1587 Restaurant

Great owner, delicious food, excellent wine selection, and a wonderful staff! Beautiful location and restaurant!

Great food, drinks and service. If you are seafood lover or vegetarian, try this when traveling to outer banks. We had seared tofu, portabello mushroom and the curry… alll hands down terrific taste and presentation. Nice view too.

I was temporarily torn deciding between 4 and 5 stars for this restaurant. In what must have been a tragic chain of events, they overcooked my steak. HOWEVER, everything else about this meal and overall dining experience was perfection. I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that the steak incident of 2015 was a one time thing and it will never happen again. The rest of the food was phenomenal!
First of all, the restaurant is located inside of a beautiful historic building, which is very fitting for its colonial surroundings (Roanoke, ghost tours, the Queen Elizabeth II replica etc.) The kitchen was out in the open. I thought it was pretty cool to watch the chefs cook our food.
The service was impeccable. We had a really great waitress named Megan (pronounced Meg-​Anne). She was a total sweetheart! She was so attentive and helpful in narrowing down our orders. The hostess, Shelby, was equally friendly. She had a permanent smile on her face, but not one of those annoying fake ones. She seemed like a genuinely positive person.
Next, the food: mouthwateringly delicious. We split the Pamlico Shrimp over parmesan & sweet pea risotto as our appetizer. Not even exaggerating, one of the best things I’ve ever tasted in my life. The flavoring was perfect, with just the right amount of cheese.
I ordered the filet medium rare, but it was served to me medium/​borderline medium well. I really don’t like my steak cooked to that degree, so I cannot fairly judge if it was good steak or not. However, the sides of asparagus, mushrooms, and white cheddar cake were so yummy! I also split this with my mom, who in turn shared her Grilled Tilefish over beets, corn and a summer succotash. That dish was light and amazing. My aunt ordered the Red Snapper over okra, summer relish and a blueberry reduction. Although I liked everything, the Snapper was definitely the best entrée. I should have known better than to stray from seafood in OBX. All of their seafood is caught locally.
Finally, we tried the Crème Brulee for dessert. I couldn’t put my finger on what they did differently, but every other restaurant that serves Crème Brulee should figure it out and imitate it. It was just in a category of its own! I would return in a heartbeat!

Been dining on the Outer Banks for over 30 yrs first time here and not sure we’d go back. Service was good, many helping hands but the food was just not best. Menu was very small and offerings were strange to say the least. Pork was very dry although ordered med. well, side dish of baked beans was so dry and bland you could choke on it. Dessert– the blueberry cobble was very watery and berries tasted like soap. Prices were way too steep– thank God we had a gift certificate. For fine dining on the OBX I’ll stay with the Colington Café.

1587 was a welcomed treat on our first night in Manteo. We were staying at the Tranquil Inn and made a reservation at the restaurant. My boyfriend was on a vegan diet, so the waiter suggested he chose a protein and the chef would get «free reign.» His dish was delicious with couscous, greens, and oysters piled high.
I had the fish of the day from Wanchese which was cooked to perfection. It could have used some acidity but overall the dish was simplistic enough as to let the fresh fish stand out on its own. This was served with a thyme polenta cake, leaks, and mushrooms.
We began our meal with the soup of the day, mushroom with truffle oil which was Delicious!
My two negatives are the price for which the vegan dish was quite expensive for the ingredients and the wine selection by the glass very minimal.
Service was very attentive and we returned the following night at the bar for appetizers. The risotto was heavy on white wine but nice and the Asian-​inspired scallops cooked to perfection. Overall, we enjoyed our entrees the first night most. The atmosphere is romantic but still casual enough. Give it a go if you are in Manteo. It was the best we had all weekend.

Grilled Tuna was awesome!

This is a nice restaurant to go to when your looking for something special. My 16-​year-​old daughter and I went here last night and had a lovely meal. We split the gazpacho which was a cold, sweet, peach and? based soup with lump crab meat on top. The amount of crab was a bit sparse, but the soup was good. I had the pork shank which was cooked perfectly and very, very good. Served with fresh succotash and top with a very good, non creamy slaw. Excellent. My daughter had the NY strip, which she enjoyed, but looked thin to me. I had a bite and it was pretty close to the medium she order, possibly a shade over that, but tasty.
For dessert, I had the warm blueberry cobbler served with a side of vanilla ice cream, which was delicious. If I were to play food critic, I’d say the blueberry-​to-​crumble ratio was a bit crumble heavy and the crumble could have used a touch more butter, but trust me when I say it was very good despite that! My daughter had the crème brûlée, which she enjoyed, but I did not try. I was too full by this point! She said the custard was very good and rich. The presentation was very nice, but the brûlée (top crust of burnt sugar) was a bit thick and a little heavy on the torch.
Our server seemed new. Very nice and friendly, and took time to answer a number of questions we had, but I was expecting a bit more attention. Forgot to bring bread when my daughter asked for more and was slow to check in after we finished our entrees. We were there on a Thursday at 7:15 and it was busy but not hopping. Our dishes came out timely and warm.
Overall, a very nice meal. This is only my second review, so I’m saving my five stars for truly exceptional dining experiences.

This was one of the best meals I’ve had in the outer banks in years. The restaurant is not obvious from the road, as it’s hidden in the tranquil house, but it is well worth the short drive from nags head. There is a beautiful view of the marina and sunset (if you’re going for dinner).
All of the food is delicious, but I highly recommend the tuna from the menu. We had their cobbler made from local blueberries — again, delicious!
Try it out. You won’t be disappointed!

Don’t get me wrong, this place is one of the very few «fine dining» locales in this area of the outer banks – however, it needs some work to justify it’s «fine dining» prices.
My wife and I have been here several times and we have never had a particularly bad meal. The food always seems fresh and well prepared, but we’ve never been blown away by presentation or taste, for that matter. On our most recent visit (last week), the waitress was inattentive – bordering apathy. We were often ignored and even simple pleasantries (thank you, you’re welcome) were missing from her vocabulary. This can occasionally be overlooked on a busy night, but the restaurant was less than half full and well staffed.
The view is great and the menu is good but we would be hesitant to dine here again due to our recent experience and the abundance of other restaurants in the surrounding area.

Great high-​end food. My wife and I love it for date-​night in obx.
Great bar-​staff as well. Enjoyed a fantastic cocktail before dinner.

I love this place! We came here two times this trip… sooo worth it… it wasn’t expensive at all… we had 2 special appetizers and 2 appetizers off the menu. both of us had a Main course .and 1 was a special as well. we had 2 deserts, a bottle of red wine… and it only cost us $ 139… Can’t beat that… besides the fact you are on vacation… I will be back next trip !

Gorgeous restaurant, wonderful menu. I ordered the pork «medallions» which I have had in the finest of restaurants. Their website boasted world class chefs so I was very excited about coming here. However, when my meal arrived, it was pork chops, not pork mediallions which are from the finest cut of the pork. Pork medallions are the pork tenderloin, they are not pork chops. I was served pork «chops». My significant other ordered the half chicken. Instead of a half chicken which would consist of a breast, leg and thigh, he received two leg and thigh pieces. Cutting corners in a restaurant like this will only hurt them in the long run. When a diner pays the price for fine dining, they expect fine dining at its best, as advertised. The waitress had a dull unfriendly personality. When I asked about the pork she pretty much shrugged it off. She should have had the chef come out to speak to us regarding our meal, or the manager. Also, only one merlot to choose from by the glass. There should be at LEAST two. And last but not least, 20% tip was tacked on to our bill. There were only two of us. This is not acceptable. Will not return. Thank you for listening.

I usually only review places I really like, buuuut I took my girlfriend here for her birthday last week and was disappointed. The location was great, right on the water, and the restaurant was beautiful. Now don’t get me wrong; the food wasn’t bad… it just wasn’t great. And for the price, it should be great…
She got mahi-​mahi cakes which were «just ok» and «a little dry» according to her. And I ordered a medium-​rare filet, which was cooked to more than medium. I tried to just eat it, but it was dry and tough… and when you spend $ 32 on a filet it should be cooked correctly, right? So when the waiter came to check on us (5 minutes later), I showed him that it was overcooked and he offered to take it back. I know it’s a simple mistake, heck I’ve overcooked steaks or tuna before too, so I wasn’t mad or anything.
But when it came back out, I was given a lesser piece of filet (smaller, thinner) and it was plated with the reheated sides that were on my original plate (presentation was thrown out the window too). I could tell because my bite marks were still there. I mean, if they messed it up, shouldn’t I get a fresh start to my meal and not reheated sides? Maybe not, but it irked me a little. Plus the fact that there was no apology for the inconvenience. Also, my new filet was cooked correctly this time, but was still tough, and still not that great. The demi glaze was bland too; the gorgonzola polenta cake, which was reaaally good, was the saving grace.
Looking back on it, I wish we had gone to Owens’, Colington Café, or JK’s. All the same price range, all better in my opinion. We actually skipped dessert at 1587 and went to Colington Café to get their dessert and drink some champagne so we could end on a more positive note!
Again, it wasn’t bad… but it wasn’t great.

Great food, wine, deserts… with a nice view overlooking the docks. Will definitely return on next trip.

The food was alright… but they forgot our reservation. It took an hour just to get our appetizer. Don’t come here if you’re in a hurry! Would not come here again.

We ate here for our anniversary during a trip to the OBX. Amazing food! And such a great atmosphere. Romantic waterfront dining. Pricey but worth it. Good wine list.

We came here before going to the Lost Colony at the Waterside Theater with a large group of 11 people. We got reservations and were offered the family table near the entrance where we could all sit together or separate tables with a great water view. We opted for the family table, and it was just fine.
This is a wonderful location, and the menu is superb. Our server was just great and our food was delicious. **We used Foursquare to «checkin» and got 20% off our bill — food AND alcohol were included. ** Although this is an upscale restaurant, we were comfortable in dressy tops and shorts. The men were in shorts and polo/​golf/​Tommy Bahama camp style shirts.
The menu offered various seafood and non seafood items, including a terrific prix fixe menu where you could choose from various appetizers, soup, salad, entrees and dessert.
Our party had the following:
Mahi mahi — delicious
Crabcake — delicious, mostly crab, no filling
Grilled tuna on white bean/​tomato– delicious
See a pattern here?
Their house salad consisted of fresh Melon and Strawberries, aged White Cheddar, Sunflower Seeds and Champagne Vinaigrette.
One food item I missed out on was the Black and White truffle mac and cheese. Well, next time…
Desserts were worth missing our behind the scenes tickets for the Lost Colony. Crème brûlée, Tempura banana with coconut ice cream and chocolate bon something that was rich and creamy!
They do have a vegetarian menu, which is hard to find, especially around seafood locations.
When I win the lottery, this is the place I will fly my private jet and have dinner once a week!

Enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.

Good local seafood in a nice waterfront setting, the 1587 introduced me to the joys of rare, seared tuna. It’s in a nice location in downtown Manteo and is run with care and understated sophistication. Outer Banks dining in style!

We make a point of dining at 1587 whenever we are visiting the Outer Banks. This restaurant, as well as The Full Moon, are must visits when in Manteo. Waterfront dining. A great wine list. Excellent Food.
The important thing to remember is that the atmosphere, the quality of food, and the quality of service are definitely in line with the price. A good value and a good time for all.
For those who remember «The Best of…» on FoodTV … this is a Best of restaurant.