What locals are saying
Tucked behind the island's only grocery store in a shopping center, The Refuge earns its name by operating as all three things at once: a capable coffee bar in the morning, a solid midday stop for beach-goers, and a legitimately elevated dinner destination after dark. Sisters Patty and Jocelyn Lamond built the concept out of a simple frustration — the island needed a decent cappuccino — and the kitchen has since grown into one of IOP's more serious menus, anchored by Maryland-style crab cakes that routinely sell out, shrimp and grits with andouille gravy, and a Saturday Maine lobster night that books up fast. The craft cocktail program, with house-made infusions and one of the more serious whiskey and bourbon lists on the barrier islands, consistently surprises; the tradeoff is that weekend waits run long even for those who planned ahead and made a reservation.
