Outer Banks Restaurants

The second restaurant from the team at Duck’s Red Sky Cafe, NC Coast Grill & Bar has an open kitchen, concrete bar, upscale coastal decor and waterfront location that create a lively, hip and low-key atmosphere for gathering with family and friends over drinks, snacks, shareable plates, popular Chef Boards and meals. Owner/Chef Wes Stepp describes NC Coast’s cuisine as celebrating the flavors of the coastal South while bringing in cross-cultural and global influences. The menu features eclectic preparations of local seafood, regional produce and all-natural meats, and vegetarian and vegan options are available. Indoors you’ll find a 15-seat bar, chef’s tasting seating by the kitchen and an open and airy atmosphere with a wall of windows overlooking the sound. Outdoors you’ll find seating and bar tables right on Duck Boardwalk, along with a temperature-controlled tent, perfect for catching sunsets and live music in the warm seasons. Dockage is available for shallow-draft boats. NC Coast serves lunch and dinner and is open seven days a week.

Oceanas is a casual, cozy restaurant that the locals love. In the heart of Avon, its welcoming atmosphere beckons diners for lunch and dinner daily and breakfast on the weekends. The lunch and dinner menu features freshly made, well-seasoned burgers, fresh local fish and seafood, crab cakes, a variety of sandwiches and wraps, salads and the very popular fish tacos and grillers, which are like an open-face quesadilla. They also have some fancier offerings like prime rib, NY strip, sesame-seared tuna steaks (the house favorite) pasta dishes, chicken, daily specials and a very nice wine selection. Weekend breakfast brings omelettes, Benedicts, biscuits, wraps, bowls, pancakes, avocado toast and more. True to Hatteras style, Oceanas is a place where everyone feels at home. Relax in the bar with your favorite drink and watch the big-screen TVs or gather with friends and family for an enjoyable dining experience. Outdoor seating is available on the porch. Oceanas is open every day year-round.

Outer Banks Brewing Station has an ever-changing list of award-winning house-made beers that serve as the cornerstone of their innovative style. Multiple year winners of the Taste of the Beach People's Choice Award, their outstanding chefs have created an Outer Banks–inspired fusion menu using regionally available products from local fish and produce to North Carolina meats. Pastry chef Tina Mackenzie bakes the house bread and tempting desserts. Friendly and casual, the Brewing Station has a full bar, dining on two levels and the biggest outdoor area on the Outer Banks featuring a pirate ship playground for the kids, picnic table seating, outdoor entertainment during the summer season and the 92-foot wind turbine that powers part of the brewing operation. Half-liter bottle-conditioned beer, two-liter growlers and canned six-packs are sold to go at the bar. The Brewing Station is open year-round for both lunch and dinner, and they are highly regarded as a go-to place to see regional and national music acts across a wide variety of genres. This is a great space to hold special events, such as weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties and baby showers, whether it's in the semi-private upstairs dining area, outside or by renting the entire building.

Pizzazz is a pizza favorite on the Outer Banks. They’ve been around since 1986 because they make consistently great pizza with generous toppings and the service is friendly. Choose from gourmet menu creations or stick with the traditional. Pizzazz also makes hot subs, salads and wings. You can eat in for lunch or dinner or have your pizza delivered. Call for off-season hours. And, if you're driving to the Outer Banks from the north, check out their location in Grandy on the Currituck mainland.

Acai bowls and fresh-pressed juice in Manteo? Yes, it's true! Roanoke Island Market is the place for coffee, juice, smoothies, toasts, salads, paninis, acai bowls and fresh-baked goods and bread in downtown Manteo. If you're familiar with the tasty, healthy offerings at Freshfit Cafe in Nags Head, you'll be glad to know that this is a sister restaurant from the same owners. Roanoke Island Market offers outdoor seating on the patio or indoor seating with an awesome view of Shallowbag Bay and the Manteo waterfront. Also located in this space is Poodles and Bob, a pop-up store with all the things you need (and want) for your dog friends. You'll find it in the Waterfront Shops, one level up from the street.