went there for my birthday dinner with about six people , the owner ( white haired large man) seemed to be crazy. I think he was confused about who we were and confronted us saying " this is the first time your husband has ever bothered to come in". He seemed very angry and unfriendly and glared at us through most of my birthday meal. We have heard other similar stories about strange behavior there and we never returned. read more

I'd give the food 4 stars because it is indeed pretty tasty (so tasty, that I've always made a point to bring my staff here for lunch when we're in town on business). But yesterday, we experienced some pretty atrocious service. Our server was on her 1st or 2nd day, so we had no problems with the fact that she was a little flustered or overwhelmed at times - we've all been there. I've been a server myself and usually give folks extra leeway in these settings because I know how rough the work can be. The problem was that management left this server completely on her own to handle our large table of 11 and then quickly threw her under the bus when things went awry. Sequence of events: - We sat, ordered drinks and food. It was clear then that the server was pretty unfamiliar with the menu - understandable on a first day, but perhaps management should have provided more training, no? - The kitchen was clearly struggling this day as well, as several items were already unavailable at 12:15-12:30 when we were ordering. Again, understandable with a new menu, but management should have been on high alert and checking in on tables as a result of the menu availability issues. - Our food took about 40 minutes to come to the table. That's pretty unacceptable in and of itself during business hours. Especially when the menu is mostly soups and sandwiches. What was more unacceptable though was that no one in the restaurant - server or manager - came to acknowledge our long wait at any point during this 40 minutes. - Food arrives, several orders are wrong - mostly in the soup category. We're told that things we'd previously ordered were now out too. Soup orders were switched around and it still took 20 minutes to bring out new food. 20 additional minutes for soup and side salad. And still no manager checking on the table during this wait. - Only once the last food finally arrived did the manager come to the table. And what did she say? "Sorry, it was so-and-so's first day, she's supposed to be training with [male server] (who NEVER came to the table), so there were mistakes but hopefully SHE'LL get on board soon." Under the bus. No responsibility on the manager's part whatsoever. All the server's fault. And yes, to the manager's credit, the table was comped the soups that were wrong and given some free desserts. But it took me highlighting the bigger picture things that were wrong for more to happen...more being that we were given some gift certificates to the restaurant, a gesture that was appreciated but not all that helpful since we don't live in Greenville. So I'm left to write this review and to hope that management will learn to take responsibility and ownership of those bigger picture mistakes. I'm a manager myself and know that, ultimately, the mistakes my team makes are on me. They should have supported this server from the start - better training on the front end and supervision/help throughout her first day on the floor. I hope they treat her better going forward and I hope she saw our note left behind that we understood her situation and were not upset with her directly. Regardless, when we return to Greenville for business next spring, I doubt we'll be back. read more

I tasted their food twice at community events and thought it was very good so my husband, son, and I went to the restaurant for my birthday lunch. It was a huge disappointment. We ordered a burger and a sandwich that were both much worse than what we typically make at home, prices were fairly high for lunch, and the service was VERY slow. Also, one of the servers had brought her child to work with her, and the child was constantly running around and interrupting diners. Ironically, when I asked if they had a high chair for my son, they said "no, we don't really expect children to be here" then suggested I bring in his car seat and put that ON THE FLOOR. No, thank you. I will NEVER return. read more

Best restaurant in Greenville without a doubt. They change the menu seasonally and all the ingredients are local sourced or straight from the starlight farm. The owners are fantastic people and they really care about the customer. The bar itself is worth visiting even if you aren't looking to dine. I recommend the steak frites or any of the dinner specials. Jimmy the bartender also is a beverage genius and you can't go wrong with any of their special cocktails. read more

Was excited to try this place but was left quite underwhelmed. Extremely slow and weird service. And food was okay but nothing to rave about. Also, I've got to say, their prices are comical. No entree here is worth over $20 lol trust me. read more

I've only been here once but I really enjoyed myself. The steak was perfectly cooked and the oysters Rockefeller were absolutely delicious. There was also live music. Definitely one of my top picks in Greenville for a nice sit down dinner! read more

Visiting on a quick trip to Greenville from Chattanooga a little while ago, my wife and I just happened to stumble upon this gem while checking out Greenville's uptown scene. We were immediately met with exceptional hospitality, as there was limited seating inside. They set out a table on the cobblestone patio to accommodate us, which was perfect for a warm spring night. The food was excellent. I ordered the pork, which had a smoky char on the exterior, smothered with watermelon radish and some tasty pickled slaw mixture that I would aggressively panic buy in bulk if they sold it at Costco to take with me into coronavirus isolation. My wife got the shrimp and grits which were equally delicious. The grits weren't the soft, mushy grits that you usually get (which admittedly I enjoy too), but some hearty, earthy alpha grits that paired nicely with the succulent shrimp. This is certainly a customer and quality oriented establishment. Needless to say, we enjoyed the experience and will happily go back next time we're in Greenville. read more

NOT tourist-friendly! I came to town from New Jersey for a multi-day music festival being held in nearby bars, and my new friends were all raving about how great the food here was. So I was hyped up to try this seemingly wonderful restaurant, but twice I went in and was not able to get served. First night I went in around 9pm on a Thursday night, with a friend; they said their kitchen had closed half an hour before, but on Fridays it would be open until 10pm. So I tried again the next night, showing up alone at about 7:30. This time, they said that they were too busy to seat me, asking me to try back in about 15 minutes. HOWEVER there were clearly empty tables, with about half the tables free. So, I felt clearly they weren't interested in serving me, and I will not be back. Sorry, Starlight Cafe, but you lost a chance to sell an easy $30 entree to this out-of-towner! read more

Definitely one of the few, privately owned restaurant/bars in the Greenville area. It felt a bit more like I was in...what do you call? A city. An authentic city. The vibe was great. Let me rephrase that - this place had a vibe. And the few late night goers were a bit more mature than what appeared to be college students all around (at Winslow's down the street). The bar was superb. Our bartender, Jimmy, entertained our every question, whim and fancy for flavors we had never tasted, such as (Japenese) Yuzu liquor. Their burger, priced very well and locally farmed beef, was on point. So were the fries. Though I have only been once, in a heartbeat I would recommend Starlight Cafe for anyone looking to have a great night out. read more

They don't offer anything for anyone with dairy allergies and would not accommodate me in any way. We come here a lot for dinner which is usually great but if you have allergies, they don't care. The kitchen said they could makes a side salad. read more

I took my family to eat here last night. While the service was good, the food was so-so and way overpriced. There is no kids menu so you need to make suggestions of what typical kids eat and hope for the best. My child wanted a grilled cheese which arrived burned on both sides. He didn't eat much because he ate around the burned bread. The tea was not freshly brewed and seemed to have lemon infused into it. No mention of this when ordering. While ownership claims that their tea has no lemon in it, we can definitively say that their tea was not freshly brewed AND had a lemony taste. My wife ordered the shrimp and grits. Her meal had a strong lemony taste. The menu states that the meal comes with lemon, NOT doused in lemon. I ordered a steak which was just ok. It came with tomato sauce on top of the steak and some bearnaise. Only the bearnaise was mentioned on the menu, so I don't know why the sauce was slathered across the top of the steak. We can't rave about the food because, while it was "farm fresh", it just wasn't cooked well. For the price you pay, it should have been much better quality. In general, I'd have to say there are some quality control issues that need to be addressed before we'd eat here again. read more

I might have to come back another time to find this place worth five stars, but the one time I did go, it just didn't do it for me. I was sitting next to the window and on the table as well as the window cover I could see visible dirt and dust that I thought was below the standards of the Starlight cafe. The food was okay, in small portions, but okay. I will probably have to update this place to feel that it was worth the money. read more

Had brunch here and wasn't terribly impressed unfortunately. The atmosphere is nice, and the service and food were good, but the prices were way too high. Serving sizes are somewhat small (I was hungry again about an hour after eating) and the options for vegetarians are very limited. Though I will say they were able to modify one dish to make it vegetarian, so that was great! Unfortunately I won't be back until they add more vegetarian options and lower their prices a little (or increase portion size). read more

This Arizona boy had never had Chicken and Waffles before my visit to Starlight Café last month.... Let me tell you, Arizona doesn't compare! I will be back to North Carolina this spring, and I am headed straight to Starlight Café to repeat my exact order! 1) A cup of local BlackBeard coffee 2) Deviled Eggs 3) Chicken and Waffles. Great job! read more

Overpriced. Long wait. Bad wait staff. Very mediocre. Overall blah experience. I've had better at chilis. Seriously.

I had the ham & gruyere. It was pretty good. The fries were a bit soggy and the air was pretty stale in the building. Not bad. Not great. read more

I love Starlight, it's one of the only locally owned restaurants in Greenville (we have way too many chains). They use local meat and produce. Everything I've had there was delicious. It's pricey but definitely worth it. It's nice to not have to go to Raleigh every time we'd like a special dinner. read more

Great atmosphere and an awesome menu. I had the shrimp grits and they were incredible! I was in town on business. I only wish I had something like Starlight in my town! read more

The overall atmosphere of this restaurant is pretty awesome considering it's in Greenville, NC. The beer and wine were good and the waitress was excellent. However, when entering the restaurant we immediately noticed it's awkward standing there waiting for the hostess. Eventually the hostess sat us and all was well. The menu offers many different choices, we went with the Bison and the Steak Frites. The Bison was very tasty, but the steak was over cooked and dry. At the end of the day, pretty good place to stop by for dinner. read more

I am giving this place 3 stars only for the bartender Jimmy. He makes the best cocktails in Greenville and is excellent! The restaurant - I could take it or leave it. The food is hit or miss, used to be better a few years ago. Waitresses all very sweet. Honestly brunch is probably the best meal they serve. Dinner is overpriced for the quality and thoughtfulness. Wine list is mundane. Used to serve Saint Hilaire Cremant which is worth drinking, but of course they took they took that off the menu! But go there for cocktails because Jimmy will not disappoint you. read more

Has potential. One of the nicest decors in Greenville and the menu is interesting. Also has a decent wine list. Rare in the downtown area. We went for brunch and there was a line at the door. Problem was the kitchen couldn't manage the volume. The shrimp and grits could have been fantastic, but the timing of plating and food delivery needs some work. We had a large table and by the time our food arrived, my grits were cold and congealed. I cut them like pie. I couldn't send the food back because we'd already waited over 45 minutes. If I sent it back there were two options. They would have microwaved it and the grits would have been warm but the other items would be overcooked. If they made a new one, it could have taken way too long and the others would have been finished with their meals... and be ready to leave, given the already long wait for our food. There was no alternative except for me to eat it cold and dream of what could have been.... Second the comment about the men's room. I have no problem with the arrangement, but they should close the door to that room. It looks messy and for all I knew, someone could have been in that room working. Just keep the door closed when not in use. A simple fix to this issue. Greenville needs places like Starlight and I'll be back, but not at a peak period. read more

I wish I could separate the rating for the food vs. Service. 5 star food. 3 star service. The waitresses are dressed with the shortest shorts I've ever seen in public. Almost inappropriate. Now, if the name was hooters or bottomless or something similar, I'd expect it. Really wierd for a little afternoon lunch with mom. Food however was awesome. I got the French dip. Bread was homemade and of the hot. Meat was tender and delicious. It was packed with meat. read more

This place has amazing food especially considering the location of Greenville. Definitely a place that caters to more professional types rather than a college bar. Try the shrimp with grits. Didn't know that it would be a winning combination. They make some pretty good and different drink combinations. They always have something new, just ask. This place also offers live music, which is definitely a great option for something to do. read more

Best restaurant I've eaten in Greenville. They deserve every star I have given them. Food is good. Wait staff is friendly. Shrimp and grits are to die for. Portions are slightly small but worth the money. Great for parents weekend at ECU, graduation dinner, or brunch. One of the only farm to table restaurants in the area. (Unless you want to drive to Kinston). read more

A deligtful spot in small North Carolina town. Extremely firendly and competent service. Tasty Belgian fries that were worth the calories. Tasty green salad. Check it out. Recommend. read more

Great quality food and drinks. A touch pricey which is to be expected with higher end food but it doesn't quite reach the quality I would hope for for the price. Hours are pretty bad though. Seems like they're not open very often. But the level of food is hard to find in the area unless you go to Chef and the Farmer in Kinston. read more

Come here for 2 things: cocktails and brunch. They do make pretty dang good cocktails, most are $10 each. The brunch menu is decently priced and great quality. I had shrimp and grit and my friends ordered various items and they all liked it. I also had dinner here one time, slightly overpriced for Greenville and small portions. read more

Phenomenal wine list at very reasonable prices. Excellent food, I recommend the seared duck breast. The service was awesome, I'd highly recommend The Starlight Cafe. read more

It's excellent food - relative to its competition. It's is generally overpriced for dinner. Brunch is rather delicious, despite the expense, and they make strong espresso drinks. Their bartenders have traditionally made excellent and interesting drinks, and it's a comfortable bar to sit at and try new things. read more

Friendly service and great food with local ingredients. I love their beer and wine list and cocktail program too, these folks get it and do an amazing job. read more

Food is always fresh, creative and new. Service is excellent and they have the most talented bartenders in town.

Would definitely return for drinks at the bar as I appreciated their tribute to classic cocktails and attention to detail with garnishes and such. However, dinner was lacking. The food came out all at once and while some dishes were creative like the fried risotto with duck, my entree (beef burgoirnion) was very much like a pot roast you could make at home served with predictable carrots and potatoes. The service was friendly but not as attentive and I expected. Still one of the better restaurants in Greenville. read more

My husband and I love to travel to North Carolina From New Jersey to visit my Sister and her awesome husband as well as the " Star light Cafe". The Starlight was one of the first places we experienced the greatness of foods in NC ........ every visit we don't miss the chance to enjoy a great evening of refreshing meals and southern cooking with a touch of chic(define:smart)....shrimp and grits are a must but keep your ear on the specials....make ya wanna go and find the chef in the mist of his creations and smack'em for making such comestible food.....Be back soon....."OH YEAH MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR KATELYN SHE IS SUCH A DELIGHT!!"......... read more

We so enjoyed the brunch today! Everything from the waitstaff to the food was first class. We were passing through and definitely worth the stop in a convenient location and cool building! read more

Loved this place! Was in town for work and tried this with a coworker after reading good reviews on Yelp. The oysters were amazingly fresh, the shrimp in the Shrimp and Grits were fresh and tasted like they were never frozen, the burger was great, and interesting beer selection! I will be making this my spot for dinner when I am in town for work! It is a bit pricey ($22-27 per entree) so be prepared! read more

The bartender was a true craftsman of a cocktail, food was fresh and perfectly prepared. Most of what they serve comes from their own farm. Awesome atmosphere in a building with a ton of history. This will be a usual spot for me for sure! read more

A little too pricy for me but the best burger in town is here. It's reassuring to know they participate in the farm to table movement and boy you can tell. The quality of the patty was remarkable. Cooked just how I like it. The accompanying tomato was juicy. But the bell of the ball was the homemade aioli. Dear lord that was delicious. I ended up getting 2 extra sides of it to dunk my fries and smear all over the top of the bun! Ya the burger is out of this world. The drinks are fantastic and good selection of beer! Great place for a quiet date. And if you sit in the back facing Evans St., the decor is crazy! A staple of Greenville! read more

Vegan eaters beware. The drinks here are always amazing. For the most part, the servers are great, too. There is some lack, though, between the communication of management, the kitchen, the servers, and the hosts. It's a vegan's nightmare at Starlight, to be honest, at a place that focuses so much on their food coming from their local farms. Local farms should mean dishes easily prepared with produce, and capitalizing upon the bounty of that local produce. The other night, my husband (who is vegan, i am not) messaged Starlight on Instagram asking if their daily vegetarian special could be made vegan. They said it absolutely could and that for any night we come to ask for the vegetarian special to be made vegan and that my server could "easily hook me up." Tonight, he called Starlight and the host quickly asked the chef if the entree could be made vegan and he quickly responded with an assured "yes." When we actually got to Starlight, however, our server, although very nice and accommodating, seemed unsure if the entree could be made vegan, but ensured that she would check with the chef. Our server was very friendly and also took the $5 Belgian frites off the total because they took forever to be delivered to the table. Oh, yeah, i also had to wait like 15 minutes for silverware for my cheese plate upon my numerous attempts to flag another server down who wasn't our own (because she seemed so swamped with other places of the restaurant). Finally, the entrees were delivered to us. He was served a bowl that had half of it as marinara, a quarter of it as roasted carrots, and the remaining quarter as one measly fried turnip cake. In other words, a pile of sauce, a heaping of carrots, and a fried triangle of turnips. All for $19. Highly disappointed in the product that was served from the kitchen after the answer of his original inquiry that seemed to be most accommodating. As the family of a vegan living in Greenville, we want to support local business that could create seemingly vegan entrees quite easily, but in the end, serve something that is overpriced, not filling, and doesn't nearly capitalize upon all the local ingredients such a restaurant could be creating. read more

The atmosphere is excellent and the food is good, but a bit overpriced. The real treasure at Starlight is the bar. This place mixes the best drinks in town, if no Eastern North Carolina. read more

Preface, rarely do I post reviews, but in this case I felt it necessary: was seated and forgot about. Watched staff linger about, busy with everything but customer service. After deciding to leave I tried to get change to pay for our drinks I finally found someone capable of making change for me after going through 3 employees. I then asked to speak to the manager, not to complain, but to offer some advice to help the place, but just like our waiter he was nowhere to be found. Hate to post poor reviews. Hope this is read by owners and fixed. read more