Found this restaurant online and appeared to be a great place to eat. Was looking forward to a great Italian meal. One of the hostesses and our server was very rude to us. Hard to describe, but they treated us as though we did not belong there. The server was quick to get us out and did not even offer if we wanted dessert and was snippy with us several times. We were not asked what type of pasta we wanted with our meal and was served a chewy type of pasta that really did not go with the meal. When we asked our server did they not have regular spaghetti, she had an attitude with us, basically it was the chef's choice and that was it. Really, no spaghetti in an Italian restaurant? We will never go back. To boot , the food wasn't that great. read more

Great atmosphere! Cosy and lovely place, the meatballs were really great!! large portion of dishes!

One of our go-to restaurants on the OBX. Always know that we will get a great meal here!

Josephine's was a great yelp find! Don't let the strip mall location scare you. Quaint little place,I think we counted 8 tables. Nice, uncomplicated Italian menu. Not a huge selection, but good quality and portions. Make sure you ask about the specials. read more

On a Friday night at 7:00 my husband and I were seated upon arrival...how sweet!! Large parties have a waiting period. Our meal was hot and delivered promptly. Our server did a good job taking care of us. My eggplant dish was awsome. One of my favorite dishes and had no complaints. Hubby got a pasta lemon chicken, good but kinda out of his comfort zone. We will be back...... read more

This restaurant raises the standard for Italian food on the outer banks. Good food without breaking the bank. If you want lo split checks, it can't be done. So be aware. Service was so so, but not terrible. We'd go back again. read more

We were looking forward to dining here with our three children. After waiting 20 minutes outside with the directive to "come back in 30 minutes," we were finally seated. Our children began to order their food - plain noodles with sauce on the side and plain noodles with a meatball on the side an no sauce- our server informed us that she thought the kitchen would not like to do all of these special orders. A few minutes later, another person came to tell us that due to the number of takeout orders, they would not be able to help us. We got up and left. We asked for plain noodles and a bowl of sauce. It is unfortunate that this establishment was willing to lose a bill of at least $100 because of plain noodles. It is obvious that children and families, and from the looks of the other diners, visitors to the Outer Banks are not welcome here. We will not recommend this restaurant to our social circles and we will never return. read more

Got there 1/2 hour before opening time and glad I did. If you get JoAnn for a waitress, you're in great hands. Food was excellent and plentiful. A little noisy, but otherwise a nice ambience for a great date place. Will go back. read more

The food here is really good! It's still a startup restaurant so the staff is a little lean and the menu is small. Expect a bit of a wait at dinner time but the ambiance is really nice. We actually had Josephine stop by our table and chat with us, she was on the floor helping out. The three-cheese ravioli was excellent with a home-made sauce. The meat sauce wasn't terribly meaty but was still very rich. The olive-oil with pesto and fresh bread are complimentary so you won't leave hungry! read more

Fantastic! One of the best Italian restaurants I've ever frequented. Vacationing here,from New England, I was pleasantly surprised with this great Yelp find! :-) read more

Another five star experience at Josephine's last night! You can't beat the friendly service and the fresh, delicious food! One of our family's favorites, we can't wait to come back every year! read more

Didn't even eat here. We received an estimate of 45 minutes. After waiting the 45 minutes my friend and I went inside and my friend asked for the two hostesses for an update. They told her snidely there was no way to know. My friend asked again and again the ladies were rude. She said to them, "should I just go then?" One lady said "yeah probably" and the other said "There's the door!" So, yeah, we left. read more

The rudest wait staff and the owner was no better! Terrible food! STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!! read more

My boyfriend & I have eaten here once every summer since it opened and have never been even slightly disappointed. The ambience is great, the service is exceptional, and the food is more than delicious. As some other reviewers have mentioned, the space is small and thus ends up causing a delay at times, but this place is totally worth the wait. Many restaurants at the OBX are "family friendly." While there is nothing wrong with that at all, its also nice to have a dimly lit, intimate space to go that is perfect for a date night. The staff is so friendly and you can tell that this family owned business is cared for deeply by all involved. The menu changes weekly, which allows for something new to try with each visit. No matter what we've chosen each time, we have been very satisfied. The dessert selection here is large and you cannot make a bad choice. The prices are completely reasonable for what you're getting. We love Josephine's and hope it is a part of the OBX for years to come so we can keep coming back! read more

This was new last year so we decided to try it. We also liked the concept that the menu constantly changes to feature new homemade dishes. The location is easy to miss, since it's on the end of a strip mall. Inside, the decor is interesting but it is so so dark you can't even see each other from across the table. The appetizers were good but the consistency declined with the entrees. It's average Italian food and the wine I got was watery, so we're taking a break and may try again in a couple of years. read more

Hands down best food in OBX- just ask one of many locals in the place. Authentic Sicilian cooking with a menu that changes weekly. Everything was exceptional, but of particular note were the layers of flavor in the spinach lasagna, the house made sausage with fennel and kick, and an apple Gorgonzola salad. Get there early or prepare to wait - even off season. Shout out to the bartender Howie who doesn't stop pouring drinks, serving food or sharing smiles! read more

Best Italian food ever. You've got to try Josephines. Authentic family cooking in an intimate setting with friendly staff and great service

Because of rave reviews about Josephine's and the homemade pasta, we were excited about going...and we are locals! On the plus side, the side salads were nicely done and the bread was delicious. The shrimp scampi had only 6 medium shrimp & a lot of starchy, gummy pasta that could not have been homemade. I grew up in an Italian home and had homemade pasta that melted in your mouth. In this case, I only ate my shrimp & left the pasta. My dinner partners felt the same about the fettuccini being gummy & disappointing. There are many other restaurants in OBX that will excite your palate much more than here. By the way, this place is really small, somewhat dark & noisy. read more

Hands down the best place on the OBX for Italian. Great homemade food, very friendly, attentive staff, and well priced- can't do much better. As a full-time resident, I try to enjoy Josephine's whenever possible (monthly), and can honestly say, never had a bad meal! My only disappointment is when they close for a short time off in the Winter... read more

This was our 2nd time visiting here, it's a small restaurant but it's worth the wait. Great atmosphere, nice staff & the food is amazing. The red sauce is the best I've ever had. Come early and you won't wait as long to be seated. We will be back next year! read more

Josephine's Sicilian is fantastic! The menu changes weekly and everything is superb. Her Bolognese sauce is the best ever. Get the combo and share it along with a Gorgonzola salad. A real plus is Josephine herself who is always visiting tables and talking with diners. It is small and a bit loud but a must try for the best Italian food this side of Sicily! read more

Josephine's is a Outer Banks treasure. The food is always amazing! Everything is made from scratch, from the homemade pasta to Josephine's fabulous sauce. I love how the menu is always changing it keeps it fresh and interesting. Great meatballs, salads, and deserts. Fabulous staff makes you feel right at home. read more

Best chicken parm I've ever had. You could cut it with a fork it was so tender. Such a pleasant surprise in the OBX. Wait staff was very friendly as well read more

Outstanding service.... Delicious Italian.... The Sauce!!! Way over the top proportions, not complaining... Tight atmosphere with a good vibe.... Adult Dining on the OBX.. Not A Place For Kids.... read more

First impressions weren't the best. It's in a little strip mall on the end but we've learned not to judge a book by it's covers. It's dark, small and the noise levels are pretty high. We waited about 30 minutes and it looked like a good number of locals. Got a little miffed because a party of seven came in behind us and got seated before us even though only two of them were there. Later we heard Josephine say if the rest don't show up in a few minutes she was going to make them get up. After that, everything was nice. The wine was good and as other reviewers have said, several of the staff came by to speak and show us some attention. The food was good, the presentation was very good and everything was fresh. All in all, a nice place for something a little different. read more

As soon as you cross the threshold of the doors you become in captivated by the authentic Sicilian family way of dinning . Being Family owned and operated they treat you like one of their own . They do this by keeping prices reasonable and giving you portion sizes that are sure to satisfy the hungriest traveler. read more

Dinner was delicious!! The meatballs were the size of a hard ball. The Veal Marsala was very good as well. We ordered the house Chianti and it was smooth & not bitter! We are so glad we came here & will definitely come back the next time we come to the OBX read more

Excellent food! Excellent service! Beautiful atmosphere! Bartender was absolutely the kindest and most attentive gentleman to our young child with us. From appetizer to dessert and all the drinks in between - everything was delicious. Customer for life! read more

Absolutely incredible food and dining experience. Services was phenomenal and food was truly off the charts!

Based on a 4 star rating we decided to eat at Josephines night before last. We asked about the serving size of things and whether they were large enough to share and were told serving sizes were quite large and it would be a good idea to share. So my husband and I decided to share a salad and an entrée; the salad was huge ( larger than many dinner salads I have ordered) so it was a good thing we decided to share it. The entrée was two chicken breasts also a good thing we decided to share it but we were surprised at the end of the meal when we received a six dollar charge for splitting the meal. We questioned the charge and were told that it was plainly written on the menu but it was so dark in there we had to strain our eyes to even see the menu. The salad we ordered was the pear salad but we received an apple salad. We didn't make a fuss about that at the time because we don't like to waste food but obviously the waitress did not pay attention to us. The food was OK but nothing special and I don't think we will be back. read more

Don't waste your time. Service is horrible, the place is very loud and food is marginal at best. They do not like kids, and don't really care if you complain about the service. read more

Fabulous! Food was excellent and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Will definitely return.

Cozy & inviting atmosphere. One of a kind in the Outer Banks. Amazing and savory menu that is on a constant change. Perfect for any foodie. The service is friendly, warm & charming. A perfect blend for a great night out! read more

You know you hit the jackpot by the size of the restaurant. Josephine's did not disappoint. The restaurant is small, plan to wait at prime time. The menu changes weekly. We came for the combo, meatballs, sausage, with meat bolognese over pasta. It was a hit. Meatballs were delicious. For desert shared a cannoli. It too was great. The food are service were great. Highly recommend read more

Food is good but i wish they would have more selections to choose from. The place is small so the tables are so close to eachother u are a foot away from the table next to u. I didnt enjoy the fact that i couldnt move much bc i was afraid to bump arms with the guy next to me. The waiter did not give good service . Our drinks needed to be refilled and we had to ask her for a refill. Quality is real good but the service was not good and i been there 3 times and had the same expierence every time . Poor customer service ... read more

I love Josephines! As a vegan it can be challenging to be accommodated but they made me the most delicious vegan pasta and veggie dish, another fave is the eggplant. These are challenging times and despite having to make adjustments for Covid and everywhere being shortstaffed they hustle to accommodate as many as they can. Good things come to those who wait so I never mind waiting for a seat to open because I know it will be worth it. The menu changes weekly and with just the right variety to focus on quality Italian meals. I recommend Josephines for those who want to experience great food, friendly environment and a quality dining experience. Keeping in mind the times we are living in, if you are difficult, unreasonably impatient and have a variety of change requests on a menu maybe McDonalds is for you but if you are looking to experience authentic Italian food then you should try Josephines read more

Unbelievable Italian food and outstanding service. This establishment knows how to handle crowds. We had been trying to get into this place for three years and tonight decided to wait the wait! One hour! No regrets. Very reasonably priced. May have to return before our vacation is over. What a gem for the locals! read more

5/5 if you are looking for quality, comfort, and very traditional Italian food. A couple disclaimers: the restaurant is a one off joint. By that I mean they are only open from 5pm-10pm Tuesday-Saturday and seriously will open at 5pm sharp, and they have one menu for the week, that's it. With that being said, much respect for this family. The waiting staff was great, there is a very clean comfortable interior, and the food was incredible. Mama's combo was $12:99 and it filled me up (until I saw dessert of course). Very generous portions with monster meatballs and a well seasoned Italian sausage. If you are a local then you know but if you are just visiting the obx, I recommend. read more

Josephine's - The "bomb" dessert- $7.50 - Italian Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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Ah Valentine's Day yes we expected a wait but when we entered and were told "a few minutes" that turned into over 2hrs we were a bit upset. We watched as "friends" of staff and owner (she gave them hugs) came in the door and we're seated before us. Then my thoughtful fiancé pre delivered an arrangement of flowers and chocolates that were to be set at our table upon seating. Once I received them the hand made expensive chocolates had been eaten! One that was left even had a finger indentation in it! They were in a nice closed container. The owner laughed it up and said "no one on my staff ate them". Ha ha... We ordered. I got the special which was huge meatballs. The plate was cold, the sauce was warm, the meatballs still blood red inside and the cheese unmelted. We had a curfew to pick up our children by 10, we told the staff and owner, who was lingering, that we needed to go, please box up and give us our check. The check came no discount, no offer of free dessert to go, no apology, just jokes. Pretty upsetting. We'll take our money elsewhere, as we're locals and would have been good patrons. The only good thing is we have a sense of humor and can laugh and now have a good story to tell. read more

Fabulous Sicilian food. I grew up in a Sicilian family with a grandmother and two aunts who cooked constantly. This is the best I've had since I was a child. Friendly staff, excellent service. I love the fact that they have a small menu that changes each day - 5 Entrees, 5 salads, 5 appetizers - because I know the food is fresh. And the prices? You couldn't prepare this food at home for the price. I don't eat red meat, but have no trouble finding seafood or chicken. And if there isn't a seafood entree and ask for them to make an entree from the mussel appetizer and pasta and they are very accommodating. read more