New place with alternating chefs! I had Califlower steak. Everyone liked their flounder. Steak a little well done. It's hard to get med rare. We had a good time! read more

My family and I love going here, it's our go-to! Sterling is a great server. She brings a great energy to the table which really matters. I love the ahi tuna salad and we love the burgers. Highly recommend for a cozy night. read more

This review is for Co-No-Mo that is where the Cove used to be. We loved The Cove. This new place- no. Ate there yesterday for dinner. The lemon butter flounder was terrible. My husband's burger was good though. We will not be returning. read more

Bottom line: I liked my first visit to The Cove Restaurant near Holden Beach. Their Fish & Chips was satisfying and just what I needed that night. Service was good as well. This farm-to-table restaurant supporting local farmers and fishermen is worth a try if in the area with a little something for everyone on their menu. The Deets: A friend of mine drove down from Wilmington while I was vacationing in Holden Beach recently and we decided to get dinner to catch up. Looking at options on the trusty Yelp app, we decided upon trying The Cove Restaurant for dining. It is located just a bit out from Holden Beach, along Hwy 130 going towards Shallotte. It has pretty good parking that was almost full when we arrived. When we went in to place our name on the waiting list, we were told it would be about 30 minutes wait (we were actually seated around 15-20 minutes) and so we used the table and chairs outside the door to relax and talk. When seated at a booth inside, we perused their menu and they have plenty of different selections (not just limited to seafood). The cover of the menu describes The Cove as a restaurant "...featuring all natural ingredients supporting local farmers and fishermen." This farm-to-table format is good to know going in and I'm glad they share that on the menu. We were given bread service to start with (loved the bread!) and my friend got their Homemade Crab Soup to start with, and he liked it a lot. I went for Fish & Chips for my dinner entree while my friend opted for their Chicken Marsala for his meal. I was satisfied with my meal, the beer battered deep fried cod fish tasted great here. I sampled my friend's Chicken Marsala and it was good but was hoping for more flavor to come through on the Marsala sauce. Service was acceptable from the host desk to our server, all went well. I enjoyed the first visit to The Cove Restaurant and would like to revisit them on future trips to the area. read more

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My husband and I are new homeowners on Holden Beach. One of the first things we wanted to discover was a local place with great seafood. We were thrilled to find this place! My husband ordered the special Trio: grouper (blackened) with shrimp (fried) and scallops (blackened). It was served with mashed potatoes. The portion was huge! He said it was the best mashed potatoes he's ever had. I ordered the seafood linguini, scampi style - it was delicious with a generous amount of mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops. There was an option to have the dish "fra diavolo" (spicy red sauce) which I may try next time. My husband shared his giant side-salad with me. It was an extra $2 for the salad that could have been a meal for me. Complimentary bread is served with olive oil and freshly cracked pepper and with single serving pats of butter. For dessert, we shared the housemade brownie with ice cream. It was recommended by our wonderful server, Bailey! It was a great first meal for us in Holden Beach as locals and no longer just visitors! read more

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My wife and I picked this place based upon other reviews. We got right in and enjoyed the place. the restaurant was well kept and clean. Food was good. My wife enjoyed her shrimp and I liked my fish and chips. Might have been expecting a little more for being a coastal location. The server was outstanding. She did a super job. Would try again. read more

Service was great! Food was good. Why 1 star you ask? They sell crab legs as 1lb for nearly $50. They sent out two of the tiniest clusters I've ever seen. I've weighed them at home many many times. This was 1/3 of a pound. Literally $3 to $4 of crab that they sold for $46.48. I don't generally leave negative reviews, but this wasn't cool. Do better. read more

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5 of us went to The Cove for Dinner recently. We enjoyed everything. The service was excellent. The ambiance was nice. Good cocktails. The Pimento Cheese was good. All the dishes we had were delicious. Very decent Crab cakes. The fish and chips were excellent. Great crab soup. We also had mussels and the coconut shrimp. All good. Highly recommended. read more

After the remodel and menu change: Here's my 2 cents after eating there last night. Lots of the same server staff is there and they were stressed yet trying so hard and so apologetic for the slow, slow service. We gave our waitress a 20+% tip. We well waited over an hour for our mediocre, at best, burgers. It was busy but not that busy. The kitchen does NOT have it together. That should get better. Will the food get any better? The pricing? The atmosphere? The remodel....ummmm the lighting is like sitting in a dentist office. Bright. Glaring. Strange and anything but relaxing. Nothing to warm up the walls only tv's that are on but no sound. Expensive. No really. 3 burgers with onion rings and 4 glasses of wine $145 with tip. I think if you order a smash patty it's more. And sauces like ranch dressing or honey mustard cost .50 cents. I get they are revamping the menu and atmosphere but I'm really not sure it's going to make it. Families on vacation with kids will want cheaper options. The new owner/manager should have come around to the tables to apologize for the wait and slow service. They left the servers and hostess to handle the mess alone seemingly to be hiding in the office or kitchen. They also should have asked what people thought about the new menu and food (once they got served). That is enough to give me pause if we decide to give them another try. Not cool. read more

This place is hands down the best place I've eaten in Holden Beach. Drinks are inexpensive and exquisite, the staff is amazing and friendly, food is incredible and fresh. The ambiance is vibrant with the sound of families and friends enjoying their meal in a pleasant, warmly lit room. Highly recommend this gem. read more

Our service was pretty good but the food was not even mid. We got salads (both with old/discolored lettuce) with a ribeye and salmon. The salmon was okay, but a bit overcooked with a confusing garnish of quartered artichoke hearts and whole capers that were nearly raw. The baked potato was burnt. We sat out front where there were a bunch of dirty tables and a view of the parking lot. read more

The food was amazing, farm to table with very fresh seafood. The service was really good considering it was packed. When a lot of locals visit a restaurant you know it must be good. Chloe was so busy with all her tables but she did fantastic. The restaurant is set up very well with booths and very large tables if you have a ton of people with you. read more

We ate there for dinner at 7:30 last Saturday night March 2, 2024. We had a reservation and waited less than ten minutes to be seated. While waiting, we perused the feline rescue display and enjoyed the photos of the cute kitties. It was loud. The bar area was crowded and a basketball game on the TVs promoted the noise. When we were seated, our server promptly appeared to take drink orders and returned quickly with the drinks and took out food orderes. We decided to split an order of one-pound of crab legs, a coconut shrimp appetizer, and a bowl of french onion soup. The coconut shrimp was crispy on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. And the dipping sauce was a great complement to the shrimp. The crab legs were firm and flavourful and the sautéed zucchini and yellow squash perfectly seasoned. The French onion soup was just so-so and I wouldn't order it again. A young boy/man rolling the set ups and clearing tables seemed to go out of his way to make as much obnoxious noise as possible, slamming plates on the table, smacking the broom against the dust pan, etc. He was either very poorly trained, inadequately supervised, or just didn't care how his antics negatively impacted the guests. In any case, it was very annoying. The Holden Sunset cocktail was excellent and highly recommended. Overall, almost all of the food was quite good, food and bar service excellent, ambience okay, and support staff needs training, supervision, or replacement. All in all, I would recommend The Cove. read more

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Excellent service and excellent food. Tonight's special was grouper, scallops, shrimp, sautéed squash and a baked potato.It was so delicious. We were very happy! read more

The Cove Restaurant - Last nights special. Blackened flounder, scallops and shrimp. - American Near Me - Supply, North Carolina

Have eaten here 5 or 6 times. Always great food at a reasonable price. Both steaks and seafood are exceptional.

Oct 13, 2025. Group of 5. Seated immediately. Service was average. Italian dishes were great. Salads were great. Crab legs overpriced to be market price. 46$ for 2 small clusters. Overall meal was great. Looking forward to coming back. read more

My husband and I had good dinner at this place and was lucky to get in without any reservation although the wait for big party was pretty long but they have availability for party of two at that time. We had crab legs, ahi tuna appetizer, fresh salad, yummy bread, and seafood scampy aioli. The seafood were fresh and the seasoning was perfect. I recommend this place if you are in need of great dinner in Holden Beach, NC. read more

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Very good food, attentive staff, bar that makes a very good drink. Overall a really good experience.

Not many vegan options here. I got some French fried and a veggie burger with no dairy on it and it was just okay. Wish they had some more good vegan options. read more

My wife and I are here during the last week of April 2024. I found The Cove based on other Yelp reviews. Service was very good (wish I could recall our server's name...he had an epic beard). My wife loved the calamari appetizer. We had the Tile fish trio, the daily special. It was excellent. Broiled fish with scallops & shrimp. And for what it's worth, there's a decent whiskey selection. read more

Even though we were near the beach, the steak was fantastic! I tried some of the seafood too and that was darn good too. And our waitress was great. read more

Ordered takeout to celebrate me finishing grad school. The crab legs were awesome. The calamari was great with a light batter with a tang of black pepper in it. The sweet potato fries were perfectly cooked. Highly recommend and would go back anytime. read more

Food and service nicely done. Fishman's platter was tasty and perfectly cooked. Place was crowded but only had a 10 minute wait.

Absolutely love this place. I own a rental property in Holden and recommend it to all my guests. The food is excellent, and the staff is always super friendly. I have had the massive Caesar salad, the crab legs, the salmon and the burger. Everything is wonderful. I rarely order burgers in restaurants, but they literally have the best burger that I have ever had. read more

Excellent farm to table restaurant! The special was grouper, shrimp, scallops, sautéed squash & zucchini with your choice of potato. I chose the creamy but chunky mashed potatoes. You can taste the freshness and purity of the food. The grouper was fresh & flaky with blackened shrimp and scallops. They were cooked extremely well. Our server, Jacob, was very knowledgeable and was very accommodating to my wife's food allergies. The bread was wonderful. You can taste the fresh herbs baked into it. The steaks (ribeye) was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife. We will definitely be back and recommend this establishment highly to others. You will not be disappointed. read more

Found this gem when we were on vacation at Holden Beach. Seriously so good, we went 2 nights and had take out 1 night because everything we got was amazing. I had the seafood pasta and oh my word, I wish I could find this exact pasta near my home, I'd go back just for that! read more

The Cove Restaurant - Seafood pasta - American Near Me - Supply, North Carolina

First visit there and we were treated horribly. Scott the bartender was a complete jerk and we left before we could even order drinks. Extremely rude and unwelcoming and unprofessional. Our money spends better elsewhere. read more

Relaxed atmosphere, combined with friendly and great service, good prices, and very tasty meals. Family friendly.

So went to The Cove, which claims to be a Farm to Table. A true farm to table would never use farm raised seafood. Nor would they offer salads with berries that are out of season. A TRUE FARM TO TABLE would offer a turnover menu with the seasons. This was not what they claimed. Started off with the shrimp in scampi sauce. The shrimp were overcooked, and the sauce was watery and overpowered with oregano and uncooked garlic. Hubby had the coconut shrimp, which was overcooked and dried out and was tasteless. Crabcakes were ok. Hubby said they were a bit blah, no seasoning but ediable. Also, I got a Cesar salad with chicken, it was dried out chicken and not even appealing. I got the Vege tacos, which I have to say were tasty I did ask for extra garlic, and they were pretty good. Nothing special but I would say a safe order. All around, I would say save your money. It's good for a last minute meal if every place else is packed. However I will say ourvwaiter was awesome! Otherwise, I won't be going back. read more

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Give this one a miss. I am pulling for any restaurant in Holden, but this one hardly seems to even try. The ambiance is lacking- it's a building with some table and chairs and the sound track is provided by a radio station with static. With the exception of the bar tender, every single server and hostess looks absolutely miserable, no one welcoming you in or bidding you good night and frankly you wonder if they are forced to work there. We received bread (pale but good and soft) and our salads, but waited an hour for our main courses and no one checked on us. Unfortunately, it was not worth the wait and the mashed potatoes were grey. I don't expect this one to be there next year. read more

Although the ambience isn't great in the main dining room (noisy), eating at the bar or in the bar area is the way to go. The service (Nick) is awesome and the food is fantastic and reasonably priced. Definitely give this little hideaway a try. read more

Highly recommend when you are in Holden Beach/Supply. Food was delicious. I had the piccata they did with chicken for me which was very appreciated since we were a big group of 11! Everyone was raving about their dishes after dinner. Service was fantastic, she was kind and patient. Kudos to the staff and kitchen. The place was packed but they kept everything coming at a great pace--and yummy. read more

I met friends at The Cove for dinner last night, a first for all of us. We started with calamari, which was nothing special. My friends had salads and shared a steak, which they said was very tasty. I had chicken marsala, which did not have a marsala sauce. The sauce tasted more like brown gravy as there was no garlic or a taste of marsala wine. I wouldn't order that again. Portions were generous, and the service was great.. . read more

Great food, service, and ambiance! We love this place and hope for more visitors to enjoy it too!! read more

This was by far the best restaurant in a week of eating out at Holden Beach. My husband and I split the scallops, and they were delicious although only four for $24. My appetizer was one of the best dishes I've ever had: coconut shrimp with a marmalade sauce. Scrumptious.! My cosmopolitan was made perfectly, and even Keylime pie, which I don't ever like, was sweet and delicious. read more

Another great place in the Holden Beach area. Food is spot on. Service was great and this place is becoming a regular stop when we vacation in Holden. read more

There are some great things about the Cove. It's one of the few Holden Beach restaurants open year round, a huge benefit to residents and winter visitors. The Cove's menu offers a nice variety of seafood, steaks, and pasta, as well as burgers and salads and creative appetizers. And the service aims to please, even when they're short staffed on an unexpectedly busy Monday. Our server, Haven, was wonderful in the face of chaos, and I look forward to another visit when it's less crazy. Unfortunately, there is one big issue that sets the tone for the entire experience. The dining room is almost unbearably loud, the low ceilings amplifying the sound so much it's difficult to have a normal conversation with the person seated next to you. The Cove offers complimentary focaccia bread and your server will prepare an olive oil dipping sauce table-side. The edamame appetizer is fun to share, served warm and nicely seasoned. My beet and goat cheese salad was excellent, and the arugula so fresh, it seemed a perfect example of the restaurant's farm to table concept in action. Our party of five enjoyed a variety of dishes, all expertly prepared and quite tasty: the NY strip with fries; sautéed scallops; salmon; and the blackened tuna. We opted to forgo dessert, in order to escape the din and head back home to the soothing sound of the sea. read more

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The service was excellent. My wife and I split each an order of crab cakes and blackened scallops. Both entrees were delicious. Frankly, we both agreed that we've never had better scallops. There was nothing here to detract from a perfect rating. If you're on Holden Beach, there's no reason to drive further for excellent food and service! read more

The Cove Restaurant - Crab cakes and scallops. - American Near Me - Supply, North Carolina

Stopped in for a light dinner after a round of golf. This was our first visit here. The place, from the outside is unassuming - to say the least. A little effort to clean up the signage and landscaping would be a great start. Understand that it's a beach restaurant in a vacation area, but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't make an effort. Inside, we were greeted and seated immediately. Our server (I believe her name was Justine) , was friendly and came over quickly to get our drink orders. The place is casual with beach decor interspersed with pictures of celebrities from the 60's and 70's. Standard diner-type seating at tables and booths. I'm a fan of crab soup and saw it on their menu, so I ordered that and a Cove Salad. The soup came out first... it was just "ok" for me... very bland for my taste. It needed Old Bay desperately. I added salt and freshly ground pepper to improve it. To be honest, I wouldn't order it again. The salad had walnuts, cranberries, feta cheese, and pears. The greens were crisp and fresh and it was a large portion. The pears, however, were from a can - a bit disappointing in texture compared to the other ingredients. My husband also had the crab soup and a house salad. He shared my opinion that the soup needed spice / flavor, but he was happy with the salad. Our server was friendly and checked in a few times to see if we needed anything. I will say that they had good prices, compared to some other establishments in the area. Good selection of beers for $3 (drafts were $4.5-$5), cocktails $10. We didn't imbibe this visit, so can't comment on the quality of cocktails. We live nearby and will probably stop in again and try some seafood next time as I saw some good reviews for that. read more

I splurged and got the crab legs - they were good, but for the price, kind of wish I'd gotten something else. Wife got a steak, which is admittedly a roll of the dice at a seafood place. She was disappointed. Sides were good. Service fast and friendly. read more