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Freemason Abbey Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
18 reviews for Freemason Abbey Restaurant
This is a wonderful restaurant which I have been to several times. I have never had a bad experience here. I no longer eat meat, but when I did, my favorite dish here was the Seafood Fantasia. Recently, I went here with a group of 9, and several people had that dish on my recommendation and loved it.
Their menu is basic surf & turf fare, though a bit upscale. They do have a vegetarian menu, which you have to ask for separately. The artichoke dip on the vegetarian menu is not the same as the artichoke dip on the regular menu, and in my opinion, the vegetarian version is much, much better. I had the gouda fettucine, which was heavenly, and my husband had their vegetarian flatbread pizza. Everyone in our party except for one person had seafood; I have to admit that I've never had the beef or chicken at Freemason Abbey, so cannot judge its quality, but the seafood was always quite good.
The service was very prompt (not always easy with a 9 person party!), and everyone's glasses were kept full. I rate it 5 stars because the average person should love this place, but I will admit that their vegetarian fare is a bit lacking. It's still worth giving a try!
Thanks, Yelpers for bringing me to this unique restaurant! It's in a 100+ year-old church, converted into a restaurant. With the wood vaulted ceiling, wood furniture and dark printed carpet it has a warm feeling throughout.
I had french onion soup and chicken piccatta, my girl some beef skewers. Her beef was DELISH, so I had one of those meals where you just envy the other person's food. My chicken was meh, not much to my tastes (I decided to go out on a limb that night).
Our waitress was helpful and on the ball. The food was a little slow but not inconveniently so. Overall I'd definitely point someone here, it's a little more than shorts and flip flops though so get out your somewhat-decent clothes!
We went to Freemason Abbey in a group of seven. My boyfriend's food was alright, although he liked it. It was a basic turkey sandwich with sprouts. I, on the other hand, got the most bland chicken sandwich I have probably ever had. I would have had Subway instead, and I am not a Subway fan. Additionally, my boyfriend's mom and her best friend both ordered the same pasta dish and it had a strange taste to it. I sampled it after they complained about it, and it tasted as if there was dish soap residue in it. Sort of weird..
I was expecting more since I heard Rush Limbaugh eats there, and he looks like he enjoys a good ol' fashion steak. Aside from that, if you go to Freemason Abbey during lunch do NOT order kettle chips with your sandwich/ burger. My boyfriend's aunt and uncle (from Manchester) both ordered burgers and they enjoyed them.
The best bet is to go to Freemason Abbey for their burgers (and perhaps steak), but from my experience, the lunch food was not enjoyable for me and two others at my table... at all.
Sounds like this place was a hit or miss. I went there on a hit then. Wait staff was excellent and the seafood quiche was spot on. The atmosphe was cool and all, but I wasn't overly impressed. Plus If your in an old building with great food 80's soft rock does not complete the cycle.
I am going to have to say that this is by far my favorite place to go to while in Norfolk. I liked it so much I came here twice in my two day visit to the area.
The first time I came here, I had their famed New England Lobster. It was a pound and half and came with seasoned mashed potatoes and green beans. The lobster was fresh. Everything was great and the service at the restaurant was good.
The best thing I liked about the place was the historic building though. I thought it was neat and yet bizarre to convert an old church into a restaurant. I am a sucker for old buildings and especially historical.
I came back the next day but just for a drink. I had their Abbey Rose at the bar. It was very good and almost thought about having another, but I had to drive down to Virginia Beach.
If you are ever in the Norfolk area, this place is a must see if not dine in. I will have to say you will not be disappointed. i wish I could try their brunch, but was not in town that long to make it.
I have eaten at this spot three times. All three times, the food was excellent. The restaurant is a unique building, since it is a renovated old church from the mid 1800s. I like the historical feel. The past couple of times I ate here, I ordered brunch which is delicious, AND whenever you order a brunch item, you get a bread pudding as your dessert. My mom and sister said it was delicious....it smelled really good to me, but unfortunately I am not a fan of bread pudding. The aroma of raisins and cinnamon really made it special.
I usually order the seafood quiche with hollaindaise sauce. It comes with a side of very fresh fruit to include pineapples, oranges, cantaloupe, and grapes. Also, most of the brunch items are less than 10 BUCKS!
Another dish I have ordered were the fried oysters, but unfortunately they no longer have this appetizer on the menu. I just ate there Easter 2009 by the way. Maybe the oysters are seasonal? I don't know, but they were really delicious.
Every time I visit this place, it seems like it is popular with the senior citizen crowd. I have been there Easter and on two Saturdays, and I always see a lot of older patrons. Also, be sure to try their strawberry layer cake with sweet buttercream icing from Sugarplum bakery. It was one of the best cakes I have ever tasted, and I KNOW because I BAKE and LOVE cakes. By the way, I plan on checking out Sugarplum bakery in VA Beach the next time I am visiting the area.
Everything that I ordered here came out microwaved. The house salad was an odd ensemble of melon, cheese and salad. My girlfriend's salmon was placed on a cedar plank with a microwaved stream of hollandaise sauce. I would pass this restaurant up for any other restaurant in Norfolk.
Went to granby street at the suggestion of the bartender at the Olive Garden, and was less than impressed.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a Wednesday, so, I'll give Downtown Norfolk the benefit of the doubt.
Freemason Abbey was off the main drag a little bit and we'd heard about it from some other people in town and decided to give it a shot.
I wasn't feeling hungry so I had a Caesar salad that was a little soggy, and some french onion soup that was delicious. My buddy had some buffalo shrimp that were pretty good.
The waitress recommended a local beer that was their nightly special, and she said it was similar to a blue moon, so i took the bait... it was a pale ale though, and a $7.50 one that was not that great. Maybe I was just in the mood for a wheat beer, and don't get me wrong I am not a beer snob, and maybe she had never had the beer???
I would recommend this place for the atmosphere at the very least, the food was pretty OK.
This place is pretty cool. Being a houstonian--a lot of our historical buildings are torn down. It's refreshing to see an old church like this one used so creatively!
Needless to say, the ambiance here is awesome. I couldn't stop looking around the interior. I was mesmerized. Our server was super-friendly. She even brought a rose for my mom.
We started out with the Chesapeake Crab Dip and then were sad when it was gone. And yes, we made sure it was gone. Being delighted by the dip, I figured I would go for broke and order the lobster. I think it's hard to go wrong with lobster. Always fun!
I'll most likely be back here if I'm back in town!
The best food I've eaten in a very long time. I ordered their Newbourg Pasta which was a special becuase I wasn't sure what to get. I expected it too be good but it far exceeded my expectations. The sauce was brilliant along with the crab meat, shrimp and pasta. I couldn't stop myself! The atmosphere is very unique and the waitstaff was extremely friendly.
This use to be a church and is now converted to a restaurant. Interior decor has chairs that reminds you of grandmother's home with a slight homey odor.
Started off with she crab soup that was pretty good. It was a heavy soup that wasn't watered down so it's nice and creamy. The soup included this bread/cookie wafer hybrid that was unfamiliar to me and I forgot to ask what it was indeed but I ate it anyways.
Every Friday evening is wild game night. Whether it would be rabbit, deer, ostrich, and etc. There is no set schedule of what will be offered that night but you can call ahead to see what it would be. That night , they had served ostrich which looks and tastes exactly like beef but sweeter. Taste-wise, the food wasn't bad but wasn't exotic. Otherwise the food was pretty traditional with a traditional taste to it.
For the smokers, there is also a smoking section offered at the bar.
Absolutely the BEST She Crab Soup in the region, and I think I've tasted them all. It's so thick, I could just spread it on crackers which is MY kinda soup!
Love the ambiance and servers, too.
My Freemason Abbey experience was very disappointing.
The service was extremely slow - albeit very polite - and my glass was empty more than it was full. The artichoke dip appetizer took forever to arrive and was completely tasteless. The salad was limp, wilted, and obviously plated and chilled hours before. The dressing was on the salad despite being ordered on the side. The prime rib was thin, fatty, and completely tasteless despite the bath of consomme au-jus it was floating in. The onions and mushrooms were greasy and cost an additional $2 each! The vegetables and potatoes were tasty and cooked correctly. Wait staff would run their hands across the back of my date's chair as they moved past.
The setting is lovely and from my visit, the only thing they have going for them. Definitely a classic "you're are paying for the view, not the food" situation.
Bar in an old church.
I love this place both for the location and the concept. It is located right in downtown Norfolk and a snap to walk to from most of the places along the water.
The building is an old church and I know there are a few of these types of places scattered around the country and it always amazes me - maybe because drinking can make you feel religious? Who knows- but in any case, they also serve food and the surroundings are extremely nice.
The food ( a lot of meat and seafood) is good, the servers are good and the atmosphere great-
Definitely going back
I was a bit disappointed with this place. I love the decor, the fact that it's a restaurant inside an old church. I can't remember the help, which means that it wasn't horrible. The food was passable.. not good or bad.
Actually.. you can read about my experience with this place here: http://sugarcane-kumqu...
Having lived in Hampton Roads for the majority of my life I am familiar with FMA. However I have not had the pleasure of dining here until recently. My mother thought this would be a fantastic place to have my birthday meal so over the weekend we ventured through tunnel traffic to dine at this architectural gem.
We arrived on a late Sunday afternoon. Perfect timing because the large church crowds were leaving and that left us with the entire downstairs to ourselves. Impressive wine menu encouraged me to order a bottle of Pinot Blanc from France...no California wines available ;( The hot artichoke dip was freshly prepared and all meals came with a delectable house salad.Not the usual iceberg lettuce.Full, leafy green romaine with fat juicy cherry tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers all under a light dill seasoning. I ordered the Gouda tenderloin and my mother ordered the broiled seafood platter. It was a platter. Scallops, shrimp, crab cakes and flounder! My meal was EVERYTHING I hoped it would be. Needless to say this is more than a bar in downtown Norfolk. Freemason Abbey has a delightful menu with delicious food. It is worth the drive through the unpredictable HRBT to experience this restaurant. FMA is the perfect antithesis to corporate dining!
Another reason for the five stars...the hot hot hot tall, handsome waiter with piercing blue eyes presented my to-go box with a single red rose accompanied with a very sexy "Happy Birthday" . Will return with friends in tow to gaze (and maybe objectify) this fine specimen of human male.
In an old church. This place rocks. Must-do if you're in Norfolk.
The location is unique-it's housed in an old church. The architecture is really cool to look at, the service was good, but the food was eh...The fried calamari appetizer was really good, the Chesapeake Crab dip was okay-would have been better with fresh bread instead of croutons, and the Roma Caprese was a total dud. Don't know if they ran out of fresh basil, but they sprinkled on some dried basil and chopped up some lettuce to look like basil. This should be a seasonal item as the tomatoes weren't great either. shame on us for ordering it. My husband and friend both ordered the New York Strip medium rare and all I have to say is that they need to get their broiler fixed or something. Even our waiter asked if they steaks came out okay b/c they looked a little rare...I took that as a sign that our waiter didn't have much faith in the abilities of the steak griller either. I had the crab cakes and they were pretty good. Don't order the asparagus spears....they were so bland. Veggies could be so good if they are done right, but that's not their mantra here. The only other silver lining here was the dessert...we ordered the Mozart cake from Sugar Plum Bakery (a local VB bakery) and that was a slice of heaven. So really, one of these stars should go to Sugar Plum Bakery. I don't think I'll go here for a meal again, but definitely for drinks and the ambiance.
