The Compass Rose at Tryon Riverfront Inn — Restaurant in New Bern

I'm surprised by all of the five stars since that doesn't fit my experience so, I'm going to be brutally honest. My husband and I were staying one night and decided to have dinner and breakfast at the restaurant. Dinner? I was VERY disappointed. I ordered the yellowfin tuna dinner. The tuna was very good and cooked to perfection, but the rest of what I was expecting based on the menu was very lacking. The Israeli couscous was partly warm and partly cold, so that was not very good. The tomatoes consisted of two split cherry tomatoes. The summer squash was laughable. It consisted of a few tiny pieces of cubed zucchini, and the microgreens were unnecessary, stringy garnish that added little to the meal. For $31, I would have at least expected a serving of the summer squash, not the barely saucer-sized circle of food on the center of the large plate. My husband had the steak and frites. He ordered it well-done, and it came out closer to medium rare on a couple of the cut pieces. I ate one of them and it was okay but nothing to write home about. The fancy potatoes...more like convenience store fried potato wedges. The grilled asparagus was very good and the red wine sauce on the beef was pretty good, but it didn't make up for the nastiest spoon bread I have ever tasted. My husband and I are both cooks, and we are pretty good at it. I would never serve anything to anyone that tasted like that. Spoon bread, by definition, should be "spooned" and served, not rock-hard slices. I have a really good spoonbread recipe (it is more like a soufflé) I would gladly share that would certainly be 100% better. Okay, breakfast. We were told by our server, Jake (great server!!) that breakfast was much better. We took a chance, and it was better. I ordered two eggs over medium, and they were not quite cooked enough but tolerable. My husband had scrambled. We shared the biscuits and sausage gravy. The biscuits were very hard on the bottom but we were eating a late breakfast, so I understand that being a possible issue. The sausage and gravy had a really good flavor, but it was quite salty, even for my husband who eats a lot more salt than I do. The hotel is nice, the location is nice, and the restaurant is cozy and attractive. However, what comes out of the kitchen, at least from my experience, leaves a lot to be desired. I will not be dining...

This is my 2nd visit for breakfast. Both times I had the Sunrise Charcuterie. The 1st time the food was excellent, especially the little sweet potatoe pancakes and local sausage but all were served warm at best. The eggs were poached perfectly. Service was a little slow but it had just opened and I knew they were still figuring it out.

So, fast forward 3 weeks. As I said, I ordered the Sunrise Charcuterie again. This time the pancakes were a little bitter, the result of too much spice I think. Again, the eggs were poached perfectly and the local sausage was outstanding. But again, the food was served just barely warm. I will spare you the long boring description of the service I experienced. Suffice it to say, not only has it not improved, it has gone down. Still, I gave them four stars because I really want to see this place make it in a big way. It's a beautiful location with a quiet view of the Neuse and Trent rivers and marina. Keep working on it guys. I'm counting on you eventually getting it right because I really...

5 Stars - A Must-Visit Culinary Gem in New Bern, NC!

The Compass Rose Restaurant in New Bern blew us away! We started with the Breads & Spreads, Deviled Eggs Flight, and NC Crab Hushpuppies—each one packed with Southern flavor and creative flair. The Riverfront Burger was incredible—juicy Certified Angus Beef with Havarti, bourbon balsamic onion jam, and a flavorful peppercorn aioli, plus crispy truffle potato bravas on the side.

Everything was fresh, beautifully presented, and full of bold flavor. If you’re looking for one of the best restaurants in New Bern, The Compass Rose should be at the top...