This place, although small, was super great and for our party of 9 quickly. A good selection of craft beers and fancy cocktails. I had the lobster and crab quesadilla which was TO DIE FOR! The prices were a little high for me typically but I've definitely never had or had such a good lobster quesadilla! read more

Upside Restaurant - Lobster and crab quesadilla - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

I had the fish. Good stuff. Service was good - a lot of the apps are fried, with less options

Food is average. Service is excellent. Ambiance is good. It is a bit smaller than I thought.

This review is solely on the fact that we had a party of 10 that came in and put our name down, the hostess told us it would be a 2 hour wait, we came back 2 hours later and was then told that they didn't have a table for us and couldn't accomodate us at all cos the night. A complete waste of time. The hostess then said she would go upstairs to put a table together and then came back down. A guy came down and apologized saying they couldn't accommodate us and that people were taking to long to eat and there was nothing he can do. I have no idea if the food is good but I can say that I wouldn't even come back here because of how unaccomodating they are and wasting not only 2 hrs of our time but also making it now almost impossible to go to eat somewhere considering it's 8pm on a Friday night. read more

Service was a bit late but not a problem the food made up for it. Just above 45 mins from sit down to food delivery. Food was great. Gravy sauce was interesting and different but definitely tasty. Atmosphere was nice and beachy. Reason for no 5 stars is price and service. Great resturaunt. read more

Upside Restaurant - Smothered chicken with green beans - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Good fish sandwich. Key lime pie!! Yes!!! We did not have a lot options since we weee there in the off season. This is a good place to eat.

Upside is always great! Their restaurant is clean, convenient and they have excellent cocktails. We'll definitely be back! read more

Upside Restaurant - Fresh catch of the day tacos - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

When we entered sign said to wait to be seated! We waited 10 minutes and no hostess appeared- I called out loudly still no one came- we went up the stairs and she was rolling silverware and was rude when we asked for outside seating! We did sit inside and had a couple of drinks and the chips and French onion dip and the chicken tenders! Food and drink were good! Would definitely recommend the coconut mojito read more

Went during lunch and sat upstairs on the deck. The views and atmosphere were wonderful. I got the paloma and the upside bowl with fish. It was so so delicious!!!! read more

Food was good, service was great. Went there with a group of 8 in April, seated right away and had a really good time. A nice spot for lunch in Corolla. read more

For me to write a review takes a lot... this place was not worth it! The food ordinary at best and overpriced for what it was. The lobster/crab quesadillas were imitation! When we expressed our dislike with the server she was nice but not helpful. She gladly took the uneaten meal away but did no more. She said write a review...so here I am. lol. I suggest eat next door or anywhere else. I get you might get a bad meal every now and then but this goes beyond stating on the menu crab and lobster but serving imitation. Btw the oysters were incredibly underwhelming as well. read more

Poor experience. Went today after just arriving and waiting for our house. Our waitress disappeared early on and service was sub par. They had just opened but were not that busy. I ordered the fish tacos and was asked if I wanted my tuna seared/ rare to which I said yes. It came out fully cooked and tasteless. My daughter got the fish sandwich and had similar feedback. Underwhelming to say the least. There seemed to be enough other staff however service was slow. Dislike the 20% auto added gratuity especially for poor service. When we left there was a sign on the door saying they were closed so not sure what happened. No one said anything about our missing waitress or why they were closing. read more

Extremely rude hostess. When parking is atrocious, you seat the party of 12 that is missing one guest who is parking a car! Lost our business for sure, & the other parties of 6 who were in a very similar situation! 24 people would have eaten and even waited a while if the hostess had focused on customer service rather than following the rules to the T! Food can't be that good! Also, the half of our party who decided to stay were sitting at simple patio chairs where they said stuff was blowing everywhere and not good enough to be worth the hassle. read more

$13 for overcooked hush puppies. Ordered a seafood boil. Showed up cold. Sent it back. Came back cold. Cancelled the order. Service was sub par at best. read more

We had the hush puppies, southern boil, and chef's selection (flat iron risotto). Everything was spectacular! Our waiter was very attentive and did a great job ensuring our date night was a success. We'll definitely return! read more

Upside Restaurant - Chef's selection- flat iron risotto - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

My wife really likes this place, but there has always been slightly off for me. The menu is very creative but the execution isn't quite there. Stuff like inattentive staff, slightly overcooked food, a cold steak, etc. A lot of potential. Add a small indoor seating area and it's not one of my favorites. read more

So my wife and I live in Corolla and decided to visit Upside as it is a beautiful night and great to eat and watch the sunset. The very young hostess said it was a 20 minute wait although at least 5 tables were open. A couple walked down and said their table was open and the hostess said it was a 4 spot ( although two left from it) and that we could not have. We always want the local restaurants to do well and we like supporting them but every time I have visited Upside it has been poorly run. We left and and went to Dolce Vita and hung with Tommy. Not looking to spend $$ when not appreciated. read more

A decent find in a rush! We did have to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get to the dining room, so not very accessible. We were greeted with a quaint (but slightly cramped) dining room with the option to dine inside or outside on the lit patio overlooking Timbuck II. We were seated in about 20 minutes and ordered the poblano hush puppies as our appetizer. They were slightly underdone and doughy and really didn't have much flavor to them without dipping them into the cinnamon honey butter which we ran out of almost immediately. My boyfriend ordered the pork chop w/succotash and I had the crab cakes stuffed w/mac & cheese. No complaints from the boyfriend! The crab cakes were good - had likely been on the griddle for too long, pretty burned/hard on the outside. More Mac & cheese than crab meat...probably used the Mac & cheese as filler without using actual filler. Buttermilk ranch sauce was lovely. The chef special had a side of Asiago mashed potatoes that night so I substituted those for the Brussels sprouts my dish came with. HOLY COW. I could eat an entire plate of those. Overall decent experience. Would go back again if other restaurant wait times were unrealistic, but wouldn't be our first choice. read more

Upside Restaurant - Poblano Hush Puppies w/Cinnamon Honey Butter - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

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We called an hour and a half before our party arrived to see if they could accommodate us. They promptly agreed and said that we would be able to be seated upon arrival. When we arrived, we had told her the rest of our party was here and we were ready for our table that we were told was waiting for us. 10 minutes later, we were told that there weren't any tables and we would have to be seated separately (4 top and a 6 top) and the remainder would have to eat an hour later. The lack of communication and the attitude from the manager was appalling. As a server in the industry myself I have never been treated so poorly by customers or employees at a restaurant such as this one. If we were told we couldn't eat there we would've happily relocated to another location. read more

Let start with service excellent love to have a server that appreciates you as a patron. The food was excellent nothing better than simple fresh homemade food. By far the best restaurant that I ate at on vacation to OBX . I could eat there every day. Definitely felt very welcome and not rushed even though it was extremely crowded. read more

Our server was inexperienced and forgot multiple items we had asked for . Seemed like a nice person but needed some training . They were playing really loud head banger music that did not go with the crowd they had in restaurant. Chicken sandwich was delicious. We also had the spicy shrimp appetizer which I would recommend. Another person at our table had the fish tacos and they thought they were really fishy tasting . There are not a lot of indoor seating options but large outdoor seating area. Bathrooms both upstairs and down . We had a party of 7 and had about a 30 min wait which was fine because we could kill time by shopping or strolling around. I don't believe they take reservations. read more

Wonderful lunch spot. Food tasted fresh and fried perfectly. Loved the upstairs outdoor view. Ordered the fish sandwich - breaded perfectly. Service was slow but it was okay given our group was on vacation and grazing. read more

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My family had lunch at this restaurant while we were staying in the Outer Banks on vacation. It came recommended to us, and the staff and setting on their outdoor patio was lovely! I ordered the burger which was okay - I'm assuming their seafood is where it's at, but I'm allergic to most forms of seafood, and I love burgers, so that's why I decided to go with it. They don't have a large menu, and two of their lunch items (Chicken and crab sandwiches) were out that particular day which was disappointing for the rest of my family. I know OBX had a record high that week for visitors, but it would be helpful (especially for a family of kids) to have more options on the menu. However, their key lime pie was amazing, and I highly recommend it! read more

Upside Restaurant - Burger and chips - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

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Would give it zero stars if I could. We have a large group (16 - 7 of which are under 11). I called ahead and they said they could not handle a table of more than 8. I asked specifically if we could do split tables and was told we could do that. We all arrive and was told no. We explained about how we didn't need to sit together and was told they didn't want to overload the kitchen. Then we were told there wasn't space - when the restaurant was almost empty. I wouldn't be so angry if we were told ahead of time we would be seated - but trying to wrangle all the people together, parking, etc, and then being turned away, was disheartening and unprofessional. read more

Should change your website says you're open and your clothes for the season. A lot of people were driving up and leaving.

My wife and I came to Upside for our anniversary while vacationing in Corolla. Overall, I thought Upside was okay. It certainly has a high price point which I think is on par for a vacation destination. It was about $200 for two apps, a beer/cocktail, and two entrees. Upside has a really cool downstairs area with a pop-up bar with a deck area that you can drink and hangout while you wait for your table. I thought that was a nice spot versus standing outside in the heat. They were certainly understaffed which I think is an unfortunate reality in most places nowadays, I'd imagine amplified in a seasonal destination. Either way, there were only 1-2 servers working about 10-12 tables on the top deck which made for a slow experience overall trying to put in drink orders while you wait on entrees which took awhile too. My wife had the "crab cakes". I use quotes because like the menu gently alludes to, it is primarily fried mac and cheese balls with some crab meat as a binder. She ended up eating my entree and we heard the table next to us making the same observation. For $33, skip the crab cakes. read more

So, we came with a party of 12 with a baby. They would not let us put the tables together even though Veronica was the waitress for both tables. Then we split the ticket - each table paid their own tab - but Veronica still put it through that she got her 20% tip. The food came cold, she never checked while we waited forever to get our food, if we wanted another drink. She brought the kids food out first and then when they were done eating, the adults got their food. She was rude, gave poor service and still got 20%! Will never go back! read more

Another disappointing night at Upside. Likely not ever to go back again. Turned away at 7:45 pm when they open until 9pm. (Second time being turned away) In addition staff not friendly. read more

At 41+ years old with our wives downstairs waiting for a table the random 2nd floor bartender treated me and my friend like 2 underage children trying to order drinks. This guy should not be employed in any customer facing position. After the restaurant manager agreed he was completely out of his mind we walked next door to North Banks where we were treated like human beings. Don't step foot in this place. Also then received the attached message from the establishment. After looking through their reviews and responses to their many upset customers it is evident that this owner does not care about improving her restaurant and can't spell the word ridiculous. read more

Upside Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Six of us had lunch today. We had wedge salad, fruit and nut salad, chicken sandwich and burgers. We all loved our meals. Service was excellent. We will be back read more

Place was delicious! We sat outside and watched the sunset. Also had the bacon calamari which was also good. Somewhat limited menu but had enough. Good spot and would recommend for a laid back vibe. read more

Upside Restaurant - Crab cake with Mac and cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts - Seafood Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Worst place ever! Completely empty deck yet they wouldn't seat our 15 person party. Only 12. Dishonest staff on the outside. . . Makes you wonder what's happening on the inside. Owner Hodge (claimed) was a long wait yet 25 minutes later all the tables are still empty. They obviously just did not want our business. Why is it so hard to find a place with people that want to work? read more

Such a good lunch spot!!! The bowl was great and so were the crab cakes. If I lived nearby this would be a staple.

Great food experience after seeing the wild horses. Walked right in to a table at dinner time which surprised us on a holiday weekend. Service was good. Food was very good. We had the seasonal fish which ended up being halibut. It was excellent. We also had chicken tenders, flautas, a Caesar salad and the key lime pit for dessert. Portions were not big but the food was delicious. read more

Christine was the BEST, the food was even more amazing than when we visited a few years ago, and I could not recommend this spot enough! Beautiful view of the water! read more

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Excellent service from Veronica and great recommendations! Ordered the Sunburn drink and Scallops & Shrimp Pesto Pappardelle. Delicious!

Came to the Upside for lunch while shopping at Timbuck II. We had a party of 3 and had a 30 minute wait. We were escorted upstairs to the small dining space which had a door leading to rooftop dining. We ordered drinks (Painkiller, Margaritas) that were well-poured!!! For lunch, we had fish tacos, salad with grilled shrimp, and I had the lobster and crab quesadillas. Everybody was more than pleased with their entrees, but I must say that the lobster quesadillas were off the chain!!!!! Best $24 I ever spent!! The corn salad side dish was succulent with a perfect back-end spicy bite. The whole entree was poetry on a plate!! Well done Upside!! Well done! Will definitely be back! read more

Another great dinner at the upside! Every dish was on point: Short rib with pasta special Crab cakes Fish of the day red snapper All great Sherri you have a great place with a great staff! read more

The worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant. The most unprofessional manager with the worst customer service. They wanted to split our party up and have half of us eat separately an hour after the first group was seated, we had called to see if they could accommodate our party. As our party was coming in, no other customer was seated but they made us wait until the rest of our party arrived to tell us we weren't able to get seated. As a server with a decade experience, please do not come to this restaurant read more

Place is terrible. Awful wait times to sit and food took over an hour. 30 mins for appetizer alone.