It's hit or miss at Deuce McGee's in Virginia Beach

Deuce McGee’s Grille on Shore Drive west of Great Neck has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past year. Its dining room of comfortably spaced tables and booths with an adjacent bar has a fresh pub feeling.

The she-crab soup ($6.99), chock-full of lump crab, was good but too salty and spicy. A side of too-soft steamed broccoli with Hollandaise ($3.99) was taken off our bill.

Mammoth “OMG” hand-battered onion rings and the Texas chicken ($7.99) sandwich will bring me back. Perfectly grilled boneless plump, moist chicken breast, topped with cheddar, bacon and chipotle barbecue sauce on a roll far superior to the menu-listed kaiser, was awesome.

A bountiful seafood platter ($21.99) was a compromise order since it was too late for Monday’s blue-plate Mama’s Meatloaf with cheddar mashers, and too early for the shrimp and grits ($13.99) dinner special. The accompanying salad was appealing, with homemade blue cheese dressing. The platter’s three quality jumbo shrimp, nicely prepared, would compel me to return for that shrimp and grits special on Mondays, or any other day for the fried shrimp dinner ($16.99).

Oysters, listed as “large, firm, meaty, flavorful,” arrived small, mushy and murky.

The flaky flounder fillet was fabulous. The pan-seared crab cake was highly seasoned and meaty and reminded us of deviled crab. Four well-prepared scallops disappointed because their flavor seemed to indicate they were not chemical-free “dry pack” mollusks. Owner Don Stull said “dry pack” quality is what he orders and pays for, and he planned to research the issue.

The California Club ($8.99) was a delicious triple-decker wheat berry bread sandwich smeared with honey mustard and guacamole, and stacked with ham, turkey, maple smoked pepper bacon, American cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. The accompanying french fries were tepid.

The Key lime pie ($4.99) filling was tasty and tart, but a gummy crust detracted. Cinnamon overwhelmed the carrot cake ($4.99), and it was not as moist as we are accustomed to.

Although Deuce McGee’s had its highs and lows, the freshly prepared fare coupled with a sparkling clean restaurant, friendly and attentive service, and daily specials will bring me back.

Tammy Jaxtheimer, flavor@pilotonline.com