Nags Head

Nags Head is a shopper's mecca with its boutiques along the Beach Road, US 158, and the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway, and larger shopping destinations such as the Outer Banks Mall and the Tanger Outlet Stores on US 158.

Ben Franklin
US 158, MP 10, Nags Head
(252) 441-7571

Across the street from the Food Lion Plaza, Ben Franklin carries clothing for all ages and everything you need for the beach. There are some great buys on ladies' dresses here. It is open Easter through mid-November.

Something Fishy
NC 12, MP 10 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-9666

Here's a fun shop swimming with fish. You'll delight in the fish-print clothing made by owner Sherrie Lemnois, who has been creating these masterpieces for years. Clothing, jewelry, toys, home decor, and gifts are available with a fishy theme. Also in the shop are Asian-inspired items, prompting the owner to say she sells everything from "fish to Feng Shui." Lucky Bamboo home decor products are best-sellers here.

Gallery Row
Gallery Row and Driftwood Street Nags Head

Around MP 10 are numerous art galleries that are collectively referred to as "Gallery Row." If you're shopping in Nags Head, you'll want to see these wonderful art galleries situated between the highways. See our Arts and Culture chapter for a complete listing.

The Christmas Mouse
US 158, MP 10 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-8111

This holiday-oriented shop brims with Christmas collectibles, Cairn Gnomes, papier-mâche Santas, Snow Babies, porcelain dolls, unique ornaments, and nautical- and Midwestern-themed trees. Sixty decorated trees get you in the spirit. It is open year-round.

Gulf Stream Gifts
NC 12, MP 10 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-0433

Gulf Stream features contemporary nautical gifts, jewelry, and lighthouse and dolphin memorabilia. The store is open from Easter until Thanksgiving.

The Barefoot Gourmet
US 158, MP 11, Nags Head
(252) 449-8716

This specialty grocery and wine market offers gourmet treats, hard-to-find ingredients, and a wide selection of wine, beer, and cheese. Hand-dipped ice cream is available from the window. A variety of cookbooks, cookware, and cutlery round out the stock. Open 10:00 A.M.to 7:00 P.M. with extended hours in season.

Central Square
US 158, MP 11, Nags Head

This weathered cottage-style complex of shops has come to house a conglomeration of antiques shops. Edith Deltgen's Gallery is owned by local artist Edith Deltgen, and some of her unique sculptures and creations are housed here. She also offers antiques, including furniture, estate jewelry, and household items. Mystic Antiques sells a variety of true antiques, including furniture, dressers, and beds. These shops make for great browsing.

Meme's Attic features home decor, gifts, and antiques. N Style sells brand- name clothing and audio equipment. Shooters at the Beach is a full-service photography studio.

Pirate's Quay
US 158, MP 11 1/2, Nags Head

Boutiques, stores, offices, and eateries carry tobacco, jewelry, crafts, and clothing in this shopping center.

Cloud Nine is an adventure in clothing, accessories, and other discoveries from around the world. Owner Ginny Flowers has beads and lots of them. Other finds include recycled sea glass, Grateful Dead merchandise, T-shirts made by locals and visitors, beautiful batiks, and treasures from Africa and Nepal. Cloud Nine also carries gold and silver jewelry. Bring in your sea glass and have a custom necklace made. It's open Easter through Thanksgiving.

The Quaker Connection offers both antique and new decoys as well as hand- painted furniture. Nags Head Skate offers a variety of skateboards, skimboards, and accessories. Lou's Deli sells yummy sandwiches and take-out items prepared inhouse.

Austin Fish Company
US 158, MP 12 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-7412

Austin is a Nags Head fixture near Jockey's Ridge. It's a full-service seafood store that also serves as a gas station with some of the lowest prices on the beach. The store stocks crabmeat, steamed crabs, shrimp, oysters, clams, fish, scallops, live lobsters, and more. If you would like your catch shipped home, the staff will vacuum-pack and freeze it for you. Austin's is open May through November.

Jockey's Ridge Crossing
US 158, MP 13 1/2, Nags Head

At this complex, Kitty Hawk Kites/ Carolina Outdoors sells kites, windsocks, and banners, as well as quality men's and women's sportswear and outerwear, sandals, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. This year-round shop also offers a large selection of toys. (See our Water Sports chapter for exciting sporting opportunities offered by these folks.) Also open year-round, Kitty Hawk Sports carries popular name-brand clothing, boogie boards, accessories, and sunglasses plus windsurfing and kayaking gear. It offers all sorts of sporting opportunities (see our Water Sports chapter). How Sweet It Is is the place to stop for homemade ice cream, tasty deli sandwiches, and delicious ice cream cakes. To satisfy a yearning for fudge, stop by The Fudgery. A stop in Miss Kitty's Old Time Photos will send you on your way with a memorable picture of your group.

Surfside Plaza
US 158, MP 13, Nags Head

This is a great mix of shops where you'll find everything from comic books to contemporary clothing and crafts. Surfside Casuals has more swimsuits than just about any other store on the beach. This shop also carries an extensive line of casual wear for men and women. All of Surfside's many Outer Banks shops are open Easter through Thanksgiving. Beach Peddler, open Easter through October, sells what you need at the beach and also has jewelry, shells, postcards, souvenirs, gifts, hats, hermit crabs, and T-shirts. Donna Designs, which also has locations in Duck and Corolla, sells the wonderful fish-print clothing created by the owner. It's not just fish, though; it's also crabs, turtles, flowers, frogs, and more, all printed on cotton T-shirts, sweatshirts, dresses, baby clothes, onesies, and other items. Adults and kids alike will love Outer Banks Cards and Comics, a collectors' paradise that features sport and nonsport cards and a massive collection of comic books, both foreign and domestic. It also sells action figures and T-shirts and holds Magic card tournaments during winter. It's open all year. Art lovers enjoy We're Art year-round for posters, prints, local artwork, and custom framing or ready-made frames. If you're hungry, The Country Deli has delicious, huge, and inexpensive sandwiches for lunch. Find outlet-priced T-shirts, sunglasses, jenas, and more at the Nags Head Harley-Davidson shop. The Lady from New York Cards & Gifts stocks doll collections, candies, seashell gifts, and more.

Croatan Centre
US 158, MP 14, Nags Head

This is a fun group of shops featuring gifts from around the world, fine jewelry, CDs, and shoes. Halloran & Co offers sterling silver jewelry, 14-karat gold and gemstones, and sterling silver watches. Sound Feet Shoes, open year-round, offers a wide variety of men's, women's, and children's casual and fancy shoes and sandals, including popular sports shoes by Reebok and Nike. Explore the beautiful handcrafted home accents brought to you from the corners of the world by Exotic Cargo, which is open year-round. If you're looking for new and used CDs, look no further than Surf Sound Records, which offers a wide variety of music for all tastes. It also sells music videos, T-shirts, posters, and accessories. If they don't have something in stock, ask them to special order it for you; they can usually turn such requests around in a couple of days at no extra charge. The store is open all year. Bosko Wood seels solid finished and unfinished wood products. Island Tobacco offers cigars, tobacco products, and smoking implements. Rock-A-Bye Baby sells gently used goods such as clothes, cribs, toys, and high chairs.

Outer Banks Mall
US 158, MP 15, Nags Head

The Outer Banks Mall is open year-round. Seamark Foods (see The Shoreside Center listing in our Kitty Hawk section) anchors the center of the complex, which is home to a mix of shopping, service, entertainment, and dining businesses. The north wing of Outer Banks Mall is predominantly food-oriented, but there are a few stores, including GNC, which stocks vitamins, herbs, health and beauty products (including the popular Burt's Bees line), and sports and nutritional supplements. Video Andy stocks a good selection of videos, including an entire foreign film section, new releases, a cult classics section, a kids section, and a classics section, among others. Video Andy rents videos and players. Outer Banks Cleaners is also here. On the south wing of Outer Banks Mall, West Marine offers boating hardware, gear, cleaning and repair supplies, Mercury engines, life jackets and safety equipment, marine electronics, and more. West Marine also sells fishing equipment, including gear, coolers, rods, reels, tackle, and lures. Outer Banks Furniture is a huge home-furnishings store with sofas, chairs, beds, dining tables, rugs, home accessories, and much more. Mule Shed features ladies' apparel and lovely purses, gifts, and wedding, household, and outdoor garden items such as statuary and a sweet little brass bunny doorbell. At T-Tops Trading Company, you can choose from T-shirts, shorts, hats, mugs, and souvenirs. The Cottage Shop sells items that will give your home or cottage a relaxing, warm feeling. Everything from trendy welcome mats to functional backyard grills is stocked here. Habitat Earth carries groovy knit dresses, wild pants, couch throws with dancing bears, jewelry, CDs, and more. Lil' Grass Shack/Bikini Hut offers bathing suits for women in sizes 3 to 28 as well as swimwear for girls' and sportswear for adults. You'll also find Ocean Threads, specializing in swimwear. Peggy's Hallmark has a world of cards, wrapping paper, stuffed animals, and gifts, and Outer Banks Books is a huge warehouse-style bookstore with some great bargains. Dare Jewelers offers ea life and nautical jewelry along with traditional fine jewelry. Locally-created stained-glass items are also showcased.

Forbes Candy & Gift Shop
US 158, MP 15 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-7293

You can't come to the beach without picking up a box of saltwater taffy. Forbes, an Outer Banks tradition, has it here. Stop in for a box or three of the company's famous homemade gooey goodies. The shop, which is open year-round, also features a gift and souvenir selection.

The Chalet Gift Shop
NC 12, MP 15 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-6402

The Chalet is one of the nicest stores on the beach. The gifts, collectibles, and souvenirs are exquisite. Collectors love the selection of Harbour Lights, Lilliput Lane, Collectible Dolls, Legends, Left on Lighthouses, and Madam Alexander dolls. The large collection of sterling silver jewelry is gorgeous, and the unique designer pieces are tempting. The shop also carries fine home accessories and beach items. It's open March through December; mail orders are welcome.

Cahoon's
NC 12, MP 16 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-5358

Cahoon's is a large, family-owned grocery and variety store operating for four decades. It's a nice change of pace from chain supermarkets. Ray Cahoon bought the store shortly before the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 and, despite what must have been a rather wild start, continue to stock everything you'll need for your visit to the beach, including good meats that butcher Robert Heroux cuts to perfection. The store is open March through Thanksgiving.

Tanger Outlet Center
US 158, MP 16 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-5634

Tanger is a discount-outlet shopping center brimming with great buys in all sorts of merchandise, from clothes to dishes to shoes. Once you park, you'll wander for hours here. Bring plenty of cash! And when you get hungry, take a break at Stone Oven Pizza.

All shops in the Tanger complex are open year-round. Pfaltzgraff has dishes, glasses, and knickknacks. London Fog is very popular with locals and visitors alike who stop here for their yearly coat purchases. Check out the great buys on a vast selection of outerwear, including casual jackets and rainwear. At Rack Room Shoes you can outfit the entire family with quality discounted tennis shoes and casual and dressy year-round footwear. Cabin Creek Gifts offers stylish home accessories. Michael's Gems & Glass sells jewelry, rocks, minerals, and glass of all kinds.

The Corning/Revere Store is a kitchen supply shop. Of course you'll find traditional Corningware with pretty designs, but the shop's also chock-full of gadgets that make your kitchen experiences easier. We've found fashionable short leather boots at Nine West that really last, plus lots of dressy and casual shoe selections for women only. TheDress Barn has sweaters (dressy, sporty, and casual dressy) for women and some super tops for all occasions.

Claire's Accessories overflows with hair accessories, jewelry, fashionable clear plastic purses for kids, sunglasses, fuzzy cloth key chain books, and hats. Kids love this shop. The prices are extraordinary. For a few dollars, the little ones feel they've had a big shopping spree.

No visit to Tanger Outlet Center is complete without a stop at Gap Outlet, where bargains are abundant. Locals stop in every week to pick up fun fashions at great prices.

Other store names you'll recognize include Polo/Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Izod, Kitchen Collection, Publishers Warehouse, Wilson Leather Outlet, Vitamin World, Van Heusen, Geoffrey Beene, Bass, Big Dogs, Coach, L'eggs Hanes Bali, and Sunglass Hut.

Whalebone Seafood Market
US 158, MP 16 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-8808

Whalebone is run by the Daniels family, known locally for their commercial-fishing roots. The full-service seafood market sells whatever's in season. It's open Easter through October.

Shipwreck Nags Head-Manteo Causeway Nags Head
(252) 441-5739

Shipwreck is another gift store with a nautical twist. Local crafts, driftwood, nets, shells, and other sea treasures are piled everywhere. It's open March through Thanksgiving.

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