Ddeb’s- A Taste of Home

Yesterday was my first time eating a Ddeb’s … what an absolute amazing hidden treasure in the heart of Great Bridge!
The staff were so polite, the chef was a hoot, and our meal was INCREDIBLE (Gluten Free options too, like GF She Crab Soup!)
Cannot wait to go back and take my husband there for a nice relaxing dinner
Highly recommend you add this gem to your list.
Brenda Ike
Chesapeake Virginia

i loved it ! it really surprised me how good it was because im usually a bit reserved but im glad i came in here !

Should you need a reason other than phenomenal food and great service to dine here consider that almost every weekend Ddebs sponsors a charity and donates at least 10% of their Saturday sales. Yesterday’s charity was our local Humane Society. Being as how my husband and I are fierce shelter/​rescue supporters we felt yesterday was the day to find out just what all the fuss is about over here. I can assure you, we were NOT disappointed! I would highly recommend making reservations now that summer is here. We showed up right at 5pm and were pleasantly surprised to find out one table taken inside. However, this did not last long. By the time we left (close to 630) it was slap full up!
I dined on the maple chicken with sweet potato mash and squash. The sweet potatoes were so sweet and flavorful I could have just had them and been content. The squash comes with a spicy honey sauce and bacon. I eliminated the bacon (I’m not a bacon fiend) but it still had the spicy honey flavor. My husband who never eats squash admitted even he would order this side. That speaks volumes there. I can not tell you just how tender my maple walnut chicken was. I didn’t even need a knife to cut it it was so tender. The folks next to me were also first time diners and once my entrée arrived they couldn’t get over how delicious it smelled. Matter of fact, they wanted to know what I thought of it because they were going to order it too. The maple and Walnuts were something I never would have put with chicken but it is a delectable pairing. Definitely some of the best chicken I have ever had.
My husband had the special of Spicy New Orleans Chicken with Andouille sausage. He isn’t a man of many words when it comes to food but he said it was awesome and left his plate so clean he told our server she didn’t even need to clean it because he took care of that. Oh, his sides were some of THE BEST Mac n Cheese I have EVER had. My husband said it tastes just like mine without the onions that I add. I don’t know, that stuff was like a dessert for me. I would order that and dine on just that!!!
If you haven’t been here and you enjoy good food you really are depriving yourself of an experience. The food is made fresh so don’t wait til you’re starving because it does take a bit to prepare but it is very much worth it! My husband enjoyed his meal so much that he told Deb her place was our new go to.

Superb. I highly recommend the prime rib offered on Friday and Sat. The beef stroganoff, linguini, and liver and onions are amazing. Stan’s biscuits are melt in your mouth. The tomato and the she crab soups are terrific and I don’t normally like tomato soup. The restaurant is always spotless and service is always good.
Highly recommend.

Excellent food and wonderful service! And I love how this restaurant used to be a house! So cool! For an appetizer, I had a bowl of the best she crab soup I’ve ever had. Most restaurants serve she crab soup that is lacking in crab, but at Ddeb’s it was Full of crab! For my entrée, I tried the Prime Rib… Seasoned perfectly, cooked perfectly… So Delicious! And the homemade sweet potato mashed and macaroni and cheese for my sides… I couldn’t get enough! I was so full from dinner but still couldn’t resist a piece of lemonberry marscapone cake — one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. If you’ve never been to Ddeb’s, you should definitely check it out the next time you want to go out for lunch or dinner! It was pretty busy when we went so I’d make a reservation if I were you … We were lucky enough to get the last open table in the house! Thanks Deb!

Made the opportunity to come to this much talked about Restaurant. Everything reported was spotted on and then some! The food was incredible. We ordered crab soup, shrimp and grits, shrimp salad sandwich, sausage wonton bites, every bit was delicious! Our waitress Aija greeted us with a great smile and attitude telling us about all they had to offer for lunch.
If your interested they have Soul Food Sunday!

After our dinner on Friday night we decided to try out the lunch options so we took the entire family! We forgot that sandwiches are not available on Sunday’s so no review of the lunch menu this time.
More people, same experience! D Deb’s has the best food in Hampton Roads, period! Mother in law ordered the meatloaf, I sampled it and it is great! Well seasoned but not too much and not dry at all as some meatloaf can be! I switched up and had a chicken ceased salad which was very good with a different Caesar dressing, not sure what it was but different and delicious. The rest had food previously tried with the same results, perfection!
We will be back again this week!

The wife wanted something different for dinner. When I saw a restaurant with 90 reviews and 5 stars, we decided to try it. We asked our buddy, Mike, to join us and set out reservation for 6:30pm that evening. Though they were short staffed, Deb herself stepped in and offered no excuses. It’s easy to see why her restaurant is so successful. Great service, magnificently prepared food and an elegant yet down home atmosphere made this a night to remember. Though the people at the tables around us were strangers, the friendly service and wonderful food gave the hint of a Sunday dinner with the family.
I can only comment on the food we tasted, so here goes :
Get the mac-​n-​cheese! Our is made with sweet cream and is cooked to perfection!
The beef stroganoff was like a beautifully cooked pot roast over a bed of al dente bowtie pasta.
Crab-​stuffed whole snapper that my wife loved.
To top it off, the lemon berry marzipan was divine.
5 stars? Oh yeah, and then some!
Yes, Deb, we’ll be back!

I went here for my birthday lunch after having it on my list for a long time. I pretty much walked in when the doors opened. We were the only customers and it let me get a feel for the place. It’s very cozy yet taken care of the restrooms are clean and well watched after and the whole feel of the place is like stepping into someone’s home.
The staff is friendly and knows the menu items pretty well. Getting to the menu, it’s nice and varied and has some classic quality items. The items which I had namely the stroganoff was wonderful and I would order it again.
I plan to come back to enjoy the prime rib night and steak nights!

Ddebs has fast become one of my favorite places to go for a date meal, or a meal where you want to feel like you are getting a hug from a family member. The restaurant, which is in a small White House off a busy road in Chesapeake, is welcoming and charming all rolled into one. Each room had a few tables, so that patrons have a bit of privacy. The main entry also had bags of donations gathered as each month they donate 10% of their profits to a non profit AND collect donations for area organizations. I love them for this.
The food is delicious, soulful and satisfying. I adored every bite of my she crab soup and my friend’s crab and artichoke melt, and can’t stop thinking about my blueberry salad dressing (and I don’t like dressings on my salads). I have to say the chicken and dumplings I had were great, but I am partial to my favorite chicken pot pie in Salem, NJ, so it is hard for me to love anyone else’s.
What made the meal perfect was the experience though. I just want to go back. Like twice a week. So DDeb (who is perfectly perfect) and the waitress can get to know me by name and I can just go ‘home’ for a meal once in a while. It is just that kind of place.

It was a pleasant treat to attend this Elite-​Only event on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
Ddep’s — A Taste of Home looks like someone’s house when you drive by it and that is just what happened to me. I drove right by it and if it wasn’t for seeing another Unilocaler walking in I would still been looking for the restaurant. They are normally closed on Sunday’s and because with was a private Unilocal event we received an even more personal treatment.
Overall the dishes were good. We had samples of sausage wontons, she crab soup, chicken & dumplings, beef stroganoff and few apps that I am sorry that I was late to check out. Not everything was described by the Chef or host, but you could figure most things out. We were also offered two different types of wine and a IPA draft beer which I was told at first was a Big Ugly IPA, but l was told later on that is was just a plan old Sam Adams. Not a big deal, but I was really looking forward to the Big Ugly.
The Sausage Wonton was okay. I felt it was a little too crunchy for me, but tasted good. The She Crab soup was one of my favorites as it had a good amount of crab meat in it. It also had a cracker on top that could have been left on the side. The Chicken & Dumpling was my least favorite, but I was told by a fellow Unilocaler that it is normally the best thing on the menu, but not today. The Beef Stroganoff was tasty, but maybe a little salty.
Last, but not least was dessert which included Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake and the Chocolate Chip Brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. The Cake was okay, but would have been better if it was left out to warm up a little.
The place itself was warm and inviting and I may show up again during normal hours to try a full meal or lunch. One last thing! Parking is limited, but I believe that there is additional parking behind the house… I mean restaurant. I parked on the front street which I hope was okay.

A private event was held here last Sunday and I was an invited guest. Oh what a treat it was…
I tell you to secure a venue when it’s normally closed to the public, but opens their doors to us ( Unilocal)… that’s a sacrifice and an admirable display of love! I told the owner Deb, you could have been anywhere in the world on your day off, but you thought enough to say, sure, I’ll open up on my day off! Why, thank you :) Now, let’s eat!
Overall the dishes were yummy. Some of the samples, I did not try just based on personal reasons, but definitely do not count this place out. Now it looks like a house that you may have grew up in or one that your grandparents or even your great grandparents may still live, but no way Jose… this is d’Debs place! A nice little cottage with a porch and all the trimmings just off the Blvd. Battlefield Blvd. that is.
What I can remember, I sampled: sausage wontons, she crab soup with a ritz cracker, chicken and dumplings, beef stroganoff, lemon berry mascarpone and the chocolate chip brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. Wuuuuu… did you catch all that??? OMG… this was a plenty for me. But let me tell you about it.
Sausage wonton: these were pretty good — not fantastic, but good. Some of the pictures posted, these look different from the picture I posted, not sure why. But they are worth a try if you’re interested.
She crab soup: this was super delicious. I compared the texture and flavoring to my favorite she crab in the area. While the taste seemed the same the textures were seemingly different. Nevertheless, definitely get you a cup of this — so worth it! And the Ritz cracker… my favorite! Such a cute addition. And to think, after a cup of this, you will still have room for your meal.
Chicken and dumplings: not impressed to say the least. Not sure if this dish was rushed, but it did not even look like chicken and dumplings. Minimal dumplings and the chicken… just blah. However, I am told by a frequent visitor, the chicken and dumplings is usually on point. So I said that to say… don’t count this dish out. But for me, I’ll pass.
Beef stroganoff: Oh I so wanted to love this, but the sauce was too salty for my liking. Now, I will say the beef was super tender. It was so tender, I wiped the sauce off as much as I could and just ate the beef. I didn’t want to waste a good sample… the beef was that good!!!
Lemon berry mascarpone: not a favorite here. But I’m not a dessert fan either. But this here is very rich. I’d suggest you share it or take half home for later.
Chocolate Chip brownie/​vanilla ice cream: this here… I liked! I like brownies, but I love brownies with nuts!!! This did not have nuts :(But I would like to see that as an option for those that absolutely love nuts with their brownie. The warm chocolate sauce drizzled over the brownie made it extra yummy! Yeah, I ate all of this!
So yes… come on and go to D’debs for lunch or dinner one day. I heard Deb (the owner) mention for the month of February 2016, children 10 and under eat free with the purchase of an entrée on Saturdays only. So yeah, I’ll be back for that!
I also heard… they will be opening on Sunday’s…starting on Valentines Day… so make your reservations now.
This is a cozy yet home-​style restaurant. I’m pretty sure it could be whatever you like. Intimate or family style dining. I experienced the family style dining on Sunday. They pushed together about 4 tables to make one long table. This was cute, definitely felt like we were gathered at someones home for dinner. But we were… D’debs :)
Parking is limited up front (the side gravel lot), but I do believe additional parking is available behind the house (restaurant). Street parking should be available too, I do not remember seeing any no parking signs on the street. But this is a small place so I would think reservations are encouraged.
I will be back soon… thanks again for the super awesome hospitality. Chef Stan, Deb and the waitress were all on point ON THEIR DAY OFF!!!
Have fun!

It was the perfect choice for an afternoon outing on a gorgeous winter day.
The location, just beyond the bridge in Great Bridge, is in a converted house shortly after one turns on Old Road. It immediately conveys the feel of a cozy & welcoming brunch spot.
Stepping inside validated the above. Owner Deb was there with a friendly welcome to her restaurant, which really did have the feel of home.
Food choices were familiar comfort foods with Chef Stan’s special flare for the perfect spices and consistency.
Appetizer selections were a fitting prelude to selections to come. Tasty choices sampled included baked sausage wontons served on a bed of greens, colorful nacho chips with salsa, and two different choices of Gorgonzola cheese coated breads, one with black olives and the other with small diced tomatoes.
My drink choices included not just «real» sweet tea but also an excellent Pinot Grigio. The wine was a perfect pairing with the fare that would come.
Can we return to the sweet tea? It was brewed and sweetened to a degree that would make anyone raised in the Deep South feel at home.
Following the appetizer came a bowl of possibly the best she crab soup I have ever tasted. It was lightly based, without the heavy cream that overpowers so many of it’s lesser cousins. The seasoning and lightly shredded veggie additions complemented the fresh crab meat. How could the next offering compare?
With great anticipation I waited for the main course. The duel offering consisted of a bowl of Chef Stan’s Chicken & Dumplings and Proprietor Deb’s Beef Stroganoff. Both were amazing.
The Chicken & Dumplings were lightly based with southern style dumplings that would have made my Grandmother envious. As with the soup, the veggie additions and chicken meshed perfectly with the tasty home style dumplings.
The Beef Stroganoff featured tender perfect cuts of beef in a savory sauce with bow tie pasta. The pasta choice was an excellent surprise.
Can we even talk about dessert? My plate included a slice of chocolate chip brownie topped with vanilla ice cream & lemon/​berry/​mascarpone cake.
Service was extremely attentive. Friendly Chef Stan and Deb circulated regularly.
«Ddeb’s — A Taste of Home» truly is a taste of home. Chef Stan’s southern roots with a Mid-​Atlantic twist have made this a Chesapeake «Must Do». Thank you Deb & company. I will return.

This place is literally a house and the parking area is narrow. When I walked in, I felt like I was sitting down at a relatives house waiting for dinner.
The first round was the Mediterranean Salsa, I love olives so the bitter taste mixed with Jalapeños. Accompanying that were two types of a bruschetta. one Olive another topped with Tomatoes. Both delicious!
Round two, the She’Crab soup. hear me when I say this… this is the BEST rendition I’ve had. It was so creamy and a flavorful… without being overpowered. Perfecto.
Round Three, the Beef Stroganoff and Chicken & Dumplings came out on the same plate. Surprisingly I liked the stroganoff better, the broth was amazing! I’m usually a chicken guy. hmmm
Finally, we had dessert some sort of brownie and the other was a berry marscpone cake. I liked the brownie better…
Can’t wait to come again, I like where this place is going.

Stopped by tonight (New Years Eve). This is our second visit & we need to come back more frequently. The soda bread was to die for. I could have eaten a dozen of them.
My husband had the filet mignon special for $ 27.00. It came w/​green beans & he chose mushroom risotto. The risotto was tight, not a loose risotto. So, not a fan of the risotto… other than that… knocked it out of the park w/​this dish! It was the best steak he has ever eaten (his words) and he is a steak man.
I am a seafood person so I ordered the stuffed lobster special for $ 30.00. It came w/​a salad & I chose the roasted potatoes. My food was cooked to perfection, it didn’t come w/​butter so I did have to ask for it. It really didn’t needed if both lobster & stuffing (crab) were eaten together. But, it did need the butter if it wasn’t eaten together (in my opinion). I had the balsamic dressing w/​salad (made in house). It was a thick dressing which caught me by surprise. This is my new favorite dressing (they should bottle the stuff).
We left no room for dessert and actually carried left overs home w/​us. This is our second visit and we are so pleased to have walked out incredibly pleased once again.
Thanks Deb, will see you again soon & Happy New Year once again!

Woooohoo –yet another five-​star review to add to dDeb’s mantle. If you don’t think that this spot is a five-​star experience –there may be something wrong with your taste buds AND you should probably visit your doctor AND you probably don’t deserve to eat here AND I don’t trust your reviews. Just kiddin’, but seriously: dDeb’s is some seriously serious food.
So, unfortunately, for the next five minutes, I live in Chesapeake. I don’t like it. I don’t trust Chesapeake food. People in Chesapeake only have things like Chili’s and Outback and they love eating there. Like, too much. So, when this restaurant pops up on my radar, my first thought is: «oh, it’s in Chesapeake and you can’t trust Chesapeake people so it’s probably not five-​stars; it’s probably just an inch better than the norm in the land of mediocrity».
Sorry, but this is just me being honest. I lived in Western Branch for way too long and everything except for Hot Wings (which was basically in Portsmouth) was the worst of everything. Even the gator bites at A.J. Gators tasted tainted by the cursed food soil of Chesapeake.
I walked into dDeb’s like, «this is going to be meh, eh, ugh, and bleh». Holy s#!+ was I wrong. dDeb’s was my new favorite restaurant after my first taste of just their soup. Sold, done, totally won over. I’m a believer. If Debbie had a cult, I’d be in it.
The inside of the restaurant feels like someone’s home and, if you didn’t know exactly how to get there, you’d seriously just drive right passed it. Parking is a b!+(#. I totally backed into a tree leaving dDeb’s mid-​food coma. I didn’t even really care though, I was on a «I just ate the best food ever» endorphin high.
I ordered the she crab soup and the chicken and dumplings (which came with a salad). The she crab soup was, hands down, the best and most flavorful that I’ve ever had. It was creamy, well-​seasoned, with big chunks of crab, and a beautiful presentation.
Then, it came time for the chicken and dumplings. These were, also, the best that I’ve ever had. I mean WOW. The flavor, the consistency, the texture. I love chicken and dumplings with «drop dumplings» and these were ON POINT. They were so delicious and my server gave me a fresh roll to compliment it with. OH MY GOODNESS –this place is #1 for a home cooked kind-​of meal, perfect for winter.
People of Unilocal,listen here, go to dDeb’s. I keep telling everyone about dDeb’s: my mom, my grandmomma, Xerxes, everyone. This place is HTTP://​WWW​.THE​BOMB​.COM/ forreal, with the registered domain name and everything.

Thank you, Unilocal,for leading me to this kicka## restaurant. First up, the service was excellent. 200 instant cool points any time the Chef comes out to to personally check on his guests. I missed his name, but he was an immediately likable fellow… It’s always nice to meet folks who are obviously passionate about what they do, and not to mention committed to the customers. Our waitress, Kwanna, (sp?) was also extremely pleasant and attentive, and took excellent care of us. I believe the other (equally pleasant) lady we spoke with was the wife-​half of an Owner/​Operator couple. All around a very friendly and comfortable place. It was immediately evident that we made a good choice. The restaurant was also very clean and fully decorated for the holidays which really added to the charm.
The food itself was awesome. I’m a huge fan of she-​crab soup (it’s kryptonite in a bowl for me… I’m powerless to resist) but it was easily the best I’d had in a long, long time. The shrimp in grits was THE best I’ve ever had, hands down. My wife and I went on a foodie vacation in Charleston, SC, a little while ago and I thought I’d found the top of my list then, but I was wrong.
Hate shrimp and grits? Try it anyway.
Allergic to shrimp? Bring an Epi-​pen. What’s a little anaphylactic shock, anyway.
Oh, and try the seasonal pumpkin shandy. I’m not a shandy fan, and I’m not a pumpkin/​gimmick beer fan, but my friend got it, I tried it, and then had to get it for myself. Its pretty damn delicious. Good beer list, good wine list, and the mascarpone would have been on the bill, too, if I had any room left whatsoever after stuffing myself shamelessly with the first two courses.
Thanks for the excellent meal, I look forward to coming back!

I love how cozy and quaint this place is. Back in the day, it used to be a tea house and now the place has been transformed in a true Southern restaurant. I had the pleasure of finally trying this place out when my best friend had her baby shower here. The parking is rather rough since the place itself has a small parking lot. You can park across the street in the bank parking lot if the place’s own parking is full.
I got inside and it really feels like you are walking right on home. My friend had a good amount of friends showing up for her baby shower so we got the right side of the place that is perfect for hosting a small party/​event for about 15 – 20 people. Since there was a big group of us, we chose from a limited menu of options for entrée: scallops, herb roasted chicken, shrimp and grits, and prime rib.
We all chose our orders and got served «soda bread.» If you have ever had an ensamada or Filipino bread roll, imagine if it had a baby with a biscuit and you would get soda bread. Now if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll say that soda bread is a softer, sweeter form of a biscuit that has cinnamon sugar and smother it with the butter provided. We also killed some crab and artichoke dip — one of the best I have ever had. The dip is full of crab and flavor. It’s served with baked bread that has butter and herbs to it. So good, we ended up ordering another serving of it.
For entrée, I ordered the herb roasted chicken. The chicken itself was full of flavor. I also got a side of mashed potatoes that were super creamy and almost on the salty side even for how salty I like things. There was a also a side of summer squash with bacon and onions I really enjoyed. I got bites to eat of my friend’s prime rib. The size they serve is ridiculous — it’s like an inch slab of meat. It was full of flavor, but I was happy I didn’t order it only because the serving they give you is intimidating. You definitely will get your money’s worth if you bring a heavy appetite.
For dessert, I decided to be a bit daring and avoid the crème brûlée they offered for a lemon berry cake with mascarpone filling. It’s a subtle sweet dessert that was perfect for the end of a great meal.
Service was one of the best I’ve had. For a big group, the place knew how to get the food out fast and hot. We were never waiting long for the next part of our meal. It was true Southern hospitality. Plus, my bill left me more than satisfied that I got my money’s worth in food.
Overall, this place is one of a kind as everything is made from scratch from the bread to even the salad dressing. The place does justice in supporting local businesses. I can’t wait to be back!

Okay, here is yet another review update. Ddeb’s is still 5 stars all the way! I tried the crab cake and shrimp special tonight, it was incredible. It was topped with a tasty corn/​cucumber salsa and a remoulade that complemented the beautifully presented dish perfectly. The yellow squash side and mashed potatoes were spot on, I just love that squash! This dish deserves to be on the permanent menu. I’m not really a dessert person but my wife adores Ddeb’s crème brûlée which was wonderful as usual. I usually just nibble a bit on her dessert but this time I decided to order my own. I asked our server Nicole about the key lime cheesecake, I could tell by the way her eyes lit up as she told me how good it was that it would be my choice. It was amazing! Let me say that again, the key lime cheesecake was AMAZING!!! Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole.
I love Ddeb’s– A Taste of Home and always look forward to my next visit. Deb is a wonderful host and makes everyone feel special. The staff is very friendly and everyone really makes it feel like you’re dining at home with family.

Wow. I had totally forgotten about this place because I live in VB now but it came up today when I was in Chesapeake visiting my parents.
The setup is very cute, inside an actual house! Not hard to find and parking was very accessible. My mom and I were seated immediately upon arrival and Katrina came over to take our drink orders. My mom ordered the Ddebs salad with a side of Mac and cheese. I got the shrimp salad sandwich with cole slaw and Mac and cheese.
It did take a little while for our food to come out but Katrina kept our drinks filled. We knew the food was home cooked so we expected a little wait.
My shrimp salad sandwich was AMAZING. So much flavor and so many shrimp!!! The Mac and cheese was to die for– my mom agreed with me it was some of the best she’s ever had. She absolutely loved her salad. We both are everything on our plates. We both wanted dessert but we were a little too full lol. I definitely want to come back here for dinner some time. Such a cute little restaurant and its hidden in great bridge. Definitely recommend coming here!