It's a bridge. I stayed dry, so it gets five stars. Traffic across has always been fast, though weekends are busier due to the tourist traffic. Scenic view of the area on the way to the island.
Dorthy B.
Visited family in Jacksonville and wanted seafood near the water so drove to Swanboro. Stopped for dinner at White Oak River Bistro based on the ambiance. This beautiful old building right on the water ;a beautiful porch across the back with steps leading down to a dock. Now if we had just left then it would have been a lovely evening. Unfortunately, we ate there. We all ordered from the daily specials menu. I have eaten many times where one person had a bad meal but never where everyone did. The so called prime rib looked like an overcooked tough chewy sirloin. The marinara tasted like canned tomatoes; the oysters in the rockefeller were tough and so small you couldn't find them. The veal in the veal oscar was so chewy that I can't believe it was really veal. We finally gave up. The only reason I gave it a 2 was the service and the setting. Although that wasn't worth the $100 for three people.
Jessie K.
We had Jumbo shrimp, and it was the size of medium shrimp. Pasta was bland. bruschetta was toast and cut up tomatoes, nothing special. For $80 for 2 people I would go somewhere else.
Brandon L.
Denise and her staff were unbelievable!! We had our rehearsal dinner there, and the crew went above and beyond to accommodate us in every way. The Stuffed Grouper was a hit with everyone one that ordered it, as was the Prime Rib. Thank you Denise, you guys were awesome.
Derek D.
Felt as though I was being rushed as I was given the bill on three occasions. 10 min after I left I saw the server leave as well; clearly being rushed out even though I was the only person in the place. Food was very average. Not impressed!
Pamela C.
Very good food and great staff! Peel and eat shrimp was delicious and local shrimp, pizza was amazing and the prime rib was very yummy as well!
Scott G.
Average food for a high price and they don't make menu alterations. Not recommended Filler
Jennifer B.
This restaurant has one of the best views in town. If you sit on the back porch you will be amazed! The only problem was the sauces-a little too runny. The chef makes what you ask for even if it's not on the menu. Highly recommend this secret spot next to the water.
Arturo H.
Food tasted microwaved, and then it proceeded to take 45 mins to get to the table. If you're coming for just the view just look it up on google
Nicholas R.
Absolute trash!! Food was equivalent to a reheated frozen meal. All of us were highly disappointed. As well as took an hour to bring us our food.
What a nice view...and evening. Dori and I recently visited Emerald Isle on vacation, but ventured out to some of the surrounding areas for touring, shopping, and dinner. Swansboro Township property sits on the intercoastal waterway, however right across Highway 24 there are a series of restaurants and shops that are on the White Oak river. One of those is the White Oak River Bistro, that we liked so much we actually went twice while staying in the area this week. As always, I will try to set expectations based on service, price, quality of food and atmosphere experience. You will see other reviews where the place got great comments, and they were hammered, especially on food. I'll try to give a little detail on this later. Food: The meals both nights were above average for coastal town food, but probably did not completely meet the pallet expectation of a "super foody" type person. This is very typical in coastal towns especially ones that have a tourist industry crowed. I would class Swansboro as a "high end" tourist experience. I would put the food at the White Oak River Bistro above average. Their house salads are not large and are good for one person. Please note they don't use iceberg lettuce it was a nice set of greens. Between the two nights, we had the seafood quesadillas and the prosciutto stuffed bread. The bread is like a pizza all rolled up into a loaf. It was a little sweet and heavy on garlic but was fantastic. It was enough for two old people lime us, but my 18 year old would have devoured it. We want to try the vegetarian bread the next time we go. The seafood quesadillas were extremely tasty and large enough to feed two older people, but again any one of our boys would have eaten all of it... not that they should.... They also had a nice wine list, priced reasonably for the type if food, service and experience. This to me was a plus. The atmosphere and place: The first thing I noticed is the building and the location, it's a fabulous old river house sitting right on the White Oak River, and it has a little marina that you can either rent if you're staying at the bistro in one of its apartments above. If you'd like to drive up for dinner simply call the day before and ask if there's a spot available and they will reserve it for you. It's free if you're coming up for dinner and then leaving. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual but but nice, like a nice road house look. You can dress it up or dress it down. I saw folks in nice evening clothes (business casual) and others in T-shirts and flip-flops... me included. The restaurant can accommodate a large group of people or a couple for a nice intimate meal. Either way I'd recommend eating out back if the evening is nice. It's fine if it is a little warm as there's a constant breeze blowing through which makes it very nice. The view of the river is simply spectacular especially in the evening as the sun is going down. Let's talk service, Dori and I went two nights this week. The second night they allowed us to let Pretzel (our dog and last child at home) to sit on the deck with us, and not only do they take dogs but the waitress walked up with a bowl of ice water just for him. I thought this was absolutely fantastic considering we did not ask for it, very very typical of southern hospitality. The wait staff is what you expect in a coastal town, very accommodating, personable yet I felt like they really were happy to be waiting on us. On the second night as we were signing the check the waitress came up and said "it was a real pleasure serving y'all, and hope you have a real nice night". Normally, this will be a very typical thing a server would say but she spent so much time talking to us you could tell it was heartfelt. Again I'm ranking them very high on service. In summary, if you like good food and service, a great view and can spend a little more than $$, you need to go try the White Oak River Bistro.
Bridgette N.
Great atmosphere by the water we sat outside. It was great. Food, not so much. The crab dip was pretty good, but salad had zero dressing and pasta was just as sad. It had barely any sauce, noodles were not cooked long enough and very watery. We waited over an hour for our food and then the husband got the exact opposite of what he ordered. They were good about taking the entree off of our bill and the waitress was very kind about the ordeal. However, it is doubtful we will go back.
Noel C.
I've been there several times the food was good but pricy, I've been there two times but I've found better places for dinner!
Kate W.
In my opinion, it stinks. I ordered chicken parmigiana, it was so rubbery I could barely cut it with my knife. My kids ordered the children's pasta dish (no sauce)... $15, for each plate! For a plate of penne and approximately 1/4 cup of olive oil. Even though it is advertised as $4. The only saving grace was the stuffed grouper, that was delicious. And the view, but I'd rather not pay $100+ for a view. Cute house and location, but awful food. But that's just my opinion!
Ryan M.
If bland and dated sound like your idea of a Saturday evening...then head over to White Oak River Bistro. Pasta alla meatball in marinara. Or as I would name it: pasta and sauce made for yo kiddos. Tasting like boxed noodles in a chunky Ragu. Chose this after the pasta primavera was inedible. This dish was $17. I would say that nothing in this restaurant is "fresh." Lots of clearly canned and clearly made dishes that can be kept or stored for several days.
It's a bridge. I stayed dry, so it gets five stars. Traffic across has always been fast, though weekends are busier due to the tourist traffic. Scenic view of the area on the way to the island.
Visited family in Jacksonville and wanted seafood near the water so drove to Swanboro. Stopped for dinner at White Oak River Bistro based on the ambiance. This beautiful old building right on the water ;a beautiful porch across the back with steps leading down to a dock. Now if we had just left then it would have been a lovely evening. Unfortunately, we ate there. We all ordered from the daily specials menu. I have eaten many times where one person had a bad meal but never where everyone did. The so called prime rib looked like an overcooked tough chewy sirloin. The marinara tasted like canned tomatoes; the oysters in the rockefeller were tough and so small you couldn't find them. The veal in the veal oscar was so chewy that I can't believe it was really veal. We finally gave up. The only reason I gave it a 2 was the service and the setting. Although that wasn't worth the $100 for three people.
We had Jumbo shrimp, and it was the size of medium shrimp. Pasta was bland. bruschetta was toast and cut up tomatoes, nothing special. For $80 for 2 people I would go somewhere else.
Denise and her staff were unbelievable!! We had our rehearsal dinner there, and the crew went above and beyond to accommodate us in every way. The Stuffed Grouper was a hit with everyone one that ordered it, as was the Prime Rib. Thank you Denise, you guys were awesome.
Felt as though I was being rushed as I was given the bill on three occasions. 10 min after I left I saw the server leave as well; clearly being rushed out even though I was the only person in the place. Food was very average. Not impressed!
Very good food and great staff! Peel and eat shrimp was delicious and local shrimp, pizza was amazing and the prime rib was very yummy as well!
Average food for a high price and they don't make menu alterations. Not recommended Filler
This restaurant has one of the best views in town. If you sit on the back porch you will be amazed! The only problem was the sauces-a little too runny. The chef makes what you ask for even if it's not on the menu. Highly recommend this secret spot next to the water.
Food tasted microwaved, and then it proceeded to take 45 mins to get to the table. If you're coming for just the view just look it up on google
Absolute trash!! Food was equivalent to a reheated frozen meal. All of us were highly disappointed. As well as took an hour to bring us our food.
Restaurantji Recommends
What a nice view...and evening. Dori and I recently visited Emerald Isle on vacation, but ventured out to some of the surrounding areas for touring, shopping, and dinner. Swansboro Township property sits on the intercoastal waterway, however right across Highway 24 there are a series of restaurants and shops that are on the White Oak river. One of those is the White Oak River Bistro, that we liked so much we actually went twice while staying in the area this week. As always, I will try to set expectations based on service, price, quality of food and atmosphere experience. You will see other reviews where the place got great comments, and they were hammered, especially on food. I'll try to give a little detail on this later. Food: The meals both nights were above average for coastal town food, but probably did not completely meet the pallet expectation of a "super foody" type person. This is very typical in coastal towns especially ones that have a tourist industry crowed. I would class Swansboro as a "high end" tourist experience. I would put the food at the White Oak River Bistro above average. Their house salads are not large and are good for one person. Please note they don't use iceberg lettuce it was a nice set of greens. Between the two nights, we had the seafood quesadillas and the prosciutto stuffed bread. The bread is like a pizza all rolled up into a loaf. It was a little sweet and heavy on garlic but was fantastic. It was enough for two old people lime us, but my 18 year old would have devoured it. We want to try the vegetarian bread the next time we go. The seafood quesadillas were extremely tasty and large enough to feed two older people, but again any one of our boys would have eaten all of it... not that they should.... They also had a nice wine list, priced reasonably for the type if food, service and experience. This to me was a plus. The atmosphere and place: The first thing I noticed is the building and the location, it's a fabulous old river house sitting right on the White Oak River, and it has a little marina that you can either rent if you're staying at the bistro in one of its apartments above. If you'd like to drive up for dinner simply call the day before and ask if there's a spot available and they will reserve it for you. It's free if you're coming up for dinner and then leaving. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual but but nice, like a nice road house look. You can dress it up or dress it down. I saw folks in nice evening clothes (business casual) and others in T-shirts and flip-flops... me included. The restaurant can accommodate a large group of people or a couple for a nice intimate meal. Either way I'd recommend eating out back if the evening is nice. It's fine if it is a little warm as there's a constant breeze blowing through which makes it very nice. The view of the river is simply spectacular especially in the evening as the sun is going down. Let's talk service, Dori and I went two nights this week. The second night they allowed us to let Pretzel (our dog and last child at home) to sit on the deck with us, and not only do they take dogs but the waitress walked up with a bowl of ice water just for him. I thought this was absolutely fantastic considering we did not ask for it, very very typical of southern hospitality. The wait staff is what you expect in a coastal town, very accommodating, personable yet I felt like they really were happy to be waiting on us. On the second night as we were signing the check the waitress came up and said "it was a real pleasure serving y'all, and hope you have a real nice night". Normally, this will be a very typical thing a server would say but she spent so much time talking to us you could tell it was heartfelt. Again I'm ranking them very high on service. In summary, if you like good food and service, a great view and can spend a little more than $$, you need to go try the White Oak River Bistro.
Great atmosphere by the water we sat outside. It was great. Food, not so much. The crab dip was pretty good, but salad had zero dressing and pasta was just as sad. It had barely any sauce, noodles were not cooked long enough and very watery. We waited over an hour for our food and then the husband got the exact opposite of what he ordered. They were good about taking the entree off of our bill and the waitress was very kind about the ordeal. However, it is doubtful we will go back.
I've been there several times the food was good but pricy, I've been there two times but I've found better places for dinner!
In my opinion, it stinks. I ordered chicken parmigiana, it was so rubbery I could barely cut it with my knife. My kids ordered the children's pasta dish (no sauce)... $15, for each plate! For a plate of penne and approximately 1/4 cup of olive oil. Even though it is advertised as $4. The only saving grace was the stuffed grouper, that was delicious. And the view, but I'd rather not pay $100+ for a view. Cute house and location, but awful food. But that's just my opinion!
If bland and dated sound like your idea of a Saturday evening...then head over to White Oak River Bistro. Pasta alla meatball in marinara. Or as I would name it: pasta and sauce made for yo kiddos. Tasting like boxed noodles in a chunky Ragu. Chose this after the pasta primavera was inedible. This dish was $17. I would say that nothing in this restaurant is "fresh." Lots of clearly canned and clearly made dishes that can be kept or stored for several days.