Cove Tavern - Newport News

The atmosphere was fantastic, and the staff was very friendly! However, we did wait 40 minutes for the fries that were supposed to come with the entrée, as well as the sauce for my crab cakes. Although the food was good, it wasn’t remarkable enough for me to share with my mom. There are definitely better restaurants where you can enjoy a great experience and have tastier food.

This dish was simply outstanding! I usually avoid ordering fish because the quality can vary greatly from one restaurant to another. However, I have to say that the flavor of this salmon was incredible, and the vegetables complemented it perfectly! This restaurant is definitely worth a visit!

For my main course, I tried the half roasted chicken and the braised short rib. The chicken was moist and flavorful, which I absolutely loved, and it was served with perfectly cooked jasmine rice. The braised short rib was rich and delicious, accompanied by a jus that tasted more like a smoky BBQ sauce. However, the short rib was so good on its own that I didn’t even need to use the sauce. The sweet potato fries, which were actually waffle fries, were also enjoyable without being overly sweet. For drinks, I tried the Oaxacan Old Fashioned, and I was really impressed by the creativity of that cocktail. Overall, I would definitely come back to try more dishes. However, I do feel that some menu item names and descriptions could be improved to better reflect what the dishes actually are, such as renaming the garlic gouda mac and cheese and simply calling it crab dip.

Cove Tavern was one of my favorites to visit when I worked nearby. At the time of writing, it is even better now. The staff is great and there is a variety of great food options. Definitely try them out if you haven't yet.

We came here to see a friend perform this past Thursday. Everything started ok. We ordered wings, 3 kids meals and my husband ordered the Chesapeake burger with slaw and potatoes and I ordered the Philly cheesesteak with fries. The wings were good, the kids enjoyed what they ate of their food. BEWARE: Our chicken tenders had bones in them! But before I could even begin to enjoy my food they started burning incense or had a diffuser nearby and there was no circulation because the ac was definitely not on my allergies went crazy. I started sneezing, my eyes wouldn't stop watering, and my face was itching so bad. Once It calmed down a bit I took a few bites. I wouldn't call that a Philly, I was disappointed. Both mine and my husband's dishes lacked any seasoning, the fries were decent though. I will say our server was nice and even though they were busy we didn't have to wait too long for service. But because of the irritant we most likely won't be back.