leaping lizard cafe

abysmal-chef needs to go back to culinary school. terrible.

*quick disclaimer/background: my fiance is quite an accomplished cook and i come from a very long line of chefs and, so, therefore, we are both very experienced with food, its preparations, etc as we both came from (and met) through the restaurant industry*
we were coming into town for the marathon and decided to stop here for dinner since they were featured on triple d (we always strive to eat at as many as we can when travelling). the restaurant is very small, which is fine and quaint, but the decorations were really "kitchy" and a bit childish. i ordered the filet and my fiance ordered the duck (his favorite dish). my filet came out perfectly cooked (medium rare), however the cut of meat was so incredibly poor that it was gamey, chewy, and grainy. the lentils it came with were soft, with no texture or bite, and appeared to have come from a can.
the worst was my fiance's duck. he ordered his medium rare. please note, the duck is a red meat. when it came out, to say that it was well done would be giving it credit. the meat was white. it actually looked like overdone pork. when the waitress came over to check in to see how our food was and was told that the duck came out prepared incorrectly...her response: "oh, well sometimes duck does that"...and then walked away. didn't even apologize. really?? duck "does that"? duck does what? over cook itself? eventually, another server came out with a plate of more duck...which was just as overcooked as the first!!! at this point, we were disgusted. thankfully, they comped the duck, and we went our way. but clearly, this chef needs some more education.

came for lunch one day... food was a little on the expensive side, nothing great. i was a little upset that i spent the money i did for such little food. needless to say i was very hungry when i left.

from an episode of diners, drive - ins and dives. i saw this restaurant featured on a food network show and made a note of it for when we were back in the virginia beach area. i'm glad i did. my wife, daughter and i each ordered the half of a turkey and ham sandwich with salad which was presented with small sides of potato salad and fruit. my son in law had the quinoa salad and the grandkids had grilled cheese. everyone said they enjoyed their lunch. the bread for the sandwiches was so good we bought a loaf.

not impressed. we took a friend there for her birthday (on my recommendation). we sat outside in the cold. yes there was a heater but still very chilly because it's not completely enclosed. our waitress was snippy and not well informed. our food was good but very little for the price. however, when it came to desserts our waitress told us there was only one thing available yet when other tables ordered after us they got all kinds of treats and desserts. i think if our waitress had been pleasant then maybe it would turn it all around but i won't make the drive to go there again. i would give it a c+.

amazing!. we went for lunch last week. quite busy, but we were greeted & seated promptly outside. we had a very friendly server & the menu looked great! i tried the quinoa salad, and my mom had the fish (i think it was grouper). it was absolutely amazing!!! we'd been here before but it was years ago. we will certainly return

i expected it to be good because of what i'd read , but it was so much better than good. my husband and i are organic farmers who are great cooks. my sister, gail hobbs page is a professional chef. we are used to extremely fresh incredible and complex flavors. this food was fabulous and the place had the authentic quirkiness that i love. it's mobbed and my god it's worth the wait. i'll gladly drive an hour to eat there again!

wow. how have i missed this place. quick lunch run from little creek for a super sandwich. i'll be back...soon

great food - not so friendly. 5 stars on the food - 4 stars on service for our server - 1 star on friendliness

the food was excellent and our server attentive and friendly. unfortunately our first impression was not warm and welcoming at all. we had a party of 5. two of us showed up soon after opening for lunch. we browsed the gift shop for a few minutes then decided to secure a table since we had a larger than normal party. after being greeted we were pretty much "shoed" to an outside table because five of us at a table inside would be pretty cramped. however, it was pretty hot (90) and humid. i think we would've preferred a/c and cramped to outside under those circumstances. we didn't make a fuss though and said fine. the hostess said she'd get our table set and ready - which she promptly did. keep in mind we were pretty much the first ones there - period. the place was empty. the meeting time for our group was 11:30. our table was set and ready by 11:15. a few minutes later the third person showed up. by 11:20 4 out of 5 of us were there. what really ruffled our feathers was being told we would not be seated until our entire party arrived - policy dontchaknow. you know, i understand policies are made for a reason. and under other circumstances (rush hour, really busy) i would have been much more okay with having to wait to be seated. but really? we're standing out there trying to find some shade to wait in, and we can see the completely empty patio with our table all set and waiting for us and they refused to seat us. it made no sense. it felt rude and not welcoming or friendly at all. our checks would've been larger had they let us sit and wait - all of us would've ordered a drink. but by the time we finally got seated we were so irritated we just wanted to get the show on the road.

by the time we left around 1:00 the place was packed. so if you want to go just know ahead of time you should try and get there early and don't expect to be seated until your entire party is there - even if they're empty.

really like guy fieri but no digging this sandwich shop. potato salad was nothing like potato salad. i felt bad calling 4 small potato wedges salad. turkey wrap lacked flavor. not a good value.

visited on several occasions. depending on the time, be prepared to wait or get lucky with quick service. always incredibly delicious. friendly staff. cute restaurant. overall fair priced abd excellent quality. local favorite.

overpriced and underwhelming. pretentious clientele and snooty staff. too green and crunchy an atmosphere for a bunch of wealthy snobs.

favorite lunch spot!. i have been to leaping lizard a number of times since discovering it earlier this year. both my friend and i had been lamenting finding a local, artsy eatery nearby, and were excited when we found leaping lizard. the atmosphere reminds me of many of the small restaurants along the gulf coast of florida that i loved (and miss...), service is always good and the place is almost always packed. so be ready for a wait (or get there early). parking is also limited, and in our experience if you're carpooling with others, be sure to take the compact car!

what about the food? i have yet to try anything that isn't excellent. the hummas wrap and quinoa salad are favorites, but so were the (lightly) fried green tomatoes i had off the seasonal menu last time i was there. the summer gazpacho was delightful as well. my friend swears their roast beef sandwich is one of the better ones she's ever ordered out (i tend towards the more vegetarian options). portions are a good size for lunch--not too much so as to overwhelm or that i feel stuffed (or have to skip dessert!).. most come with a small salad and fresh (in season) fruit.. don't forget to try one of their desserts too--my favorite is always the chocolate cake! prices are good for a sit-down lunch at a place like this; with splitting a check with a friend (and we usually get dessert) plus a tip, i rarely spend over $17. which to me is well worth it for the quality of food and the prompt service.

went here per ddd. be prepared to wait but it's worth it. husband got the summer sandwich and loved it. i got the smoked turkey with basil mayo and it was great. platters came with fresh side salad and slice of cantaloupe. hummus appetizer was great. gift shop is full of over priced gifts made in china so don't get sucked into buying that stuff. go for the fresh food and you'll be glad you did!

fantastic! great service, creative tasty food, cool atmosphere! my six year old loved feeding the free range hens her fruit scraps. they were very busy, but it was worth the wait!

not impressed. portion sizes were fine, cost was reasonable, and service was pleasent. but when your a resterant whose claim to fame is freshness using deli meat roast beef i could get a walmart doesn't cut it. worse, lying and swear it was just in the oven & fresh sliced really gets you no points. the potato salad was old tasting. very shocked overall, not what i expected. my husband said his ham sandwich was tasty, but agreed the potatoe salad was "off". c+