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Roanoke Island
Manteo
Hurricane Mo's Restaurant & Raw Bar $$
Pirate's Cove Marina, Manteo-Nags
Head Causeway, Manteo
(252) 473-2266
This restaurant sits high atop Pirate's Cove
Marina overlooking Roanoke Sound. Owners Jeff and Maureen Ashworth, who have
been in the restaurant business for more
than 20 years, wanted a toned-down, classic feel with an authentic Outer Banks
focus. Dine in a the cozy dining room or
relax on the screened-in porch. The restaurant serves traditional fresh seafood, steaks,
pasta, and some Cajun selections. Vegetarians have their choices from their own menu
as do children. Seafood lovers enjoy the
steamed and raw shellfish bar. This eatery
has a full bar including wine and beer. Inside the restaurant is a collection of
mounted game fish. From the covered
outdoor porch, watch the fishing boats
return daily with their Gulf Stream catch,
then enjoy dinner before heading to The
Lost Colony drama or the sights in Manteo. Hurricane Mo's serves lunch and dinner in the summer. Call for off-season
hours. Prices of all dinner entrees served
before 5:30 P.M. are reduced by 10 percent.
Stripers Bar & Grille $$
Shallowbag Bay, Manteo
(252) 473-3222
www.stripersbarandgrille.com
This dining spot is a sister restaurant to
the popular Chilli Peppers in Kill Devil Hills
and Stripers in Corolla. Seafood enthusiasts will love the three-level Manteo
Stripers. The first floor contains a full
steamer bar and a raw bar, the second
floor contains a continental dining room,
and the third floor offers another steamer
bar and an intimate atmosphere. The
menu includes everything from soups,
salads, sandwiches, and pasta to steak
and (of course) seafood. Popular entrees
include the delicious homemade crab
cake sandwich and grilled prime rib served with red-skin mashed potatoes
and seasonal vegetables. Stripers is open from 11:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. every day (until 10:00 P.M. in the summer), and it serves beer and wine. On Sunday brunch is served from 10:00 A.M. to
3:00 P.M. Bananas Foster French toast,
eggs Benedict, crab Benedict, and steak
Benedict are just a few of the tempting
items on the brunch menu.
The Weeping Radish Brewery &
Bavarian Restaurant $$
US 64, Manteo
(252) 473-1157
www.weepingradish.com
Next to The Christmas Shop on the main
highway in Manteo, this large restaurant
includes an outdoor beer garden, separate
pub, children's playground, and dining
room. A European flavor prevails throughout. Traditional German meals include veal,
sauerbraten, and a variety of sausages.
Homemade spaetzle noodles and cooked
red cabbage are side dishes offering
tastes you won't find elsewhere on the
Outer Banks. Also featured are free-range
hormone-free North Carolina beef and
pork fresh from their farm to you. The restaurant's name comes from
the radish served in Bavaria as an accompaniment to beer. Cut in a spiral, it's
sprinkled with salt and packed back
together. The salt draws out the moisture
and gives the radish the appearance of
weeping. Beer isn't served with radishes
here (except by special request), but the
brews are certainly the best part about
this place. A microbrewery opened at The
Weeping Radish in 1986, offering pure,
handcrafted German-style beer without
chemical additives or preservatives. You
can watch this "nectar of the gods" being
brewed on-site on a tour. Take home an
extra pint to enjoy later. The Weeping
Radish is open for lunch and dinner April
through December, seven days a week.
The pub is open into the evening. Call for
off-season hours. Visit their Jarvisburg
brewery in Currituck to take home fresh
beer and meats.
Garden Deli & Pizzeria $
US 64, Manteo
(252) 473-6888
Shaded by pine trees, this tiny restaurant
has a breezy outdoor deck perfect for
summer dining. The cheerful, hometown
crew has watched this Garden grow into
one of the most popular lunch spots for
the working crowd in Manteo. Here, New
York-style stone-oven pizzas are cooked
to order and packaged to go, if you wish.
White pizza, one of our favorites, is
topped with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan,
and romano cheeses, broccoli, and minced
garlic. Traditional red sauce pizzas and
specialty pizzas are also offered. The
Philly cheese steaks, burgers, gyros, and a
wide assortment of deli sandwiches,
homemade salads, and antipasto salads
are wonderful. Fresh tuna and chicken
salad plates are just right for a light lunch
or dinner. Garden Pizzeria delivers free of charge
to Roanoke Island and Pirate's Cove. The
restaurant is open for lunch and dinner
Monday through Saturday year-round. Call
about delivered boxed lunches for charter
boat trips. Garden Deli specializes in
party-boat catering.
Big Al's Soda Fountain & Grill $
US 64/264, Manteo
(252) 473-5570
www.themefifty.com
You can't miss Big Al's, across from The
Christmas Shop in downtown Manteo.
Owners Diana Croswait and Vanessa and
Allan Foreman originally planned to open
a little ice-cream parlor, but the concept
expanded into a full-blown soda fountain
and family restaurant. It's definitely a
place to take the kids. With '50s decor
and memorabilia, Big Al's is a great place
to kick back and enjoy some good ol'
American food and fountain treats. Plus,
you can get fish so fresh, it's literally off-
the-boat, says Vanessa Foreman. She
knows because Allan catches most of it. Children's meals are available for
$4.99. Kids can have fun in the game
room, with a pinball machine, video
games, and a jukebox. There's even a
dance floor. Big Al's serves lunch and
dinner daily.
Darrell's Restaurant $$
US 64, Manteo
(252) 473-5366
This down-home restaurant started as an
ice-cream stand more than 30 years ago
and has been a favorite family-style
eatery for the past two decades. It's common knowledge that the fried oysters at
Darrell's are among the best in town.
Menu items such as popcorn shrimp, crab
cakes, grilled marinated tuna, and fried
scallops are served with french fries,
coleslaw, and hush puppies to provide
more than enough to fuel you through
the day. Soups such as Dare County-style
clam chowder and oyster stew are hard
to resist. Salads, sandwiches, and
steamed and raw seafood are additional
options for the hungry diner. Meat-eaters
will be satiated by Delmonico steak, barbecued minced pork, and grilled marinated chicken. Daily seafood specials are
served for dinner; a children's menu is
available. The hot fudge cake is a must
for dessert. Beer and wine are served.
Darrell's is open for lunch and dinner
year-round but is closed Sunday.
Duncan's Bar-B-Q and Family Buffet $
US 64, Manteo
(252) 473-6464
The atmosphere is casual, and the food is
spicy at this family-style restaurant
known for its North Carolina-style handpicked barbecue. The all-you-can-eat
lunch and dinner buffets include fried
chicken, coleslaw, and other vegetables-besides the barbecue, of course. Rose
Bay oysters are available in season, and
the fried and steamed shrimp on the dinner buffet are great. The ambience is
family friendly. Eat in or call for takeout.
Duncan's also caters off-site pig-pickin'
parties and family barbecues. It's open
Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and
dinner in season. Call for winter hours.
Waterfront Trellis $$-$$$
The Waterfront Shops, Manteo
(252) 473-1723
Overlooking Shallowbag Bay and the state
ship Elizabeth II, this is a favorite Manteo
eatery for watching boats on the water or
a romantic summer moon. It's a casual,
relaxing restaurant with good service and
equally admirable food. The dinner menu
at Waterfront Trellis has delicious hot
soups, seasonal salads, and a selection of
specials. The extensive menu offers overstuffed sandwiches, a steam bar, pasta
dishes, and fresh local seafood. Sushi is
served on Tuesday nights and a sizable
pasta station is offered on Thursday
evening. Locals and visitors reserve Waterfront
Trellis for wedding receptions, family parties, or reunions. Since this restaurant is
less than a 10-minute drive from The Lost
Colony, it's a good place to take in an
early meal before the outdoor drama
begins. Beer, wine, and champagne are
available, and brown bagging of other
alcoholic drinks is allowed. A children's
menu is provided. Lunch and dinner are
served seven days a week from March
through December.
Full Moon Cafe $$
Creef's Corner
Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
(252) 473-MOON
This eclectic eatery opened in late 1995
and consistently overflows with local and
visiting patrons. A Manteo favorite for
lunch and dinner, this cozy cafe occupies
a building on the corner of Queen Elizabeth Avenue and Sir Walter Raleigh
Street. This location allows diners a view
of the local streetscape, great for people-
watchers and those who like being part of
the waterfront scene. The innovative cuisine has a nouveau American flair. Most of
the entrees and specials (which usually
involve creative takes on pasta and
seafood) are so unusual we haven't seen
them anywhere else on the Outer Banks. Hummus spread, baked Brie, and
mushroom caps stuffed with shrimp are succulent appetizers. Lunch specials
include gourmet sandwiches to satisfy
everyone's tastes, vegetarian offerings,
seafood, chicken, and homemade soups,
such as Hungarian mushroom, curried
spinach, and spicy tomato. Each entree is
served with corn chips and Full Moon's
own salsa. The dinner menu features
enticing seafood dishes, stuffed chicken
breasts, roasted eggplant with other vegetables in marinara sauce and provolone
cheese, and a beef dish with portobello
mushrooms and a Gorgonzola cheese
sauce. Daily pasta specials are also available as a half-serving with a side salad. All
the desserts are delightful. Beer (including
some microbrews) and a good selection
of wine are available. You can eat inside
the dining room or dine outdoors in the
courtyard if you take any meal to go.
Reservations are accepted for parties of
six or more. Full Moon is open for lunch and dinner
seven days a week in summer. Hours are
reduced off-season, so call for specific
schedules.
Poor Richard's Sandwich Shop $
The Waterfront, Manteo
(252) 473-3333
With half the workforce in Manteo making
a beeline to Poor Richard's every day, this
casual eatery is a local gathering spot for
reasonably priced food with fast counter
service and interesting offerings. Try the
cucumber sandwich with cream cheese-a
cool meal that surprises your palate. Cold
and grilled sandwiches are made to order,
and specials are offered daily. Homemade
soups, meatless chili, hot dogs, salad
plates, cookies, and ice cream are also
available. Breakfast includes scrambled
egg and bacon sandwiches, bagels and
cream cheese, and fresh fruit. Steamed
shrimp is available for lunch and dinner. Whatever your mode of transportation-boat, bike, car, or legs-Poor Richard's is a worthy filling station. You can
eat inside at a roomy booth or take your
meal out on the back porch and enjoy the
waterfront view-there always seems to
be enough room for everybody. Poor
Richard's is open daily in the summer for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Occasionally,
the restaurant hosts live music in the
evenings. Though it's open year-round,
call for off-season hours.
1587 $$$
Tranquil House Inn
Queen Elizabeth Street, Manteo
(252) 473-1587
www.1587.com
The owner of this critically acclaimed
restaurant can make your mouth water
just by reading his menu aloud. The offerings are unusual, upscale, cosmopolitan,
and some of the most ambitious on the
Outer Banks. Ambience is elegant and
romantic: The soft glow of intimate lighting, a gleaming copper-topped bar in a
separate lounge area, and polished wood
and mirrors reflect the lights sparkling off
boats anchored in Shallowbag Bay. Executive Chef Donny King creates a constantly
changing menu that's always as fresh and
fabulous as the food. Soups prepared each day might
include Mediterranean mussels and crayfish with spring vegetables and feta
cheese in a light tomato broth. For appetizers, select sesame-encrusted colossal
scallops with spicy vegetable slaw and
soy-wasabi cream, or duck confit with
sweet potato cornbread and cherry-citrus
compote and herb jus. Salads, served a la
carte, offer mixed greens with caramelized
onion puff pastry tart, marinated sun-
dried tomatoes and goat cheese, finished
with spiced port drizzle. Dinner entrees range from crispy cornmeal orange roughy accompanied by
roasted vegetable risotto and whole-grain
mustard cream, finished with white-winesauteed shrimp and vegetables, to Asiago
risotto with sea scallops, shrimp, and vegetables surrounded by crawfish gumbo.
Another excellent choice is chargrilled filet
mignon served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. A children's menu offers simpler
dishes for younger tastes. Vegetarian
requests are welcome. The exquisite
dessert creations are delicious and are so
beautiful that you may want to take a
snapshot before digging in! Named for the first year English
colonists attempted to settle on Roanoke
Island, 1587 serves a wide selection of
wine and beer and permits brown bagging. This outstanding restaurant is open
for dinner daily in the summer. Call for offseason hours. Reservations are requested.
Magnolia Grille $
Magnolia Market
408 Queen Elizabeth Street, Manteo
(252) 475-9877
Magnolia Grille serves a variety of good
eats. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are
offered. Hot dogs, burgers, deli sandwiches, several vegetarian options, quesadillas, and daily specials are prepared as
ordered. Appetizers include chili cheese
fries, onion rings, and soups. The salads,
with grilled chicken if you like, are fresh.
Kids can get grilled cheese and other
favorites. If you're headed to Roanoke
Island Festival Park for Summer Scenes
concerts, this is a great place to pick up a
picnic on the way.
The Green Dolphin Restaurant and Pub $
Sir Walter Raleigh Street, Manteo
(252) 473-5911
This downtown Manteo eatery has been
a popular pub for more than 20 years.
It's casual and comfortable inside, with
wooden booths and tables fashioned from
the hatch covers taken off old ships. Old
nautical memorabilia lines the walls, and a
long bar stretches along the back of the
restaurant. Food here is simple, satisfying, and a
good value. Charbroiled hamburgers, she-crab soup (some say it's the best on the
Outer Banks), crab cakes, lasagna, manicotti, Italian sausage, and french fries are
just a few of the offerings served for
lunch and dinner. Appetizers and desserts
also are available, and the pub serves pizzas and small-fry portions for the kids.
The Green Dolphin is open year-round
Tuesday through Sunday. Live entertainment is usually offered on Friday nights
(see our Nightlife chapter).
The Coffeehouse on Roanoke Island $
106-A Sir Walter Raleigh Street, Manteo
(252) 475-1295
Here is the perfect coffeehouse atmosphere: sofas, newspapers, local chatter,
tables inside or on the deck, and a friendly
owner who handles the busiest of morning rushes with aplomb. The coffee is just
right, not overly strong, and the espresso
and cappuccino drinks are expertly prepared. A selection of loose teas is available. Iced coffees are good for summer
days, and the chai milk shake beats everything. Milk shakes and smoothies are large,
and the staff will give you the leftovers if
they make one that's too big for your cup.
The Coffeehouse serves heavenly cinnamon oat and blueberry scones, muffins,
bagels, cinnamon bread, pastries, biscotti,
granola, and fruit. You can have your granola with soy milk or yogurt, if you'd like.
The Coffeehouse is open every day for
breakfast, light lunches, and snacks.
Wanchese
Queen Anne's Revenge $$
Old Wharf Road, Wanchese
(252) 473-5466
Named after one of Blackbeard's famous
pirate ships that plied the waters off North
Carolina's coast during the early 1700s,
Queen Anne's Revenge is snuggled in a
grove of trees in the scenic fishing village
of Wanchese. The restaurant is well off the
beaten path at the end of a winding lane. Wayne and Nancy Gray have operated this
outstanding restaurant since 1978, serving
seafood fresh from the Wanchese docks.
They use only quality ingredients, and their
attention to detail really shows. The restaurant has three dining rooms,
one with a fireplace that provides a cozy
ambience during cold winter months. A
large selection of starters is offered,
including bouillabaisse (full of fresh
seafood) and black bean and she-crab
soups. All the seafood here is excellent,
from Blackbeard's Raving to the locally
landed shellfish and fish served with the
Wanchese platter. There's chateaubriand
for two, carved at your table. Queen
Anne's chefs make their own pasta; in
fact, their fettuccine is a staple around
Wanchese. All the desserts are homemade
and served in generous portions. This
lovely restaurant offers a children's menu
and a nice selection of beer and wine. The
dining room serves dinner seven days a
week during the summer months. Enjoy
the Sunday lunch buffet from January
through May. Queen Anne's is open all
year but closes Tuesday during the offseason. |
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Hatteras Island
Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo
Austin's South Island Seafood &
Produce
NC 12, Rodanthe
(252) 987-1352
Austin's South Island Seafood & Produce
has everything you need for a classic Hatteras Island cookout. Austin's will send
you on your way with shrimp, clams, scallops, oysters, and blue crabs, all steamed
to perfection. The specialty, the Hatt'ras
Island steamer pots, feed two or more.
They come with a variety of seafood (you
can choose what you'd like in addition to
shrimp, scallops, corn, potatoes, and
more); just be sure to call at least two
hours in advance. Fresh-cut steaks and chops are avail
able at Austin's for the landlubbers in your
crowd. Lots of fresh produce and a wide
variety of sauces and marinades are in
house, too. A bonus: After a day of fishing,
bring your catch to Austin's and they will
vacuum pack it for you. Austin's is open
seven days a week from April through
October.
Lisa's Pizza $
NC 12, Rodanthe
(252) 987-2525
Specialty pizzas, deli sandwiches, subs,
calzones, chicken parmagiana, and salads
are among the most popular items at this
restaurant. Lisa's also serves breadsticks,
hot wings, and garlic and cheese bread.
Beer and wine are available, and there's a
separate children's menu. Lisa's serves
lunch and dinner seven days a week
beginning at 11:00 A.M.from early April
through November. All items can be eaten
inside the restaurant, carried out, or deliv
ered. Call for off-season hours.
Tiki Grill $$
NC 12, Salvo
(252) 987-1088
A former owner of the Down Under
Restaurant opened the smaller Tiki Grill a
few years ago. Caribbean decor gives an
atmosphere of quiet celebration and ease.
Simple, delicious food is served-burgers,
salads, seafood, and vegetables. Most
likely a surfer, possibly with traces of salt
and sand from the day's romp in the
waves, will serve you. It's all fun and good.
Entertainment is held in season. Call for
hours and times of operation, but they are
usually closed on Sundays.
Leonardo's Pizza $
NC 12, Rodanthe
(252) 987-6522
Located beside the Reef, Leonardo's
Pizza has delicious pizza, calzones, and
subs. Pizzas are prepared in the traditional thin-crust Sicilian style. Sauces and
dough are homemade daily, and only the
freshest ingredients are used. Salads and antipasto and a wide variety of nonalcoholic drinks round out Leonardo's offerings. Delivery is free within Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo villages. At lunch, pizza by the slice is available, along with subs and calzones. Leonardo's is open in season every day from 11:30 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. and from 11:30 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday in the offseason.
Top Dog Cafe $ NC 12, Waves
(252) 987-1272
Specializing in burgers that weigh up to
one-and-a-half pounds, Top Dog Cafe also
serves steamed seafood, Philly-style steak
subs, shrimp and oyster baskets, all-beef
hot dogs, salads, and appetizers. The
restaurant has a casual atmosphere, and
you can choose to eat on the shady
screened porch or on the sundeck. This
establishment has a kid's menu and sometimes live music. Beer and wine are served.
Open for lunch and dinner; call for hours
and days.
Down Under Restaurant & Lounge $$
NC 12, Rodanthe
(252) 987-2277
This Australian-style restaurant is family
friendly and offers wonderful views of the
sound. Decorated with authentic Australian art and memorabilia, Down Under
is one-of-a-kind on the Outer Banks.
Lunch specialties include the Great Australian bite, similar to an Aussie burger,
made with hamburger, a fried egg, grilled
onions, cheese, and bacon. Spicy fish
burgers, Vegemite sandwiches, and marinated chicken sandwiches are good
authentic options, too. Kangaroo, a deli-
cious meat that is very popular at Down
Under, is imported from Australia for 'roo stew, 'roo burgers, and kangaroo curry. Try
the stuffed jalapenos served with Down
Under's famous sweet chile sauce.
Dinner selections include Down Under
shrimp stuffed with jalapeno peppers and
cream cheese wrapped in bacon. Enjoy a
side order of the foot-high onion rings
and a Foster's lager or Cooper's Stout.
Parents will appreciate the children's
menu, and kids will appreciate the
extraordinary decor. Everyone will enjoy
the view. Down Under is open seven days
a week for lunch and dinner from April
through early September. The restaurant
is wheelchair accessible. Large parties are
welcome.
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Avon
Dirty Dicks Crab House $-$$
NC 12, Avon
(252) 995-3708
www.dirtydickscrabs.com
Adjacent to the Avon Pier, Dirty Dicks
serves an incomparable selection of crabs,
including snow crab legs, soft-shell crabs,
spiced crabs, crab dip, crab cakes, and
steamed crabs. The steamed, spiced crabs
are superb, and Dicks sells its special
spice. The menu also includes steamed
shrimp, clams, clam chowder, gumbo, jambalaya, and Cajun and Creole dishes.
Sandwich platter specials and other offerings satisfy the kids. The tasty Dick Burger
is a crab and shrimp patty with Cajun
sauce. Dirty Dicks T-shirts are popular for
their suggestiveness, and you can buy
them here. Order any of the menu items
and steamed crabs for takeout. Dirty
Dicks has two other locations in Kill Devil
Hills, one a sit-down place like this one
and the other for takeout only. Dirty Dicks
is open for lunch and dinner in season and
closes for a couple of months in the winter. Call for off-season hours.
Hodad's $-$$
NC 12, Avon
(252) 995-7866
This casual restaurant with surfboards,
surfer pics, and a Dewey Webber board
out front is the perfect place to have a
good, filling meal without having to
change out of your beachwear. Hodad's is
a great place to hang around the bar and
shoot the breeze or to sit at a table with a
group of friends. The list of appetizers is extensive. Fried pickles with horseradish
sauce, anyone? If that's not your style, try
the oven-baked Brie, shrimp roll-ups,
conch fritters, hummus, rumaki, jalapeno
poppers, or the Mondo Combo with a little taste of several things, including the
pickles. Burgers, veggie burgers, crab cake
sandwiches, fish sandwiches, and a portobello mushroom sandwich are favorites
here, but there's also a lighter side of
offerings, including Hatteras clam chowder, a Caesar salad, a spinach salad, and a
warm garlic shrimp salad. After 5:00 P.M.
dinner-style entrees are offered. Try the
flash-fried oysters, catch of the day, prime
rib, or creative pasta dishes. Vegetarians
will appreciate the Buddha Delight, stir-
fried veggies and tofu over rice. If you've
worked up a killer appetite on the waves,
you might be able to tackle the Duke
Seafood Combo, with shrimp, scallops,
crab cake, catch of the day, oysters, and
calamari. Beer and wine are served.
Hodad's makes lunch and dinner every
day from St. Patrick's Day through
Thanksgiving. A menu just for the kids
is available.
Chinatown $$
NC 12, Hatteras Island Plaza, Avon
(252) 995-0118
Chinatown provides a welcome alternative
to Hatteras Island's typical cuisine. The
restaurant features family-value meals,
special lunches, combination dinners, and
Szechuan, Cantonese, and Hunan specialties with hot and spicy alterations available. Open late morning and serving the
latest dinner on the island, the restaurant
offers eat-in or take-out options. Chinatown is open seven days a week year-
round.
Bubba's Too $$
NC 12, Avon
(252) 995-4385
For lip-smackin', finger-lickin' barbecue,
Bubba's is the place on Hatteras Island.
Meeting undeniable success, Bubba
opened his second location next to the
Food Lion many years ago. Bubba's fame
has survived him, as have his eateries.
Customers relish the ribs, sandwiches,
Bubba's original barbecue sauces, and
mouthwatering desserts. Eat at the
restaurant or take the food out. Either
way, have plenty of napkins and a big
appetite ready. Bubba's is open for lunch
and dinner April through October.
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