The Paper Canoe — Restaurant in Duck

Kind of a hit or miss experience here. The restaurant is quite small, a reservation will be required. The staff was very pleasant and accommodating.

The food was really the let down. Firstly, I got the special cucumber mojito off their cocktail list. For one, it was not really a cucumber mojito but just a standard mojito with a slice of cucumber (zero cucumber flavor). In addition, the drink was really badly made. It was basically soda water and rum. I was gonna just stop drinking it but I did ask for some simple syrup which they were kind enough to bring me so I could save the drink. Once I added some that the drink was palatable. Not a great start for a fancy place with expensive cocktails.

For food we had fried oysters and the duck confit egg rolls. The egg rolls were fine, nothing special. The oysters were nice and large, but the one I had was extremely salty, almost like a potato chip. The batter was good though, light and not too fried. My table mates didn't have an issue with salt so maybe I was just unlucky but it turned me off for having more.

For entrees, two of us got the steak au poivre and I got the seabass Oscar. When they served my dish, they realized they forgot the crabmeat topping and had to bring it out separately (it's not an add on, it's part of the dish). Idk how that happens in a fancy place. I will say the taste and cook of my was excellent, other than the farro being overcooked and underseasoned. But the fish was perfect.

The two steaks were pretty bland. Desperately underseasoned. The way to save that plate was to take the crispy potatoes and eat it with the steam to give it some salt balance. But I was pretty underwhelmed with the cut of meat itself, the cook, and the seasoning. Just not a $58 quality steak. I had a better one the night before at Black Pelican for $20 less.

It also took nearly 40 minutes for entrees to arrive.

Overall, maybe I had too high of expectations? It's not like the place has a Michelin star. But for how they brand themselves it was kind of a disappointment, though the fish I had was so redeeming I'd be willing to give it...

We secured one of the last Friday reservations early in the week—plan ahead for this top-tier northern island spot. Seated at table W5 in the bar, we enjoyed stunning views and clever window shades. Our server Brad (happy birthday!) was fantastic and accommodating of my wife's gluten-free needs.

Drinks were solid—Jefferson’s Ocean cocktail and a dirty martini. We ordered three apps: grilled romaine and burrata salad (good), crispy fried oysters (great with pickled veggies and remoulade), and the standout tomato tartare with goat cheese (a must-try). Appetizers: 10/10.

Brad suggested ordering entrees with apps, which worked well. We enjoyed the scenery and wildlife between courses. For mains, my wife had shrimp and grits with smoked Gouda—phenomenal. I had fish Oscar with Black Sea bass, lump crab, asparagus, and couscous—worth every penny. Brad’s wine pairings (Malbec and a fruity white) were spot-on.

Dessert was a rich cheesecake with salted caramel and whipped cream, paired with prosecco. A decaf espresso martini would’ve been ideal, but it was early evening and we had young kids.

The Paper Canoe impressed us with its sold-out status, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and exceptional food. It ranks in our top 3 Northeast restaurants. We’ll be back next summer at table W5 and will recommend it to friends visiting OBX.

Thanks for a memorable meal—and happy birthday again to Brad!

For search purposes, great GLUTEN FREE options and no cross contamination in...

This was our visit first to The Paper Canoe, by recommendation of a friend’s parents who live local. We knew we would have an amazing dining experience but my god were our expectations completely blown out of the water! From the second we walked in we were impressed with the intimate elegance of the restaurant. We were one of the first guests to arrive at opening and we were still greeted with charm and professionalism from all the staff members. Our waiter (forgive me I cannot recall his name but he said he was from the Dominican Republic) was exceptional from the start! Friendly and professional, but also hilarious and charismatic, making us feel like we were old friends catching up. We ordered almost all of his recommendations and I don’t know if can describe the way I felt when I took the first bite of each item we ordered. From the piping hot fresh bread, to the duck egg rolls to the absolutely ridiculous grilled romaine and burrata salad, the divine scallops and holy crap that risotto, and last but certainly not least the beef Wellington with the most epic cognac sauce I’ve ever had in my entire life. You could easily say that I was over the moon with this meal and that I was genuinely sad when I left because I don’t live close enough to visit this esteemed establishment at least once a week. But while our time was over at The Paper Canoe, we have the amazing memories (and photos!) of by far one of the most amazing meals we’ve ever...