On the Square

We were visiting friends in Tarboro and we went here for lunch. Nice place, staff is very friendly and most important the food was delicious. It was full for lunch but we didn’t have a long wait for our food to come out. If ever in the area a must try, might be the only nice place!

It was okay. The service was great. Food was a little pricey for the portion. The food was good, but two people in our party got food when we left. I ordered the leg of lamb, it was six pieces of sliced lamb leaned up against a half of baked and sliced potato for 26 dollars. The lamb and potato where cooked well. The atmosphere was okay, it looked like you put a restaurant in an old bank. Not made a restaurant out of an old bank. It felt like a low end Chef and The Farmer without the lower end prices. But without a doubt the best thing in Tarboro and Edgecombe county.

This is one of the best restaurants that you will ever eat in I’m serious. I’ve eaten a ton of great food and this husband & wife (worked in NYC) team know what they are doing. If you are ever near Tarboro please eat & drink here. Next time I’m in ill post some pics of the seasonal local fare.

This place has become our absolute favorite restaurant in Eastern NC. The food is extremely consistent, and by consistent I mean incredibly good. The petit filet is the best steak I have ever had in NC (and I am super picky, being from Kansas City and all). I dream about that petit filet mignon at on the square! The calamari is also to die for, as is the tuna appetizers. If they have any sort of seafood chowder, order it or you are definitely missing out. Which brings me to the wine… Amazing wine selection. Top 2 (with Chef and the Farmer) in Eastern NC. Extremely reasonable prices, we always find a bottle we like when we go. And their selections by the glass are always inventive. I cannot say enough good things about On the Square.

Although the lunch my husband and I ordered on the way back from the OBX was perfectly satisfactory, I feel compelled to give it only 2 stars. Hers’s why– when I walked in to pick up my take out order dressed in a T shirt, shorts and sneakers, I was given a serious stink eye by the woman behind the register, as well as the table of Tarrboro’s finest sitting in the back. Although I too hail from a small town and understand how strangers are often scrutinized, this establishment may want to take a second look at the environment it has created. Welcoming traveling Unilocalers who are picking up lunch may be a wise business decision. The unsweetened tea was quite tasty, by the way.

Delicious food, gracious staff, just off the highway. This restaurant is an absolute GEM!!!

Nice little gem. Very good ambiance for lunch. Scallops & greens salad tasted very good… would have been even better with a few more scallops. :P

In Tarboro visiting family. This place is a little GEM!!! Great service, great sandwiches, great atmosphere

This is a superb restaurant with an outstanding wine selection. It’s upscale but trying to be laid back about it. The restaurant was full of people. I recommend buying wine in their wine shop too, since you can get good recommendations. After I dinner, I asked the sommelier if she would like to sell me a bottle and she just lit up in the nicest way: «I would love to sell you some wine!» Here’s what impressed me: she spoke not just in some crass business manner: it was immediately clear she really loves wine. That’s the difference at a place like this — you can tell there is something sincere below the surface. Wonderful. The food was well prepared and nicely presented. The most memorable for me was the «Duet of Duck» that we enjoyed with a bottle of Koehler-​Ruprecht 2007 pinot noir. Wow.

one of the best restaurants in Eastern North Carolina! Great, great, great FOOD! this is a must if you have never been. You must try the grilled romaine salad.

We were on our way to Elizabeth City and had the great fortune to find On The Square restaurant on Unilocal.It was amazing. I had the chicken scaloppine and my husband had the strip steak. It was so delicious. Served hot and fresh. The atmosphere was quaint and the service was superior!

I was in town on business when a colleague suggested we eat here. It’s a cute little place in downtown and was very busy even after the lunch hour (we came in a little after 1pm).
Now when you walk in, don’t expect a maître’d to escort you to a table; you are in rural eastern NC. We had to order our food at the counter and then find a table ourselves.
I ordered the Hot Roast Beef which was, hands down, the best roast beef sandwich I’ve ever eaten. Juicy and tender. The caramelized onions and roasted red pepper added to the flavor and texture. Delicious!
I only wish I lived closer so I can go back and try their other items. I gave 4 stars because the waitstaff walked by several times without checking on us. Had they stopped I would’ve sent compliments to the chef.

Went and had a great time with another couple. The food was good but not great — especially for the $$$. Everything needed salt/​seasoning — just overall bland and disappointing b/​c I have heard such great things. Maybe it just didn’t live up to the hype. The waitstaff was not really that nice either. I don’t know that I would go back especially since we made a special trip from Washington. Matter of fact the best thing about the meal was the salad and the company.

This restaurant was top drawer across the board! The food, the selection, the service, the price … this place was a total surprize. A gem in eastern North Carlina.
We each had a petit filet with a carrot/​potato mash. Tender, succulent, done to perfection at medium. Even the clientele and the bartender were friendly and very personable.
In the immortal words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, «I’ll be back!»

Amazing! I love love love this place! The menu changes, but if it has corn or ginger in it, it is awesome! Never lets me down! LOVE the sushi truck too!

This is our maybe fourth visit and it never disappoints. We live in San Francisco and are just as happy in On the Square as Chez Panisse in Berkeley based on the fresh ingredients and the friendly service. We were a party of six with two kids and the kids plates were a treat. Filet on one and pork tenderloin on the other with onion rings and corn mashed potatoes. Yummy.
For the adults, several had Pan Sautéed Grouper with succotash bread pudding and grilled watermelon. Fish was cooked perfectly and had a nice tasty crunch. The bread pudding with corn and Lima beans was great and the grilled watermelon offered a nice cool contrast. M had the veal scallopinie on orzo and shared some with me. Great taste with just the right flavor of capers.
But wait — that’s more. You probably have never heard about the Parade of Desserts, but we could not decide so we just invented it. We had the following: carrot cake, strawberry shortcake, blueberry clobber, molten chocolate cake, and fried peach pie. We cut all into 6 pieces and the plates paraded around the table so all could share. All were great, but the carrot cake was really special and light and airy. Great way to finish our meal
On the Square is a great reason to visit NC and Tarboro

Excellent lunch spot — great atmosphere and fast and friendly service.

We have some friends who live in Scotland Neck and usually when we get together it’s in foodie Durham. However, they mentioned this unusual spot they frequent in Tarboro and we decided to head to their turf. I’ve had limited exposure to dining in eastern NC apart from bbq spots, so my expectations were low. «Fine dining» in Tarboro? What is a Tarboro anyway…
After a consult with google maps, we headed out. Tarboro, as it turns out, is a pretty quaint little town, and the little brick building that houses the restaurant seemed compatible with the feel of the town, happily well-​worn and well-​loved. We had reservations and the table was a little awkwardly placed and I was sandwiched between a pole and another table. Not a deal breaker, just a little uncomfortable. First world problems…
We started with calamari appetizer which was probably among the best I’ve ever had. The breading was clearly homemade, savory, well cooked and there was a red pepper honey glaze drizzled over it which tantalized my tastebuds. Savory here, sweet there and a little dash of heat in the middle. It’s not on the menu, but we highly recommend it. They had a special of chicken livers and for whatever reason, it piqued my interest and ordered the app size. They were fried and served in a mushroom sauce and mashed potato. They were fine, but I’d stick with the calamari.
I got the shrimp/​mussel thai curry which was pretty average. Description sounded flavorful, but it tasted muted and slightly bland. Not bad, just not unique I guess. Wife got the swordfish with strawberry pico de gallo and that was really delicious. Fish was well seared and the punch of the pico complemented the milder meat. Friends got the chicken and waffles which were above average. Not at the dame’s level, but a good sweet/​savory mix. Finally there was a grilled romain salad which was half a stalk of romain lettuce, lightly grilled and drizzled with cheese, balsamic and other toppings.
Desserts were good, strawberry short cake, carrot cake and chocolate lava were all above avg. I don’t count much for service anywhere I go, I eat out for the food and to not do dishes. Service here for those interested was ok. Server was nice, but took her time. It was saturday night and relatively busy. Nothing really stood out, took a while to get desserts and a check, but we were in good company so it wasn’t a big problem. She didn’t seem to know a lot about the menu and wasn’t too helpful with recommendations, but was affable enough and various staff came and filled up drinks. Again, just average.
For what it is and the location, we had an enjoyable meal. Dishes are hit or miss, but when they do it right, it’s really right! They are more on the expensive side and I feel like they are trying to be fine dining, but are not quite making it. That’s not to say the food wasn’t good overall. We were definitely satisfied. And will likely go back when it’s convenient. Probably won’t make another special trip for it though. For a one time visit, I’d give it 3.5 if I could, but has potential to be a solid 4. So, rounded up for expanding better cuisine in a rural area! Bold move and hopefully they will keep getting better.

I am blown away there aren’t more reviews for this awesome place! Hands down the best in Tarboro, heck even Eastern NC! I rated 4 stars as opposed to 5 because I am holding them to the same standards that I would any place in RVA, DC, and other larger cities. And I should, the owner is very well known in the wine and culinary world of NYC.
The menu offerings are almost without exception local, creative, and prepared exceptionally well. I have never had a bad meal here. The sushi is (surprisingly) very good and I hear they have even opened a food truck dedicated to just sushi.
The beer and wine choices are always fantastic, which is the very last thing one would expect in such a small, sleepy albeit charming town. It is evident that the owner takes great care to choose the wine and beer carefully.
If you’re ever within an hour’s drive of this place, it is absolutely worth a visit for dinner!

This review is for lunch, which I understand is a very different experience than dinner.
I’m not the type to give small towns special passes and ratings on their food just because they’re small towns, and 3 stars is what I would give On the Square’s lunch if it were in Any City, USA.
Lunch is counter-​order only (despite waiters bringing the food out), meaning if you end up wanting anything else as you go through the meal, you have to get up and stand through the line all over again. I had that experience and stood there looking longingly at my food.
Despite the longing, my food — a grilled pimento cheese and a scoop of potato salad — decidedly did not knock my socks off. The sandwich was good, but far from memorable. (This coming from a guy who frequently has insatiable pimento cheese cravings, and is thus perhaps more likely to have gooey sandwich on the brain.) The potato salad was very smooth and very bland — and I usually like smooth, bland potato salad, so I can’t imagine what others must think.
Nice beer selection.
Carrot cake (which I ordered to-​go and ate later) was just ok too; at $ 3.50 for a not-​huge slice, I’ll skip it and go for a cappuccino muffin down the street at Addie’s for less than half the price.
On the Square is definitely the «good food» option in downtown Tarboro, and I’m sure I would return for lunch again if I come back through. It’s a cute space and I’d like to sample some other things.
And although I must try dinner one day to see what all the hype is about, I approach it with caution — with far steeper prices than lunch, it better not be anywhere near as forgettable.