Kick back and grab a bite at Phil's Grill

By Tammy Jaxtheimer

Restaurant critic

Phil's Grill has been a mainstay at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for almost 20 years. But my recent visit was made with a first-timer, a friend who had never heard of it. For me it was comforting to see the classic Foosball table at the entry. The room that had once served non-smoking diners now has pool tables with weathered barrel-style seats and a few dining tables to accommodate smokers. In addition to the lounge layout, a beer aroma, familiar from my college days, led me to believe that Phil's focus has shifted.

We settled into a nonsmoking table on the side with the smaller bar and stage. The restaurant has acquired a worn look, but our server, who was most attentive and accommodating, assured us that the recipes were all the originals from the early days.

Monster nachos ($6.99) with a $2.99 add-on of veggies, Cajun chicken or beef or sashimi-grade tuna was the perfect match for our drafts of Magic Hat Seasonal and Warsteiner Dunkel. (There are more than 100 beers on Phil's list.) We selected the tuna and, because we had younger diners with us, asked for the salsa and sour cream on the side.

When our server presented the nachos, he did so with the offer to have them re-made since the salsa and sour cream were right on top. We declined the do-over. The nachos looked appealing, and we felt we could pull out plainer servings for the youngsters. Thin, crispy tortilla chips were terrific with a tasteful amount of melted cheese, black beans - with a bit of kick -tuna morsels and fresh salsa and sour cream. My 9-year-old guests strategically plucked out the tuna, their favorite part of the dish. I found the nachos addictive, with or without the tuna.

Most of the 13 dinner entrees come with mashed potatoes and vegetable medley accompaniments. They are also offered in lunch portions from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exceptions are New York strip ($19.99) and grilled pork chop ($15.99).

When ordering the pork chop, my guest was asked how she preferred it done. An eight- ounce bone-in pork chop was pleasantly peppered and prepared to a medium rare. It was tender and toothsome in its light ginger teriyaki seasoning. Sauteed vegetables - squash, broccoli, onions, carrots - were very good. The accompanying mashed potatoes, full of vitamins from their skins and highly seasoned, made my guest pronounce them "dirty," meant as a compliment.

My daughter agreed to share her "phish & chips" ($4.99) from the kids' menu if I shared my stuffed shrimp ($18.99 dinner, $9.99 lunch). The fish was cod the evening we visited. It looked appealing with its fresh french fries, but after my daughter ate a portion of the lightly beer-battered fish, she handed it to me and said it wasn't good. The thicker end was gummy from raw batter. We let our server know, and he obligingly removed it from our bill. Kids' chicken tenders ($4.99) received high marks.

We also ordered shrimp. Five butterflied shrimp with crab cake stuffing basked in a ramekin pool of buttery Old Bay. Some of the shrimp were tough from too much broiler time, but we savored the tender ones.

We wanted dessert, but kudos to our server who said, "I won't let you have the last piece of peach cake. It's too old."

Phil's Grill is a place to kick back and grab a bite. During the early hours, the kids - of all ages - can be entertained with Foosball or pool. Thursday through Sunday is a time to enjoy adult entertainment with open-mic night, live bands and stand-up comedy.

My caveat: Don't expect the venue to be as "fresh" as the food. It is old and worn, particularly noticeable in the facilities, although the essentials were there. My daughter said it was in need of a new coat of paint. That will take care of the obscenities written on the walls, but the place craves a face lift.

Tammy Jaxtheimer, flavor@pilotonline.com