Ghent Seafood

This place is awesome! The staff are so friendly and helpful. They ensure that you get exactly what you want! They skin the fish for you before they weigh it. Be sure to ask for cooking tips! They are very knowledgeable.
Lastly, the quality of their seafood is amazing. I took the salmon filets home and baked it. And OMG… The salmon melted in your mouth.
I can’t wait to go back and buy more seafood!

About the seafood: Fresh and local, Nuf said! I have walked by this place on more than one occasion never knowing how much I would regret not going inside sooner. John was courteous and friendly; a true professional who knows how to treat his customers.
Needless to say, I have found my seafood market. I hope they are here for years to come.

Awesome seafood market! They have so many things for you to purchase. The owner has so much knowledge as well. He opened my husband’s eyes to something new, and that’s a rare thing for me to see for myself.
We definitely got great service. The owner is the type of person that will give each customer the attention a paying customer deserves which is very hard to come by these days.

«As good as it gets» is right. Walking in to this place is such a refreshing experience compared to other seafood places in the area. Their selection of not only fish but house-​made dips, frozen food, even wine and pre-​packaged noodles and grits really made you feel like you’re getting a look at a gourmet kitchen, behind the scenes.
And the man working here (John I think?) was beyond helpful. Actually, we were looking for a specific type of oyster that he didnt have, and rather than showing us another kind of fish in the store, he actually referred us to a nearby seafood place. It’s hard to find that kind of honesty and real customer service. He was friendly and inquiring, and really made me want to come back to buy from their store just to support a great business.
Also, its CLEAN. Super clean! And doesn’t even smell like fish, at least not like the other places I’ve been to. I definitely want to come back next time I’m in need of some seafood.

My husband and I stopped in on Saturday. I didn’t have hopes too high, as sometimes positive Unilocal reviews can be misleading, but I was delighted to find them all true!
John was attentive, and extraordinarily helpful in helping us make a fabulous dinner. After selecting my seafood, he asked me a series of questions regarding the marinade/​rub process I would be using, and the cooked temp of the tuna my husband I preferred, and then gave me a few quick pointers to make this one of the best meals I’ve ever cooked. Perfectly rare grilled tuna with an appetizer of fresh shrimp — amazing! Also, a big thanks for the ice in the bag as we had a couple more errands to run following the purchase of the seafood. :)
I will definitely stop in again and purchase more fresh seafood — thank you for a lovely Ghent shopping experience.

Why would you get seafood anywhere else? John and Ashley are caring attentive owners who offer cooking suggestions and tips along with their fab seafood. I buy salmon at least twice a week. Melts in my mouth!

Wide selection of seafood. Great customer service and extremely friendly. I think I just found my new seafood heaven!

John provides excellent customer service and even better seafood. He is extremely personable and knowledgable. Glad he is so close.

We stopped here on a Sunday, heading home from a week at the ocean front, and couldn’t have made a better choice! This was definitely the week of seafood for us, eating blue crabs and top neck clams in Annapolis; fish tacos, fish & chips, salmon and whole rockfish in Virginia Beach, and much more. But we wanted more!
After looking at the fresh offerings in the case and asking a few questions, we decided on some grouper that came highly recommended. He gave us some tips on the best preparation and even portioned it for us to make it easier to cook. We also bought a dozen oysters to shuck and enjoy before dinner. After hearing that we had 2 hours to drive back to Richmond, he prepared a recycled styrofoam cooler and filled it with ice to keep our fresh catch cold.
I’ve eaten grouper many times but I must say that this was the best grouper I’ve ever had! Fresh fish, skilled fishmonger, great cooking advice and friendly service… I will not hesitate in returning to Welton’s the next time I am in town.

You can’t ask for better customer service. John is a super friendly guy that will be patient with you and has great suggestions for cooking methods, accompaniments, and now wine/​beer pairings. You’ll be impressed as he wields that fish fillet knife like a pro to remove any unsightly bits from your selection. After coming here, you’ll be hard pressed to go to any of the nearby grocery stores for seafood. When coming here, think quality over quantity. He’s not packed to the gills with seafood; however, it’s going to be as fresh and sourced as local as possible.
Keep in mind that he closes at 6PM and is quite the local favorite. So if you’re planning a special dinner, don’t be last minute as the good stuff may have already swum out the door.

Since I came from Kansas and had no idea how to deal with fresh seafood, it was necessary to find a friendly fishmonger so I could ask stupid questions that all the locals probably know. Welton’s was the first place we found.
We’ve learned how to clean the softshell crabs, how to make fried oysters, how to prepare fresh scallops, how to prepare all sorts of fish. Any question is greeted with an answer that doesn’t make you feel stupid for asking.
I shouldn’t say this but they’ve done such a good job, I don’t have to go there all the time to get my fish, teach a man to fish and all that. But, it is the place to go to get the best stuff.
They take the time to make sure all your filets are the same size, your scallops are all perfect and the best way to prepare each fish you’re purchasing. It always makes my day when my wife tells me she went out to Welton’s.
For my money, it’s the best place to go. The product is fabulous and the service is somehow even better.

On a mission to surprise my SO with a romantic dinner, I found the perfect recipe calling for several fresh filets of salmon.
After checking the usual joints… Harris Teeter, Farm Fresh, ETC., I was quite unhappy with the quality of fish available. Luckily, I had my handy smarty phone and through Unilocal,stumbled upon Welton’s Seafood Market.
Upon entering, I was greeted warmly by the guy behind the fish counter. He explained to me the fresh catches of the day, and promptly guided me to $ 15 of the most gorgeous salmon I could find… exactly what I needed.
Not only was he helpful (and gave some extra to me since it was the last of the salmon that day), but he asked me how I planned to cook and prepare the salmon. I let him know my secret recipe and he proceeded to give me some cooking tips which I used that night to prepare it. Everything turned out great… the salmon was super fresh, and me and the SO couldn’t be happier.
There were plenty of other options to choose from aside from the salmon, and they had a wide variety of sauces and marinades that I’m tempted to try.
I will definitely come back whenever I need fresh seafood in the area!

We were visiting relatives in Norfolk (Ghent) and wanted to take some live oysters home with us. We remember being in a tiny tiny seafood market on a previous visit that had really fresh fish. Called them up got the new location and a very detailed explanation of the different bivalves available. We ordered 2 doz and when we picked them up on ¹¹⁄₂₇ (they let us buy them earlier in the morning so we could hit the road for Roanoke — bonus!) they were busy making the store look great and smell tasty with fresh fish & shellfish on display. I’m tellin’ you that they could not be nicer people. If you have any doubts on how to prepare/​serve/​eat seafood — they can help you out!
All you locals should be buying and trying seafood from Weltons. We’ll be back when we’re in town again…
UPDATE: Ate them up over Thanksgiving — some raw — some roasted on the grill… Great!

I feel like I’m just rehashing what other have said, but both the seafood and customer service here are outstanding. I remember the first time we visited and asked for the scallops. «Would you like me to cut them for you? How are you preparing them? You don’t know? May I make a suggestion?» and then you go home with this top quality seafood and prepare it with those expert tips and look like a pro. John is an old school fish monger who takes the time to take good care of the customers and has quite a few regulars who check in to see what’s good. As someone else said, John doesn’t just load up the cases with a million varieties of seafood in vast quantities. He brings in what’s good that day and doesn’t load up on what isn’t going to sell fresh. I would prefer to find that he has run out of something than to wonder how long X thing has been lingering! They also sell wine, pasta, sauces, etc. but it’s generally pricey goods that aren’t always worth it. Stick to the seafood and you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re ready to take your seafood meals to the next level, this is the place you need to go. The quality and service are top notch.

I was a fan before and now that they’ve changed locations I’m only a bigger fan. This was actually our go to place to get oysters. We rolled in bought a few dozen of the local finest and shucked away at our home. A surprisingly good selection, these were a fresh as they came and very reasonably priced.
I stopped in today to see what the new spot offered and to get some good stuff for dinner. Always quick to make suggestions and offer helpful hints the customer service is stellar. The larger location allows for a greater selection of seafood, but also a great little market in it’s own right that supports other small local businesses. Some fresh produce, pasta, grits, and (Kosher) sushi made in house twice a week were all pleasant surprises.

Love this place! Fresh seafood and super friendly and helpful owners!

This place is amazing. Highest quality fish at good prices. If you are in need of tips for cooking those come complimentary. We picked up some asparagus yesterday while we were in and that tasted like it was harvested that morning. All you need to do is stop by once and you will be ‘hooked!’

My husband and I were in Norfolk to pick up coffee beans when we saw Welton’s. Immediately, noticed there wasn’t a huge selection, and we like that. Fish comes in daily and it sells.
My husband was in the mood for salmon. I was impressed because we weren’t just handed a piece of fish and sent on our way. Skin or no skin? Would you like it portioned? Most importantly, he weighed the piece after he cut off the skin. No one has ever done this for us before and it was an extremely pleasant surprise. Great service and a superior piece of salmon.
Thanks for running an awesome business, Welton’s is our go to for seafood.

Without question Weltons has the best seafood in town. Great folks, great food, great service. We won’t buy seafood anywhere else.

THE place to go for seafood in Norfolk! everything is always so fresh and delicious and John is extremely helpful! If you’re looking for something in particular — just call ahead and he’ll let you know if it is in season and fresh. he will even suggest cooking tips:)