Went here our last night in Duck. Had about an hour wait for a party of 3 but grabbed a drink at the outdoor bar window and listened to the live music to make the wait go by quickly. Great recommendations and each of us ordered something different and each enjoyed it. The sun was warm on the back outside deck but they had fans that helped a little. Great spot to listen to some music and catch a 10/10 sunset read more

Aqua Restaurant - June sunset - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

The atmosphere is outstanding and a wonderful place to watch the sun set. We loved the live music outside as we waited for our seats. The food was out of this world- cucumber melon soup was the BEST I have ever had! read more

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We all had the special-crab cake sandwiches with chips, that were salty and spicy. The sandwich was served also with lettuce tomato and pickle read more

Amazing experience from the staff! I called weeks ago to plan a surprise reservation for my parents 40th anniversary. I had stuff to bring before their arrival to place on the table. I was greeted by I believe Aerin. She was the sweetest! She was ready for my arrival, showed me the table my parents would be sitting at and how she would place my items on the table. I wanted to create something special for them, and Aqua definitely delivered!! The entire thing brought a tear to my parents eyes and I owe the biggest thank you to the staff at Aqua! They also loved their server, Valerie. THANK YOU THANK YOU!! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

f you want a scenic restaurant with delicious food, a staff that is attentive and friendly and a coordinator that is easy to work with, Aqua is the place. Some friends and I chose Aqua for a bridal luncheon (a party of 18) and couldn't have been any happier with the event. Judy was amazing in answering our questions prior to the event (and even being flexible when we needed to adjust the time slightly) and in getting us set up once we arrived. She was extremely accommodating in helping us to store some gifts until we were ready for them and even helped us take a big group photo once lunch was over. And our server, Aerin, was fabulous, always with a smile on her face and was never flustered no matter how many "extras" our group might have asked her to go back for. My deepest thanks to both of those wonderful ladies. Everyone loved their food so kudos to the chef, as well! read more

Best food on the Outer Banks! Great service, right on the water. Bring lots of caishe though.

Oh man! Yelp! For the first time you've let me down. We drove 25 minutes to eat here based on the 4.5 star rating and it was NOT worthy. The service was good and he was very knowledgeable about the wine, but the food was sub par! The fish and chips were literally tasteless! The Asian fish tacos - all we could taste was the sesame oil. You are on the coast! How the heck do you get tasteless seafood!?!? So so disappointed. read more

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Great experience. Very good food. I usually tell stories in my reviews so here is a story, although not as entertaining as my usual. Our waiter was the best. He was matter of fact and pretty much told us what to order. " Get the southern gentleman, it's a woodford reserve bourbon, limoncello, and orange bitters... very nice", " main course " get the grouper " the grouper is a very nice fish... tastes like butter". He even told us which dessert to get... it was great! Usually at restaurants they say ... " everything is good here...".... Yeah right... okay. Anyway again not a great story but overall this was a very pleasant dining experience. read more

Aqua Restaurant - View - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

The food was terrible! I should have known better than to order Pad Thai from a non-Thai restaurant but this was inedible. They clearly dumped a jar of store bought sauce over noodles and a few julienned veggies and called it a dish, but the noodles were gluey and the grilled chicken was limp and flavorless as well. I stopped eating after 5 bites and the waitress never asked why I didn't finish. My daughter ordered the lemon garlic pasta and it also lacked flavor and was overcooked. Husband ordered the fish and chips, which was fine, tho the tartar sauce was uninspired. The kicker was the waitress, who was otherwise kind and efficient, thanked my husband for bringing in the ladies. Had me wondering why she thought this was an appropriate comment in 2024. read more

Came here in Mother's Day 2021 Some Covid restrictions in place so we came for first come first serve brunch. Receptionist was pleasant and set up our table for six. The food took some time to get out but when delivered was excellent as everyone finished their plates. All the dishes were great: Lobster Avocado Toast, Bangin Shrimp, Biscuits w Butter and Jam, Shrimp and Cheddar Grits, and Tuna Poke Bowl (pictured). My kid got the French toast sticks and devoured them and he is picky. read more

Aqua Restaurant - Tuna Poke Bowl was excellent with several layers of flavors and a nice light meal. - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Wow.... we came in town from Virginia and by luck landed in this jewel of a restaurant. First of all, I can't say enough about the Service. Never have we ever experienced a staff that was so dedicated to creating the best possible experience. Our waitress Jordyn was funny, helpful, efficient and just plain nice. When we asked if we could add avacado to our Poke Bowl, a team member surrendered one fro her own lunch!! The bloody Mary's we had were amazing. Great flavor, and just the right amount of vodka. The Peperoncini was a great touch! The Poke Bowls (salmon and tuna) were so fresh with a wonderful sauce and the rice was so delicious! This is a place that feels family owned with people who genuinely want to be there. Nice job Aqua! We'll be back! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Really great food, service, ambiance, vibe! Super knowledgeable server have great recommendations, did not lead us astray. We all got the Grouper special and it was cooked to perfection. Thanks Aqua for our best dining experience in Duck! read more

tldr this is a MUST resturant if you are in the area, especially for dinner. I recommend the calamari, crab dip, shrimp grits or TUNA!! First time in outer banks and omg the food and service, incredible! A local recommended this spot and sadly online it seemed like it was booked, but we called and they were able to fit us in for a dinner reservation. The restaurant itself is cute and charming with views of the water. Our waiter Bryan was amazing with the recommendations, he was also super friendly and helpful on what to pick. I'm always skeptical because sometimes recommendations depend on the monetary value instead of the food itself, but he seemed so genuine and I'm so glad we listened. As for the food, oh my God. You need to get the Crab dip and Tuna (chef fish special). The crab dip almost rivals MD and the Tuna has no business being that delicious. I can seriously taste the passion and dedication the chef and team has put into. My husband's personal favorite the calamari and shrimp and Grits. I was shocked at level of spice and flavor incorporated in that dish. last but not least the desserts were also delish, bread pudding and peanut butter pie were a personal favorite! read more

Absolutely fantastic. Of course the sunset, service, live music, view are all great. The food is fantastic, from the baba ghanouj (you would never expect and is certainly the dark horse on the menu) to the vegetables they place their daily catch on, every meal is a treat. And yea, the crab cakes, daily catch, seafood pasta are all badass! Maybe as important these days, aqua's staff is clean and the environment safe!! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

It's open until 8:30 and outside seating is first come. But we walked up at 7:50 and were refused a table by the seating hostess, who was rude about it, not apologetic, and was unprofessional. read more

I went to the Aqua Restaurant and it was incredible! My group and I had an amazing time! The view was breath taking, I can only imagine how beautiful it is during the sunset. We're planning on trying to return for a sunset dinner this weekend. However, this trip I ordered the truffle mac & cheese. I was happy with my plate. My expectations were set a little high, and the meal was lacking flavor. Despite this, the presentation was lovely. The environment was amazing to be immersed in. We had great conversations with our waitress, and the other staff was happy to help. Regarding Covid procedure I was happy. All staff was wearing masks and the tables were spread out. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a casual, oceanfront vibe. read more

Aqua Restaurant - My order of Truffle Mac & Cheese - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

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AQUA was hands down one of our favorite spots on our trip! So much so, we came back a second time! The service was incredible! And as two people who have worked in the food industry, we really appreciate when the service is above and beyond. They were INCREDIBLY accommodating for people with severe food allergies (I'm vegan and gluten-free). My partner ordered the fish of the day which happened to be tuna, and he could not get over how amazing it was! They're following all CDC requirements, and we felt incredibly safe and taken care of. (And you can't beat the view!) Thank you for being a highlight on our dining experience on our vacations! We can't wait to go back! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Arcadian Mixed Green Salad with no cheese and tofu medallions. Just PERFECT! - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

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Great views, good service, nice atmosphere . The appetizers were underwhelming. A bit disappointed on the food, but overall decent place. If you looking for atmosphere and good sunset view, this will do it. However so so food and poor value if you consider the food and drink pricing. The grits were a bright spot. read more

I'm kind of torn about this place. First off, I wanted to give this place three stars but based on the circumstances of operating in a COVID world and restaurants getting accustomed to what the new normal is, I'm thinking giving Aqua the benefit of the doubt. I don't necessarily have any complaints but it didnt really knock my socks off for a $145 bill. My wife and I had an 815 reservation and were seated early as we were one of the last reservations of the evening. Our server was very friendly and happy and really set the tone. My wife ordered crab cakes and I ordered the special which was a rare yellow-fin tuna dish. My food was pretty good but my wife was not a fan of the crab cakes at all. They tasted as if they had some type of orange flavor incorporated in them that my wife was not a fan of at all. The same flavor was present in the crab dip we had as an app. It wasnt a show stopper but I wasnt a huge fan of it either. We had the Bangin Shrimp for an app too which is pretty good. In summary, I didnt dislike the place at all. The views were great, the outside areas were really nice and the staff was excellent. I just wasnt blown away by the food for the cost but I'd come back and try something different. read more

The location is spectacular right on the sound. Unfortunately our meal was not. The crab dip was underwhelming. Cheese was rubbery and it tasted like tuna fish salad. Caesar salad was delicious with white anchovies. The shrimp and grits was underwhelming. The grits needed to taste like grits they were the consistency of baby food and the shrimp were totally unseasoned and bland. We did not try dessert and in fairness other dishes looked better. read more

Very beautiful place, right on the water. I liked the upscale feel. The Fruits de Mer pasta dish was delicious. My husband enjoyed his duck. My son had the butter pasta, and it was a hit. After dinner we walked down to the pier and took some sunset photos. It was a very nice evening! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

The food was great along with the presentation. The service was average during the busy season. The prices were high for the food portions. The mix drinks were scrumptious but VERY expensive. The view was amazing as always. The outside seating was a plus while waiting. read more

Excellent! This is the first fabulous meal we've had since arriving in the Outer Banks almost one week ago. First of all, the atmosphere is first rate: a casual but fun vibe, accentuated by a live band and lively staff. The views are stunning! And the food the best: scallops appetizer, seafood pasta and mango/raspberry sorbet were perfect! And warm, "real" bread...perfect once again. Their wine selection is impressive too: I've never had an Alsatian blend from France which I loved! The Riesling satisfies as always. Highly recommended! Great job to all! Why not 5 stars? The strawberry bread pudding needs some help. Less sugar, more real fruit would have been great. read more

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First trip to OBX. We did our research on restaurants in Duck and we're not disappointed with Aqua. First class service and haute cuisine food. The venue was perfect. A bit pricy but well worth the extra cost. We will definitely be back. read more

NOT food allergy/dietary restriction friendly! I was really disappointed and confused with our experience at Aqua this afternoon. We chose Aqua because we saw their menu had a specific set of allergy friendly items "guaranteed" to be free of cross contamination. When I asked the server what options there were for dairy, soy, and gluten free, he didn't seem to have any knowledge of these menu items and went to "check with the kitchen." He came back 30+ minutes later (while we tried to wait patiently with our 4 month old baby) just to tell us that there wasn't really anything that would work for me because they cook everything in soybean oil. I asked about just getting a plain chicken breast or fish on a salad. He responded by telling me all their dressings would have soy and that they can make me chicken or fish in olive oil, but it won't be cooked separately and would likely be cross contaminated. We ended up leaving without eating because obviously they didn't care to be the least bit accommodating. Huge waste of time, especially when time can be very limited when trying to dine out with an infant. Obviously they have no control over my dietary restrictions, but don't advertise being allergy friendly and then tell me there's literally nothing on your menu that I can eat and that whatever I get will probably be cross contaminated. read more

Came here Wednesday. We had reservations for 9. We were sat in a very nice cove in the restaurant overlooking the sound. I had a yellow tuna steak. It was very good. Everyone in my party loved their food too. Service was good too. read more

Great food and great vibes. The most perfect spot for sunset and a drink as well as dinner. The Duck entree is incredible. Highly recommend for sunset and dinner! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

It was our first time here. I don't think we would come back. It definitely didn't have an overly friendly vibe. The menu is a little small and most items sport a pretty heavy cost. Our food was good , service was just so-so. read more

The couple of times I frequented Aqua everything was ok. The food, the drinks and the service. Nothing special, just average. But it does have a beautiful location if you're fortunate enough to get a table by the windows. read more

Great restaurant. Staff super attentive. Beautiful view. Food was spectacular. Will definitely go again.

Had a great birthday meal here as they reopened after the COVID-19 lock down. The food was all amazing, as were the cocktails, and especially the service. Probably the best overall meal and experience we had in OBX! read more

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Terrible food. I got the shrimp and pasta dish, and the pasta was way way way over cooked and also came out in a huge lump. I sent it back and didn't even want a remake. So disgusting. Drinks are good, that's about it here. Look elsewhere spending your money on the banks. read more

Always such a pleasant experience when we come here. The waitress was awesome as well as the food. We got drinks around, and I got the apple cider mimosa which is my favorite fall drink. The charcuterie board was on point, which had 3 meats and 3 cheeses with the addition of pickled green beans (MY FAV) and a peach chutney. This place is a go to not only because of its beautiful view of the sound, but the service and food will never disappoint! read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

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The waitress was so amazing and nice. We also got blessed with an amazing sunset. The food was also amazing. They gave us freshly baked bread to start, and I highly recommend the meatball pasta. read more

Aqua Restaurant - Sunset - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Fantastic evening there tonight! We had a change of plans and landed here last minute. They were full up and had a short wait which meant we had to endure drinks at the waters edge watching the incredible sunset (sarcasm). Short wait with the best view, great drinks and awesome people. From here we had apps and a phenomenal dinner. Everything was great and would highly recommend the Salmon. Steve on a bed of quinoa with peas and lemon zest. Stop here next time you are in Duck! read more

*STAY AWAY* The WORST and I do mean WORST dining experience I have ever had! The waitress had an attitude from the beginning. The manager was hiding when problems were brought up. By the time we got our food no one was hungry. At the end of the night all our food was given to us in to go boxes. We had a loud party next to us, we ended up leaving and we were a large party. No gratuity given. read more

Aqua Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Update from last year.. quality and service decline post pandemic..If you sit out front you're in the sewage field and you can expect to smell sh*t the whole time you eat. Food is inconsistent in quality aside from bar bites and sides. Don't even consider ordering red meat. Fish is still decent-good, if they had fish tacos for dinner that would be my go-to. Outside staff seems frustrated and short tempered. I give it 3 stars because sitting at the bar during happy hour is still nice, just don't sit out front and smell the poo.There are better dinner restaurants in the the OBX.. it really should be a 2.5 a star now, but I like a lot of the bar tenders. It's a little over priced for what it is, but a nice view out back away from the sewage system...every once in a while you'll still catch a nostril of poo on a non breezy day..Even out back...bar is where to eat any day of the week..(when they're open). Sunsets are nice and there's usually a 1 man band out back. read more

Aqua Restaurant - Sunset from Aqua over Currituck Sound - Seafood Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Food is always great. Staff is always pleasant and fun to visit with. All the staff works very hard! Beautiful view of the sound, clean and decor is awesome! read more

Visited here twice while my family and I were in Duck. Really good food and service. The second time we came, the staff went Out, Of. Their. Way. to accommodate my 94 year old aunt and I, who were stopping by for drinks and an app. Out. Of. Their. Way. They could not have been sweeter or kinder, offering a good place to seat and a cushion for my aunt's back. I'm a fan. A big one. read more

Amazing dining experience! Ask for Megan she was awesome!! The food was incredible. We had the charcuterie plate - the meat was great and cheeses complimented them perfectly. The house made pickles were a big hit! Crab cakes, delicious! Shrimp and grits, delicious! Salmon, delicious! The tuna special was incredible and the purées were plate licking good. The wine selection is very well cultivated. I have only 2 (very) small gripes, the lobster Alfredo was under seasoned and the decor needs an update. Make sure to get to Aqua during your trip to OBX (and make sure you order the "Elvis" to finish off your meal). read more