Cove Tavern
📍 Leather bars in Newport News
Cove Tavern in Newport News offers a cozy yet refined atmosphere, blending rustic charm with a polished touch—ideal for both casual gatherings and intimate dinners. The menu highlights standout dishes like shrimp and grits and crispy fried specialties, praised for their bold flavors and meticulous preparation. Service is consistently attentive, with knowledgeable staff enhancing the dining experience through personalized recommendations.
While the ambiance and food quality shine, one recurring note is the occasional inconsistency in dish temperatures, particularly with heartier entrees. The bar’s lively yet unobtrusive setting complements its offerings, making it a solid choice for patrons seeking a balance of comfort and sophistication. A minor oversight in food warmth doesn’t detract from its overall appeal.
Features and services of Cove Tavern
Service options
- Outdoor seating
- Delivery
- On-site services
- Takeaway
- Dine-in
Highlights
- Fast service
- Fireplace
- Great beer selection
- Great cocktails
- Great dessert
- Great wine list
- Live music
- Serves local specialty
- Sport
Popular for
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Solo dining
Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
- Alcohol
- Beer
- Cocktails
- Coffee
- Comfort food
- Happy-hour drinks
- Happy-hour food
- Healthy options
- Late-night food
- Quick bite
- Small plates
- Spirits
- Vegan options
- Vegetarian options
- Wine
Dining options
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Catering
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
Amenities
- Bar on site
- Toilet
Atmosphere
- Casual
- Cosy
- Trendy
Crowd
- Family friendly
- Groups
- Tourists
- University students
Planning
- Accepts reservations
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
Children
- Good for kids
- High chairs
- Kids' menu
Parking
- Free multi-storey car park
- Free of charge street parking
- Free parking lot
Pets
- Dogs allowed outside
Cove Tavern is in position 10 out of 62 in leather bars in Newport News
Customer Reviews
Cove Tavern has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 based on over 2259 reviews on Google
The taste of food is good, the fries are crispy, the ambience, the service. The only thing that I cannot accept is the fact that the food is cold. Not hot at all. Yes maybe a little warm, but still very cold. I was expecting for my ribs to be hot when it reaches the table but it is not. And that is the only concern. Love the taste and everything but the temperature. Otherwise, everything was good.
This place is very mediocre. The best part was the drink. The wings were a little warm when we got them. Not hot like they should have been. Not the best, not the worst I have had. The queso had a weirdish taste to it. We both ordered a burger. When asked how we wanted our burgers cooked, we said medium and we also asked for a runny egg yolk. The waitress said that the eggs will be done according on how you want our burger cooked. An interesting response. We ordered medium rare in hopes we would get the runny egg yolk and a burger cooked rhe way we wanted. We did not. The egg was fried hard. The burger was medium well. The floors were sticky along with the table. The service wasn't great either. It also had a damp smell. We should have left when we walked in. If you are looking for a mediocre place for dinner, this is your spot. We should have just had dinner at the hotel. 😂
The best Shrimp and Grits I’ve ever tasted! Extremely savory and the bread that comes along with it was extremely soft and buttery. Unlike lots that are crunchy. The wings are perfectly cooked, not drenched in sauce but coated just enough. The desert I had (the apple cobbler) was great however the " ice cream " that comes along with it is not actual ice cream. It’s what’s called an "ice cream product" which doesn’t melt like real ice cream would. Rather it turns into a mushy pudding texture over time. For context, the photo of the ice cream is after it’s been sitting out for 2hrs (still not melted) Overall a great meal. Compliments to the chef.
Overall our experience was just ok. We were greeted and seated immediately and our server came out shortly after. Our orders consisted of crab dip, shrimp and grits and Cajun salmon with mac n cheese and collard greens as sides. The dip was watery and didn’t have much flavor. The shrimp and grits, though a bit too cheesy, were some of the best I’ve ever had. I liked the salmon dish but the sauce seemed to overpower the salmon itself. The greens were pretty good but I didn’t care for the mac n cheese. It was also bland in my opinion. I also ordered a blueberry martini, which was good but it took a while to get to me (server forgot about it). Overall, I would give the place another try if I’m in the area.
First time at Cove Tavern for a late lunch/early dinner and will definitely be going back!! Restaurant and bathrooms were clean!! Food was delicious as well as our cocktails and they also have happy hour specials and daily food & drink specials!! We enjoyed the Covearita, the Tavern Mojito, and an ice cold draft beer as well as Loaded Tater Tots, Jumbo Shrimp Bangers ((serrano aioli was so good)) a Santa Fe Crispy Fried Chicken Bowl ((everything i wanted it to be and more)) Shrimp and Grits ((my sis was raving about these after the first bite)) and all were something to talk about even our fries!!😂 Also our server/bartender "Jen" was awesome, very attentive and patient and helped me with some great recommendations as well and she makes a great drink so what more could you ask for?? 10/10 will be coming here again!!
My husband and I went to Date night at the Cove Tavern and Jen was our Hostess. We had the lump crab sandwich/w fries; shrimp and grits and lemon pepper/tai chili wings to go. Everything was excellent. Food, Service and Atmosphere included. Very elegant establishment. We will return for our Anniversary next month.
We went there for my husband's birthday. Me personally I didn't enjoy it. This is a casual restaurant bar with a ton of people, very loud...you can't hear what the person at your table is saying. The atmosphere is off for me, since I'm more classic type vibes. The food was good 👍, I had the Caribbean salmon little too sweet but maybe that's the dish itself. For appetizer we had the spinach dip, way too salty. The chicken wings were amazing! We enjoyed them, I also like the French fries. The service was not that great... We didn't see him checking on us. I ordered some french fries with the appetizer that was served after the main dish. Are you kidding me. I requested 2 boxes I received one. So, when it time for me to pay how you are demending 18% for tip? Do you remember the service you just provided maybe because you had 5 tables at the same time. I don't know that. But I always do my best to tip. Thank you. Not my cup of tea ✌🏽
Information about Cove Tavern
Address
Cove Tavern is located at 711 Town Center Dr, Newport News, VA 23606, United States
Phone
The phone number of Cove Tavern is +1 757-596-1830
Website
The website of Cove Tavern is: covetavern.com
Business Hours
Monday: 11:00–23:00
Tuesday: 11:00–23:00
Wednesday: 11:00–23:00
Thursday: 11:00–23:00
Friday: 11:00–00:00
Saturday: 11:00–00:00
Sunday: 11:00–20:00