Wow. Great dinner. Great service. Before I forget Samantha was awesome. Charming and informative…read more Did not hover but provided excellent service. Appetizers both oysters. Rockefeller and Raw. Both were excellent. Well seasoned and fresh. Entrees I had the striped bass. Husband had the swordfish. Every bite was perfect. Great flavors. Mixed textures on the plate and mine with a little heat to finish. The food could not have been better. Truly a celebration on a beautiful day in New Bern.

I dined for lunch at Cypress Hall in Downtown New Bern. The decor is great. I liked the exposed…read morebrick and high ceilings in the historic building. It also feels modern. One half feels historic and the other half feels modern with the artwork, mirrors, and finishes. The lighting is dim but you can still read the menu. It wasn't busy while I was there but quiet enough I couldn't hear other conversations. Initially the host wanted to seat me at the bar but when I declined, gave me a seat near the open kitchen. My waitress was friendly and helped me select the strawberry blonde to go with the strawberry salad. This was smaller than expected and just one or two strawberries. There was a little too much dressing for my taste as I forgot to order it on the side. I did like how the flavors came together. I also had the chocolate torte which was rich and decadent. I left here a little squeamish from what I witnessed. After all, I was seated at a booth table with a full view of the open kitchen. I noticed the food runner repeatedly touching his nose then the plates of food. I watched him reset a table and was touching the silverware by the tines, the part that goes in your mouth, rather than the handles. I'm not sure if the hands had been washed when he added by hand garnish to my dessert. I immediately removed the garnish but should have returned the dish to get it remade. Also, a table of six was seated then left a few minutes later and the glasses and silverware were not replaced while I was there, leaving me to assume they were not replaced for the next guests. I also noticed the restaurant had many cameras, so these hygiene lapses were likely recorded. For an upscale spot, these hygiene issues were disappointing. I truly enjoyed the flavors and the atmosphere, and I would be happy to return in the future if I could be confident that basic hygiene and service protocols were being strictly followed. I'd particularly love to come back and try the strawberry cake next time.

Our "dinner gang" dined at The Chelsea this past Friday night. Our 6:30 reservation was ready upon…read moreour arrival. Our sever Anna managed all of our orders and checks perfectly which is no easy feat considering we're 8 couples whom rarely sit with our partners. Our drinks and appetizers came out quickly. Our entrees were served shortly after we finished the appetizers. And are drinks were kept full. All perfect timing in my book! I had the featured Char Su Pork Belly Bao Sliders. The pork belly was melt in your mouth tender and very flavorful. They were served on a light and airy bao bun. My husband had the Brown Butter Barbecue Chicken served over polenta. It's consistently a winner, because it's always so tender. If The Chelsea can handle our fun loving group on a Friday night, they can handle your gang too!

We hadn't been to The Chelsea in a while but we were there in March and saw the steak menu…read more Husband had the Voo Doo steak and loved it. We had dinner there again a couple weeks ago and while he didn't get the ribeye he ordered, the ribeye he got was delicious. I got the Chinese-style ribs & slaw special. I almost ordered the duck special but I can make good duck at home. My ribs are hopeless. The server described these ribs as a small plate but I got 9 tasty ribs and the slaw was the perfect acidity to cut the sweet, heavy richness of the ribs. I generally don't care for 5 spice powder; it's usually too cinnamon or too cloves forward but these were perfect. Also, if you've never tried their South African Pudding, do yourself a favor and order it next time. It's like a cold bread pudding a bed of caramel and topped with whipped cream (but last night, it seemed like marshmallow cream). Never a disappointment and glad to have a great steak option in New Bern.

Sat at the bar for lunch on our way home from the Crystal Coast and pick the right spot. Steamed…read moreShrimp (with onions) were second to none. Crab cake sandwiches were also a great selection, good seasoning amd meaty. Service was spot on and they made you feel as though you were one of the many locals that frequent their establishment. Will def make this a stopping point wheter driving by or staying in town.

If you are ever in New Bern, NC, you need to eat at MJ's Raw Bar and Grill. My wife and I were in…read morethe mood for seafood and I did a Yelp search. There were a few restaurants but MJ's stood out amongst the rest for the photos and reviews. MJ's is in located in downtown New Bern. The restaurant is not very big but the wait (20-25 mins) was worth it. We ordered the Admirals Platter which had oysters, clams, shrimp, and crab legs. The oysters were steamed to perfection, the clams was not dried out, the shrimp was perfectly seasoned with Old Bay and red onions and the crab legs was not dried out. What I am trying to say is, the seafood was fresh and not pre-cooked. It was cook to order. Our waiter was awesome. Even though the restaurant was packed full, he paid attention to our needs. Our glasses never got empty. He kept our table cleared by replacing the shell bucket without asking. We really appreciate the customer service. After dinner, we decided on dessert and had the lemon blueberry pie. I highly recommend it ... deliciousness!!! Thank you MJ's for a special time with delicious food. If we are back in New Bern, you will be a definite choice for seafood.

Very friendly atmosphere. They try an accommodate special non menu requests. Their wings are…read moreexcellent, both grilled and fried. We asked for a blackened dry rub with they delivered. Drink prices are fair and service is very good. The prime rib sandwich comes with plenty of meat which was delicious. Will be back often as long as we are in town.

The food and service is outstanding. Cleanliness is not good. Outside entrance is nasty. Cigarette…read morebutts and trash everywhere. Very unappealing. Toilets are not clean. Restaurant is tired looking. If this was a restaurant with average food I would avoid. Again food and service is outstanding.

Came to Annabelle's R&P on our way back from visiting friends in Beaufort. The place is situated…read morein a strip mall some of which has vacant stores, but the parking lot in front of Annabelle's was pretty full. Lots of folks coming in and out. We we quickly seated as a party of two and taken to a large booth. Lots of room to stretch. It took a bit for our waitress to show up, but that gave us ample time to peruse the menu and order our food with the drinks. Our server made frequent fly-bys and was quick to refresh our drinks. Our fajitas were piping hot and the portion size was generous. Can't ask for anything more than that. A great experience and I'm sure we'll be back when in the area.

The food was ok but over salty. The high point was our server who was excellent. I am sure many…read morewill find the food here good but for us not today! I will come back and try the evening meal.

Inky came because moores was out of barbecue. I'm not a fan of this type if barbecue but husband…read morelikes it. His food was good but I got a shrimp plate which was awful. Tiny shrimp with a lite batter. No taste and mushy.

Everyone is very professional and welcoming as soon as you arrive. The team was immediately…read moreclearing and wiping down the tables and offering drink refills - Mario (I think) was very pleasant and personable. We were traveling through and ended up eating here both nights :) Fried chicken and potato salad perfection!! Open a location in Virginia Beach, PLEASE!

Ordered the shrimp basket (fried) with pups and Mac. Service was great, food was even better!!!…read moreTHIS PLACE IS A MUST GO!

On 3/8/2026, We celebrated a birthday dinner here, and it was amazing! The fried fish was perfectly…read morecooked--crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The cheesecake was the perfect way to end the meal, rich and delicious. Great food, wonderful atmosphere, amazing customer service and a memorable experience. We'll definitely be back!

My small group wanted to eat waterside, so we went to Persimmons for lunch. We were quickly seated…read moreupstairs with picturesque views of the water. Our server Ridley, came to the table promptly, answered our questions and took our orders. Our drinks came quickly and were always full. The food arrived soon after our orders were placed. The presentation of our meals was terrific. Three diners in our party ordered the Fish Tacos and one got the Fish and Chips. It would be an understatement to say the servings were seriously generous. The fish & chips came 3 large fried fish filets and a heaping of seasoned fries. The taco orders each had 3 full vs mini sized soft tacos overflowing with fish filets...the fish was legit spilling out over both ends of the tacos! The fish was lightly battered, nicely seasoned and fried to perfection. The quantity of the food was so generous, only one of us could finish our meal!! On our way out, we stopped and spoke with the manager Kelsey. She is the spirit behind the "the new and improved" Persimmon's ethos. She took no credit for the changes or improvements and instead placed our exemplary experience squarely at the feet of her employees! It's obvious she's a wonderful, caring leader of the Persimmon's team. Cheers to Kelsey, Ridley and the Persimmon's crew!

I'm so disappointed with Persimmons on the Waterfront, in New Bern…read more First, the good things: I love that they sell local art in the waiting area, secondly, I love sitting out on the deck. There was a nice breeze off the Neuse, even though it's 86° right now you don't know that because they have these nice shades and there's a nice breeze coming off the water. So what I didn't like first: I feel the menu was really limited, I can get around that, but the red flag right off the bat was their fish tacos and their fish and chips are made with "white fish" I figured they it was gonna be tilapia or something equally horrible. When I asked the what fish it was he said it was Pangasius, which the waiter described as similar to flounder and I also overheard another waiter. Say the same thing to somebody sitting near me so that's the spiel they're told to tell people who ask what kind of fish. I suggest that you look it up. It's Farm raised and not in very clean environment usually... I never eat tilapia and this is actually one rung below tilapia. I wasn't going to get fish. I ended up getting a burger which I normally don't get at a restaurant, but I ordered my burger, medium rare and the waiter said, "We don't do that. We either do pink or not pink." They tried to tell me it was a health department regulation. Nope! Other than fast food like McDonald's and Wendy's and such I've never been to a restaurant especially a supposedly fine dining restaurant where you couldn't order your burger, medium, well medium, medium-rare or rare. I said, try to make it less than just pink please. Then when I cut into my burger. It was well done. Maybe the exact center was slightly pink, but that was just one bite worth. I'm very disappointed, but I have to tell you I would be back just to be able to have the same glass of wine. It was a white wine, a dry white wine from Spain and the appetizer of brussels sprouts while sitting out on the patio, it was a nice experience for that but not for a meal.