Theodosia

Name: Theodosia
Address: 1461 Duck Road, Duck, NC, United States, 27949
Telephone: (252) 261-8419
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4

4 (116)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

1461 Duck Road, Duck, NC 27949

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 3, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 31 times today

About this restaurant

Great for scenic views
Good for special occasions
Charming

North Carolina native, award-winning chef, and New York Times best-selling author Vivian Howard opened her latest culinary concept, Theodosia, at The Sanderling Resort! Every element of this new dining destination will reflect the culture and history of the Outer Banks, creating a connection to a distinctive place and time.

Named for Theodosia Burr—daughter of the infamous Aaron Burr, wife of South Carolina Governor Joseph Alston, and the subject of centuries-old folklore about a ship lost at sea near the Outer Banks—Theodosia will evoke mystery and intrigue. The waterfront setting invites guests to ponder her fate as she journeyed from SC to NY in the early 19th century.

The dining room features rich, feminine textures, soft lighting, and views of the Currituck Sound’s endless horizon. The menu celebrates the region’s salt marshes and fishing heritage, blending tradition with Howard’s signature innovative Southern cuisine.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Comfort Food, Seafood
Hours of operation
Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(252) 261-8419
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Resort Casual
Executive chef
Vivian Howard

Location
1461 Duck Road, Duck, NC 27949
Neighborhood
Duck
Parking details
Private Lot
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 116 people are saying

Theodosia reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0

4.0 based on recent ratings

4.1Food
3.9Service
4.4Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Coastal North Carolina
Innovative
Coastal North Carolina
Hot spot
Coastal North Carolina
Great for scenic views
Coastal North Carolina
Most Booked
Outer Banks
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Theodosia offers a "wonderful coastal dining experience" with a "gorgeous setting" and "exceptional flavors." The atmosphere is elegant with a "beautiful view" of the water. While some dishes receive mixed reviews, the ceviche and tomato pie are standout choices. Service shows promise, though improvements in timing are noted.

116 Reviews

S
Sam VIP
Washington, D.C. Area1 review
3.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Incredibly understaffed for a holiday week. We weren’t seated until 25 minutes after our reservation and were put in a corner on top of the patrons next to us. We ordered a bottle of wine immediately when we sat down and that took 20 minutes to come out to us. The crab claw appetizer had no flavor and the tuna tartar was okay. The blue tile entree made up for the rest of the meal though. I’d recommend eating at the bar instead of waiting for a table. Bartenders were super friendly and accommodating. The cocktail list was super creative - I wanted to try every cocktail on the menu
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S
Steven
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill6 reviews
1.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Certainly! Here’s a one-star restaurant review for Theodosia in Duck, NC, based on your experience: ⸻ ⭐☆☆☆☆ Disappointing Experience Despite Good Food 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.
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A
April VIP
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill5 reviews
2.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 5
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Food was amazing, but not worth the experience. We waited for an hour and a half when our waiter mentioned “confusion” in the kitchen. Our order had apparently gotten lost. We were sandwiched in amongst other two tops who all experienced some level of issue. Hopefully they can get the kinks worked out. Food is great, it’s a beautiful location. Be sure to ask for a seat by the window. They refused to move us even though those tables sat empty.
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L
Lindsay
Philadelphia County1 review
3.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
My husband and I were very excited that there was a fine dining restaurant in the Outer Banks. I made reservations about a month in advance for our wedding anniversary dinner. The building is beautiful and I absolutely loved the interior design. We were seated when we arrived but then waited a good 10 minutes before our waitress spoke to us and gave us water. She was incredibly friendly and helpful- no issue with the service. Our biggest issue was the food quality and price. We knew we were going to spend a decent amount and we are glad to as long as the food is good. We are also fine if portion sizes are smaller, but the food should be flavorful. Both of our entrees lacked flavor (see photos) and did not leave us feeling satisfied. Our appetizer (Shrimp 2 ways) was the best dish we had in the restaurant, however, it came with 5 shrimp in the shrimp cocktail & the shrimp “ball” is a spoonful of what looks to be a dip. We felt we spent way too much money on small portion sizes and flavorless food. I also have a gluten intolerance and the menu lacks allergen labeling. I also did not have many options for my dietary needs. We received a dessert menu, but decided to buy dessert elsewhere as each dessert cost minimum $12 each. Our bill came to around $120 before tip. We actually had to buy dinner at a local restaurant afterwards because we left hungry & dissatisfied. The only really great thing was the atmosphere. We enjoyed the decor and the chairs were very comfortable. It was a romantic setting where we sat back and relaxed. We were just a bit upset to have spent so much money on average food that, in my opinion, is not authentic or inspired by the Outer Banks. I hate to be so harsh because we love dining local and loved the Sanderling resort, but I wouldn’t want another couple to book here and have the same experience.
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M
Megan
Charlotte1 review
3.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Overall, I was disappointed with the experience. Our reservations were for 8:00, we arrived at 7:30 knowing we’d be early and planned to get a drink at the bar first. At about 8:15 I asked the hostess if we’d be seated soon and she said sorry, they were trying to get people cleared out. That wasn’t a problem, but a few minutes later, she came back and told us the table was ready and took our party of 4. However, she took us to a 2-top, forgetting that we were 4 people. Once we reminded her that we were actually a party of 4, she said “oh well then it will be awhile”. Long story short, we were seated at about 8:30. Once seated, our waitress was very slow to do take drinks. She did give us water immediately but then it took her another 20 minutes to come back and take our drink orders, and that was after we stopped her and asked. The same was true for appetizers and entrees. We didn’t end up eating until 10:00, and considering we had 8:00 reservations, this was definitely later than we’d expected. The appetizers were great-we had the ceviche and the baked oysters. The entrees were not as good (tile fish was decent, shrimp and grits were bland and had only had a few shrimp.) Not sure what’s going on-we’ve been here many times before prior to it changing to Theodosia, and the service and food were always amazing. Hopefully these are just growing pains and the food and service will be back to what it was-we have always loved coming in!
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C
Chris VIP
St. Louis2 reviews
3.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Food was great. The service was what was lacking. Reservation for 8PM, but not seated until 8:40PM. Servicer was extremely polite and professional, but it took over 2 hours to get our mains. Food is worth the wait, but know that you will have a wait.
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A
Anita
Virginia1 review
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Loved the laid-back, southern vibe! Great food, great server and bar experience.The kitchen may have been a little behind. Otherwise, a wonderful experience for our 30th anniversary at the Sanderling.
1 person found this helpful
S
Susan
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This newest of Vivian Howard's efforts offers fabulous views of the Currituck sound, ambience that suits the location and culinary offerings primarily of local seafood , and staff that go out of their way to make the customers happy. My husband and I had out first "taste" of The Theodosia experience recently and were not disappointed. The Tomato pie is not to be missed.
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E
Eric
Greensboro / Winston Salem / Highpoint1 review
4.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Growing pains with reservation system and seating on time....but, well worth the wait. Tuna Tartar, Tile Fish and Pork Belly were all 9/10. Lemon Pie 10/10.
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L
Logan
Charlotte2 reviews
4.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Beautiful restaurant and location. My wife and I were very excited to see Vivian Howard’s new place. We have been to her restaurants in Kinston and love her cookbooks and her show. One thing I think a lot of reviews thus far don’t take into consideration is that they’ve been open less than a month. While I realize most people do not have service industry experience, I do wish more people understood how hard it is to have immediate, consistent success. My wife and I met working in a restaurant and I’m still a chef in Charlotte. So I would love to provide some observant words of encouragement from my experience. The ambiance and decor is a 10/10. I was fortunate enough to sit with my wife at a two top by a window during sunset. I noticed some of the other two tops mentioned in other reviews in a negative light. They’ve either spread them out a bit or people were exaggerating. Everyone in the restaurant was really enjoying themselves. Everything we tried food wise was excellent and my specialty cocktail was fantastic. I had the Sea Oar, a super refreshing margarita with Furikake. We had the Crab Claws, The Blueberry BBQ Duck, and the Strip. Great flavors and execution. Duck and Steak were cooked perfectly. I was trying to figure out exactly how they prepared the potato with the steak. A pretty cool “twice baked” vibe but presented differently than I’ve ever seen. We finished with the Lemon Pie. Also excellent. Healthy portion, not too tart, not too sweet. However, we did have a couple of issues that I would want to be aware of as the chef/owner. We were sat 15 minutes after our reservation. Not a big deal, and the manager acknowledged the issue and offered a dessert on the house. The worse flaw was our drinks took about 30 minutes to come out. Our appetizer was dropped before our drinks 😬 that should never happen. We finished the app and still no drinks. I think if the FOH staff worked more cohesively they can absorb these issues in their busiest times. Best of luck!
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FAQs

Theodosia is rated 4 stars by 116 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 3, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 31 times today

1461 Duck Road, Duck, NC 27949

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Duck
Hours of operation
Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Comfort Food, Seafood
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Resort Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Vivian Howard
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Phone number
(252) 261-8419

Theodosia

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 116 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Theodosia restaurant rated?

Is Theodosia currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information