Smalls Smokehouse + Seafood

Bringing Amazing Barbecue And Fabulous Flavors To Cape Charles

There’s something very big going on at Small’s.

Just a couple of miles down the road from Bay Creek, Small’s Smokehouse + Seafood invites you to experience good eating like you’ve never had before. Opening the doors of their spacious Cape Charles location in November 2022, Small’s has quickly become a go-to for folks craving smokin’ good barbecue.

There are two things you ought to know before you go: One, Small’s is fabulous (you’ll know when you walk in and smell the savory aroma) and two, it’s family owned.

The Small family has a long history in Eastern Virginia. Logan Small, 34, is the dynamo behind the food and atmosphere of the Cape Charles restaurant. His great grandfather, John Small, Sr., established Small Hardware store on Norfolk’s Hampton Boulevard in 1919. With the help of Logan’s grandfather John, Jr., and his father, John Small III, the family hardware business was a community fixture in Norfolk for nearly 70 years.

In 2013, John Small III and Logan, his youngest son, decided to open Small’s Smokehouse + Oyster Bar, just a few blocks from where the family hardware store originally stood. Why a smokehouse and oyster bar? “Logan loves barbecue and I love oysters so that’s what we served,” says John. The restaurant quickly became a favorite.

Maybe it was from generations of helping people find ‘just what they were looking for’ at Small’s Hardware. Or maybe it was Logan’s lifetime love of cooking that he first discovered as a Boy Scout. Whatever it was, the Smalls were natural restauranteurs. Their place was quickly recognized as the best around for good pork barbecue, smoked brisket, and oysters.

Today, their new location, Smalls Smokehouse + Seafood in Cape Charles, carries on the tradition. This family-owned barbecue and oyster house serves the kind of food that makes you feel right at home. At Small’s you’ll find fresh-caught seafood from the Eastern Shore and all kinds of tasty cuts of meat. Everything is made fresh and smoked inhouse—pork, chicken, brisket, ribs and more. “It takes about eight hours to smoke pork, and 16 to smoke brisket,” says John. “We cook all night so you can come in and enjoy it today.”

On their menu, you’ll see things in categories—

‘LAND’: pulled pork and chicken, St. Louis ribs, sliced brisket…and ‘SEA’: smoked shrimp salad, smoked and raw oysters, salmon cake…just to list a few. We think they should add a third category, ‘HEAVEN’ for their hearty mac and cheeses, baked beans served in a cast iron pan, bowls of warm grits with chives and cubes of bacon, and their own Virginian-Pilot award-winning ‘Smalls Classic Oyster Stew’ with Chesapeake Bay oysters and Logan’s impeccable seasonings.

Their rotating menu means you can enjoy a variety of special dishes featured at different times. Just come in, walk up to the counter, order what delicious dish you want to savor, and enjoy. Guests can eat in the casual dining area, outside on the patio, or, take it to go and dig in at home—its so easy. And of course, there’s a full bar and friendly mixologist ready to conjure up the perfect beverage to complement every meal.

Small’s hip, friendly vibe and great staff make it the kind of authentic neighborhood place you’ll want to come back to again and again. Next time the urge for really good barbecue and seafood strikes you, cruise over to Smalls Smokehouse + Seafood and enjoy Logan and John’s great hospitality and unforgettable eats. Best of all, it’s right here in Cape Charles. “It’s a local thing,” says Logan. “We love barbecue.”

Smalls Smokehouse + Seafood