The food here is great. I have never had a negative experience at Rucker Johns in my life going there. All of their food is very good; I tend to frequently get their chicken strip meals. Their prime rib steak dib isn't exactly what I call quality but the vast majority of their diverse selection of food entrees is acceptable. I would say the good food heavily outweighs the bad food at this establishment. The service isn't something I am including in this review because I tend to get my meals to-go from that place. It is a bit of a walk to get to the restaurant from the parking lot as it is tucked away in the back. The bar has plenty to drink once you get there. read more

Food wasn't amazing but wasn't bad either. I don't think it was worth all the hype it gets. read more

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This rating is not based on the quality of the food we ordered. We arrived early and asked for a table of 5, we were placed at a table for 4 with a chair added to the end of the table. There were available tables for 5 that were empty, the bar had open tables as well. Knees knocking the legs of the table and the legs of those seated at my end of the table. As soon as we were seated, I let the waitstaff know that a fine dining establishment such as Rucker John's would not seat someone in the isle. So instead of spending $180 for a family of 5, I kept quiet as not to destroy the experience for my family. At the end of the meal, the manager Mark stopped by and asked if everything was great. No sir, the seating arrangements cost the restaurant at least a hundred bucks. I had a $6.95 salad and everyone else ordered entrees as usual. The food was as it always has been with but few exceptions. We have enjoyed the place for at least 15 years. Of course, they comped an entree and a appetizer. Like I give a shit. We had looked forward to this meal all week as it was a Friday and our stay coming to an end. We thought, what better than to finish a week's vacation at Rucker John's. Everyone gave a thumbs up to the quality and flavor of their food. They said it was great and in my opinion it has always been such. The issue was that I felt like I was seated at a trough expected to lean over my food as swine would do. For $200 I do expect to be seated at a table large enough to accommodate the number of patrons in the group. This was not the case and by the time we got around to it, the place had filled up. Lesson learned: Ask for a table for 6, if you want to have enough room for a group of 5. Booh! read more

I will say the service was great! The croissant rolls were tasty, and the chicken tenders were excellent. However, the ribeye was not that great. It was cooked how I ordered, but there wasn't much flavor. Overall, it was a good experience. read more

I have been to the place before. A frequent visitor to the Emerald Isle. Love everything here. Loved this restaurant- ate many a times. Today I felt discriminated and humiliated to the point of no return. First of all, a service animal. I have one. A small dog. I know a business can ask why I have it. I am telling you now as I told in the restaurant - I live with cancer. A chronic debilitating condition with a diminished life span. I never drank or smoke or did drugs. I exercised, ate right, yet I got cancer. Do you know how it feels to get chemo in your veins? When every cell in your body hurts for months? When you are bald and sick on days on end? Yes. I chose a small animal because I want to enjoy my life (whatever is left of it) going places. When I have a depression or existential scare of dying alone - the dog is by my side. He is registered and accredited- with a proper vest and a registered ID. I showed both today. He was calm lying next to me. Tired of working. Yet still working. Overtime. I am from Belarus. My country is in the war. I came to relax and pray for peace in the world. We had a great day. All the time there I wished for people to stop fighting. To stop the war. My dog lying next to me was working because the country I am from is engaged into a deathly conflict. Do you know or can you imagine waking up nauseous every day from the news? Afraid to switch on TV? Afraid not to get an answer dialing a phone number? "Our manager wants your animal on the floor." Do you want me eat on the floor? That's so disgustingly humiliating. I am a COVID icu nurse. Two years of COVID and people dying on my hands almost every shift - not to mention PTSD from that. Do you know how the plastic body bag smell? Do you know how people scream in the phone when you call them their dad, mother, brother, sister, daughter died?!!!! I was a hero. I risked my life taking care of those patients never missing a shift. Now - eat on the floor. You can't serve me a meal. I can't eat in peace at your place. What kind of people are you?!!!! Judging. Disgusting. Humiliating. Discriminating. Horrible service in the whole world. Shame. I am mortified. Because you want humanity out of me but you can't be just human or humane to me. People, don't eat there. Unless you want to be judged. Or discriminated. Take your pick. The attitude isn't going be great. P.S. Special thanks to the waitress delivering the news - she apologized profusely. But it doesn't make things better. Little girls wishing me to have a good day when I left... I hope you will never go or have the life I have got. But I will never ever be back to that restaurant again... read more

love this place, but the service from this one lady was terrible. kept cutting us off and didn't even take one of our orders.

We were very impressed with Rucker John's that our family ate there three times in one week. You need to get there early because they get busy but the experience and the staff was wonderful. All of it was great. We sprang for the crab dip appetizer which was phenomenal. Try it out if you are in the area. It's a little pricey but a great restaurant to treat yourself with. read more

An upscale casual establishment on Emerald Island, good food (with a local flare), libation (on tap is a great IPA), and staff, all at a decent price. If ever back on Emerald Isle, I will return. The set up of the bar area where we were seated, was set up to be a great location during Happy Hours. We drove six straight hours from Northern Virginia to attend a wedding on Emerald Island. After checking in, we were famished so asked the front desk personnel about local restaurants - they recommended Rucker John's, just a few miles down the road; it hit the spot. Discussing with our server, she recommended her favorite, seafood Cajun shrimp wrap (with a little zing) and my friend ordered frits and shrimp. Both were excellent choices - lots of shrimp and flavor. I also ordered the IPA which was very hoppy and tasty. Located in a shopping center, you have to look for Rucker Johns - it is not easily seen from the parking lot, but worth the effort to find. It seems that there is an ordinance on the island that there can not be a national chain establishment - good and bad, the local fare is decent, but I do miss my coffee establishments! read more

I am a local and have been coming here for years, it's one of our favorite restaurants but the service we received last night was just not great at all. Our waitress, Stacy never asked our party how we were doing once. She only offered a refill once as we were getting the checks. I understand everybody is extremely short staffed and it was packed last night but a smile goes a long way. It was also my daughter birthday and we asked for that to be recognized and all we got was "The brownie was really hot so it melted the ice cream but here you go." No apologize or a happy birthday or anything. Also not sure if they are still doing the mints but we didn't receive any... Just a little disappointed in the service we received. The food was amazing but the service just made it an unpleasant experience. read more

The service was fantastic and the food was even better. The kicked up shrimp nachos were extremely delicious, a perfect appetizer for the table to share. The chicken tenders and the ribs were amazing, and the fries accompanied them perfectly. Highly recommend this restaurant if you're in the Emerald Isle area read more

This place was pretty good! The wait was longer than the hostess said so that was probably the only negative thing. We ended up sitting at the bar so we didn't have to wait any longer. The food came quickly and it was pretty good. They don't take reservations. read more

Good takeout food. Ordered burgers, wrap and a salad. All were tasty and takeout was packaged well. Restaurant was very well organized and clean. read more

Hands down best restaurant in Emerald Isle, bar none. When you first walk up, you pass by a trickling water fountain and are greeted by turtles living in the pond below. Unless it's Friday or Saturday night, there's usually no wait and they seat you right away! If you do visit over the weekend, it doesn't ever seem like a long wait, especially since you can feed the turtles little pellets and see the famous 40 pound alligator snapper. The atmosphere of RuckerJohn's is spectacular. The remodel really captures what a true beach family restaurant should: creative costal decor, open layout, upbeat vibe, perfect lighting, modern finishes, large delicious menu, and easy going music. This place truly is a unique dining experience that makes you want to share it with others. The menu definitely has something for everyone ranging from their unforgettable kicked up shrimp to colorful salads to juicy burgers to fresh seafood dishes. The friendly staff is amazing at customizing your order as well! All in all, love this restaurant and would strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't already tried it! One can't say they've experienced Emerald Isle until they eat at RuckerJohn's! read more

We visited RuckerJohn's on our first night on Emerald Isle based on the suggestion from our hotel's service representative. Please keep in mind it was a Saturday night during pandemic recovery. We waited for 5 minutes in line to check in with the hostess who informed us we would need to wait 45 minutes for a table for two. We asked if we could wait at the bar. Ruckerjohn's would benefit by offering customers bar seating while customers wait. The bartenders were hospitable. We eyed the appealing buttered croissants being served with meals to nearby patrons as we sampled impressive local beers. Once seated, our entrees were promptly delivered. The bang bang shrimp wraps blew us away with spectacular flavor! As one diner recommended, "go for the honey mustard dressing on your salad; you won't be disappointed!" read more

Rucker Johns is a great go to spot for eating out with family. We have gone three times- every time, the service has been great and if you need anything or if there is a problem with your order, they are ready to help. Seafood is delicious and fresh. Their shrimps are delicious and the sea bass (which was their specialty on one night) cut like butter and was amazingly flavorful. Definitely try their chicken tenders, they are like NO other!! We call them the Rucker Tenders... so good. We have gone when it was a friend's birthday and they were so sweet about it, and she received a huge ice cream sundae and brownies that we all got to share because it was a humungous portion. They are kid-friendly and have a good kids menu. There is also great outdoor seating where you can see the adorable turtles in the reservoir down below (look for the huge ones- they're giant! Its also in a convenient location tucked deep in the mall, with nearby souvenir shops, Publix, and Food Lion. Overall, great family friendly spot, good service, and fresh food you can rely on being consistently good. read more

Food was delicious! We ordered fried mushrooms and calamari. My son ordered chicken strips and fries. My friend ordered a pasta dish and I ordered shrimp and grits. Our entrees came with side salads. The dressings are made in house. We all had enough to take home for leftovers the next day. Waitstaff were friendly and attentive! I would highly recommend this restaurant! read more

The food was really nothing special. We used take out and the fries were cold and limp. The burger was very overdone. I understand that take out is hit or miss but I found my entire meal pretty inedible. It's not my first bad meal but I thought after being closed I'd have gotten better. As I side note I give them a B+ on covid safety. Only thing I witnessed is the salt and pepper shakers were not wiped down when clearing the tables. read more

Terrible service, staff had an attitude, food was decent but over priced. Won't be back.

We are year round residents. My wife went in today at noon. The place was empty minus 2 tables with guests. Nobody on the patio. I was behind my wife by 5 minutes. She asked for a table for two and relayed that I was 5 to 10 minutes behind. The snippy hostess/manager says "When he gets here, I will seat you.". My wife explains that I was on a tight timeline and she wanted to order for us. Snippy says "Its my policy to not seat you until everyone is here.". Great. Tell the owner of your nonsensical policy. I can see that policy being required if you were busy or it was a large party. But for an empty place for a 2 top at lunch? Ridiculous. I will NEVER spend another dollar in your establishment unless you fire the jack wagon that you put in charge of seating and extend me and my wife a personal apology via a reply here. If not, all my business goes to the Fish Hut and Shark's Den. We have choices and your rude and lacking in common sense hostess just flamed your already marginal reputation. read more

The croissants are amazing and the bacon salad dressing is so good! A favorite place to eat when visiting EI.

One of my favorite restaurants in Emerald isle. Rest atmosphere and the food is solid. Would recommend for sure.

So upset with this place..and I think I was more upset because it looked so good!! I went there ordered sweet tea and the waitress had given me unsweetened. For my meal I ordered the chicken strip, that were rubber. I took one bite and didn't eat it again.. I asked for French fries and was given slices whole slices of potatoes.. the waitress didn't care at all when I told her it was wrong..I do not recommend. read more

I heard such great things about this restaurant and was so disappointed! I ordered a salmon sandwich because I love salmon! My mom ended up getting the same thing. When our Sandwiches came my piece of salmon was incredibly small, thin, cold and filled about a third of my sandwich. My mom's actually filled her sandwich and was much thicker. I thought maybe it was just a mistake, so we asked our waitress for a new piece because the sandwich was $13. A manager came to our table saw how small it was compared to my moms and said the kitchen weighs them the same, told us we are mistaken and the salmon looks heavier than it seems, and if we want another we would have to pay $5 on top of what we already paid. We decided to just deal with it, and our waitress was super nice and said she expected them to just give us a new one. Literally one of the nicest waitresses, she definitely didn't reflect the management at this restaurant. Overall I'm really disappointed in the customer service at this restaurant, I usually never complain about my food but when I left this restaurant I was still hungry :( read more

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Best place I eat. Food is consistently delicious, hot and lots of it!! We go here 2-3 days a month. Love it. Love it. Love it. The chicken tenders are so tender and delicious. read more

Very disappointing, bar service was horrible as was the pork chops. Will not be back.

We do our beach stays with our puppy and are always on the lookout for places to eat and drink where he is accommodated The shaded terrace is perfectly fine and the food is good and the pup gets to hang with us :) read more

I went here for dinner for the first time and I was very pleased! It's super pretty in there and the waitress was super nice and sweet! I just got a basic chicken tenders and fries kids meal since I can't eat so much and the fries (or fried taters as I cal them since they were like flat chips) were AMAZING!!! The chicken was ok, it was like the regular crispers at Chilis that have the softer batter, while I'm more of a fan of the crispier batter, but the meat was good. And the croissants here are SO GOOD!!! I recommend coming here and if you do make sure to get some buttered croissants!! read more

Rucker john does it right. Safe and clean dining. Service was excellent and food as always was great. Not naming names but other restaurants in EI should follow suit. Those that do not vote with your dollars. Thanks Rucker Johns!! read more

we came in a party of 10 and got split into 2 tables it was fine at first, everyone ordered and one tables food came out, the others were nowhere to be found after asking about it our waitress had no clue since it wasnt in her section, understandable at that other table that didn't get their food there were 3 small children eventually their food came, not all of it only 2 things and it was in takeout boxes after talking to the manager they finally got the rest of their food, also we ordered nachos without scallions and made it clear since there was a severe allergy at the table yet when it came out there were scallions on it, the food was great but our experience was b*llshit read more

Food was great and wait time was minimal for mid July and we had a party of 9. All staff was wearing face mask and they were not sitting tables side by side. read more

Delicious food each time we visit. We have gotten to go during covid which was a great process. Didn't even have to go inside to get the food. Also ate inside this past visit. Food and service was top notch. read more

Worst place have I ever been to in my life. Service was horrific. Food was terrible. And not to mention food poisoning. Half of our group got food poisoning besides countless others I've seen already report it. Called them and manager was an absolute prick about it. Worst experience I've ever had with a restaurant if you can even call it that. TLDR: Only eat here if you want food poisoning and terrible service. read more

Stop by and grab some of their honey butter croissants! They are fantastic!!! Even better with their cinnamon apples!

Great food and service at reasonable prices. Get the BLT! Vinegar based slaw, my husband had sweet potato fries with his. read more

Brought the family after a long day at the beech. Very good food all around. Fried shrimp were some of the best I have had. Tuna was cooked perfect. Overall a great dining experience. read more

It's a great place to eat the only problem is it gets extremely packed so the wait it usually a minimum 30 min wait to 2 hours maximum

this place is riding on its past reputation - the menu was sparse, the sea food choices very limited, the food was poorly prepared and badly presented. Calamari was rubbery and breading uncrisp, the Mahi was well overcooked and dry. The shrimp was OK. The choices were so limited that the others in the party had chicken tenders, pizza, and a salad. The price for the quality was uncalled for. From the bar, the Margarita was out of a prepared bottle and not at all good. The server was friendly - and that is it. Avoid disappointment and avoid this place. read more

Best place to eat while visiting, Emerald Isle! Delicious food, offering a variety of options. Service was prompt and prices reasonable!

Try the shrimp and grits. Yum. Service is great. And yes they have alcohol. The appetizers are meal sized. read more

Great service. The food was excellent. Between six family members we all had something very different and everyone enjoyed their meal. The filet steak was amazing! Will definitely return the next time we're in town. Highly recommended. read more