Virginia Beach has the ‘top’ seafood restaurant in America, according to Yelp
(NEXSTAR) – If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. But first, he’ll need to tear open its slimy little body and yank out its fish-guts. And who wants to do that?
It’s much better to simply take that man to a nice seafood restaurant — preferably one with a lovely Chilean seabass.
Not sure where to go? Don’t worry. Yelp has released its 2024 list of the “Top 100 Seafood Spots” in the country, based largely on the reviews and ratings of its online community. Most of this year’s entries are located in coastal states (perhaps as expected), but plenty of Yelp’s users say great seafood can still be found in the Midwest and South, if you know where to look.
2 well-known restaurant brands may soon combine forces, share dining spaces
In total, restaurants across 25 states and D.C. made the list, with California and Florida tying for the most entries at 11 apiece. North Carolina, South Carolina and Nevada also made a good showing (seven entries each), with Texas (six) trailing closely behind.
Coming in at No. 1 in the country, however, is a “strip-mall restaurant” in Virginia, according to Yelp: Blue Seafood & Spirits in Virginia Beach is currently the top-reviewed seafood spot on the platform, earning an overall Yelp rating of 4.8 stars thanks to hundreds upon hundreds of highly favorable reviews.
The restaurant is located in Red Mill Commons, on Upton Drive. According to its website, Blue Seafood & Spirits has something for everyone, but its specialty is seafood! Chef Charles Thain, a culinary graduate of Johnson and Wales, opened the restaurant with his wife in 2013.
“Everything about this [restaurant] is amazing!” one recent reviewer wrote. “From the cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, the delicious food and wonderful wine selection … this place is a must!”
Too far from Virginia Beach? Take a look at Yelp’s top 25 below, then head over to the site for the full list of 100 well-reviewed restaurants that will de-scale and de-gut your sea creatures before bringing them to the table.
Blue Seafood & Spirits – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Bajamar Seafood & Tacos – Las Vegas, Nevada
Holbox – Los Angeles, California
167 Raw Oyster Bar – Charleston, South Carolina
Hook & Anchor – Newport Beach, California
Happy Snapper Seafood Restaurant – Orlando, Florida
J Crab House — Kissimmee, Florida
Mr. Shuck’s Seafood – Brunswick, Georgia
South Bay Wild Fish House – Astoria, Oregon
Los Tortugo’s Seafood Market – Port Isabel, Texas
Dockside Seafood Restaurant – Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Oceana Restaurant – Palm Desert, California
FreshCo Fish Market & Grill – Miami, Florida
Joe’s Oyster Bar – Port Isabel, Texas
Xi Yue Hui Seafood Hot Pot AYCE (All You Can Eat) – Brooklyn, New York
Seafood Broiler – Norco, California
Indialantic Seafood Company – Indialantic, Florida
Scooter’s Fish House – Navarre, Florida
Portofino – San Francisco, California
The Crawfish Hut – Burien, Washington
Stewby’s Seafood Shanty – Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Albany Fish Company – Albany, Georgia
Nine Seafood Restaurant – Cerritos, California
Mariscos Costa Alegre – San Jose, California
Matunuck Oyster Bar — South Kingstown, Rhode Island
In compiling its 2024 list of the “Top 100 Seafood Spots,” Yelp’s team limited its rankings to restaurants within the platform’s seafood category, concentrating on those with reviews that frequently mentioned the word “seafood,” specifically. These eateries were then ranked based on criteria including each restaurant’s Yelp ratings and volume of reviews as of Dec. 31, 2023. Yelp’s analysts also limited the number of list entries per state, for purposes of “geographic diversity.”
More information, along with a map of each restaurant’s location, can be found at Yelp’s official site.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
