Big Sam's Inlet Cafe & Raw Bar
Big Sam's Inlet Cafe & Raw Bar is a seafood restaurant in Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, located at 300 Winston Salem Ave. Rudee Inlet raw bar right on the water — jumbo lump crab cakes, double-grilled wings, and Grandma's Buttermilk Pancakes at breakfast.
Big Sam's sits directly on Rudee Inlet with three decades of first-come, first-served waterfront dining — no reservations, ever. The raw bar rides on fresh Chesapeake Bay seafood and jumbo lump crab cakes, the double-grilled chicken wings have their own following, and breakfast (from 7am daily) stars the award-winning Grandma's Buttermilk Pancakes with the charter fleet idling past. A tiki hut on site covers cocktails and merch; happy hour runs daily.
- Waterfront
- Outdoor Seating
- Happy Hour
- Family Friendly
Amenities
- Waterfront indoor and outdoor seating
- Tiki hut bar
Know Before You Go
- Best for: no-reservations waterfront dining right on Rudee Inlet, watching the charter fleet come in
Visit
- Address: 300 Winston Salem Ave, Virginia Beach, VA
- Phone: (757) 428-4858
- Website: https://bigsamsrawbar.com/
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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Upcoming Events Nearby
Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships
August 23, 2026 – August 30, 2026 · annual
The world's oldest continuously running surfing competition returns for its 64th year, turning the south end of the Oceanfront — from the 1st Street Jetty up to 10th Street — into a week-long surf carnival. More than 850 competitors surf pro and amateur divisions, including a WSL qualifying event, while the beach fills out with skate and BMX demos, live music, and tournament games. It's the anchor event of late summer at the beach and the best week of the year to watch serious surfing at the 1st Street break.
Virginia Beach Funk Fest Beach Party
August 28, 2026 – August 29, 2026 · annual
A free two-day beach party on the Oceanfront closing out August with funk, R&B, and soul acts on the sand. Part of the official Beach Events season, Funk Fest draws a big, dance-heavy crowd to the resort beach for one of the last major music weekends before Labor Day — no ticket needed, just claim a patch of sand.
American Music Festival
September 4, 2026 – September 6, 2026 · annual
Beach Events' Labor Day weekend concert series bills itself as the largest outdoor music festival on the East Coast, spreading national, regional, and local acts across a 60-foot stage at 5th Street plus free park stages at 17th, 24th, and 31st Streets along the boardwalk. Past headliners have included Sheryl Crow, the Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, and Zac Brown Band, with tickets sold per show, as a three-day Passport Pin, or as VIP packages, while the park stages stay free. It's the Oceanfront's last big blowout of the summer season, timed to send visitors off before the crowds thin out after Labor Day.