The Virginian-Pilot
©
WITH SO MANY FLOUNDERS flip-flopping on boat decks this time of year, we thought it was time to test a sea-level classic: the flounder sandwich. A school of readers directed us to three venues for this flat, googly-eyed fish – two seafood specialty spots and, somewhat surprisingly, a German restaurant. On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, a quartet of testers roamed from Virginia Beach to Portsmouth to determine who serves the best. Here’s what they found.
First up, the Lynnhaven Fish House Restaurant, a venerable eatery at the foot of Lynnhaven Fishing Pier.
It’s hard to beat the view here, where two walls of windows overlook the Chesapeake Bay.
Throughout 30 years, the restaurant has cultivated a following of locals and tourists alike. The fare earned a No. 1 rating in a previous taste test for she crab soup and finalist status for fried oysters.
The evidence: At 2 p.m. on a recent Sunday afternoon, the carpeted dining room decorated with mounted fish was abuzz with customers, but service remained fast and friendly.
It’s unusual to have a choice, but flounder sandwiches here come either fried or broiled. Included in the price is a choice of one side – steak fries, baked potato, black beans over rice or a house salad.
Testers sampled both broiled and fried flounder, which came fresh from local waters. Generous portions of hot flatfish topped Kaiser rolls with romaine lettuce, a Jupiter-sized slice of organic tomato and a lemon wedge. A pile of steak fries beckoned crisp and golden brown. Scores for appearance and aroma came on strong.
Testers scribbled in another round of above-average scores for the Kaiser rolls, which provided a big base for the sandwich.
In the critical fish category, Lynnhaven posted another satisfying round of scores. Most testers preferred the fried version, but everyone deemed the flounder fresh and flavorful and the portions generous . The filets all but obscured the roll.
“Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside,” tester Pat Mosley said.
Fellow tester Bernice Roberts, who stuck to the broiled version, thought it was “broiled expertly” but found the filet “lopsided, thicker on one side than the other, and the thin side was close to being overdone.”
Even with that, the fish score would be hard to beat.
Then the scores for accompaniments to the sandwich – creamy cole slaw, tartar and cocktail sauces and the steak fries – soared even higher.
With the value category to go, the Lynnhaven Fish House seemed a strong contender for the gold.
Sandwich platters here cost $11.50 , the priciest of the day. But combined with the flavor, the freshness, the view and the generous portions, testers gave a thumbs up for value.
“I’ll come back,” Mosley said, “and bring the family.”
After crossing Shore Drive, testers arrived at the next stop, Chick’s Oyster Bar. A sprawling, rustic restaurant perched right on the Lynnhaven River , it’s a casual place where people come by boat, car and foot.
Seating options include a couple of indoor dining rooms, a large L-shaped bar and raw bar, a tiki bar, and covered and un-covered outdoor dining at picnic tables.
This was the second visit from a squad of taste testers from The Virginian-Pilot. Last summer the restaurant earned a finalist spot for its steamed crabs.
With the temperature nearing 100 degrees, testers skipped the seaside porches and opted for an indoor booth.
The joint buzzed with customers, but our Flounder BLT sandwiches came quickly on checkerboard-rimmed plates absolutely covered with food.
Right off, Chick’s took a spot as a contender, earning appearance/aroma scores that matched Lynnhaven Fish House.
Chick’s flops its flounder on standard hamburger buns, which earned slightly lower scores than Lynnhaven’s Kaiser rolls, leaving the first sandwich with a slight edge.
But Chick’s took the lead in the fish category for fat, flaky, locally sourced filets, dredged in flour and cooked to a crispy golden brown.
“A-plus on freshness,” Mosley said.
“Awesome,” tester D’Andrea Dietrich agreed.
The race for first was on.
Chick’s offers a choice of one side: hand-cut fries, beans with rice, steamed broccoli, slaw, potato salad or steamed vegetables.
Sandwiches came with lettuce, two slices of not-quite-ripe tomato, a few ruffles of thinly sliced bacon, a wedge of lemon and a pickle spear.
Testers loved the slaw and the fries, and found the lettuce and tomatoes fresh. But scores dipped a bit below Lynnhaven’s in the other elements category.
At this point, Chick’s needed a strong value score to take the lead.
The sandwich platter here costs $10 , and while testers thought it a slightly better value than Lynnhaven’s, scores weren’t quite high enough.
With one restaurant to go, Chick’s slid into second by the slimmest of margins.
Oddly, a restaurant revered for its offering of more than 300 beers and authentic German fare also has a following for its flounder sandwich.
When we arrived at the restaurant, co-owner Lori Osfolk, dressed in traditional German garb, shared our surprise.
“I just make it like I make it at home,” she shrugged, smiling.
Located in Portsmouth’s Olde Towne, The Bier Garden was opened in 1997 by Lori and Tony Osfolk, who came to the United States from Germany decades ago. It features a courtyard with trellises and dining at large, shaded tables, a bar and cozy indoor spaces with exposed brick, worn wooden tables and plenty of German decor.
Soon after testers were seated at a roomy indoor table, the sandwiches arrived. They’re served on a crusty sub roll, cut in half, with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayonnaise or tartar seasoned with dill, along with one side. The no-nonsense presentation earned an average set of scores.
The sub roll, which seemed more like a crusty baguette, fared a bit better . The Bier Garden tied with Chick’s in the bread category.
Before testers took the first bite, Lori Osfolk revealed that the fish is frozen, not fresh.
“We just don’t serve enough seafood to buy it fresh,” she explained.
The fillets are coated with a mixture of milk and water , then dredged in seafood breading and fried. The result ing thick, crunchy coating didn’t wow testers. And the fish lacked the fresh flavor of the other two venues, which led to another round of average scores.
But Bier Garden gained ground for the accompaniments, where the restaurant could showcase what it does best. Sandwiches come with a choice of one side from a list that includes many authentic German dishes: beer battered fries, German potato salad, green bean salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage and Spaetzle.
In particular, testers liked the beer-battered fries and red cabbage.
The Bier Garden’s sandwich platter is $7.95, the lowest of the day. A fair price, most testers agreed, but they didn’t deem The Bier Garden a flounder sandwich destination .
“Go for the great German atmosphere and the friendly service,” Dietrich said. “I’ll return for a German dish next time.”
Lynnhaven Fish House Restaurant
2350 Starfish Road, Virginia Beach
(757) 481-0003,
LynnhavenFishHouse.net
Price: $11.50, broiled or fried, served with steak fries and cole slaw
Score: 77
What they said:
“Very nicely cooked. The tartar was great, but the fish really didn’t need it. It stood on its own.” – D’Andrea
“Fresh, flaky flounder, not too sweet, but sweet enough.” – Pat
“The fish was fresh and adequately sized for lunch. Moist and broiled expertly.” – Bernice
“I would definitely come again. If it was close to Zuni, I’d come often!” – Danny
Chick’s Oyster Bar
2143 Vista Circle, Virginia Beach
(757) 481-5757
ChicksOysterBar.com
Price: $10, fried only, served topped with bacon, one side and a dill pickle spear
Score: 75
What they said:
“Awesome. I haven’t had flounder this great in years!rdquo; – D’Andrea
“A little cumbersome – a little too much fish for the small bun.” – Danny
“It is worth the drive. The price was appropriate, and I was surprised to have a pickle and bacon on the plate.” – Bernice
“For the portion size of fish, the amount of fries and delicious cole slaw, this is a great value for only $10. Very filling!” – Pat
The Bier Garden
438 High St., Portsmouth
(757) 393-6022
BierGarden.com
Price: $7.95 with a choice of one side
Score: 54
What they said:
“The appearance is tempting … unique compared to the round buns at other places. It’s like a small sub sandwich.” – Danny
“The flounder was obviously frozen, but better than store-bought frozen. Good flavor, fried crisp.” – D’Andrea
“The onion on the sandwich was tasty, and the German potato salad smelled wonderful … a mixture of spices and vinegar.” – Pat
“Great atmosphere and friendly people. Try something else on the menu first.” – Bernice
Flounder sandwiches earned points in five categories: appearance/aroma; the bread; the fish; other elements; and value. Testers’ scores were added and averaged to arrive at the final score.
Bernice Roberts
79, Virginia Beach
Occupation: Retired accountant
Nominated: Beach Pub
On flounder sandwiches: “I know how to scale them, clean them and cook them, and I know what they should taste like.”
D’Andrea Dietrich
45, Zuni
Occupation: Housewife
Nominated: Nick’s Hospitality
On flounder sandwiches: “They are light and not as heavy as a burger. I always get tartar on the side because sometimes the flounder can be so tasty it can stand on its own.”
Danny White
40, Zuni
Occupation: Military 911 dispatcher
Nominated: Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar
On flounder sandwiches: “The flounder needs to be crispy but not overdone, and the condiments are essential."
Pat Mosley
59, Chesapeake
Occupation: Teacher, Greenbrier Middle School, Chesapeake
Nominated: None
On flounder sandwiches: “I like them because they taste good and they are good for your health. They must be fresh, have flaky meat and be hot.”
Other frequently nominated restaurants
Virginia Beach: Beach Pub, Bubba’s Seafood Restaurant & Crabhouse, Dockside Restaurant, Keagan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant
Chesapeake: Pirate’s Cove Restaurant, Court House Cafe
Norfolk: City Dock Restaurant at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, Tanner’s Creek Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar
Suffolk: Vintage Tavern, Sushi Aka, Eastern Shore, Eastville Inn
Williamsburg: The Backfin Seafood Restaurant
Elsewhere: Chesapeake Grill on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Looking for tasty burritos & testers: Know of a restaurant that serves a great burrito? Send us the name of the restaurant and the city where it’s located. Want to be a tester? Send us your name, age, city of residence and the reason(s) why you’d be a great burrito tester. Submit nominations and tester applications by calling our Taste Test line at (757)446-2334, or send an e-mail to taste.test@pilotonline.com The deadline is Aug. 8.
Flounder sandwich photos by Hyunsoo Leo Kim
Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697,lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Agree with the Taste Testers pick? Have another favorite?
Tell us what you think...
what do I think ?
I never agreed to much with flounder as a sandwich to begin with, though I have packed my fair share in a brown sack. I have been pulling this fish out of our local waters for over fourty years, and have ate more than I care to remember. They are very fun to catch, and that's just from the method it takes to entice these guys. The fun takes a further turn when you get a doormat to the surface and he doesn't like what he's looking at.
I have also taken comfort that flounder is healthy for you because it's low on the contamination list for fish.
My method of eating it starts with it being fresh caught by my"self", put on ice and processed immediately. That method of eating works well on a variety of fish. Well that and batter frying it.