When Holly is hosting - FANTASTIC. We enjoyed a great weekend last week. Wine was flowing - light fare abundent - couldn't have asked for more. Love it. We'll be back for sure. read more

Another really good restaurant in Southport. A group of seven of us were in town on business and had dinner here. Live Oak is in a converted, turn of the previous century house, which makes for comfortable ambiance. Nice and quiet. The menu has quite a few good options, I chose the bison meatloaf and a spinach salad. Both excellent. The meatloaf is a large portion and comes with a nice earthy sauce. The spinach salad I could eat as a meal. Very attentive, but not too attentive, service. Recommended. read more

Live Oak Cafe - Bison meatloaf. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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Stopped in for a light meal. My wife had an appetizer portion of Gorgonzola risotto stuffed portabella mushroom, topped with sauteed shrimp, applewood smoked bacon, roma tomatoes and fresh herbs in a light shrimp and brandy veloute. She thought it was wonderful and it was a perfect size for a small meal. I had a small plate of marinated grilled portabella mushroom over rotatouille and goat cheese agnolotti tossed in roasted plum tomato and rosemary cream sauce. It was also great. read more

Live Oak Cafe - Grilled portabella over ratatouille and agnolotti in roasted plm tomato cream sauce - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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One of the best meals I've experienced. The risotto stuffed portobello appetizer with shrimp and bacon was seriously amazing! Had an excellent steak with balsamic reduction and the swordfish special with lime cilantro aioli and avocado atop deliciously seasoned black beans. We didn't want to ruin the delightful experience by over stuffing ourselves, so skipped dessert, but the options sounded very tasty. Super friendly and attentive service. Good wine selection. I highly recommend trying this place out if you're in the area! read more

I love this place. When I am in town for work I have to eat here at least once. Everything I have ever had is pretty darn good. No major complaints at all. The outdoor seating could be a little more comfortable but I guess that's not really why you are there anyway. It's def for the great food. read more

Loved this place. It was our first time there and we went on a Tuesday night so it was empty. We sat in the screened in porch which we loved. I had a soup special that was outstanding. For dinner, I had the scallops Au gratin. Again, delicious. Another of us had the shrimp and grits. Great. Our waitress was professional, friendly and spot on. The ambience is quiet and the tables are separated into small rooms, so it is always intimate. Would definitely come back. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Southport! The restaurant is in a quaint older house with tables in different rooms. The staff is always friendly and pleasant! There is not a bad dish on the menu. For appetizers we love the calamari, napolean towers and the dip. We are obsessed with the jambalaya, the ribeye and the grits. Although we have tried pretty much every entree and they are all great. It's hard to save room for dessert but those are great as well Def a gem in Southport! You won't be disappointed. Recommend making reservations! read more

Uncomfortable seating on hard wooden chairs made me feel as though they didn't want me to stay very long. Food was good but very expensive. Two sweet teas were $10.00!! Service was slow and indifferent. We won't be going back. read more

Wow! What an amazing dinner last night. We wholeheartedly recommend Love Oak for any special ever. The Wine Rack wine dinner was top notch from start to finish. The settings were beautifully done and made the food all the more enjoyable. Each course was delicious and the wine pairings were perfectly matched. Hats off to Chef Sean Mundy and the entire Live Oak team, Ray Williams and the Wine Rack and of course Mike Lane from Epiphany wines. read more

Good, not great...but could be We ate at Live Oak Cafe in Southport August 10, 2013. I will start with the good: Atomosphere: The setting is intimate, the restaurant occupies what seems to be a small, century-old home in historic Southport, and the dining rooms come with the quirks you might expect from a building of that age. Our table leaned enough on the uneven floor that you had to keep your hand on your wine glass such that it would not slide along the table. In my opinion this added to the charm of the place, however, it isn't a Michelin star atmosphere. Service: attentive and friendly, if not the most refined, but it matches the atmosphere and the town. Our waiter was good but not obtrusive and gave us plenty of time and space to enjoy ourselves. Menu: A lot to choose from, definitely leaning toward southern seafood, but certainly not limited to that. Food: We ordered two appetizers, the duck crepe and the risotto stuffed portabello mushroom. The crepe was good, it was advertised as blood-orange infused duck confit. While this dish was pleasant, it seemed more to be duck confit seared with overly sweet mandarin orange wedges. The crepes and ricotta filling were quite good, I ate it all, but it was a bit too sweet. As for the portabello, the risotto was WAY too cheesy (and I like cheese, don't get me wrong). Once again, not bad, but just too much comfort-food style for our taste. A smaller portabello may be better for this dish? It was a lot of rice to fill that up, or maybe a couple small baby portabellos would have been better. For our main courses we had the shrimp and grits (recommended as the signature dish, by our waiter) and a "baseball sirloin" special which sounded interesting. For a signature dish, the shrimp and grits was pretty standard. t was well executed and tasty, but nothing to write home about. The baseball sirloin was quite good, cooked as ordered (medium rare), and I think it had a nice char. I say I think it did, because it was drowned in a horseradish/cheese sauce. Once again, I like cheese, and horseradish, but not this much. It came with smashed potatoes, with what seemed like more cheese in them, on the side, and sauteed summer veggies, which were a little under seasoned but cooked well. Overall, nothing unpleasant at all. The steak dish was simply over-sauced, but made with admirable ingredients and technique. If I could influence the chef I would suggest that sometimes less is more. Trust the ingredients, which seem to be top-notch, and technique, and keep it simple. However, we were just visiting Southport for the weekend and know very little about the area. The menu might be just what is needed there. read more

Last trip to Oak Island we ate here. What drew us in, was the intimacy of the place. When we were there at night, it was very quiet, not so crowded and very romantic. Felt like we were in someone's home with a personal chef. The service was great- very attentive. The food was delicious with good portions. The presentation was maybe just a little bit over the top (too showy) but with good effort. We will definitely be back. Take your sweetie pie there for a romantic dinner! read more

Great dining experience! It's a quiet environment Ina converted house. The food was very good, with traditional fare (e.g.m steaks) and some southern specialties (e.g., shrimp and grits). The noise level was very low, allowing you to have easy conversations. This is NOT a place for kids, nor for large parties. However, it's got the kind of personal service, intimate atmosphere, and tasty food that will have you coming back again. read more

Absolutely wonderful food in a cozy and inviting restaurant. We ate inside, but there's a lovely porch and big table in the hall for larger groups. Our server was attentive and friendly. The wine list is quite large and includes many options for glasses and bottles. I had an extremely difficult time ordering - everything sounded so amazing. I had a delicious salad to start and then a seafood pasta. read more

We really enjoyed this restaurant. Great intimate setting, we ate on the screened in porch which was great. Ty was our server and he was exceptional. Crab dip was as advertised. All dishes were fresh, well portioned, and delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This restaurant receives 5 stars, not only for its quaint, yet regal atmosphere and delicious food, but because they catered to my husband's extensive dairy, potato, pork and beef allergies. He ordered scallops in a tomato sauce with fresh vegetables and jasmine rice. I, allergy free, ordered the beef filet in creamed spinach, twice baked potato and fresh vegetables. The peach crisp with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream was amazing. The staff is friendly and timely. This was our last adventure from our beach vacation and it did not disappoint. If you've had your fill of fried fish platters and are up for a romantic evening, make your reservation today.(It reminds me of the old Heart and Hand restaurant in Clifton, Va for those of you who may remember it.) read more

DELICIOUS food, great service and wonderful homey atmosphere. We had the steak skewers appetizer which we could have eaten 10 more of they were so good! Also the scallops au gratin and lobster stuffed flounder special. The only bad thing was they seemed to run out of items quickly, I got the last special entree (at 7pm) and my husband just missed getting the last peach crisp dessert. The pecan pie was spectacular, though! Decent wine selection and tasty cocktails, too. Will definitely be back in our next stay on Oak Island. read more

Great find in Southport. Cute, charming setting and spot-on food. My ILs live in the area. Every time we visit them, we have to hit Live Oak. Sweet attentive servers too. read more

Very good - had the fish special. Also had the salad with champagne-herb vinaigrette - very good. The Service was okay - just one server for whole place. A little pricey compared to Mr. P's. read more

The perfect place for a quiet birthday dinner. I had a very nice dinner of duck in a blackberry-sage sauce, and kahula pecan pie for dessert. The setting is a charming old building and they give personal, attentive service. read more

This place is a treat. Built in a converted Craftsman bungalow, the setting is intimate. I had a house salad with an excellent raspberry vinaigrette and goat cheese dressing. Our entrees were great. I had trout over butternut squash ravioli. The fish was tender and flaky with a great sauce. The dessert was a strawberry "shortcake" which was actually based on a cookie. Very well done. The staff is pleasant and helpful. All in all, a good place for a couple to share a meal. A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. read more

Awesome food, was there for wedding reception so I'm not sure if the buffet is standard meals but great spice and taste

Quaint converted house with a great wine selection as well as your favorite beer. The NC Bison was a nice change and paired well with the rissoto. read more

Exceptional entrees and if you are lucky, the she crab soup will be offered when you visit... We will return!

Great place for a quiet dinner. Food preparation is phenomenal..choices very good. Wait staff friendly and knowledgeable. Great pour on mixed cocktails. Portions are more than adequate. read more

Wow. Absolutely amazing meal! Great service, phenomenal food, GREAT experience. Well priced and huge portions!

Love this place. Quaint atmosphere and great food and service. We make a point to eat here when we're in town.

This restaurant is spectacular. They tackle a very diverse menu, and execute on everything. Our service was wonderful, and every dish far exceeded our expectations. A+. read more

Party of 5 for my friends birthday. Our party had two overdone steaks, under seasoned veggies and luke warm food. For the price and the hype we expected more attention to detail. The Service was above average and the ambiance was excellent. We are hoping this was an off day and we will give them another chance for a special occasion. read more

Warm, intimate atmosphere. Knowledgable, attentive, and personable staff. Creative dishes that live up to their mouth-watering descriptions. Overall, a wonderful dining experience that has made a repeat customer out of me. read more

Wonderful dining experience. Reminded me of a Bed & Breakfast feel - it's an older 1800's-era house remodeled and converted into a restaurant. Staff genuinely cares about your dining experience and the food is absolutely wonderful (best ribeye I've ever had). The portions are huge, as well. read more

Now Just Another "Used-To-Be" Having worked in fine dining at a restaurant that has served previous presidents, I am always on the lookout for hidden gems. At one time, I classified Live Oak Cafe as a quaint jewel, patronized it upon every trip I made to the locale, and recommended it with the highest praise to others. Tonight, my experience there has tarnished their reputation and thoroughly tainted my regard for their "Cafe." The service and food I received upon this visit was completely lacking in every conceivable manner making this restaurant yet just another "Used-to-Be." read more

This is definitely a restaurant worth visiting when in Southport. Our server, Amy, was one of the better servers that we've ever had and she did a great job of making us feel welcome and provided an enjoyable evening. We started with the chilled avocado soup with poached shrimp and really enjoyed it, although agreed it was too rich to eat alone. We had the crab dip which was a great appetizer all around. My husband had a special of scallops wrapped in prosciutto which was pretty amazing. I had the Mediterranean salmon and really liked that too. We plan to make this a regular stop while in Southport! read more

Fantastic food, great service to go along with it! The seating area is divided into lots of tiny rooms, so no matter how busy they are it always stays pretty quite and calm feeling where you're eating. I would characterize it as a German style menu, but I think they change their menu with the seasons, and it was November the last time we went. I think this might be my new favorite place in Southport! read more

Super restaurant with excellent service. We had an unique calamari dish to start with a Greek influence. I had fantastic trout with butternut squash that was great! My husband had shrimp and grits which was creamy with a good rue and many plumb fresh shrimp. Lovely homey atmosphere in a small house. Chris gave us excellent service. We will go back again. read more

Beautiful house, great location. Food was good, my only complaint is they don't have many vegetarian options. They did accommodate me though and made me a double portion of an appetizer and added two sides to it. Fabulous creme brûlée! read more

Stellar food, great service, and a great atmosphere. Definitely the warmest and best place for fine dining in Southport. The "steak and bake" meal is wonderful, though be careful, and it's also enormous. Please support this really great restaurant. read more

Food was excellent and top quality. A menu you would expect of a more metro area. Overall great experience with food and waitress. The restaurant was in a old house which was quaint, but a bit quiet - so that all guests could hear each others conversations. Since we were a table of 6 and the largest table in one of the three rooms, it seemed like everyone around us was listening in as we had nods and comments made to us. All in good gesture but kind of uncomfortable- would prefer people to keep to their own, or would like it if the restaurant turned up the music. Overall great find!! read more

Absolutely loved this place. Was able to get a reservation for 4 at 5 and had the whole place to ourselves. It is in a house with completely mismatched tables and chairs but that's what really gives it it's charm. The waitress, angel, was absolutely attentive and knowledge. We started out with the crab dip which was amazing. Not fishy, perfect meld of flavors with great crunchy bread. Salads were big and all homemade dressings which really added to the salad. The meals were on point. Steak was cooked perfectly with these fabulous onions on top, seafood pasta had an amazing pesto cream sauce and all the seafood was cooked perfectly. The salmon was thick and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Don't forget the jumbo crab meat on top. Yum! We had 3 desserts, keylime with raspberry, peach crisp, and creme brulee. And of course all were devoured quickly. It was nice to not be rushed, to be able to enjoy a meal with family and have the food come out in a timely manner. I wd advise anyone to go there when they have a chance. Can't wait to come back :) read more

Awesome food if your in town and want a place for a quiet dinner this is it. Sean is a great chef

Unbelievable food every time we go there. Their Mardi Gras menu in March is always delicious!!! Plus they have a no corkage fee with The Wine Rack, although their wine selection is great as well. read more