Rundown Cafe

OMG! We decided to go outside the comfort zone. First time here. Walked in.... Right to the downstairs (same level) bar. Orange crush!! I feel like I'm at the beach! Margarita! Great. Kristin was on top of things. Chips, salsa, queso. Get these while getting your drinks. So good. Got the cajun shrimp pasta. Kristin recommended! so good. Shrimp tacos. Great! Vibe was awesome! Kristin was awesome! The support staff... runners, bus folks.. awesome too! So coming back! You need to be here!

This is a re-review based on a recent visit. I brought my guests here for a light lunch. My wife and I usually eat here and the food is usually good. This last visit fell short of my expectations. I brought 5 old friends here to enjoy a nearby lunch. Light lunch was our intention. We ordered beers and they were fine.Food was not fresh. I had a. Arafat salad that was served with "soggy" croutons. Not sure how this could happen unless the salad fixings w ere preserved and refrigerated. The others ordered light meals such as the tuna bites and the tacos. Nothing memorable. Hope this was just an "off day"

We were in the mood for seafood and Rundown Cafe had high reviews. We came here early afternoon, it was not busy at all. Our server was friendly and attentive to our table. The ambiance is a chill spot and ironically isn't 'rundown.' At the time of our visit their rooftop deck/patio was under renovation. The food we got was exactly what we were looking for. It was delicious! The crab cake burger was so good. They serve their dishes with a chipotle tartar sauce and its boss! Overall this place was a total win and we'd come back in the future!

Food was delicious. I had the shrimp tacos. There are lots of shrimp on the three tacos. The coleslaw and avocado added great taste and texture. My husband had the mahi blackened sandwich. We would both order the same again.Our waiter was friendly and attentive. The only issue was that it was ridiculously cold in the restaurant. It was 58 outside but was probably 55 or less inside. Maybe the goal is to sell their sweatshirts.

With a name like 'rundown cafe', I was not sure what to expect. But at 3;30pm on a Saturday, this place was packed. (Mostly with people drinking) and it was loud. Everyone was having a good time. I don't drink, but if I did I would come here. So got a burger with a gluten free bun because I am celiac. It was ok. I would probably not get it again. It was ok. I was told the wings were ok but that person would not get them again. The staff was very accommodating of getting something gluten free. I appreciated it.

This was our first lunch stop on our trip to the OBX and it was pretty good! We started off with the chips, salsa and queso. Chips and queso were delicious but the salsa tasted off to us. We mentioned it to our server and she was kind enough to bring us an extra queso for us! We ordered the fried shrimp tacos and they were fresh and crispy. The black beans were good and the rice was okay. Could have been cooked more. Our server was kind and attentive. We were here for a late lunch and it was not overly busy for a Monday in August.

Well.... first off the name of this place is pretty uninviting, but comically we gave this place a try. The ambiance was lackluster and so was the service. The hostess station was a hang-out for her friends as we waited a few moments to be acknowledged to be seated. I tried a mojito and wasn't expecting much as the waiter seemed confused when I ordered it. It came out kinda watered down. I ordered the Jerk burger, but they were out of jerk sauce. So I ordered the Cali. It was actually pretty tasty. The beef was cooked perfectly and the roll was fresh. The beach fries were pretty good too. Parking was adequate.

Food was great, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere was enjoyable. We've driven by but never stopped in. Glad we did!

I wish i could give this restaurant a better review. It's a very convenient location, and the hostess and our waiter was very kind. The food is as expected, pretty good. However, we were sat outside in summer and had to endure the clouds of cigarette smoke from employees on their break..

Welcome home. A pile of big beautiful fat fried oysters, super friendly, on the ball, & just-laid-back-enough service, unbeatable view (especially upstairs!), and locals dropping in to swap stories & welcome newcomers. This is what people that know mean when we talk about what Southern Shores "used" to be. Juuuust about dadgum perfect. You're welcome, y'all.