Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Photo by Katie Morris

There’s more to Waterman’s Surfside Grille than meets the eye

By Katie Morris

kemorris@vwc.edu

At first glance, Waterman’s Surfide Grille seems to be a typical Virginia Beach tourist trap. It looks to be the kind of restaurant visitors go to for what they think is a Virginia Beach feel. One of the first things you might notice coming into the restaurant is its gift shop, which sells everything in typical souvenirs. However, despite this first impression, Waterman’s is actually a restaurant of substance as well as style. Waterman’s does have a lovely, commanding view of the beach, which can be enjoyed from pretty much any point place in the restaurant. The service was very quick and efficient, despite the busyness of the restaurant, which was impressive for a Friday night.

The food isn’t necessarily new and dynamic, but it is good. For an appetizer, try Waterman’s Famous Crab Dip, which is a blend of Backfin crabmeat, cream cheese, herbs and spices and is served with fried flour tortillas. One appetizer that is on the side of the more unusual is the Sesame Sear Tuna Martini. Don’t be fooled by the name. The dish consists of seared ahi tuna, nori seaweed salad and plantain chips.

As far as entrees go, the Just Seafood dish is excellent. It consists of jumbo shrimp, lump crabmeat, and sea scallops broiled in a lemon butter white wine sauce. In general, the restaurant’s crab is generally excellent.

There’s more to the menu than just seafood. Waterman’s also specializes in steaks and ribs.

Waterman’s has a decent drink menu, though they mostly specialize in beach type cocktails and mixed drinks. Their signature drink is the Waterman, a mix of Goslings Gold and Dark rums, Malibu, fresh squeezed lime and a blend of juices. They also make a dynamite Appletini.

Waterman’s Surfside Grille is open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with a Sunday Brunch running from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The restaurant is located on 5th Street and Atlantic Ave in Virginia Beach. For more information, can call 757-428-3644 or visit their website at www.watermans.com.