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
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
Neptune's Coastal Craft Beer Festival
August 15, 2026 · annual
The Neptune Festival's 11th annual beer afternoon takes over 31st Street Park with more than 60 beers from around 30 breweries, heavy on the coastal Virginia scene. Two bands play through the 3–8pm session and local food trucks handle the eating. It's a compact, single-day festival — an easy add-on to a mid-August beach day, a block off the boardwalk at Neptune's Park.
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.