I will note that this is an off season review, so take it with a grain of salt. I've been coming to this island for a long time, and am excited that a place like this currently exists as it brings an unexpected twist to the beach bar scene. Considering the location and scene, I was impressed with both the food and beer selection. I was hanging out at my brother's place which is a few short blocks from here and we wanted to find a place with good brews, a laid back atmosphere, and decent grub, so we settled on this place. Upon arrival, a short discussion with the bartender had him pouring us samples of beer that were right on with what we were looking for. Also they were very easy going with the TVs allowing me to change back and forth to what games we wanted to watch. In addition, we ordered the pretzels and beer cheese while my brother got the crab BLT. While the pretzels were good, the crab BLT was a huge hit for the table. Definitely check out their sandwich selection as they appeared to have a few other good options. We also enjoyed their outside sand patio since it was 80 degrees at the end of October (yay for NC). In short, this is a neat place with a laid back vibe and interesting German brews you will have a hard time finding in Eastern NC. Note they are open this off season, but with limited hours so I would call first before checking it out. read more

This was probably my favorite place in all of Atlantic Beach and it is such a cool house right on the beach. This place looks so authentic that it looks like someone just dropped a modern German house with a black roof right on the beach, added some authentic bier garden benches and added some palm trees and sand. The inside is light and airy and has clocks on one wall and a Bavarian flag hanging in the center. You can then sit outside in the Biergarten and there are the long benches and tables you would find at a Fest and a few round table with low chairs. The beers are handwritten on a colorful little chalk board and there are local NC drafts and of course the real German beers. The servers are very friendly and have shirts that say "Ein Koch" (a cook). I had the Hefeweizen wheat beer and the bratwurst with potato salad. The family sharing the bench with us ordered the schnitzel sandwiches and they looked delicious as well. We became great friends with our dining partners and were all actually from the Raleigh area and laughed when we said we all found Idle Hour on yelp. All of the plates that came out like the calamari and pretzels were so nicely presented. The food was flavorful and authentic. Thank you for bringing a little taste of Germany to Atlantic Beach and Prost! read more

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The blackened mahi tacos were killer. The Carne asada papas were delicious. Washed them down with a longboard lager and all was right with my world. The bartender was awesome and gave us outstanding customer service. Definitely going for a revisit before leaving NC. read more

Went at dinner time. Took over an hour to receive food after ordering. Roughly half the draft beers were not available, so Biergarten title may be revoked. Burgers were good, shrimp portions were small, bratwurst was not special- Cook it at home and at least you'll get the beer you want. read more

Really good spot after a day on the beach. We had the fish tacos, shrimp tacos, a burger, and a few appetizers (pretzels and steak fries) to eat. The food was excellent. To drink we a few draft beers that the server suggested and a margarita with the tacos . The beers were good and the margarita was really good, it comes from a tap so don't be surprised. Only gave four stars because our appetizers came out the same time as the meals. We will definitely go back. read more

Great place ..and might I say the ONLY place for a bite to eat and drink. Margarita's on tap were on point! Fish tacos were delicious and the staff is friendly. read more

Good, friendly service, good beer and wine selection and great food....then this is the place to be. read more

Idle Hour Biergarten - It's always time for a good meal here. - Bars Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Really excited for this place, while staying in Atlantic Beach, unfortunately not good. Burger was bland and lacked seasoning. Service was just blah, and beer wasn't even cold..sad because it's a really cool place with outdoor seating a nice gas firepit...maybe I was there on a bad day read more

Great service and a very good atmosphere! We had an excellent bartender that kept to cold drinks coming.

My husband and I visited Idle Hour Biergarten when we were spending a long weekend in Atlantic Beach. We enjoyed all of our food, but what stood out most were the cheese curds--they were fantastic! While the food was great, the best part of this restaurant was being able to sit outside on a picnic table with the sand between our toes. We even got to see fireworks the night we were there! We'll definitely be back next time we are in Atlantic Beach. read more

Stopped in at Idle House on the way back from Beaufort. This place looks so cute on the outside, and it just what it seems. I ordered an IPA (surprise surprise) that had great flavor. I was with a bachelorette party, and there were about 12 early 30s women that walked into the biergarten. The service wasn't great, but I was a little put off by how irritated the bartender looked when she saw us walk in. They were only going to be open for another hour, so we all grabbed one beer and sat outside. Their outdoor area is all sand. There are plenty of tables and a hammock/swing. This place is small, but it's cozy and fits the atmosphere of Atlantic Beach. I recommend going there, and I hope your service is better than mine was. read more

I give this a 3 Star bc honestly our waiter was not engaging at all. Felt like she didn't even want to talk to us. Maybe she was having a bad day but felt like I had to force her to tell us about the beers and specials. I would say the food was also average nothing really special. I think it could be better unless this place is more for drinking and then food taste great if you are a little tipsy. Food could have had more flavor but as they were promoting homemade could have tasted more homemade. Anyways, cute little joint. Small but have plenty outdoor space. The sign for the place is not very well advertised. Maybe they meant it look like that. read more

Here now. Horrible place. They think I am drunk (which I am not, I am actually the DD for the night, so they are actually extremely judgmental). A read more

We are going to Atlantic Beach in April and the one thing I told my husband was a non-negotiable meal is this place. We visited this gem a year ago and I ordered the chedderwurst. Oh. Em. Gee. The kraut, ale mustard, beer cheese and brat all combined into an epic explosion of sensory bliss. I've literally judged all other brats by the standard of this rendition. Tried the blood orange margarita and it was great but the star was the chedderwurst. Will likely go with a German beer next time. Turns out I'm a sucker for German beer too! read more

Best food in the area with many tasty brews on tap. I love their take on German food. Those fried onion straws rule. This spot is conveniently located right next to the ocean and the restaurant interior feels refreshingly different. Lots of clean lines and a nice open feel. read more

Excellent fish tacos and shrimp tacos and fried pickles. Margarita was spectacular. Service was super friendly, very nice atmosphere.

In an area with truly plain food, Idle Hour stands out in a very good way. We were there early on a weeknight so there was no wait. The place is small, but there's outdoor seating too which I am sure is nice with some beers. Our server was super friendly, and our beers and apps came up quickly. Beer wise, they have a good selection but I stuck with the Weiheinstephaner which is always a fantastic choice, and at a very fair price. For an app, we had fried oysters (which were fine...more breading and less oyster than necessary, but still good) and the pretzel with cheese and mustard, which was great. Meal wise, I went with a burger and onion straws. The burger was surprisingly very good, and the onion straws were awesome. My mother had a bratwurst which was good, and my wife had a schnitzel sandwich which...well, I didn't love. The sauce on it completely cancelled out any crispiness of the schnitzel. That was the only low point of the meal to me. read more

Be sure to show up an hour or more before they close. I got turned away 34 minutes before they close before i could even get in the door because "all our beer taps are kicked and we already did last call" I was going to get a margarita.... read more

Stopped in for lunch with family & tried the cheese curds, fried pickles, Bavarian pretzel & grilled cheese with onion straws. Everything was delicious! I personally enjoyed the cheese curds the best. The fried pickles are good but they are cut super thin, more than I'd prefer but still really good. The onion straws are addictive. The place itself is cute and cozy. It's clean with good seating and the service was great. The prices were fair and the portions were good. Plenty to share. Will defined be back! read more

I had the most delicious drink, the coco limeade. And I also had the local fish tacos grilled, they were cooked perfectly and so hearty! My fiancé had the three meat burger, which he really enjoyed as well. I wish it wasn't raining otherwise sitting outside would've been perfect! I definitely recommend coming here! read more

We came in and were immediately seated, so we were very hopeful for fast service. The manager explained to us that they were short staffed, but oh my gosh, the wait for cold, mediocre food was unbelievable. Got there at 6:30, ordered at 7 (nobody spoke to us until then) and waited until 9:30 for our food. Unreal. Complained about the food being cold and she just told me that it would take too long for it to be fixed. Not coming back. read more

This is the second time I've visited and it was just as good as the first. I found out the menu changes sometimes because they are owned by Pescara so occasionally they will have something special on the menu from the chef across the street. Beer is good. Food hasn't disappointed yet. Staff is friendly. I'm sure when it's super busy that might be somewhat different but considering the size and location, I think they do a great job. read more

Good spot for lunch. Great location. Fresh seafood and cold beer. Lollipop wings are a good start with homemade jalapeño ranch. Fresh fried pickles are great! The cure burger will instantly take your hangover away. Good outdoor seating. Onion strings are a go to side. read more

Great place for a drink of more interesting options. A unique and creative concept has been needed here for a long time. The outdoor sand and picnic table patio is really great in the evening. Expect to have slow service, unless you get your drinks inside and carry out. Seems the staff are still getting used to this new establishment and the typical fast service approach at Biergartens. Ayinger, and the Hefeweizen are great summer day options. read more

This place isn't fancy and doesn't have an extensive food menu, but everything is excellent and it is loaded with charm and character read more

Idle Hour Biergarten - Fried pickles are a "must have" - Bars Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

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Drizzly Friday night in late September. Almost no one there. Server was superb. Mom and I ordered wine - excellent. At the recommendation of others on Yelp, I ordered the cheese curds. They come with tomato jelly. I also ordered fried pickles and the bratwurst sliders. Mom had the lobster roll. Everything was out of this world! Their menu is small, allowing them to concentrate on quality. Pickles, tomato jelly, bratwurst, sauerkraut - all homemade and the quality shows. This is my first and maybe only time in Atlantic Beach but a very memorable meal read more

Idle Hour Biergarten - Bars Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Fish and shrimp tacos were very good. Recommend the coco-limeade. Staff was laid back.

Honestly, horrible experience. The waitstaff, no exaggeration took 1 hour to acknowledge that we were sitting in their restaurant. They kept passing by us taking care of everyone else except us. I had to go and physically grab my own menu from the host stand and then wave a server down. The first one we waved down told us we'd have to wait a minute cause she was so "busy", the second server went and told another server we needed to be taken care of still. After seeing another table return their food due to the unappetizing appearance, we we decided against ordering food here, but it wouldn't have mattered because by the time they had approached us (1 hour later) I already made a reservation with the restaurant across the street (Bahia), which was 100% better in every single aspect. I recommend you take your business there instead! read more

Sam was our waiter and he was awesome with great customer service. He brought a water bowl for my dog as we sat outside enjoying the sunshine in a rope swing chair chilling out after a long beach walk. Great environment. Perfect addition to the Circle. Glad to see Sam here. My previous customer service experiences were not as awesome. Food is good German fare. Beer cold and yummy. Dog approved too. read more

Idle Hour Biergarten - Dog approved - Bars Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Great place and even better service. Fantastic Blackened fish tacos and one of the best margaritas I've had. A definite must if you are in the area read more

My family and I absolutely loved Idle Hour. I got the "cure burger" and oh my gosh! It was the best burger I've had since I ate at Hops Burgers in Greensboro NC. (Which was 4 months ago) The atmosphere was laid back, the service was great and the food was awesome!! I highly recommend eating here. You won't be disappointed. read more

Idle hour is one of my fave places in AB! We go there multiple times for lunch when we are in town. Super kid friendly--an amazing bonus on a cloudy day! Today didn't disappoint! Shrimp tacos were the best ever! And kids played while we could have an adult beverage... or two (btw....the spicy margaritas were amazing!) read more

Idle Hour Biergarten - Bars Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Discovered this gem in Atlantic Beach! We loved EVERYTHING about this place! Quaint little building with great atmosphere and outdoor biergarten. We had dinner New Year's Eve and ended up back the next day for dinner. The food is amazing, we loved that most things were " house made" and our server Hunter made our experience perfect! The tomato jam is so good that I wanted to put it on everything and I don't like tomatoes very much! This is sure to quickly become our favorite place in the area. I'm just sad that they are now closed for the season until March. You can't go wrong here! read more

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I've eaten here twice, and really wanted to like it, but....... While Idle Hour has the potential be a nice place to have some good beer, and a simple meal, unfortunately it fails to deliver. My party and I went around 6pm on a Wednesday. The outside area was open, with plenty of seating. It's nice area with picnic tables and palm trees in an enclosed sandy, beach-style area. We ordered some burgers and fried pickles. The burgers weren't bad, though lacking much flavor. The onion straws that came with the burger, and the fried pickles had a very off, odd flavor to them. I'm not sure if it was the batter on them, or the cooking oil, but something wasn't right. While the odd taste of the fried food was unpleasant, it wasn't the worst part of the meal. THE FLIES were! Now I realize, i'm eating outside. There's going to be some bugs. But as soon as the food is served, dozens of flies started attacking our (and others seated nearby) food. You eat with one hand, and shoo the flies away with the other. Eventually we sacrificed our off-tasting pickles to the flies in the hope that they'd leave our other food alone.....That tactic wasn't very successful. Now I understand the owners are up against a tough task, but at least try something. Light the outside fireplace, or set up some torches or something. Finally, a rush seemed to come after we got our food, so we had to wait a 1/2 hour to get our check from our missing waitress. All the while being attacked by the flies that continued to attack the food we'd given up eating, as well as our drinks.....well, at least the flies seemed to enjoy it. read more

We stopped in for lunch and were really pleasantly surprised by how great the food was. We tried the Cure Burger and blackened Shrimp Tacos, both were delicious. They have a good beer selection and make a great margarita too. We will definitely be back! read more

AMAZING! You must try the sausages, I got the cheddarwurst and was not disappointed. The place is a bit small but we got a table as soon as we walked in. Wish the patio had an ocean view but the food made up for it. The beer list is not extensive but it got the job done. Wait staff is very friendly! If your not looking for your typical seafood place that is abundant in the area I would definitely give this place a try! read more

Idle Hour Biergarten - Adult beverage options - Bars Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

I love the chicken wings. It only comes with 10. I could eat two orders. I would say it's worth the price. They are perfect!!!!!!'

Food was really good but the portions could've been a little bigger. I ordered a salad, and the chicken on it was well seasoned and tender. We also got the fish tacos, which were great. The prices were pretty reasonable, but we did wish the portions were a little bigger. I enjoyed sitting outside and enjoying a nice fall day. read more

This place is literally the best. Stephanie is the best ever! We had a lot of fun with her as our server and had a lot in common. I love how this is close to the beach and the outdoor seating is perfect with sandy flooring outside, great music. Best staff I've ever experienced read more

So last summer this place was AMAZING. Burgers were great, beer good, and liquor drinks delicious. Hey still have great drinks, but they are pricey. I came with a group of 7 and we came through inside to order a drink at the bar before sitting outside. We were greeted by one of the waitresses who was very rude. Of course I came back with a reply that she obviously didn't like. It seemed that that particular waitress was supposed to wait on us, but asked another girl to take our table. That was totally fine though, because our new waitress was supper sweet and attentive! She was very good with her recommendations. I got the Hangover Cure burger, and it was eh. Not very flavorful. Here's the other part that really confused the whole group. As we ordered, one guy in the party pointed at his date and said, "We will be on the same ticket". The waitress said that's okay we will take care of it at the end. Well, that was NOT the case. They were not able to split our ticket, so the whole party had to just split the WHOLE ticket between us, which was over $80.00. We did not all eat or drink the same stuff, so that was a little unfair. Had the waitress just split it in the beginning like we asked, it would have been so easy to pay. Disappointed Idle Hour. I was so looking forward to that burger and the awesome atmosphere, but it was ruined by bad service. read more