Best Restaurants on the Outer Banks

Chef-driven seasonal menu with local seafood, thoughtful wine list and one of the best date-night rooms on the north beach.

Sunset spot on the Currituck Sound with steamer pots, crab dip and cold beer. Come by boat or by car.

The original shop where the now-national chain started. Warm cake donuts glazed and topped to order — worth the morning line.

An OBX institution since 1989 overlooking Currituck Sound. Southern-coastal menu, deep wine list, reserve well ahead in summer.

Fish tacos, shrimp and grits and a killer breakfast burrito. Casual, family-friendly, big outdoor patio.

The oldest restaurant on the Outer Banks. Fishermen's breakfast, hush puppies, and fresh-off-the-boat seafood. Cash and cards, no reservations, worth the wait.

Three generations of the Owens family. Crab cakes, she-crab soup and prime rib in a maritime-museum dining room. A special-occasion classic.

Jerk tuna, coconut shrimp and a wall of surfboards. Locals' hangout since 1989 — go early or expect a wait.

Housed in a 1939 railcar diner. Fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks, and the best crab cake sandwich on the beach. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Steamed oysters, snow crab and cold draft beer across from Avalon Pier. Upstairs deck is the move at sunset.

Wood-fired pizzas, crab dip and burgers inside the old Kitty Hawk Life Saving Station — right on the dune line.

Walk-up window since 1977. Mahi sandwiches, dolphin bites and hand-dipped milkshakes. Cash only. There will be a line — that's the point.

Fish tacos, jerk chicken and margaritas in a tucked-away tiki hut locals have kept quiet about for decades.

OBX's original small-batch coffee roaster. Multiple locations up and down the beach — the KDH shop has the biggest porch.

Owned by the Basnight family — nearly everything on the plate is caught, grown or raised in North Carolina. Watch the sunset over Roanoke Sound.

Inside the Tranquil House Inn overlooking Shallowbag Bay. Local seafood, seasonal small plates, and one of the most polished rooms on the island.

Since 1976. Fried oyster sandwiches, cold beer and a back deck on the waterfront. The kind of place regulars have a favorite stool.

A Manteo favorite for decades, known for fried seafood platters, hush puppies and a no-frills, family-friendly atmosphere. Locals swear by the flounder and shrimp.

Chef-owned. Grouper tacos, tequila-lime shrimp and one of the deepest tequila lists in eastern NC.

Wraparound porch on the Manteo waterfront. Blackened tuna, crab-stuffed shrimp and sunset views over the Elizabeth II ship.

Two decades on the Manteo waterfront. Enchiladas, seafood pastas, and homemade desserts. A local go-to for lunch.

Tiny counter-service spot serving mahi burritos and fish tacos better than places three times its size. A Buxton must.

Breakfast biscuits, fried seafood platters and a raw bar. Old-school Hatteras — same family, same recipes.

Small, chef-driven kitchen inside a boutique inn. Reservations essential; the tasting menu is one of the great meals on the island.

Right on the harbor where the charter boats tie up. About as close to boat-to-table as it gets.

Steamer pots, oysters and burgers in Hatteras Village. Locals in the morning, families at night.

Open 365 days. 200+ beers, rooftop deck, and the kind of hush-puppy-and-crab-cake plate that defines Ocracoke.

Rotating chalkboard menu that leans hard on local seafood and produce. Live music some nights on the front lawn.

Fish and shrimp tacos out of a permanent trailer — cash, no seats, sit on the seawall. Ask any local, they'll send you here.

Shrimp and grits, chicory coffee and beignets. Small dining room, big lines — get there early.