Though it's hard to imagine, some people who vacation here -- or even who live here -- don't like seafood! Inconceivable, right? But that's ok...just leaves more for the rest of us. And, for you non-piscatorial folks, or just for you diners who are looking for a change from the fruits of the sea, we do boast some pretty darn good Outer Banks steak restaurants. Of course, their menus will also include chicken and fish, just as traditional seafood places also serve steaks and chicken, but for the restaurants we categorize here, their steaks and other meats are known to be top of the line and expertly prepared. We love the Outer Banks steak restaurants that have kitchens open to view so we can see the grill masters in action. When you pair these steaks and other grilled meats with the freshest, locally sourced vegetables and a wine that perfectly complements, well…you’re in for a fine meal. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of the best Outer Banks steak restaurants are those considered the best Outer Banks restaurants overall. It just goes to show that an expertly trained chef – and all the top restaurants here have them -- will do it right no matter what!
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
Outer Banks Steaks
600 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 8.5, Kill Devil Hills
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.
Outer Banks Brewing Station has an ever-changing list of award-winning house-made beers that serve as the cornerstone of their innovative style....read more
Outer Banks Brewing Station has an ever-changing list of award-winning house-made beers that serve as...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
7623 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway, Nags Head
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 also serve local produce, all-natural chicken, vegetarian dishes, pasta and USDA Angus steaks. Their dedication to freshness includes their own herb and vegetable garden as well as their own crab shedders. Their wine room features thousands of bottles of wine and accompanies a roomy bar area where you can order from a bar menu, a tapas menu or the full restaurant menu. Their special occasion buffets – Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day – are hugely popular, and they also offer on- and off-premise catering for any size or type of event. In season, Lone Cedar Cafe serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays), Sunday brunch and lunch at the food truck in the parking lot Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you want a quick and delicious lunch, the Lone Cedar Cafe food truck is your ticket for local seafood sandwiches, fish boats and more (the daily menu is posted on Facebook). Lone Cedar Cafe closes between New Year's and Valentine's Day every year. Call for off-season hours.
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...read more
This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places....read more
Outer Banks Steaks
3848 N.Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 4, Kitty Hawk
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 an eclectic list of chef’s specials, and they have a kids' menu with lots of choices. Save room for one of their home-baked desserts; you’ll see what we mean when you pass the display case on your way in. The Black Pelican serves lunch and dinner every day, plus a late-night menu is served at the bar and in the restaurant. This is a lively place where you can find a fun bar scene. They are open all year.
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...read more
Housed in a former U.S. Lifesaving Station and full of character and rustic charm, the...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
521 S. U.S. Highway 64, Manteo
Darrell’s is a family-style seafood restaurant that’s a locals' favorite and has been operated by the Daniels family for more than five decades. It dates back to 1960 when Darrell Daniels started the Polar Bear Drive-In. When the second generation came on board in 1972, the family changed the focus to a seafood restaurant and renamed it Darrell's Seafood Restaurant. Now the third generation is working here. Seafood is still the specialty, and locals know that Darrell’s does seafood right. The fried oysters, served with the traditional fixings of coleslaw, French fries and hush puppies, are widely touted as the best anywhere. The blackened tuna over black beans and rice is both healthy and delicious. Land food, children’s fare and light dishes are also available. Darrell's also has a wood-fired grill for barbecue. Helpings are heaping, and the desserts are delicious, if you have room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Monday through Saturday.
Darrell’s is a family-style seafood restaurant that’s a locals' favorite and has been operated by the Daniels family for more than five decades. It...read more
Darrell’s is a family-style seafood restaurant that’s a locals' favorite and has been operated by...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
46843 N.C. Highway 12, Buxton
Diamond Shoals is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving visitors and locals for 30 years. It’s open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and welcomes large groups. Breakfast is full service and hearty, including omelets, platters, hotcakes and more. At lunch or dinner, be sure to try their award-winning clam chowder and crab bisque. They are well known for having the largest fish selection on Hatteras Island as well as for their large salad bar and full-service sushi bar (call or check the website for sushi bar hours). Since Diamond Shoals Restaurant carries all ABC permits, they have a vast selection of cocktails and favorite draft beers as well as an established sake bar, which makes them unique on Hatteras Island. Their seafood market is open daily with a large selection of fresh, local seafood. Catering for all your events or family gatherings is available; choose from sushi, fresh seafood or from their vast menu of options.
Diamond Shoals is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving visitors and locals for 30 years. It’s open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and...read more
Diamond Shoals is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving visitors and locals for 30 years. It’s...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
7013 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Between The Bypass and The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors for more than four decades. Breakfast here is a certifiable Nags Head tradition. Their hearty meals and platters are a huge draw, and their breakfast menu is one of the biggest on the beach, with choices like shrimp and grits, creamed chipped beef, N.C. country ham, a crab and shrimp omelet and a waffle platter. At dinnertime, the Dunes is known for its Outer Banks-style seafood – shrimp, scallops, oysters and fish served lightly breaded and golden fried or lightly seasoned and broiled, with all the favorite sides. Other favorites include crab cakes, steaks, burgers and their famous fried chicken. Just be careful not to fill up on the piping hot hush puppies with honey butter that are served before your meal (trust us, they’re irresistible!). Family-owned and -operated, the Dunes welcomes children and large groups to their casually and comfortably elegant restaurant and R-Bar, serving specialty cocktails, wine and beer. And yes, you can eat in or take out – whichever you want. A retail area in the front of the store, Roxie's Retail, tempts with children’s toys, women’s accessories, jewelry, scarves, original paintings, photographs, Outer Banks memorabilia and much more.
Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors for more than four decades. Breakfast here is a certifiable...read more
Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
814 N. U.S. Highway 64/264, Hotel Manteo, Manteo
Based at Hotel Manteo, Firetender Stone-Oven Cooking & Bar is one of Manteo's most popular restaurants and gathering spots. The setting is moody and cosmopolitan, with dark walls and sophisticated details, yet it's entirely comfortable and cozy, the perfect place for lingering at the bar, intimate dining and gathering with friends. The restaurant is centered around its custom-built stone oven, the source of its incredible stone-oven pizzas. Seating is available at the pizza bar, where you can watch the chefs prepare these specialty delights. The menu also includes chef-prepared small plates, entrees, hearth-fired Skillets (meals served in a cast-iron skillet), kids' offerings and desserts. Firetender has a full bar and is proud to be a taproom for Weeping Radish Brewery, which originated in Manteo and was the first microbrewery in North Carolina. Firetender is open six nights a week for dinner and also serves Sunday brunch with a specially curated menu. Seating is available indoors or outdoors. Free delivery and takeout are available. Above Firetender is a private event space called Embers Room, which can accommodate up to 60 people in an upscale setting.
Based at Hotel Manteo, Firetender Stone-Oven Cooking & Bar is one of Manteo's most popular restaurants and gathering spots. The setting is moody and...read more
Based at Hotel Manteo, Firetender Stone-Oven Cooking & Bar is one of Manteo's most popular...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
40050 N.C. Highway 12, Avon
This long-established, seafood-oriented restaurant is committed to serving top-quality, scratch-made fare in a friendly setting. Diners enjoy a lot of seafood, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pasta dishes, gluten-free items, vegetarian options and kids' offerings. The full bar focuses on craft brews and North Carolina beers, and their in-house sommelier has gathered wines from around the world into an impressive wine selection. On select evenings, they offer a five-course wine-pairing dinner. During the summer season, there is Adult Karaoke (21+) in the pub on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Live music is on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The popular Sunday Brunch with a special menu is offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Private dining areas are available for wine dinners, events and celebrations. Froggy Dog is the sister restaurant of the popular Avon restaurants Cups and Cones and Muffins and Scones.
This long-established, seafood-oriented restaurant is committed to serving top-quality, scratch-made fare in a friendly setting. Diners enjoy a lot of...read more
This long-established, seafood-oriented restaurant is committed to serving top-quality, scratch-made fare in a friendly setting....read more
Outer Banks Steaks
24502 N.C. Highway 12, Waves Village Watersports Resort, Rodanthe
Perched above Kitty Hawk Kites in Waves Village Watersports Resort in Rodanthe, Good Winds Restaurant is the perfect day or evening stop for delicious beach cuisine and stunning views. Good Winds dishes out the freshest local seafood, a creative and updated menu and the broadest selection of wines and craft beers in the Tri-Villages. Known for their delicious meals at friendly prices, Good Winds also offers the ultimate sunset views on the Outer Banks. With a prime spot right on the waterfront, overlooking a top kiteboarding location, this is the ideal choice for a romantic dinner, a fun evening with friends or a relaxing family meal.
Perched above Kitty Hawk Kites in Waves Village Watersports Resort in Rodanthe, Good Winds Restaurant is the perfect day
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read more Perched above Kitty Hawk Kites in Waves Village Watersports Resort in
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read more
Outer Banks Steaks
1110 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke
Jason's Restaurant has a lot of loyal local customers because it serves tasty, traditional and reasonably priced food in a casual atmosphere. Pizza, pasta, subs, sandwiches, salads, steaks, chicken and, of course, fresh seafood are served for lunch and dinner. Owner Jimmy Bowen offers a different tasty special every day. See their beer and wine menu for drink choices. Don't miss the mouthwatering homemade desserts for the finishing touch for your meal. Jason's is open January through November.
Jason's Restaurant has a lot of loyal local customers because it serves tasty, traditional and reasonably priced food in a casual atmosphere. Pizza, pasta...
read moreJason's Restaurant has a lot of loyal local customers because it serves tasty, traditional and...
read more
Outer Banks Steaks
208 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern in downtown Manteo. The tavern offers a wide range of dishes for all tastes, ranging from British favorites like Welsh Rarebit, Fish & Chips, Scotch Eggs, Bangers & Mash and Cottage Pie to burgers, salads crab cakes and shrimp and grits. The Full Moon Crab Dip from this restaurant's predecessor is, blessedly, still on the menu. There's a kids' menu as well. They serve the award-winning beers of Lost Colony Brewery in Stumpy Point along with wine and cocktails. Take a seat at one of the umbrella-covered outdoor tables on a warm day or night or sit inside in the intimate restaurant with a similar view of the streetscape. The outside terrace is dog friendly. The tavern is open for lunch and dinner; call for hours. Dinner reservations are accepted. Live acoustic music and trivia nights are popular here.
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern in downtown Manteo. The tavern...read more
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
777 Sunset Boulevard, Corolla
Mike Dianna's Grill Room is owned and operated by a true Corolla local who grew up here and has lived in the area since 1984. The restaurant starts with the best raw products they can find, such as USDA Prime beef, fresh and local seafood, all-natural chicken, pork and pasta. The restaurant has a live hardwood grill where they cook all of their steaks and seafood, and it's the only one of its kind on the northern part of the Outer Banks. They have a wonderful children's menu and an ever-changing specials menu, and they cater to gluten-free, dairy-free and allergy-related restrictions. The Grill Room serves brunch complete with homemade buttermilk biscuits, a house-cured lox platter, crabcake sandwiches, deviled eggs, daily omelette specials and more. Indoor and outdoor dining are available, as are curbside pickup and free delivery on the paved roads of Corolla (online ordering available). Reservations are recommended for all party sizes for both brunch and dinner and can be made online.
Mike Dianna's Grill Room is owned and operated by a true Corolla local who grew up here and has lived in the area since 1984. The...read more
Mike Dianna's Grill Room is owned and operated by a true Corolla local who grew up...read more
Outer Banks Steaks
4005 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 13, Nags Head
For more than 20 years, Mulligan’s has served Southern coastal cuisine with incredible views, thanks to its scenic location between Jockey’s Ridge and Historic Cottage Row. Long known for having some of the best burgers on the beach, their masterful chefs recently have been placing a brighter spotlight on local seafood prepared in an authentic Outer Banks style, all with fresh, local ingredients. Dig into a tasty seafood platter, broiled or fried, some good old-fashioned shrimp and grits or the local catch of the day. They also have a steamed and raw bar serving up local bounty including shrimp, clams and Wanchese sea scallops. You can still order their award-winning burgers, along with other landlubber selections, and kids have their own menu. Their two dining rooms can accommodate a range of group sizes, and the upstairs space has its own bar. In the warmer months, you may opt to eat outside on their covered tiki bar with an ocean view or in the designated doggy dining area. The bar downstairs is a popular local hangout with a big-screen TV for catching up on sports. They have live music year-round. Mulligan’s also offers catering from Corolla to Hatteras as buffet, plated or drop-off. The restaurant is open 365 days a year for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
For more than 20 years, Mulligan’s has served Southern coastal cuisine with incredible views, thanks to its scenic location...read more
For more than 20 years, Mulligan’s has served Southern coastal cuisine with incredible...read more
