My husband and I are vacationing on the island and decided to stop by Rucker John's for dinner--and we're so glad we did! The food was absolutely delicious, but what really made our evening was the wonderful service. Laurel recommended the Kicked Up Shrimp, and it did not disappoint. So, so good! Thank you, Laurel, for taking such great care of us and for the perfect recommendation! We enjoyed everything so much that we'll definitely be back again before our vacation is over. Highly recommend Rucker John's--and if you go, ask for Laurel. You'll be glad you did! read more

Very simple lunch with a side salad. Service by Kaitlyn was excellent. She was attentive, yet did not rush us to order. We were not that hungry but I will tell you that side salad with the sweet sticky croissant filled me up. The booths are in need of more foam. When we walked in there was a strange smell to the place but it went away. The restaurant did look clean and at noon on a Friday is was dead. BUT the summer is coming and you won't be able to get in here, so we were so happy to stop by before tourism hits. read more

"Cajun shrimp wrap" had no seasoning nor flavor whatsoever. The photo speaks for itself. Tomato basil pasta was plain, again no flavor... no complexity to their food at all. Plus for a group of 6, it all came out within minutes. The lack of preparation is what our food tasted like. We all drove over 45 minutes to have dinner here (and 45 back) so that was a bit of a bummer. Sure, their croissants are good, but they also over-charge for those too now. Had to take what we ordered home so we could fix it up ourselves. Kind of disappointed in how this Rucker John's in EI went up higher in prices, but decreased tremendously in food quality. A plus side- server was very sweet and did a good job taking care of our group and keeping drinks filled. read more

Rucker Johns Restaurant - Tomato Basil Pasta - New American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

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We had come looking for Rucker before but did not realize it's in the back of a mini mall. Really the mini mall is a nice casual most outdoor mall with lots of touristy shops and several restaurants. The back side looks out at some nicely groomed condo's and a canal filled with turtles. Ok Rucker, we were there for lunch mid week and it was not real busy. The weather was nice so we ate outside on the patio overlooking the canal and the turtles. We had friendly staff who took the time to go find answers of some of my randomly odd questions. Our food came out fast and everything was great. My wife and I both decided to try the Dutch spare ribs which is odd for us as we try not to order the same thing. I had mine with the side vegetable and grits. We also shared a brownie for desert and loaded potato skins for an app. read more

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Was part of a party of 14 for dinner. Wait staff was rude. Most of the group was at a large table, but two were sat at an adjacent table. Staff yelled at us when we tried to slide the small table a little closer. Most of us ordered salads, but few were finished because they aren't very good. One of our party asked for fries. Waitress said, "you asked for rice." Unpleasant, tense exchange. Who asks for rice with a burger?Shouldn't customers get the benefit of the doubt? Also, they were handsomely tipped because of the automatic gratuity for large parties. So no need to be nice. It's busy season in a tourist town, and they seem to resent working there. Bad culture. read more

We came here while visiting Emerald Isle and thought it was a really good choice. Restaurant was spacious and we were seated right away. Staff was very accommodating and friendly. The manager came by our table to make sure that my husband made good food choices regarding his allergies. I ordered the seared tuna which was seasoned very well with the maple bourbon sauce on the side. Very flavorful and a big portion of tuna. Comfy seating. Clean space. read more

Great food and service. Have had both the fried shrimp and seared tuna. Both were outstanding. Also have gotten take-out from them when other restaurants like Surfs Up wouldn't take our order. This is a place that puts the customer first! read more

It was okay. The service was good. The food was okay, overpriced for what it was. But that's the beach.

Very ,very good! The chicken tenders are cooked in pancake batter creating a tempura consistency. So tender! The kicked up nachos are HUGE and loaded. read more

The food was wonderful with no notes. The staff wasn't so much. When we walked in there was no hostess and we stood there for five minutes until I had to hunt one down to let her know there was a line at the door waiting. When we were seated the server we had seemed to be in a rush and wasn't very polite. Also they were playing wildly inappropriate music for a restaurant setting. Maybe it was an off day. I'd be willing to have again. read more

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Food was good, sat at bar & it was busy but we got our food quickly. Not too pricey. Very nice interior & comfortable

The food was okay... nothing to write home about,,,, steak was cooked just the way I asked but sweet potato fries were way over done. It's the ambiance this will keep me away. There is none. The ceiling was black, the walls were black, the staff dressed in black, the lights were dim... not a happy joyful place to enjoy a meal. Maybe great for some people but not for me... to go and spend $100 for two people. read more

Great price. Friendly service. Good food. We were looking for fair prices, and decent food. We will be back. read more

We came with a group of 10 and sat separately with 4 and 6 so that we didn't have to wait a half hour. I was on the four top while the rest of the family got a cozy round booth. We had calamari which was large but not chewy. Not the best I've ever had but it was good and served with marinara. 3 of us had salads which came with egg, bacon, tomatoes and croutons. I had the prime rib which was great. It came with an au jus. I asked for horseradish to add to it since it didn't have the normal creamy horseradish. Someone else had whiskey ribeye. My hubby had a Hawaiian chicken with black beans and coleslaw. There were little side cups. My sister had fried shrimp with sweet potato fries. The service was good. Everyone was mostly happy with their meals. read more

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Great food. Highly recommend the Hickory Tuna, chicken florentine flatbread, shrimp, and the croissant basket. Our waitress was a champ- they were busy but she was hustling. Call ahead seating is a nice option to offer for a beach community. Dining room layout is comfortable and spacious. Unique half moon tables for private:intimate dining is nice as well. It is located towards the back of the Emerald Plantation shopping plaza. Parking can be a bit crazy in the evening hours. read more

Rucker Johns Restaurant - Entry sign - New American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Food wasn't as good as it used to be, service was just okay. Seating is not comfortable and it to dark in side. They dont accept service dogs. read more

Food was great! We had the Thai sweet chili shrimp and we liked them, it was sweeter than spicy. I got the shrimp and grits and it wasn't too salty and the grits were not too mushy! She shrimp tasted fresh and the sauce was delicious. My husband had the chicken and sweet potato fries which he enjoyed. My husband and I will be coming again. read more

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We went to this restaurant after our beach trip and it looks good on. The inside and outside. It's attached to a shopping complex and have a seating area on the outdoors as well. They have an amazing view of a river that runs through where you can feed the turtles with these machines at cost a quarter. The food was alright I've had better flavor but it wasn't bad at all. Not bad for $20. I recommend trying this place out to take your kids & family. read more

Rucker Johns Restaurant - Baby Back Ribs, French Fries, House Salad, Sautéed onions & Mushrooms - New American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

I had the ribs, sweet potato fries and broccoli. Ribs were good, tender and not a lot of sauce. Sweet potato fries were crispy. They have a good ranch dressing. We shared a brownie sundae which was more cake, but I enjoyed it. Our server was on top of everything, and service was quick. We are outside on their beautiful deck. It was a very pleasant experience! read more

Our Airbnb host recommended we check out Rucker Johns, and I am SO glad she did. Everything from drinks, to food, to service was impeccable. Our waiter, Gavin, was a delight and very knowledgeable with the offerings, ensuring we didn't have any surprises in our meals. As for food, I will rave about my salad to anyone who will listen for years to come. Not only did it come with a delicious croissant, but I was recommended the hot honey bacon jam that was truly unforgettable. Two members of my party got the crab cakes, which they loved. My partner enjoyed his pineapple and shrimp flatbread so much he wants to try to recreate it until we can make it back to Emerald Isle! I ordered the Shrimp Buerre Blanc, which I would highly recommend. If you're in the area, definitely go check this place out! read more

Absolutely delicious food!! Impressed by the quality of the food! Definitely a plus that the kids could enjoy feeding the turtles ( and pigeons). read more

excellent food and service. it is reasonably priced. will return for more. returned multiple times, always excellent food & service. never disappointed. highly recommended read more

Wonderful experience. They had quick and friendly service. The setting is a perfect mood for a date night. We got the honey glazed croissants to start and they were so fluffy and sweet. We also got the cajun shrimp wrap with a loaded baked potato which I had absolutely no complaints about. read more

Crab dip is a no for me. This is my 2nd attempt at crab dip in NC and I have never had it like this it's mush and no crab meat. Ribeye was terrible quality. I could barely cut it and had that gross marble rainbow on it. The grits were also a no. Sauce and shrimp was good. The croissants were good! My 5 year old ate her ribs. I also ate a salad with Cajun Catalina now that was something to write home about! The ambiance is beautiful and you can feed the sea turtles!!! read more

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The server was very polite. Food came out very quick. And delicious. Clean and warm environment.

Synopsis: Wasn't a good experience in any sense and I cannot find a single part of this I could recommend. Girlfriend and I were on a small weekend vacation to Emerald Isle and looked up local restaurants to get some take out from and Rucker Johns showed up with a fairly good resume. Unfortunately, that's about where the good ended. Our order had over an hour wait, which was perfectly fine for us being that we were on vacation mode. My girlfriend went in and was able to grab our meals with no problem, chicken tender platter for me and shrimp for her. I've attached a picture of what they considered a chicken tender platter. $17 for the package shown. On the menu it states the following "A large portion of those wonderful, juicy chicken tenders. These will take care of any appetite." You also can see the entire side order of french fries that came with the tenders, or rather, lack thereof. The tenders also had no flavor whatsoever and needed to be dunked in the sauces pictured to be able to try and enjoy. I was immensely disappointed in the amount of chicken and the lack of taste and have to say, there was no redeeming quality to this meal. My girlfriend's shrimp was slightly better from the portion perspective. She had quite a bit of shrimp. Although she also ordered a side of fried okra that had no flavor and taste like pure okra with no seasoning. For just under $40 for the two of us, it felt as though we simply wasted our money and would have been better off going to the nearby Food Lion and buying our own tenders and shrimp. 1 Failed Star out of 5. read more

Rucker Johns Restaurant - My chicken tender platter with a supposed large amount of chicken. - New American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Food was good but seating was in a dark dingy corner, outdoor seating ends at 3 which sucked given how depressing our section was. The ceiling was very dusty, made the black ceiling tile a questionable choice of color. Croissants were very good, but nothing else was worth going back for. read more

We try to stop at Rucker John's at least once during our Emerald Isle vacations. We had a great experience last week. Cassie was an awesome server. The food was great and arrived quickly. One of the better restaurants in the area. read more

Just walked out of the Wilmington North Carolina location. Manager at the front door had a snippy attitude. Unacceptable! I am ( was) a regular customer. Horrible ! read more

Miss Leah was our server and she, as well as the entire restaurant was awesome!! We came to celebrate my brothers last day of chemo and Rucker John's took excellent care of us and made our family, especially my brother, feel extra special that night. Thanks to Miss Leah and the rest of the staff, we will DEFINITELY be back!!! read more

I placed a to go order for a kids burger, medium well with Fries. When we go back home the burger was Rare not at all a medium well and what they can fries is actually Hot Chips not fries. I called and spoke to Laura, I asked for the manager and she came to the phone. Let her know what had happened and instead of being a good Manager she wanted to argue about the "hot chips". We eat there every time we visit the area and love the food however with a Manager being that rude not sure we'll go back. The only thing offered was to recook the order however they would be closed by the time I could get back up there. This trip to Rucker John's was horrible!! read more

We shared a meal with friends while we were visiting Emerald Isle. My boys loved the plates of croissants and the menu was varied. The wait was moderate for a Thursday night and a party of seven, but it's the amount of time after we ordered that was noticeable. It took 70 minutes after ordering to have our meal and by then it was almost 8:00. We enjoyed our table conversation and the 4 kids in our group behaved well, but that's a LONG time to wait for dinner. Everything looked good, but I was not overly thrilled with the quality of my meal. Maybe I was grumpy because I was hungry, but it wasn't my favorite experience. I'm not opposed to trying it again sometime and maybe the patio seating will be open then. read more

Our local Friends recommended this place for dinner last night. Wow! Not only was our food delicious, it was served promptly and with a friendly smile. Leah, our waitress, Leah, never allowed our water or sweet tea get low. The restaurant was very busy but she moved fast and smiled the entire time. The food was cooked perfectly. There were six of us in our party. We had the special black pepper and special butter filet mignon, rib eye steak, fettuccini Alfredo, chicken tenders, the special flounder and a southwest salmon salad. Every dish was amazing. We loved it so much that we came back tonight to try more dishes and again, it was as amazing! We'll be sure to stop in Wilmington on our way to South Carolina and eat at their second location. read more

Just a great casual atmosphere with solid food choices. Co-workers and I hit this place up early on a Monday night in the summer. I know it's a tourist destination but a 30-45 minute wait between 5 & 6 pm on a Monday was surprising, but Rucker Johns was hopping!! The menu was solid with plenty of options; we all enjoyed our entree choice. The honey buttered croissants and desserts just made us that much happier. Good food at a fair price in an easy atmosphere. I cannot imagine anyone not finding something to enjoy here. It is worth noting that while I do not drink, my co-worker found the drink menu to be a tad inflated, but it's a vacation destination, so that is to be expected. read more

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My friend and I arrived for dinner at this restaurant on Monday, February 3, 2025. It was about 7pm. We were greeted and seated by a young lady that had a disgusted attitude. The restaurant had a moderate crowd for a Monday night. I ordered a Bloody Mary which was questionable if there was any vodka added. Couldn't help to notice the wood table was sticky and quite worn. Actually everywhere I looked appeared to be dirty and there was a smell of septic. I asked my friend if she had smelled the same and she replied that it was coming from the kitchen. Our salads were very good. Side salad served with a variety of ingredients. The dressings were all made in house and tasted very good. We both ordered prime rib sandwiches. Mine was very good except for a few large chunks of fat. My friend's sandwich was terrible and she sent it back and the second sandwich was equally not acceptable. She ordered a chef salad to go. She was extremely disappointed that both her prime rib sandwich's had to be sent back. Her sandwich was removed from the bill and the chef salad was added. I would have not charged her for the chef salad after 45 minutes of trying two unacceptable sandwiches. I ordered blueberry cobbler and coffee. The coffee was hot and fresh but the cobbler was brought out on a dirty dish and did not taste fresh. Sent back the cobbler with a disgruntled expression from our waitress. My friend and I were very courteous and patient with our waitress but seemed like she wanted us to hurry up and leave. My friend and I left a 20% tip in spite of the crappy food, dirty surroundings and unhappy staff. I will not be revisiting this restaurant until they address these serious issues. Management needs to correct the issues if they expect to attract business. Board of health should be called into this restaurant . read more

Every year we come down on vacation, we go to Rucker Johns. The Tomato Basil pasta is amazing! The best Piña Colada! Great service and atmosphere. Love this place!!! read more

Rucker John's is absolutely delicious! An Emerald Isle must! Great food, beer selection, and small beach town atmosphere! Our waitresses attitude was a little short sounding in her answers, seemed a bit annoyed, and would stare off around the restaurant when we were ordering like she'd rather be anywhere else but there, but nonetheless, enjoyed the experience. I recommend the "Island" or "Santa Fe" chicken and a Sycamore Mountain Candy IPA. read more

Spectacular food, spectacular service. Laurel was soooo very attentive and the food was truly perfectly prepared. As always, the plate of croissants are a must do. We had a burger, grilled porkchops and the whiskey ribeye...all came out tasty and was gone in minutes. They also execute covid safety precautions very well. KUDOS and thank you for a great evening! read more

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A hidden gem. Great food great service! Try the BBQ shrimp, something different and good.

This was our first visit and we loved it. Every employee we encountered was very friendly and our waitress was phenomenal. I had the seared tuna and while it was cooked more done than the rare that I asked for, it was still good. My son had the chicken tenders and they looked yummy and he said they were. He ate every last bit. My husband and other son had the ribs and they definitely needed more sauce to be baby back ribs. Others at our table had the nachos, shrimp and grits, salmon salad and house salad and all loved their meals. We will definitely be back and my husband plans to order the nachos on his next visit. read more