Anchor Drafthouse — Restaurant in North Carolina

After a week of eating at fine dining restaurants in historic Beaufort, where our $100+ meals for two were over cooked and staff was less than accommodating, my husband and I decided to try Anchor Drafthouse with our three children. We came in Friday for lunch and was impressed with how festive and cozy the inside was. I’d say the outside of the restaurant was deceiving and we were pleasantly surprised with what we opened the door to. Anchor pizza is small in size, but HUGE in heart. There’s even an outdoor deck if you love to look out over the water. We walked in and were welcomed immediately by two ladies at the bar (the bar was about five steps away so it wasn’t like they had to yell or anything). You sit wherever you want, so we sat at a large table near the door. We were given menus, silverware, and told Autumn would serve us.

Autumn was the best waitress we encountered all week. She was attentive, friendly, personal but not overly, and quick to talk to our two toddlers who don’t do well at dine in restaurants. Autumn is the kind of professional you’d expect to meet at those fine dining restaurants we spent our money at all week long, but here she was at Anchor Drafthouse. We even complimented her in person and asked why she chooses to work at Anchor and she responded that she loves coming to work there. Well, they are lucky to have her! She could teach those high end restaurant waitresses a thing or two about serving others and representing the company well. Autumn knew all about the draft beers and was so quick to answer all our questions and bring us samples. She was accommodating with our pizza requests (we had half pineapple and half bbq with a few other requests that weren’t on the menu).

The pickle fries were a delicious appetizer while we waited for our pizza to come out. The owner even stopped by our table (friendliest owner/operator I’ve met all week) and asked what we were waiting on, checked on our pizza in the back and told us it would be done in about 6 minutes. I love that he took time to make us a priority! We already felt like a priority with our waitress but what a way to go above and beyond. You can tell he trusts his staff but he has the internal hospitality drive to offer even more assistance. I studied the hospitality industry and I can tell you that this man and his staff know how to serve and do it well. When we treat people with the highest priority, no matter the circumstance, that’s always a win and these people get that. You walk in that place with a tie on or beach ware and you can expect the same great service from the owner and his well trained and knowledgeable staff.

The pizza was fantastic and my husband and I decided it was the best meal of the week (better than the $20 grouper and $36 steak). There’s just a certain kind of place that’s reserved for pizza in our hearts and this one hit the spot. The crust was flavorful and cooked just right. Soft but crispy and the sauce was a perfect balance of sweet and salty. You can’t go wrong with the pineapple and bbq pizza we had.

Thank you for being an incredible little place that showed up EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT in Beaufort and...

If you’re looking for the worst dining experience of your life, look no further. This place absolutely delivers—just not your food.

We had a party of 8, which apparently is the exact number that triggers a complete system meltdown. Food came out one sad plate at a time, like they were cooking it on a single Easy-Bake oven in the back. Ever heard of a heat lamp? Not these guys. By the time the last person was served, the first was ready for dessert—somewhere else.

Two people in our group didn’t even get their food. That’s right—just didn’t. Like, it vanished into another dimension. When we asked multiple staff members about it, we were met with shrugged shoulders and blank stares like we’d just asked for the moon on a stick. One employee even said he “wasn’t really worried about it.” Oh, cool—neither were we, just a couple people starving while you hand us to-go boxes for meals that never came.

Shoutout to the one bartender who seemed to have any sense of basic human decency. As for our actual server? A walking passive-aggressive shrug. Made weirdly obvious remarks, avoided eye contact, and when we asked—again—about the missing food, they hit us with “Oh, you don’t want it anymore?” Yeah, we came to a restaurant to not eat. Makes perfect sense.

To cap it all off, we were quoted a 20-minute wait that magically transformed into a 45-minute purgatory, followed by an hour-long table ordeal that felt more like a psychological experiment than a meal.

Truly, I’ve had better pizza from the clearance bin at a gas station. If you’re into chaos, incompetence, and cold disappointment with a side of attitude, this is your place. Otherwise? Run

EDIT Clearly asked friends to make reviews afterwards to push my review down. Nothing was done, just a story of continued...

🍕 5-Star Review: The Ultimate Pizza & Draft House Experience 🍺

If heaven were on Earth, it would be this pizza and draft house sitting right on the water. I’m not saying this place changed my life, but I’m also not not saying that either. From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in for something special. Let me break it down for you…

The Pizza: Holy mozzarella, Batman! This pizza is what dreams are made of. Perfectly crisp crust, gooey cheese that stretches like it’s auditioning for a pizza commercial, and toppings so fresh they might as well have been picked from a garden next door. One bite and I was transported. 10/10—would risk burning my mouth again because patience is overrated.

The Wings: Now, let’s talk wings. These beauties are AMAZING. Crispy, juicy, saucy—like they were handcrafted by Zeus himself. I’ve tried every flavor on the menu, and not a single one missed the mark. But listen, I have a small request. Add a hot lemon pepper wing to your menu and call it the “Josh” style. Picture this: tangy lemon, fiery heat, and just enough pepper to make your taste buds sing. Trust me, it’ll be a game-changer. You’re welcome in advance.

The Atmosphere: Waterfront dining? Say less. The vibe is immaculate—like a chill summer day that never ends. Cold draft beers in hand, pizza in front of me, and wings on the way? Life doesn’t get better than this.

Final Thoughts: This place isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a spiritual experience. If you’re not eating here, what are you even doing with your life? Whether you come for the pizza, the wings, or just to soak in the view, you’ll leave with a full belly and a happy heart. And don’t forget: add the “Josh” wings. Just trust...