DuckThe Lifesaving Station
at the Sanderling $$$ The Lifesaving Station, part of the Sanderling Resort north of Duck, is one of the Outer Banks's loveliest restaurants, housed in a restored 1899 lifesaving station that is a National Historic Landmark. The dining rooms reflect turn-of-the-20thcentury coastal architecture and are enhanced with rich woods and brass, nautical antiques, and original artifacts of the lifesaving station. Contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local seafood is the specialty of executive chef Christine Zambito. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day to everyone, not only guests of the resort. The restaurant's breakfasts are more formal than your standard Outer Banks morning meals. A smoked salmon platter, waffles, and eggs are specialties. For lunch, expect fancy salads, crab cakes, seafood, and sandwiches. Dinner is a special affair. Local fish, fowl, beef, and vegetarian dishes are finely crafted with fresh ingredients. A favorite appetizer is the Sanderling Signature Seafood Chowder with corn, crab, and shrimp. Desserts are out of this world. The restaurant has an award-winning wine list and a full bar. The upstairs Swan Bar and Lounge are good places to relax before or after your meal. A children's menu is available. Dinner reservations are highly recommended. All three meals are served seven days a week year-round. T-shirts and jeans are not allowed at dinner, and tasteful attire is requested at breakfast and lunch.
The Left Bank $$$ Part of the Sanderling resort complex, The Left Bank is a French-inspired restaurant that features delicious simplicity. The Left Bank offers panoramic vistas of Currituck Sound and marsh grasses through a half- moon-shaped window wall. The interior is sublimely chic, like nothing else on the Outer Banks, with leather banquettes, mohair chairs, a bar top of blonde onyx lit from underneath, and a museum-quality collection of porcelain Doughty birds-all backgrounded by the spectacular view. A display kitchen affords diners a peek at the behind-the-scenes magic. The emphasis is on the freshest regional foods available. Signature touches of Chef George Robinson include predinner amuse granite and palate cleansers between courses. The wine list is a careful selection of boutique wines. A martini list is also available. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended.
Cravings Coffee Shoppe $ This delightful eatery is the perfect place to pop by for a quick breakfast before hitting the beach or to indulge yourself in a delectable dessert and coffee after dinner. You can eat inside, on an open-air deck, or take the tasty treats with you. Table service is not available; you order and pick up your food from the counter. Order a fresh New York-style bagel with one of six flavored cream cheeses. Pastries and muffins also are baked each day. Cravings also makes its own ice cream. Out-of-town newspapers are available each morning. For lunch, Cravings has a light-fare menu. Every type of coffee drink you can concoct is available, from several types of brewed coffee that change daily to espresso, cappuccino, mocha drinks, and other fancy combinations. Chai tea is served either iced or hot, and you can choose from a variety of iced blended coffee drinks and blended smoothies. Cravings is open year-round. In summer the eatery serves into the afternoon; offseason it's open weekends.
Fishbones Sunset Grille and Raw Bar $$ Opened in 2001 by the owners of the popular Fishbones Raw Bar & Restaurant, Fish- bones Sunset Grille and Raw Bar is quickly becoming another favorite Duck dining spot. The restaurant sits by the Currituck Sound and is the village es prime sunset- watching spot. It is patterned after the older Fishbones, with Caribbean-influenced entrees and appetizers, moderately priced food, a fun atmosphere, and good service for locals and visitors alike. Fishbones Sunset is known for its extensive drink menu. Specialty drinks are served in novelty vessels, like a tiki god, a monkey, or a pineapple. The full bar list is available upstairs at a stunning horseshoe- shaped bar covered with coral tiles, downstairs at another bar and raw bar, and outside at a tiki bar. Meals are served upstairs or down or outside on the deck. Dinners focus mostly on seafood, and the blackened fish and conch fritters are standouts. The raw bar serves all the freshest Outer Banks favorites. For lunch, seafood, sandwiches, and burgers are served. Lunch and dinner are served every day year-round. Fishbones Sunset also offers breakfast, daily in season and on weekends in the off-season. Breakfast choices include omelets, skillet dishes, smoked salmon bagels, and a wonderful cinnamon French toast served with a guava-banana syrup. It is a popular nighttime hangout, with live music four or five nights a week in the summer and one or two nights in the offseason (see our Nightlife chapter). Fish- bones Sunset offers catering and site rental for weddings and large parties.
Elizabeth's Cafe & Winery $$$ Well-known across the nation for its wine and wonderful cuisine-and perfectly matched combinations thereof-Elizabeth's is a perennial Wine Spectator award winner. In 1999 the International Restaurant and Hospitality Rating Bureau awarded Elizabeth's its International Award of Excellence. In 2000 executive chef Brad Price was recognized as one of America's Top 100 Chefs by the same organization. In 2003 Elizabeth's was the grand winner of Sante's "Best Fine Dining Wine Restaurant in the United States." In 2004 Elizabeth's was inducted into the Sante Hall of Fame as one of only two restaurants chosen. Also in 2004 the restaurant won the "Award of Ultimate Distinction," the highest award offered by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Elizabeth's was one of only 16 restaurants in North America to receive that award. DiRONA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) gave Elizabeth's the "Award of Excellence" in 2004. Year after year, Elizabeth's sweeps the fine dining awards. Elizabeth's is warm and casual inside, with a fireplace that's usually lit on chilly evenings. Service is always excellent. If you have trouble selecting a wine from the extensive wine list, owner Leonard Logan is more than happy to help you choose a bottle to complement any meal. Leonard loves a celebration and is always ready to pop open a bottle of champagne. Besides the regular menu offerings, which include country French and California eclectic, two prix fixe dinners (six- or seven- course meals and accompanying wines) are available every night. All the dishes are made with fresh ingredients, from seafood and steak to unusual pastas. A pastry chef creates different desserts daily. This cafe is very popular-and small, seating only about 40 diners. Reservations are highly recommended. In addition to some of the finest wines available, the restaurant has a full bar. Patrons with disabilities can be accommodated. This is a nonsmoking establishment. Dinner is served seven nights a week in season; call for winter hours. Elizabeth's Wine Gallery is an area of the restaurant where shoppers can choose from more than 1,650 selections. Tastings of reasonably priced, featured wines are offered before you make your purchase. The wine bar is open in the afternoons, and if you choose to savor a glass, you may do so inside the gallery, outside on the porch, or in the adjacent garden.
Fishbones Raw Bar & Restaurant $$ Specializing in locally caught seafood, this raw bar and grill opened in the summer of 1995 and won the Outer Banks chowder cook-off with an original recipe during its first year in business. Lunch items include sandwiches, crab cakes, fried seafood, and creamy soups such as tomato conch and, of course, chowder. Dinner entrees feature such Caribbean cuisine favorites as calypso eggplant and coconut shrimp, as well as pastas with fresh clam sauce, lobster tails, crab legs, and more than a dozen raw bar selections. The hot crab dip, barbecue shrimp, and conch fritters are outstanding appetizers. This is a casual place with a full bar, five types of beer on tap, 50 bottled beers from all over the world, a wine list, and several microbrews. Fishbones serves lunch and dinner seven days a week year-round, and specials change daily for both meals. Takeout is available for all menu items. Reservations are not accepted.
The Blue Point Bar & Grill $$$ This beautifully renovated and expanded bistro is one of our favorite places to dine on the Outer Banks. It's been open for dinner since 1989 and consistently receives rave reviews from magazines such as Southern Living, Gourmet, and even Outside. Here, regional Southern cooking takes on a cosmopolitan flair. A 1950s-style interior with black-and-white checkered floors, red upholstery, and lots of chrome provides an upbeat, bustling atmosphere. An enclosed porch not only overlooks the sound, it actually overhangs it. From the small bar facing the aromatic kitchen, you can watch your appetizers being prepared while you sip a cocktail and wait for a table. The Blue Point's menu is contemporary Southern cuisine and changes seasonally. Starters range from Hatteras tuna to fresh tomato-mozzarella stacks, each artistically arranged and flavored with a fresh combination of seasonings. Entrees include jumbo lump crab cakes served with Currituck corn on the cob, homemade soups, unusual seafood dishes, steaks, salads, and perfect pastas. Desserts, like warm Kentucky bourbon pecan tart with caramel ice cream or key lime pie, are divine. If you're into creative cooking that's sure to tantalize every taste bud-and awaken some you might not realize you have-this restaurant is a must-stop on the Outer Banks. It's open for dinner, and reservations are highly recommended; in summer, dinner reservations are required. The Blue Point is open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30 A.M.to 2:30 P.M. and for dinner seven days a week in season; call for off-season hours.
Roadside Raw Bar & Grill $$ Occupying a renovated 1932 cottage, this restaurant is warm and homey, with hardwood floors inside and a patio with umbrella-shaded tables out front. In season, live jazz is performed here two nights a week (see our Nightlife chapter). A casual, fine-dining establishment, Roadside offers half-pound Angus burgers, fresh fish sandwiches, meat loaf, and a variety of salads and sandwiches for lunch. The Roadside clam chowder is chock-full of shellfish, and you can choose from steamed and seasoned shrimp by the pound or half-pound and steamed clams by the dozen. In addition to mixed green and Caesar salads is our favorite: a warm salad of bay scallops, black beans, corn, and red bell peppers, with sesame- soy dressing. Weather permitting, enjoy your meal on the patio while watching the summertime foot traffic in downtown Duck. For dinner you can choose from a variety of starters, including Roadside's own shrimp-served over cheese grits with red-eye gravy. Dinners highlight fresh seafood, although you can choose from chicken, beef, and vegetarian pasta options as well. In season, there's an oven-roasted half lobster, stuffed with crabmeat and served with wild rice and corn on the cob, or pan-seared, cornmeal-encrusted black grouper with black sticky rice and mango- strawberry salsa. Beef lovers will appreciate the 10-ounce Angus filet mignon served with gorgonzola cheese and sour cream, with green onion and bacon mashed potatoes. Yes, the desserts are just as enticing. There's a full bar with a satisfying selection of microbrewed beers. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner year-round; call for off-season hours. Reservations are not accepted.
Duck Deli $$ This casual deli on the east side of the highway opened in 1987 primarily to serve lunch. Since then, Duck Deli has expanded to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, year-round. Barbecued pork, beef, chicken, and ribs are the specialties here. Sandwiches, Philly cheese steaks, and subs are served all day, as are side salads, garden burgers, and coleslaw. A full breakfast menu includes eggs, pancakes, and omelets. For dessert, you can get sweet on cherry and peach cobblers, homemade brownies, or a frozen yogurt bar with plenty of toppings. Everything is available to eat in or take out. The Marketplace in Southern Shores is home to a second location of Duck Deli.
Herron's Deli and Restaurant $ With a full menu available for takeout or to eat in, this casual deli serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week all year and adds dinner hours in the summer. Booths and tables are available indoors, and picnic tables allow you to enjoy outdoor dining. Hot and cold Italian subs, cheese steaks, cheeseburgers, and crab cakes are among the most popular items in the afternoon and evening. We recommend the soups, from chili specials to she-crab bisque and Hatteras-style chowder. A big breakfast menu features French toast, sausage gravy, omelets, eggs, and homemade biscuits. Desserts range from cakes and brownies to homemade strawberry pie. Beer and wine are also available.
Tommy's Gourmet Market Tommy's is famous for its Angus steaks, aged for 21 days and cut to order. The market also offers fresh-baked goods and a deli that features roasted ham and chicken, shrimp, sandwiches, fresh salads, and daily luncheon specials. Tommy's also will prepare dinner for you. Preset menus or items a la carte can be carried out ready to eat. In addition to providing a full range of groceries, Tommy's has an extensive wine selection and carries imported beer. The market is open March through New Year's.
Herron's Waterfront Restaurant $$ Herron's Waterfront Restaurant, formerly Swan Cove, is located on one of the most picturesque spots in Duck. The spectacular view from the soundfront dining room makes a meal here truly special. A separate lounge upstairs has a full bar with an extensive wine list. Herron's has a variety of dishes from the land and from the sea. For a delicious seafood meal, try the waterfront seafood platter. It's a combination of flounder, shrimp, scallops, and oysters-lightly fried and served with cocktail or tarter sauce. Landlubbers will enjoy the veal marsala. Veal medallions are dusted with seasoned flour and sauteed with garlic and mushrooms in marsala wine. There are also two vegetarian choices on the menu. The restaurant is open seven days a week in season. Call for off-season hours. Dinner is served from 5:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. A children's menu is available.
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