Swell Charcoal Grill & Raw Bar - American restaurant in Norfolk - 1159 W Ocean View Ave, USA

Great local eatery. A bit pricey, but worth it. Awesome bourbon selection and as others have also said, the calamari is "on point". Also visited here for brunch - great food / pricey drinks. Give this place a shot...!!

Great garlic parmesan wings!!! Freakishly fantastic fries!!!! Wonderful fried shrimp!!! Excellent flounder sandwich!!!! Relaxed and pleasant atmosphere! Friendly and personable chef and owner/ bartender/waiter!!!!! This is a "must eat there" restaurant!!!!

Since SwelI was recommended, I made sure I mentioned this to our server. We had high hopes. I've had better ribs, and I've had worse. They were nicely flavored and came off the bones easily for the most part, but the last 2 were cooked a bit too much. However, they were still tasty. I really enjoyed the fries, though. I noticed the location was very clean, and our server was okay but not as good as the one who served a table near us. For the price we paid for our meals my wife's was disappointing. She actually ate all of her scallop seafood plate and was still hungry. This is unusual for her since she is a small person.

Great food, great environment and great customer service. I've been in Norfolk for a while now and they have some of the best oysters. Truly a great restaurant for date night or just a delicious outing of family and friends.

Fantastic food, fantastic service, fantastic atmosphere. If you are visiting Willoughby Spit you have to try this place. The wings are fat and juicy, stocked with liquor, great coffee, and cold oysters. Belly up to the bar and enjoy.

A great raw bar and restaurant. Moderately no frills, with a still elevated experience. We got 5 items. The fried calamari, oysters on half shell, and mussels were all excellent and you could taste the freshness. I believe the calamari was breaded in house, wonderfully light with a nice contrast of crispy and tender. The crab dip with pretzel stick was tasty, nice creaminess to dip. The low point of the meal was the shrimp and grits, and I would still rate it a 7-8/10. Would gladly return for dinner any time. The waitress was friendly and very accommodating with younger children despite the place seeming a more adult venue.

Happy to find this little gem! Casual, gourmet, seafood and American fare restaurant nestled beside a 7//11 and a block from the beach. I had the perfectly, pan seared scallops over a bed of fresh corn and vegetable medley. All super fresh and prepared to order ingredients. I sat at the bar. The service and stmosphere is ok for an all male staff. The music could be a little more soothing or island vibeish but not too loud as there is no sound absorption. It tends to get loud as it gets crowded and people engage in conversations over their delicious dinner and drinks. The food is the star of the show! This is a must try for locals and visitors. Leave the kids with a sitter. I will be back before my vacation is over!

Had the kobe bacon cheddar burger and fries. Hubby had the gilled halibut baked potatoe & asparagus. Both were exceptional! Also had the Calamari! Freshest best tasting calamari we have had in quite awhile. Drinks are made perfect as well! Great atmosphere and the people in there are very friendly.