Every time we're in Oriental visiting family, we make a point to come to Gretchen's Bistro. It's one of the few places that feels just as easy with kids as it does for a great meal out. The atmosphere is relaxed but still really well done, and the food has been consistently excellent. Service has always been welcoming and accommodating, which makes a big difference when dining with little ones. It's become part of our routine when we're in town, and somewhere we always look forward to coming back to. read more

We (14 of us!) dined at Gretchen's Bistro in Oriental last night. The trip out to Oriental was well worth it! We were seated at a large table in an enclosed patio of the restaurant. The seating and lighting were great. Our server, Kayla was very professional and efficient. As one might imagine, a seating of 14 can be difficult. She handled us with aplomb! Many different items were ordered. I started with the wedge salad where the iceberg lettuce, blue cheese crumbles and bacon were the stars of the show. I ordered the duck breast for my entree. The fat was perfectly rendered and the puréed carrots pair extremely well with the richness of the deck. A must have with the duck is their in-house made pear martini which blended perfectly with the fig sauce served over the duck. My husband ordered the Shrimp Cocktail as my appetizer. The shrimp were plump and perfectly steamed! The cocktail sauce was fresh made and delicious! His entree was Pistachio Butter Scallops. They were served on a bed of polenta with a side of haricot verts! The scallops were sautéed to a point where the edges were just ever so crispy while the interior of the scallop was tender and sweet! He said this was one of the best meals he'd have ever had and we've dined at many 4 & 5 star restaurants! I almost forgot to mention the bread service! We were offered either a Baguette or Focaccia bread. The focaccia was so outstanding, we bought an extra half loaf to bring home!!! Even though we were both happily satiated, we shared their pan fried pound cake with salted caramel gelato and chantilly cream for dessert! It was simply amazing! The management staff and chef came to our table to check on our service and meals. They were very appreciative of our glowing feedback! We'll definitely be coming back! I highly recommend going to Gretchen's Bistro in Oriental! You won't be disappointed! Sorry...only the one pic, because we were a large group enjoying a multitude of conversations. read more

Gretchen’s Bistro - Pistachio butter scallops - Desserts Near Me - Oriental, North Carolina

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An eloquent restaurant in town. Reservations are smart. Food and preparation were nice too. The charcuterie has lots to pick from, great for a party of people. Fyi, the peppers are hot!! A very delicious chowder. My blackened salmon was good, loved my vegetables. Dessert was the cheery on top to a great meal. Peach cobbler came out hot! Our pound cake with gelato and cream was good too. I liked the place. There was a pianist playing which was pleasant to listen to. At times it got loud but that could also be there being less people too. read more

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OML what service but the food....excellent! Eastern NC has a gem at Gretchen's Bistro!! All come! read more

Gretchen’s Bistro - Best oysters ever!! - Desserts Near Me - Oriental, North Carolina

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Exceptional food and fantastic service. Our server Kayla didn't miss a single thing with our party of 14 people. Collectively, we ordered a wide variety of menu items from salads, appetizers, seafood, chicken, duck and steaks. 5 stars all around for creative and delicious food, atmosphere and service. We will be regulars... read more

Fantastic experience! Dinner for 4 - we were seated immediately with Memphis as our server. As much as we wanted to try different dishes none of us could get past the crab-cakes cakes- so crab cakes for all! We were not disappointed! All lump crab with zero filler. Another review mentioned "burned potatoes" the potatoes were skin on, dark color like I've never seen ... firm, well cooked and extremely tasty! The decor is quaint and sophisticated and there's plenty of space between tables. One of the servers played the piano while we were which enhanced the ambiance. Our dining companions live fairly close - we live in the DC area and we will definitely come back next time we visit. read more

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We are excited to have Gretchen's join the list of amazing dining options in Oriental. Excellent menu which changes with the season, upscale atmosphere and friendly service. Call ahead for reservations! It's that good! read more

We were delighted to discover Gretchen's Bistro in Oriental. We have eaten there a few times while visiting family. The menu is creative, the food was delicious, the decor is lovely and the piano player was amazing! We have totally enjoyed each of our visits. Reservations are a must! read more

Love this new Oriental NC hotspot. Looking forward to our return to our future hometown and enjoy their offerings again. read more

The bone in ribeye was delicious. As was the beef carpaccio and shrimp cocktail. The real stand out was pound cake with salted caramel gelato! Service was excellent. I wasn't a huge fan of the Parmesan baked oysters because there were too many pieces of shell in there and one tasted a bit off, so I would skip that. But everything else more than outweighed the minor annoyance with the oysters. Thanks Rick! We will definitely be coming back. read more

Been a bit since my wife and I had dinner at Gretchen's, so knowing the snowstorm would keep us in all Saturday and Sunday, we made the most of Friday night. Kayla, our exceptional waitress, did an outstanding job of taking care of us. The scallops were a delicious and my wife's grouper looked goo too. We even had the chance to connect with some neighbors at the bar for a drink afterwards. read more

Gretchen’s Bistro - Scallops - Desserts Near Me - Oriental, North Carolina

I was very excited to try this place and it didn't come close to meeting expectations. My pregnant wife ordered the salmon entree and it was rotten. The odor was so bad from the fish, other tables commented on it. The kitchen sent it out knowing it was bad. The server acknowledged that but the establishment didn't do near enough to rectify the issue. As someone who's worked in the industry for 25 years and HATES to complain it's simply not worth the money. we paid a lot of money for subpar food. Think twice before spending money there this summer. read more

Wow, simply wow - just order the crab cakes, some Chardonnay and enjoy an outstanding meal. This place is a home run, service, ambiance and food. read more

Service was A+, the environment & ambiance is awesome and the service was exceptional! Our new favorite restaurant!

Had a great meal at Gretchen's last Friday night! The service was exceptional, the bread service was on point and the wait staff was efficient! I recommend Gretchen's bistro whole heartedly! read more

Gretchen's will become our new go to restaurant! My crab bisque and duck breast was cooked to perfection. The ambiance was so charming and our waitress was spot on. read more

Was visiting friends in the area and dined at Gretchen's. The restaurant is decorated nicely, is warm and welcoming. The hostess and server were both very kind and professional. The food was very good and fairly priced. Between the four of us we chose the whole flounder, crab cakes, shrimp and salmon. The sides included potatoes, green beans and we added salads. One of our group ordered soup de jour, which was red pepper crab soup and they loved it. The crab cakes were a bit more "wet" than I prefer but tasted great. Everyone enjoyed their choices. We brought a special bottle of wine to celebrate an anniversary. The $25 corkage fee seemed a little high, as I'm used to a $10 or $15 corkage fee in the Triad area. Overall, we were pleased and will definitely return when we are in the area again. read more

The food was very good & plentiful, ( I had the crab cakes) service was very good, ambiance was very pleasant. I would highly recommend Gretchen's. I hope nothing changes. read more

We had heard good things about Gretchen's. Unfortunately they must have had a bad night Didn't have several of the seafood items The soup was cold. I had the crab cakes and the potatoes served with it were burnt. For the prices you would think they would have it more together. I hope it gets better read more

We had a reservation for four on Saturday evening and are so happy to have this gem in Oriental! We had an absolutely fantastic meal from apps to dessert! Service was superb and the dining room is beautiful. We had both shrimp apps and the charcuterie board to start. All were great and enough for four to share. The crab cakes, flounder, steaks were all perfectly cooked and absolutely fantastic! The flounder was out of this world! Side dishes were full of flavor and enough for the four of us to enjoy. Our favorite were the ginger carrots! This is a pleasant addition that was needed in Oriental but a reservation is highly suggested. It is worth taking the trip to if you are anywhere in the inner banks and looking for a romantic dinner, special celebration or simply just to enjoy a superb meal. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent food and service. What a treat. Great craft cocktails, excellent Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and excellent smoked salmon appetizer. Also excellent halibut dinner. We went during the Front Porch Music Fest. And we should have had a reservation that Saturday night. read more

Food: What we had was not bad but NOT excellent Service : horrible, with two week advanced reservations seated us in nosey bar section with customers bumping into us as we tried to eat. When we pointed out a white Table cloth table away from the crowd the host suggested a bar table near kitchen door. and said the table was reserved,,, what! for whom, ????? Ambiance ; Nosey Loud disruptive unpleasant and rude. Menu: Pretentious and over priced. The Restaurant is new so we will give them some time to work on their short comings because there are many. 5min for water, 21 min for cocktails , 43min for Hors d'oeuvres. Big Hype poor value. Wish them luck. Caution is recommended. I would not waist my time or money. Myself 33years in the foodservice business. read more

Perfect for a birthday dinner! Ambiance, service, food were all immaculate! We will be back! read more

Gretchen’s Bistro - Scallops were so good! - Desserts Near Me - Oriental, North Carolina

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love love love Gretchen's. Ambiance, food and service was excellent. I especially loved Memphis! she was amazing - and drinks were so good!

The food was outstanding. I had duck and my husband had halibut. Service was excellent. What a great find in Oriental! We will definitely be back. read more

Everything was amazing from the top notch quality gourmet food to the top notch professional service wouldn't recommend you anybody visiting this area as a must go to.. read more

Wedge salad was made of butterhead lettuce rather than iceberg; the bacon used was stringy and difficult to chew; and the salad was overdressed. The grouper was overcooked and a bit too dry; jalapeños seemed out-of-place with the fish. Noise level precludes pleasant dinner conversation; ambiance was good and the service was exceptional. Restaurant is only a couple of months in operation -- will return after a few months seasoning. read more

While visiting River Dunes, we knew we had to try Gretchen's Bistro in nearby Oriental, and it was the highlight of our trip. The warm, genuine hospitality, incredible food, and relaxing atmosphere made us want to linger all evening. Rick and Memphis made the evening unforgettable, and the live piano music was the perfect touch. More than a meal--it's an experience we can't wait to have again. read more

Food was great restaurant is absolutely beautiful and prices good too for the quality - def recommend

Had the gumbo which was absolutely AMAZING!! The flavors blended well and the kick at the back end was delicious. The roux was dark and rich. Also had the Caesar/ oyster salad which wasn't such a winner. The coating on the oysters was soggy and tasteless and the salad itself sorely lacked the garlic/lemon tastes. The duck was amazing as was the crab cocktail, although a choice of cocktail sauce on the side as opposed to the bottom of the crab would have been better. We enjoyed the entire experience and look forward to our Wednesday nights at Gretchen's Bistro in the future. Service was good and we had wine , no cocktails so cannot comment on the bartender read more