Jazz Clubs in Portsmouth VA

Arlen Lang

It took 40 minutes to get our drinks from the bar. The bartender looked like she was doing inventory. I asked our waitress after 20 minutes and was assured they were “working on them.” After 35 minutes I flagged down the manager because we didn’t see our waitress and he did not seem concerned, saying merely he would check on them. Mine tasted like it had zero alcohol while my friends was so strong she could barely drink it. The second round came within a few minutes but the third round (which was an exact re-order of the second round) took an additional 20 minutes even though I saw it sitting on the end of the bar for most of that time. And while I had ordered a simple white rum and diet Coke – what arrived last was a spiced rum and possibly regular coke. I had told the waitress during the second round it can’t be spiced rum, must be white whatever the brand. Definitely won’t return. Only go if you’re not thirsty and have 2.5 hours to spare.

Clarence Caldwell

The hotel is very beautiful. The waterfront view is amazing! The bar is open until 1230 and they have an indoor fireplace as well as outdoor fire pits. The room is clean and modern. The service is awesome! They allowed us to check in early when we arrived. However, the breakfast was of terrible quality. The eggs are powdered, the potatoes had no seasoning, and the bacon was thin with no taste. The French toast was soggy and undercooked. We ended up leaving and went to waffle House. The toilet paper is only one ply and there is only one towel hook in the bathroom. There is also no microwave in the room but there is a small refrigerator. Overall this hotel was great for entertaining. Close to the strip and a cute boardwalk. But they cut corners on quality.

Lenita Duffy

If I could give this store a zero rating I would bathrooms are nasty and when I said something to a manager on the floor she said she would have someone clean it but then proceeded to tell the workers that I should just use another bathroom or go somewhere else and laughed. There is tobacco wrappers on the sink counter a used pregnancy test on the floor toilet paper was soaked and wasn’t even usable like it was nasty if they can’t keep a bathroom clean how do I know that the products I’m getting from here are even good

Kyoko Nichols

I don’t even want to get this place one star…A group of us went on a Saturday night. They were not busy at all. The waitress was attentive at first and as the night progressed we had to seek her out. Went to the bar to ask for service at our table and the bartender was rude, abrasive, and just not nice at all. The food that came to the table was cold. The tuna bites were disgusting. I have never been a fan of this place but figured we would check out the band. Believe it or not, they were horrible as well. I guess they will let anybody play and try to sing up there. I do not usually write reviews but our Saturday night out was not a very good time. Will definitely suggest next time we go out to stay clear of Big Woodys and go to another place where they welcome their guest, serve decent HOT food, and have better service. Plain awful experience.

Donny Clarke

By far THE BEST soul food I have had in a long time, and I’m from the South (Florida)! The district came up as the first Google search result for “black-owned restaurants near me”, and they absolutely deserve the top spot. Brittany at the entrance/bar was EXCEPTIONAL as our waitress and provided top-notch service from the entrance to exit. Now the food…every dish on my plate exceeded expectations. Seasoning, portion sizes, options, everything A1. I would highly recommend District to residents and those visiting Portsmouth, VA! I STAN a Black-Owned establishment! Thank you for existing, District!

Jenae Kirkland

One word comes to mind when I think of my meal and experience here: Unpalatable. We arrived on a Friday evening around quarter to 6 pm before we attended a show at the Atlantic Bank Pavilion. It was pretty busy but cold like an ice box inside. The waitress/hostess said we could sit out on the front patio so we opted for that. I ordered a wine and hubby ordered a beer and the flies swarmed us lol food took quite a while to come out and the waitress said they were backed up, and the kitchen was swamped. Ordered another glass of wine and another beer. Food arrived finally but the first thing I noticed was this wasn’t a cheesesteak. It’s supposed to be shaved beef and clearly, this wasn’t. Also, it was open-face, which made it difficult to eat so busted out the fork and knife. They salted this so much that it essentially was inedible. I would have complained but the waitress never returned as she was extremely bothered by the flies the last she appeared plus, we were on a time crunch. I had to go in and close out our bill. $65 and we both were disappointed and still hungry as I really couldn’t eat my food and hubby got only 6 shrimp in his southern fried shrimp and fries dish, served with two large, undercooked hush puppies that could not be eaten. Maybe an off night, but nevertheless, it was a terrible experience. Never again.

Reginald Barr

When visiting this location DO NOT come in with the mindset of a normal Food Lion. Clean, accommodating, and fully stocked. IT IS NOT the employees or even the store, it is the element of the environment around the store and that element pouring into the store. The staff and customers have to deal with panhandlers all day, and then the shoplifting at this location is outrageous even with security patrolling the store. The only reason I give this location 2 – Stars is simply because of the staff and everything that they have to put up with. They need to install an internal and external camera system and hire more staff and armed security personnel.

Bari Wilkerson

My wife and I had an excellent experience last night at a concert held at the Music Hall. The venue last night was two acts starring Randy Armstrong and Volker Nahrmann performing with their Beyond Borders ensemble with the opening act being the local group the Soggy Po Boys (one of our favorites). Both groups joined midway through the performance in a tribute to jazz legend Dizzie Gillespie. The sound quality was excellent, the staff was super friendly, drinks were well done and reasonable. And yes the bathrooms are inspired and clean. My one complaint is the seats could do a bit of updating (a bit narrow). Think Fenway in the cheap (or not so cheap) seats. Still, it was a magical night and worth all five stars. Go catch an act there if you can!

Marco Macdonald

The show was great (Halestorm and Pretty Reckless) but the staff is appalling. After a drunken group of people kicked my wheelchair multiple times, as well as the wheelchair of the gentleman beside me, I asked them to stop (and yes, we were in the handicap-accessible section of the venue). They refused, and the 6-foot-plus, heavily bearded man told me we could take it to the parking lot repeatedly, and got in my face. The staff was notified and did nothing. I had to specifically request a security person be called over. That security member was the most competent person I dealt with. She posted two security people nearby who paid no attention after she left. I know, because the drunken man was allowed to again get close enough to scream expletives in my ear, close enough for his breath to move my hair. After the show, I went to guest services and asked the PPD officer and staff who I could talk to, they called over the supposed head of security, who would not give his name. He didn’t listen, just kept asking what I wanted to get out of it. I said I didn’t want to “get” anything, but that staff needed to be better trained on dealing with these kinds of things, and that something should be done when guests harass, threaten, and assault other guests (because kicking my wheelchair is the same as kicking me, more so when you consider the expense of a repair or replacement). He said well it’s just my word so they wouldn’t have kicked them out, and I informed him again that it happened to another unrelated couple besides us as well. He yelled, told me I had to leave, and when I saw the female security person again, I was outright banned from asking her name so that I could provide it if I called the venue during business hours. He specifically told her not to answer and sent her away so that she couldn’t even give me a first name to identify when I called. I was then rushed out to the handicapped Parking lot because if not, they would lock the back gate and I would be forced to go all the way around (technically an ADA violation but that’s another conversation entirely) I will not return to this venue, and I hate that an event I waited months for was ruined because of belligerent jerks but could have been handled by competent staff.

Jarred Gilliam

It nice store, the staff is very nice and helpful, the deli manager and staff are great, enjoy the fried chicken! Check-out is fast and friendly, I go to this Food Lion not close to home I have two other Food Lions close to me, but this one seems to be well stocked and very clean great store! Wonderful selection of flowers

Carol Case

Standard bar and grill as far as appearance and menu go. We went on a Saturday (6 PM) and got a table right away and drinks. Food took an hour. The app came out, nachos, and it was like they dumped the bag of tortilla chips onto the plate. There was so much salt it left a salt ring on the table. We sent it back. Two ppl I was with food came out 15 minutes before mine. Manager handled it well comping nachos and offering a discount however he told us he doesn’t do anything in the kitchen. In my opinion that is not a manager. A manager needs to be able to wear ALL hats. If the bar is sinking, you jump in and help. If waitresses are struggling, jump in, if the kitchen is drowning, you jump in. He even said, “I had no clue they got that many orders at once.” How do you not have a clue what’s going on in your restaurant? As a former restaurant manager that response was just puzzling and if I owned this place would either be replacing my management or doing some much-needed training. It was decent but we won’t be returning.

Drew Martin

This restaurant definitely has a different feel than most of the others on high street. Very open, complete with a patio, pool tables, and a bunch of TVs. We walked into only a handful of people, scattered around the restaurant. We sat at the bar and I have to say the service was great! Our bartender knew what she was doing and took care of everything in the way you would expect restaurant service would. The food was good, I wouldn’t get the nachos again because the cheese definitely isn’t made in-house but everything else was so good I can’t hold that against them! I recommend a go!

Stephen Whitney

Let’s talk about how amazing the Press Room is! After all, we experienced thru Covid, my fiancé (now husband) and I decided we wanted to host a small, intimate family gathering/wedding (about 30-40 people) and we’re having such trouble finding a venue in Portsmouth that could accommodate our needs. In walks Jamie and Zac, the Press Room Event Coordinator and Chef. Wow, just wow. Not only did they respond to our request immediately and deal with and answer my bajillion questions, but they were also so professional, kind, and accommodating! Now I’ve lived in Portsmouth for over ten years and I’m not gonna lie, I was blown away by how beautiful their private room upstairs is. Not only is the room gorgeous, but when you throw a party up there, you’re in your own world; you’ve got your own private bar, private bathrooms, a stage, a place to have a cocktail hour, and a place to have a sit-down dinner. I couldn’t have wished for a better place to host my event. Now getting back to Jamie and Zac and the execution of our event. Jamie is just the best. She dealt with me bringing in my own linens and my own decor-she was beyond accommodating in allowing me to help set up and pull off my vision. The Press Room is beyond lucky to have her; I am beyond thankful for her. I wanted a cocktail hour, she made it happen. I wanted a set up for a photo booth, she made it happen. Anything I requested, she worked with me to make it happen. And Zac, the Chef, is beyond talented. We really wanted something more intimate than a buffet so they went above and beyond to provide us with a family-style dinner. Something they don’t typically do! And our family and friends are still raving about dinner, I don’t think they’ve stopped talking about the chicken and the steak tips and just the quantity of food in general. The service was top-notch, they executed everything we asked for, I honestly don’t have anything negative to say. I could go on for days about how amazed I was with my experience and how professional the staff is but the bottom line is, if you’re looking to host an event, don’t waste time and call the Press Room. I assure you, you will be beyond impressed. Thank you again! You guys are the BEST.

Stormy Harper

Went there for lunch and waited nearly an hour to get a Club sandwich, and the place wasn’t really that busy. Service was not the best and food was too expensive for a simple sandwich at $14 even though the Google menu says $9 (adjusted for covid). It looks like the food is freshly made, however, my order was among the bad ones. The sandwich had cheese packaging paper in it, which took away my desire for eating. Maybe my luck was bad that day as my friend had a Stromboli, but seemed to be alright. However, the ambiance was not the best for eating in my opinion. Overall the place looks local and plays rock music for the most part, there are some plastic skulls hanging around as well as TVs near the bar and the place itself has an old-style look.

Ferdinand Carver

Clean low lit restaurant nice and quiet place for an early dinner while in town. Started off with selecting a booth. Began with the Caprese Bites (vine ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, baked on a French baguette, drizzled with balsamic and topped with fresh basil) and for the main dish I chose the Oven-roasted Salmon (served with artichokes and asparagus risotto I) The bites were fresh and delicious, each flavor from the bite was detailed and stood on its own, together the flavors were absolutely intriguing! The Salmon was baked to a crisp outer edge with a delicately tender center that will make you sink into your seat as the stress of the day fades away and the taste takes you away. With the bed of artichokes, asparagus, and risotto the combination accentuated the flavors of the Salmon even more so. Definitely recommend this location and especially these two dishes. I am eager to return to continue my exploration of the menu. The waitress Caralyn was very helpful with my menu selections and made the dining experience pleasant.

Javier Hicks

This is a tough one to give because the food actually had a pretty good taste. However, when a restaurant can’t even cook an egg properly, you know it’s a terrible sign and a sign to “Stay Away” typically, and this was my first experience with their food. Hollandaise sauce is difficult to nail but yours had quite a nice taste, yet sad because I got the smallest amount I had ever seen, on mine. Not even enough to cover the size of the yolk, let alone enough to be running over the edges of it. The egg is supposed to be runny, but it was rock hard and cold. The runny egg and Hollandaise sauce are THE MOST important parts of a Bani and this totally killed the breakfast for me.. 2 Stars but only because the taste was there, other than that it’s a simple mistake that should not be made, that killed my experience. No runny egg and no realistic amount of hollandaise to compensate for it, making this an unpleasant meal to eat.

Julius Rasmussen

The owners and management absolutely nailed it. If 10 years from now northern New England has a thriving Jazz scene, it will be because of Jimmy’s. If it doesn’t, it’s because everyone within a 1.5-hour drive of Portsmouth, NH squandered a generational opportunity. The space is both beautiful and functional, as in visually very appealing while not sacrificing good acoustics. The food was flavorful if perhaps lacking a little heat, but that may just be to make it palatable to New England tastes. The drinks are reasonably priced and sized. I don’t remember being this excited about a place opening. While there will always be something special about seeing a Jazz act in a cramped overcrowded club in NYC, Jimmy’s is overall a better experience. Edit 01/07/2022: Just saw my third show last night and have to say I’m just as excited about this place as I was after the first show, in fact, I’ll be going again next month. First, additional praise…1. The sound person is doing a phenomenal job. Last night’s performance included piano, stand-up bass, drums, and electric guitar. From my seat near the middle of the main floor, the balance between the electric guitar and the acoustic instruments couldn’t have been better. The guitar never overpowered nor got lost. 2. Changing up the drink specials. The “Bee Valley” didn’t suit my tastes, but I appreciated the idea. The “Wintertide Manhattan” was very nice. Suggestions…1. Get an onsite ATM if you are going to continue to accept CASH ONLY for the purchase of post-performance CDs/vinyl. 2. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE put felt or plastic glides on the chairs so they slide across the wood floor instead of chatter when someone shifts their seat. Criticism…I’ll have to agree with several others that food prices are out of line with portion sizes/quality. The food is good, but not exceptional. It either needs to be made exceptional or come with larger portions or be reduced in price.

Laurence Walter

Worst experience ever! We arrived with friends for dinner and the waitress too busy advising us we had to pay out when the shift switched to 6 we ordered steaks and AFTER 30 min waitress comes back and said they only had 2 steaks WTH we had 3 other folks with us so they ordered pork chops and then she said oh we only have 1 so finally after sitting there for close to an hour we were served 2 Cold steaks and our friends ordered hamburgers took another 39 min we were so disappointed and thought they need John Tapper to learn how to run a bar anyway we did Tip our 2nd waitress good she tried hard with lack of help sure hope service gets better we always enjoyed the Barel in the past

Andy Forbes

This place was an absolute gem! Warm inviting great music great people..we stumbled across Stellar Wine Co just walking looking to have a good time after leaving a disappointing party..it was 8 of us and we fell into the right place and our evening was salvaged. The food the ambiance the space the wine were all perfect and the owner was so humble & appreciative of us stopping in and friendly even while working hard to take care of patrons..an easy light good time..no rift raft or drama just smooth good people. we all had a blast and have already decided to make it a favorite place

Ramon Curry

The atmosphere here was excellent. The food and the portions were GREAT. The staff was very friendly and helpful. To add to all of that one of the owners visited our table and spoke with us. He was very personable. Brandon was his name. The taste of the food was on point. Everyone at my party really enjoyed their food and had nothing but good things to say. Even adding on to different parts of the meal was seamless. One of the highlights was the way the grits tasted. We are always super skeptical about eating restaurant grits, and these tasted like one of the elders in the family made these. This experience was excellent and I will definitely be going again to try the dinner portions. Highly recommended!