Neptunes Kitchen and Dive Bar — Restaurant in North Carolina

After visiting and exploring the OBX annually for nearly 40 years, I felt quite confident that I knew the restaurant scene fairly well. That is, until we discovered Neptune’s Kitchen in Rodanthe, the closest restaurant to our house, as it was getting late and we did not want to drive around looking for one we already knew. Under new management since two years, the proud owners Tiea and Howard have infused a new life and ambiance into what I consider one of the very best restaurants in the OBX. The mainly seafood menu is quaint and simple, often prepared personally by Chef Tiea, who puts her heart and soul (and culinary talent) into every dish. Whatever meal you order, whether locally caught grilled tuna, crab cakes, or the specialty combo platter of fish, shrimp and oysters, it will most likely surpass your expectations. My favorite, the blackened mahi or tuna tacos, are to die for. Chef Tiea offers two desserts, her specialty homemade key lime tartlets, and a brownie topped with ice cream, pecans and a caramel drizzle. During our four-day stay at the OBX this past May 2021, we had all four dinners at Neptune’s Kitchen, where we were treated initially as kings, and “graduated” to friends by the third night. Now, visualize dining outside, just as the sun is about to set over the majestic Pamlico Sound right in front of you: Can you imagine anything more romantic? And if you’re looking to be entertained, you need go no further. The owners offer a karaoke evening at the bar and also invite renown musicians on other nights. I cannot praise the food at Neptune’s Kitchen enough nor the impeccable and efficient service, from the greeter/hostess to the bus people. Our experience at Neptune’s Kitchen was truly unique and unforgettable. When you go there, please mention to the owners that Randy and Francis highly recommended their...

We just got in from traveling for 7 hours. We decided to give this place a try due to it’s convenience. We didn’t have to wait long, I’d say maybe 15-20 minutes. We were seated around 7:15. We had a large party and they tried to squeeze us in two side by side table. We have one that requires a walker to move around. The hostess was nice, unfortunately I didn’t catch her name. The decorations were cool and the atmosphere seemed chill. Our waitress Liz took our drink and appetizer order but told us she wanted to put our drinks in first then come back for our food order (even though we were ready). After a bit she came back, took our food order. She didn’t have the best attitude but we thought it was just because it was a Saturday night. She refilled our drinks twice (half our party didn’t get refills). We didn’t get our appetizer until 1 hour & a half later. We were told it was because they had so many large groups. The manager didn’t stop by and check on us… or ask if we needed anything. We waited so long for our food, we had to get up and stretch our legs. Two hours later, our food finally arrived. There were 3 groups and a handful of people left at the bar. The fish basket was greasy & already had a lemon flavor. The fish tacos had no flavor. The chicken sandwich was over cooked. They were out of slaw (which they said only told us when bringing out our meal and tried to sub it with more hush puppies… ok, cool). They were also out of sweet tea. Random, but ok.. When we got the bill, gratuity was already added. We couldn’t speak to manager, because again, he was MIA. Just to get out of there, part of our party paid cash. They add a gratuity fee AND charge you extra for using a card. Liz’s attitude and her performance was not worth a $34 tip. Not to mention she cussed out my elderly mother. We tried to call back, and...

Wanna hear a good story?

Last night, we got a babysitter for a much needed date night. We found a fun looking band advertising live music down in Rodanthe, so we drove on down. Much to our disappointment, we found out upon arriving, the band with a banjo was not playing and the band's FB advertisement was probably just a mistake (their gig cycle had ended a few weeks ago).

With a brief explanation of our babysitter and drive - just looking for a fun place to chill - we agreed to be sat for some drinks while we figured out where we might go next.

Within minutes, the owner approached and say 'Hey, if you want to hang around for another 30 minutes, I just hired a band to come play for you.' Seriously.

Just so happened, Kit and Connor (a young NJ duo gigging on the OBX for the week) was sitting at the bar. After hearing about the mishap, they agreed to spontaneously grab their gear and play a set until the bar closed.

Our food was tasty, the drinks were great, atmosphere was fun and relaxed. But more importantly, the folks at Neptune's and Kit & Connor absolutely went out of their way to make our date night special. A busy summer season is wrapping up here - we know that restaurant staff and servers are tired. The ad mishap was really the other band's fault - not the restaurant. We didn't do anything to earn special treatment, but man did it feel like we got it.

Thank you Howard Adams #kitandconnor and Neptunes Kitchen And Dive Bar for going out of your way for us. If you're on the OBX, be sure to go support our new favorite restaurant in Rodanthe - we will absolutely be...