Much like a typical diner in America the service is fast and the wait staff knows their stuff! The…read morerestaurant is always clean even as busy as it is. The food, well let's just say that I rarely come upon a menu that I plan other visits just to plow through the menu. I'm literal about planning additional visits to sample items not on the menu. Like I said, very few menus are that good that I would plan a second visit, but this place deserves multiple visits just to find my favorite menu item! God help me!

This is our first time back at the Kettle since returning to OC last September and it is just as I…read moreremember: tasty, down home cooking and friendly folks. I asked our very helpful and sweet server Jersey if she had only 2 choices with one being chicken fried chicken or the daily special Taco Salad, which would she go with and she said the taco salad. So, that's what I ordered. It was very tasty, loaded with 2 types of cheese a side of Jalapeño (which I gave to hubby) alot of fresh tomatoes and lettuce, a side of salsa and sour cream served in a somewhat crispy tortilla shell. And the shell is the only reason for a 4 star vs 5, the shell wasn't as light and crispy as I like it. It tasted as if they fried it several hours ago and honestly, I get why they did it that way as it saves time but the shell just left me disappointed. Hubby ordered a patty melt with fries. We came into town to scope out the Jacksonville Landing for future bass fishing mornings and when I told him we were stopping in here for lunch he already knew he was having the melt. I mean, he thought about it for 90 minutes lol. I've had their melts before and it is yummy. I think though the fries were the star on his plate. They were crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside and topped with something akin to Old Bay Seasoning. And they were HOT! Y'all, i mean, they're only fries but rhey were PERFECT! I am seriously alreasy looking forward to our 1st fishing adventure just so we can have lunch at the Kettle once we've caught all the bass. Jersey was quite attentive, but not hovering and warm friendly like only you'll find in the south. Oh, bestie told me to get the chocolate torte because she said, literally, "it's life altering." However, I forgot to so, just another thing for me to enjoy after our initial fishing trip. In some ways, you can go home again.

I absolutely love this place. Warm, welcoming staff, great food served quickly and at a reasonable…read moreprice.

Good service. French toast was okay…read more Waffle was overdone and very dry. Overall not real clean -- table was sticky. Would not go again given the other options in the area. Leaning to 2 stars but went with 3

OMG!!! When I say their Scrimp Po'Boy sandwiches are to die for…read more.. The flavor they got on them things is AMAZING 10/10 RECOMMEND. It's an added plus that the food comes with their own recipes they use to cook with (I believe) I totally will use the fired chicken recipe they had! I will also say that their tator-tots are nice and crispy and fluffy on the inside. However, they need more spicy on the outside.

Honestly it was just ok. I dined here because it's where my family that was on vacation wanted to…read moreeat. There were ZERO vegetables on the menu. Everything was either high fat, meat heavy or deep fried. Just a side salad would have been great. They were short staffed so I will not comment on the service other than it's customary to ask if there will be separate checks with a large table. The server dropped one check off and it took another 30 minutes to get separate checks. I had the cheesesteak sandwich. I like mine with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise in addition to the traditional toppings. I was happy to see they make them the way that I prefer. When I got my sandwich however, there was very little meat and toppings and it was mostly bread. Everything is à la carte, so my onion rings were an additional 5 dollars and some change on top of the 14.50 sandwich and 3.50 drink. 45 dollars for an ok sandwich meal and a kids meal. It's cheaper to get appetizers for some things than the "baskets." There's also 4 different prices for the same item which is very confusing. I like to support local businesses but they didn't have anything I'd be back for. Vegetables on the menu would be amazing. Closest thing they had to a vegetable were sandwich toppings and "fried corn" which is actually a starch. And deep fried?

Opens at 5:30 am for breakfast - until 2:00 for lunch…read more Blueberry pancakes bigger than the plate! Western omelette stuffed full Friendly efficient casual staff. Decent prices. Cute decor. We don't drink coffee anymore so I can't give you my opinion there. I'd even give it 6 stars. These are the places we look for on our backroad travels.

City Cafe is a cute little spot in Holly Ridge! The staff have been working there for a bit and it…read moreshows! Their friendly smiles and attention to detail is apparent! I took my bacon, egg and cheese sandwich to go, but it was excellent!! I have supported their food truck - City Wheelz! Zach is the top dog on that truck! It's always like home cooking and I always want to support local!!

Absolutely delicious! Food arrives fast, fresh, and piping hot! Been twice for the first time in a…read moreweek! Only thing I didn't like was their ranch dressing is on the watery side, but besides that, everything else was amazing. Highly recommend this place if you haven't been yet.

It's a adorable set up.. Fairly priced…read more The service is good and food is delicious.. Its a comfortable atmosphere and has outside seating in front and in back..

Really good food and breakfast experience. The restaurant was full and we were still seated &…read moreserved.

The food was so good!!…read more Ive been looking for lighter and expendable options for breakfast items; as waffle house is sometimes too much to handle first thing in the morning. The service was great and the ambiance was clean and quiet!

Buffet is not open but the service was excellent! The portions for kids meal is good! They also…read moresell sliced cake. I didn't ask if they have different throughoit the week , they had carrot and strawberry cake! Very good!!!

We just moved to the area from NJ and we're excited to find a classic diner. Sadly we were…read moredisappointed. The server was wonderful, especially considering she was cashier, server, and food runner. We waited over 30 minutes for our food - an omelet, sausage, and home fries and toast for one of us and 2 eggs over easy with bacon and homefries with biscuit for the other. When it arrived we got a runny egg omelet, hard burnt sausage, two well done eggs and biscuit was a bit dry. The potatoes and bacon were the only items that were good. Oh well, still on the hunt for a good diner I guess.

Omgggg this place eats up bro. We come down to topsail multiple times a year and this is a…read moretradition for us:). It never misses here and don't get me started on the ice cream ps(it's a chefs kiss). They're always quick to get you seated and they come go check a lot. They have a lot of cool decorations like we are in the 1970s or 80 idk bro I'm a Gen Z.

Very cute, little, diner by the beach! Staff was friendly and decor was fun…read more Food choices are somewhat limited but taste good. We had a cheeseburger, chicken salad pita, chicken tenders, cheese sticks, and fries. Milkshakes were also good. Unfortunately one of the jukeboxes wasn't working.

We stopped here on our way out after a Labor Day weekend at the beach, and let me tell you, the…read morealmost 30-minute wait was totally worth it. The moment we arrived, I felt like I had accidentally entered a time machine and landed somewhere in the 1990s. Numbers for wait management? Being called by your number? Classic diner-style seating and service? Even the checkout experience had strong "please rewind the VHS" energy. And honestly, I loved it. The food was fantastic. The shrimp and grits were amazing, especially with the buttery toast. The chicken sandwich was absolutely on point, and the waffles were perfectly crunchy and delicious. Now, the 3% credit card fee did try to bring me back to 2026 for a moment. But after that food, I think I can emotionally recover. If you're anywhere around Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, or Indian Beach, do yourself a favor and stop here. Come hungry, be prepared to wait a little, embrace the 90s experience, and enjoy some seriously good food. Would definitely come back. Just don't ask me to explain what a VHS tape is.

We were greeted and seated by the owner/manager very quickly, and this place was bustling. I…read morecouldn't believe how quickly our orders came out: delicious corned beef hash (crispy, just as we requested) and perfectly cooked over-medium eggs. Good grits and home fries. Delicious thick-cut rye toast and coffee. Super friendly server. The manager/owner also got right in there and was busing tables when needed. Great place-highly recommend.

Always come for breakfast when I am in town. Food is always great. The breakfast potato's are…read moreparticularly good. Nice atmosphere

Took my wife and two of our kids here for lunch. I'm writing this review from the toilet - 6th trip…read moreto the bathroom since coming home. One of my sons has been affected the same way, we didn't eat the same thing. Server prioritized others ahead of us (waited about 10 mins to be asked for a drink order, meanwhile filling a drink order for 4 cops who came in 10 minutes after us). Prices looked great, portion size was large but the food itself was a big meh. I asked if they could cook their burgers to temp, got a resounding Yes they can....I asked for a medium burger and it came out well done. I was asked by two people how it was, which I answered "It was ok" - nobody wanted more details. IMHO they have an established base they cater hardest too and they don't extend that service to new customers. Makes the old timers feel great however we'll never be regulars. We won't be back. I get supporting those who support you, but that's hardly a long term sustainable model. Hope you're ready for when those folks dwindle off. They'll be lost in new customers acquisition and won't understand it. Enjoy it while you can. Atmosphere was great. Very disappointed it didn't meet expectations.