Outer Banks Restaurants

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. country ham, a crab and shrimp omelet and a waffle platter. For the 2021 season, the Dunes is staying open for lunch through 2 p.m., with plenty of local seafood, burgers and Southern favorites. 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, seafood pasta, fish tacos 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 tempts with children’s toys, women’s accessories, jewelry, scarves, original paintings, photographs, Outer Banks memorabilia and much more. 

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 and freshly made Italian sodas. Their limeades, lemonades and orangeades definitely hit the spot on a hot summer day. FatBoyz is across the street from Jennette’s Pier, and you can eat on-site at a handful of tables on the side deck. Though the line is often long at this very popular spot, it moves very quickly.

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 and healthy desserts. Local seafood, seasonal fruits and vegetables and clean proteins are the basis for the menu offerings. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options are available. If you have questions about your diet or nutrition, just ask and they will help you.

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 on Roanoke Island or in Pirate's Cove in the evening. Garden's family-style take-out dinners – lasagna, chicken Parmesan and chicken Piccata – are excellent when you're in a dinnertime rush or need to feed a crowd.

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 Seafood Kingston. The Rasta Pasta, Tuna Oscar, Tuna Reuben and Jazzy Coconut Chicken are rounded out by daily specials and selections from the steam and raw bar. Not in the mood for seafood? Goombays offers plenty of chicken, beef and vegetable options, from great burgers to awesome sandwiches and, of course, chicken wings. Goombays is family friendly with a unique kids' menu and specialty kid drinks. The full bar features about 50 beer selections, including a wide range of North Carolina craft brews along with wine and signature cocktails. Their namesake Goombay Smash can be served as a Kill Devil Smash using locally crafted Kill Devil Silver & Pecan Honey Rums. Goombays serves lunch and dinner, and the bar stays open until midnight with late-night steamed and raw seafood.