Outer Banks Restaurants

You can't eat and drink any closer to the ocean than this. Fish Heads at Outer Banks Pier offers a restaurant and bar with seating on the deck in the sun or moon or under a roof with open-air curtains. They serve fish tacos, steamed shrimp, fresh hamburgers, crab cakes, tuna bites, fries and more. And they also have some breakfast sandwiches for the early birds and anglers. Wine and an extensive craft beer menu are available, including a great selection of draft beers and sake cocktails. They also have shrimp happy hour and live music.

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.

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, mac and cheese or coleslaw available by the pint or quart. Be sure to check out their daily lunch specials, too, for deals on single-serving meals. Cookshak's Duck location is take-out only, and their Nags Head location offers takeout or dine-in options. They also deliver for free.