Neptune's Land and Sea

403 E Washington St
Petersburg, VA 23803
http://www.neptuneslandandsea.com/



 I recently purchased a Google Local coupon for Neptune's Land and Sea in downtown Petersburg because I wanted to give it a try.  Because it was $25 for $50, Amanda and I decided to invite her parents to eat with us.

Just to warn you, Neptune's has a very small front parking area so we had to park in the sketchy hotel parking lot. It is right next door and the parking lots are conjoined but it's still a little unsettling parking next to what looks like an hourly motel, if you know what I mean.  Inside the place is absolutely packed and extremely loud, like I mean practically shoulder and shoulder packed and so loud you can barely hear the person next to you.   I honestly don't think that Neptune's is usually like that but unfortunately we went on the same night as an VSU fraternity alumni reunion.

Luckily, the party did not adversely effect us getting a seat or the service.  We were immediately seated and promptly waited on by our server.  The menu consisted of an assortment of sea food and soul food.  We started off with the crab dip, which was extremely good. Rich, creamy and full of crab meat. For $9.99, it wasn't a whole lot of dip but it was very good.  Since we started with crab dip, I decided to try something that was not seafood. I was torn between the PITTSBURGH BURGER- an angus burger, topped with corned beef, swiss cheese, cole slaw and a poached egg and the chicken and waffles- 3 jumbo wings served with a waffle topped with apple or blueberry topping and whipped cream. I decided on the chicken and waffles. Amanda got the fried scallops.

It did not take very long before we received our food. My chicken wings were not quite jumbo but they were full wings and fried to a golden brown. They were a little on the bland side but they were cooked very well, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  The waffle was large but it was a little too soft for my liking. I prefer to have my waffles a little crunchy on the outside.  It came smothered in blueberry topping and whipped cream. The salty and savory wings went perfectly with the sweet blueberry topped waffle.  Amanda's scallops were pretty freaking good. They were large and succulent and cooked perfectly.

Overall, Neptune's Land and Sea was good but far from great.  Honestly, the place was not really my scene. While I don't care and didn't feel uncomfortable, it seems to cater more towards the Fort Lee and VSU crowd.  Also, I think that it is hard to compete with Croaker's Spot when serving seafood and soul food.  If I do go back to Neptune's, I am going to go for the seafood; probably the She-crab soup and the seafood mash, which is mashed potatoes topped with she-crab soup and seafood.



    

Deep Run Roadhouse

12377 Gayton Road

Henrico, VA

www.Deeprunroadhouse.com

                Recently opened by Alamo BBQ’s former owner, Deep Run Roadhouse offers up all of the same great bbq as Alamo and then some but it lacks the charm and atmosphere that really made me fall in love with Alamo BBQ.

                Located in the far west end of Richmond near Shortpump, Deep Run Roadhouse is housed in a dinky old nondescript shopping center hidden amongst large subdivisions and across the street from what is probably the most ghetto area in Shortpump. Inside, the restaurant could be any other “fancy” bbq restaurant.  One wall inside is a huge chalkboard with the menu written on it and on the other wall is a large cashiers counter where you place your order.  Just like Alamo, the menu is Tex-mex BBQ with a variety of smoked meats, which can be served as tacos, burritos, sandwiches and just by themselves. The only additional Items on the menu that I noticed were potato wedges, pork chops and burgers. The rest of the menu is identical to Alamo’s. 

                I ordered a fish taco and a fajita burrito with smoked rope sausage and both items were fantastic.  The fish was flaky and topped with their incredible southwest slaw. It very well may be the best fish taco in Richmond. The burrito was loaded with smoky rope sausage, rice, beans, cheese, grilled onions and peppers.  With a little bbq sauce the burrito blew.  The food was perfection.

                The décor and the atmosphere was nice and very subdued but it really lacked the personality that makes Alamo BBQ what it is. It seemed a little stuffy for a place that calls itself a “Roadhouse” but to be fair they are catering to the high end Shortpump crowd while Alamo generally feeds the grungy Church Hill Hipsters. ..

                In the end, the only thing that really matters is the food and the food at Deep Run Roadhouse is outstanding!

Jimmy’s Grille

16 Goodrich Ave.

Petersburg, VA 23805

In the Walnut Hill area of Petersburg off of South Crater Road hides Jimmy’s Grille, a “high end” diner that you would never see unless you know where it is or if you get lost. Jimmy’s Grille is actually a Petersburg tradition that has been around for tears but has stayed hidden in plain sight. 

Jimmy’s Grille is smartly decorated with well painted walls and stylish pictures and furnishing but do not let the looks deceive you because at its heart Jimmy’s is a dinner, it just has a little bit of lipstick on.  Jimmy’s menu is what gives it away, from hot dogs all the way to grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers, it serves classic dinner food in a classy way. The menu reads like Andrew’s Grill or Quick lunch but the décor is more like Longstreet’s and Croaker’s Spot. 

I ordered the dinner classic two hot dogs all the way with slaw. This included chili, onions and mustard topped with sweet and creamy cole slaw.  It is almost impossible to beat a well done slaw dog and Jimmy’s does it just about as good as anybody.  The hot dogs were plump, juicy and just a little bit burned, topped with meaty chili, fresh onions and classic yellow mustard, the flavors danced harmoniously across my palette with no one flavor taking the lead. 

I can’t say that Jimmy’s is any better or any worse than the other handful of little dinners in the tri-cities, it’s just different.  But I can say that if you are in the mood for classic dinner food but want to enjoy it in an actual restaurant atmosphere, with a waitress and without the heat and sound of a flat top then Jimmy’s Grille is the place the place to go.

Antonio’s Sub Café

14079 Patrick Henry Hwy

Amelia Court House, VA 23002

Who would’ve ever guessed that one of the best subs I’ve ever eaten would come from a little sub shop in Amelia County, but on a recent trip to Amelia that turned out to be just the case.

Antonio’s Sub Café is a small place nestled next to a closed Movie Scene store in a dinky shopping center in Amelia.  If you don’t get stopped at the stop light in front of it you may never even notice it. Inside, the place is just as simple; random decorations on the walls, nondescript chairs and tables and a menu of subs written on chalk boards and random pieces of paper on the wall behind a large counter that takes up most of the restaurant.  Among the typical selection of subs was one that really peaked my interest, The Sicilian.  It came with pancetta, salami, roasted red peppers, and freshly sliced mozzarella then topped with oregano and balsamic vinaigrette and finally toasted. 

Antonio himself took my order, a no nonsense Italian guy who obviously has a knack for making great subs.   In about 10 minutes my sub was freshly prepared and came out hot, crispy, and perfect.  The quality and the freshness of the ingredients really made this sub shine.  Everything worked perfectly together, the salty meats, the delicious thick slices of mozzarella and the thick sweet balsamic vinaigrette.  This sub was perfect but what really set it off was the high quality balsamic vinaigrette that added the perfect amount of sweetness to the sub.  After eating it I was truly speechless because all I was hoping for was something slightly better than a McDouble at the McDonald’s across the parking lot.   

If you are ever in Amelia, I suggest you stop by Antonio’s Sub Café and order the Sicilian. Actually order two and bring the other one to someone who you love;  they will definitely enjoy it more than flowers.  You will both thank me!

The Crab Dump

4412 West Hundred Rd
Chester, VA 23831

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Crab-Dump/261591930621810?fref=ts

            I met my brother for lunch last week and we decided to check out the Crab Dump in Chester. While the name leaves a good bit to be desired, the place was actually pretty good. Located in a dinky little shopping center on Rt. 10, the Crab Dump is a small hole in the wall with nautical decoartions, brightly colored walls, and two huge crab claws hanging over the doorway, which actually look a lot cooler than I can describe here. There are maybe 10 tables inside with 4 chairs at each. The menu is exactly what you would expect at a place called the Crab Dump, Seafood.

            While the places specializes in “crab dumps”, steam pots filled with whatever type of seafood you want with corn, sausage and potatoes, we decided to stick to the much less expensive lunch and sandwich menu. Before I saw the daily specials I was torn between the Surf and Turf Crab Burger and the Oyster Po’ Boy.  But after my brother mentioned the lunch specials written on a board on the wall I decided on the less expensive Crabby Patties, 4 miniature crab cakes served with house made remoulade sauce for $5.99 and Alex ordered the $5.99 Scallops and fries. We also started out with Fried Mozzarella Sticks for $3.99.

            In no time we had 4 Mozzarella Sticks served on a paper plate in front of us which disappointingly did not come served with marinara sauce. Even though they probably came from a bag, they were freshly fried and actually tasted very good.  Not long after we finished up the mozzarella sticks our meals were brought out.  Together my 4 broiled Crabby Patties made up at least one decent sized crab cake and $5.99 is a pretty good deal for a crab cake. Alex’s meal came with 4 huge sea scallops that were fried to perfection perched atop a basket of French fries.

            I really enjoyed my little Crabby Patties. They were delicious and perfectly cooked and had more crab in them than filler with a nice blend of seasoning and spices. The remoulade sauce was also very good with just a little bite to it. For some reason, Alex did not care for my Crabby Patties but he and I both loved his scallops.  They were fatty and juicy and fried just enough to keep the moister in. My Crabby Patties were great but the scallops were perfect!

            The Crab Dump has a horrible name and no ambiance at all but the food was pretty dang good and at least for lunch was extremely reasonably priced. You might not want to take a girl here on a first date but if you find yourself in Chester craving a cheap and tasty seafood lunch skip Captain D’s and head straight to The Crab Dump.

Wendy’s Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwich

        Slathered in sauce with large chunks of what I assume was some sort of "grilled" chicken.  The chicken may have been "grilled" but the flatbread was it. it was cold and limp.  The tomato and greens on the sandwich were practically non-existant and any flavor that they may have had was totally overwelmed by the globs of sauce.

         There were no redeeming qualities to this sandwich other than the fact that I had a free coupon for it.  I suugest getting a $1 McChicken from McDonalds before you think about getting this.  I honestly like Wendy's, but this flatbread monstrousity was the worst.

Tasty Treat

658 N County Dr  

Wakefield, VA 23888

 

               On Rt. 460, right as you enter Wakefield is one of the best food secrets of Central Virginia. While everyone else traveling up and down 460 stops at Virginia Diner, (which by the way if you do go there, order the stewed tomatoes and carrot soufflé. You’re welcome!) the ones in the know stop at Tasty Treat for the one and only Fatback Burger. 

            Tasty Treat is by no means hidden nor do people not eat that, it’s just that the vast majority of people only know Wakefield for Virginia Diner. But if they would stop at Tasty Treat just a quarter of a mile earlier, they might add a new reason to talk about Wakefield.  Unlike Virginia Diner, you have to order at the window at Tasty Treat and the only place to sit is at picnic tables under a large tent out front. Even though it doesn’t have wait staff and air conditioning, Tasty Treat has one thing that nowhere else has… The Fatback Burger! 2 1/3 lb all beef patties, topped with Swiss cheese, chili, bacon, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, and jalapenos. The jalapenos are the only optional item.

            This burger is amazing. The 2 1/3 lb patties are well seasoned and extremely thick and juicy. The rest of the condiments only add to the deliciousness of the burger. They also flow perfectly together with no one item over powering the others. One would originally think that Swiss is a weird choice of cheese but it goes perfectly and goes to show the amount of thought that went into creating this crowning achievement of taste.

Once you figure out a way to fit the burger into your mouth you then have to keep at least a dozen napkins handy to clean your face as the on slot of delicious juices run down your chin. But incredibly, the burger usually stays intact until the last couple of bites which is in and of itself a marvel of engineering. With this being said, DO NOT EAT THE FATBACK WHILE TRYING TO DRIVE!  It is impossible without getting your clothes and the entire driver’s side of the car filthy and very possibly causing you to crash on this already treacherous road.

I will not waste your time reviewing anything else on the menu because unless you are a woman or a child there is no reason in the world to even considered ordering anything other than the Fatback Burger.

So the next time you’re on your way to the beach or Suffolk, stop by Tasty Treat and order a Fatback Burger, You (but not your waist line) will thank me.

Oh ya, by the way, they also have clean restrooms!