Theodosia

One of my most memorable dinner experiences and so needed in the Outer Banks. The interior and decor and panoramic view of the water was what I first admired. Our server was Dante and he was very attentive and informative and guided us on what would be best to order. The drink selection was amazing and the Bar manager came out and spoke with us and gave some great local tips. The lemon meringue was amazing and cannot wait until next year to try again. Ten out of ten recommended.

Last night we celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary, and it couldn’t have been more special. Before we even arrived, the hostess noticed our reservation note and personally called to offer us seats at the Chef’s Table, such a thoughtful touch that set the tone for the evening. From the moment we sat down, Chef John made us feel welcomed and created a fun, relaxed atmosphere that turned dinner into an experience. Every dish was outstanding, but we especially recommend the Tuna Tartare, Fish Toast, Lemon Pie, and the refreshing Blueberry Sorbet. The cocktails were top-notch as well, perfectly crafted to complement the meal. The staff at Theodosia went above and beyond, and the combination of great food, attentive service, and warm hospitality made it a night we will always remember.

The food..was...amazing! We started out with the Flaked Bluefish and Potato Puffs with Herbed Horseradish Cream and the Grilled Romaine with bacon, chopped cucumbers, tomato, red onion, and buttermilk blue cheese dressing. We ordered the Tomato Pie with a Summer Herb Salad...and this was an ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE! It has ruined me for pizza forever. I was blown away by this. It was beyond perfect. I can't even describe it with justice. For our entrees, we ordered a Pork Belly Porchetta with a Boiled Peanut Purloo and a Peach Gastrique and a Fresh Local Catch Fish Toast served with a succotash and a basil beurre blanc. The Porchetta was rich and crunchy and fatty and everything that's good about pork and was perfectly paired with that Peach Gastrique for a tasty burst of sweetness and light acidity adding pops of brightness. The Fish Toast was the true surprise of the meal, a delight of textures and tastes...this dish did not disappoint. Dad and I were truly amazed and stunned. Light, but amazingly flavorful. Finally...desert. We ordered the Summer Cobbler with a Buttermilk Sorbet and the Three Cracker Lemon Pie (because there is graham, ritz and saltines crust) and a bruleed Italian meringue. I have to mention our server, Dante. A truly great young man. He was the very epitome of customer service, kindness, humor, and just an all around delight. Thank you, Chef Vivian, Theodosia, Dante, and the rest of the fine chefs and staff for an amazing meal, a special night, and a most memorable experience.

We went twice over the course of the past two weeks and both times had excellent meals and service. We have enjoyed 4 different appetizers (really loved the flaked bluefish and potato puffs and the tuna tartare) and 4 entrees which were all excellent (Fish Toast is a must try). Bar made some excellent cocktails and the interior is very pretty. Service was very attentive both visits and the meal was well paced. Photos attached are from our first visit (rolls with caviar, bluefish potato puffs, shrimp and grits, tilefish)

We had an amazing time at Theodosia! We had reservations on a Wednesday evening and were seated right away. They have a wonderful wine list. We decided to get small plates- crab claws, tuna tartar, shrimp/scallop sliders and their special which was a watermelon Thai crab cake. The vibe was amazing and so were the views.

We dined at Theodosia in late August and everything was perfect. Despite it being busy, we were well taken care of by staff who went above and beyond. The food and drinks were delicious. Absolutely nothing bad to say. Highly recommend.

Excellent fresh seafood prepared by professional chefs. We had ceviche and tuna tartar appetizers, grilled romaine, pan seared fish and fish toast. Finished off the the decadent lemon merengue pie. All the food was excellent. Great view of the water as well.

Absolutely loved our experience. Our waitress (I believe her name is Janine? Or something alike) was so pleasant and professional and absolutely on top of it. Small details which matter to me, like, our water was never empty throughout dining. The food was excellent. So full of flavor in every bite. We got the NY steak and fish toast. Best steak I’ve ever eaten. The atmosphere was clean and beautiful. I will definitely be going back.

Had the most amazing New York strip steak at Theodosia - absolutely cooked to perfection! Tender, flavorful, and seared just right - every bite was a standout. A huge thank you to the bartender for the spot-on recommendation of the Brasstown Beef New York Strip. You can really taste the quality, and it's clear the kitchen knows exactly how to let it shine. Elegant atmosphere, top-tier service, and genuinely thoughtful recommendations - I'll definitely be back!

Matt greeted us warmly and we were seated exactly on time. The room and chairs are very comfortable. The decor is attractive with Tiki bar overtones. It was full and busy but did not feel crowded. We had the catch of the day, pork belly, yellowfin, oysters appetizers. All were excellent. Appetizers came out fast, main course not as fast but we were not in a hurry...it was sunset. Dessert was lemon pie crust which was not crisp lemony tart it was flat, frozen? The fruit tart, same. But as a law just don't whine about desserts. The menu and staff had THE BEAR vibes. Go again ? ABSOLUTELY. One note about all fine dining restaurants...stop with the locally sourced nonsense. i don't care where the cow lives!

Ok, last Thursday we were stuck in Traffic backed up for miles coming out of Duck. I turned around and we found Theodosia. They told us only seating they had was at the chef's counter. It was amazing watching the chefs synchronize their efforts in producing amazing dishes for the restaurant. The food was unbelievable, creative, just wonderful. we had 3 appetizers (apricot cheese curd rolls, shrimp, smoked fish balls (amazing!)) and for main course steak and sheep-head & for dessert lemon pie. The most amazing part was getting to know the chefs, and watching Johnny orchestrate all the orders coming up to be served, he was funny, engaging, and helpful. I told him he should have his own TV show! All, I have never wanted to give more than 5 stars, but this I would give this restaurant 10 stars. We went away from there vowing to return to Duck (125 miles drive) before summer is up just to go to this restaurant again. Amazing place, ambiance, people, service, a great experience!!

Went for dinner on a Monday night at 7pm. The restaurant is beautiful and we were seated along the window. The service was good and the food was wonderful. Our favorite item was absolutely the tuna tartare. My only complaints are the cocktails were a bit disappointing and the restaurant was a bit too loud. Although I was happy we tried Theodosia, we will go elsewhere in the future.

We had a great experience at Theodosia on a Tuesday night. We were able to get a reservation a week before with ease. The decor within the restaurant was very unique but it was well put together. All of our dishes in the attached pictures were great. I particularly loved the creamed cabbage and peas that came with the duck. The lemon pie was to die for and wasn't overly heavy after a lot of food. The waitstaff was very accommodating and more than willing to explain the menu. We even enjoyed a sunset at the end of our meal. This is definitely a nice reprieve from the standard fried beach food on the OBX and I feel that it's priced appropriately.

We stayed at the wonderful Sanderling resort & were lucky to get reservations the last week that Theodosia's was open this year... And, even luckier, we sat at the chef's table for our meal! We started off with the tuna tartar app, served with home made potato chips and a grilled romaine salad. The kitchen gifted us with a nice treat, two DOWN EAST LIGHT ROLLS with Ashe Co. cheddar cheese curds, apple preserves- My wife got the shrimp & grits souffle & I got the fish toast - this food, as good as anything I've ever eaten, with wonderful service & the bonus of sitting at the Chef's Table

Amazing experience!! Great view overlooking the sound at sunset. I thought it was going to feel overpriced but actually reasonable for 5 of us including drinks and wine. Obsessed with the dinner rolls with marmalade!!! Also had the lemon pie for dessert which was delicious

Everything was absolutely amazing and then some. The food was fresh and light and exactly what you expect from Vivian Howard who is true to her roots and using fresh, local ingredients. The restaurant itself is stunning and the view of the sound was breathtaking. The service was fast but not intrusive throughout the evening.

Anyone who rates this place less than 5 stars is crazy. First, the restaurant is gorgeous. It's beautifully decorated and the layout is not too cramped, but not too spaced out. Beautiful views from wherever you sit. Our server Jaden was OUTSTANDING!! That girl is a truly talented server! She knew everything about the menu, the ingredients, and every question could be answered with an encyclopedia-like response. She deserves a raise. The food was just... fabulous. We loved everything from the craft cocktails, to the oysters, our entrees (GET THE PORCHETTA) and the 10 layer chocolate cake! Truly all to die for. Can't say enough wonderful things about this place. So sad it's our last night in Duck or we would come back in a few days!

Theodosia exceeded our expectations! Honestly, we hadn't even looked at the menu before I made the reservations. Just knowing it was a Vivian Howard restaurant, I knew we had to eat there considering it was my first trip to OBX. The building itself is funky & the decor seemed dated in our opinion. We have no idea if the decor was from a previous restaurant or totally renovated. We were seated at a two top table lined side by side. They were placed too closely together as we had to listen to the conversation of the couple beside us. A little more space would be appreciated for what you paid. A busy Friday night, it took our waitress a little while to greet us & she seemed a little distracted/uninterested during that initial interaction. But as the evening wore on, she opened up more & redeemed herself. (I reminded myself & my husband that you never know what someone is going through, so give them a chance.) Food was absolutely amazing!! Each item, including the unique cocktails contained ingredients we were unfamiliar with (or let alone pronounce). The ceviche starter was a combination of interesting ingredients, including scuppernong grapes & pork rinds! I went with our waitress' recommendation of Fish Toast with Succotash. I couldn't tell where the fish ended & toast began! Somewhat simple description & presentation, but incredibly complex taste! It was melt in your mouth divineness (if that isn't a word, I'm making it one)! My husband enjoyed his Fresh Catch Special - Grouper with Smoky Tomato Sauté. It was delicious, although he said he preferred the complex flavors or my dish more. Added bonus - the sunset was beautiful out the back window! We would definitely go back when in OBX!

We came here for a special occasion and upon our arrival, they didn't have record of our reservation. We booked the reservation on open table and even called the restaurant and spoke to someone who confirmed the res. We sat at the bar while we waited for the table and the bartender was very knowledgeable and friendly. He even gave us a glass of champagne to celebrate our occasion. Drinks were delicious. Once the table was ready, the hostess/busser told us and then just disappeared. She was super spacey and didn't seem like she knew what she was doing (hence why they didn't have our res). The vibe of the server, manager and hostess were WEIRD. It almost felt like you were in a simulation. Very robotic and just not warm at all. The manager kept coming by to see if everything was good. We said yes every time and she would kind of just stand there and stare, very strange. The food was delicious, portions were a little small but that's expected. All in all it was an okay place- they really need to train their staff (besides the bartenders) differently.

We're so glad we decided to have dinner here, even though we were told that the reviews were mixed on both food and service. The food was off the charts delicious, the service was attentive (though not rushed, which we prefer), and the view couldn't be beat. We used to come to this location when it was Kimball's Kitchen but stopped (because the food/service didn't live up to the obnoxiously expensive price points). So glad that Theodosia is here instead - the food is thoughtful and creative, the vibe is warm, and the overall experience was delightful. We hope to be back next season!

Theodosia had great food for my ladies n8ght out. My GF food was excellent. Will be back.

The food was absolutely incredible. Not a thing we tried that we didn't enjoy! Beautiful sunset over the water was an added bonus.

Outstanding experience. The food, drinks, staff and ambience are all on point. A step above anywhere else I tried on this trip.

We were so lucky to be able to sit at the chef's counter. Watching Chef Jonathan and his amazing staff was a joy! The food was delicious, the ambience lovely and the experience magical.

We were hopeful about trying Theodosia, especially with the reputation for good food. And to be fair, the food itself was solid -- well-prepared and flavorful. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. The service was some of the worst we've experienced anywhere. We were given warm water to start, and after ordering drinks, it took 40 minutes for them to arrive -- well after we had finished our appetizers. No explanation, no apology. Just completely inattentive and disorganized. When service is this poor, it overshadows the food entirely. We left frustrated and disappointed. There are plenty of other great spots in Duck -- we would not recommend this one. One star.

What an amazing experience! They couldn't find our 8pm reservation. We arrived very early because we knew the traffic on Saturday night is horrendous in Duck! They had an opening at the Chef's table so we were seated early there! What a fun experience. We got to watch the magic happen! The red drum toast was delicious but the most wonderful dish was the tomato pie! The best thing I've ever put in my mouth! We will definitely make the two hour trip back down again!

The baked oysters were the best I've ever had in my entire life. The service was amazing and you have to give it a try!

Best restaurant in Obx! Will come here anytime we're in town. Highly recommend the clam chowder, frogmore stew and peach cobbler. Sit by the kitchen if you can, the staff is incredibly friendly.

An objectively very nice restaurant however not one that I subjectively enjoyed very much. The food was quite good but a little too experimental in my opinion, all the staff were very kind, and the location is good, my one big complaint would be the seating the tables are high and the chairs are low it felt like eating on the floor. I would probably go again but only probably

Simply sensational! We came from VA Beach for Fathers Day dinner, and it was worth the 2 hour drive! Our server Lexy was fantastic and gave wonderful recommendations. We had the Ceviche and Bluefish appetizers. For our mains we got the Porchetta, Shrimp and Grit Soufflé and the Flounder Toast - all three were outstanding! We will definitely be back!

My husband and I were excited to make reservations at Theodosia for our 1 year wedding anniversary. I'll start by saying the ambiance was lovely. We arrived right at sunset and got a table right by the big window. It was beautiful. The interior is nothing short of lovely. As for the staff, I don't know if something happened that stressed everybody out, or if they're still working out the kinks of having just recently opened. Either way, the vibes were off. I won't be using names in this review but it took us 17 minutes of sitting before we received our waters and refills happened once despite how quickly we drank our waters. For our entrees my husband ordered the pan-seared black cobia. My husband loved the sauce on his dish the most and ate every bite. I ordered the crab and zucchini papardelle. It was lovely, with strong flavors or mint and a hint of spice from the jalapeños. I didn't finish my meal, as it felt more zucchini than crab, and I was hoping for more crab. Overall the food was great, but the service was lacking on this particular day.

Everything from food cocktails to service was amazing. Very good fish toast and pork.

Big fan of Vivian's restaurants, so I was very excited to try this one! The food was very good. We particularly enjoyed the appetizers--a tuna tartare and a ceviche. For entrees, one of us got the Local Catch Toast (sheepshead) and three of us got the Tomato Pie, because, honestly, it's hard to pass up. The fish was delicious and the tomato pie was as good as ever, though there was a noticeable, significant inconsistency in the proportions of ingredients, with one of them with way too much topping. Dessert was a very nice cobbler. The room is lovely, with an amazing view. Oddly for a newly renovated restaurant, the ceiling had a water mark and the bathroom was crazy hot--maybe some holdover flaws from the previous restaurant? Service was weaker than one would expect for the caliber of restaurant. Our server was very nice, but seemed out of his depth. No one cleared our cocktail glasses and they were slow to clear the appetizer plates. The place opened less than two months ago, so I would definitely try it again after they have time to work out the kinks.

Service and food were fantastic a true 10 experience. Food was delicious and loved having all the seafood options.

This was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had! The setting is stunning, the staff was so engaging, including celebrity chef Vivian Howard, and the food was out of this world! We sat at the chef's table and it was so entertaining. If you are on the Outer Banks, don't miss this unbelievable dining experience!

We had a party of 4 for dinner Thursday night and asked to be seated at a sound window as part of the reservation comments process. The service was outstanding- drinks were timely and the server did an excellent job of describing menu items and was very attentive. We had appetizers - oysters, shrimp and little stuffed rolls with cheese and apple preserves (all were excellent). For main entrees we have the tile fish, the crab cake with watermelon and shrimp and grits soufflé. Such unique and wonderful recipes, all were delicious. Make sure to leave room for dessert - the fruit cobbler was the best I'd ever had. As a special treat, Vivian Howard happened to be there and walked the floor greeting people, answering questions, and even brought food out from the kitchen to tables. And then they brought a complimentary Champagne flute to the table, we were celebrating a birthday. Overall experience was outstanding. The recent renovations are nice, and the views across the sound are stunning. It is not a large restaurant, so make reservations and book early in the evening if you can. From looking at previous reviews, it seems they are solving their start up/ service issues. I would highly recommend.

We had dinner here twice during our vacation. The food was very tasty - the tuna tartar, crab and zucchini "pappardelle", and duck standing out. But the highlight was definitely the drinks - each cocktail was fantastic, but definitely try the Pinhiller. Also, see if you can get a reservation at sunset and a table by the window - it's a fantastic setting!

We did not have a reservation but the hostess went out in the dining room, found two seats at the chefs table. We watched the chefs prepare every meal, the kitchen was ran like a well oiled machine. The entrées looked like and the ones we had were delicious! We liked so much we are going back tonight with a reservation!

From the very beginning, we had a feeling that all cylinders were not firing at this restaurant. Given it has just opened a month or so ago, we understand that things may not be perfect, but there was no grace, apologies, or "sorry's" given for what was quite frankly a poor dining experience. We were just two people dining, so not a big party. We ordered our drinks - took about 20 minutes for a cocktail to come. Our appetizers came before the wine (big service no no- give everyone their drinks before you start serving food!). White wine came out warm. Appetizers were delivered and they sent one (a salad) that we never ordered. They tried to send us the same salad again later, even though we did not order it, and we communicated multiple times that we were still waiting on an appetizer that we had ordered that seemed to never come. They tried to deliver our entrées, even though no one had cleared the plates and we had still not received our appetizer. After another 30 minutes of waiting and nobody clearing our appetizer plates, we finally got the final appetizer and then another 30 minutes after that we got our entrées. Long waits for OK food but not impressed at all with the service which killed the experience. Service was sub par. I'm not sure anybody is bussing the tables. No one is refilling wine glasses or waters. No one is checking in asking how we are- if we need anything - if the food tastes good- none of that. At the end of the night, my husband and I cheers-ed for our 10th anniversary and vowed to never come back. There was no acknowledgement of all the mixups, delayed timings, poor service, etc. all night. And yes, at the end of the night that salad they tried to deliver us multiple times it was on our bill! We kindly asked them to remove it and moved on.

We dined here very end of June, and were really excited about the new restaurant.... So I hate to say it but we were disappointed. Our server was great, super busy but still attentive. We would give him 5 stars! The menu is very limited, possibly appeals more to people who are used to southern dishes, but we struggled with the few options - we would give the menu 2 stars at most! We ordered the down east light rolls to start which were very good, and the flaked bluefish and potato puffs - we did NOT like that at all. The fish flavor was overwhelming and not pleasant. For our entrees, I got the tomato pie (I'm a vegetarian and have a shellfish allergy so almost nothing else to order), and it was just okay. My husband ordered the NY Strip which he thought was cooked perfect. Food would be a 3 1/2 stars for us. Hope to see more variety offered here but we don't feel a need to go back if there aren't changes.