Top OBX Restaurants, Bars, and Food Stops

By Food, Fun & Faraway Places on Jan. 25, 2019

Some picks for standout OBX restaurants might be unexpected. They tend to be casual, many are easy on the budget, and that feels right for a beach trip. Flip-flops and shorts fit right in at plenty of them, and each one delivers the thing that makes an Outer Banks getaway especially delicious: fresh seafood.

Earlier this year, I was invited to get a taste of the Outer Banks dining scene. I had visited OBX many years before, but since then, new Outer Banks restaurants have appeared everywhere. The Outer Banks has become far more of a foodie destination than I realized.

Favorite OBX Restaurants

These are just a few of the places I came across while visiting the Outer Banks. With hundreds of restaurants and food stops available, it is easy to find something memorable to eat no matter where you land in this gorgeous beach destination.

Lifesaving Station at Sanderling Resort

In 1874, Caffey’s Inlet Lifesaving Station No 5 stood among the original life-saving stations. The North Carolina coast was dangerous, and over time, 20 stations stretched along the shoreline from the Virginia line.

At that time, the rescue work focused not on swimmers, but on people caught in shipwrecks. The original building was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1899. After the Coast Guard assumed control in 1915, the Lifesaving Station was ultimately taken out of service.

Today, the Lifesaving Station at the Sanderling Resort has gone through renovations and is a beautiful place to visit. Walk through the space to learn about the building’s past and view some of the historic pieces on display.

This relaxed restaurant serves southern coastal food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, using as many local and organic products as possible.

The Lifesaving Station has broad appeal for a group. The menu covers comfort dishes such as fried chicken and biscuits, along with seafood options like seared sea scallops with caramelized leek polenta, heirloom carrots, and balsamic glaze. Locals say some of the best breakfast in OBX is served at the Lifesaving Station, and there is also an a la carte Sunday brunch. Condé Nast voted Sanderling the Best Resort on NC coast. Regular menu items are available, while specials change seasonally depending on what is fresh. The lemon tart was a standout.

Sam & Omie’s

For downhome OBX food, Sam & Omie’s is the place to go. The restaurant first opened in 1937, founded by a pair of fishermen. It filled a need for an early morning breakfast place for fishing crews heading out for the day, and 70 years later, Sam & Omie’s in Nags Head is still serving both locals and visitors.

Seafood fans showing up for breakfast should make the crab benedict their order. The menu has a huge number of choices, but that dish is hard to beat.

The cinnamon bun also deserves a spot on the table. It is large enough to share, and if you keep it for yourself, it may be difficult not to finish the whole thing.

There may be a wait, but the bartenders or waitstaff can set you up with coffee or a cocktail while the plates pass by. Whether you want breakfast, a burger, a sandwich, prime rib, or a generous plate of local seafood, Sam & Omie’s is a satisfying stop.

Diamond Shoals Restaurant

Diamond Shoals Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making it a convenient meal stop before or after a visit to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. A cold local beer is a good way to begin.

Diamond Shoals is known for seafood, and choosing between a crab cake and a pound of shrimp can be difficult.

The clam chowder is award-winning, and Diamond Shoals has the only sushi bar on Hatteras Island. The Fresh Catch chalkboard shows what is available that day. If it is not fresh, Diamond Shoals does not serve it. It is clear why guests return year after year. Open seven days per week, Diamond Shoals also offers a large kids menu, and dessert is worth remembering.

Blue Moon Beach Grill

Blue Moon Beach Grill has the feel of a neighborhood favorite while still offering a strong menu. The restaurant notes that carry-out is only offered when they are not busy, because they would rather guests sit down and enjoy food hot and fresh from the kitchen. Their goal is a Once in a Blue Moon dining experience.

The menu is full of tempting options, including shrimp and grits, filet mignon, and the popular Truck Stop: pan-fried pork loin with a generous serving of skillet potatoes and onions, finished with homemade pan gravy. Add a fried egg if you want to make it even richer.

Seeing dishes leave the kitchen can make anyone second-guess their own order, but the bouillabaisse proved to be the right choice. It came with large pieces of local fish and shellfish in a lightly spicy tomato broth with saffron and white wine.

Waveriders Coffee, Deli & Pub

Waveriders has a cozy, familiar feel, almost like stepping onto the set of Friends. The source page references Waveriders’ own website for its casual counter-order setup and relaxed hangout atmosphere. Once inside, it is easy to settle in, and the menu covers plenty of cravings.

For breakfast, try the Eddie, made with egg, smoked Gouda, tomato, onion, avocado, and balsamic drizzle on a panini-pressed everything bagel. Creative breakfast wraps are also available. Pair breakfast with the latte of the day or the Bikini Bottom Smoothie, made with pineapple, cucumber, and honey.

At lunch, guests can build their own deli sandwich or choose something like the Beet & Gorgonzola Salad Special. A freshly baked pastry makes a good dessert. Waveriders is open every day, and online ordering is available for faster pickup. With 9 craft beers on tap, eating in and lingering for a while is also a good idea.

Lost Colony Brewery & Cafe

I first found Lost Colony Brewery at the Seafood Festival. Stopping by the brewery itself was not originally planned, but passing it up was impossible. Located on Queen Elizabeth Street in downtown Manteo, the brewery has an upbeat atmosphere and brews eight different beers.

The food menu includes classic dishes such as Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin and Surf and Turf. If you are not looking for a full meal, the appetizer list includes baked brie with toasted almonds and apples, served with a toasted baguette.

Big Bucks Ice Cream

With four locations, there is a good chance you will come across a Big Bucks Ice Cream Shop during an Outer Banks vacation. The cone featured on the source visit came from the Manteo waterfront location, which earns a strong recommendation.

Stroll while enjoying the treat. The ice cream, sorbets, and sherbets are all made from scratch. Some flavors are seasonal, but there are always many choices. Butter pecan and chocolate hazelnut are worth considering, and the cookie dough flavor was especially photogenic. Espresso, smoothies, and boxes of homemade chocolates are also available. Big Bucks also creates custom cakes for any occasion, and gift boxes of chocolates can be ordered online.

Scuppernong Vineyards

A sign promising award-winning wines is reason enough to stop and investigate. Tasting tells the story, and Scuppernong Vineyards offers samples of several varieties.

Complimentary tastings include 1/2 ounce pours of their most popular wines. During the tasting, visitors learn about each wine and receive food-pairing suggestions.

Outer Banks Brewing Station

Outer Banks Brewing Station is a must stop when visiting OBX. This brewery and restaurant sits in an ideal location and was designed as a modern take on a turn-of-the-century Lifesaving Station. It is also not every day that you can visit a wind-powered brewery.

Visitors can tour the brewery or simply look around and try one of the eleven handcrafted beers on tap. A flight of four 5-ounce beers is another smart way to understand what they are brewing.

Arrive hungry, because Outer Banks Brewing Station has a lively menu with plenty of options. Starters include wings, shrimp, and Jalapeno Bottle Caps, all well matched with a cold beer.

Lunch leans more toward salads and sandwiches, while dinner becomes a little more elevated with dishes such as seared scallops and local beef specials. Vegetarians will also find many choices.

Captain Andy’s Oceanfront Tiki Bar and Grill

Captain Andy’s Oceanfront Tiki Bar and Grill is another excellent place for a cold beer. With 30 beers on tap, they offer the biggest selection on the beach. Guests can sit outside in the sun or head indoors to cool down, and the views are impressive.

The Nachos Supreme can be ordered with or without beef or chicken and is definitely big enough to share. The calamari is tasty and comes with marina sauce on the side. For a full meal, Captain Andy’s serves many seafood platters and a wide range of sandwiches.

Owens’ Restaurant

Owens’ Restaurant belongs on any list of the best OBX restaurants. A landmark since 1946, Owens’ is the oldest restaurant in the Outer Banks that remains owned and operated by its founding family.

Walk around and look at the museum quality artifacts tied to Outer Banks maritime history. The setting can make you feel as if you have stepped back in time. The food is also a major reason Owens’ Restaurant is so well loved. Its coastal cuisine highlights the Atlantic’s abundance, with top-quality fresh ingredients delivered from regional farmers.

The Crab Stack, made with jumbo lump blue crab, mango, tomato, and avocado, is excellent.

Seafood lovers will appreciate the Shrimp and Grits. Those leaning toward Certified Angus Beef have options ranging from ribeye to filet mignon to prime rib, which is slowly roasted and finished on the grill. Owens’ also offers chicken and pasta dishes, so the menu works for many tastes.

Meals include the cheese crock and crackers, along with Owens’ famous hushpuppies. Dessert is worth saving space for, and the server will share what is available.

Duck Donuts

If a warm, freshly baked donut sounds good, Duck Donuts offers twelve different flavors and is the fastest growing donut shop in the US!

Flavor options include Vanilla Icing with Toffee Crunch and Chocolate Drizzle, plus Peanut Butter Icing with Chocolate Sprinkles. If none of the listed combinations is the one you want, you can create your own Duck donut.

Every donut begins with vanilla cake, then you select the coating, topping, and drizzle. Limited-time specials may also be available depending on your visit. Add coffee and consider bringing a box home.

ONeal’s Sea Harvest in Wanchese

ONeal’s Sea Harvest offers some of the freshest seafood available. Set right on the Wanchese harbor, this seafood wholesaler supplies many restaurants throughout the Outer Banks.

The public can also shop there, since ONeal’s selects items from the daily catch for consumer purchase. Fresh and frozen seafood options include fish, hard and soft-shell blue crabs, North Carolina shrimp, and ocean scallops.

There is also a restaurant for anyone who does not want to cook while on vacation. The menu includes seafood, sandwiches, and dessert. Lunch is served from 11-3:30. ONeal’s does not serve dinner because the store closes at 5 pm.

Outer Banks Distilling/Kill Devil Rum

The four owners of Outer Banks Distilling met years earlier while working at a local brewery in Kill Devil Hills. Beer, rum, and friendship led to conversations about opening a craft distillery on the Outer Banks. Their combined brewery and bartending backgrounds helped launch the new venture.

They became the first legal distillery on the Outer Banks, opening in February of 2015. In May of that year, the first batch of 720 bottles sold out in four hours. Once you taste it, the excitement makes sense.

Their flagship rums are Kill Devil Silver, Kill Devil Pecan, and Kill Devil Gold. Ask about the limited edition Shipwreck Series, with each release named for a shipwreck and offered periodically.

The Solspice Series is released twice a year for the winter and summer solstices. Angels’ Share Rum is a unique small-batch rum, and all proceeds support a local project. Outer Banks Distilling is located at 510 Budleigh Street in Manteo.

Trio

The final Outer Banks restaurant on the trip became the favorite. One reason was Trio’s strong appetizer menu. Their Charcuterie Board is packed with cured meats, and there is also a cheeseboard.

The extensive wine list was another reason Trio stood out. The Rosé flight pairs beautifully with the Pear & Beet Salad, made with fresh red pears, roasted beets, fennel, Humboldt Fog goat cheese, toasted pistachios, and honey poppyseed vinaigrette.

The onion dip is excellent, but the recipe is not shared. The dark chocolate goat cheese cheesecake is also worth leaving room for.

The retail store is fun to browse and includes ingredients you may not have seen before. If anything helps recreate that onion dip, it would be worth knowing.

Beyond the OBX Restaurants

These two stops are not restaurants, but food lovers should still make time for Hatteras Saltworks and the Outer Banks Seafood Festival.

Hatteras Saltworks

Brian, Shaena and Declan McMahon of Hatteras Saltworks spent years experimenting with ways to make sea salt. They studied crystals and evaporation methods from the Caribbean to the Pacific, then back to the Atlantic Ocean.

After settling on Hatteras Island, they began producing clean mineral-rich ocean salt. A tour shows the solar oven process they developed, including the use of 550 feet of pipe to draw saltwater. It is fascinating to see.

Bring salt home and taste the difference. The source author bought several bags, keeps it in a salt shaker on the kitchen table, and uses the rosemary salt for cooking.

Tours are by appointment only.

Outer Banks Seafood Festival

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival is a food-focused event that can justify planning a trip around it. 2019 will be the 8th year for the event, where visitors can sample some of the best seafood on the planet.

The festival includes food, drinks, and displays honoring the local fisherman who bring in the shrimp, fish, crabs, and other seafood the area is known for.

Where Is OBX?

After living on the east coast all my life, the term OBX felt familiar, so it was surprising when a travel friend recently asked what OBX meant.

OBX refers to the chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. According to Coastal Virginia Magazine, restaurant owner Jim Douglas noticed European-style stickers on local cars and created one for the Outer Banks using three letters: OBX. The name stuck.

For beach lovers, OBX feels like paradise. Driving the Outer Banks Scenic Byway is ideal for road trippers, and there are many miles of off-road beach driving, too. With six towns and 12 coastal villages to explore, the area offers much more than beach and food, though the beach is a major draw.

Golfers can choose from six professional courses. Fishing options include piers, charter boats, and surf fishing. History lovers can visit the newly renovated Wright Brothers National Memorial and see four impressive lighthouses, each one Instagram worthy. For more adventure, Jockey’s Ridge offers hang gliding lessons.

Where to Stay in OBX

The Outer Banks has many lodging choices, but travelers who want space to spread out, beach access within steps, a private pool area with a hot tub, and home-style amenities may like Whalebone Ocean Cottages on South Old Oregon Inlet Road in Nags Head.

If you are choosing a future vacation, an Outer Banks trip has plenty to make everyone happy.

About Food, Fun & Faraway Places

Kelly Stilwell is the writer, influencer, and photographer behind Food, Fun & Faraway Places, where she focuses on food, fun activities, and luxury travel. She lives in Florida with her husband, two daughters when they are not away at college, a very grumpy cat, and an escape artist bird, but she rarely stays in one place for long and loves seeing the world. A former stockbroker, Kelly began writing when her daughters were young. Once travel became a passion, her writing changed direction, and life was never the same.