Top Family-Friendly Places to Eat on the Outer Banks

By Honest Cooking on May 13, 2022

The Outer Banks — lovingly shortened to OBX — brings together sweeping history and true vacation ease in a way few places can match. That mix is likely why you are thinking about planning a summer getaway here, or why your trip is already on the calendar.

But once the family is packed, another question appears: where should everyone eat? Does bringing the kids mean missing out on the island’s seafood and broader culinary scene? Will the whole trip turn into a rotation of corporate-fast-casual-chain-restaurants, with parents and children stuck in a food rut?

Not here. The Outer Banks is ready for hungry families. Across the OBX, you’ll find laid-back beach cafes, low-key burger spots, creative delis, and seafood restaurants by the water, with fresh, fun, family-friendly choices for every meal of the day. As for those corporate-fast-casual-chain-restaurants, they are hardly part of the landscape here. Instead, visitors get to discover family-owned and -operated restaurants that share two essentials: they welcome kids, and they serve food worth getting excited about. Really, what else does a vacation need? Let’s begin.

The Village Table and Tavern

The Village Table and Tavern is a relaxed waterfront spot that blends an upbeat, welcoming mood with beautiful scenery, satisfying food, and a grassy area where children can burn off energy. Parents can browse a strong list of international craft beers and playful wines, while younger diners have plenty of tasty handheld options, including sandwiches and burgers. As a bonus, The Village Table and Tavern presents musicians and artists almost daily in the downstairs Sound Lounge, with Currituck Sound as the setting.

1314 Duck Rd, Duck, NC 27949

The Blue Point

If your kids are already adventurous young diners, The Blue Point gives families a chance to enjoy something a little more polished during an OBX trip. It is priced above many nearby restaurants, but the combination of gracious Southern hospitality, an inviting setting, and imaginative, flavorful dishes served nightly — such as hoisin glazed pork ribs or seared jumbo sea scallops with curried ginger farro — makes the experience feel well worth it. Be sure to visit the back bar as well, where guests can find a lively atmosphere, live music, and an ideal sunset view.

1240 Duck Road, Duck, NC 27949

Capt’n Franks Hot Dogs & Fine Sandwiches

Capt’n Franks Hot Dogs & Fine Sandwiches has built its reputation on a generous lineup of hot dogs, corn dogs, French fries, and traditional sandwiches, which helps explain why Capt’n Franks has been a local institution since 1975. The mood is easygoing, unfussy, and entertaining, with guests of every age enjoying the sight of receipts traveling across the room by zip line. Another kid-friendly touch: children’s meals arrive on a keepsake frisbee. After eating, families can head across the parking lot to Buccaneer’s Walk Shopping Center for ice cream, local stores, a kids’ museum, and more.

3800 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

Outer Banks Brewing Station

Outer Banks Brewing Station works well for the entire family, pairing creative decor and pleasant views with a large, dependably good menu for both carnivores and veg-heads. A wait for a table is common, but adults can sip a craft beer from its wind-powered brewery — the first one in the country — while kids play outside in the spacious yard, where family-friendly activities include cornhole and a ship playground. This kid-friendly restaurant also has live music every evening.

600 S Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Mama Kwan’s

Mama Kwan’s is another go-to for families, with a bright, welcoming, celebratory feel that turns the vacation energy way up. This tiki bar and grill in Kill Devil Hills has been a local not-so-secret secret for more than 15 years, serving lively Pacific flavors with plenty of warmth. The menu moves from pepper-seared ahi tuna to cellophane noodles with ginger and shrimp, Hawaiian pork plate, and jerk chicken soft tacos, with food that consistently feels fresh, colorful, and upbeat. Since it is a tiki bar, the cocktail list is also worth attention, offering tropical flavors and bold combinations.

1701 S Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar

At Goombays Grille & Raw Bar in downtown Kill Devil Hills, the island mood shows up in both the dining room and the dishes. Playful drinks for adults and children bring in Caribbean character, while the menu travels comfortably from Southwestern influences to BBQ and Greek-inspired salads. At its center, though, the food is bright, fresh, vibrant, and enjoyable to look at as well as to eat. It is an easy way to bring extra color into a family trip. Children’s cocktails also come with a surprise toy, adding one more reason to book a table.

1608 N Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Sam and Omie’s

Sam and Omie’s in Nags Head is a true Outer Banks institution. First launched as a breakfast place for commercial fishermen over 70 years ago, this family-friendly restaurant now serves casual all-day meals built around fresh ingredients. Families can explore steam-bar selections with crab legs or spiced shrimp, or choose seafood sandwiches like the clam dog, shrimp burger, or fried flounder sandwich. Whatever lands on the table, this old-school beach cafe delivers a strong sense of local history alongside the meal.

7228 S Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC 27959

Tale of the Whale

Tale of the Whale is a longtime waterfront favorite on Roanoke Sound, known for scenic views and good food for over 40 years. Operated by the Bibey family from the beginning, it remains a cherished part of the OBX dining scene. Families can choose from a wide selection of local seafood prepared fried, broiled, or steamed, including snow crab legs, coconut shrimp, calamari, and flounder. For kids who prefer something other than seafood, the menu includes plenty of land-based choices to keep everyone full and happy while the sunset unfolds from the patio.

7575 S Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC 27959

Sugar Creek Soundfront Restaurant

With one of the best views on the OBX, Sugar Creek Soundfront Restaurant in Nags Head places diners right in the middle of the natural surroundings. Families can sit outside and watch for the resident osprey family nesting on the property, or let kids honk at the Canadian geese gathering below the overlook. If the scenery gives you a moment to focus on the menu, you’ll find classic seafood served fried, broiled, and steamed. Start with crab bisque made with local lump crab meat, then move on to the fried seafood platter with the catch of the day, scallops, shrimp, and clam strips. For a Southern option, try the award-winning shrimp and grits, prepared with andouille sausage, Sriracha butter, and Pepper Jack cheese.

Next door, Sugar Shack is also worth a look. It serves as a seafood market, restaurant, and oyster bar, and offers take-home steamer buckets filled with clams, crab claws, mussels, and shrimp.

7340 S Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC 27959

Blue Moon Beach Grill

Blue Moon Beach Grill is a favorite with locals and visitors alike, offering a comfortable family-friendly setting and a seafood-forward menu of inventive Southern comfort food for adults, including fried green tomatoes, shrimp napoleon, and Thai-spiced seared sea scallops. Kids have their own menu too, with choices such as spaghetti and grilled cheese sandwiches. Outside, the seating area includes hammocks, shaded tables, and a large fenced space where children can move around and play. Because it sits only four miles from Jockey’s Ridge, families can eat here before visiting the East Coast’s largest natural sand dune.

102 E Dove St, Nags Head, NC 27959

Poor Richard’s Sandwich Shop

The OBX has no shortage of restaurants and cafes, but Poor Richard’s Sandwich Shop stands out as one of its most iconic. This pub-and-deli combination has been satisfying sandwich cravings for over 35 years, with diners returning again and again for its famous Reuben. Naturally, it comes with a dill pickle. The experience also includes a memorable view of Shallowbag Bay and the Manteo town Marina.

305 Queen Elizabeth Street, Manteo, NC 27954

Hatteras Bowls

Hatteras Bowls is, as promised, on Hatteras Island, and bowls are the specialty. The surprise is how ideal this modest shack can be for anyone wanting a breakfast that feels both wholesome and delicious. Parents and kids can enjoy smoothies, inventive peanut butter sandwiches, and fresh acai bowls built to order or chosen from the menu board. Vegan ice cream and locally brewed coffee are available all day as well, making it an easy family favorite.

25410 NC-12, Waves, NC 27982

Buxton Munch

Buxton Munch presents itself as a laid-back, flavorful little spot, and that description fits. This funky beach dive has served both locals and vacationers for over 20 years, earning a following for fish tacos, shrimp tacos, wraps, and quesadillas. Guests can enjoy the offbeat interior and cheerful atmosphere while meals are made to order. Its posted house rules focus on being kind, happy, patient, and mellow, which feels simple enough for a beach-day meal.

47359 Highway 12 Osprey Shopping Center, Buxton, NC 27920

More Family-Friendly Things To Do

With the family-friendly food plan handled, save time for the many sights spread across the OBX. Families can visit iconic places such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, explore the wide beaches open to all visitors and adventurers, and learn stories of famous pirates whose lives ended in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the dangerous stretch of water along the Atlantic side of the Outer Banks. The area also holds the mystery of America’s first colony in Roanoke, now known as The Lost Colony. Visitors can also connect with the historic moment when the Wright brothers first flew on a windy Thursday morning in December of 1903, just a few miles outside of Kitty Hawk. On the OBX, there is clearly plenty to engage the mind, body, and appetite.