sandfiddler cafe

the best breakfast restaurant in hampton roads! the staff is always friendly and their food is always exactly what we're looking for. our favorite is the chicken and waffles with the chipotle sauce. i always try something new and have yet to be disappointed. a breakfast place that is frequented by local police, fire fighters and military must be doing something right. highly recommended!

sandfiddler plays no 2nd "fiddle"!. ok let me start this review off by saying my visit of sandfiddler was by complete chance. i was in the area visiting a client when our meeting got pushed back. so i had an hour to kill. since it was lunch time i thought i would go ahead and grab a bite nearby. i pulled the trusty urbanspoon ap on the droid and started lookin'. well there was sandfiddler, when i saw the 90% "like" ranking and amount of votes well over 350, i knew i had to check this little baby out. so i did just that. i rolled up to find a very clean shop front and customers streaming in and out. i thought this place must be pretty happening with that kind of traffic. as i entered i noted right away how clean the place looked. well organized and nicely decorated. i was greeted immediately by warm smiling faces, i would later find out it was the owner jeff, and my server. it's a really laid back atmosphere so you can seat yourself. that only adds to the great chilled out beach theme. my server was there right away and asked for my drink order. i of course got my usual, an ice cold diet coke, it came quickly, served in a really cool, very unique glass, it was big but not hard to pick up. i like that. the syrup to soda ratio was spot on so the flavor was great! as i scanned the menu i came across (as many of you who follow my reviews know as my favorite) a club sandwich, jackpot! i ordered the club on sour dough with fries. i waited just a few minutes for my food. during that time i watched the staff, they are real pros. lots of smiles, on top of refills, communication between the cooks and the servers was spot on, and they all seemed to know everyone that walked in. that's awesome in my book. so the big moment! my club was here. it looked delicous! (i posted many pics above for you to see) the plating was great, just the way a club should be, cut into 4 triangles, frill picked, and the fries piled high in the middle was a great touch. and to top it off a great crunchy pickle spear. the bread was so good, it was soft and warm with just a kiss of toasting. the meats were fresh sliced thin, in true authentic deli fashion. i could pick out all the meats individually when i bit into it ham, turkey, fresh grilled hickory bacon. the tomato and lettuce were also fresh as can be, crispy, cold and juicy. and to round off this masterpiece were super creamy mayo and a fresh slice of american cheese. i was really excited about the fries, they were crinkle cut (real diner style), cooked to perfection, they were piping hot but showed no signs of over browning. that tells me that the sandfiddler is all about quality and they switch their fryer oil regularly. i devoured it all, it was sublime. this was a top notch experience. i know i usually say "i recommend" a place when i like them. but in this case i am telling that you have to go here! it was that great! you won’t be disappointed. i got to glimpse some other plates while i was there, one right after the other had the same quality jumping off the plate. i like this place so much that i created a new guide because of them. “clubin” it in hampton roads. you can see it listed here on sandfiddler's page or you can find it on my page, just click my name. again, bottom line: sandfiddler is off the chain! great job sandfiddler, jeff, and the gang! you guys rock!

scrumptious, generous, and tidy. well, mr. boyfriend and i went there about a week ago despite all of the recent negative reviews. when we arrived, the joint was packed, and it smelled delicious. we found a seat at the counter in the back, perfectly positioned to watch the line fix our breakfast. the servers were friendly and attentive without being too clingy, and the decor in the place was fantastic. the walls are all covered in local artists' work, which i thought was really neat.
i ordered cheese blintzes with strawberries, and mr. boyfriend had the big giant he-man breakfast thing. the lead cook on the line was...she was just fantastic. when our server put the ticket up, the cook started calling out what needed to hit the flat top, what needed to come out of the fridge, and what needed to happen elsewhere in the kitchen. for those people who say that the pancakes are from the freezer section, i'd like to say that i saw them being poured on the griddle from fresh batter. in fact, all of the food was prepared as it was ordered, which i thought was impressive for a kitchen of that size. our food was delivered quickly, piping hot, and thoroughly delicious. i would recommend this place to anybody.

excellent breakfast. had the cali omelette with hash browns and grits. the hash browns were mixed with cheese and onion and that made it even more delicious. highly recommended

typical diner cuisine, friendly staff. amused when asked about gf options.. :) good variety of menu options and very busy local spot. crab omelette is good.. very affordable too. enjoy!

if you're looking for good solid diner style breakfast, this is the place to go! gets crowded on weekends but you can quickly get a table even if you do have to wait. the owner is very nice and is always walking around checking on people. i will say the service staff is sufficient but not anything special, but they get the job done so can't complain.

also this place serves my favorite belgian waffles in town! we even get them as carry out sometimes. it was actually one of my pregnancy cravings haha

excellent breakfast and lunch too!. we love to have breakfast or lunch at sandfidler cafe! it's clean and has a beachy casual style but the food is amazing and always served with a smile! if you are in norfolk don't miss it!

plentiful and ok. went for sunday brunch, a packed house. i had the creamed chipped beef on a biscuit (sue me, my mom did it better with more beef and some sherry in the white sauce). friend had a wonderful chili cheddar omelet (like a chili burrito, with the egg serving as the wrap. yum!), another with standard egg and hash brown breakfast. lots of food, and it was fine, but prefer shipwreck. nice decor and great service.

user reviews. the best!

not a good experience (7-20-2014, 10am). my first and last time there i was greeted well, served a drink, and ordered and awaited the crabmeat eggs benedict with grits on the side. the food arrived quickly. the grits were brown and very runny so i gave them a sniff.....they had a stronger seafood smell than the crabmeat.....really strong. i set them aside thinking i would never taste them. the benedict looked good, though the crab was more brown in color than any i have had before, so i dug in. i love crab and eat it as often as i can. i sliced into and ate the first bite....and it was okay.....but when i forked a second bite, instead of seeing yolk running out i saw about 2 tablespoons of what i would guess was partially-cooked egg-white running out onto the plate like water. i found it a little revolting after noting the grits.
i pushed the plate aside and my father announced to the waitress there was a problem.....while he and my brother continued to eat and enjoy their meals. the first waitress asked what was wrong and asked if she could get me something else, i said no. (i was done trying to eat anything here, but i did not want to ruin my family's meals. she said he would remove it from the bill...i said it was not necessary. she asked what was wrong. i told her i did not want to discuss it while my family was eating. a second waitress approached and kept asking what the problem was. i told her that i did not want to discuss it. then the manager or owner came out and leand over the table, and my brother and fathers plates, while they coninued to eat. he kept asking me what was wrong with the meal. i told him that i did not want to discuss it while my family was eating. he kept insisting. i told him i would be happy to leave the restaurant if he wished so, but that i did not want to discuss it while my family was eating. his reply was that "i did not need to be rude" and finally turned to walk away. they ruined my meal.....and did their best to ruin everyone elses........and i only wished to continue hanging out with my father and brother. they did not charge for my meal. i left an additional $7.00 tip on the table after my family had walked away....they did not know i did this. my father paid the bill at the front counter and tipped without knowing of my tip.

this restaurant did everything they could to ruin the experience. i tried to be polite and generous, with one exception......i quietly said to myself "what an f-ing a-hole" to myself as the "manager" finally gave up and walked away. i think he heard me because he started to turn back to the table....then went on his way. this guy has a horrible disposition and should not be working with the public. i will never return.....no sense in "looking" for trouble.

going downhill. the place has really gone down. poor service. poorly run. food just ok. hard to screw up breakfast, but the atmosphere and staff leaves a lot to be desired.

food is really good...but not quite the same now that they are under new management the service isn't as friendly. but if it's good food you're looking for its the place to go!

i dont think its worth "travelling" here... its breakfast, folks! its not fancy, but its good and fast and great service.

sandfiddler restaurant. i took my mom and wife to the sandfiddler for breakfast. the food was terrific, the service was excellent, the prices moderate, and it was super clean. they specialize in breakfast, but they are also open for lunch. i grew up in norfolk, and now every time i visit i intend to eat there. i had a made to order omelet and hash browns. my wife had eggs, pancakes and sausage, my mom had the french toast. we all loved it. they give servicemen, police and firefighters in uniform a discount. they support the local arts community by selling their art without a commission. i am looking forward to going back. we eat out fairly often and i give this place an a+.

went on sun morning. clean, busy, staff super friendly!! not a regular but plan on becoming one! best breakfast in ov area!! sat at counter, food was good and service was quick! will definitely return!