On The Square

Name: On The Square
Address: 115 East St. James Street, Tarboro, NC, United States, 27886
Telephone: (252) 823-8268
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.8

4.8

1232 Reviews

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Top Tags:

Due to limited seating, we are only accepting in-house reservations. Please call the restaurant directly for a reservation.

Located in Historic Downtown Tarboro, one of the oldest towns in North Carolina, On the Square Restaurant offers seasonal, sustainable ingredients that are celebrated throughout the ever-changing menu. Open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and for lunch on Monday through Friday, we are as proud of our food and comfortable atmosphere as we are of our eclectic and value-driven wine list.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

May 28, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 4 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(252) 823-8268

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Thursday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Phone number
(252) 823-8268
Website
http://www.onthesquarenc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Stephen Ribustello
Catering
We offer catering of every kind. From box lunches to weddings, we are happy and able to provide food and wine for your special event.

Location
115 East St. James Street, Tarboro, NC 27886
Neighborhood
Tarboro
Cross street
Main Street
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

90 Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Char-grilled 8 oz. Burger$8.50
Sterling silver ground chuck, lettuce, tomato, purple onion, kaiser roll
Reuben$7.50
Corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss, thousand island, grilled rye
Rachel$7.50
Turkey, swiss, coleslaw, thousand island, grilled rye
Hot Roast Beef$7.50
Caramelized red onion, roasted bell peppers, lettuce, melted provolone, kaiser roll
Turkey & Cranberry$7.95
Cream Cheese, sprouts, red onion, cranberry sauce, honey wheat bread
Grilled Pork Tenderloin$7.95
Sterling silver pork, lettuce, tomato, horseradish honey-mustard, poppy seed kaiser
Vegetable Sandwich$7.95
Cucumber, lettuce, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, red onion, roasted red peppers, havarti, balsamic vinaigrette, honey wheat bread
Grilled Chicken Breast$7.50
Havarti, lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill dressing, honey wheat bread
Cold Roast Beef$7.50
Horseradish dressing, lettuce, tomato, red onion, kaiser roll
Fried Oyster Sandwich$8.95
Chipotle aioli, slaw, kaiser roll
3D Club$7.50
Ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato
Boar's Head Hot Dog$4.50
Garden Burger$6.95
Lettuce, tomato, onion, kaiser roll
Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad Melt$6.95
Grilled Cheese$5.95
Pimento Cheese$5.95
BLT$5.95
Salad & 1/2 Sandwich$5.50
Pimento cheese, grilled cheese, BLT or peanut butter & jelly
Soup & 1/2 Sandwich$6.00
Pimento cheese, grilled cheese, BLT or peanut butter & jelly

Salads

Add On's: Tuna or Chicken salad or Grilled chicken $2.50

Cobb Salad$7.50
Mesclun mix, grilled chicken, hard boiled egg, blue cheese, crumbled bacon, red onion, tomato, sunflower seeds
Chef's Salad$7.50
Mixed greens, Boar's head meats & cheeses, hard boiled egg, red onion, cucumber, tomato, sunflower seeds
Cranberry Salad$6.95
Baby greens, dried cranberries, pecans, blue cheese, buttermilk ranch
House Salad$4.95
Mixed greens, cucumber, red onion, tomato, sunflower seeds

Daily Pasta Dish

Daily Pasta Dish$10.00

Vegan & Gluten Free

Stir Fry Rice Noodles$8.95
Vegetables, ginger-scallion, tofu
Baked Potato & Salad$5.50

Desserts

Desserts$3.50
Made Daily

What 1,232 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Best Overall
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Best Food
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Best Value
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Great for fine wines
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill
Contemporary American
Raleigh
Best Overall
Raleigh
Best Food
Raleigh
Best Value
Raleigh
Great for fine wines

Sort by

DD
DianaD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Staff is very knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly! Food was excellent and was celebrating a birthday and they put in their own special touch on the dessert!
T
Todd
Wilmington
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 19, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Great place, wonderful ambiance, friendly staff. Definitely would recommend.
WL
WurL
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food. Took my mom for a late Mother’s Day celebration and she loved the food, atmosphere and everything!
TB
TamaraB
Charlotte
3 reviews
vip
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 15, 2023
overall3food3service2ambience4
Bait and switch on the soup (ordered the daily soup and it changed between when ordered and when served without notice) new soup was seafood which was not ok for some in our party due to sensitivity. Tried to make it right but with the pay first model, we ended up paying for more than what we got. Food overall was fine.
GP
GeneP
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Awesome meal. Quiet small restaurant, great ambiance, reservations definitely required.
SB
SherrillB
Raleigh
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We celebrated our friends birthday On the Square. The food was so delicious, the service was excellent. We enjoyed our experience and didn't feel rushed. Our friends enjoyed thier meal and especially the dessert.
LB
LisaB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 28, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
My husband and I went for our anniversary dinner. We loved the experience and plan to go again.
EL
EleL
Raleigh
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 27, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience2
Mussels too spicy. Salmon and fish good but potato needed seasoning and very runny. Chocolate molten cake very runny. Needed another minute in oven. Celebrating 55 anniversary but nothing done. Service good but needed to pour wine as server not available.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Richmond
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on April 22, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food and service never disappoint! I highly recommend.
SM
SusanM
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The best. Consistent quality and service. I highly recommend.
MS
MichaelS
Raleigh
13 reviews
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on April 15, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience4
The food was fantastic, as usual. What was very unusual was the very slow service. For some reason it appears the kitchen was very backed up, even though the restaurant was not abnormally busy.
DE
DEACONfan
Raleigh
22 reviews
vip
5.0
22 reviews
Dined on April 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
As usual, great food, wine and service. Fun location.
n
notalocal
Charleston
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Good food and service. Saw lots of people we know.
SD
SallyD
Raleigh
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 23, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
Always delicious! The petit filet is not to be missed!
DP
DrPhil
Washington DC
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A pleasant walk back in time. Grew up a similar small NC town. Going out growing up met going to a spot like On The Square. Brought back wonderful memories. I will be back… I promise!
MP
MPitty
Raleigh
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience4
The food was great. Service was a little slow at first, but improved as the evening went along.
MC
MariaC
Raleigh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
The steaks never disappoint! The duck with cranberry butter was a hit. The star of the show, however, was the appetizer of fried brussels sprouts with Taigon aioli. The sprouts were delicious and the aioli was out of this world! We placed an order for one appetizer and quickly ordered a second! I would eat that aioli on anything - in fact I took some to go and will be enjoying it on a future salad 😉
TJ
TracyJ
Raleigh
1 review
vip
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience4
Valentine’s Day
E
Ecog
Richmond
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on February 11, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
Excellent meal. They ran out of some entrees early, our reservation was at 6:30 so very early. Great overall though.
RR
RoRo
Raleigh
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 11, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
All of us thoroughly enjoyed our dinners. The men declared it was the best calamari ever and I loved my shrimp and grits! The four of us eat out together almost every weekend and will definitely put On the Square into our top favorites!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Raleigh
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
As usual, On The Square did not disappoint!
NO
NosquaresOntheSquare
Raleigh
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on January 27, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We have been coming to On The Square for years and have always loved dining here! Again, it was excellent food and service.
TS
TaraS
Greensboro
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
An absolute gem among a sea of fast food restaurants and diners. Appetizers, specialty drinks, main courses, and dessert were allllllll on point! Do yourself a favor and get on a over there!!!!!!
TR
TRJohnson
Richmond
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on January 14, 2023
overall3food4service4ambience3
Very limited menu. Tables really close together. Noisy when large parties assembled.
TH
TeresaH
Raleigh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food, service. Tried every dessert on the menu & each one was extraordinary. Entrees were delicious as well. Highly recommend!!!
TM
TinaM
Raleigh
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Loved it! Food was amazing
OT
OpenTable Diner
Raleigh
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 30, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience4
Food was excellent. Waited too long for our server to take our order. Server forgot drink refill so had to ask another server to refill.
RM
RobertM
Raleigh
16 reviews
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on December 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
OTS is a gem; always a great evening. Downtown Tarboro is worth the trip. Outstanding food
j
johnb
Raleigh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of the best restaurants in Eastern North Carolina!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Raleigh
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great atmosphere, food and service.
G
Ghubb
Raleigh
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on December 17, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Can't go wrong with this place. One the best meals I've had in years.
J
Jdolio
Raleigh
5 reviews
3.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 16, 2022
overall3food3service2ambience3
Slow service Coleslaw not very tasty Usually we like dining here
ES
ElizabethS
Wilmington
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 15, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Our party of four had a delightful dining experience, especially appreciating the white tablecloths and napkins, candles on the tables, beautiful presentation of our plated food, excellent and attentive servers, not to mention the outstanding food. My personal favorites always include the calamari (best anywhere) and molten chocolate cake.
NT
NewToTarboro
Charleston
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 14, 2022
overall4food4service2ambience2
The services left something to be desired. It was difficult to get a drink or food we seemed to have about three people waiting on us.
TS
TimothyS
Raleigh
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service and accommodation of our wheelchair guest at front window table. Adored the grilled Romaine salad and salmon. The pecan bread pudding for dessert was fabulous. Thank you for a lovely evening with good friends and superb food!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Raleigh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 27, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
It is a fine dining experience with delicious food and an incredibly quaint ambience. When I am in town, it is a must do.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Raleigh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
As usual, a very pleasant night at On the Square.
CB
ChrisB
Raleigh
16 reviews
vip
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on November 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Four different outstanding entres
D
David
Raleigh
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 27, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience5
only drawback was no coffee available for dessert!
PL
PhillipL
Raleigh
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We always have an incredible experience at On The Square. The staff members are always very attentive and the food is impeccable.

FAQs

On The Square offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (252) 823-8268.

On The Square is rated 4.8 stars by 1232 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

May 28, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 4 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(252) 823-8268

115 East St. James Street, Tarboro, NC 27886

Additional information

Cross street
Main Street
Neighborhood
Tarboro
Hours of operation
Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Thursday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Cuisines
Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Executive chef
Stephen Ribustello
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.onthesquarenc.com/
Phone number
(252) 823-8268
Catering
We offer catering of every kind. From box lunches to weddings, we are happy and able to provide food and wine for your special event.

Featured in

90 Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

On The Square

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

Additional information

90 Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Sandwiches

Char-grilled 8 oz. Burger$8.50

Reuben$7.50

Rachel$7.50

Hot Roast Beef$7.50

Turkey & Cranberry$7.95

Grilled Pork Tenderloin$7.95

Vegetable Sandwich$7.95

Grilled Chicken Breast$7.50

Cold Roast Beef$7.50

Fried Oyster Sandwich$8.95

3D Club$7.50

Boar's Head Hot Dog$4.50

Garden Burger$6.95

Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad Melt$6.95

Grilled Cheese$5.95

Pimento Cheese$5.95

BLT$5.95

Salad & 1/2 Sandwich$5.50

Soup & 1/2 Sandwich$6.00

Salads

Cobb Salad$7.50

Chef's Salad$7.50

Cranberry Salad$6.95

House Salad$4.95

Daily Pasta Dish

Daily Pasta Dish$10.00

Vegan & Gluten Free

Stir Fry Rice Noodles$8.95

Baked Potato & Salad$5.50

Desserts

Desserts$3.50

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Sort by

FAQs

Does On The Square offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is On The Square restaurant rated?

Is On The Square currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

Additional information

Featured in

90 Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day