Use the map below to find the best places to eat across the Outer Banks, from fresh-off-the-boat seafood shacks to waterfront fine dining and local breakfast spots. Pins are organized by town so you can plan meals around wherever you are staying.
Open this map full-screen in Google Maps.
Seventeen picks, Corolla to Ocracoke — institutions, breakfast lines, and the rooms locals actually book. Two things to know about eating here: the best spots mostly don’t take reservations, so eat early or embrace the wait, and off-season days vary wildly — call before driving far. For the unpretentious drinking side of the equation, our dive bars guide has that covered.
Best Outer Banks Seafood Restaurants
The classics don’t take reservations, so eat early or make peace with the wait — it’s the house culture up and down the beach. Awful Arthur’s in Kill Devil Hills is the oyster institution: sit at the bar across from Avalon Pier and watch them shuck. Basnight’s Lone Cedar on the Nags Head causeway built its menu on locally caught fish and its dining room on the water — evenings only. Blue Water Grill at Manteo’s Pirate’s Cove marina runs a proper raw bar with dock views. Tortugas’ Lie leans Caribbean — jerk chicken beside the seafood, key lime pie after — and closes Sundays. And down the banks, Hatteras Sol serves the island’s sunset dinner on the water in Hatteras Village. Every one is pinned on the map above.
Breakfast on the Outer Banks
Breakfast here is a genre with institutions. Stack’em High in Kill Devil Hills is the pancake line worth standing in — walk-ins only, serving until early afternoon, closed Wednesdays. Sam & Omie’s has fed fishermen across from Jennette’s Pier since 1937; go early and order the she-crab soup even at breakfast. Art’s Place in Kitty Hawk opens at 7 with ocean views and zero pretense, and the Jolly Roger in KDH runs breakfast straight through to last call — 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. under the same Christmas lights. For the sweet version, the original Duck Donuts still makes them to order in the town that named the chain.
Restaurants by Town
Corolla: Uncle Ike’s for live music and a late kitchen. Duck: The Paper Canoe for the special-occasion waterside table, Duck Donuts for the original. Kitty Hawk: Art’s Place, and dinner at the Black Pelican on the spot where the first-flight telegram went out. Kill Devil Hills: The Kill Devil Grill — the best-reviewed kitchen on the beach, in a vintage diner car — plus Awful Arthur’s, Stack’em High, and the Jolly Roger. Nags Head: Blue Moon Beach Grill, Tortugas’ Lie, Sam & Omie’s, and Basnight’s on the causeway. Manteo: Blue Water Grill at the marina. Hatteras Island: Neptune’s in Rodanthe and Hatteras Sol in the village. Ocracoke: Howard’s Pub — the meal you earn with a ferry ride.
FAQ
Do Outer Banks restaurants take reservations?
The beloved ones mostly don’t — Kill Devil Grill, Tortugas’ Lie, Basnight’s, Howard’s Pub, and the breakfast institutions are all walk-in. Eat early, especially in summer, or treat the wait as part of the evening. The exceptions run upscale — The Paper Canoe in Duck takes bookings.
Where’s the best breakfast on the Outer Banks?
Stack’em High for pancakes, Sam & Omie’s for the 1937 fisherman’s version, Art’s Place for ocean-view eggs at 7 a.m. — and Duck Donuts’ original shop for the sweet route.
What’s the best-reviewed restaurant on the OBX?
By the numbers, The Kill Devil Grill — a vintage diner car in Kill Devil Hills with the highest sustained ratings on the beach. No reservations; the wait is the price.
Where can I eat on the water?
Basnight’s Lone Cedar on the Nags Head causeway, Blue Water Grill at Manteo’s marina, Hatteras Sol in Hatteras Village, and The Paper Canoe on the Duck soundfront all put the water beside the table.
Plan the Rest of Your OBX Trip
Pair your dining plans with our other guides: Outer Banks Beaches, Outer Banks Lighthouses, Outer Banks Fishing Piers, and Where to See the Wild Horses. You can also explore everything else with our Things to Do in the Outer Banks guide.