What a great gem! My 2 sisters and I had a phenomenal time. The server was very attentive and knowledgable. If you love craft cocktails and a perfect dirty martini, this is your new favorite spot. The fried hummus and BBQ pancakes were great. We ordered the Mac and cheese crab cakes, shrimp and grits, and bacon wrapped calamari for dinner. We were not disappointed!! Everything was fresh. I was worried the Mac & cheese would be overbearing in the crabcakes...but was pleasantly surprised at the fun combo. You MUST have the key lime pie and fried pecan desserts! We met both chefs. They are young and full of new energy and concepts. Limited seating for large parties though. read more

This was a pleasant surprise. We had no wait and a nice rooftop table with a fair view of the sound (better than any other place in the area though)! Service was very friendly and attentive, cocktails were weak. We shared the flatbread special which was good. We both had the fish special, I think it was mahi mahi, which was delicious. read more

great views and not the typical beach menu....the trio appetizer is a great start . the ceasar was great but 3 shrimp was a little light for extra 9 dollars read more

The service was great and the food was very good. Our server was Tim and he handled our large group beautifully. The hush puppies were amazing and the shrimp and grits were very creamy. This is not really a place for children and families. The kids in our group had a hard time finding something to eat as they did not have a kids menu. Also, it is a bit pricey for the size portions that you get. All in all, the staff was accommodating and pleasant. Upside was not some place I would frequent but I would visit again for a light lunch if I didn't have my children with me. read more

This place has only been running for a few months so I'm not surprised that it hasn't worked out the kinks. At first I thought this place was gonna be really nice. I really wanted to like it. It's in a cute little shopping area right near the sound, and the outdoor balcony setting was nice. We were seated right away which was a plus. But that's about where the good stuff ended. Our table was not even a little bit stable. Like when you went to use a knife, the table shook so badly that water spilled out of my glass. The service left much to be desired. Tables seated after us had their appetizers before we even ordered our drinks. The portions of the meals were relatively small and sort of over priced. We ordered the chips and salsa ($15) for the appetizer and the chips were so stale that we couldn't eat them, and the "salsa" was just diced tomatoes??? No peppers or anything literally just diced tomatoes. Our other appetizer (fried tomatoes) came out cold. The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars and not 1 is because the jerk chicken fajitas were amazing. So good. Hopefully this place works out the problems because it has potential. read more

Great experience and food last evening-everyone in my family was super impressed! Rooftop dining in Corolla, spectacular view! had shrimp and grits, something way off of my regular path, awesome! As an appetizer we split hush puppies, fried green tomatoes and a salad, perfection to say the least. Am def headed back to this place soon. read more

No food left. Owners sweet, drinks great, food does not exist. We ordered appetizers and a meal, went through. We're then told fifteen minutes later that they were out of steak, scallops and the fish (which most of the table ordered). Not to mention the Caesar dressing was completely out and the waiter asked us to change our dressings as a favor to the remainder of the restaurant. Also note, there are 10 options including apps, salads and meals on the menu. Could this get worse? We were asked to pay for the $5 Coronna Light my dad half drank. Ridiculous. Never again and do not recommend unless you come hungry at 3pm, but is it worth the risk? No thanks! read more

Awful awful awful. No food left, what we had was disgusting and poor customer service. Worst place in all my 20 years of coming to Corolla and so dysfunctional. Looks are deceiving. read more

Called ahead to see what the wait would be for a party of 4. Was told on the phone they had tables available but they didn't take reservations. Arrived and told no tables that they had a party of 11 call in. Hmm thought they didn't take reservations??? Sat at the bar and told the bartender what we had just experienced. Instead of apologizing or even getting the manager she just shrugged and said I don't know. You had the chance to make it right to apologize or even explain the miscommunication. Nope instead you slowly seated your party of 11 that trickled in couple of people at a time throughout our dinner. Obviously friends of someone that worked there. By the time we left the party of 11 still hadn't fully arrived. The food wasn't great so won't be going back. read more

Place couldn't be more accommodating as it handled a walk-in party of 11 with a variety of palates. The food is as advertised in bite sized and priced accordingly. Overall, family walked away thoroughly satisfied and will be returning in the future. From the hostess to the waiter to the supporting staff, everyone was great. read more

Incredibly disappointing. We arrived at 8:00 pm (they close at 9:00) and a rude hostesses turned us away saying they full. We clearly have eyes and noticed there was tons of opening seating. I can't attest to the food as we didn't get that far, however an honest "we want to close at 9:00" would have been an appropriate response. Hopefully the owners read reviews and will speak to their staff. read more

Fantastic dinner and great view overlooking the sound. Had chorizo sausage - outstanding and unique. My wife had the jerk chicken and that too was outstanding- of course we exchanged tastes. Even the Kale Caesar was unique and very tasty. And the service was just great. This place is a must read more

2 1/2 stars (rounded up since Upside is still pretty new). Dined here for the first time last night and thought it was okay but could've been better without even trying too hard. Service and cocktails were good, it's the kitchen, plating, & execution of the food that my party took issue with. Firstly, no fresh local catch of the day even though it's on the menu. There are "snack bites" and "big bites" to choose from. The portion size of the snack bite crab and corn hush puppies (2 pieces @ $9) is overpriced for what it is (restaurant should consider making them 1/2 the size but serve 6 @ $9- better for sharing) & the chips & salsa @ $5 was a disappointment due to there not being a seasonal salsa option and the tomato one was lacking flavor. The big bites are fine if you're not too hungry and have had a couple of the snack bites too. We ordered 3 different taco entrees (2 per order) chicken, blackened shrimp, & tuna (yes, it was fresh. Huh, thought there was no fresh catch? Oh, waiter says there's only enough for the tacos). Just okay, found them to be on the dry side (need more slaw and salsa on them). They're served with tortilla chips but no additional salsa (why so chintzy with the salsa?). Hubs said his crab cakes were good; were served a top some slaw. Nice view (too bad they're not in the first building on the sound; would offer an even better view) but at about $120 (tip included) for just okay, we won't be in a hurry to come back for dinner. If it's drinks and an appetizer you're looking for, the Upside is a good choice. read more

Everyone in our party liked the food but the service was very bad. The Hostess assured us 15 min wait which ended up being 50 mins. It took 10 minutes to order drinks. Drinks were delivered for 4 out of 6 people in our party and we had to remind the server that the other 2 drinks were missing. Appetizers were ordered and never delivered. They were out of several menu items and there was no mention of this until we tried to order them. One of the items was Shrimp? Really? There are dozens of places selling shrimp on the roadside in close proximity. I heard our waiter ask the table next to us; "Did I take your order yet?" 20% service fee automatically added to our bill! Once again, food was good but a cluster fu%% of a dining experience. read more

Good food and service awaits. The view of sound needed binoculars. The appetizers were better than the dinner. Except the grits which were a great fit with the meal. read more

Sitting on the deck with a sliver of moon and view of the sound with a gentle breeze helped set the mood for a fabulous birthday celebration for six ladies wanting a special evening. Upside did not disappoint . From the moment we entered the restaurant and sat at the bar we had exceptional and friendly service. Our table was ready in about ten minutes after getting our drinks. Our waitress was knowledgable about menu choices. The tables' favorites were the portabello with grits and the mac n'cheese crab cake. A birthday celebration is not complete without dessert. We loved the key lime pie! Owners are very friendly. Try this restaurant!!!!!! read more

Horrible service. Called restaurant ahead of time to check and see if restaurant could accommodate a party of thirteen people. Upside employee stated they could. Got to restaurant and manager told us that he could not accommodate any of us and that there was nothing he could do. We asked if he could split us up into two groups (at two different tables) and the manager still would not seat us and kept saying he could not accommodate us. Manager never mentioned a wait time, just stated we could not be accommodated. Finally the manager agreed to seat us separately but threatened that we could not add any additional people to our party. Manager sat us at two different tables, one table of 6 and the other table had 5. Two people in our party did not show up. The tables were across the restaurant from each other. After dinner the waitress tried to charge gratuity to each bill as if we were all seating together which is insane! The gratuity on each bill was around 20 percent per bill and there were three separate checks. The waitress also forgot to ring up the other tables martinis and our other party had left so the waitress tried to add it on to our bill. Never experienced a restaurant that refused to accommodate customers. Do not recommend this restaurant! Terrible management. read more

Wayyyyy to expensive and not enough. Good food but it wasn't large portions. I ordered scallops and gnocchi and could count the amount was a miraculous 3 scallops and 8 gnocchi. Not worth the wait too... read more

We've been coming to Corolla for more than 20 years so we were excited to see a new restaurant open in Timbuk II Shopping Center. We decided to try Upside Bites & Bar. We were able to secure a nice table outside overlooking the miniature golf area and the sound to the back. We were greeted quickly and sat down at a table soon thereafter. We ordered the fried green tomatoes appetizer, chips and salsa and three tacos. The waiter said the fish was tuna but when the tacos came it turned out to be Cobia and it wasn't very good fish. The owner graciously exchanged it for the shrimp taco. The food wasn't very good and the owner comped us one of the tacos. The tortilla chips that accompany each dish are hand made and cooked on location - they were a bit greasy. The shrimp tacos were just ok; there was very little salsa and slaw in them - the dish was very sparse. I wanted to love the food but it really wasn't good. I think if the owner takes a hard look at the menu and the chef in the kitchen this can be a great restaurant. read more

Excellent dinner last night at Upside Restaurant! To start off we had the dip trio ( homemade chips and bread with pimento, black bean hummus, and French onion)scallops, and hush puppies...can you say yum! That was only the start with tasty watermelon/ginger martinis, oh and a cold bud light! Our bartender was great, wish I got her name, she was great at mixing a fine beverage and giving us suggestions. Beet salad with grilled shrimp was enjoyed by my bestie.....and she knows good food from all over. Meatloaf with chorizo over polenta was to die for and the big guy loved it....he thought it was mashed potatoes and we never said a word! So for the meat and potatoes guy, there are great choices. I on the other hand had one of the best things I've ever tasted! Their crab cake is full of crab but they don't use breadcrumbs as the filler, they use Mac and cheese! Yes, you heard me right.....it was served with greens and sautéed scallions! The menu had great choices, but I think we picked 3 top contenders! Great wine list.....and the desserts looked great but we were too full! A must try and I will be back next year! read more

This is not a place to take a family. It has a VERY limited menu. There are no sandwiches or anything kid friendly. For the adults some of the portions are small. The food was ok but pretty pricey. We left and had to find dessert because we were still hungry. read more

Food was excellent. We are in town for a family wedding and ate dinner there last night. I had the fish which was Mahi Mahi and it was fantastic. The salsa and cream drizzle and all the flavors were very complementary to each other. My husband had the inside out chicken pot pie and really enjoyed it. We also visited the day before and I had a drink on the outside deck, great view! This is a must try if you are in the area. I would definately go back. I thought the prices were reasonable, not overpriced. We sat at the bar and the staff was great. read more

I LOVED this place!! Sat out on the deck for dinner and watched a beautiful sunset. The food was amazing! The crab cake was delicious and I am a crab cake snob!!! Our server was so personable!! We enjoyed apps, dinner AND dessert!! The pecan tart dessert was perfect!! Bottom line: GO!!! read more

Can't wait to watch this place flourish. Richmond, VA owners with such a welcoming presence. The Becker's have built a beautiful building and a on their way to building a strong new restaurant. The server we had was sweet though new. All the staff was welcoming and pleasant. Food had really great flavor. Incredibly fresh ingredients. Portions were perfect. They may appear on the smaller size but we were all (including my dad), perfectly full without being overly stuffed. Fried green tomatoes were DELISH! Shrimp and Grits were so creatively served - request for more sausage (cause we couldn't stop eating it). Short ribs were to die for. The sweet potato hash had a kick but not over bearing. THE PATIO!! Amazing patio. The Watermelon Ginger Martini - perfect summer drink. Great wine list. It's a great local spot with tons of potential. Only been open for 6 weeks. Looking forward to visiting again! read more

3.5 stars - beautiful spot, would recommend more for lunch or drinks than dinner. Portions are on the small side, Wouldn't bother if the weather is not good enough for outside patio area. Inside seating only accommodates about 12 people. Our waitress was lovely, really helpful and with a fabulous attitude. Wish the menu had more selection, but I'll be back to try again when I'm down OBX in the summer read more

We stopped here for lunch not knowing what to expect. 4 adults and a 2year old. It was a very hot day and although the deck offers a great view we opted to eat inside. Although it took awhile to get our food we were not in a hurry and it was well worth the wait. We were all extremely pleased with the unusual menu choices, the artful presentation, and the quality. We will make it a regular stop as we vacation each year in Corolla. read more

Wonderful atmosphere, attentive personnel. I had the kale salad and added grilled chicken. Perfect portion size. Best salad I've had in a very long time. Draft beer selection was impressive as well! A great asset to Corolla! read more

Great new dining spot in Corolla. We have gone several times for either just a drink or dinner. We've owned a home in Buck Island for over 16 years and have seen a lot restaurants come and go. This one's a keeper and has the staying power...friendly engaging owners, great food and drink, and of course the view! read more

We loved it. Great food kid. Kidd friendly and outstanding service!! Not to mention the view !!!

We went for lunch today. If you aren't a seafood eater, it's tough to find decent places out there. However, we picked up a brochure for and saw sliders on it and thought this is for us, so in we went. We should have checked the menu. While there were a few options for myself, my girlfriend only found the sliders. She's not a fan of spicy and most of the "land lover" options had spicy. Sadly, the sliders were one. We asked the waitress if we could get a different cheese on the sliders other than pimento cheese. The answer was no. She at least let my girlfriend get it without the cheese. However, she also asked to get it without lettuce and tomato. That fell on deaf ears. I guess when the menu has "Please respect the integrity of the chef's menu, no substitutions" flexibility to accommodate your customers is out the window. The worst part is the brochure had the sliders on it with Cheddar or a presliced cheese! I had the pimento cheese spread on mine. It was OK. Sliders came with homemade chips and spring mix lettuce. Food was mediocre but needed to get a price adjustment. Little over priced. $12 for two sliders on a lunch menu. read more

Man, thought this place was cool but we sat down and waited 10 minutes for a vodka lemonade and a gimlet. We had a table by the bar so I saw my hard lemonade sit there on ice for 7 minutes while he served the two separate guests at his rail. Pouring beers and making cocktails for the other servers he finally made the absolut gimlet with Grey goose as an upgrade but my dad loves absolut. Just say something people. Cmon. Then it was another 3 minutes until we saw the server go over and grab them. I sent mine back to get another shot thinking it would make a difference since it was watered down but no. Sent it back and got a Cabernet. I'm a bartender. Priority of time management in relation to what the l drinks are and sitting on ice dying versus making a wine or beer first is 101. After that, shit was decent but weird inattentive service came throughout. Had to ask for an extra fork and plate since we were sharing an entree. Worst place on this vacation yet but hey it ain't brain surgery just get it right. read more

My wife and I just returned from a 2-week stay in Corolla during which we ate dinner at Upside twice and had drinks at the bar once. We like Upside alot and appreciate their effort in trying to raise what has been a pretty low bar for dining in Corolla. We tried numerous items from their menu and were pleased with all of them, most notable was the crispy hummus appetizer. Cocktails lean toward the light & refreshing and not overly boozy side of the scale but that's usually a good thing at the beach. We had the good fortune of chatting with both owners while we dined at the bar and found them both engaging and personable, just the kind of people you would hope to see succeed. For our part, we'll make Upside a regular part of our trips to Corolla in the future. read more

I agree with all the previous reviews. I knew I was in trouble when the owner came over to my table and saw my three teens and suggested that if we were there for dinner I might want to order appetizers since their portions were not family sized. No kidding. My $19 crab cakes selection consisted of two little cakes about 2" wide and 1/2" thick. The waitress spilled my drink over me and didn't seem to be prepared to know how to wipe it up, grabbing napkins instead of a towel. After spending over $100 for 2 small appetizers, and 4 small meals we left looking for a decent dessert somewhere to finish off the hunger. I would take my wife there for drinks, but not the family for a meal. The deck is nice. I like that the owners appear to be trying versus some of the other places in the area. Just lose the cold puree on your dishes. read more