Rookie guide to the Outer Banks Eats Part One

Okay, I like to eat.....I like to talk.....and I love the Outer Banks to the point that after more than a dozen years of coming here to vacation for a few weeks per year, I took a big step toward my ultimate dream of living here when we bought a condo in the Manteo area.  As a result of my love for the place and for food, many friends now ask me where they should go and what is fun to do when they vacation on the Outer Banks.  I find myself texting and emailing places to eat or visit on a regular basis, so after a long hiatus from writing on here, I will make a fairly comprehensive list of our favorite eateries, as well as some other places people may like to go such as the gym, fishing, or crabbing/shrimping.  I have not eaten in many places at all in the Outer Banks that I do  not enjoy, the food is generally good and fresh, the service is usually good, and the people make the places we love even more special.  I will start this rebirth of the blog by listing the places WE view as the ultimate places to spend your food dollar while on the Outer Banks.  Please keep in mind that these are our BEST of the BEST recommendations based on our food and atmosphere preferences, and these do not appear in any particular order.  To me, I would eat at these places for every meal on every trip, the only deciding factors as to which are more related to mood and type of experience wanted at the particular moment we are dining.  If you come to the Outer Banks, to me, these places have to be places that you eat.  In the coming week I will add other excellent choices, but here goes with the places I dream of when I am not there.








Blue Moon Beach Grill
4104 S Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head NC










This place is located in a strip mall between the beach road (S. VA Dare Trail) and the bypass (S. Croatan Highway) roughly at MP 13.  We discovered BMBG a few years back after we began spending enough time here that we needed to expand our restaurant choices.  We asked staff from other restaurants where they liked, and BMBG was almost always mentioned.  We had to try it.  We are very glad that we did.  The food can range from something as simple as fries that will beat any of your favorite boardwalk fries, to tuna specials that will knock your socks off, to a pork dish called the Truck Stop that makes me salivate thinking of it.  In season, expect to wait, but the wait will be worth it.  You can take drinks outside and listen to some local musicians while you grow intoxicated by the drinks they make and the smell of the food they are making.  Some of our favorite items include Buffalo Shrimp, Fried Green Tomatoes, Wings, and Boardwalk Fries for appetizers.   They have great sandwiches, highlighted in my opinion by the Mahi Mahi BLT, and the Chick DeCluck.  For entrees, always look at the specials as they will consist of the freshest fish done in ways that you will not see anywhere else you go, and they are memorable.  On the regular menu, The Truck Stop which is a pan fried pork chop over sliced potatoes and onions, smothered in tasty gravy and topped with a fried egg is tough to beat.  The Veggie Voodoo Pasta, Angels Delight (shrimp and blue crab with assorted fresh veggies in a white wine sauce over angel hair), and the Free Range Chicken are regular meals for us, and they are all fantastic.  Finally, the deserts are home made and variable, but do not leave without trying one, especially any form of bread pudding they may offer.  A can't miss stop on any trip to the Outer Banks.  Also at the bar try the ice pick, made there with orange vodka, iced tea and splash of lemonade.  The people who own this place, along with the staff make an already great experience even better with their kindness!  Take the time to wait outside with a drink, enjoy the music and the salt air, and then feast on some of the best food you will find anywhere period.






Tortugas Lie
3016 S. Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head NC


Tortugas is located on the beach road at roughly MP 12, and it is another place that you will wait during the season 99% of the time.  It is also a place that is well worth the wait.  The inside has a great beach bar vibe and a lively surfer type atmosphere.  The food here can range from simple bar food, to a great steamer selection, sandwiches, entrees and specials to suit any sort of tastes people in your party may have.  It is another place set up for you to take some drinks outside while you wait for your table, and just relax.  You will be glad you did.  For appetizers we love anything from the steamer here but most especially shrimp, clams and the veggie platter.  Tortugas has great homemade chips and salsa, wings, and Island fries with cracked pepper that are an experience all to themselves.  For sandwiches look at their veggie burger which is done on whole grain bread and covered in their habanero BBQ sauce,the Big Wave Dave (chicken breast with pineapple slice and swiss)  and the Bajan burger as the top choices in my opinion.  For entrees, this is another place to watch the specials, as they will also have locally caught fish prepared in ways you will never see at home.  Outside of the specials, this guy lives for Pork Antonio, a thick pork chop covered in a homemade habanero jam, and served over rice with black beans and salsa.  It is a meal I will have several times per trip and never tire of.  Some other highly recommended entrees include the Island Steak, Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Coco Loco.  Every Wednesday night is sushi night, in season starting at 10 pm, and trust me, if you live inland you have never had sushi this good. For desert I recommend the key lime pie.  This place is another place that you cannot miss if you like to eat, drink and enjoy a great beach atmosphere.






Mama Kwans
1701 South Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills NC 27948




Mama Kwans feels like home to me. It is located at roughly MP 10 on the bypass.  Not only do we love the food, but this is another place where the people from the two owners to so many of the staff take an already great experience to a whole new level!  This is another place where you cannot go wrong no matter what you order to eat, but for appetizers their homemade chips and salsa, the Thai Money Bags, the wings and the pepper seared Ahi Tuna would top the list of options.  Mama Kwans is best known for their blackened fish tacos, made from fresh Mahi Mahi, with sliced cabbage, cheddar cheese, green onion and jasmine rice with a cucumber salad on the side that is so unique and tasty. This is a dish that will have you craving it during those winter months you are away from this little slice of heaven.  For me the only thing that is tough here is that I love their Garbage Plate, which is a great vegetable stir fry over jasmine rice and for me topped with a seared tuna steak as much as the Fish Tacos.  It is a daily war for my heart!  If you are not in the mood for either of these their Hawaiian Pork Plate, Special Occasion Pasta, and Pad Thai are also awesome choices.  In addition, the specials here are also fresh and creative and unlike any food you will get at home.  Their deserts are home made, and add the right finishing touch.  When you get in ask for a chilled shot called a Diamond Dave, a frozen shot combination of a blackberry liquer combined with an almond one called Tuaca.  Do yourself a favor and make time to visit this place for lunch or dinner, you will not be sorry.  The atmosphere inside is also very much a beach/tiki bar atmosphere. On Friday and Saturday nights there is live music after dining hours to add to the party.  Mama's should be a part of any OBX vacation routine.








Awful Arthur's
2106 N Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills NC 27948


Awful Arthur's is located at MP 6 of the beach road right across from the Avalon Pier.  This is the first place I ever visited on the Outer Banks on a black Friday about fourteen years ago.  We loved it from the first moment we walked in.  It truly has a beach bar feel, punctuated by the constant steam let off by the busy steamers pushing out order after order of steamed shrimp, crab legs, oysters and clams.  This post may be a bit short due to the fact that for us this place is all about the steamers, fried clams strips, and marinated tuna sandwiches and when available wahoo sandwiches.  Don't let the brevity of the post fool you though.  If you want the beach bar feel, any kind of combination of oysters, clams, crab legs, or shrimp, or a simple but super fresh tuna or wahoo sandwich, you will not beat this place!  Sit back, grab a beer, or if you are ready to get your drunk on, an Awesome Arthur, watch the game and suck down some oysters in a place that feels like heaven on earth to me.  It is also special to us as we made our first friend here, a woman who has seen my children grow from elementary school to a senior in High School and a sophomore in college.  She was the first to make the outer banks feel like a second home to us, and over the years pointed in us in some many of the right directions, I could never thank her enough!  Anyway, if raw bar is your goal, make sure you have it here at Awful Arthur's at least once on your trip to the Outer Banks. 


Lucky 12 Tavern
3308 S. Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head NC


Lucky 12 is located at roughly MP 12 on the beach road and has a really cool vintage vibe, lively bar crowd and great food.  It is also a place where you can have a beer and pizza until 2 am in season.  In a place where everything closes much earlier than you are probably used to, that is no small matter.  As is the common theme, the owner of this place, a former Pittsburgher, and his staff go out of there way to make you feel at home.  I love the bar, with a huge variety of beer on tap, and great music as much as any bar in the area.  The food is also excellent.  For appetizers we loved the steamed shrimp, the large wings, fried oysters and buffalo shrimp.  They also have an awesome burger called the Nags Mess Monster, complete with two patties of meat, a fried egg, bacon, pepperoni, banana peppers, and both American and Provolone Cheese!  It is as good as it sounds.  The surprise for me was the pizza.  There are 26 toppings available, along with several specialty pies, all done NY style and the toppings are fresh!   My first pie here was a fresh jalapeno, sausage, spinach, and sautéed garlic pie that rivaled some pies I have had in NY.  Some specialty pies that are incredible include the Porkie Pig which has sausage, bacon, ham, and roast pork on it, the Italian Stallion which has italian sausage, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, and garlic on it, and Mark's Lucky White One which includes olive oil, mozzarella, spinach, tomato, and basil.  All in Lucky 12 in a short period of time for us has become one of our top places to eat, and a must stop on every trip.  With all of the great pizza, sandwiches, and appetizers, I think we were most surprised by how good the shrimp, oysters and tuna were here as well.  For me, the pizza is king!


Sam and Omie's
7228 S Virginia Trail Dare
Nags Head NC


Sam and Omie's is at roughly MP 16 on the beach road.  It has a great old school fishing kind of décor and atmosphere to it.   For me, it has become the place to have breakfast, which still remains my favorite part of Sam and Omie's, but we have had lunch here too and were impressed with the quality of the food.  At breakfast, the place seems to have as many people drinking Bloody Mary's and Mimosas as coffee!  The breakfast portions are huge and they have all of the usual suspects but a few things stood out to me.  Their omelettes are big enough to fill you well past lunch time, and they are cooked just right.  The multi-grain hot cakes are as big as pillows and as tasty as they come.  The meat I recommend with the meal here is the country ham, such a great combination of smoke and salt, that totally compliments the hotcakes especially!  The biscuits and sausage gravy will slowly kill  you, but what a way to go!  After an early trip to the gym I start almost every day here at the breakfast counter.  We have also eaten lunch here several times and I recommend the crab cakes, tuna steaks, and any one of their daily specials.  And no surprise here, but the people you encounter here will also put a smile on your face every time.


Ok, I will do several more of these over the coming weeks, but I wanted to start with the best of the best from our perspective!  For those new to vacationing on the Outer Banks I hope this gives you a place to start when it comes to enjoying the food options on the Outer Banks.