Sixth trip to OBX and finally found a restaurant that serves dinner up with amazing flavors. The location is deceiving (strip mall) but don't let that sway your decision. The place is small but the food was just amazing. The kitchen turned out some of the best scallops and a pork chop that was cooked right and tasted great! This will be a must stop on our next visit to OBX. Good wine list that did not gouge the pocket book. read more

Lives up to hype. Great spot. Definitely come. Food was great. Service great. Atmosphere casual read more

Urban Kitchen - Happy customer - New American Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Just had a lovely dinner - appetizer, entree and dessert were all superb - with excellent service. We'll be back!

Really great food. Very small place but worth it. You can tell the food has lots of love and passion and the desire to stay small makes it even better. Make sure you get the steak. read more

Yum yum yum. Can't say enough good things about this place. Food! Drinks! Ambiance! Staff! Music!!!

One does not have to muse about the aptly named Urban Kitchen. Upon walking in (and we did walk to the restaurant from our beach house) you are greeted by a bar with five aluminum stools that are surprisingly comfortable. A look down the galley restaurant--kitchen to the left and white communal church pews to the right--there rests a sense that this could be Washington DC or Philly or some other home base for frequenters to the outer banks. We were greeted by the bar tender and bellied up for our first drink, square glass sized ice cubes. We were sat sooner than the ten minutes quoted us. Soon there were french fries: crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside and a winter green from the south that was porky and spicy like southern greens should be. For the main course: Pork chops with a Capital "P." Mahi so fresh you might wonder if the restaurant backs up to the sound ( it doesn't, I checked ;). And a NY strip that was un-aged, but cooked so well it didn't matter. We only wish there was room for dessert. After coming to the outer banks for nearly a decade, I have never had a meal better than I can cook at home--until now! Bravo, UK! I wanted to write an update on this restaurant, because it is important for people to know about the gem! We went last summer for dinner. Actually, we weren't going to go because the food is so good we assumed it would be packed at 8PM. Sadly, either because it is so far North on 12, or because people haven't yet realized how good Urban Kitchen is, we were sat immediately and the restaurant was beginning to empty out. GO TO THIS RESTAURANT!!! The service here is the best on all of the OBX, I know, we've been! The food is better than the service and the group who own the joint clearly know the locals and care about that area. If you wait 45 minutes or even 2 hours, it is worth it. We went back this fall, early November. The restaurant was closed for the season and I began to fear that may be a sign for an upcoming season. If this place isn't packed every night I feel sorry for people who are not eating as well as they could. read more

This place rejected me and my family for our anniversary party. We had 7 adults and 2 small kids and they said that they don't take parties over 8 people. Understood. We then proceeded to ask if it was possible to seat 5 people in one place in the restaurant and then 4 people in another (two different parties). Not allowed. The hostess repeatedly told me "you said 9, you said 9 I can't allow it" without accommodating. I then got frustrated and said we just have 8 (I would just eat in the car) but because I initially said 9, it was a problem. Sounds like they are choosing who does and does not get to eat there. Ruined our anniversary. Terrible experience. read more

Just weird. We had a party of 10 and were refused seating...and we were willing to split up. 2 minutes later two parties of 6 were happily greeted and seated. We were shocked as we sat outside and saw a larger cumulative group enjoy their meal. I had to ask...and what appeared to be the owner was adamant that her policy was solid. In the face of logic and the real world example before her, it fell completely flat. I felt like I was in The Twilight Zone. Yikes. read more

The rogue chef form Blue Point has nailed it!!! Chef Joe Panaras and Jen Lambertz have killed it! The finest quality food with amazing service from Alta and Sean with affordability which will keep you coming back for more. The menu leaves nothing to be desired!!! The menu is prepared with local ingredients (within a 100 mile radius) and changes with what is in season every 2 weeks. You haven't been on vacation until your taste buds have been on vacation! Check it out! read more

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Why Come Here? NYC quality food & vibe in the NC Outer Banks Right Amount for 2? 1 App, 2 Entrees When you go on a beach vacation, you generally accept that you'll be stepping down your food game as the price to enjoy some sun and sand. Sure, there might be some good fresh seafood but for the most part, beach towns are far from a foodie paradise. In general, the Outer Banks of North Carolina are no different. One of the few exceptions is Urban Kitchen - a restaurant that was seemingly transported from Brooklyn to Corolla for the purpose of allowing you at least one rave worthy meal while at the beach. Urban Kitchen is tucked away in an unassuming shopping center in Corolla with the likes of Harris Teeter, Duck Donuts and Pazzazz Pizza. But step inside and you'll know you've entered a different world. The name is apropos as the decor sheds the typical beach nautical theme for industrial chic with a metal bar and counter, mismatched wooden walls and modern art pieces. It's also the size of a New York restaurant with only about a dozen tables and a few seats at the bar. Throw in a solid modern rock playlist and craft beer selection and you could easily be in the newest gentrified area of Brooklyn. The menu is small and ever changing as they focus on seasonal and local ingredients. While I wouldn't call it a "healthy" restaurant, the fare is definitely on the lighter side by Southern standards. The preparations were also more interesting than you expect to find in these parts. I dare say it's one of the only places I've been to in a beach town where I wanted to order everything on the menu. Here's what I did try: Pork Shank - Buffalo wings meet pork is the way to think about this one. And you know what has a lot more meat than a chickens wing? A pig's leg. These were meaty, tender, spicy and well matched with the blue cheese cole slaw. Pork Chop - A thick, juicy, bone-in pork chop in their tangy and slightly spicy homemade bbq sauce. It comes with a very tasty white cheddar grit cake and a few local veggies for good measure. My favorite dish of the night. Swordfish - A perfectly cooked piece of local swordfish served mediterrean-style with fennel, a tomato broth and olive tapenade. A great choice if you're looking to stick with the treasure of the sea. read more

Urban Kitchen is a must while in Corolla area. We loved the small size, the decor, the collaborative and delightful staff, and yes, the delicious food! Food I call "real"; not mass-produced, not prepared in large volume. The daily fish from coastal NC (Barrel) was new to me and fantastic. The steak with horseradish perfectly grilled. Loved all the accompaniments to both. Great pride shown in everything and by everyone at Urban Kitchen!! read more

Amazing dinner - visiting from the Chicago area, where food choices are amazing, and this restaurant would fit right in! Food and service was top notch! We went with a party of 6, and everyone at the table had empty plates and was talking about how much they enjoyed our meals afterwards! The flavor profiles, presentation, and quality of the meals were highly impressive. You simply must try this restaurant! What an fantastic meal, a total gem! read more

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We visited UK on a family vacation last week- generally we have a tough time finding a place to suit all 7 of us, but they had something for everyone! The burger was great and the porkchop was awesome as well. The also had a good craft beer selection. We don't usually find a place on obx that we'd go back to - but we will definitely be back to urban kitchen next year! read more

We bought a place in Duck this past year and have been to most of the restaurants up and down Duck Rd. in search of "our spot". There are some good go-tos (Cravings, Roadside, Aqua, Blue Point) but NONE of these compare to Urban Kitchen. First off, it is a smaller space with a small, but perfect, menu. Great ambiance and service. Good drink selection. But the most important part...THE FOOD! We started with the crab asparagus appetizer which came with, of all things, popcorn. Weird or genius?? BOTH! My flounder was cooked perfectly (ie. not overcooked as it usually is everywhere else). All accompanying sides were fabulous and complimentary. My husband loved his entree too, but I was so obsessed with mine I don't remember what he ordered. And then came dessert. We don't always order dessert but decided to splurge. We had the blood orange cheesecake. Speechless. The 'marmalade' was nothing like what you get from a jar. Absolutely delicious. Cheesecake was creamy and succulent without being overly sweet. Then we noticed there were these fine orange crystals on top that seemed to be imparting a unique and yummy flavor. So, we asked our server and she said they were...drum roll...crushed pop rocks. So, if you are in the mood for a delicious, inventive and reasonably priced Outer Banks dining experience you should consider making Urban Kitchen your spot, too! read more

We are on vacation and where looking for a new place to eat. We seen the above restaurant and they refused to serve my family and I. I had with me my mother, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my family of 5 my nephew and his friend we were all dressed up. They told us they can't have tables more than 8. So we offered to split up 4 and 4 and 2. They still refused to service up. I told them to take my credit card now and you won't get burned. They stilled refused to serve us. They where all very rude to my wife and I. They looked at us like we where trashy people. What ever happened to southern hospitality? It really seems that the stars and bars are flying in 2018. How sad! read more

Excellent option for anyone looking for upscale, innovative cuisine. Do not be fooled by the location, the food here is top notch and reflects a unique point of view for this area. The fried green tomatoes are the best we have had in the Banks. Also shared the tomato, watermelon and feta salad. Just the right amount of salt and the pesto was amazing. I have to comment on the scallop entree. The carrot purée base of the dish was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Delicate, buttery and amazing flavor it was perfect with the crispy snow peas and perfectly cooked scallops. A truly unique dish that will go into my top ten of preparations of scallops. Wife had the strip with arugula, horseradish cream and frites. Overall a nice dish but nothing overly special. The cut of beef was beautiful and it was cooked nicely. A good option for non-seafoodies. Another note is the blue cheese slaw. Don't skip it. Rich and crisp. Perfect with the steak. We will be going back again before our week here is over. Already know what we are ordering. read more

I'm a foodie from the Washington DC area staying in Duck, NC for a week. I am unimpressed with the area's restaurants, with one exception-- Urban Kitchen! The chef at UK takes pride in his locally sourced ingredients and creates dishes one might find in a hip little neighborhood of Washington, D.C. or Brooklyn, NY. The swordfish served over a tomato broth with chorizo was worth the "big city" $25 price tag. So too was my wife's strip steak. Both portions were large and both proteins cooked and seasoned to perfection. The starters were equally great. Bibb lettuce blue cheese salad and grilled calamari were excellent dishes to begin the meal. To top it all off, the service was excellent. Two waitresses attended to all the guests with lots of smiles and care as if they had a vested interest in the success of the restaurant. Get there early because they don't accept reservations and they fill up quickly! Craig read more

Boyfriend and I came here tonight. He said it was the best restaurant we've been to all week here. I completely agree!! For appetizer, we had the shrimp ceviche (corn, shrimps, guac with Fritos!), which is apparently a new dish. Love, love, love!! So fresh, so light! It exudes happiness!! :) For entree, I had the pork chop and he had the strip steak. The super thick cut pork chop was cooked to perfection - tender & juicy! I'm not a grits person, but I couldn't stop eating the cheesy grits I had as my side. Can't speak much about the steak since I was too busy chowing down my food but the bf couldn't have made that bold statement if he didn't like his steak! If I had to give one suggestion, I would say to add a few more girlie cocktail drinks. Our waitress was so nice and she always had a nice big smile. Always love a place with great people and service. Bf wished we had discovered this place sooner so we could come back for a second time. Regrettable that we found this place too late. Definitely next trip! Bottom line: If you're in the area, you've got to stop by this place for dinner, at least once. read more

Urban Kitchen - Shrimp Ceviche - New American Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

We visited Urban Kitchen recently while on vacation to celebrate my birthday. We're down in OBX for the off-season, and of the three restaurants I did research on that I was interested in trying, this one was the only one that was open. When we arrived at 7, the place was packed (on a Tuesday night) and we were told we'd have a short wait (ended up being about 20 minutes). We ordered some drinks from the bar and sat outside to enjoy the cool evening. I had the house Chardonnay, which was rich and yummy. My partner had a Manhattan which was incredibly strong. Then we got our table. The ambiance here is very hip, trendy - decorated in a lot of distressed beach wood. There are only about 10 tables total. Very small and cozy. Which is nice - but also contributes to a higher than average noise level. We could also hear the entire conversations of the two tables immediately to our left and right. So in that sense, you really do get an "urban" vibe out of it. The menu is limited - seems like they change it over seasonally, which is cool. I would have liked to have more options, but as it's a small establishment, they most likely can't support that. What we ordered was delicious though. For a starter, I had the scallops with sweet potato and edamame. WOW. Cooked perfectly. It is incredibly rare to get a perfectly seared scallop with just the right outer crunch and the soft melty inside without it being over-cooked and chewy. My partner had the beet salad with yogurt dressing, which he devoured and raved about well into our entree course. For the entree, I ordered the tile fish served over beans and tomatoes - quite tasty. My partner had the steak with horseradish sauce. The fries served with it were so good we ordered a side of them for dessert. As a couple folks have mentioned, the portions were large. A lot of places like this charge hefty sticker prices for small portions, but we were able to eat everything and be content rather than feeling like we needed to hit a second spot to "finish" off dinner. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit. I wish there was a half star option here, because I'd probably go with 4 1/2. The food was excellent, service was pretty solid. If you're looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion while you're in OBX - this is a solid option among lots of standard pub style fare. read more

The 5 stars is based solely on our experience in Corolla where we spent a week on vacation and struggled to find good food that met our standards. Prices excluded (everything in Corolla was overpriced) this was by far my favorite restaurant. It is a charming small restaurant with great service, food quality, and flavor. We had the tuna tartar which was a very fresh high grade tuna. For the entree we had salmon and a local fish. Both dishes were delicious and the flavor worked nicely with the rest of the plate. Most of the restaurants down in Corolla have too much dressing or seasoning that you can't actually taste the food itself or fought for attention with the other items on the plate. This was not the case with the Urban Kitchen. read more

Our first stop upon arriving in Corolla this past weekend. My incredible boyfriend had researched the restaurant. Tiny place but packed ! they don't take reservations and that is probably a good thing with such fickle people who are "no shows". We split a nice bottle of vino; I had the halloumi appetizer (i get extra points for spelling it correctly) with apricots and raisins and a killer salmon. We each had an appetizer and main course. no dessert - too full. great service, energetic staff. wish this amazing chef/owner and his spouse/girlfriend (?) all the best. they deserve it. Wish these guys were closer to us here in Northern Virginia. Sure they will have plenty of regulars during the slow season. Gear up for the crowds!! worth every penny. read more

A great place run by a local couple. They were very accommodating for our large group and could not have been any nicer to our group. I recommend all tourists and locals to frequent this location. read more

This place is a real find. It's run by a super friendly foodie couple from Kansas City who've lived in the area for 13 years. Couldn't have been more welcoming. The menu is amazing - an innovative mix of influences - and a small but excellent wine list. I had a strawberry, beet, feta salad that was really fresh with a glass of vinho verde and the soup of the day, a potato ham with pesto, which was excellent. My son had an excellent spicy pork dish with blue cheese coleslaw and my wife's grilled haloumi with pomegranate mollases sauce was off the chain. The place itself is small and kinda out of the way in a mall, but it's well designed and not pretentious at all. And the playlist was great - blues and soul and funky southern rock. In fact, soulful is a pretty good word for our whole experience. read more

We decided to go there after looking at it on Yelp. We had a delicious meal which was well prepared. We enjoyed this small restaurant more than any others we've been to in this area. We can strongly recommend it! read more

I sometimes live dangerously and have the server choose my meal. I couldn't decide between the chicken and the steak. The table next to us had someone eating each one and both dishes looked very good. The server had the Chef choose. To my surprise, he had chosen the chicken. I was somewhat disappointed...until my first bite! By far the best seasoned, moistest (sorry...best word to describe) piece of chicken I've ever had. This place is in a strip mall, but the ambiance resembles that of nice, relaxing, rustic eatery. I highly recommend this place! read more

My wife and I made the drive from Duck and didn't regret it. Everything was great. The portions are generous, the drinks are well done, and both of our meals were fantastic. The menu is perfect as far as I'm concerned - small, but still comprised of so many intriguing options that we've already decided to come back next week to try the stuff we missed. I got the strip steak, medium rare, and it was enormous - too much for even a determined carnivore like me to finish - and delicious in combination with the horseradish sauce it was topped with. My wife got the swordfish and was in love. Great little place, highly recommended. read more

Fantastic little restaurant! We walked right in at 8 on a Thursday night (off season) and had a delicious meal! It was our first night on the island so we have nothing to compare it to but I doubt anywhere else we go will be as good. The quality of food was impressive as was the presentation. We started with the lamb meatballs which were perfectly seasoned. The meal was so good we could have stopped there. And then the entrees came! I had the chicken and my husband had the rockfish. I have a fish allergy (sad) so I couldn't try his dish but he finished his plate and said it was amazing especially with the beets on top. My chicken was delicious from start to finish. The flavors of the chicken were complimented by the tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes. This was definitely the best chicken I have had in a long time. I love a good chef driven restaurant and I was happy to find one in a land of deep fried seafood. Highly recommend this spot! read more

the owner was extremely rude and wouldn't they a group of 7 have 2 tables and gave us attitude. don't recommend

Excellent, upscale dining. Prices are very reasonable for what you get. I ordered the vegetable plate, which was four vegetable dishes, about 3-4 bites of each. It felt like a tapas plate more than an entree. I found it very tasty and satisfying, and would go back again. When we vised (June 2014), they only opened for dinner aft 5PM and did not take reservations. read more

Great meal here Interesting small plates and yummy salads Our waiter very helpful We will return Loved the soft shell crawfish! read more

Love it. After all the crab legs and shrimp you can get something unique and still southern and beachy here. Yum is the word and good service tops it off. Come on in and enjoy. Really nice folks and a diverse wine selection, beer selection, creative drinks and home made deserts. It's an awesome first meal on vaca or diversion meal. PS: pork shank starters are AMAZING! read more

Urban Kitchen - New American Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Unbelievable fresh, delicious food with an original and comforting twist. It's hard to find a meal this good, start to finish. I wish they were back at home in Manhattan! This place is a MUST! Already been twice during our trip and Can't wait to come back! read more

My favorite restaurant in Corolla. The service is great and food always comes out piping hot. We tried everything on the menu over the years and would highly recommend them all. read more

This place is so good! Fresh, flavorful and creative menu items! We loved everything we ordered. The sour cherry margarita was very refreshing and the veggies were amazing! Ended it with the panna cotta which was a sweet and savory deconstructed s'more. Incredible!!! read more

This place is awesome...so awesome that it kinda hurts not giving it a 5th star. Good beer list, great server, and the food we had was good...but...they were out of the two entrees we really wanted to try. On an off-peak night I could understand, but we were there on a Saturday night. We were there last Fall so maybe things have changed for the better. We will definitely be going back the next time we are down. read more

Terrific restaurant. Came here on a rainy day after going on a tour to see the wild mustangs nearby. Had the special Thai soup, perfect amount of spice and a generous helping of crab meat. Great starter. Had the pork chops for the main entrée. Amazing!! Perfectly cooked, huge chop that came with a homemade slaw and a side of grits that were so tasty that I would order them as a dish alone. My wife had the fried green tomatoes and a beet salad that I sampled and both were delicious. The place is small so I could see issues with getting a table at prime times... we happened to be early (5pm) so we got a table right away. Waitress was very friendly and the décor is simple and nice. Definitely recommend this place. read more

Just excellent! The oyster grits app was so good. Steak cooked perfect. Fries delicious. Beet salad great. Vegetable platter was also good. Great folks friendly service. read more

My family and I went here last year for dinner and loved it. Everything we tried was top of the line delicious. Very much a foodie's dream here. There was a bit of a wait as the restaurant is small, but it was worth it. Nice atmosphere in there. Would definitely have gone again this year if we hadn't been evacuated by Hurricane Florence. read more

Absolutely amazing food. Eclectic and different and it was well prepared and well presented. A nice change from the other restaurants around. Also, there was no wait. Really the only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that it was so dark I could hardly see what I was eating. Other than that, highly recommend this place to people looking for something new. read more

We had an absolutely amazing meal at Urban Kitchen. The drinks and food were fabulous but the staff really made the meal special. Friendly and attentive, our server and the owners made us feel welcome and ensured our experience was perfect. read more