Wicked Tuna Outer Banks Captains’ Favorite OBX Stops

You asked, and the captains shared their answers. Here is a collected guide to the Wicked Tuna Outer Banks Captains' Picks, featuring the OBX places they like best so you can add them to your vacation itinerary.

By Outer Banks Visitors Bureau on
Nov. 11, 2021

The Outer Banks is more than a place to vacation; it is home water for fishing legends. Explore the favorite Outer Banks stops chosen by captains from Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks. At the close of the blog, Britton Shackelford offers a special interview with a behind-the-scenes look at his boat. You can also follow the latest adventures in the most recent season on National Geographic TV.

For more on the OBX captains, see the Wicked Tuna Insider's Guide.

Captain Nick Gowitzka, Little Shell

• Breakfast choice: Sam & Omie's
• Seafood pick: Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe
• Overall restaurant favorite: Owens' Restaurant
• Drinks spot: Mimi’s Tiki Hut
• Beach pick: Oregon Inlet
• Sunrise or sunset view: In the Gulf Stream
• Date-night spot: JK's Restaurant
• Coffee stop: Front Porch Cafe
• Activities to try beyond fishing: Climb lighthouses. The Outer Banks has 3 lighthouses within driving distance from Corolla to Hatteras.

Captain Bobby Earl, Reel E Bugging

• Breakfast choice: Grits Grill
• Seafood pick: Blue Moon Beach Grill
• Overall restaurant favorite: JK’s Restaurant
• Drinks spot: Blue Moon Beach Grill
• Sunrise or sunset view: On a boat
• Dog-friendly place: Mulligan's Grille
• Date-night spot: Ocean Boulevard Bistro
• Coffee stop: Morning View
• Activities to try beyond fishing: Wild Horse tours in Corolla

Captain Zack Shackleton, Rasta Rocket

• Restaurant picks: O’Neal’s Seafood Harvest, The Landing, TL’s
• Drinks spot: Sam & Omie's
• Sunrise or sunset view: on a boat
• Tackle shop pick: Sea and Sound Tackle
• Activities to try beyond fishing: Head to the beach in Corolla to see the horses

Captain Greg Mayer, Fishin' Frenzy

• Seafood pick: Basnight’s Lone Cedar
• Steak choice: JK’s Restaurant
• Drinks spot: Sam & Omie's
• Sunrise or sunset view: Top of Jockey's Ridge
• Beach pick: Pea Island

Captain Britton Shackelford, Doghouse

• Breakfast choice: The Dunes, or Wanchese Marina
• Seafood picks: Owen's, Basnight's, or Tale of the Whale
• Overall restaurant favorites: Owen's or Single Fin
• Drinks spots: Avenue Grill, Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe, Blue Moon Beach Grill
• Beach pick: Coquina
• Sunrise or sunset view: Jockey's Ridge
• Date-night idea: Downtown Manteo is his special pick. Movies at the Pioneer are $5.00, drinks are a buck, and candy is $.50. Afterward, visitors can walk over to Poor Richards for music, a drink, or food. The Avenue and several other spots serve good food, and craft beer is available if that is what you prefer. He also suggests walking the docks, enjoying the waterfront, crossing the bridge to Festival Park, and getting ice cream from one of the parlors. There is more available than one evening can cover.
• Coffee stop: Charis
• Activities to try beyond fishing: Drive through Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and look for bears.