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

Darrell’s Restaurant

Outer Banks Restaurant
521 S. U.S. Highway 64, Manteo
(252) 473-5366

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...read more

Darrell’s is a family-style seafood restaurant that’s a locals' favorite and has been operated by...read more

Diamond Shoals Restaurant and Seafood Market

Outer Banks Restaurant
46843 N.C. Highway 12, Buxton
(252) 995-5217

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...read more

Diamond Shoals is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving visitors and locals for 30 years. It’s...read more

Dunes Restaurant

Outer Banks Restaurant
7013 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Between The Bypass and The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
(252) 441-1600

Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors for nearly four decades (39 seasons in 2021 to be exact). 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....read more

Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors...read more

Fat Crabs Rib Company

Outer Banks Restaurant
1159 Austin Street, Corolla Light Town Center, Corolla
(252) 453-9931

This is a great local dine-in or take-out restaurant with a very casual family atmosphere. The menu features seafood including soft-shell and hard-shell crabs (hard shells are sold either live or cooked), Alaskan king and snow crab legs by the pound (when available), scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters and fresh fish, plus slow-cooked barbecue including North Carolina pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked ribs, smoked chicken...read more

This is a great local dine-in or take-out restaurant with a very casual family atmosphere....read more

FatBoyz Ice Cream & Sweet Treats

Outer Banks Restaurant
7208 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
(252) 441-6514

A beach road favorite in Nags Head for more than 20 years, FatBoyz serves delicious sweets and treats. Hand-dipped and soft-serve ice cream are prepared in dozens of ways – cups, cones, shakes, sundaes, splits, floats, flurries and more. Stacie's Ice Cream Cakes are a local legend, and you can order your own by calling ahead. New on the menu are chocolate-dipped fruits and bacon...read more

A beach road favorite in Nags Head for more than 20 years, FatBoyz serves delicious...read more

Fishheads Bar & Grill

Outer Banks Restaurant
8901 S. Old Oregon Inlet Road, MP 18.5, Nags Head
(252) 441-5740

You can't eat and drink any closer to the ocean than this. Fishheads 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...read more

You can't eat and drink any closer to the ocean than this. Fishheads at Outer...read more

FreshFit Cafe

Outer Banks Restaurant
7531 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head-Manteo Causeway, Nags Head
(252) 715-6444

Serving healthy, clean and fresh foods and drinks, FreshFit Cafe makes it easy to stick to your health and fitness goals. The owners are health-focused and nutrition-oriented and they want to help people eat better so that they have more energy, less stress and fuller lives. FreshFit serves balanced breakfasts and lunches and offers organic coffee, a juice bar, smoothies, detox drinks, a kids' menu...read more

Serving healthy, clean and fresh foods and drinks, FreshFit Cafe makes it easy to stick...read more

Froggy Dog Restaurant & Pub

Outer Banks Restaurant
40050 N.C. Highway 12, Avon
(252) 995-5550

This long-established, freshly updated seafood-oriented restaurant is committed to serving top-quality, scratch-made fare in a friendly setting. In the ship-themed pub and dining room, diners enjoy lots of seafood, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pasta dishes, gluten-free items, vegetarian options and kids' offerings. The full bar has a focus on craft brews and North Carolina beers, and their in-house sommelier has gathered wines from around the world into an...read more

This long-established, freshly updated seafood-oriented restaurant is committed to serving top-quality, scratch-made fare in a...read more

Garden Deli & Pizzeria

Outer Banks Restaurant
512 S. U.S. Highway 64, Manteo
(252) 473-6888

This friendly neighborhood takeout restaurant is a Roanoke Island favorite for delicious New York-style, hand-tossed pizzas that are loaded with toppings. They also serve appetizers, wings, cheese steaks, salads  deli sandwiches, paninis, burgers, salads and delicious desserts like Hershey Bar cake and cheesecake. Garden is open for lunch and dinner every day except Sunday. Call ahead or order online for take-out. Or have your order delivered...read more

This friendly neighborhood takeout restaurant is a Roanoke Island favorite for delicious New York-style, hand-tossed...read more

Good Winds Restaurant

Outer Banks Restaurant
24502 N.C. Highway 12, Waves Village Watersports Resort, Rodanthe
(252) 987-1100

Whether you’ve worked up an appetite kiteboarding on-site or you just want a meal with a water view, Good Winds Restaurant is an excellent choice on northern Hatteras Island. Good Winds serves tasty and inventive beach cuisine, fresh-caught local seafood and the widest selection of wine and regional craft beer in the Tri-Villages. Located above Kitty Hawk Kites on the second

...read more

Whether you’ve worked up an appetite kiteboarding on-site or you just

...read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar

Outer Banks Restaurant
1608 N. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 7, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-6001

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar is a casual restaurant with a colorful and lively island-style atmosphere. The interior decor inspires happiness with bright murals, local artwork, fish tanks and vintage license plates on the walls surrounding the lobby and bar. The menu is fresh and creative, combining Outer Banks seafood with vacation-destination island influences, like Caribbean Creole Pasta, Caberete Shrimp, Caicos Coconut Shrimp Salad and...read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar is a casual restaurant with a colorful and lively island-style...read more

Henry’s Restaurant

Outer Banks Restaurant
3396 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 5, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 261-2025

Henry's is a family-owned and-operated restaurant and has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a family-friendly atmosphere on the Outer Banks since 1989. Breakfast is available until 1 p.m., so if you get up late you won't miss out on delicious, home-style choices like hot cakes, seafood omelets and biscuits and gravy. There's something for everyone on the lunch and dinner menu. Choose from...read more

Henry's is a family-owned and-operated restaurant and has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in...read more