Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Norfolk by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hushpuppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana 茅touff茅e, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients鈥攐kra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas鈥攂ecame a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and saut茅ing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in the Norfolk area using data from as of May 2, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "southern" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Norfolk were included. As a result, some restaurants featured may serve other food items.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
#15. Canvas Social Cuisine
- Rating: 3.0/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 Granby St. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food, Caribbean
-
#14. Pollard's Chicken & Catering
- Rating: 3.1/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8370 Tidewater Drive norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Caterers
-
#13. Pollard's Chicken
- Rating: 3.2/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8370 Tidewater Drive Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: New American, Southern
-
#12. Mack's Barge
- Rating: 3.3/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4300 Colley Ave. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Seafood, New American, Southern
-
#11. The Fishin' Pig
- Rating: 3.8/5 (467 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 119 West 25th St. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Barbecue, Seafood, Southern
-
#10. Boss Queens Soul Cafe
- Rating: 3.8/5 (279 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5802 East Virginia Beach Blvd. Ste 140 Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Soul Food, Southern, Seafood
-
#9. Terrie's Breakfast & Lunch
- Rating: 3.8/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3320 North Military Hwy Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Southern
-
#8. Yoolks On Us Southern Bistro
- Rating: 3.8/5 (351 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 515 Washington St. Portsmouth, Virginia
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Southern
-
#7. Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
- Rating: 4.0/5 (1514 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4501 Main St. Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, New American
-
#6. Ellens Homestyle & BBQ Express, llc
- Rating: 4.1/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5660 Indian River Road Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food
-
#5. Coopers Restaurant and Lounge
- Rating: 4.1/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3112 High St. Portsmouth, Virginia
- Categories: Soul Food, Southern, American
-
#4. Ibis Cuisine
- Rating: 4.1/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 928 Diamond Springs Road Ste 135 Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Caribbean, Southern
-
#3. Tendermacs
- Rating: 4.2/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 1108 Sparrow Road Chesapeake, Virginia
- Categories: Soul Food, Chicken Shop, Southern
-
#2. Bar-Q
- Rating: 4.4/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1901 East Ocean View Ave. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Barbecue, Desserts
-
#1. 350 Grace
- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Address: 350 West 22nd St. Bldg 114 - 115 Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Southern, Seafood, Gluten-Free
-
