Outer Banks Restaurants

Creativity Reigns in Outer Banks Restaurants

Outer Banks restaurants reflect these islands' personality perfectly – individual, not cookie-cutter, reflective of the town they're located in, a blend of uptown culinary tastes and easily comfortable atmospheres. The number and character of Outer Banks restaurants is amazing for such a relatively small geographic area. Gone are the days when most establishments focused on fried seafood served with a side of hushpuppies. Now, many Outer Banks restaurants rival any top spot found in cities.  

Each town here has its own dining character. Corolla restaurants, for example, have a lot of variety to mirror the mixture of developments in the area. Hatteras restaurants are more casual and laid back just like Hatteras Island is; Duck restaurants can claim some of the most highly regarded eateries in the area. Ocracoke restaurants rightfully boasts that there’s not one chain restaurant on the island, which makes the overall dining scene so much more interesting. Roanoke Island restaurants reflect a vibrant dining scene and even the smallest brewery in North Carolina. Honestly, for a resort area on the edge of the continent, the Outer Banks has attracted world-class chefs and imaginative restaurateurs. Creativity reigns, and diners are the happy beneficiaries. And Nags Head restaurants include so many award-winning establishments, you’d need a year of constant dining out to take advantage of them.

It's All Good at Outer Banks Restaurants

Outer Banks restaurant choices range from drop-in burger joints to award-winning, fine-dining restaurants. As the popular saying goes, “It’s all good.” Naturally you’ll discover plenty of seafood selections varying from traditional fried fish with slaw to eel-filled Japanese dragon rolls to magnificent concoctions of seafood as good as any you've experienced. And most of the seafood you eat was caught just that morning. Now that’s fresh! You can warm up with Hatteras clam chowder, savor mesquite grilled tuna or fill up on steamers. Meat lovers will appreciate the local barbecue haunts and plentiful prime rib specials. From pizza to lobster, you’ll satisfy any morning, noon or night craving.

Outer Banks Restaurants by Area

Corolla | Duck & Southern Shores | Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head
Roanoke Island & Manteo | Hatteras Island | Ocracoke Island

Outer Banks Restaurants by Category

1718 Brewing

Outer Banks Restaurant
1129 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke
(252) 928-2337

Stop by the craft brewery and tasting room on N.C. Highway 12 at the edge of the village. Enjoy a rotating selection of beers brewed on-site, ranging from Kolsch to IPA to coffee stout utilizing local ingredients like fig, honey, prickly pear and coffee in many brews. Plum Pointe Kitchen serves food on-site, and there's pet-friendly outdoor seating. Don't forget your 1718 hoodies and merchandise.read more

Stop by the craft brewery and tasting room on N.C. Highway 12 at the edge...read more

3 Tequilas Restaurante Mexicano

Outer Banks Restaurant
804 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 8.5, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 715-3604

If you're a fan of traditional Mexican food and fresh tableside guacamole, you'll love 3 Tequilas. Start with appetizers like Mexican street corn, taquitos, choriqueso and empanadas while you peruse their massive menu. You can choose from numerous combinations of nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, salads, fried rice, combos, chicken, seafood, fajitas, burritos, chimichangas, tacos and sides. There's also a nice selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes....read more

If you're a fan of traditional Mexican food and fresh tableside guacamole, you'll love 3...read more

Avenue Grille & Goods

Outer Banks Restaurant
207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, The Waterfront Shops, Manteo
(252) 473-4800

Avenue Grille, a longtime favorite restaurant on the Manteo waterfront, is a great place for lunch with a view. Shallowbag Bay and Roanoke Sound are visible from every seat in the house, and their patio seating overlooks the Manteo docks. Whether you boat up to the Manteo docks or walk up from the waterfront, Avenue is all about maintaining the relaxed and fun attitude of an...read more

Avenue Grille, a longtime favorite restaurant on the Manteo waterfront, is a great place for...read more

Back Porch Restaurant

Outer Banks Restaurant
110 Back Road, Ocracoke
(252) 928-6401

The Back Porch is one of the island's great restaurants, providing a consistently pleasant dining experience. Their open-air screened porch dining room provides the space you need to be comfortable outdoor dining, and properly spaced interior air-conditioned dining also is available. Fresh, local seafood and produce are the stars of the menu, but hand-cut meats and poultry also shine. The menu changes seasonally, and taste...read more

The Back Porch is one of the island's great restaurants, providing a consistently pleasant dining...read more

Bad Bean Baja Grill

Outer Banks Restaurant
4146 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 3.5, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-1300

Bad Bean Baja Grill creates a distinctive dining experience. Utilizing techniques and flavors found all across Latin America, California and the Baja Peninsula, the award-winning chefs present a creative fusion of familiar cantina favorites. One of the favorite dishes is the fish tacos topped with salsa fresca, crisp jicama slaw and cilantro chimichurri. The slow-cooked beef brisket and pork barbacoa also make for delicious tacos...read more

Bad Bean Baja Grill creates a distinctive dining experience. Utilizing techniques and flavors found all...read more

Basnight’s Lone Cedar

Outer Banks Restaurant
7623 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway, Nags Head
(252) 441-5405

This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places. The service is genuinely friendly, and the portions are more than generous. You’ll enjoy views of Roanoke Sound on both sides of the restaurant, including nightly sunsets. They feature only local, fresh North Carolina seafood that comes in whole and is cleaned in their state-certified fish-cleaning house, located onsite. They...read more

This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places....read more

Big Buck's Homemade Ice Cream

Outer Banks Restaurant
794-F Sunset Boulevard, Timbuck II, Corolla
(252) 453-3188
1180 Duck Road, Duck
(252) 715-4467
3810 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 4.5, Kitty Hawk
(252) 715-0779
207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Waterfront Shops, Downtown Manteo, Manteo
(252) 423-3118

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade...read more

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than...read more

Black Pelican Oceanfront Cafe

Outer Banks Restaurant
3848 N.Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 4, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-3171

Housed in a former U.S. Lifesaving Station and full of character and rustic charm, the Black Pelican is on the Beach Road, directly across from the ocean. They have a deck bar with great ocean views and, of course, lots of fresh seafood on the menu. Choose from steamed seafood, steaks or pizza from the wood-fired brick oven, a locals' favorite. Each night they offer...read more

Housed in a former U.S. Lifesaving Station and full of character and rustic charm, the...read more

Bonzer Shack

Outer Banks Restaurant
1200 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 9, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 480-1010

Get ready to kick back and relax at Bonzer Shack. With their creative take on Southern and island comfort food in a surf hangout atmosphere, there’s always something on the menu that’s sure to tempt you. The menu offers sandwiches, fresh seafood specials, steaks, burgers and the mouthwatering smoked Gouda grit cakes. Local favorites also include delicious apps like the Hippie Dip and wings roasted...read more

Get ready to kick back and relax at Bonzer Shack. With their creative take on...read more

Broken Plate Kitchen and Tasty Treats

Outer Banks Restaurant
1159 Austin Street, Unit 106AB, Corolla
(252) 597-3294

Broken Plate Kitchen brings a taste of the Caribbean islands to Corolla. Chef/owner Sean Caiden and co-owner Amaloi Crossman hail from Jamaica, and they bring their favorite island flavors to many of the American-style dishes in their family-oriented restaurant. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, this restaurant is casual, small, bright and cheerful. Breakfast features menu items like pancakes, French toast, Benedicts, sandwiches and avocado toast....read more

Broken Plate Kitchen brings a taste of the Caribbean islands to Corolla. Chef/owner Sean Caiden...read more

Carolina Bar-B-Que Company

Outer Banks Restaurant
908 U.S. Highway 64, Manteo
(252) 305-8844

If you love authentic pit-cooked eastern North Carolina barbecue, this is your place. On Highway 64 close to the Dare County Government Complex, Carolina Bar-B-Que Company serves house-smoked barbecue sandwiches or plates with slaw, potato salad, house-cut fries and hushpuppies. Owner and chef Mike Weaver also offers smoked chicken, burgers, Nathan's hot dogs, fried shrimp, clam strips, flounder and Brunswick stew. Wash it down with...read more

If you love authentic pit-cooked eastern North Carolina barbecue, this is your place. On Highway...read more

Cookshak Fried Chicken

Outer Banks Restaurant
1187 Duck Road, Loblolly Pines Shopping Plaza, Duck
(252) 261-1156
2515 S. Croatan Highway Unit A, Nags Head
(252) 441-1156

If it’s Southern chicken, then it’d better be fried. At least, that’s what they believe at The Cookshak Fried Chicken. Their small menu lets them focus on preparing fried chicken and its fixings right, crafting each meal to feel like you’re sitting down to a big chicken dinner at Grandma’s country farmhouse. The restaurant serves food in family-size servings, and you can order half or whole birds and pair them with sides of fries,...read more

If it’s Southern chicken, then it’d better be fried. At least, that’s what they believe at The Cookshak Fried Chicken....read more