Jade Villa

Jade Villa
353 Independence Blvd
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(757)473-2228

Food:    6 out of 10 Mikes
Service: 6 out of 10 Mikes

Jade Villa is a nice little spot to get some good Chinese food.  The store front is misleading, it looks like a typical take-out/delivery place, but when you give it a chance and go in, you find a nice sit down Chinese restaurant (which is had to find nowadays).  They offer you two menus, a red cover and a white cover.  The white menu is geared to more of an Americanized Chinese taste (General Tao's, Pepper Steak, Sweet and Sour Chicken, ect..).  The red menu is for a Cantonese experience,  a lot of the menu is interesting and you might have to ask the waitress about most of the items.  We have had various items there and have been pleased with our choices.  We went on a Saturday evening with some friends of ours and had no problem finding a table (plenty of tables and a large back room for parties).  The appetizers are just enough to leave your mouth watering for you entree.   They offer plenty of choices and you should have no problem finding a dish to suit your taste.  I recommend the Orange Beef or the Peking Duck (little bit of a wait for the duck but its worth it).  Look forward to trying the "Hotpot" on a future visit.  It is the only "Dim Sum" place in the area.  They offer a limited Dim Sum menu through out the week but they have a full Dim Sum menu on Sundays (11am-3pm), friends have raved about it.  Jade Villa is open late on the weekends and it great for those late night craving.  So if your looking for a little bit of China Town, this is the place for you.

Poppy's Top Dog

Poppy's Top Dog
4027 Bainbridge Blvd
Chesapeake, VA 23324
(757) 545-1995

   

Food:    5 out of 10 Mikes
Service: 5 out of 10 Mikes

We are all about good hot dogs, they are one of the reasons we started this blog. We came across this place about a week ago and it is really a great little place if you are in the area. It is located in the south Norfolk section of Chesapeake. They serve Boar's Head products (which you can't go wrong with). I enjoyed the Spicy hot smoked sausage (also available in mild) all the way with onion rings. The rings were cooked just right so the onion does not pull out when you take a bite. Mike Jr. had a burger which he said was okay and a Bratwurst which he said was very good (served on a great soft gourmet bun) along with crispy french fries. He also ordered the fried pickles and they were outstanding. The menu is very diverse and typical of a local hot dog joint, a breakfast menu is also available. We heard that the Chicken Salad was worth trying, maybe on our next visit. Service was very good and it is a family friendly place. The Saturday crowd was typical working class and it seemed like a local gathering place. Counter service was packed when we got there, we settled for a table. The service was very good and waitress was very accommodating and friendly. The cook behind the counter always wore gloves whenever he handle the food. This is a place we will return to when in the area and want a good lunch.Mon- Fri: 6:30AM - 7:00PM, Saturday: 6:30AM - 3:00PM. Enjoy.



Mike Sr.  

Taqueria San Jose Mexican

1186 Lynnhaven Pkwy
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 427-6895

Food:     7 out of 10 Mikes

Service: 6 out of 10 Mikes

One word....Authentic!!!  Coming from a guy who was raised in Texas. that says a lot.  Taqueria is a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food joint.  It is in an old Pizza Hut building near the corner of Lynnhaven Pkwy and Holland Rd.  It's not much to look at, but give it a try and you will be pleased.  Like any Mexican restaurant, they start you with their chips and salsa (and the salsa is great, the spice won't kill you, but it's got great flavor).  Their menu offers a large selection of good eats.  Your typical burritos, tacos, enchiladas and chimichangas are found, but then it gets fun.  The "Cancun Burrito" is my choice (large burrito stuffed with chicken, rice, beans and mushrooms topped with a white cheese sauce).  Mike Sr likes to get a soup called "7 Mares"; it's a seafood soup with every edible sea life you can thing of and then some.  They offer fajitas and various "verde" dishes (their verde sauce is one of the best around).  What I really like is that they have menu items for you if you are in that adventurous mood. Their "San Jose Specials" are four tacos of different types of meat not normally found (beef tongue, goat, beef cheek, etc..).  I was really impressed when one night we found "Menudo" on the daily specials.  So if you're in the mood for some REAL Mexican food, hit up Taqueria San Jose. You will most definitely make it a regular favorite.

Mike Jr,