Beaufort Restaurants (Emerald Isle: appointed, house, live)

[PawleysDude]

We will be spending a few days in Beaufort NC in June. I'm looking for suggestions for a "nice" restaurant for one dinner. Prefer seafood or Italian rather than steak, don't need linens or wine cellars, but would like something a notch above tourist food quality, relaxing, not too rushed and not too noisy. Also, anywhere casual in Beaufort with live music? - a burger joint would be fine. Somewhere to just kick back and sample some of the local talent.

Finally, we're casual bikers and often haul along our bicycles for cruising around town. We recognize that in many coastal areas during summer, that can often be akin to signing a death warrant. What's the verdict - is Beaufort bike friendly in summer? Thanks in advance for all your help.

[kelsie]

Beaufort, my favorite spot after Emerald Isle We love driving down to Beaufort with our Samoyed and sit outside at the Dock House and watch the boats come in, and the Harley's driving down Front St, have an ice cold beer $1.25 and 1 1/2 lbs. of Drunkin Shrimp $10.95.

One of the best burger's is right across the street at Clawson's. Around the corner The Backstreet Bar is a local "dog" bar. They do not serve food only alcohol and dogs are welcomed.

For great seafood, go where the locals go The Net. Everything is very casual and bikers are welcomed. You will have a great time. If I can answer any other questions for you just dm. We used to like the Beaufort Grocery restaurant, however last year the prices went up & the quality down, so that one is off our list. Have a good time. kelsie

[LittleDolphin]

How nice you're coming to Beaufort--it's a special little place.

Biking is fine in the summer, just be cautious along waterfront Front Street where the cars back out of their parking spaces--once you get past that downtown section, it's fine and a pretty ride along the waterfront. Biking the length of Ann Street, the next street over that parallels Front also makes fun biking--you'll see all the historic homes and it's very leafy and flat riding...Any of the other streets in the historic district should be fine...low speed limits and not too much traffic make for pleasant rides.

Two of my favorite a 'cut-above' Beaufort eateries are the Beaufort Grocery, great for lunch or dinner and Blue Moon, both in the downtown area. Clawsons makes the best burgers in town and their pub is very friendly. Good seafood and pasta specials, too.

Dockhouse on the waterfront is great for a brew or drink, but I'm not a big fan of their food, much of it's fried and there are better deals to be had. They do offer a salad piled high with shrimp that's pretty good, but the dressings come in vacuum packs...They have free live music most summer nights and on Sunday afternoons.

Also on the water, two blocks away, is Finz. I like their outdoor deck on the water for a great water view and a casual lunch of a crab or shrimp burger, a salad or a wrap...sometimes, in the evenings, Shane is playing there and he's a great singer/guitarist. He can make his voice sound just like Johnny Cash....or an Irish baritone--pretty amazing.

The Cru Wine Bar has live music, free, on weekends, and they have wine by the glass or bottle, imported beers and a couple of light meal offerings--small pizzas and salmon quesadilla's...

I love the Back Street pub except it tends to be very smoky inside, so we opt for the neat little courtyard outside...beer and wine only...

That's a brief round-up of some of my favorite B'fort eateries...there are quite a few here.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by PawleysDude

We will be spending a few days in Beaufort NC in June. I'm looking for suggestions for a "nice" restaurant for one dinner. Prefer seafood or Italian rather than steak, don't need linens or wine cellars, but would like something a notch above tourist food quality, relaxing, not too rushed and not too noisy. Also, anywhere casual in Beaufort with live music? - a burger joint would be fine. Somewhere to just kick back and sample some of the local talent.

Finally, we're casual bikers and often haul along our bicycles for cruising around town. We recognize that in many coastal areas during summer, that can often be akin to signing a death warrant. What's the verdict - is Beaufort bike friendly in summer? Thanks in advance for all your help.

There are a lot of good restaurants in Beaufort, but for consistency I often recommend the Spouter Inn. It certainly is not the fanciest spot, but if you eat outside you get a great view. I have never been disappointed with my food there. I had two of the best softshell crabs that I have ever had there about a month ago. There were four of us, three of us had seafood and one had pasta. Everyone loved their meals.

Go listen to the music at the Dock House, but unless their food has changed I would steer clear of eating there.

Another good and reasonably priced place is No Name Pizza out on Route 70.

There is plenty of room to ride bikes in Beaufort at least along Front Street. There are also some nice paved bike trails down at Emerald Isle if you make it down that far.

I have some restaurant reviews at a website. I have not been to all of them in the last year, so I need to out a little more, but you can get a pretty good idea of what is out there.

I also have a Beaufort Travel guide and a blog that deals with the Crystal Coast.

[PawleysDude]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses and excellent recommendations. We've lived in the Carolinas most of our lives and have somehow managed to miss Beaufort. We're looking forward to correcting that oversight in June. It's too short of a visit, so I know we'll miss many of the good spots, but we'll give it our best shot.

Dsobotto, I had actually run across your travel guide while surfing via Google, but I need to go back and spend some more time with it. Thanks for the links.

Thanks again for all your help.

[macjr82]

I love RAPs, which is just across the bridge in MHC.