicious. My only suggestion would be to add more juice, or gravy to the oxtail. The taste was delicious, but it wasn't the fall off the bone oxtail that I am used to. I had a really nice time. It was easy to talk to your friends. There was nice music playing in the background, but it wasn't so loud that it was disturbing. I will definitely be back. read more

Thyme On The River - I'll still have cheese and rice, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, chicken wings, and a delicious martini. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

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The restaurant was set up nicely however the floors could have looked better. The regular brunch menu was not available. Looks like they could use more help. read more

The service here is horrendous! We came in around 4 pm on a Saturday. Despite only having a few customers, the service took approximately 30 minutes between beverage and appetizers, and an additional 40 mins between appetizers and main entrees. We ordered the jerk chicken egg rolls (3/5) and thyme chicken wings (3/5) for appetizers that were fairly decent. Unfortunately, I did not get to try my main entree, the fried red snapper special, because there was a piece of hair on it. Sadly, it took the waitress an additional 30 minutes to check on us from when I made the discovery of the hair so I was unable to change my entree. I was very disappointed in the service, the food was mediocre, and I would not recommend. read more

Thyme On The River - Jerk Chicken Egg Roll and Thyme Breaded Chicken Wings - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Rasta Pasta-Lunch Portion. The chicken wasn't ready for service, so I opted for the salmon which was an additional cost of $12, which made this meal total $24. The portion was approximately 2 cups and it didn't include a full salmon filet. It was salmon bites. Price difference between lunch and dinner is $3. I wish I was told that before purchasing from the lunch menu. I had only 4 slices of bell pepper, not to include green bell pepper. The sauce was watery and overly spicy. read more

Thyme On The River - Rasta Pasta - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

Valentines dinner - so many tables waiting for their orders and we waiter over na hour to get our orders by the waitress. Another hour for the food to arrive on the table. Recreation at 8:30 and we're at the door 10 minutes early. There's no list for reserved customers. It's a jungle. 10pm my crab cake slider was served - it tastes alright but the waitress said they did not have chicken curry . I said I will just settled in with the crab cake slider. My wife is still waiting for her jerk chicken. read more

Great food, strong drinks, and music that sets the ambiance of the restaurant what more can you ask for! Oh yes.... friendly staff? They have that box checked as well If I was a local, this would be my go to spot. Can't wait to come back to visit! read more

Thyme On The River - Mac and cheese with margarita! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

We waited 15 minutes at the bar with no service. We finally left. The manager opened the door for us and then was gone. Never saw anyone again. read more

Service was excellent, food was delicious, atmosphere was pleasant. We had the special two pieces of fried catfish with your choice of two sides. I had no problem with portions size it was just enough. Why three stars I was looking for a variety of choices on the menu but it was limited to one page. read more

Before I begin I would like to say that this review is based solely upon my personal experiences and my personal experiences alone, so with that being said let's get to it!. My wife and I came here to celebrate her birthday and we decided to invite a bunch of our close friends and family to join us on this special occasion!. We arrived and were then quickly led over by to the reservation area where tables were set up for us. As the guests started to arrive everyone started ordering their food and beverages. At first we only had one waitress and it was a lot for her because the waiting time to put in our orders was a little lengthy. But we spoke with the one of the owners and he kindly provided us with another waitress. The food and beverages were flowing nicely at this point and we all enjoyed each other with conversation and laughter. The night ended with the infamous happy birthday song. My wife enjoyed herself and we plan to return for other events. Let me add that this restaurant is in a great location in the Old Towne neighborhood of downtown Portsmouth. Right by the water. If you're ever in the area please stop by and check them out!. Before I go I would like to add, try the jerk chicken egg rolls.. ( a must try )they come with a spicy dipping sauce. The sauce is a little spicy depending on your spice tolerance level. read more

Great food, and great music. Service was great too, very attentive without being annoying. Really enjoyed our time here. Clean establishment

My husband and I visited the Thyme on Sunday, May 10, 2026 around 6:30 pm in hopes of enjoying the evening, as first time customers. We waited for a few minutes at the front desk and as the host was determining where to sit us, she went to the back and came back and informed us they were running out of food, therefore could not serve us. We were extremely disappointed and couldn't understand why a restaurant would not be prepared for any crowd during hours of operation. According to advertisement, this restaurant closes at 9 or 9:30 pm. We wanted to patronize this fairly new restaurant, but this is not a good way to build a business. No rating given. read more

I attended a birthday party at Thyme on a Saturday night. Yes, that is a BUSY night. Yes, we had a reservation for about 20-25 people. And even having that information beforehand, our waitstaff for such a large party consisted of one waitress. ONE! And it's not that she didn't do her best, she did. She would take orders, get bar cocktails, check on the food, deliver it--and even with all of that, she was simply worked too hard to keep up. That isn't her fault. I am sure the kitchen staff worked as fast as they could too. But they could have worked FASTER and more EFFICIENTLY if there were enough staff on hand for a busy Saturday night. Then service needs to match the ambiance of this restaurant. I know finding people who want to work now is a struggle. So how does Chic-fil-A ALWAYS have so many employees--almost too many people working there? They pay well. Consider paying MORE for people working there. With the number of people filling this restaurant, there should have been at least 10 people working there as waitstaff, 3 bartenders, busboys, a hostess on hand to seat guests (it looked like the wait staff kind of doubled as the hostess) and a full kitchen staff. A party with 20-25 guests cannot be served with one person. The food is what makes people return here. I'm a vegan, so I didn't eat. The others at my table seemed to enjoy the gumbo (though they mentioned it was served lukewarm). People really liked the oxtails and the egg roll appetizers were a crowd favorite too. The ambience of this place is stellar. It overlooks the water with great views, and it has an intimate vibe. You expect a place of this caliber (and especially one with an elevated meal price) would have the service to match. This is Portsmouth's answer to Va Beach's "Orion's Roof". They just need the same quality of service. read more

We stopped in for a few drinks while waiting for the ferry. Server was great. She was nice. We definitely want to go back to try the food. Bathrooms are clean and the decor is modern read more

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Great family and friend vibes. I enjoyed the Jamaican infused menu. Staff and everyone are really friendly and enjoy working there. A great place to have a great time and eat great food. read more

Went here for Sunday brunch. It sits right on the river which is beautiful. You can take the Ferry from Norfolk and it brings you right to their front door. We were greeted and seated promptly. We sat at the bar and Dani took great care of us! She was friendly and went through the different items with us. We absolutely loved her! The food was amazing! I had the oxtails and grits and let me tell you! By the time I was finished I was scraping the bowl with my finger to make sure I got every last drop!! My girlfriend had the Hawaiian roll French toast and she loved it! If you haven't checked this place out, put it at the top of your list!! read more

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Called on July 3rd to make reservations for that evening and was told they had reached their max for reservations because they had to allow for walk-ins. I was assured that walk-ins would be accepted. When my friends and I arrived at the restaurant, we noted there was a large party present. We were greeted by the hostess, who informed us that they were not accepting walks-ins due to the large party already being served. I explained to the hostess that I called earlier and was told walk-ins would be accepted. The hostess conferred with a gentleman, whom I'm guessing was the owner, manager, or held some other position of authority, who stated that that the person who answers the phone in the back is not knowledgeable of what goes on at the front end. This individual then told us "WE CAN SEAT YOU, BUT YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR FOOD!!"There was no apology, no humility, just matter of fact. Needless to say, we will never return! read more

I have this place a 2nd chance. Service was a 5/10 Food was 7/10. I don't think I will return. Customer service is big for me and this place has fall short! read more

Very nice location in Portsmouth! Sits on the water and will be great to eat outside when the weather breaks. It's right by the ferry so you can catch it over from Norfolk, instead of driving. There is some street parking that's nearby and a parking garage right across the street. The inside is a little plain with regards to decor, could use something on the walls. Service was not so great but it was obvious they were understaffed. The nice lady who did serve us definitely tried her best. Looked like she was solo with all the tables. She gets an A for her effort, it was not her fault. NOW, the food was outstanding AND it came out very quickly. I got the Rasta pasta which is really cheesy, if you like cheese like I do. Very flavorful My husband got the ox tails with cabbage. Besides the lil bones, his plate was empty when we left Got an order of fries as an appetizer because I was starving when I walked in. They had seasoning on them. I LOVE fries with flavor! Oh and the drinks, delicious also. I'm not a bourbon fan but the Sippin Easy was really good. Husband got it and I wanted his. I forget what I got but it was sweet and fruity, a little too sweet but it was still very good. Presentation of the food and drinks were great! With better service and a little more ambiance, this place will be unstoppable. I'm definitely going back and recommend it, just be patient. read more

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Good food! Nice atmosphere with waterfront views! Service was slightly slow, but the owner and server were very attentive and apologized for the delay read more

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Came for lunch during restuarant week. The website states they open at 11. Arrived at 11:30. Doors locked. Owner states they are closed for cleaning. Very disappointing after driving 25 minutes. Our businesses seem to always fail with consistency. Was looking forward to trying for the first time. read more

1st visit and I give all the stars Food was great, I got oxtail peas and rice with cabbage My friend got jerk chicken with rice and peas which he too was satisfied no complaints. My drink was even improved from my initial request to an upgraded alternative and I am all smiles Malik of one of the owners stopped by our table and by my observations everyone's to give an overview. I enjoyed my 1st visit and intend to come Back soon. read more

Thyme On The River - Drink, Well what's left of drink For the night - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Portsmouth, Virginia

We decided to try this restaurant because the Jamaican creole style menu: The Good: Location is nice, and right on the water, parking was easy and we were greeted immediately upon entering. The Jerk Chicken was extremely delicious and seasoned to perfection. The owner came by to greet us as we were leaving and thanked us for coming. The Bad: We waited for a long time to get our initial order, there were a couple large parties so it was understandable but it shouldn't take 10 mins to get an order of drinks in. We ordered a couple signature cocktails, but they were wayy too strong and came out lukewarm warm, it could be better though just needs to be shaken in ice or something. I was excited about the oxtails but I was disappointed, they were the tiniest oxtails I've ever had, with not much meat on them, they were also cooked too long as they were a bit on the chewy side, sauce was good though. The house salad seemed like it came out of a bag and the croutons were too big. Rice and peas were decent, i think if they need a bit more seasoning and more peas. The Ugly: The plastic that they have over the tables are very unnecessary and a bit tacky looking. Also they didn't have proper table cloths. They give off high end restaurants vibes but are missing on a few details like that. Prices weee a bit steep for the quality of food. I understand oxtails and some ingredients are not cheap but we have got to make it soo good that i want to come back and not just settle for "Happy Times" or "MP Island" Verdict: This is a solid restaurant with tons of potential to make it even better, I would love to come back for that jerk chicken though and hopefully a better overall experience. read more

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