I heard about this little place from a Morehead City local and it did not disappoint! Tucked away…read morein a strip mall, this is a hidden gem with tons of Mediterranean harm. We were warmly greeted and asked about any food sensitivities by our hostess / server. There were some and she was great and talked us through them and made suggestions of what to avoid and steered us to better choices. I had the hummus starter and it was full of flavor and the pita slices were soft and warm. Our entrees ranged from power bowls to my gyro. The Tzatziki sauce was fresh and light with hints of cucumber and the gyro meat was full of flavor. All in our party spoke of fresh flavors and ingredients. The dining room is comfortable with nice calming music as well. What more could you ask for?? Not much! We had a great experience and plan to return when we're back in the area.

This is my favorite place to eat in Morehead City and we have lots of restaurants to pick from!…read moreThe owners are delightful, like going to a friends for dinner. Each plate made to order.

Ioanni's Grill is one of those places that may feel like a casual neighborhood bar when you walk…read morein, but the food consistently punches way above expectations. The prices are reasonable, portions are generous, and honestly, most everything we've tried has been really good. Their Greek salad is one of my favorites -- fresh, flavorful, and big enough to make a meal, especially when you add blackened shrimp, buffalo shrimp, chicken, or whatever protein you're in the mood for. They also make great pizzas, wings, and subs. My husband and I will sometimes split a sub because they're so generous with portions. What really keeps us coming back, though, is the atmosphere and the people. It's relaxed, unpretentious, and the staff are always friendly and easy to interact with. Just a solid local spot with consistently great food.

My friends raved about this place so we came. As soon as I saw it, I said, oh I was here back in…read more2012. I don't live up here so it was only the one time. We came on a Tuesday night around 5 and were seated. The place was not full, not yet, but by 6 pm packed. I ordered the chicken Gyro and a salad. The salad was crisp and tasty. The Gyro was filled with tons of lettuce but not much chicken and the chicken was dry. I guess if there had been more tzatziki sauce it would not have been that bad. I ate the few pieces of chicken and left the rest of it. My friend had the special which was some kind of a teriyaki chicken with onion rings and sweet potato fries. I had a bite of each. Again, the chicken was dry and the onions rings were good but the sweet potato fries were excellent! I guess they put a brown sugar on them and they are tasty. Our waitress was great. Friendly and always with a smile. The price was good. Would I go back, probably not... but my friends love the place and go weekly.

I have lived here for 30 years and this is the first time I've been disappointed with the food. I…read moreordered shrimp fettuccine Alfredo.The shrimp had been cooked, but not tasty or sautéd in the least. My husband ordered Gorgonzola and he was very disappointed as he could not taste it, and the steak was tough. But as usual, the salad & bread sticks were good.

I ordered take out. The food was good but the serving of my entree was skimpy. The soups were good.read more

We were greeted upon entering the restaurant and seated at a small table in the bar that was by the…read morewindows. The bartender was busy working and singing in between taking orders as she prepared drinks for customers. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and offered the specials before we placed our order. We love to sample the menu when we travel and the vast menu of tapas gave us the perfect opportunity to try just about everything. They had a smaller wine selection, but there was something for just about everyone. Our waiter was very attentive and offered suggestions on what to try if we were torn between several menu options. The Spanish lamb meatballs, truffle honey pork belly and rosemary beef were the tapas that stood out as the most flavorful and making us each want just one more bite. The Spanish meatballs were glazed with sriracha which caused me to pause before ordering. However, I'm so happy that we gave them a try. They had a bold flavor, but the whipped feta and cilantro were enough to balance the heat. The truffle honey pork belly was sliced differently. We have only had this cut into cubes at other restaurants in the past. The way that they slice the pork belly is so much better. The pork belly was served with cheese grits. We don't even like cheese grits, but could not get enough of these smoked Gouda grits. The rosemary beef with asparagus and mashed potatoes was perfect. The beef was tender, the asparagus cooked to perfection and who doesn't love mashed potatoes. We visit the crystal coast about twice a year and always try a couple of new places. We look forward to coming back to Circa 81 each time that we visit!

We went to discover the place. It is a nice set up. We like very much the big number of the small…read moreplates going from $11 to $25. Diversified and well presented. - Crabe cake: pretty good but missing citrus coleslaw so a 7/10 - Brie with pepper jolly: probably the one we appreciate the most of the 3. Could have more toast though. - sesame seed seared tuna : good, 8/10 Overall the idea of trying many dishes is probably the most valuable option here. A little remark about our waiter is that we were not cared for but we were at the bar so that might be the reason.

If I could give it 6 stars I would! Great place with great food. Very welcoming atmosphere. I love…read moresmall restaurants like this one. Came in not sure what to expect and I was very pleased. Will be coming back often and I recommend you give this place a try too!

Heading back from Atlantic Beach I try and stop in and get a slice. Haven't been disappointed yet…read more Would I recommend to family and friends? Yes

So happy with my experience this morning. My friends asked me to stop here to get her usual coffee…read moreon my way to work.. so I got myself a coffee and a breakfast bowl with brisket. Let me tell you, such a delicious breakfast for only 10$! The customer service was impeccable I got my food and coffees so quickly (less than 5min). If you want a laid back environment with yummy food def stop here on your way to the beach or downtown mhc!! Always a pleasure, thank yall!

We can't say enough good things about this place. On a spontaneous stop, we were thoroughly…read moreimpressed from start to finish. The brisket tacos were outstanding--tender, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. My wife's BLT wrap was equally impressive, fresh and well-executed. I also enjoyed a Coffee Martini that was expertly made. Every item we ordered was delicious, and the staff provided excellent, attentive service. If you're in the area, this is a must-try. Highly recommended.

Amazing food and service. Phenomenal fresh fish and rotating food and drink specials. It's a small…read morerestaurant so I'd definitely make a reservation! On top of the food being great, the staff are what makes this place really special. They are so friendly, kind, and make you feel like family.

I stopped in looking forward to dinner and patiently waited about five minutes for a seat at the…read morebar. While I was waiting, I overheard the bartender say, "These people are standing here looking at me." As a customer waiting to be served, I found that comment unprofessional and unwelcoming. Waiting guests naturally look toward the bartender because they're hoping to be acknowledged and served. That interaction immediately made me feel unwelcome, so I chose to leave rather than stay for dinner. First impressions matter, and unfortunately this one ensured I won't be returning.

Exceptional food and cocktails, but the hospitality lacked the same level of polish…read more This was our first visit, and the food and cocktails were genuinely exceptional. Everything we tried felt worthy of the restaurant's reputation, which made the service experience all the more disappointing. From the moment we sat down, we felt rushed. After ordering cocktails and hearing the specials, we were quickly expected to order entrées. We asked for a few minutes to enjoy our drinks and take in the menu, then ordered two appetizers and later a soup and another cocktail before moving on to entrées. That was when we were told another table was coming in behind us, that we had the table for 90 minutes, and that ideally our entire order should have been placed at the beginning so it could be properly coursed. A 90-minute dining window is completely reasonable, and we absolutely want to be respectful of the restaurant and the guests coming after us. But on a first visit especially, that expectation should be communicated at the time of reservation, in the confirmation, or when guests are seated. Had we known the preferred ordering style from the beginning, we would have happily followed it. Instead, we learned the expectations as the meal unfolded and became far too conscious of the clock to fully enjoy the experience. Ironically, when we did tell our server that we were ready to order entrées, she was understandably busy with other tables. She told us she would be right back, but some time passed before she was able to return. I understand that this is likely exactly what the restaurant is trying to avoid by taking orders earlier, but by that point we were so mindful of the 90-minute window that we ultimately decided not to order entrées because we did not want to put the restaurant or the next reservation behind. When we go somewhere like this, we are not simply looking to fill our bellies and leave. Part of what makes a great restaurant memorable is the full experience: the food, the cocktails, the story and inspiration behind the place, and the hospitality. We were not looking to occupy a table all evening, but we did want the opportunity to enjoy what the restaurant had created without feeling hurried through it. I recognize there are always multiple perspectives to an interaction like this, and I do not believe there was any ill intent. I also do not want the service experience to overshadow how impressive the food and drinks truly were. The two appetizers, soup, and cocktails we had were outstanding and exactly what we had hoped for on our first visit. Morehead City is a destination for so many people, and I understand that locals and repeat guests may already know exactly how the restaurant operates. First-time visitors do not. There is a real opportunity to make that experience just as welcoming for visitors from out of town, especially when the food and drinks are this memorable. A better first experience would have made this somewhere I looked forward to returning to year after year. That is really what makes this so disappointing: the food gave us every reason to want to come back, but the hospitality made the evening difficult to enjoy.

The food was amazing from the pork dumplings as an appetizer, salmon & red snapper for dinner and…read moresnickers cheesecake for dessert. Brett took very good care of us and did not miss a beat. It is located on Evans street right across from the Big Rock landing area. It's small and comfortable was moderately busy for a Friday night at the end of the summer. I think we found a great place to enjoy dinner when we are down at our place at the beach.

Charcuterie board was excellent Fried green tomatoes was…read moredelicious Pork belly burnt ends were okay Grace took great care of us service was great Nice atmosphere inside Great place to eat downtown Morehead City

Yo, the internet homies steered me wrong! Shame on y'all!…read more I got the shrimp burger with smoked gouda mac and cheese. The shrimp were criminally overcooked, and the mac needed salt in the worst way. They didn't salt the pasta water (or salt it enough), and the mac was really sad, as a result. My friend got the soup of the day combo, which were were told was a "white bean and basil soup", but I'll be danged if it didn't come out with the most garbanzo-y looking white beans I've ever seen in my life. She said it tasted like they dumped rotel, chickpeas, and pesto into a pot and called it soup, and not in a good way. My wife got the smoked wings. She said the flavor was good, but they were brought out lukewarm and very lightly sauced (she's an extra saucy kind of lady). We got two cocktails, a cherry limeade slushie and a Kill Devil Hills Pain Killer. We were told the cherry limeade was made with just cherry mixer, lime, and vodka, but it definitely tasted like it had coconut in it, and my wife hates coconut. The Pain Killer I got was acceptable, but we ordered it with our food, and it didn't come out until I'd almost finished my dinner. The vibes in the place were meh, but fine (especially if the food/drinks were good), but the tables were extremely sticky across their entire surface, so either someone sucks at cleaning, or the finish on the tables was failing and needed to be sanded down/refinished. We did get a side of sweet potato fries that were pretty dope, but they didn't make up for the disappointment of everything else. 1 out of 5 stars; do not recommend.

Great Thai food and fast friendly service! The Tom Yum soup with shrimp was absolutely amazing,…read moreprobably best I've had. The Pad Thai gives Old Siam (IYKYK) a run for the money if not as good. Will definitely fome back when in the area!

We were delighted to find out that Thai Sticky Rice purposefully uses a vegetarian broth for their…read moresoups- a nice change since there's so much seafood and I'm vegetarian. We sampled two soups, both amazing (we got the small size, a large bowl would have definitely been a meal. Our server was kind enough to mention that they don't usually fry the tofu for the curry- we requested extra fried tofu and it was delicious, as were the spring rolls. The place is hidden in a strip mall, but inside it is quite nice and clean. We'll be back!