Hearth Wood Fired Cuisine & Craft Beer

Tip #1: Make reservations. But seriously. You can call after 2:30 pm to make reservations the day of (no reservations for brunch on Sunday’s). I called at approximately 2:32 pm on a Friday to make reservations for a table of 6 at 7:30 PM, and I could only get 8 pm. This place is crazy popular/​busy. Set an alarm for 2:30 pm on the day you want to make reservations and thank me later.
Tip #2: The parking lot fills up fast, but you can park along the street. This is one of those places where the parking lot is no where near big enough ever.
Tip #3: Don’t share appetizers. They’re the best things ever, and you’ll be slightly mad at yourself for sharing. I convinced my friend to share the house empandas and the fried deviled eggs (the special for the night). The house empanadas were delicious, flaky, and cooked perfectly. The sauce it came with was on point. The fried deviled eggs were mind blowing. The texture of the fried deviled eggs were awesome, I would eat 10 of them if I could. Like a moron, I decided to share with my friend so I could taste them both. My friend understandably was a little annoyed that he agreed to share with me. Just get your own appetizer, and you’ll both be happier.
After reading some of the reviews, I agree that the food is lukewarm as best when it comes out. 5 out of the 6 of us ordered the short ribs, and they weren’t all that hot. It was good enough that I didn’t mind too much. The short ribs were tender and didn’t take too much effort to break apart. The potatoes were pretty good too. I had the honey suckle cocktail. It was a little sweet, but still enjoyable. They have a great drinks menu and some good beers on tap. Service is excellent. The waitress was around just enough to refill our waters and not hover around us. The décor is rustic, although the room seem did get a little cold.
I definitely will be back here for some brunch one day! Just remember, make reservations, park on the street if you need to, and get your own appetizers. And you’ll be golden.

I love this place. My husband was temporarily stationed in VA Beach (we’re from California), and drove past this place on our way home from base. Having lived in Naples, Italy for three years, I would consider myself a pizza snob, and this place is the closest I have come to Neapolitan pizza since I left. It is delicious, with fresh and local ingredients, and just SO enjoyable. The beer and wine list is extensive, the interior very charming. The service was a little slow, but they were busy, and I didn’t mind. Everyone was very nice.
I would recommend calling for a reservation, though, as it can get a little busy! Parking is available, but it fills up quickly. We parked across VA Beach Boulevard from the restaurant.

The BBQ chicken pizza is to die for! If you want something more simple than go for the Margherita pizza it is full of delicious flavor!
The pork empanadas and far to salad are delicious too!
It’s a fun but nice atmosphere and the plates are all shareable so you can order a few different things from the menu and split them.
The wine is great too!

We couldn’t get in on a Saturday so came on a Monday. Good service. Good food. Interesting choices. Nothing made me ready to back soon. It was cold where we sat. Would’ve loved to be near one of their cool fireplaces. Had a pizza. It was good but not amazing. Kind of expensive but obviously a big hit with locals.

I have been to Hearth three times and have found the service horribly lacking. There is an unearned attitude that permeates the place; be forewarned that you will have good food but without an experience that you will enjoy.
Tonight, an icy and snowy night, we walked in at 6pm without ressies, with one table occupied in the joint, were told that we must be gone by 8pm and then were completely ignored for 15 minutes! We finally got up to leave, handed the hostess our menus and rather than apologize and try to keep us, she simply went about trying to figure out who was supposed to serve us. No apology, no desire to fix the situation, nothing.
In our previous visit, the Half Chicken was amazing and was enough to bring us back.
However, given this last experience, we are done with Hearth. I suspect that their attitude will do them in before too many more customers are punished…

I was supposed to split a chorizo & oysters on cornbread and a Luciano pizza with my girlfriend but I was like man that’s not going to be enough so i’ll get the empanadas too since they’re supposed to be the bomb. Then I was like, no. I want the short ribs and when the waitress said it was the best entrée I said lets do it. Girlfriend can fend for herself. She got the chicken which was supposed to be the 2^nd best and our server was not wrong. It was deelish. Can’t wait to go back. But now I’m at Esoteric getting donut & ice cream D-​sert. Gotta go

Food: I began with the house empanadas which came served on a delicious sauce. They were very flakey and probably the best of what I ate this night. My entrée was a bbq pizza. The crust was thin with the right amount of crisp, good, but not wow. My date had braised short ribs which came served on mash potatoes. Overall her dish was lacking in flavor, more salt could have gone a long way for the dish. For dessert we shared an apple cobbler. It did not hold together very well but it was good; not overly sweet. The food was good but nothing too special.
Environment: The ambiance is very nice and rustic with a lot of wood accents. Some of the booths are raised, but I didn’t like the cushions very much.
Good experience. I would come back for the well priced pizzas, but pass on most of their entrees. I didn’t get to try any cocktails but they seemed creative and unique.

This place was pretty good, but there were some culinary technical things that made me have to take a star away,
1^st off we ordered their empanadas as a start, BEST part of our dining experience they are excellent and worthy of the name.
2^nd I ordered the short ribs and the food came out «warm» at best, so my meal was cold before I got half way done, it also was slightly under seasoned, a good pinch of salt would have helped elevate it.
Lastly We then ordered the apple cobbler, which was hot in some spots and warm in the others. Great presentation, but I’m not sure if I would call it a cobbler, it was loose streusel tossed with cut apples, it wasn’t packed down at all, almost like eating dry cereal with icecream on top. I wouldn’t consider it a «sweet dessert.»
Good points: the décor and atmosphere of the place is amazing, great vibe and love the exposed kitchen.
Wouldn’t be my go to place to eat in VA beach but it’s okay to bring the inlaws for a quite dinner.

For those not familiar with the food, cultural and art movement occurring in the 19^th Street/​Virginia Beach Blvd area of the beach you may need Cliff Notes. The city in 2015 created the VIBE Creative District. NO, I did not make this up, so few people know about this it’s laughable. But hey, you got to start some where and they have a sweet start. I usually don’t include links, but many need to play catch up.
Owner Sam Caldow also longtime owner of Sam’s Raw Bar at the Rudee Inlet saw a need. Well, more like his customers saw a need and told him so and asked him to build it. Per Sam customers kept asking for a fancier dining option than Sam’s which is about as beach casual and divey as it gets. A higher end venue to dine and a more sophisticated menu, specializing in craft beer. But the key is to make it feel comfortable and casual enough you can come in with some nice short, or jeans, flops, or kicks. Options on price points too! You can get a $ 45 steak, or a $ 13 pizza. The menu is broken down by small, medium and large plates and of course pizza which will not break the bank. Can you eat here on a budget and bring a family, absolutely yes! Quality of food per Sam who has three CIA Chefs would not be compromised.
I have talked with Sam at his raw bar joint previously. So after six months I dodged in solo on a Monday just after 5 PM. The rain did not deter me, but I figured it would others. The parking lot in front of the business is straight forward and I had my pick of the litter of spaces. I had been told several things had been in the building. But everything was ripped out to the shell to create this new vision of a haven for wood fired pizza, fine dining, craft beer and a casual bar area. The signage is great at the top of the business and it’s a looker of a building with attractive hardy wood plank.
I walked in not knowing what to expect and was impressed. The rectangle single story building provides no clues as to what your about to experience. A beautiful bar, with steel top serving area and brass warming lamps. An open kitchen with the pizza oven as the center piece, small bar to your right with TV’s and seating. The dining room is eloquent with tile floors, wood tables in the center and booths along the perimeter. The walls are wood plank and the lighting by ceiling spots and wall sconces. Two gas fireplaces surrounded by stone create a relaxing atmosphere along with the hip piped in music. It was pretty slow at opening with a few customers, but that would change in a big way before I left.
I was first greeted by the hostess and referred to waiter Ronnie who turned out being one of the best in recent memory. He provided menus and told me it was Happy Hour. I asked about beer selections since I could see they had a nice menu. Tyler who is the manager, or «beer guy» as Sam jokingly calls him was prepared to assist with selections and samples. I love Stouts and they had a few that I had previously tried and I was looking to try something new. It’s been a long time since I had a Saison and the Ardent was tasted pretty darn good. Unsure if they cooling any of their glasses, but mine was not and it would be a nice touch. I told Ronnie when he came back since it was my first time I wanted to try the Grouper Special previously recommended when seating me. Price $ 38.
It was really sweet to enjoy my beer and see the action in the kitchen, not to mention be right beside the food coming up to get a visual of other dishes. The area where the food is fired is small and the chefs worked in nice harmony and came cranked out a starter of spot prawn bisque. Nice texture on this dark thick bisque. The flavor was not there for me and tasted bland. The shrimp was huge and yum. The second round was a croustini served on a small piece of toast with pecans and I didn’t catch everything. It was delicious and I wanted ten of them. I saw by grouper being given TLC in the pan over their gas fired stove. Ronnie remained on top of my water refills never letting the glass go to even half full. The entrée hit around 20 minutes after ordering. It looked and smelled amazing (see pic if you don’t believe me).
My suspicions were confirmed and the grouper was indeed succulent with just the right amount of crisp snap to the outside layer. Temperature was correct and the butter-​nut squash purée with greens was strong. At a price of $ 38 for a large fresh piece of fish may push the local price point, but ultimately the consumer determines. I enjoyed it and would get it again. I decided to check out a desert since I knew they had Crème Brulee. But not just any Egg Nogg which was a huge hit. By the time I wrapped up my check the place was packed out.
The verdict excellent a 4.5 and I will kick it up and happily round it to a 5. This should be a place on everyone’s must try, YES it’s that strong. Not to mention this is the new hip place to be Virginia Beach to check out.

Oh my dear Pete… this was a heavenly party in my mouth starting at the crostini till the end with the beignets. Everything was absolutely amazing. My wine (garnacha) was divine, my risotto was superb. This place will be my sacred haven when I need to treat myself.

Great evening spent with great friends!
First time at Hearth; impressed with the service and ambience.
I started with the Cryo-​Blanched Kale Salad; fantastic. Ended with the Lucky Luciano; too spicy for my tastes. I like spicy, but this was just was more than I enjoy.
For dessert we had the beignets — would try something else next time.
Place was packed on a Wednesday night. loved the experience and would come back!

My partner’s family decided to treat me to Hearth for my birthday and it was definitely a treat! We made a reservation for six and had a great table in front of one of their fireplaces. The atmosphere screams rustic, cabin in the woods (but not authentic cabin — moreso an HGTV version of a «rustic cabin»).
We decided to do a family style dinner so I’ll review our items by the way their menu is set up. Bare with me here! We ordered half of the menu…
Small:
Grilled Broccoli Florets: Good sized portion of grilled broccoli, had a nice smoky taste and came with a light bernaise sauce.
Poutine: I had high hopes for the poutine (who doesn’t love cheesy, gravy fries?!), but it fell flat by my standards. The cheese curds were more like globs of easy cheese sprayed and melted on overcooked fries. Usually the gravy makes the poutine more flavorful, but hardly added any kick to the fries.
Crispy Sweet Potato Gnudi: Don’t fret — I wasn’t sure what gnudi was either, but I’m so glad that these were my introduction to the wonderful world of gnudis! It’s kind of the same concept as gnocchi, but less chewy. Just imagine someone taking a sweet potato cube and inflating it with air so it’s light and fluffy. Then take that puffy cube and drizzle it with a sweet butternut squach/​maple syrup sauce. Beautiful, isn’t it?
Medium:
Caramelized U-​10 Scallops: Really great scallops! Everyone else thought so. That’s all that needs to be said.
Wood Fired Oysters Rockefeller: I’ve never been the biggest OR fan so I’m already biased on these, but they were good.
Crispy Pork Belly: If you’re Filipino, this is pretty much lichon with Mang Tomas on the side. The pork belly was tender and perfectly crispy (but not as crispy as I’m used to via lichon). The sizing between the skin, meat, and fat was also well curated. There’s nothing that’s more annoying than getting a plate consisting of 50% belly fat.
Pizza:
We ordered the Dapper Apple and Funghi. They were both great, but with their own respective flavors. The Dapper Apple was refreshing, and sweet — a nice blend between the apple and savory toppings. I would say that the Funghi was more filling out of the two and was topped with delicious mushrooms and ricotta cheese.
Desserts:
Wood Fired Fruit Cobbler: The seasonal fruit for our cobbler was apple and it did a great job summing up our meal. It was not overly sweet, even though there was a good chunk of vanilla ice cream plopped right on top. The cobbler itself had a great blend of sweet and salty.
Drinks:
Hearth Cider Mule — What an amazing cocktail! It was a lot sweeter than what I was expecting, but I was still enthralled by it. I would say it was 70% cinnamon, 30% cider. It also came in a Moscow mule with a cinnamon stick in it. Too cute!
TLDR: Cozy atomosphere, great gnudi, sensational scallops, cool cocktails

Place was packed on a Friday night, to be expected. Service was still impeccable. Not once did I want for anything. Atmosphere was great, super cozy! Was recommended the octopus by a friend I saw on the way in, but, unfortunately it didn’t hold up, at least not to my standards. The food was okay, but was just a little overpriced in my opinion. I also had the meat eater pizza, empanadas, and the poutine. Just was never really wow’d or that impressed with anything. It wasn’t bad, it was okay, nothing special by any means though. I guess the extra money is paying for the atmosphere, because it was very nice inside. Will be back and will re-​review!

Unspectacular. Churches up with no integrity. The pizza was delivered with less belief than dominoes, and less accessories than Papa Jonhs at twice the price. Cocktails are trite at best with no imagination for new drinks and no finish for established cocktails. Pass

Food phenomenal: loved mostly everything we ordered including the pork belly, octopus, the empanadas. Was not so big on the cobbler, apples were cold and the dish was overall pretty dry and plainly seasoned, ice cream saved this dish.
The drinks menu was fantastic, a lot of unique variety. Please get the chai cider if you haven’t already
Decorations and overall atmosphere were fantastic. Excited for next time!

Really didn’t expect much from a pizza place in VB but I was pleasantly surprised. The pizzas we had we killer and the have a huge beer selection. It’s a little hipster for me but I came here to eat and that they nailed
***make reservations!

Went here to split pizza and a beer with my girlfriend and everything was great! I ordered the Margherita Pizza and she got the Chicken BBQ pizza and we ended up switching-​but they both were fantastic! I am sure we will be back.

This place is awesome! The menu has so many fantastic options and thankfully you can play it «tapas style» for a lot of them. I tried a few and I was happy with all of them.
— The Baby Green and Herb Salad. I really like the stone ground mustard vinaigrette.
— House Empanadas. Very flavorful.
— Caramelized U-​10 Scallops. Awesome. You get three perfectly cooked scallops. Order two!
— Crispy Pork Belly. GO THERE NOW AND ORDER THIS IMMEDIATELY! This dish was amazing. The sweet chili glaze just perfectly complements the pork belly and kimchi.
The drink menu is very good, as well. Solid cocktails (the Wynn-​jito is great) and a lot of really interesting beers.
Definitely visit this restaurant if you’re in VA Beach.

Had a wonderful dining experience. Local and seasonal dishes.
We ordered the caprese salad with fresh made mozzarella and basil grown in their garden. The double yolk crostini was a ramekin with fresh egg, Gruyère, tomato, arugula, with delicious crostini points. Next we had the scallops which were delicious. Full of flavor and a surprisingly good combination. We enjoyed the Italian black truffle pizza, but are looking forward to trying other varieties at our next visit. We ordered a side of marinara for the crust. Their pizzas are wood fired so it’s the way a pizza is meant to be. For dessert we had the apple cobbler. The caramel sauce alone was full of flavor and worth every bite. Not too sweet as the apples are fresh. It was wonderful.
Staff was friendly, knowledgable, and efficient. Be sure to make a reservation.
Its so exciting to see a place open up in this area that takes pride in their food, quality of ingredients, and utilizes local and seasonal foods. We will be back to try more things off the menu.
** we’ve since revisited Hearth so I wanted to update my review. Our second trip we ordered the tuna entrée which was wonderful. The caprese salad was not as good (not sure how fresh the mozzarella was that evening). We were disappointed with the mushroom pizza. You couldn’t taste the truffle oil, thyme, or other flavors aside noted on the menu aside from mushrooms. We tried the roasted caesar salad which was delicious. For dessert we wanted to try the pudding in a jar, which we don’t recommend. Order the apple crisp instead.

Just delicious! We had a group of 6 come in for dinner and everyone really enjoyed themselves.
We had: poutine, double egg yolk, scallops, pork belly, and a special that was running of a BLT salad. The sauce with the poutine was delicious but the dish itself just needed something. Some more toppings on the fries might be nice — scallions, I’m no chef, just fell flat to me. Scallops were wonderful, just so good. I could eat that dish every day. The purée was perfect and I’m not usually a person that likes celery but it complimented the scallops. My brother loved the crispy pork belly. His exact words: «This was the best decision I made in weeks.» Snagged a bite and can’t say I disagree with him, though I’m still recommending scallops as my fav. Egg yolk — savory, flavorful, another would order again. Salad was good, not memorable to me but still tasty.
Pizzas came out next. Loved the pizzas too. Thin crust, fresh. Interested to try an entrée though. My mom had shrimp and grits, liked them.
We had dessert too. Get that apple cobbler!!! YUM!
I think just maybe slightly overpriced. Then again, you pay for fresh, local ingredients and that is important to me. It’s nice to see so many new restaurants really making an effort to support our other local businesses.
Our server was pleasant and prompt. Overall just a really good experience. Will come back to try more. Hope they get some kind of happy hour!