Outer Banks Dining Guide: Favorites & Finds
By Maggie Ballantyne, Team Lead and Travel Advisor
August 14, 2025
The Outer Banks (OBX) has felt like a home away from home to my family for over 20 years. If you’ve been following along with my travels for a while, you might remember my first blog post about OBX back in 2021, where I shared some of my favorite local spots to eat. After more than 10 trips in the past five years, it's time for an update! For my fellow food lovers who enjoy discovering delicious bites as much as soaking up the sun, here are some of my current favorite Outer Banks eats.
Coffee Shops:
Morning View Coffeehouse and Roastery… This is my go-to spot for coffee in the Outer Banks. This dog-friendly coffee shop has a friendly staff and delicious drinks with rotating seasonal options. My favorite is a Large Iced Seafoam Latte: Pistachio and White Mocha. I love their shop dog, Lorelai, and I have brought my dog, Ruffles, here too! I am already looking forward to my next visit.
Location: Nags Head, NC
Duck’s Cottage: Coffee & Books… Of course, I love a spot that gives me the opportunity to buy three of my favorite things: coffee, books, and merch! Pick up a coffee, purchase a book, and sit out on the front porch to relax!
Location: Duck, NC
Charis Coffee Company… If we ever have a rainy day in the Outer Banks, we head to Manteo. There are great small shops to explore and one of my favorite coffee shops. Order online in advance or order when you get there, up to you! They are big on supporting the local community and charities, which is another reason I love supporting them. While I always encourage unplugging on vacation, if you do need to get some work done remotely, this shop has lots of tables and outlets.
Location: Manteo, NC
Driftwood Coffee Company… I love the location of this shop because it is a short walk to the beach and the drinks are delicious! This shop has a huge variety of hot and iced teas and coffees. While there are multiple seating options, I prefer to take my drinks to go and walk to the ocean. If you ask my sister for a recommendation, she will tell you about her go to, “The Happy Camper.”
Location: Corolla, NC
The Kind Cup… My first time visiting this spot was in May 2025 and I know I will be back! This is not only a coffee shop with coffee roasted in house daily, but also a local art gallery. Visiting here gives you the chance to drink a delicious cup of coffee and support local OBX artists. I love the magnets I purchased, and I will be back to buy a mug on my next trip. I love supporting a local business that turns around and chooses to support other local businesses and the arts!
Location: Corolla, NC
Breakfast Spots:
Lighthouse Bagels… We go to Lighthouse Bagels when we want to pick up bagels for the mornings and/or want an easy grab-and-go breakfast before heading to the beach. Our favorites are the French Toast, Everything, Asiago, and Cinnamon Sugar bagels. The trip to Lighthouse Bagels is not complete until you try the crumb cake. Trust me, you will not regret it!
Location: Corolla, NC
Duck Deli… This is one of the first places we fell in love with when we started traveling down to the Outer Banks. We like their classic breakfast sandwiches. Great to eat in or take to go with you to the beach!
Location: Duck, NC
Duck Donuts… Think of a donut topping and I can almost guarantee you can get it on a donut here! Pick up your custom order sheet and order an assortment of donuts completely designed for you and your family. I like the peanut butter glaze with chocolate drizzle, my sister loves the s’mores, my mom likes a classic sugar donut, and you can even get breakfast sandwiches served between two donuts instead of bread. If you love merch, this place has great shirts and pajamas too!
Locations: Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and Corolla, NC
Art’s Place… This is a casual place to grab a quick breakfast. The service is nice, and the food is good. We usually go to Art’s on our check-in date before our rental is ready. The pancakes are HUGE and very popular, but my personal favorite is the South of the Border omelet, which includes sausage, pepper jack, onion, bell peppers, and jalapenos.
Location: Kitty Hawk, NC
Lunch or Dinner Spots:
Fish Heads Bar and Grill… Let me start by saying that this is my favorite restaurant on this list and my favorite restaurant. Ever. Beachfront location, friendly wait staff, casual dress (most people walk up from the beach), good food, and decent prices all add up to a perfect experience every time we go. It is located right on a dock over the water, so the only seating option is with an ocean view. There is a great craft beer selection, and the cocktails are delicious. As for the food, we have never come across an appetizer or entrée we did not like. Our favorite go-to appetizer is the Grilled Tuna Bites followed closely by the Steamed Shrimp. Some entrees we have tried and continued to love over the years include Shrimp Baskets with Fries, Grilled Fish Tacos, Grilled Shrimp Tacos, Grilled Tuna Steak, Eastern NC Pork BBQ Topped with Slaw, Grilled Cheese, and even the Hot Dogs are good!
Location: Nags Head, NC
Sunset Grill… This is a very popular restaurant, and I suggest you go early if you do not want a long wait. Just as the name suggests, it has the best of the best view of sunsets. Have your camera ready!
Location: Duck, NC
Coastal Cantina… This is a very casual spot located on the Duck Boardwalk, so just walk up and order when you are ready. This place serves the best crab quesadilla I have ever enjoyed. That is high praise from a Maryland girl! There is TONS of crab meat, and they will load your quesadilla up with Old Bay too if requested! There is plenty of outdoor seating right on the bay and on the weekends, there is usually live music or some form of entertainment.
Location: Duck, NC
Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar… Legendary for raw oysters, steamed seafood, and casual beach vibes.
Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC
Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill– Home of my favorite frozen cocktail, The Nutwacker, a frozen cocktail that reminds me of a Chocolate / Coconut / Peanut Butter Milk Shake! While we have tried different apps and entrees on this menu over the years, I find I always go back to my favorite, the honey jerk chicken fingers.
Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC
Rundown Café… We were told by some family friends to give this restaurant a try and we are so glad we did! This is another favorite year after year. Our go-to orders include: the Rundown Chowder, Coconut Shrimp, and Nachos. I have had the burgers, I have had the tacos, but the standout item to me on this menu is the Hawaiian Poke Bowl -- “warm Jasmine rice topped w/ raw sesame-soy marinated tuna surrounded by ginger peanut edamame, ginger slaw, crispy wontons, & finished w/ wakame seaweed salad.”
Location: Kitty Hawk, NC
Tortuga’s Lie... I have only been to this restaurant once, but I will go back. You may recognize the name… it was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. All the food here is Caribbean-styled and one of the specialties is the Caribbean Grilled Pork Chops. My Dad loved it! I ordered the Swiss ‘Jerk’ Burger and was happy with my choice as it reminded me of a similar meal I had while in Jamaica last winter.
Location: Nags Head, NC
NC Coast Grill & Bar… This restaurant is home to one of my favorite entrée’s, the Red Sky’s Classic Shrimp ‘N Grits – “NC shrimp, applewood smoked bacon, Carolina Cajun cream sauce, redneck risotto and pico de gallo.” While this entrée is fantastic, it is not what this restaurant is known for. The standout item on the menu is the Chef’s Board. The size of the board is based on how many of the guests at the table want to participate. Be sure to ask your server about this as details are not listed on the menu!
Location: Duck, NC
Drinks and Cocktails:
Blue Point… We like stopping here early in the evening for a cocktail before dinner. Or, we come a bit later for a perfect sunset viewing spot. You really can’t go wrong with the view! There is a full restaurant service, but I have only ever been here for drinks. My favorite drink is the Carolina Cooler: “Sauvignon Blanc, St. Germain, Ginger Ale, Lemon & Lime.” I like to stop by the specialty dog bakery to grab a treat for my pup and then get a cocktail for me!
Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC
Swells'a… This is a locally owned brewery and the perfect spot for craft beer lovers. There are indoor seating options, roof top seating options, and outdoor seating options in a pet-friendly area. My dog Ruffles has been here too and loved it! Be on the lookout for the new second location too. Swells’a Duck Dive Bar is set under a large oak tree and serves craft beer and cocktails in Duck, NC. My favorites are the Beane Jumper and the Surf Trek Blonde Ale with Slant N Lime.
Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC and Duck, NC
Whalehead Brewery… This is new and I am so happy we were able to stop by and try it during our vacation in 2024. This is a 5-barrel brewhouse that opened in 2023 and features a self-pour tap wall. Here, you decide if you want to taste a drink or enjoy a full pour because you walk up and pour it yourself! Just tap and pay by the ounce. Whalehead Brewery is also woman- and veteran-owned! I really enjoyed their version of a Summer Shandy and the Dark and Stormy Stout.
Location: Corolla, NC
Ice Cream:
Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream… Year after year this ice cream is consistently the best! These shops continue to expand across OBX, so check your location and I bet there is one close to you! I suggest going to the Corolla location EARLY in the evening if you don’t want to wait 30+ minutes in line. The Duck location is relatively new and much less crowded. My mom’s favorite is Raspberry Chocolate Chip and I like either Oreo Mint or Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Location: Corolla, Kitty Hawk, Duck, and Manteo, NC
Surfin’ Spoon… I honestly can’t remember why we randomly stopped here one day, but I am so glad we did. Now it doesn’t matter where we are staying in the Outer Banks, we make a point to drive here. This location offers a rotating assortment of frozen yogurt and toppings, but for us, the standout is the Ice Cream Sandwiches made with two fresh baked cookies. My favorites are the Macan’ Pistach’, coconut macaroon cookies and pistachio ice cream, the Walk the Plank, pecan cookies with cinnamon sugar ice cream, and the Killa Key Lime, graham cracker cookies and key lime ice cream.
This shop also has a really cool charitable component. It is impossible not to notice that when you walk inside there are dollar bills everywhere! Surfin’ Spoon has a unique tradition where customers tape or tuck dollar bills and coins onto the ceiling (and walls, picture frames, décor, etc.). These donations are collected annually and donated to Surfing for Autism, a local charity that organizes therapeutic surfing events for children with autism.
I highly recommend stopping by this shop and not only supporting a local family business, but also supporting a very worthwhile charitable cause.
Location: Nags Head, NC
Sunset Ice Cream… This place is special because it is the first place my family ever went to get ice cream 25+ years ago and we still go back to this day. The staff have always been friendly, the views are great, the small boardwalk is full of fun shops for families, and it’s the place that really feels like home when we visit. I love to order just a classic scoop of mint chocolate chip in an Oreo cone OR a Charlie Brown Milkshake.
Location: Duck, NC
I know I’ll be making many more memories in the Outer Banks and I hope you will too! If you're dreaming of a laid-back getaway filled with sunshine, coastal charm, and unforgettable food, the OBX might be just what you're looking for. I’d love to help you plan the perfect getaway—no matter the season—and make the Outer Banks a memorable part of your family’s memories.
Let’s start planning! Reach out anytime at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com or connect with me at www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie
All stays in the Outer Banks and meals referenced in this blog were purchased at a retail rate (pricing available to the general public).