Best meal of our get away. From the martinis to the entrees everything was superb - especially the service. My wife had the filet with lobster and I had the alfredo and added shrimp and scallops. More than either of us could finish. Definitely make this one of your stops when in Emerald Isle or the vicinity!! read more

Absolutely abhorrent service, our waitress was more rude than I have ever had a server be (Beth). Just all around a horrible experience. And the martinis were bad. read more

This used it be all we looked forward to on our vacation to Emerald Isle. We would tip 20% and always bring a big, generous group to the bar. Things have apparently changed under new ownership. We got here 20 mins early and were the first ones in line. When we were allowed inside, there were martini glasses in 8 seats but no one was inside yet. We tried to claim our seat but we were told: you are not regulars year round...we save all the seats at the bar on Wednesday's for regulars. Maybe the should have cracked the door open and told us idiots standing outside at 4:40 that we had no shot at a bar seat. They don't take reservations, unless you are an alcoholic year round. We met so many upset people. Some even regulars! This place has gone way down hill. It is a shame. read more

Fantastic dining experience at this restaurant. We had martinis, crab cakes, salmon and shrimp for the main entrees, and chocolate lava cake for dessert. Absolutely delicious! The people are very warm and welcoming. All in all we had a wonderful dining experience! read more

Way pricey and not good. Food had no taste. They were "out" if Short Ribs even though we were there just after opening. They didn't tell us up front but only after we'd ordered. My Flatiron steak was really chewy but properly cooked. My wife's crab soup had no crab or crab flavor. The lamb was overdone and flavorless. The drinks were decent but way overpriced. In all, a very disappointing experience. We had high hopes but won't be going back. Hard pass. read more

Loved this restaurant! The martinis are stronger than most other places, which I enjoyed, especially since you can't taste the strength! The variety is unbeatable, as well. Anyone can find something they like! The food was absolutely divine, too. We had the scallops, shrimp and grits, steak, and seafood special. All dishes were scrumptious and I'd order them all again. Finally, our server was amazing and was the cherry on top of this wonderful experience! read more

Bad service. Waitress suggested a cocktail and never came back to see if we liked it. We did not. Eventually ordered a different one, and she brought a different version than what we ordered. Exasperating. read more

Amazing! Finally found a restaurant on the island worth getting excited about. A little pricier but well worth it. Good portion sizes too.

Our dinners were amazing but our service was horrible. Tables around us that arrived well after us (we were only two customers) got their food before us. Our server did not check on us and I literally had to wave my arms in the air to get her attention. We NEVER complain about restaurant service because our son is in the industry but this was bad. We tipped but we'll under our usual 20%. It was my husband's birthday and we deserved so much better. read more

I felt I needed to write a short review; This was our second time dining at Kathryn's. The first was amazing and so was the second! Both times were during this crazy time we are enduring (COVID-19). I just have to give an extra shoutout to Todd (Bartender-extraordinaire), he knows the menu, and makes remarkable suggestions that deliver. We will definitely be returning... often. read more

Last evening, we enjoyed an excellent dinner celebrating Dalton's birthday at Kathryn's Martini Bar and Bistro. From martinis to dessert, it was a great. experience. The Bistro salads with chef made dressings were fresh and a great prelude to our perfectly cooked and presented entrees - filet with shrimp, asparagus and potatoes , and salmon drizzled with raspberry reduction over jasmine rice served with mixed vegetables. Finally, the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream was the perfect ending for a delicious dinner. The customer service was excellent The hostesses and waitstaff were attentive and professional. Kathryn's atmosphere is comfortable and casual, and it's food and service are completely upscale for adults. A word of advice, follow our lead and go early. There are no reservations and the wait could be long for this popular restaurant, One of our favorites in Emerald Isle, we highly recommend Kathryn's! read more

The food was awesome and our waiter was super!! We had a ribeye and salmon!! Both perfecto! I would have given 5 stars but the martinis although tasted great had very little alcohol!! I felt a bit scammed!! read more

Wonderful food and great atmosphere! My husband and I went for a date night... and we will be back soon. The filet and grouper was AMAZING. The Ahi Tuna appetizer was perfect. So glad locals recommended this place while we were on vacation. read more

Kathryn's - Front of restaurant - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Tried out this place for the first time tonight and was kinda meh to be honest. While my son enjoyed his filet, I found the shrimp and grits to be tasty but overloaded. Would do well to simplify a bit. Our server seemed distracted by other tables/issues. read more

Kathryn's - Carolina Classic...shrimp and grits. - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

This was one of the best dinners we had in North Carolina our entire 3 week vacation. We were greeted with smiles and hellos when we entered the busy restuarant. We were immediately seated and.brought waters. Within minutes we knew the specials features of the evening and had our drink orders taken. We were pretty impressed already just from what we saw and how the staff carroed themsleves. We decided to try the lamb lollipops for an appitizer. They were so tender and delicious. A must order item... My wife orderd the special featured filet mignon on top of asparagus and a garlic mashed potato, topped with fresh gargonzola cheese and a demi glaze. I orderd the special featured fresh catch of the day snapper that was pesto panko crusted on top of crab meat with Jasmine flavored rice and fresh vegitables. We both were in food heaven. Everything was hot and cooked properly. Very impressed! My wife enjoyed her special martini from the bar. Then we finished the night with a molten chocolate lava cake paired with ice cream for our sweet tooth craving. Mmmmm. Anytime we come back to this area we will be eating here! read more

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This is most definitely the most pricy place to eat in Emerald Isle if you don't count steak dishes. The restaurant itself looks as though it is in need of an interior makeover as the inside aesthetic has not really changed over the decade(s?). Quaint is the best way to describe it. Their steak and pasta is phenomenal. Their bartenders know exactly what they are doing and make fantastic cocktails and martinis. I have had some great drinks at that bar in my experience over the years. I am not much of a seafood reviewer but I have heard from my family that they enjoyed the seafood dishes there and recommend it. I would say this is one of the rare places you can actually get a pasta meal from a restuarant on the island or even in the tri-city area on and off the island. Their fettuccini is very good and probably the most frequent dish I order from the restaurant. Their Filet Mignon is the best on the island and it is an item I like to return to on special occasions. The service is hit or miss. Sometimes they don't answer the telephone and other times they seem to ignore smaller groups for larger ones especially at the bar. I've been going here for over 10 years and not much has changed. I would say eat Rucker Johns to save money but it is really a matter of taste as I find both are equally very good. The parking situation is small but it doesn't tend to fill up to regularly. Worst case scenario you have to park across the street at the post office or at the BP gas station. Sometimes you will be waiting up to half an hour for a table but that is very rare. read more

Thanks for keeping the whole place open for us! The food was DELISH and the Beth was super duper friendly and attentive. Best food and most accommodating staff on the island! read more

Okay so I thought they were going to be really boojiboo but it's really pretty laid-back with fine dining experience the martinis are excellent I repeat the martinis are excellent please drink a lot and you will get messed up one is enough but I was greedy and got another one oh my God the food was fantastic I had escargot and I also had the firecracker shrimp my husband has a firecracker shrimp we had short ribs and pork tenderloin the potatoes the vegetables the bread was like someone made it from heaven and feathers from Angels Wings dropped into it and they have oil and butter and I want to go back in but I spent $128 on food and drinks for two people so it's a very cuss word cuss word expensive read more

Kathryn's - Front door. - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

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Kathryn's was a great find that we ventured to that did not have a huge wait for a Saturday night in the quaint Emerald Isle. I had the grasshopper martini to start- which was literally like drinking a Thin Mint cookie! It was to die for! For dinner I had the seafood coquina and it was delicious as well. The ambiance is more low key and causal and my cousin and I were looking for a more modern vibe, but the experience was still a delight. Service was also on point. read more

Kathryn's - Seafood coquina - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

We started out with an iffy hostess, she was nice enough just a little rude when we walked in. When we were seated at our table, nice atmosphere, friendly waitress. My husband and I started off with a salad and a crab bisque. Each were decent enough. We also ordered a martini each and for our entrees ordered the salmon and free range chicken. We had a pretty good time at Kathryn's, but I don't believe it was worth a $130 bill at the end of the night. read more

Kathryn's - Kathryn's lemon drop martini - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

I wish I could write a review of the food or drinks or service, BUT when I visited Emerald Isle AFTER Memorial Day,their hours were still off. They close according to business....what? Seriously? So, thanks to their philosophy on restaurant hours I was never able to check out their restaurant, which I was looking forward to doing. I tried going in at 9 and they said they closed in "like 5 minutes" ohkayyy. Then I tried once more going in at around 8:45-8:50 and no one answered, which I assumed meant they were closed. Change your "hours" and I will change my review. read more

Nicely done. This is a seasonal spot on Emerald Isle, we love it here. 4/5 stars for quality of service, food, and DRINKS. Martinis here are on point. Both my girlfriend and I ordered the grouper special with a risotto and topped with crab meat. The meal was incredible aside from the fact that the grouper was absurdly dry. I was not expecting that in comparison to the rest of our dining experience. Would recommend this restaurant to a friend! Enjoy. 4/5 read more

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Update the days you're open on your website. Door sign says closed Sunday and Monday. Also, they do not have carry out.

We had friends in town, and we have been taking family and friends to Kathryn's for over 30 years for fine, albeit expensive dining that was usually worth the price point. Not tonight! We had a party of five and arrived at 5:05 (I'm a detail man) and the bar was already packed, a sign of the reputation this establishment has. The restaurant opens at 5, so I knew that since Kathryns does not take reservations (supposedly) we needed to be prompt to avoid a long wait. We were ushered past the packed bar and into the dining area and at that time, there was maybe 25% of the dining area filled with early diners. The very young, detached hostess (it seemed like we were putting her out to get us to a table) escorted us to a small four top table that may have been comfortable for four IF it were away from a dark high wall. She was going to stick a chair on the end, to squeeze us all onto the table, when I asked that we be moved to a table that would accommodate all 5 of us comfortably. She looked at me as if I had just asked her for some unattainable goal, and when I insisted, a waitress who had an angry look on her face told me the best she could do was seat us at a small round table for 4 and squeeze in a fifth chair. This also would have been a very crowded dining experience as we had an elderly couple, with unsure physical capabilities and between water glasses, large Martini glasses, appetizer plates, main course plates, etc. I envisioned an uneasy experience at best. But this was the kicker... there were two six top tables that would have perfectly seated us totally unoccupied! I went to the rear of the restaurant where I saw a gentleman with a mustache who seemed to be the manager and I spoke in a very low tone telling him if we could not have one of the two 6 top tables we were leaving. A manager with savvy and proper customer service skills would have immediately seated us at either of those two 6 tops, but he told me "there is a party of 6 who had called in and said they were coming soon." I said, "I am confused, you take no reservations, yet you will seat the party when they come in as you are reserving a table for them? Is that not accepting reservations?!" He stared at me blankly and as I was ready to gather my group of five who were standing awkwardly in the middle of the dining area, one of my group (NOT the restaurant staff) suggested we move to to 4 top by the window where we could move the table away from the wall slightly to give us a bit more room. This was the compromised seating, and although the meal was good, 4 out of 5 were satisfied, (don't get the short ribs, which is basically several large hunks of stew for $28, my selection) the waiter was great, and we dropped almost $500 with appetizers drinks, main meal, and desserts. And I noted the probable manager who NEVER identified himself nor came out of his dark back area, pointing and gesturing toward us to his wait staff several times during the meal. It will be a long time before I return to Kathryns and I think training is in order for the manager so he can realize that if Kathryns wants to be the best, and charge the highest prices, it needs to give outstanding customer service. Our sub-par experience is not the way to that goal. read more

I am a chef first, foodie second. 3 stars is extremely generous. The menu here looked delicious. Unfortunately, it missed the mark on execution. The tuna appetizer was absolutely delicious but extremely small (4 thin slices of tuna with ice cold, undercooked, salt overloaded rice), as was the bread and oysters (albeit the oysters themselves were extremely small and could barely taste them). The tuna and crab cake entrees were so salty they were only about half edible. The rice, on the other hand, was so salty that nobody could even eat it. The she crab and corn soup was not traditional, and a little runny. The corn veloute was not a veloute. The red pepper coulis was extremely bitter. The prices are pretty steep for what you get. The inside is the most concerning. As with all of the Emerald Isle, this place does not follow COVID protocol. No masks or separation/6 feet apart, way overcrowded inside for COVID. WEAR A MASK, STOP THE SPREAD! Bill S is the man, thank him for -1 star, good job buddy! read more

Had the best meal here. The service was awesome. Service was excellent. I had a special for the day which was grouper, lobster stuffed ravioli. She crab corn soup was excellent. Will definitely be back. read more

Not a single person was wearing a mask, including bar tenders (had masks around their neck not covering face). No social distancing of tables. Bar area was packed during peak of covid. Would never again risk going here. Food was average. Absurd. read more

Take Out. The person who took our order had no idea of a time for pick up. She told us 50 minutes. We arrived on time and we had a 5 minute drive to our condo. The food was ice cold. Plus they are not following any guidelines. The bar was packed. People sitting shoulder to shoulder and the bartenders had they masks hanging from their one ear. What good does that do. It was such an uncomfortable experience for my friend and myself. I will never go back and I don't even want to give them one star. Caribsea has it all over them in every way. Choose them not Kathryn's. read more

This restaurant would be so much better if they dropped the pretense of being a "fine dining" establishment. While the prices are in line with "fine dining" (17 dollars for a half chicken breast? Really?!?), the experience was bland. The teenage hostess was busy texting when we arrived and waited until she hit "send" before acknowledging that we were standing there gawping at her. Nice. Otherwise, the service was adequate. The wine list was boring, the decor was cheesy (then again, ALL decor is cheesy at the beach) and the food was slightly above mediocre. The food was not bad, per se, but it was uninspired. The dishes on the menu were comparable to those offered at Applebee's, but with fresher ingredients. It would have been a completely unforgettable meal at the beach had the prices been in line with what was delivered. However, I felt like they were really sticking it to us with their prices, and that left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

Kathryn's has gone downhill. Twice in a row, they have taken down our order incorrectly, and twice in a row have failed to take responsibility. The manager was "too busy" to deal with it, even though the restaurant was mostly empty. Repeat customers have now been lost permanently. Without good service, it's just a strip mall restaurant that serves chocolate martinis. read more

Horrible service. Owner is NOT local ! Worst service ever and overpriced! Preys on tourists! Beware!!!! If I could give zero stars I would!!!! Owner was rude and arrogant - he didn't care if we came back again! Wish I could have him shut down. If this restaurant were in a larger town he would not survive a week!!!!!! Keep your wallets in your pockets ! read more

My husband and I have been about 3 other times in past years and the shrimp and grits were an excellent choice. However this year he had a filet (Steak) and it had a weird soft texture. The penne with sun dried tomato pesto was a goop ball. $15 and I had about 6 bites. I just happen not to have had the energy to complain about it. Diners beware. Also the service was sketchy. Not a pleasant experience. Try Riverside in Swansboro- is SO much better. read more

Ordered carry-out thinking to avoid exposure. Impossible at this restaurant, people were next to the front door drinking and talking loudly , unmasked, while they waited for a table. I had to walk close to a packed bar to pick up order and pay.. Even though the food was very good, I felt like this could be my last good meal. Not worth the risk, not ordering from them again for a long time. read more

I am glad to report that on our vacation to Emerald Isle we had a lovely meal at Kathryn's. Thankfully, our dinner was void of all the one star complaints aforementioned. We were greeted by some vapid young girls who half-heartedly ushered us to our table in between texts. From here, everything vastly improved. Our bread was crunchy and served with a balsamic and olive oil mix. We ordered the tuna tartare, dynamite shrimp with polenta, hot oysters, and my mother in law had some dish I can't recall. Everything was insanely delicious! I couldn't stop eating my boyfriend's polenta which had some Crack - like spicy tomato sauce on it. Our entrées consisted of the special that day, scallops, shrimp with grits, and one of their meat dishes (my memory is failing me.) Each dish was superbly created with a medley of complimentary flavors. My in laws kept saying how much they enjoyed the food, how reasonable the prices were, and how grateful they were for my restaurant suggestion. (In fact, they later said they wished we could have had our family dinner catered by Kathryn's instead of a nearby restaurant.) Long story short, our server attended to our every need and the food was awesome. We will be back if we happen to have another family reunion nearby. read more

Great food and service. Nice full menu and specials. Large martini menu. Will go back again.

This little restaurant is such a gem! It would be a superstar pick in any city, put in Emerald Isle, it's simply AMAZING. Our family heads to Emerald Isle occasionally for vacations. Over the years, there have been few choices for a great meal. Most of the restaurants serve baskets of deep fried hush puppies, and fried, heavily battered fish. Enter Kathryn's into this restaurant "wasteland." The menu is full of delicious, high-end treats. Delicious homemade crab cakes, salad with sunflower seeds and creamy peppercorn dressing, fresh grouper, Oysters Decadence ( a delicious update on Oysters Rockefeller), wonderful seafood and perfectly cooked steaks. Plus, if you are looking for a cocktail, their martinis are amazing. I tried the Pear, Lemon and Mojito (3 different dinners, of course.) All were AMAZING. Looking for relief from overcooked, tasteless, food and bad wine from a box (served other places on the island) then check out Kathryn's. This will be my new dining oasis on Emerald Isle. Thank you Kathryn's!!! read more

We visited for dinner in early January 2023. I live locally and have been here many times in the past and have always come back because it was consistently good. Unfortunatley I will not be back due to the lack of quality that was evident with our last meal. Under new ownership I was assured by a friend that everything is staying the same. Not true: Two of us ordered the filet mignon special that came with mashed potatoes and asparagus, the other person got a rib eye steak. I'll start with the positive first: The meat was cooked medium-rare as ordered. The filet mignon was supposed to have a demi glaze which I expected (at this price point) to be made in house. It was not a from scratch demi glaze which was easy to tell, it also contained 3-4 whole garlic cloves on each plate. Not roasted garlic, garlic cooked in the demi glaze meant to be removed prior to serving. The asparagus was plated undressed, and unseasoned. Just something you can clearly make better at home if capable, which I am but I choose to eat out because it's nice to have someone else cook for you. The rib eye was unfortunatley a bad cut marbled not with delicious fat but tough connective tissue. I attribute all of these failures to the new ownership who I believe owns a nearby restaurant that specializes in fried food and burgers (maybe they should stay in their wheelhouse as clearly you have stepped outside your knowledge area and ruined a staple). I used to take out of town guest here, but have found somewhere else to take them. read more

My fiance and I are both from the northeast and have spent lots of time in big cities with legitimsye culinary scenes. This is certainly a gem in the greater Jacksonville area. It has a small town feel with the selection and service of a big city gastropub. A rare find down here. We had two superb martinis from their specialty drink list as well as escargot and oysters decadence followed by a baby spinach salad with warm bacon vinagrette then thr shrimp and grits. It was a home run. The drinks were strong and well made. The appetizers were flawless. The salad was well presented with tasty dressing on the side. I only wish the chef had enough guts to put it on the salad before hand. And the shrimp and grits was a perfect meld of crusted shrimp, creamy sweet savory grits with tender mushrooms topped with what tasted reminiscent of smoked gouda. I've sampled quite a bit of the classic shrimp and grits entree down here and this one takes the cake. We finished our meal with a chocolate lava cake which wasn't in any way original but was certainly well executed with two scoops of good vanilla icecream. The service was professional, curtious, appropriately attentive, and in no way pressuring. It was an absolute pleasure and we will certainly return when we have the chance. read more

We visited Kathryn's because we had read it had the #1 rating on the crystal coast. Even though the name made it sound more like a bar than a restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised. Kathryn's does not take reservations, so we got there early and put our name in for a 30 minute wait. The crowd kept coming so we were happy we had done it that way. We were seated at 7 and when we saw all the great martini's going by we wished we had not already had a cocktail, but we went for a bottle of wine instead and were not dissapointed. We had the Jordan Chardonnay and it was perfectly chilled and delicious. I had the crab she soup to start and it was really great. For an entree I had a lobster tail with crab meat and my husband had the fish special. We were very impressed that they were able to make almost anything on the menu gluten free for our daughter. she had a steak and thought it was great. They were very accomodating. The deserts were good. I had some strawberries and whipped cream. they made special gluten free desert for my daughter, and my son had a molten chocolate cake. The atmosphere was just OK, but the food was great and the service was 5 star. We'll definitely be back. read more

The food was good, the martinis were great, but the atmosphere wasn't all that I expected (compared to other places we had eaten while here on vacation). We had 2 good martinis - a grasshopper and an Emerald Isle. We ordered a Cesar salad, she crab and corn soup, ribeye and lobster, and fried shrimp, calamari, and oysters. Didn't have room for dessert but nothing really stood out to us on there anyhow. Not sure if we will be back but it was good food and service. read more

Kathryn's - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

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