Some good places to eat in the Outer Banks

Janna, Sam, his girlfriend, and I were recently able to spend a week-long vacation in Nags Head in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We cannot recommend it enough as a vacation destination. Although we didn’t make it up North to Duck and Carolla, here are some recommended restaurants located between Kill Devil Hills and Ocracoke.

Kill Devil Hills:

The distinctive wind power generator at Outer Banks Brewing Station

Outer Banks Brewing Station. To my knowledge, it’s the only brewpub on the Outer Banks and despite the lack of competition, both it’s food and drinks are quite good. Starting with the beer, I have to give a big thumbs up to its “Sledgehammer and Tongs” strong ale. Thick, complex, and a bit sweet, this beer is a heavyweight both in terms of flavor and alcohol at 11.5% abv. The “Olsch” is also very good. Moving on to the food, I give a big Two Foodie Bros. thumbs up to the fried okra and the crab cake entree. You’ll also see that the restaurant is entirely powered by the windmill located behind the restaurant. This is a very good restaurant, and definitely worth a visit for anyone visiting the Outer Banks. One complaint stands out though – Sam’s girlfriend had wasabi mashed potatoes with her entree, and they were a neon green color not of this earth. They tasted decent enough, but looked as if aliens had irradiated the spuds before they arrived to our table.

Chip’s Wine and Beer Market.  It’s not a restaurant, but it’s a superb wine and beer store with a central location, nice selection, helpful staff and a tasting lounge where we tasted the unbelievably good Unibroue Raftman that hasn’t even been formally released in the US yet. By far this is the best beer and wine shop I’ve encountered in my two visits to the Outer Banks.

Nags Head:

Tortugas Lie Shellfish Bar and Grill. Of the restaurants Janna and I have visited on the outer banks, we agree that this probably has the best food of all of them. It also is the only listed here where you’re nearly guaranteed to have a wait for a table. Favorite dishes enjoyed include the Jamaican jerk chicken, the Baja fish tacos, and the crab quesedilla appetizer (though it could have used more crab, but just about everything “could use more crab,” really). This place also has a superb bar, with both superlative beers like Fat Tire on draft as well as cocktails that so far at least, have been favorites of my dining partners who have enjoyed one.

Sugar Shack Seafood Market. I love this little market with only a few dozen seats combined inside the market and on its little sound-facing patio. We ate here our first night, after Janna and I arrived from New Jersey both tired and very hungry. While watching the sunset over Albemarle Sound, we enjoyed a big pile of steamed shrimp and crab bites. I like my shrimp a bit spicier than they served them, but I suspect that’s because Sam set off the staff’s “rube meter” by ordering “boiled shrimp” before I clarified that he meant “steamed shrimp.” Don’t get me wrong, this place is great. It’s exactly the kind of simple seafood shack I remember that my Dad used to search for all over Delaware when we used to vacation there as kids.

Fat Boyz Ice Cream & Grill. A simple little shack just across the beach road from the water. Perfect for a quick lunch while spending the afternoon by the waves. They have all the usual hamburgers and sandwiches, but the standout to me was their grilled tuna sandwich that was the special that day.

Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar. I’m torn on this place. In 2010, I had one of my favorite meals from here, a big combo of steamed oysters, clams, and shrimp. This year, I had the same thing, but the slow service, disinterested hostess, and boring salad made it seem less special. One thing that didn’t change was its cocktail sauce, chock full of horseradish and the best version of the sauce I’ve ever tasted.

Sam and Omies Restaurant. This is Janna’s favorite place for a mid-beach-day lunch or if you’ve been fishing just across the street at Jeannette’s Pier. It’s a cute little spot with walls covered in photos of the owners’ family’s fishing exploits. Good dishes here include the crab cake, tuna salad, and mahi salad. I’ve heard that this place is also good for breakfast, but haven’t yet been there in the morning to try it.

Ocracoke:

Ocracoke Coffee serves as a social hub for residents and tourists alike.

Gaffer’s Sports Pub. A better-than-you’d-expect bar and restaurant located on the main road into the town on the Ocracoke Island. Despite only having tried a few items on its bar menu, I’m already prepared to say it has better food than the far more famous Howard’s Pub across the road, where it’s better to have the beer, but ignore the food. I want to try more of the menu, but of what I’ve had so far, it’s really good.

Ocracoke Coffee. This little coffee and smoothie shop is located right in the town of Ocracoke and serves as a great place to sip, pet dogs, relax, and use the wifi. Unlike elsewhere on the island, this place attracts an interesting mix of day-trippers, vacationers, as well as full time residents. Janna and Sam say the coffee is good, while I (a minimal coffee drinker) can recommend their wide variety of smoothies.