The Banque

Love the new dining room, great dinner specials. Opens Wed thru Sunday for dinner at 5pm, plus they have great specials each night. The food was really good and the waitstaff was very attentive. Give it a try more

Love This Place!! Always have soo much fun! My friends and I always go here for the Dance Lessons Wed. & Fri. Nights! Michelle, the dance teacher is really nice and helpful! Can't wait to get my friends together again and go to The Banque for a Girl's Night out. Plus I heard Thursdays are Now Girls Night with No Cover all Night!! How awesome is that! more

I GAVE IT A ONE STAR BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A NEGATVIE SIGN I CAN USE. THEY DO NOT PLAY COUNTRY MUSIC IT WAS CRAP MUSIC ALL SATURDAY NIGHT, THEY SAID THAT PEOPLE WERE YOUNG AND THEY NEED TO CATER TO A YOUNGER CROWD TO MAKE THEM HAPPY. MOST OF THE PEOPLE WEARING COWBOY HATS WERE COMPLAINING BUT I GUESS COUNTRY FOLKS DONT GET A SAY AT A COUNTRY BAR. JUST THE YOUNG FOLKS THAT LISTEN TO CRAP. WILL NEVER GO AGAIN WILL NEVER RECOMMEND IT IN FACT I WILL TALK IT DOWN TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE. AND THE HALF NAKED MEN ON THE BATHROOM WALLS ARE NASTY. THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT A COUNTRY BAR REALLY IS. PLUS WE HAD TO FLAG DOWN OUR WAITRESS IN ORDER TO GET SERVICE HER NAME WAS CHARLENE. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR YOUR MONEY GOING HERE UNLESS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HIP/HOP BAR. more

I used to go there all the time. I was what one would refer to as a regular, but after a few years of going and getting to know the people who work there, I saw the place for what it really is. They have no loyalty to patrons of long tenure. Ray Barret is not the owner of this bar but rather the hired help. If it weren't for this being the only bar left in Norfolk that lets in 18 year old sailors for free, he would have ran this place into the ground. I used to go to dance and mingle, but like others have said, all they do is single line dances and no one can just dance on the floor anymore. The alcohol is expensive and the food is crap. I suggest saving your money and time and going somewhere else. more

This place caters to an under 21 revolving military crowd. They also play plenty of rapp music. There are only a handful of line/partner dances they do there, I suppose its because the real dancers dont go there anymore. I love to dance line/partner and in my mid 30's; I have no interest in an "18 year olds drama". I found myself being harassed by the staff over mistaken identity for the same issue 3 times! Geez guys check my id OR better yet use your memory! They pulled me aside even did a background check and found again that I was not that person 3 times! No apology or even a reply when i wrote the owner on this. Its best to pass on this place and find an establishment that values their patrons. If it weren't for the military base nearby they would've fallen years ago. Pros: its the only 5 day country bar around.. : ( Cons: Caters to an under 21 revolving military crowd more

First, we did not like it, but as everyone has different likes, here is WHY we did not like it. We're 38-40 and lived in our 20s in Texas. DANCE: every dance, 99% of the people line danced. Two step, three step, waltz...it did not matter, the floor was covered in people dancing by themselves in a line, which made it darn near impossible for anyone who wanted to dance dance. Line dances have been around a long time, and I like them as a break, but not as the sole attraction. Two reasons, one...I don't know them and don't care to, and two, no one asks anyone to dance a line dance. I went expecting my wife to get to dance with a few other fellas so I could get a beer. Did not happen, and it is NOT her looks, trust me. SMOKE: lotta smoke...more than I like, and I am not normally opposed to smoke BAR/PRICES: bottled beer for $4-5 is a bit steep for this level of bar. Mixed drinks were watered down. The older bartended (she) near the front was not friendly; the rest were. PEOPLE: very young crowd...not a mix of 20s-30s, they were almost all young 20s. Nothing wrong with that, unless you're in your 30s. Also, I watched, and with the exception of 1-2 men, the entire room was there in large groups. We're married, so were not looking for a meat market, but we had hoped for a wide mix of young, and old, married, and single, with people going around asking people to dance with each other's wives, girlfriends, friends, etc. SO....if you're 26 and younger, in a large group, can stand the smoke and $4-5 a beer, and have no desire to dance dance, but rather only to line dance - go, this is your place. Security seemed on the ball, and the crowd was polite and not at all unfriendly. But if you're older, hate too much smoke, or want to dance the two step, you're wasting your time. Pros: only country place in town - good security, polite crowd Cons: cliquish crowd, smoke, pricey beer, no dancing except line dancing more

great place friendly staff and awesome bartenders!!!!!!!!!!!I have a great time every time I go and I enjoy the music!!!!This place has a very exciting vibe and I try to go there anytime I have a chance....the dj's are also great playing your request with no problems.I'm also on their pool league on weds which is always fun.. Pros: great service ,food and music...AWESOME BARTENDERS more

first off i would like to say that i love this place. i am a female and in the Navy and this place is my second home i have been coming here religously for over 4 years and i will tell you now that i wont go anywhere else in Norfolk. the staff are amazing and many of them i am friends with, ray is the partial owner of this bar and him and belle do a fantastic job here. carol teaches lessons three days a week and the atmosphere is just so relaxing. i must say that this place beats saddle ridge by a long shot. this is the place to be on the weekends and i am a loyal banque fan well done you guys see you saturday. Pros: the people Cons: none more

I used to go to the banque all the time. This was many years ago. It was a fun place to dance, meet people and have a good time. There was not a lot of drama like today. When I go in, I feel very uncomfortable. The atmosphere is young and so are most of kids that are there. The drinks are overpriced and so is the food. The cover charge is too much and you are never told when prices are raised. You go in expecting to pay one price and are shocked when it is something differnt. The staff turn over is high and the guy who has white (gray) hair says the club is his. I know the owner and I also know that the guy who says it's his is lying to everyone he tells this too. Too bad the owners don't have open eyes or ears when it comes to this. I could be a fun place again. Get rid of the white haired man and bring back the bands, at least on the weekends. If not the bands, at least bring a friendlyer staff. The blond at the door does not stay at the door long enough to know who is coming into the club. She is always on a break or flirting with all the single guys. Keep your hands to yourself and leave the married men alone. Over all, the banque could be fun again if they had the right staff in there. Don't think I'll be going back there any time soon. Pros: lots of military Cons: too expensive more

I was previously employed here. However, I was not fired, I quit, and I'll tell you why. The staff is either unfriendly, or a little too friendly, if you get my drift. The bar is full of wanna be cowboys and cowgirls, most military. Drinks are overpriced, and so is their food. When I was under 21, it was 3.50 for a freakin CUP of COKE. Thats the same if not more as a beer! They charge for water! Drinks are watered down and almost always made inproperly. The regulars create a lot of drama, it is a very high school atmosphere. I would recomend Saddle Ridge over The Banque anyday!!! Pros: Lots of single military Cons: Everything else. more

They went to having a DJ instead of the bands and now the dance for is packed so tightly that you can hardly move. Before you could at least have room to dance on the floor or watch a great band play but now all they do is have a DJ play music and sometimes it is not even country music.... I mean who wants to here Cher at a country bar give me Garth, Martina, Jo Dee , Alan or any small home town country band but not Cher or Madonna. more

I have been in a lot of clubs, but I will tell you this one is tops. It is run by tight Management and Control, a lot of women come here because of that factor. So if you want to go somewhere that you can see "beautiful" Ladies, and have a great time, don't look any futher. If you are hungry, well that is another venture, the "food" is also great and priced low. See you at the 'Banque". I was there the night "Brooks & Dunn" stoped in after there show, that will tell what kind of place this is!"GREAT" more

Great place. Love the country music. But why don't they ever have Billy Michael Davis playing there? They should get him. more

excellent food, service ,live bandsit makes for a fun time for the whole group Pros: fun Cons: spendy, spendy drinks more