City Kitchen — Restaurant in Beaufort

Tucked into an area with lots of boat docks and on the second floor, we weren't sure what to expect. What we experienced far exceeded those expectations! Service was excellent with a warm greeting from Dylan the host, and even friendlier service by our server Josie and several others who helped everyone with food orders and beverages. Speaking of bevs, Josie was very patient as we asked for more info on the wine menu, which she followed up with samples. The House Cava was not as dry as we liked, so we settled on some glasses of the excellent House Assyrtiko to start. The remainder of the Wine Menu was excellent, with many good to great wines in a range of prices. We ended up getting a bottle of the El Enemigo Chardonnay from Argentina, which went perfectly with our mains. Dylan is not only the host, but also the resident wine expert since he's working towards his Sommelier Certification! Not only was he helpful, but also very interesting and professional. We shared the Beet Salad because we really enjoy both red and golden beets, especially with the goat cheese, candied pecans, and maple-cider vinaigrette over arugula- very tasty! The "Bigs" menu was a mixture of southern specialties, local seafood, and other interesting creative dishes! I'm not a Shrimp and Grits fan normally because it is too creamy and rich for my stomach. However, the addition of andouille sausage and mushrooms with a sauce or broth that seemed more like a roux, and the expertly grilled six shrimp placed over 2 very tasty grit cakes was too good sounding to pass up. I loved it! If I had anything to critique, it might be less salt in the cakes, because the andouille added plenty to each bite! My wife was feeling less adventurous, so decided to try the Roasted Airline Chicken. Some people believe this dish is very simple, but we think that it separates the good from the skilled Chefs. And the Chef prepared this dish with great skill and creativity! He added a mushroom curry and fig chutney to the plantains and jasmine rice, which complemented the chicken very well. We ended the night with a beautiful sunset that was enjoyed by many of the patrons as evidenced by their pictures! Because it was my wife's birthday, Josie recommended we try their specialty, the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was excellent, and not heavy or filling. They didn't charge us for that, another classy decision. Overall, this has been one of our best meals on the Crystal Coast. And we will certainly be back to enjoy another...

The Worst Hospitality Experience We’ve Had in Beaufort

We were excited to try City Kitchen on a Saturday evening, but our experience was completely derailed by the owner, Karen, whose attitude was shockingly rude from the moment we walked in. We called a head , made reservations and asked about outdoor seating. They told us they do not do reservations outside in case storms come in late.

We asked politely if we could sit outside, but Karen quickly shot that down with a blunt “no” letting us know it was too hot outside. Mind you, her bartender was working his butt off downstairs with a packed bar…outside. Wanting a moment to talk it over, my wife and I stepped outside to decide whether to stay or find another place.

A few minutes later, Karen came out and told my wife she had “found someone to take care of us.” Naturally, we assumed that meant we could now be seated outside. While I walked down to the outdoor bar area to confirm with the bartender if we could sit at one of the surrounding tables, Karen said to my wife, “Why is he asking a question? That’s my bar too,” as if we were overstepping by trying to find clarity.

Still trying to salvage the situation, we returned and thanked her, thinking things had been sorted out. Instead, she doubled down, making it clear we were not welcome to sit outside after all. At that point, we had enough. We thanked her and left, choosing to spend our evening (and money) somewhere far more welcoming.

In a town built on hospitality and Southern charm, City Kitchen completely misses the mark. There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Beaufort where the staff actually wants you to be there—go to any of...

City Kitchen is a beautiful space with stunning views of the marina and exceptionally prepared food. The sound design and acoustics are perfect, you can actually hear what your partner is saying across the table. Front of house are amazing, gracious and welcoming people. You know you're in an excellent restaurant when everything just flows like a well oiled machine. The servers are a solid team, all of them in tune with each other. Lisa, our wonderful server had extensive knowledge of the menu and was an absolute pleasure. My partner had the shrimp and grits, which was outstanding. The grits were a tender cake, which were creamy and boasted subtle smoke from the Andouille, and the sauce was exquisite. I had the pan seared grouper with mango relish, jasmine rice and red curry sauce and it was a beautiful plate. I could hear diners remarking on how good their food was. Don't skip dessert, especially the sticky toffee pudding which is Chef and owner, Karen Carither's signature. Kudos to Chefs Bryan and Karen Carithers. We will come back for more. Thanks to all of you at...