Wow! Crab balls, crab legs and peel n eat shrimp oh my! Well seasoned, cooked just right and excellent service! So glad we tried this one! We will be back! read more

Looking for breakfast after checking out of our rental and stopped by with a car full and a dog. This was perfect with their outdoor dining and the food was delicious. The dog was able to stay with us on the back patio. Will return to try dinner read more

Biscuits from heaven, very nice breakfast brunch and lunch place to go. Another big advantage of the trading post is they serve breakfast till 2 PM on the weekends, where most places in Emerald Isle only serve until 11AM. The biscuits are some of the best I have had, obviously scratch homemade and fantastic. We had the Eggs Benedict which is wonderful, the bacon made the plate, very thick Canadian style is a lot of hearty bacon taste. The waitstaff (Stacy and Mara were on the ball, very responsive and there when we needed them. I have to say the coffee was week, not what I expected for a place for such good quality breakfast meals. It wasn't bad, but just more of a bulk volume variety versus a tasty rich signature flavor to remember the place. read more

The Trading Post - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

We tried calling at least 10 times to place order for pickup however nobody would ever answer the phone. (Minus one star) My husband drove up to place the order and waited for the food. The fried items were done properly however the low country boil for two was overdone and perhaps sat under heat lamp to be kept warm. (Minus two stars) It's really disappointing and one of our family members clearly did not enjoy her dinner. read more

We had a fun group dinner here last month (October)! Our server was super friendly and made great food and drink recommendations. Everyone enjoyed the food they got. The shrimp and grits dish was yummy! Hope to return the next time I'm in town. read more

My wife and I first came here a few years ago (within 24-hours if meeting). I was amazed my the feel of the restaurant and most certainly the food. The chicken-n-gravy was awesome and I have yet to see anyone else do it. We just came back for the first time since, and this place did not disappoint! I had the Shrimp-n-Grits this time and the best I've had in North Carolina, by far. This place is an absolute must if your looking for a local beach town feel and a delicious & hospitable meal. read more

Stopped in to place a takeout order and have a drink at bar while waiting. My friend ordered a burger I ordered a grilled chicken. The bartender was so friendly and funny we decided to eat at the bar. You get plenty of food that's excellent and a very generous pour for a drink. I highly recommend! read more

The food was absolutely delicious. I got the chicken n biscuit bowl for brunch. Chicken was perfectly seasoned and the gravy was so good. My husband loved his food too... The two reasons why I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because they charged me $2 to swap out the fried egg for a scrambled egg white! What!? And also because it took over 30 minutes before we were served our food - they were not on a wait. read more

The Trading Post - Chicken N Biscuit bowl (with egg whites instead of a fried egg) - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Staying on Emerald Isle? Like breakfast? This is the place to get it and it is great. Nothing fancy and reasonably priced. Staff were awesome. Highly recommend! read more

We had an amazing dinner of shrimp and grits. The chef puts a delicious layering of wonderful flavors. The grits are old fashioned creamy grits, topped with fresh perfectly cooked shrimp , mushrooms, tomatoes , tender greens,and more , all with a perfectly seasoned sauce. The portion was generously large and large enough to share. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants on Emerald Isle for many reasons. 1) the environment is tasteful, and impeccably maintained. They have an entire "backyard" almost complete with bar, fireplace, cornhole, hula-hoops, and it's dog friendly! 2) the service is great, I was able to call ahead and leave my name so that I would get to skip the wait (not many restaurants do this), our wait staff and hosts were too kind and made sure we had what we needed. I felt almost like a part of their big family. 3) THE FOOD. I have a big family, it is very rare that all of us are satisfied with our meals. Happy to say that 4/4 of us were raving about our meals the entire ride home. Steak and Eggs - 5/5 nicely done! BLT - 5/5, very simple sandwich but when done right (like this) you can't go wrong! French Toast 4/5 - very soft, well made. All of the sides were great, but they left out one of the eggs. Southern Benedict - 5/5 I have had a lot of variations of the southern Benedict - (Scrambled in Greensboro being the best) but this one was very nice! It is hard to make these without having them come out over saturated in sodium, and this one was just right. Hollandaise, poached egg, ham, homemade biscuit. KILLER MEALS! 5/5 LOVE THIS PLACE, thanks guys! read more

The Trading Post - Southern Benedict - 5/5 really nicely done. Buscuit, ham, poached egg, hollandaise, side of potatoes. Nicely done! - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

We really enjoyed the place. The service was great. Fried chicken is the bomb! Loved it. Accidentally got the end of a bottle of wine and they came over and apologized for not having thrown it away. read more

So slow. Wait staff didn't check in hardly at all. Ordered a mid-rare burger and got a briquette. Since we were a party of six, automatically had a 20% tip added. My margarita "special" was all mix, no tequila. Didn't check on drinks. Trying to find something redeeming. The restrooms were cute with their nautical sinks. Outside area is nice for kids and dogs. read more

Awesome food, great ambiance and friendly service. Live music in a Saturday afternoon. read more

The Trading Post - Whiskey Butter Ribeye with green beans and Mac and cheese. - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Dinner was a grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes and gravy for hubby. He loved it. The chop was perfectly cooked and tender. He also ordered corn on the cob which was served cold. He asked for a hot ear and the server responded quickly. No problem. My meal was a pound of steamed snow crab legs. Some of the best I've had and I order them a lot! They were meaty in size and served hot with drawn butter. I don't know why a meal priced at almost $40 doesn't deserve a side, which costs the restaurant almost nothing, but this came with nothing else. Oh well, great crab legs though. read more

This was a great experience . Great southern food , live music and fun outdoor activities. read more

The Trading Post - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Service was great from check in to check out. They were super dog friendly as we were able to get a table outside under cover when it was raining. Server was attentive, and super nice. I had their version of eggs Benedict with country ham and biscuits and my boyfriend had chicken and waffles. Also had a great pain killer and large mimosa . Will def go back. read more

My husband & I went here for breakfast & will definitely return when we visit Emerald Isle again. I had their award-winning shrimp & grits, and he had the Southern eggs Benedict. Both were delicious! Our server, Amanda, was very friendly & more than helpful. Two thumbs up! read more

Best breakfast in town, with the most delicious Bloody Mary. My favorite the chicken and biscuit with gravy

The food was decent, the pancakes were a little tough. The local post breakfast was pretty good and the waffle. We sat outside because the inside was full and it kind of felt like the waitress forgot we were out there. She forgot our silverware and our kids drink. read more

I came here with my family for lunch on New Year's Day. Granted, it was probably a day where the place was understaffed and overworked, but the service was regretfully slow. We ordered fried pickles and banana peppers as an appetizer, which was just ok. I ordered the shrimp and grits for my entree, which had decent flavor. I liked that it had a lot of toppings, and they didn't skimp on the shrimp, either. The decor was nice, being nautical / boat themed, and things were pretty clean and well-kept. Like I mentioned before, the service was slow (the table next to us weren't too happy, either), which made the overall experience not a great one. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of options on Emerald Isle in the winter time. read more

Good food. Best Old Fashioned in Emerald Isle. Order the French Fries to go with the drinks.

I was a party of 1 and was able to get seated right away and order with in 5 minutes. It however took 45 min to get my burger and fries. Ordered the post burger, medium. It was done, no pink. . I ordered fries and then they came out, the fries were of the waffle variety, looked like sweet potato fries. When I asked about the fries I was told they were seasoned and that the vender had changed. They did offer another side item, but I told them I was starving, and that this food took 45 min to get and I didn't want to wait. I also had to ask for the bacon that was supposed to be on the burger. They stated that the sides were premade, and would take but just a second. Thank you, but no. I wanted fries. They did discount my meal, and did not charge me for the fries. Thank you. But I was disappointed none the less. We are locals every weekend of the year and have had better service on other occasions, so I don't hold that against them. But come on, when you are one of the few restaurants open on NY Day, staff accordingly and don't make your customers wait as long as you did. (A man talked to the manager and stated they had waited for 53 min for their food since they were sat...so I also take responsibility for stating. But I should have just gone for Chinese across the street) read more

We came for breakfast. I had the biscuit with chicken and gravy. Hubs had the chicken and waffles. The chicken was so good. Perfectly cooked and the batter was light and delicious. Also got the kids meal for me little, pancake was ok. Not great but she seemed to like it, so I guess I can't complain. They do not have any non-pork breakfast meat options, just FYI. read more

Outstanding shrimp and grits! Waffle was great, too! Great service. Highly recommend!

Absolutely amazing food. The wait took like 20 minutes but other than that absolutely amazing.

A local recommended this spot and I am glad I found it . It's on Emerald Isle which is on 58. Make the trip from Beaufort down to the Trading Post . You won't be disappointed . Dozen oysters $12.00 They were good but small . I had them steamed and she ask me if I wanted them medium or medium well. She said she serves them medium and never has a complaint . So I said fix it that way . Well they were tasty but small ... some of the crabs were bigger than the oysters . Florence really did a number down here which made the oyster season late . ( Nov ) I'm not taking away a star for small oysters because I think it has something to do with the weather . I also got the fish stew and it was great . Hearty with a tomato base but not acidic . I will definitely return and try their other selections on the menu . I had my southern eye on that collard dip ... Hmmm wonder what that's all about . I love collards !!! I 'll update on the collard dip when I return . read more

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We had the best breakfast and so glad they had such good gluten free options, Elizabeth was the best server!!

Great food, great atmosphere, good service. We ordered hush puppies and crab balls for appetizers and shrimp and grits and the pork loin meat of the day. Crazy good. The only reason for not giving it five stars was because they brought our salads after our meals arrived. The waiter seemed to be trying hard but he did not have much experience. Definitely would come back! read more

The Trading Post - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

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We are traveling from CA on a 5 state coastal trip. As we were walking the beach this morning we were discussing our favorite meal. We'll, I have a new favorite of the trip. My meal at the Trading Post was delicious! I had the shrimp and grits with an egg and the most delectable crunchy has browns. It was loaded with shrimp, shrimp for days! Cheezy, saucy, spinach, mushroom goodness. I'll dream about this meal for months. Staff was very attentive, on point and the Chef even came out to check on us. Trading Post, keep doing what you do (maybe with different music). Amazing food at an amazing value. read more

Was going to try them before leaving EI on vacation but I guess they aren't overly enthusiastic to have our business. Walked In around 3:15pm expecting to not have too much problem in getting a table. Boy was I surprised. They were more concerned on stocking their fudge display than seating customers. Told they aren't seating any more tables until their kitchen can get the food out for a big party on their deck. Makes sense to me that they would just go ahead and seat us and serve our drinks and let us wait there. There was only one other table inside finishing their meal. I totally understand the server shortage but that wasn't the issue here. read more

Food was soooooo good! Soul rolls were bomb! Absolutely loved the ambiance. We sat outside because the weather was nice!

We stopped here for weekday lunch based on looking pretty good on Yelp but unfortunately our visit left a lot to be desired. We sat outside and share the opposite end of a long table with another duo and their friendly doggo. I asked if I could get Tanqueray in the signature cucumber cocktail and was told they didn't have it but did indeed see it on the backbar on our way out. Our server did not wear a mask but the hostess and food runner did. The blueberry cocktail I ordered and my dining mate's Pain Killa were undrinkably sweet and on the receipt listed other spirits by name not included on the menu description. (Just plain weird.) We were harassed by flies during our entire visit. My salad was fine but the vinaigrette was, again, way too sweet. My dining partner had the fried bologna sandwich which he enjoyed with the thick-cut meat but was too bothered by the flies to actually enjoy his meal. The outdoor space is cool but we would stick to beers only here in the future. (I would have ordered the vegetable soup but it was made with meat stock... our server guessed.) read more

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Great food and generous portions. Our second time eating here and it doesn't disappoint. Also accommodates outside eating! read more

The Trading Post - Grilled shrimp... - Southern Near Me - Emerald Isle, North Carolina

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Southern omelette: Pros - good flavors Cons -none Veggie omelette: Pros - the fried potatoes Cons - received a western omelette instead...guess you'll eat it anyway. - biscuit was dry Coffee is decent. Ambiance: cool Service: okay Repeat: sure read more

We stopped by last evening for dinner. The outdoor seating area was nice, with cornhole boards set up to pass the time. Our server was attentive and friendly, and offered great opinions on the menu and drink specials. The food was good, but not very large in portion size. The appetizers we ordered came quickly and were great. (Fried green tomatoes and Hushpuppies). Each of us had a different entree, and we were all happy with them. The pork chop and the shrimp and grits seems to be the biggest hits, but the 2 sides that came with the chop were small. Overall, we had a great experience, and would recommend a visit. read more

Delicious breakfast and excellent ambience! The owner and restaurant manager took the time to meet with us, discuss the menu and added to our experience. I had the eggs Benedict and my wife had the shrimp and grits, both dishes were cooked to perfection. Amazing. read more

From now on, this is a must-go (more than once?) on our EI vacation. The decor is pleasant. Our server was excellent. We ordered our entrees, then decided we couldn't pass up the fried green tomatoes app. OMG. They were soooooo good. The pimento cheese took them over the top. Spot on! I would order them for a light lunch. I'm craving more. Our party had a hard time choosing. One adult went with the chicken and waffles. Another, less adventuresome eater chose the clam strips. Another chose the shrimpburger. Comparing it to Els, she say this one won because of the toasted bun. I won the day. Listening to my server's suggestion, I chose the shrimp and grits. It was, bar none, the best I've ever eaten. Each bite was an explosion of flavor, perfectly balanced. While the menu is small, everything that we tried was just right. Oh, and they took the order for the 3year old and put it in immediately. They're not only great cooks, but they have parent smarts too. read more

Live music and unique patio in back! Unusual sides are nice surprises here and friendly wait staff! Partners w snappers! Some similar menu items. read more

We went for breakfast in Emerald Isle. There were five of us - two had pancakes they said were delicious (although the syrup could have been better). Two had omelets and toast which was very good and one had steak and eggs, which he enjoyed. Had a bit of a wait for our food but the waiter was very attentive, refilling coffee and iced teas often. I would recommend the Trading Post. read more