If you know me IRL then you know I am a total birthday whore. I start counting down to my birthday the second the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve each year. I love taking the week off and planning a mini beach trip with friends. This year two friends, Wally and I took a trip to Virginia Beach. This was all of our first time there and we loved it. I prefer going to the beach in the off-season so it is less hot, and has less annoying crowds, plus you can bring dogs on the beach. Some NC beaches have strict timelines with dogs on the beach in the fall or spring, but Virginia Beach allows dogs on the beach after Labor Day – Memorial Day each year so it was perfect.
Our AirBnB:
If you are visiting Virginia Beach, I HIGHLY recommend booking a place close to the beach. The parking can get wild so it was great to not have to worry about that and be able to walk everywhere. Our Airbnb was located on Atlantic Avenue, only a block away from the beach, and it was dog friendly. It was a giant house randomly in the middle of parking lots and new construction, but it was super cute. The house is broken up into several units, we were on the second floor.
Dough Boy’s Pizza
Our first stop after settling in was of course to eat. Dough Boy’s Pizza was voted best pizza in VB. It first opened its doors in 1989 and has three locations in Virginia Beach along Atlantic Avenue. We dined at the 2410 Atlantic Avenue location; it was about a 15 minute walk from the Airbnb. Their most famous type of pizza is called “The Wave” which is half calzone and half pizza. Half of it is folded over and looks like a wave, hence the name. I ordered the Classic Wave, Kim got the Pipeline Wave, and Phil ordered a cheese pizza. We also ordered Cherry Lime Crush cocktails which were amazing – strong Sonic Cherry Limeade vibes.
Beach Sunrise
We started off our first morning at the beach at 6:30 am to watch the sunrise. It was so peaceful and calm. It is always a struggle for me to jump out of bed that early on vacation, but the view is always 100% worth it.
Log Cabin Pancake House
It has been a dream of mine to go to a diner at the beach, but it never worked out until this time. We walked by Log Cabin Pancake House the night before and I knew we had to go the next day. They have been open over 30 years serving up some of the best breakfast in VB. We all got the breakfast buffet- this was my first time eating at a buffet since the pandemic. The pancakes with whipped butter were to die for. My mouth is watering as we speak thinking about them. They also had french toast, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, over-easy eggs, sausage, bacon, fried donuts, fruit- the list goes on and on.
Pour Favor Coffee Flight
No matter where I go, I will always hunt down the best local coffee spots. We drove to Pour Favor for an afternoon pick-me-up. We all split their seasonal Girl Scout Cookie Coffee Flight, and then got a regular drink of our own. The shop was very cute and did a great job of being inclusive and making sure all its guests felt welcome inside.
Chix On The Beach
Chix On The Beach was recommended to us by our waitress at breakfast. If you didn’t get seafood, did you even go to the beach?! I was disappointed they didn’t have crab legs because I had my heart set on that, but their grilled shrimp made up for it. Kim ordered seared scallops so I tried those for the first time, and they were excellent! Phil enjoyed a crab cake sandwich. We also got fun beachy themed cocktails in souvenir cups. They have an amazing dog-friendly patio with an oceanfront view.
Beach Coffee Co.
On our last morning we stopped at Beach Coffee for iced lattes to drink while walking at the beach one final time. The lattes were delicious, and I was amazed at how fast the barista made them! They also sell breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and ice cream. I ordered my usual, an iced vanilla latte with oat milk.
Handsome Biscuit
On our way home, we made a pit-stop in Norfolk to try the famous Handsome Biscuit, which is just 30 minutes outside of Virginia Beach. They specialize in making made from scratch sweet potato biscuits, which none of us had tried before. Their most popular biscuit is the Hella Fitzgerald – a sweet potato biscuit sandwich with fried chicken with bacon, cheddar, and red eye pork sausage gravy. I ordered it and added a fried egg. Everything we tried there was incredible, and the staff was so friendly and inviting.
I certainly did not have enough time in Virginia Beach to see and eat it all. I can’t wait to go back again- maybe for my next birthday? Where else should we visit next time?
