If you're heading to the Swan Quarter ferry, do yourself a favor and stop at Vera's Diner. This…read morehidden gem is just a 1/2 mile off the route to the ferry from New Bern and was one of the highlights of our trip. The sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits were absolutely outstanding--fresh, flavorful, and everything a Southern breakfast should be. The cheese omelette was equally delicious, cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. What really sets this place apart is the friendly, attentive service. Everyone made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. The combination of great food, generous portions, and genuine hospitality makes this a must-stop destination. Whether you're a local or traveling to catch the ferry, Vera's Diner is well worth the visit. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in the area! I'd give it 5 stars without hesitation.

Vera's has been around for a hot minute, and we had heard how awesome it was. So we went…read more "Was" being the key part of that sentence. The fellow who waited on us was friendly. Our 1/2&1/2 tea was served with plenty of ice, but perhaps was brewed too strong? And I say that as someone who likes strong brew...a little of a bitter aftertaste, perhaps. We ordered the hamburger steak, no gravy or onions. While it seemed to be a genuine patted by hand rendition, and was pretty well cooked to order, it lacked flavor. A bit of light seasoning before cooking would have done the trick. It took a hot minute to get our food. Many orders came out for folks who had arrived after us, and while not a huge aspect of this review, it matters even more given the rest of our meal. The green beans tasted canned, as did the potatoes. The cornbread was neither hot nor flavorful, and the butter was hard as a brick, and this, un-spreadable. We didn't stay for dessert. The locals filed in and I saw a mix of burgers, sandwiches and lunch specials being served. I think it is a convenient gathering place, especially for the aging. I wish a focus on fast, friendly service with excellent food had been evident so I could have given a delightful review. Sadly, I think this little mom and pop eatery has seen its best days. You don't go to Vera's for the ambiance, as it isn't fancy and hasn't been updated in...well...forever. You go there for the hospitality and good food...something akin to home cooking. And based on our experience, even that is questionable. Highly unlikely we will be back. It was a rather expensive experiment for a little diner in a small town that's coasting on past glory. It's like Vera's had given up, but no one has acknowledged it yet. I've read they're under newish ownership, and I really hope they can set their sights on audacious improvement...and that they get serious, stop going through the motions, and make it better than ever.

The owner (Ipock) of this restaurant has a family lineage in New Bern. They've owned several…read morerestaurants over the decades with the same "home cooked" type meals that can be eaten by young and old alike. Nothing fancy, nothing overly spicy, just plain good food. Children would especially enjoy some of the selections. The atmosphere and aroma may have a "bar" twinge because some people use it as a bar, so you'll have wet floors in the bathroom sometimes at night. This smell is hard to cover so, you'll have to deal with that, maybe. The selections my wife enjoy most are: the Hot Hamburger Plate, Hamburger Steak (both with onions and mushrooms added to the gravy for $1 extra), Shrimp & Scallops and BBQ Baby Back Ribs. The sides are less impressive, but if you know what to order, you get extract some great veggies. The mashed potatoes are REAL potatoes (not instant) and taste great (don't add salt before eating). The steamed Broccoli is excellent and is the only other vegetable I get with my meals. The Baked Potato is nominal and French fries are frozen crinkle cuts. My wife use to get the baked beans but they were discontinued. I order with my cell phone from my truck on my way home. I go to the back "take out" entrance. There is a camera with closed circuit television that they can see your vehicle with. (I never sit down to eat) Therefore I can't really comment on the service or the sanitary conditions. The place use to have more employees and they had a register w/cashier next to the back entrance. This dedicated position in now usually the responsibility of the head waitress at the bar. Since she is busy serving drinks or doubling as the main check tallying station for other waitresses,...I usually just go inside to pay for the meal rather than wait for her to come out to my truck. If it's gonna be a little while (if it's very busy, wait times can be longer) I'll sit outside and wait. She brings it out cheerfully and I always give a nice 15-20% tip. (even though she didn't really wait on me but once) I find it makes me feel good. The prices are quite reasonable if not a bargain compared to some other places. Expect to pay $10-$14 per plate, but sometimes small plates on special can be under $7. Within the last two years, I've seen the Hot Hamburger Plate be on special for $5.99. Ask for the specials of the day, there are usually two or three.

Ordered smothered chicken. It was awful. No flavor, chicken was tough and very dry. Hardly any…read morecheese on it. My husband Ordered the fried shrimp. It was extremely greasy and only got 6 shrimp. Spent thirty dollars on bad food. Will never eat there again.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars If you're looking for a spot with…read moreplenty of vegetarian options in New Bern that isn't an Indian restaurant, FireFly Cafe is an absolute breath of fresh air! I give this place a solid 4/5 overall, heavily carried by their incredible hospitality and welcoming atmosphere. Service: 5/5 The service here is unmatched. The owners are incredibly friendly, attentive, and great to converse with. They went out of their way to bring over coloring books and crayons for our kids, which was a huge help and made us feel so welcome. Decor & Ambiance: 4/5 The interior is spacious and very inviting. They have a great mix of standard dining tables under beautiful exposed wooden beams, plus some really cozy lounge seating areas with a cool swamp mural. It's a very relaxed, family-friendly environment. Food: 3/5 The food was a bit of a mixed bag, but we really appreciated the vegetarian variety. * The Good: The Firefly Beignets were the absolute highlight--they came out warm, puffy, covered in powdered sugar, and completely delicious! The Mac n' Cheese and the side salad were both decent and satisfying. * The Not-So-Good: The crepes were a bit of a letdown. They used canned olives that were overwhelmingly sour, which really threw off the flavor of the dish. The Verdict: Even though the food wasn't perfect across the board, the amazing owners, the family-friendly environment, and those delicious warm beignets make it a spot worth visiting.

I recently coordinated the food for our company's annual summit. We have staff from across the…read morecountry come to New Bern to work together in person to brainstorm, socialize, and engage in professional development. This year, there were 13 of us, sharing multiple meals together. The first thing I'd like to praise is the efforts of Sarah and Shaun. Coordinating the food and event with them was easy and exciting. This team put together a custom menu for us in their private dining area. The top-down experience was beyond reproach. The private event space is comfortable, soothing, and homey. It was like having dinner in a dear friend's home. The space is beautiful and understated. It was exactly what our team wanted. The food was inspired. We had a Greek-influenced menu served family-style. The food was unlike anything we typically have in New Bern. For me, there were two standout items: the roasted cauliflower and the baklava. Now, cauliflower is not my vegetable of choice - but I had three servings of this dish. It was incredible. The baklava - just, wow! The team at Firefly had to accommodate Tree Nut and Strawberry allergies, and still chose to prepare baklava for our dessert. Instead of traditional baklava, they served a Fig & Honey baklava. This was utter perfection. I truly hope it makes its way back onto their menu in the future. While we did not include a wine package with our seating, Shaun still put together some recommendations to pair with our food that he thought would work well. He gave the wine presentation twice (since we didn't all arrive at the same time), and it was wonderful. As someone who loves food & wine education, this was a great added bonus to our dinner. Smaller group catering and event spaces are hard to come by in New Bern. This was perfection. They'll be at the top of our list for future events.

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.

Ordered the shrimp burger today. Unfortunately there were not enough shrimp to fully cover my…read moresandwich. You could only taste the bread and slaw. I would not order again. My wife had chicken fingers and she loved them. I sill recommend because meals I eaten here before were delicious.

Grabbed a good Rubin and the pub nachos. Two of the special $5 margaritas. Was a good stop. Seemed…read morelike nothing else was open in the entire town besides axe throwing. .... Nice costal town but no one was open for business.

Wonderful outdoor patio dining experience. Waitress was very attentive. Food came out hot and…read moredelicious. I had the meatball appetizer for lunch and it was perfect great ambience outdoors, and a private setting. Great for large group groups.

Everything is delicious. The fried flounder, fried shrimp and fried soft shell crabs are almost as…read moregood as the fresh fried seafood of the coast. The fried chicken is also good. The service is outstanding.

Great plate size. Delicious pulled pork and wet bbq options. Mac n cheese is tender and creamy…read more Great bbq choice for a stay in New Bern!

Easy. The place is easy to get in and out quickly. The food is simple,but good. I've been for…read morebreakfast and lunch service. My favorite are the bagels served up any way you want. The decor is no frills, but very clean. My friends order was slightly wrong,but they fixed it with a smile. Easy, like Sunday morning...which they are open by the way at 7am. Easy for grabbing sandwiches to take out on the boat or head to the beach. I recommend giving it a try.

A no frills but great sub shop / deli. So many sandwich choices and specials. They also have…read morebreakfast sandwiches and quesadillas. After you read the long list of options you order at the counter and they bring it out to you. Super friendly locals run it and it's very clean and spacious inside with seating and outside seating. Drinks and chips and a few sweet treats also available . I had the slim mozzarella sub which was filled with veggies and drizzled Italian dressing in a nice sub hoagie. The salt and vinegar kettle chips were great too. I shared a brownie with my friends and it was delicious. Tasted homemade. My sandwich was nice and fresh and filled me up for my 4 hour drive. My friends had the Big Neuse sub which came on a hoagie too and chock full of meat and veggies. The pizza quesadilla my other friend got looked really good and filling. Full of pepperoni and cheese on a tortilla , she took half home. We had a great early lunch here and it started to get busy as we got done. I'm sure this is a busy place for locals at lunch and breakfast. Great little place for an easy quick meal. Great service too! Not many places in Oriental so I'm glad I found another good one.

The service was very good, they were very courteous to us even though we ordered 20 minutes before…read morethey closed. However, the location in River Dunes is not ideal as some of other patrons are not so kind and were somewhat rude. We got our order to go, but the dining area looked nice and the outdoor seating looked even better. The burger and fries were delicious and a healthy portion size. The chicken tenders were also very good and quite filling.

Not good had the Cuban it was NOT a Cuban. Not sure what it was supposed to be . Also have tried…read morebreakfast food came out ice cold. Do not recommend !!!