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Outer Banks, North Carolina |
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Outer Banks,
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My wife and I have been vacationing on the Outerbanks for the
past ten years. We have frequented many restaurants and have
found two spots to always be fabulous! The Windmill Restaurant
in Nags Head and JK's Steakhouse in Kitty Hawk. Both restaurants
are casual fine dining establishments. The Windmill has the best
salmon in OBX. JK's has the best steaks and a great wine list. I grew up in Va. Beach and started coming to the Outer Banks
in 1969. After more than 30 years, my wife and I still spend 3 –
4 weeks a year in the summer and fall cruising the beaches from
Ocracoke to Corova. I am of the opinion that if you travel in an
area where tourists visit year round, you need to find the
places that the locals frequent to enjoy a good meal at a
reasonable price. It’s the same when I travel for work. If I see
a County or State Police patrol car parked outside an eatery
along the road or in a small town, it’s almost a guarantee that
I can get a good meal where I might not have stopped at all.
Over the years, I have eaten in a lot of places on the Outer
Banks, everything from the “family buffets” to the expensive
“fine dining” while always looking for that good local
restaurant. A couple of years ago, a friend who lives in Kitty
Hawk took my wife and I to The Harbor Grill in Colington for
dinner. Well, he turned out to be my local patrol car. Although
The Grill (as the locals call it) may have been a little smaller
than some of the factory restaurants on the main road, we had
finally found a restaurant with a very pleasant and neighborly
atmosphere that served great food. Whether we are passing
through or staying in the area, it has become our favorite
eatery at the beach. (I ate there last week after drum fishing
in Buxton – a bowl of chowder and the marinated grilled chicken
– both were superb). Let me say that by now we have tried just
about everything on the menu from steak, seafood, chicken, pasta
and probably most of their specials. You have my assurance it’s
all very good. You get generous portions with reasonable prices
and a friendly and helpful wait staff. The Harbor Grill is best
known for their seafood chowder – winner of the Peoples Choice
Award and trust me on this – that award is well deserved. Also,
when available, try the coconut shrimp appetizer. It comes in a
coconut rum sauce and is my all time favorite. They have a
variety of nightly specials and homemade desserts that the chef
prepares (from what I can gather, I think she use to cook at an
embassy in D.C.). It never seems to fail that each time we stop
in, there is something new and even more important, very tasty
on the specials board. I highly recommend The Grill for its
excellent food and friendly dining experience and do yourself a
favor, save room for dessert. I have been comming to the outer banks for over 30 years to
vacation and love it. On my most recent visit i had the most
amazing meal at a new restaurant called meridian 42. I have been
home now for a week and i am still dreaming of the crab
bruschetta with thyme butter, fresh tomatos and baby arugula. I
also had the pinenut encrusted tuna with caramelized apple,
bacon and brie ravioli, grilled onion salad with balsamic syrup
and truffle oil. The restaurant it self is beautiful. Nicely
decorated with rich medeterainian colors, dark teak tabels and
chairs and an open kitchen where you can watch the chef prepare
your meal. I so much enjoyed this place! I can't say enough
about it. It is a must do on the outer banks. And as always the
fish sandwiches and shakes at john's were awesome! Untill next
year... Rob peery charlottesville va. I agree the Howards Pub was nothing special. It has great
atomosphere, but we went there for an early dinner last week,
and the server was absolutley miserable. The hostess who showed
us to our table was also miserable. On the menu they boast about
their incredible crab cakes. They are the worst I have ever had.
I am not even sure they put crab meat in them. The best are
Timbuktu in Hanover Md. Nothing but Crab. Anyway there were 7 of
us in our party, and we all agreed that the food was just ok and
nothing special. Would not eat there again. The other thing is
that you cannot get a coctail or mixed drink there. Only beer. Ate for the first time at New York Pizza Pub in Nags Head. We
were totally impressed! Real family atmosphere. The service was
excellent and food was terrific. Definitely a taste of New York.
(No other pizza compares! but this was the real deal) We also
went for dinner and the steaks were delicious as was the shrimp
alfredo that I had. Overall a wonderful experience. I will
recomment this to everyone I know who visits the Outer Banks
area. Need recommendation for top-notch restaurant on Outer Banks
in July. Family reunion (12 people (2 babies)) celebrating a
number of very special occasions and want to have dinner 1 night
we're there at a really special place (tried 1587 but they can't
accomodate party of 12 unless 2 tables of 6 each in bar area
which won't do). HELP!! We have going to Nags Head for the past 25 years and have
finally made the plunge to build a house there. My very favorite
restaurant of all time is The Harbor Grill on Colington Island.
I have never had anything there I did not like. The chef does
wonderful specials and to have the waitress describe them is
just as good. I promise this is worth the drive down that little
narrow windy road to Colington. A beautiful area off the beaten
path. Just returned from our first trip to the Outer Banks. It was
a wonderful trip. Restaurants were, overall, pretty good. My
opinions: We have been coming to Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head for
years and our all time favorite restaurant is the Seafood Buffet
at THE WHARF, near the 12 mile post on the Beach road in Nags
Head. There is a huge selection on the buffet and all are Great
! ! No surprise that the Fried Shrimp, Steamed Shrimp and the
Fried Flounder are excellent, but so is everything else --
example: the pork barbeque is as good as any I have ever sampled
anywhere -- and I have had plenty ! There is nothing on the
buffet that isn't absolutely first rate! The price is very
affordable. We find that our budget permits us to eat at The
Wharf three times during our visit compared to only two times at
any of the many other seafood buffets. Sure there is always a
long line but you know it moves pretty fast because they seem to
keep the buffet stocked high from op0ening until closing, and
there is not the distraction or delay occasioned by the
ordering, preparation and consumption of alcoholic beverages or
aperitifs. Once you are inside it's all about eating as much as
you want of the best food that we have found in the Outer Banks.
Enjoy! My family and I have been vacationing at Nags Head and the
Outer Banks for over 20 years. We have always been very pleased
with the Sea Foam Motel at mile post 16.5 on the beach road. The
accomodations are always excellent, and the staff there is
friendly and helpful. It is nice just being able to step out the
back door of your room right on to the beach. We just returned
from there (June 1999) and once again were very happy with our
trip. We also enjoy dining at the Oasis on the Manteo causeway.
The food, service and atmosphere is great. Hi! I am a 13 year old girl from PA, and I have been to nags
head every year of my life. (since befor I was one!) One of the
best resturants I have been to is Kokomo Joes. It's real
small,but the food is great and there is live intertainment. We
will always be sure to make a stop there. June 8, 1999 The OBX is like a second home to me...I've been
there at least 2x a year for 23 years (I'm 23 yrs. old). I
consider myself loyal to the culture of Nags Head/Hatteras. So,
if you want to stay true as well to the personality of the OBX
you must go to Sam and Omie's. It's across from Jennette's Pier
between MP 16 & 17. The atmosphere is very "cool" ... the decor
is simple, yet "neat" ... the food is awesome (soft-shell crab
sandwiches are the best things ever)... and last, but not least
... the ladies and gentlemen that serve you are friendly and
down to earth. I've eaten at many places over the years, both at
the beach and elsewhere ... Sam and Omie's is still my all time
favorite. We vacationed the OBX 5/21 - 5/29/99. Stayed at the Inn at
Corolla Light 3 days to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.
They had a bottle of champagne on ice waiting in our room when
we got there along with a card. It was a nice touch. Our
anniversary was actually 2 days later and our daughter surprised
us with a wine basket waiting in our room when we got back that
evening. We fixed steaks on the grill and relaxed. You could say
we were well wined and dined. We were disappointed that the pool
was still closed on the Inn premises. We were not advised that
it would be. An indoor pool was available to drive to or take
the trolley, but we declined that option. Whatever you do if you
stay there, don't take a room in the pedestrian traffic zone.
Room was gloomy and poorly lit. They had a great complimentary
breakfast layout, which was good because if you didn't eat it
there or fix it in your room it was hard to find. We had the
most fun discovering that our 4WD drive Mazda MPV Van was fully
capable of negotiating the beach and we drove 9 miles north at
the surf's edge. It was exhilarating. There are homes on the
beach only accessible by beach - no roads. We had hoped to see
the wild horses, but didn't. We had picnicked on the beach the
day before, but the flies were so vicious they bit right through
the insect repellant. We found Corolla a bit too separated from
everything for our tastes. Don't miss the Currituck lighthouse,
the view was incredible and worth the 214 steps it took to get
there. The best place we found to eat at that end of the
Outerbanks was a newly opened place called Qwackers at Duck. The
Duck Seafood Buffet was scheduled to open the following
Wednesday ($22.95 for adults). Qwackers was more reasonable and
located in the same building. We were treated to a beautiful
sunset on the sound following a thunderstorm that occurred while
we were eating. It was breathtaking. We also ate at Fishbones in
Duck. We highly recommend the Clam Chowder (get a bowl), but NOT
the HOT CRAB DIP. What an awful thing to do to good crabmeat and
it was served with garlic bread of all things. We stayed at The
Sea Oatel on the beach in Nags Head for two days. Great view of
the Atlantic. There was a sandstorm going when we arrived that
built dunes on our 3rd floor balcony though and sand blew into
everything. Following day was gorgeous and we visited the
Elizabeth II a replica of a sailing ship. We ate at the Wharf, a
very popular seafood buffet, which is everything it's claimed to
be ($17.95 for all you can eat). Get there early and wait for
the door to open. Otherwise there will be long wait. It was
empty when we went in and packed when we left. The Grits and
Grill was good for breakfast. We also liked the shopping
opportunities around Nags Head. We left the motel curtains and
balcony door open all night the second night so we could hear
and see the breakers. Awoke the next morning to see several
porpoises feeding just offshore. Stopped to see the Hatteras
Light House. It hasn't moved from its original location but a
roadbed is being prepared for its move later in June. Picture
taking not good because of all the construction machinery.
Stayed two nights at the Pony Inn on Ocracoke. Very nice.
Captain' Ben's is right next door and had wonderful food. Took
our "dune buggy" (Mazda MPV) for a spin on the beach again.
Visited the Ocracoke Lighthouse, which was interesting. The
shops are fun and don't miss the museum next to the ferry
landing. Unless you are going fishing or to the beach that's
about it for Ocracoke - 40 minute ferry one way and 2 1/4 hours
on the Cedar Island Ferry going the other way. The "wild" ponies
are in a pen on the highway going into Ocracoke Wanted to visit
Cape Lookout Lighthouse, but cost was prohibitive. You have to
take a ferry and I believe it was $20.00 per person. $65.00 to
take your 4WD. Bought postcards instead from The National Park
Service's beautiful facility. We picnicked and watch boats go
by. Spent the last two nights at the Homestay Motel in
Wilmington. Best room yet and very reasonable. Pool was
beautiful and the ocean warmer. Visited the newly remodeled NC
Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Would you believe they have a petting
zoo of sea creatures. There were several species of crabs
including Hermit & Horseshoe crabs that kids could pick up (with
supervision). We enjoyed that as much as the kids. Tried to go
to Wrightsville Beach. No places to park so worked our way back
out. People were walking miles to get to the beach. It was the
complete opposite of Corolla. We went back to the pool at the
motel. Ate at Sticky Fingers BBQ. Ribs were delicious. We have been vacationing the OB for the last 5-6 years. the
best. Got all the best places to eat down--let us suggest The
Mad Crabber in Avon, and The Wharf @ MP 9 1/2 up Kill Devil
Hills way. A must for us each year. We got married this year at
the Wright Brothers National Monument. Stayed at our usual
location--Rodanthe. We like being in the middle of it all---half
way between Hatteras and Nags Head. Ocracoke is a fun day trip.
Rented a plane for a few hours and flew the Banks. Totally
scenic. I offered to take the witnesses that we grabbed for our
wedding up for a ride. They loved it. Landed at Hatteras
Mitchell and First Flght. Flight originated from Dare Co. Munic.
Anybody want to know Pro's and Con's of the banks...dont'
hesitate to e-mail. We've got it down pat! 4/25/99 We have been vacationing at the OBX, for approx. 25
years. I have experienced it as a child and now my husband and I
take our children there. We love it. It is definately a family
oriented place to visit. Some of the great places to eat while
there would be: Awful Arthurs, Tale of The Whale, Tortuga's Lie.
Actually, there aren't that many places that we don't enjoy. Get
there earlier and on check out day, leave early, like at 6am to
avoid all of the traffic leaving at the same time. A great place
to visit at night would be the Funny Farm at the Carolinian
Hotel. Don't miss the Oregon Inlet, and the Bodie Island
Lighthouse. Unfortunately this year the acquarium is under
renovation and the Hatteras Lighthouse is being moved, but put
those on for next years visit. We usually like to go over the
4th of July, but this year we'll be done there the 3rd week of
June. HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL VACATION AT THE OUTER BANKS
Carla Okay, there are certain places you have to go for certain
things to eat on the Outer Banks. HURRICANE MO'S for the best
steamed oysters ever (beer and wine only)! CAPT'N FRANKS for the
best hot dogs! CLARA'S for the absolute best ever she-crab soup!
DAIRY MART for the best hamburger you will ever put in your
mouth (outside dining only!) ELIZABETH'S CAFE all around yummy!
For great tuna taco's, it's gotta be GOOMBAY'S. JOHN'S DRIVE IN
for tuna boats with fried okra and don't forget the peanut
butter milkshakes (outside dining only!) THE OASIS: you have to
go get the BELLRINGERS! Raw oyster on a saltine cracker with
horseradish, hot sauce and a jalapeno; a buck a piece. Your
nasal passages will be clear for weeks. My record is six. If
Mark makes them; I can only do three. THAI ROOM for the sauteed
soft shells. We lived on the Outer Banks for nearly 10 years but
go back at least twice a year. Just got back from our 11 days
during Easter 99. Had a wonde! rful time I LOVE OBX!!! My family and friends, about 12 of us at times,
have been going there since my cousin was a baby and she is now
32. So obviously, it's a mainstay. I am 25 and have been going
since I was 12. I now live in Florida and still fly home
everyone summer to go to "the Beach". People down here just
don't understand that. Favorite things for us to do is lay on
the beach all day with a beverage and then dance and play games
all night. We have many favorite restaurants, here are some
ideas: Kelly's- great food and OK atmosphere. Great She-Crab
soup. Good music in the bar. Owens - the best place to eat. Tale
of the Whale - Great She-crab soup and tuna bites. very nice
jewerly in the entrance. The owners are friends of the family as
well. A tradition of ours is to get up and see a sunrise. It's
early but well worth it. The Outer Banks is a great place to
visit. It is wonderful for family vacations. Please write back
with your favorites!!!! 4/9/99 My wife, daughter (7 years old), and I vacationed in the
Outer Banks from 3/13/1999 through 3/19/1999 and had a great
time... We stayed at the Barrier Island Station in Duck; we
loved the location and the easy access to the beach, but our
unit was very poorly maintained and needed serious work. We
would give a thumbs up to the following activities: Jockey's
Ridge (especially kite flying), fishing in the Sound for Striper
Bass, the Wright Brothers Museum, shelling and watching the
sunrise on the beach, going to the Christmas Shop and Jeannene's
Cat House in Manteo, visiting the Elizabeth II and the Roanoke
Festival Island, putt-putt, and, of course, seeing the
lighthouses. My daughter and I preferred the Bodie Island
lighthouse; my wife liked Currituck best. Hatteras was
interesting with all of the construction efforts. We'd only give
a thumbs down to 2 activities: the trip to Ocracoke was very
disappointing - I think our expectations were too high - and
looking for ghost crabs at night on the beach. I felt like we
were hunting for snipe...maybe it was too cold? Can anyone tell me some good restaurants to try? I've been to
Kellys, Sam and Omies, Owens, Kitty Hawk Pizza, Duck Deli, Dare
Devils Pizza,and Big Als. They were all good. We would like to
know some new places to stay too.We stayed at Yankee Doodle Dune
in Corolla, Seas The Day in Ocean Hill, Seadunes in Kitty
Hawk,The Ridges in Nags Head to name a few. All of these places
were very nice.Thanks. My family of 6 have been visiting the outerbanks for years.
We normally try to avoid long waiting lines having four children
but we had heard so many good things about the wharf restaurant
we thought we would give it a try. We got there around 6 and
were told the wait would be about 45 minutes. The temp outside
was in the low 90 uncomfortable outside to say the least.
Outside is where we waited for two hours. Upon finally getting
in they sat the 6 of us at a table that would have been tight
for 4 people. Our waiter was James who was very friendly and
attentive. The service and the food was excellent. But waiting
in the heat and being crammed like sardines into a tiny table
were not worth the wait. Our next night we (against my better
judgement) ate at another buffet called GEORGES JUNCTION. We got
there at about 6 also. We were pleased to be welcomed into a
Huge air conditioned lobby. My wife and I sat in a Plush couch
and watched a program on one of the many Huge screen
televisions. Our children retired to the game room to entertain
themselves. There is also a tower that overlooks the ocean which
they enjoyed while we waited. The wait was so pleasant I really
cannot tell you how long we waited but it was definately less
than 2 hours. When we were seated it was at a table that would
comfortably seat 8. Our waiter was Ben the fastest talking
friendliest guy we know. He was also very attentive. The
restaurant is huge. WoW!! They can seat so many more people than
the Wharf the wait is much shorter. The buffet has a much larger
selection. Plenty for the landlover as well as the seafood
lover. My favorite was the oyster rocafella and Clams casino. My
wife filled up on steamed shrimp and snow crab legs. The
children cost is 1.00 per year of age. Much more fair in my
opinion than the 15.95 I paid for my 10 year at the Wharf. The
long and short of my tale of two buffets is GEORGES JUNCTION
beats the Wharf hands down. Enjoy your stay at the outer banks
and tell Ben and GEORGES JUNCTION Hi from James. My husband and I decided to come to the Outer Banks for our
honeymoon on July 25, 1998 and we were not disappointed. This
was the beginning of our lives together, and believe me, it was
a wonderful start. We loved our vacation so much and we are so
glad that this was our choice for our honeymoon. We were able to
relax from our hectic wedding plans and just enjoy each others'
company in a very peaceful environment. We stayed in the Hot Tub
Room at the John Yancey Hotel (Clairion Inn, I believe). It was
a very nice hotel and the jacuzzi was nice. We ate at some
wonderful restaurants including Western Sizzling and our daily
favorite was Dairy Queen!!! We received a lot of food for our
money at Western Sizzling's seafood buffet. The food was
delicious. We love the fact that there are Dairy Queen
restaurants located every couple of miles down the strip!! We
were able to visit a few lighthouses (Bodie Island and Cape
Hatteras) during our stay also. The beach was wonderful and we
came home with wonderful tans. We took nightly strolls on the
beach and woke up early to search for seashells. Unfortunately,
we did not have much luck in the seashell department. One
morning as we watched the sunrise, we saw porpoises jumping in
the water. They were beautiful!! Jockey's Ridge was quite a
climb, but was well worth it. The view was great and we can't
wait to climb it again. We are planning another trip in May 1999
with another couple and are really looking forward to our visit.
We have been reading comments from other visitors to get some
ideas on activities to do the last week in May. We already know
that the Outer Banks will be a vacation spot for us every year!!
All this talk about restaurants. The best guide to dining on
the OBX is THE RESTAURANT GUIDE TO THE OUTER BANKS. Hey, with
menu selections for over 90 restaurants...what more could you
want. It's the best! We love the Outer ABnks, we own a cottage across from the
Wright Bros. Memorial. We go donwn during the summer and in the
winter and fall. We love the restaurants especialy Fishermans
Wharf in Wancheese and Queen Anns Revenge. WE love the outer
bankjd For the last six years we have taken a week to relax at the
Outer Banks. After a twelve hour drive we spend the first night
at Nags Head in a motel on the sea. We let out a big sigh,
breathe in that wonderous air, a mild tang of ocean air spiced
with the fragrance of cooking and pines. We unpack, walk on the
smooth warm sand, (our favorite time is the early Fall) and gaze
out to sea, the sun and sky reflecting colors on the ocean.
After a delicious dinner, we again walk the beach, the familiar
roar and hissing of the waves as they relentlesslyt turn on
themselves until they spread themselves prostrate over the
gentle sloping sand, with a gentle hiss and tinkling of broken
shells and sand fall into one another. Off to bed where we
quickly doze off. For those asking for restaurant recommendations: Our family
visits the Outer Banks several times a year, and have been since
both my husband and I were babies. Don't miss "Ocean Boulevard"
(make a reservation and still be prepared to wait). It's sort of
nouvelle cuisine and a bit on the pricey side, but awesome as a
"nite out". Also try Flying Fish CAfe. Awesome food, reasonable
prices and they work well with kids. Best kept secret for a
fabulous restaurant: 3rd Street Grille in the SEa Ranch
motel.... to die for. For fabulous sushi and a real party hardy
atmosphere: Tortuga's LIe on the beach road. For the young or
young at heart. Spent a few days on the Outer Banks in August while we were
on a search for a place to retire. Enjoyed as much as usual (we
have been visiting for 20 years and own two weeks at BIS).
Decided to move to Albemarle Plantation in Hertford - only 1
hour from the Outer Banks so we wouldn't miss out on the
wonderful restaurants we have become accustomed to. We recommend
two highly diverse restaurants - Colington Cafe for that special
dinner and Chilli Peppers for those who love food that is not
only hot but shows the many sides of chili peppers. Both offer
great food and good value. Been to the OBX twice of many times to come. The peace, the
serenity, and the raw oysters are beyond compare. THE place to
slurp oysters is AWFUL ARTHUR'S! The place to slurp dark beer is
the Weeping Radish! Life is good. Can't wait to get back to OBX!
My husband, twins and myself have been visiting Nags Head
twice a year since 1995. Since we have always been on a tight
budget, we found a wonderful little place at milepost 16.5
called The Dolphin Motel. This is on the ocean, and we get an
efficiency for a great price. Diane and Phil, the proprietors
have become good friends and we have met several families who
vacation the same week we do each year (around July 4). The
first year, 1995, we were run out of town by Hurricaine Felix
(who didn't have the nerve to show his face, afterall) but we
kept coming back. The Dolphin reasonable, clean, accessible to
many area restaurants and shops. All four of us have our
favorite restaurant: My husband - Carolina Seafood. The food is
excellent!! Mine is The Fisherman's Wharf in Wanchese - out of
the way but great. My son's is RV's also great food and my
daughter... Burger King! Just kidding, but she does like those
whoppers. We have visited all the lighthouses, taken the ferry
to Ocracoke and back, climbed jockey's ridge, seen the Wright
brother's museum. My favorite gift shop is the Shipwreck which
is located on the Manteo Causeway. We also took an evening
cruise on the Crystal Dawn. Nags Head is heaven on earth, no
doubt about it. 1/15/99
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