Golf Hunger, and the Hunger Golf Creates

After a full day of golf, an appetite can arrive fast. In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, golfers can find standout choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

By Bill Kamenjar on Mar. 15, 2021

I once believed that neither wild horses nor the ocean’s sights and sounds could pull me off a golf course. A hard-earned hunger after 18 holes, however, has always had its own persuasive force.

That view shifted during my years as a loyal visitor to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I soon discovered that the descendants of Spanish Mustangs, survivors of 16th century shipwrecks, had made it ashore and continued roaming the white sandy beaches. A horse tour through their natural dune and seaside habitat can occasionally lure me away from the Northern banks and their broad green fairways.

The beach has its own quiet power, too. Few things feel better than pressing your toes, with no wedge in sight, into soft sand while the surf eases in and out at the place where waves finish their long Atlantic Ocean crossing. Still, the strongest pull away from the course has always been the basic need for something good to eat.

Why Golfers Work Up an Appetite

Golf is, as people say, a very different bag of shag balls. Because of that, it has a special way of creating a serious hunger, particularly when the round is played near the coast. Maybe the culprit is the salty air. Maybe it is the time spent reading putts or chopping out of waste bunkers. Maybe it is simply four hours with good friends playing a game we all enjoy. A hot dog and a pack of orange-colored peanut butter crackers at the turn may hold things together for a while, but the real pleasure begins after the clubs are packed, the trunk is closed, and the group heads toward a favorite après golf stop.

When my crew goes all-in on an OBX trip, we try to sample a range of restaurants across several days and several rounds. Regardless of the scorecard, a great meal is usually close by.

Barbeque and seafood are not the only rewards waiting along the northern Outer Banks. Trips a little farther south to beach communities such as Kitty Hawk, or even into Nags Head, home of the Nags Head Golf Links, are also part of the routine. What follows is a look at some of the favorite places my golf buddies and I use to recharge after a day on OBX fairways and greens.

Before the First Shot

Golfers with an early tee time may want to begin by “ducking” into Duck Donuts. Founded in 2006 in Duck and later expanded nationwide, with five OBX locations, the shop was the first to bring customizable, made-to-order doughnuts to people along OBX. With several locations now spread up and down the strip, a foursome is rarely far from a sweet start.

For players taking on a multi-course golf getaway and wanting a more classic breakfast stop, at least one meal should happen at Stack’em High Pancakes and So Forth. This well-known spot opened first in Kill Devil Hills in 1981, followed by a second location in Kitty Hawk in 1985.

Golfers who are short on time can turn to Bob’s Grill in Kill Devil Hills, which has helped players make their tee times since the 1990s with its slogan “Eat and Get the Hell Out.” Known for plate-sized pancakes and fresh-made hash browns at breakfast, plus seafood burritos and Angus beef burgers for those playing later, Bob’s is built to keep the day moving.

Midday Options Before Afternoon Tee Times

For groups with afternoon tee times, John’s Drive In is a strong place to get warmed up. It was established in 1977 in Kitty Hawk by a family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and its opening began an Outer Banks tradition centered on the “Dolphin.” The owners serve fresh tuna and dolphin, paired with homemade tartar sauce and freshly made cocktail sauce, along with other favorites.

Among the most recognizable names anywhere on OBX is Sam and Omie’s, a Nags Head fixture since 1937. Its hearty menu includes omelets, hamburgers, club sandwiches, prime rib, and seafood, all served in a “barefoot and beachy” setting first created by a pair of fishermen, who likely would have been golfers if OBX had offered a course or two back then.

When the clock is working against you, two useful “grab and go” choices in the area are Dairy Queen near the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills and the various Brew Thru locations. Brew Thru is the Outer Banks’ original beverage-and-snack, stay-in-your-car experience, launched in the 1970s and still a local staple.

Real Après Golf Dining

The main course away from the course is the one most golfers hope to reach during dinner. For golfers, dinner can mean a flexible stretch of evening, usually the one that begins just after the final putt drops. That is when some of the best flavors OBX offers come fully into play.

Two of the best-known names created along the Outer Banks are Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar in Kill Devil Hills and Dirty Dicks Crab House, now in Nags Head. There is value in being first, and Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar claims the distinction of being the first one of its kind to open on the Outer Banks. Its memorable name and logo are part of the draw, but it is also known for fresh, delicious seafood and a casual, friendly feel. With an ocean view from its lounge, the place that contradicts its own name has been called one of the nation’s greatest oyster bars thanks in large part to its coastal vibe and seafood delights.

With the risqué slogan “I Got My Crabs at Dirty Dicks,” it makes sense that Dirty Dicks Crab House has become a popular choice for golfers from many places. Created in response to famous crab houses farther north in Virginia and Maryland, Dirty Dick’s newer Nags Head location gives visiting golfers more room to settle in with all-you-can-eat crabs and crab legs. For fresh seafood, the place with the funny name also brings a flair for fun.

Other memorable food-stop names along the OBX coast include The Black Pelican, Hurricane Mo’s Beachside Bar & Grill, The Bonzer Shack, Tortuga’s Lie, Art’s Place Bar & Grille, Mako’s Beach Grille & Bar, and La Fogata. The Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk is one of the first year-round restaurants on the Outer Banks and provides a striking ocean view. Its building once served as a historic life-saving station built in the late 1800s. The menu includes fresh seafood, steaks, vegetarian dishes, sandwiches, and wood oven pizzas. Hurricane Mo’s Beachside Bar & Grill, also in Kitty Hawk, serves local seafood, steaks, pasta, sandwiches, and more. Like many spots around town, it is also a favorite for daily lunch specials.

The Bonzer Shack in Kill Devil Hills, meanwhile, claims to the most laid-back beach grill on the Outer Banks, a welcome idea after a difficult round. The surfer-themed setting lets golfers rinse away a rough day with a splash of water and a relaxed meal. The Shack serves bistro-quality coastal comfort food, including inventive appetizers such as the locally famous ‘Hippy Dip’ and wings roasted in house daily.

Tortuga’s Lie, tucked into the dunes in Nags Head, offers a balanced mix ranging from seafood to burgers and beyond. Art’s Place in Kitty Hawk claims to have the best burger in town, and I am not inclined to argue, especially with a sign that reads “Local’s Welcome, Tourists Tolerated … sometimes.” Mako’s helps complete the group. Another Kill Devil Hills classic with an unforgettable name, it is the kind of place where a little of everything can be found. OBX, of course, is not limited to seafood, burgers, and barbeque. When the group wants authentic Mexican food, La Fogata in Kitty Hawk is the stop.

After the After-Golf Meal

Like any beach town that knows its salt, OBX also offers plenty of ways to satisfy a sweet tooth after dinner. One place our group discovered while playing Nags Head Golf Links is Booty Treats Ice Cream & Shave Ice, located to the south. This distinctive parlor serves authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice, old-fashioned malts, milkshakes, and sundaes, though none of us, not even the low handicappers, has yet attempted Booty’s “Junk In the Trunk Sundae.”

All told, the Outer Banks of North Carolina delivers as a golf-and-food destination with real quality. For anyone looking for a true tee-to-green and then-to-the-table adventure, this seaside sanctuary offers a full shag bag of fun and fuel.

Author

Bill Kamenjar is a freelance writer and photojournalist who covers sports and golf lifestyle stories throughout the Middle Atlantic. A native of Rockville, Maryland, Bill is the 2019 Virginia Press Association award-winning photographer of high school sports for InsideNova in Northern Virginia. Bill has also worked as a contributing editor for GolfStyles Magazine in Washington, D.C., and Montgomery Magazine in Maryland, and previously served as Assistant Sports Information Director at George Mason University. He first came to the Outer Banks seaside as an undergraduate and now returns every year, always with his golf sticks.