Outer Banks Steak Restaurants

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

Ocracoke Oyster Company appeals to locals and visitors, featuring plentiful options of local seafood along with a large variety of oysters on the half shell. Serving fig wood-smoked barbecue, burgers, ribs, brisket and chicken, they also offer vegetarian options and a kids' menu. They have a nice selection of local beer. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. They often have live music, and the kitchen stays open late in season.

Red Sky is an inviting cafe with a creative menu of contemporary coastal cuisine. Chef Wes Stepp and his team turn out some incredible fare, including filet mignon, crispy duck, seafood, pasta and chicken plus sandwiches, salads, soups, appetizers and desserts. The daily specials are always worth trying. Top-quality, flavor-rich ingredients round out all the offerings, and the sides are usually as show-stopping as the featured dish. Red Sky has a full bar with an exciting wine list, and they're open for lunch and dinner daily. For those who want to stay on their nutritional plan while on vacation, Chef Wes has combined his passion for fitness with his passion for great food; his Tastefully Fit menu offers delicious, healthy meals cooked at your vacation home or available in the restaurant. You can also order full meals to go or hire their Chefs On Call service, and they'll cook for you at your place. Red Sky is also one of the popular choices for wedding caterers serving the entire Outer Banks, including Carova. 

Stripers has a great waterfront location at Shallowbag Bay Marina, and they offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water views. You can eat on the screened-in deck, on the outdoor patio, in the first-floor bar or in the second-floor restaurant. The views get better the higher you go. Stripers menu includes fresh local seafood, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, salads, pastas and appetizers. The seafood is guaranteed fresh, as the owner has good connections with local fishermen. Some favorites on the menu include lobster bisque, oyster stew, crab dip, crab cakes, cheese-steak egg rolls and sliders. Small and large portion sizes are available. Stripers offers a happy hour with half-price steamed shrimp and crab legs every day from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and they have a full liquor license and offer beer, wine and mixed drinks. It's open every day for lunch and dinner, with no break between the two. On Sundays they open at 11 a.m. for brunch. In the summer months they offer live music on the weekends. Take-out and catering are available. To find Stripers, turn off Highway 64 in Manteo behind McDonald's.

Sundogs is a great family-friendly restaurant for lunch and dinner in Corolla. The grill offers an array of appetizers along with steamed seafood, salads, sandwiches, burgers and full entrees such as New Orleans-inspired shrimp and grits created by Chef Bryan Maher and a host of new menu items from new team chefs Matthew Purdue and Agustus Dawson – think Teriyaki-Glazed Salmon, Lobster Mac & Cheese with Pork Belly and Pulled Pork Kimchi Tacos. A host of daily specials ensures that the chefs can be as creative as they want to be (specials are posted on social media). Be sure to check out the raw bar featuring a variety of oysters and other seafood. Sundogs has a kids' menu and a midday appetizer menu from 3 to 5 p.m. every day. When dinner ends, nightlife begins. Sundogs is open until 2 a.m. every night during summer with several nights of live music and karaoke. This is also the place for all your sports-viewing adventures, especially Sunday football, thanks to their large projection TV and 12 other TVs. After 10 p.m. Sundogs is open for ages 21 and older only.