Delicious food. Enjoyed the Tuna. Small restaurant located in a StripMall on Emerald Isle, NC. Expensive but quality food. Very Loud. Crowded tables. Feels like too many tables for such a small place. Found the noise level to be uncomfortable. Need to dampen the sound in this little restaurant. Will try again with hopes of a better experience. read more

This is a restaurant that we have visited regularly since buying a home in the area 6 years ago. Not in all that time has Kathryn's taken reservations. We've been for New Year's Eve, valentines, etc as well as often on weekends. So we stopped by to make sure they'd be open and also checked the website. No mention of any changes. Went early to miss the crowds on New Year's Eve and were informed that on this date they had taken reservations and were full. Went to Caribsea instead. Always a hard choice, but Kathryn's made it easier for us. Caribsea was full (they do take reservations), but volunteered that as it was early the bar area was pretty open. That slight courtesy is the difference in making a better choice. read more

After years of great food and service, it seems like Kathryn's has lost it. My family has had great experiences here before, but our most recent excursion (last night) was truly dismal. Though our waitress was nice, the hostesses were rude and seemed to be making fun of the guests standing right in front of them. As for the food, it was truly the worst meal I've had in a while. The bread, to start, tasted like they had forgotten the salt. Two in our party got the $36 filet mignon special, both of which were tasteless. One filet, ordered rare, came to us well-done. When sent back, there was no apology or reduction in price, despite the fact that it took another 20 minutes for the new dish to come out. Two dishes at the table next to us were sent back, also. I had the vegetable napoleon, which was completely tasteless. The vegetables lacked seasoning, making them bitter and unsatisfactory. The pomegranate martini, too, was sub-par. I'm so disappointed in the restaurant that Kathryn's has become. Though the atmosphere is great, the food is truly awful. I hate to see what used to be a family favorite become a restaurant that we won't return to. read more

We picked this restaurant for our "fancy"night out and were disappointed. We picked two of the Specials- it wasn't until we got the bill that I realized that they didn't tell us the prices of the specials. My mother ordered the soft shell crab special--it was greasy- all You tasted was grease and breading. This "special" turned out to cost 36$, not a big deal if it was perfect, but sadly far from it. My steak special was much better, but still overpriced at 29$ for a 6 oz filet with 4 shrimp. Would not return. read more

UGH. I went once and once was more than enough. It is located in a strip mall (to be fair, most of EI is a strip mall of varying sizes) and parking is tight. For the price, I expect more ambiance (not the same 'terrazzo' flooring my vet has), less echo and more space between tables. The majority of the entrees come covered in a sauce ..which, in my opinion, is to mask the poor quality of the main ingredient, not to enhance the flavor of the dish. If you start at the bar, and knock back a few martinis, the taste of your meal should improve. Just drive to Morehead or Beaufort, at least then you will have a view of the ocean. read more

It's been a while since my last visit here. Unfortunately it will be a lot longer, before I return! Our waiter was welcoming and knowledgeable. So this isn't about him. It was the food, my dish the Chicken with sherry cream sauce. The chicken skin was burned which of course made the chicken taste bad. Our server explained that it was due to the sugar caramelizing,the skin was left on it. Ewwww-Uh.... I don't think so. It was burned! The portion was on the smaller side, and I barely could taste any sherry. I gave the chicken to my husband. The server did offer to replace it with another, I declined. On a positive note my husband enjoyed his Sun Dried pasta. The bread and olive/balsamic was a nice touch. Kathryn you have some steep competition now, with the big guy down the street, you need to up your game. Revise that old tired menu and add some innovative new ideas! It was dead in there when we arrived,up the street at the new high rise couldn't get in. That alone should tell you that a new game plan is desperately needed. Good luck! read more

We were a little bit uncertain about this place after reading the Yelp Reviews....However, we needn't have been! There were 7 of us, yet we were seated immediately. Three of our party had 6 Martinis. One had a Virgin Margarita. Appetizers included decadent oysters, crab/spinach dip, fried goat cheese and corn/crab bisque. We had the 6 oz filet special, Carolina Special, Shrimp/scallops Coquina, the chicken and the sliced steak. All were delicious!! Had to take small portions home because we were all stuffed!! Jacob, our server, was knowledgeable, informative and very attentive. I do recommend arriving early since the place is very small. read more

Ate here last night with our party of 6. We all loved our food. Short ribs were amazing, shrimp and filet special was cook just right only issue we encounter was one of our filets were way over cook. Waitress took it back and a new one was prepared and brought out by either the owner or kitchen manager who seemed to question how we ordered the filet. All in all on the expensive side but yummy. read more

Kathryn's is now my Number One favorite place on Emerald Isle. I've been coming to Emerald Isle on and off for past twenty years and the food is by far the best. This was my first visit to Kathryn's as I really didn't think too much of it before because of its unassuming façade but don't let that fool you! It's amazing! read more

Just finished my meal here and I wanted to write this review before I lost the taste of the food. I ordered a peach martini and a dirty martini. Both are amazing and poured to benefit the consumer. Didn't order an appetizer as I have found out I never eat all of my main course. Did get a house salad and their peppercorn dressing is amazing. Get it. Don't ask just get it. For my entre I ordered the scallops. Dude.....it was like licking Jesus. The hands down best scallops I've ever had. Walked in at exactly 5PM and was done and paid for at 5:44. 11/10 would recommend. read more

We were told by a local to go to Kathryn's and that the crab cakes were the best on the island. The place was really good, the ambiance kind of cracks me up, I don't understand why everything in this town is in a strip mall??? Zoning laws? It could use some serious help as far as the atmosphere, at least in my opinion since I'm not a big strip mall diner, but they did their best to make it work for them. It was really busy, we waited about 45min and our food was great, I had the crab cakes (as we were told to) and my husband had the grouper which he enjoyed. The service was great. read more

If I could do zero stars that would be too generous. We came in for drinks appetizers and dessert and were relegated to the bar area . We wanted the option to order dinner so we asked to sit at a table . Our waiter took 10 mins to ask for our drink order then was rude when we only ordered overpriced martinis and appetizers to start When we asked to see the dessert menu the waiters sour expression was all we needed to take our business elsewhere. This place pretends to be a fancy restaurant read more

This has been our favorite fine dining restaurant when vacationing in Emerald Isle NC. We made our first visit in the fall this year, and Kathryn's did not let us down. We had the chef's special of the night, a beef filet topped with goat cheese and red wine sauce with grilled shrimp The shrimp were wonderful and the filet was tender and cooked to perfection. As others have mentioned, the $$$$ means exactly what you can expect. read more

My husband and I visited Kathryn's tonight with friends and family after driving there from atlantic beach. Let me first start by saying it was definitely not worth the drive!!! We had a party of 7 and were seated immediately on a Saturday night at 6:30 and I now see why. My mom and her friend both ordered the Ahi Tuna and they were both overcooked. When my mom expressed her concern about the preparation of hers, the waiter asked if she wanted to trade with her friends plate. The audacity!!!!! My husband ordered the soft shell special and the crab was so overcooked that it was comparable to that of shoe leather. After finishing and him clearly leaving most of the soft shell on the plate, I decided to say something to our waiter when asked how our meals were, especially considering this was a $30 dish that was most undesirable. After expressing my concern in a very polite manner, I received no apology or anything. When asked how we wanted our bills split, we told him to divide the check 4 ways. He explained that with more than 2 checks, our gratuity would be included. Ok fine, no problem! Come to find out, he didn't take a $1 off ANY of the 3 meals that were terribly overcooked but more importantly, not a single apology. Yet with the gratuity automatically added, he didn't get 18% but a 20% tip!!!! Needless to say, this was our first and last visit to Kathryn's and I wish I had read reviews before picking this as our "Saturday Night fine dining" experience. read more

The food is excellent. Our party had the grouper special, filet mignon special, the lobster tail and Caesar salad. We all enjoyed our dishes. The drink menu is extensive, although I did not drink so I cannot comment on them. We arrived at about 5:30 or 6:00 on a Tuesday in October and were seated immediately, with one other table occupied. By the time we left at 7:00ish, the restaurant was full. Do come early. Good fine dining at the beach hard to find, and everyone knows it. read more

A destination restaurant for us when beaching in the area. Dinner at the bar is a special occasion for us. Watching fantastic martinis being created and enjoying conversations with other bar eaters. We've only been here on a Fri or Sat. Perhaps the disappointed diners went during the week or off season times. Never been disappointed with freshness of the seafood or the preparation. Love the soft shells with chili accent and the grouper with crabmeat is delicious. Presentation is important to the chef, looks as good as it tastes!! Wine list delivers a variety and well priced. As the expression goes, you get what you pay for. Again, never disappoints us. read more

This is not the place to go for that nice quiet special dinner. The obnoxious laughter, and noise from the bar overcame the $150.00 meal. The service and food was very good not great. Might try it again and hope for better results. read more

I had the Romain salad with grilled salmon and the fire cracker shrimp. The fire cracker shrimp was deceiving- it's not spicy at all. It was super rich just like several of the menu items and the specials sounded. The salad was little more than a play on a wedge. The real surprise was cost of the grilled salmon: $18.00. But-- it was cooked perfectly. The salmon and the dirty martini were the highlight of my dining experience. I wanted something light and the options were few considering its summer in a beach community. The wait staff were professional but somewhat lukewarm. I will come back but only for a martini unless the menu changes. read more

We first visited Kathyrn's on our Labor day vacation and again one month later. The penne alfredo with chicken, firecraker shrimp, caesar salad, grouper and seared tuna were excellent. Since the dishes were spread out over two trips, the consistency of the food is perfect. I could see this being a busy spot during the summer and the large selection of martinis will help if there is a wait. The wait staff are pro's and are helpful if you have questions on the menu. Will be back the next time we are in Emerald Isle. read more

Headed to another place to eat which ended up being closed so stopped here instead. Wonderful tasty food presented well, (had crabcakes and Carolina special) friendly and attentive staff, nice atmosphere. Highly recommended. read more

The ribeye was really juicy! I had double veggies and a long island. The key lime pie was alright, nothing special. The food was pricy for no table cloth dinning. I would only come for the steak, nothing else. But, 36 bucks for a piece of meat... Would prevent me from coming back read more

I thought the food was ok, but for the price, it should have been "holy smokes! This is great!" So based on that, I have to say that I'd skip this place on my next visit. read more

Can't understand the recent negative reviews. My wife and I and her sister and husband from Minnesota just got back from Kathryn's. We found the food and service were excellent. Had the oyster's decadence for appetizer and the grouper and crabmeat, Carolina Classic, and seafood Cochina. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

My husband and I dined here for the first time this Thursday. We were really impressed with the quality of the menu; it's not the usual options found in the many other restaurants in the area. The drinks were delicious, the service was pleasant and the food was fabulous. Kathryn's is a perfect "special night" restaurant. Yes, it's an expensive place. This may be one reason you won't find many toddlers or rowdy diners. It remains a dignified, classy place to have an upscale dining experience. read more

Had the filet mignon with a crab meat bearnaise sauce. I will dream of that steak for years to come. Literally cut the meat with a fork, and it just melted in my mouth. read more

Best Shrimp and Grits in the county! Presentation is always beautiful, and the Mojito's are divine!

Went there for my birthday last night! Tuesday night--hour wait, if that says anything. Bar busy but easily able to get drinks for a party of 4 while we waited. Great martini selections! We were sat in about 35 minutes and our waitress was super sweet and friendly. Asked a question about a bottle of wine and she didn't know the answer. She did go and find out the answer and the recommendation was great--exactly what I wanted! I had a filet special with blackened shrimp, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Steak was cooked properly (rare), tender as hell and everything on my plate was yummy. Bf got lobster, also delish. Shared a Cesar salad to start--the dressing was perfect! Highlight of the meal and a must try-the lamb appetizer! Only complaint is that I wish the waitress told us there were only two chops in the dish, when there were 4 of us at the table! I come down here for two weeks every summer and this place has Definetly made my list for places to stop at for dinner every time we are down! read more

I've eaten here many times as we live quite close to the Bistro. It is always VERY crowded during the tourist season, so you would not want to go during peak times. Our meal has always been great read more

My friends and I stopped in to have a few drinks at the bar. After having a drink and ordering our second round, we were told that unless we were planning on eating, we had to leave. Absolutely outrageous....isn't the word "bar" in the name of the place? It's not like we were being unruly or bothersome, simply not planning on eating dinner. The staff was incredibly rude. Never again! read more

Getting away for a sisters' weekend and wanted a nice dinner out that didn't break the bank, we found that at Kathryn's. Started our dinner with delicious polenta encrusted fried goat cheese which was served beautifully and a delightful way to start our meal. The combination of the warm goat cheese, candies figs, and walnuts on Cristina was a wonderful flavor combination. Kathy had the Carolina Classic shrimp and grits and I had the filet mignon, we were both thrilled with our entrees. The delicious whole grain homemade bread with olive oil was a very nice addition and with such great dishes we just couldn't pass on dessert and we were so glad we didn't. Chocolate lava cake was the perfect ending. Excellent service, cozy atmosphere and a half price bottle of wine, we will definitely be back and sending others to visit. read more

Kathryn's - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

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Nice place to eat. Very pricey though. Average per plate dinner cost was at least $26-$27 and I'm not convinced the meal I got was worth that. Although more upscale and pricey, no bread or anything was served prior to the meal. My friend got a beef dish that was good but was basically beef in gravy. Both of us experienced some type of sweet element on both of our plates which was less than pleasing. I may go back because of the environment but will be more prepared to spend over $60 on a coke, dinner for one, and a small dessert. read more

It's an annual tradition to go to Kathryn's for martinis during the summer. My mom loves to sit at the bar and we are always treated so well by Sherad, the long-time bartender. I'd normally give the place 5 stars but on our recent visit, I was disgusted by the lack of customer service by the owner. When my sister (from NYC) attempted to suggest some menu additions, he was dismissive and rude. Apparently adding a burger is too low brow, but drenching a steak in steak sauce is super classy. [insert eye roll] Even if he dismisses the suggestion, he could have the common courtesy to greet a guest and thank them for patronizing his business. As my mom says, that place would be up sh*%t's creek without Sherad. read more

The martini selection is large and they are great, I had a grasshopper and lemon drop. The chocolate in the grasshopper really makes it taste awesome. I had the firecracker shrimp appetizer and the Seared Ahi Tuna for the entree. This was the best food I have had here all week. The food is a bit pricy but it is worth every bit. I would recommend trying this place out. read more

Kathryn's - Seared Ahi Tuna with mashed potatoes and spinach. - American Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Great food, great service. The food is awesome. Best place on EI. We make it a point to go every time we are on the Isle.

This might have been our favorite meal during our month long stay. My husband had the daily special and said it was the best fish he ever had and I had the Salmon which was also exceptional. The wedge salad was huge and tasted great. Our waiter Robert was an amazing server as he anticipated our every need without being invasive or hovering. He provided quiet impeccable service. Thanks for such a wonderful pleasant night and amazing meal! read more

Place is on the small side, so no reason for them to take reservations. Always going to be a wait in busy times, except early; slow turnover. Service was good, and I had no problem with the hostesses. Dishes sounded good, executed poorly. Shrimp and grit cake appetizer was unpalatable as sauce was made with unmentioned Guinness beer; bitter. Calamari, though browned, was undercooked,(probably old oil.) Wedge of lettuce salad may be passé, so Kathryn has a do-it-yourself specialty salad with cut-it-yourself stalk of romaine, :( . Crab and corn chowder was thick, but tasteless, except barely of corn. These items reasonably priced , just not done well. Other menu items, I thought, priced only a bit high. $11 martini. $36 8oz filet, $30+ specials. Won't be back. Not worth the drive from AB. read more

Great food and choices. The atmosphere was too loud for me. The amount of martini choices is amazing, they are well made. Forewarning, they are very strong! I got the special Parmesan crusted grouper but it was very overpriced at $35. Bring a lot of money for this place! read more

We have been coming here for many years now & we yet to be disappointed. We have had the same waiter almost every time. He remembers just how my wife likes her drink, especially since they are so many to decide on & all are great. My soft shell crab was cooked to perfection and my wife's steak was just like she likes it. Our service was impeccable. Going back again! read more

"It tasted like the cuts of steak were sliced off the world's happiest cow that didn't really mind the fact and that it was just happy to share its buttery melt-in-your-mouth juicy goodness with you. Then the cow waves goodbye as he skips away to go change other people's lives.......... I'll miss that cow...." Now I will say if you come here you better be ready to spend some cash but man is it worth it... Waited a good while to get in but it was to be expected as we had a larger party and it was the busy hours of the night. Started off with martinis all around and they have so many different kinds it's absolutely incredible, I think they even had a s'mores one like how do you even do that haha. Started off with some appetizers a few orders of escargot and such, all of which was delicious. Then we ordered our entrees and I as well as my brother and sister ordered their filet mignon special they were running that night. It was $32 which is a good bit of loot but hey, you're on vacation live a little. When our steaks came out they looked amazing as well as everyone else's food, my wife's pork special did as well. Steaks were all cooked perfectly (all were medium rare) and when I took the first bite I had to take a moment to wipe a tear from my eye that steak was so good... I mean it was divine. Without a doubt the best filet I've ever had, I can't order filet mignon anywhere else because it just won't be the same. My brother and sister were also absolutely blown away and couldn't agree more that it was one of the best steaks they've ever tasted. Of course we had to share with the rest of the group and everyone was just so taken away... It tasted like the cuts of steak were sliced off the world's happiest cow that didn't really mind the fact and that it was just happy to share its buttery melt-in-your-mouth juicy goodness with you. Then the cow waves goodbye as he skips away to go change other people's lives.......... I'll miss that cow.... Bottom line it was pretty damn good. read more

Not what it use to be, my steak was not blackened as requested and it was medium instead of med rare. Which all of that would have been fine if it had any flavor...it was bland tasted like it was boiled meat. Two other guest with me had grouper it was also flavorless. For the high prices and stuck up atmosphere, I expect at least good food. read more