Gather. Eat. Enjoy.
Join us for lunch, dinner, cocktails, wine and/or Sunday brunch!
Focusing on providing guests with a great dining experience is what we do. Using some of the best ingredients from local providers, Circa 81 takes pride in offering a farm / sea to table menu as much as possible, supporting local fishermen and farmers. Circa 81 is also a member of the Carteret Catch program.
Circa 81 offers an extensive menu of tapas and cocktails that is sure to entice guests of all tastes. Specializing in brunch, small plates, and larger entrée-sized plates, this Morehead City favorite features an eclectic selection of modern cuisine and area staples, such as steamed mussels, she crab soup, and classic clam chowder.
Local and regional ingredients, like Ashe County cheese, are utilized whenever possible, and the tapas-style atmosphere encourages patrons to try a selection of globally-inspired dishes. As a result, Circa 81 can cater to virtually all dietary restrictions, including gluten-free and vegetarian requests.
Visitors will also want to peruse and sample the extensive cocktail menu, which garners inspiration from its Crystal Coast environment with coastal favorites such as mojitos, sangrias and martinis – which are all available in a wide range of twisted combinations. Patrons can enjoy a cozy interior table, or settle into the warm wooden bar for a sample of cocktails and appetizers that inevitably change with every season. (A number of regional beers are also available by the bottle or on tap.)
With award-winning dishes overseen by executive chef and owner, Clarke Merrell, visitors of all palettes will effortlessly find something to crave at this small but locally renowned Morehead City destination, which is renowned for unique flavors and farm-to-table style fare.
Circa 81 has participated in the NC Seafood Festival Chef's Tent and People's Choice Crabcake competition, the Beaufort Wine & Food Festival, and the Fire on the Dock culinary competition (where team Circa 81 was a finalist in 2013 and semi-finalist in 2014). Circa 81 was also finalist for the 2011 Best Dish NC contest.
Other Awards Include
• 2015 Favorite Chef - Clarke Merrell (owner Circa 81/Dank Burrito) from Coaster Magazine Reader's Choice Awards
• Best Eats on the Crystal Coast by Cooking with Paula Deen magazine
• Clarke Merrell - 2015 Arnold Murray Small Business Person of the Year by Carteret County Chamber of Commerce
• Circa 81 has been named Open Table Diner's Choice 2011-2020.
• Circa 81 is also a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Winner and in the Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame for earning a Certificate of Excellence every year for five years consecutively.
• We have also been included in Cooking Light magazine (September 2011), 2012 NC Visitor's Guide and the 2024 Crystal Coast Visitors Guide.
All of these great opportunities and inclusions are the result of a never-ceasing focus on outstanding food quality and service, plus lots of hard work.
Circa 81 is also community and civic-minded; donating time, food and goods to numerous charitable organizations in the area. Giving back to the community that has embraced Circa 81 is an opportunity we are grateful to have.
Many of Our Ingredients Come From:
- Garner Farms (Newport, NC)
- Blue Ocean Market (Morehead City, NC)
- Allan Benton, Benton Ham (Monroe County, TN)
- Ashley Farms (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Ashe County Cheeses (Ashe County, NC)
- Nelson Blueberry Farm (Bridgeton, NC)
- Anson Mills (Columbia, SC)
- Heritage Farms (Goldsboro, NC)
- Lady Edison (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Spinning Spider Creamery (Marshall, NC)
- Old Mill of Guilford (Oak Ridge, NC)
Serving Lunch & Dinner Wedneday through Saturday
11:30am-2pm & 5:00pm-9:00pm
Sunday Brunch
10:30am-2:00pm
Sunday Dinner
5:00pm-9:00pm
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The Bogue Sound is one of the primary enticing backdrops on the Crystal Coast. Bordering all of the coastal beach towns from Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach, and serving as a popular portion of the Intracoastal Waterway that cruises through this coastal Carolina region, the Bogue Sound is arguably the most popular – and the most visited – sound along the entirety of the Crystal Coast.
The Crystal Coast Tourism Authority has been instrumental in introducing newcomers to this picturesque stretch of barrier island beaches and barely-inland maritime communities, and serves as an essential tool for visitors to discover this remote but accommodating coastal region.
HOME HIGHLIGHTS:Saturday to Saturday2 RefrigeratorsBed Linens and Bath TowelsCommunity Pool AccessElectric Car Charging OutletFlexible Arrival/Departure days during NON peak seasonsFull-Size Washer/DryerGas GrilleGolf CartHigh Chair/PackNPlayHot/Cold Outdoor ShowerOpen and Covered DecksDog Friendly (50lb. or less)Private PoolWiFi SmartTVs DESCRIPTION:Welcome to Beach Happy! This home is equipped with all things needed for a amazing vacation. There are Roku TVs in all of the bedrooms accepting guests to connect to their favorite apps, a pool table and video arcade machine in the game room, and a well-equipped kitchen.As you enter the ground level you will find the Game Room, two Guest Rooms, and a Hall Bath. The game room is going to be outfitted with a pool table and wet bar. One guest room will offer a Queen bed and the other two Twins. The hall bath is located in between the two guest rooms.The second level offers three guest rooms and a comfortable sitting area/den. The two guest rooms to the right as walk-through will be furnished with a Queen bed and two Twins. The third guest room can be considered a Master Suite with a King Bed and private bath. The sitting area/den is private and will offer a Queen Sleeper Couch. The hall bath is conveniently located in the hallway between the two guest rooms.The top level of the home offers another guest room as well as the great room. The Living Room, Kitchen, and Dining Area are one open space filled with light and space. The Master Suite with a King bed and private bath is conveniently just off the living area. As part of Spinnaker’s Fresh Bed Promise, all bed linens are laundered between guests, even the comforters. There are decks on all levels of the home with both shaded and full sun options.The beach and community pool access is located at the corner of Shipwreck Lane and Louise Howard Court. This is just a few mins. walk away or an even faster cart ride. SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS:FIRST FLOORING:Guest room with Queen bed, shared bathGuest room with two Twin beds, shared bathSECOND FLOORING:Primary suite with King bed, private bathGuest room with Queen bed, shared bathGuest room with two Twin beds, shared bathSitting Area with Queen Sleeper Couch can be privateTHIRD FLOORING:Primary suite with King bed, private bath
- Emerald Isle
- 6 Bedrooms
- 4 Bathrooms
- Sleeps 14