Outer Banks Restaurants

If you’re looking for delicious and traditional Southern fare on the Outer Banks, stop by Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack. With locations in Corolla and Nags Head, they're proud to offer their famous Carolina barbecue. They specialize in authentic Eastern North Carolina-style pulled pork barbecue, slow-smoked ribs, beef brisket and Southern fried chicken. You’ll find all your favorite homemade sides here too, including potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, onion rings, cornbread and hush puppies. Combine that with their awesome apps, burgers and kids’ menu, and you’ve got a winning combination to please a variety of cravings. You can sit down and eat in either of the locations or take your meal to go. They also offer prepared family meals, catering and event planning services. Call ahead for large orders. 

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.

The Captain's Table in the old Owens' Restaurant building features a legacy of coastal Southern fine dining by the sea. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a family-friendly atmosphere, and a breakfast buffet on weekends. The breakfast menu features hearty favorites like Benedicts, platters, omelettes and comfort food favorites along with mimosas and spirits. The lunch menu features seafood, sandwiches, burgers and platters. At dinner, diners can enjoy generous portions of fresh fish and shellfish from local watermen, pasta, aged prime beef, Southern specialties and house-made desserts. The Captain's Table wine list is lengthy, and beers and a full bar are available in the restaurant or upstairs in the Station Keepers Lounge. Everything is seasoned with a huge helping of Southern hospitality. History buffs will marvel at the collection of museum-quality artifacts dedicated to the maritime history of the Outer Banks. This is a large, family-friendly restaurant and large parties are welcome.

Sister restaurant to the beloved Paper Canoe restaurant in Duck, The Pony and the Boat Comfort Kitchen offers the consistency and high food quality of the Paper Canoe with more casual fare and a low-key vibe. Settle in for a comfort-based dinners at the bar, in a cozy booth or in the dining room, where tables can be configured for groups large and small. The focus of the menu is to offer a fresh, elevated take on comfort food: fried chicken, fresh seafood, chicken pot pie, Southern-style sides and more. The kitchen is committed to top-quality ingredients to include all-natural chicken, grass-fed N.C.-raised beef, local and regional seafood, local produce and more. Take-out is available. The restaurant serves beer, wine and spirits, including an extensive list of bourbons.