Hampton Restaurants

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Thumpers is the marina restaurant and it is open from 6 to 3 on weekdays for breakfast and lunch. It is called Thumpers after the owner's mother's cat. They don?t accept credit cards.

Four other restaurants in this location have failed, but now there is no other place to eat lunch on Fort Monroe.

Favorite Dish: The special was $4.95 for meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a yeast roll, so we both had that along with hot tea. We could also have had a soup and salad bar or an assortment of subs, burgers and sandwiches. Desserts include apple and pecan pies, carrot cake and ice cream.

This hotel will be sorely missed.

The hotel overlooks a busy harbor and is both a great landmark (better than the lighthouse as it is taller), and a long standing tradition. It was a civilian establishment in the middle of a military base. The reason it went out of business was that after 9/11 people had to submit to searches in order to go eat dinner there. It was the only place to eat in the vicinity of the marina when we were there in 2000.

We ate there several times. The first time was November 4th. The soup, the waitress tells us is vegetable beef. NOT. There is no beef in this soup -I know there is crab in it. It is a spicy tomato base, but I don't see any other vegetables. The head waiter guy says it is really a crab/lobster bisque. Also on the buffet is some kind of a chicken dish in cream sauce with big hard biscuits in it (no labels so I don't know what it is), a beef dish, rice, potatoes, broccoli, green beans, rolls (but not hot) and a salad bar.

When we went there for lunch, there was a soup and salad bar, and the specials were meat loaf or crab cake sandwich. I should have taken one of them, but I had a cheese steak sub, and Bob had a BLT. Both very good, and pretty cheap, and we watched the harbor out of the window while we ate.

We also had a dinner there another night, and I had what they described as a "rib eye with bone" steak. (It was really a Tbone.)

Favorite Dish: The hotel used to have a "world famous seafood brunch" which in 2000 was $18.50 each, and included champagne, juices, coffee, and a buffet where there is (on this day), egg drop soup, omelets to order, ham, roast beef, salmon, waffles made fresh (the ones with the big deep holes) with syrup and preserves, tossed salad, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, diced fried potatoes, half baked tomatoes, steamed shrimp, Alaskan king crab legs, mussels, meat loaf, a stuffed crab shaped thing, rolls, apple pie, strawberry mouse and coconut cake.

One of my favorite meals in the Hampton area has always been crab cakes, and the first crab cakes I ever had in my life were at the bar of Goodfellas. This is a small bar located in the old downtown area of Hampton. The bar is known for its live blues music (which I never stayed long enough to enjoy) but has a variety of meals including pasta, seafood, beef, pizza, and of course, my favorite the crab cakes! Prices are far lower than I ever expected (around $6 for a crab cake sandwich).

This website (http://search.cityguide.aol.com/hamptonroads/restaurants/goodfellas-restaurant-and-bar/v-102645934) has their music schedule. I've heard they get some big crowds at night in the summer.

I really liked this place. Never recalled eating at one of these nice establishments. The decor was really nice with very friendly service too.

Favorite Dish: I dined off of the Smart Eating Menu, which was reduce calories, fat and carbohydrates. I had the Oven-Roasted Turkey Dinner, which was very delicious.