Po House, Good Eats & Libations, Sound - Side Dining — Restaurant in Avon

Still flabbergasted by this one.

Wife called to make reservations, but the lady who answered said they didn't do reservations. She told us to come on down; the website said the restaurant was opening at 5PM and we would be seated if we arrived promptly. We drove down to Avon and arrived at approximately 5:50. The door to the restaurant was closed.

We waited. And waited. And waited.

We could look through and see people walking around inside. They could see us, but no one acknowledged us. One window, presumably to the kitchen, was open, and we could hear activity inside.

As we waited, others arrived. They told the same story...that they called ahead and were told to come at 5PM.

Finally, at 6:25, a lady came to the front door, opened it partway, and said, in a somewhat condescending tone, "Can I help you with something?"

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but when 20+ people are lined up outside your restaurant at what you've told them was the time that you open, they're probably not there for an oil change.

We told her that we were here to eat, and she informed us that they were closed today, as if she expected us to already have known. We told her, and others confirmed, that we were told to come down and eat, she said, "Well, apparently, that was from earlier today." Oh, okay. I guess what you said earlier doesn't count now.

One from our party asked, "Why don't you put a sign on the door?" The response? "We're working on it."

Again, I'm not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but a magic marker and a piece of paper, and some Scotch tape doesn't seem like a prohibitively difficult hurdle to overcome in order to communicate with your customers.

I'm not sure what business model involves not opening when you say you will, failing to communicate this with customers, and treating them with contempt when they show up to give you their money, but it's not one that I particularly want to be a part of. The owners will be in the Po'House if they keep up this level of service.

To be clear, I would have been understanding if there were a sign on the door that explained that they were closed and offered an apology. Disappointed, sure, but things happen in the real world. But, it is so frustrating to deal with people who simply don't believe that your time is worth something.

We instead went to a famous crab establishment that was open, where we were seated promptly, served quickly, and treated like our patronage was appreciated.

UPDATE: Wow. The story just went from frustrating to downright bizarre.

PoHouse put an update on their Facebook page stating that they closed because they believed that one of their servers had possibly come in contact with COVID, and they were supposed to be opening this evening (the day after we were turned away because of a "gas" problem).

I've now heard two different stories as to why they were closed. Extremely sketchy. WHY?

I understand the need to make sure that we're safe from COVID. Just be...

The Host, Bartender, and Server were all excellent, friendly and made my group feel welcomed. With that said, the rest could have been better. I stopped by earlier in the day to see what time is best to come to avoid the crowds. I was greeted by I believe the chef and I felt that I was being rushed out the restaurant and a bother to her. She was holding a wine tasting for menu development so yes, I interrupted her. Perhaps that is why I was given the unwelcoming response. Went back for dinner later that day and had to wait for about 45 minutes for a table to open on the patio. We expected that as the outside tables are limited due to location. No worries there. We got sat after that time and were immediately greeted by Bowen(?) and he was fantastic. We ordered the bisque and pepper appetizer. Pepper special was very unique and delicious, The bisque was loaded with lobster but devoid of seasoning. Kind of bland. We ordered soon after that and the food took us over an hour to get to us. I was actually longer then that but I didn't want to over exaggerate the cook time. The table ordered Fish and chips, made with I believe Mahi which had a corn flake crumb coating I believe, nice touch but not the tables favorite, Fish sandwich which was made with Spanish Mackerel which was enjoyed, and I had the Grouper special. The Grouper was served hot and was delicious. Seasonal Veggies were the best part of the meal, Asparagus, Summer squash, and snap peas? smashed potatoes a bit overcooked. Bowen came to the table multiple times to make sure we were ok during our long wait for the food. Nicely done and thank you. We did receive a table visit from the same person I found out was the Chef, It was routine, Sorry for the delay and off she went. I didn't want anything in return but a nice conversation would have been nice. Perhaps have the MOD come over to discuss the delay. To be transparent, I am a food and beverage director in my work and tend to be a understanding in operations. I understand the challenges we all deal with over the last couple of years. What would have elevated my rating would have been to get the same personal touch we received from the Bartender and server by the Chef. Value is everything and when I spend over $250 for a meal, My expectation is to be treated like I was valued. Without the service personal, The rating would have been less. With a caring MOD, I would have...

This is by far our favorite (and IMHO the best) place to eat in OBX. The food is consistently great and the staff is always wonderful. You can stop reading now and just go see for yourself. If you want the background on my endorsement, read on…

We’ve been doing extended visits in Avon since 2009 and historically don’t eat out much on account of limited appealing dining options. The only place we regularly frequented was Waterman’s on the back of Real Watersports. Well, as it turns out, PoHouse’s owner Steve started that, too. Though Steve is no longer associated with it, it is still the best choice for casual in Waves on account of the fact they just keep making Steve’s original menu.

Fast forward to our discovering Steve and Lacey opening up PoHouse (named after their dog “Po” in case you’re curious) we basically followed him from Waterman’s to PoHouse and now go to PoHouse instead. It is so far and away our favorite that it is nearly the only place we go when we don’t cook at home.

Why? This is no tourist restaurant. The dishes are clever, the fish always fresh and properly prepared (the tuna is perfectly seared and as it should be), and all the sides really make each dish a savory sensation. The fact that they actually run out of items only demonstrates that they are only buying fresh what they need in the very short term. I like that. It’s also forced me to move off my fav tuna dish and try enough items to say it’s all good.

Why else? Food alone does not make a dining experience. Even with the short staffing situation all OBX businesses are facing post covid, they somehow manage to have the friendliest staff. Sure, you’re gonna wait at the busiest times, but they have a great bar and, according to my liquor industry professional brother in law, actually know how to make proper cocktails.

Lastly? As other reviews have stated, great bay views, especially near sunset on the back deck. But we like dining indoor, too, and happily take whatever table they offer.

We travel a lot and consider ourselves to be good judges of cuisine and service. We are not snobs. We like good honest quality food that isn’t run of the mill, a friendly staff and an enjoyable ambiance. PoHouse has all three. Go see for yourself. Say hi to...