We tried out Black Pelican for the first time 2 weeks ago and it was awesome! Our Waitress, Sophie, recommended for my wife and I to try the Shrimp and Crab and the Risotto. We loved them both. Very busy restaurant though, we may just come earlier next time to avoid the long wait. read more

Wow. Amazing all around. HIGHLY recommended to all. Awesome service, servers, amazing meal, delicious drinks..... Need I say more?

Excellent place for seafood. Try the shrimp on a barbie. Good service, but often very busy.

Service wasn't that great , food wasn't that great looking at all tbh , had the calamari and the crab cake sandwich , was ok but defiantly would have rather ate somewhere else. read more

This is a middle of the road joint that can accommodate large groups but don't count on a terrific meal. The wait for 2 was over an hour and I just can't understand why? The Hatteras Chowder was a clear broth based soup that had lots of flavor. For an entree we ordered the Clambake for 2 which was plentiful and had loads of sausage. There were plenty of oysters, shrimp, and mussels, but no clams. The veggies were very good, especially the sweet corn. For dessert we had the coconut cake which looked much better than it tasted. It had too much whipped cream and not enough coconut flavor. I probably would not go back and would only recommend this place for large parties of 12 or more that would be able to sit together and find enough choices on the menu. BTW if they would only put the pita bread in their wood fired oven and brush olive oil and garlic on the pita it would make a big difference. read more

We've been there a few times for lunch and the food was great. They also catered an event for us and the food was excellent as well as the staff. read more

I'm going to have to preface my review. First, the restaurant's big thing is the wood fired oven. So, you should look for entrees that take advantage of this such as their pizzas, appetizers involving pita points, etc. The pizza was really good and you could even taste a hint of wood smoke. We also tried the baked brie, which wasn't terribly complicated but the pita points were freshly baked, though not as crispy as expected, and the raspberry compote measurably aided the taste of the dish. They have a lot of variety on their menu, but the safest bets are likely to be either the seafood or the bread. Enjoy! read more

Food Poisoning at Black Pelican on July 4, 2010. Our annual family vacation began at the Black Pelican for lunch. We came from DC, Boston and Hampton VA. We met for lunch before we could check into the cottage, twelve of us in all. Four of us ordered the Wahoo special. Within four hours all four that ordered the Wahoo had a foodborne illness. That is nausea, vomiting, malaise, intestinal distress and diarrhea. We called the Black Pelican and asked to speak to the manager. They took our message and said they would get back to us. A day later they called and said the Wahoo was fine and we must have eaten some place else. Well you can be sure we will eat someplace else from now on and I urge you to avoid the Black Pelican. read more

A true gem. Bar none, the best seafood restaurant we tried on our OBX trip! Even the table bread was the best bread I'd ever tasted! Great service, great food! read more

I have mixed emotions about this establishment. The building itself is a historic & impressive one & for the most part people enjoy the atmosphere. But although this restaurant tends to enjoy a favorable reputation among locals & visitors alike, I find the food to be very unpredictable. I've had some really good food here but I've also had some really bad food here too. On one occasion when I had friends visiting I took them here for a Sunday dinner. While my choice was great (their bruschetta with mushrooms is consistently a good choice) I was embarrassed by what was served my 2 guests. As this was the third such experience I've had here I no longer recommend it to friends. Still, though, some menu items keep calling me back ... read more

Excellent lunch!! White seafood pizza, spicey tuna bites, Chesapeake bay pizza!! All yummy and no room for dessert!

Awesome experience. Food was delicious and perfectly cooked. Service was excellent. Deserts were large enough for two and fantastic.

The Black Pelican is outstanding! They have specials that change on a nightly basis. They're going to be quite crowded this time of year but it is definitely worth the wait. They WILL take reservations one day a year - New Year's Eve. read more

My husband and Iate here in our first full day of vacation. Went to eat around 6:15pm and was shocked there was no wait! Server was very friendly and provided a nice sense of southern hospitality. Food was delicious! Definitely would go back. read more

Good food at ok prices. We have been here at least once or twice a season for the past few years and the thing that shines to me is the management. While servers and staff change the service and food quality stay almost exactly the same. We have some favorites on the menu that we get each time. The seafood is always good. Tuna bites are the best. The shrimp and grits are at times world class. But the best this is they always seem to have room for a big group. We have been up to 15 people with no problem when we call ahead. All and all very good. read more

We have eaten here with a large family group half a dozen times and it has always been excellent. Great views and comfortable surroundings. A must visit for us every trip to the outer banks. read more

Good place, very good location - right across from the beach. Went there for lunch and sat upstairs next to the window so had a nice view of the ocean. Had the crabcake sandwich, because from other reviews read it was one of the best things on the menu. Yes, the crabcake was very good....the bun it was served on was not so great. Really overwhelmed the crabcake - too bready and too large for the crabcake. Otherwise a good lunch. Did have a cool outdoor bar area that would make for an awesome evening/night spot. read more

My family visited The Black Pelican a few nights ago and LOVED the food and dining experience! Our wait to get in was longer than we were told to expect, but we were able to pass the time playing cornhole outside. Fun! Everyone was extremely pleased with their food and the atmosphere, and the kids LOVED that their meals were served on frisbees that they could keep after. I can personally say that the following fishes were FABULOUS and worth the wait: black & bleu strip steak, crab dip, baked crab, prime rib, and pizza. Yum! We will return when we visit OBX again! :) read more

The wood fired pizza was supposed to be a specialty, however to me it was mediocre. Although, however strange this may sound, the main entree did not define my experience. The history behind the restaurant and the feel really made a good time. I highly recommend the crab rangoons and the calamari as appetizers. read more

I live in Kitty Hawk and all their food is awesome. They have something for everyone ....I love the wings and the French dips are the bomb for lunch. It's hard to pick a fav dinner item but they have great seafood and delicious steaks read more

Good food and a great atmosphere. Wasn't a huge fan of the bread they served but everything else was good. Plenty of options especially if you have any picky eaters. The kids meals are served on a souvenir frisbee which was a big hit with my kids. The portion sizes were good and overall it was a good experience. read more

Slow, inattentive service. Other than pizza, not much for teenagers Not a great seafood menu either. read more

My wife and I stopped for lunch here and it was OK. Nothing fantastic to write about but not bad either. I had the seafood pasta dish of the day while my wife had a Wahoo special. We have both had Wahoo here on the OBX, and this wahoo was a bit disappointing. It reminded me of a tuna steak in flavor and texture. Different from previous experience with wahoo. My seafood pasta was good. Plenty of shrimp, not too much pasta that I couldn't finish my meal. Overall the flavor was good but it could have used a little oomph to it, maybe a bit of heat to spice up the flavor? Overall a good but not great lunch out. read more

My wife had the Fisherman's Risotto which she said sounded really nice. She said tasted good but was not the knockout she had hoped for. Maybe waited a tad too long in the window. Not unexpected with a party of 20. I had the Clambake for one which had plenty of tasty mussels, oysters, andouille sausage and shrimp along with veggies, corn and potatoes. It was delish. Our server Alicia was exceptional at taking all the orders, separating into 5 checks and organizing all the kids (10) orders. Even had Stan come over to the table for some magic. Ambiance was very cool and eclectic and would definitely recommend. read more

Black Pelican - Clambake for 1 - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Walked right in with no wait on a Sunday evening at 8. Menu offerings were good. Ambiance was good. Crab cakes were awesome. Server was efficient but not overly friendly. read more

The worst ribs I've ever had. So tough they were hard to cut and almost impossible to chew. I won't be back.

The food was AMAZING! I had the risotto and my family all enjoyed their meals as well. We had EXCEPTIONAL service from Curtis, likely the best waiter I've ever had. The desserts topped it all off! Highly recommend this OBX sweet spot! read more

Amazing food ! Black pelican was one of our favorite restaurants . The atmosphere was nice , you can sit out side with a view of the beach ( if you can take the heat ). My two boys ( son and husband ) highly suggest the muscle , they are HUGE , and very tasty. We will be back next time we are in OBX !!!! read more

As I have expected! I haven't heard a word about my review with black pelican ! I'm sure with the looks of the parking lot over there ! A lot more people have found the same results as I ! I hear from others that share the same as I do ! Eat well my beach going friends ! read more

While the location and historic significance of the building itself should not be missed, the overall menu is fried, fried and more fried foods. We were looking for fresh seafood ... closest we came to that was their crab, oyster and clam pot. Fair at best. The seafood had either been frozen at one time or over cooked/steamed. Dry and tough. Staff very personal and atmosphere very casual. Glad we went, but don't think I'll return. read more

Very large menu, casual, nice service, easy to find something on the menu. In the off-season, a lot of places are shutting down, but we were very happy we came across this one. read more

Best seafood pizza ever a must try I have never been disappointed with any meal here still my favorite restaurant in Nags Head always fresh and prepared with care OBX FINEST read more

Phenomenal meal. Great atmosphere for the entire family. Sports bar. Off the beaten track.

We went to OBX for a romantic getaway. After seeing the reviews of this restaurant we decided to try it. We were extremely disappointed. The acoustics were so bad we couldn't hear each other but could hear everyone else's conversations. We asked to move tables and after the waitress gave us a dirty look, she moved us away one table. After waiting 45 minutes, we were finally served with our fried calamari. It was decent. Another 20 minutes later we got our entrees - filet mignon (ordered rare) that was loaded with salt and extremely dry and mashed potatoes that were loaded with salt. The other entree was shrimp with crab meat. Again loaded in salt. It was to the point that we took two bites of each and asked for the check and left. We will never go back. read more

Really good food. I enjoyed my meal. The service was great. The pita bread came out and was warm. I had the clam chowder. It was delicious. It is not cream based, but was still good. I also got the clambake for dinner. This was great too! read more

Dinner was just ok. Nothing very exciting about the food. Their best menu item was the pizza but it is way over priced. Bill was over $110 for two adults 3 kids with no alchocol on the bill. Service was decent. You pay higher prices for the view and histroy. read more

The Black Pelican is a 5 star restaurant without the 5 star prices. The seafood tastes like it was caught the same day, it is so fresh. I discovered it a few years ago based on a friend's recommendation, and since then I am hooked. I have tried many restaurants in the Outer Banks, many of which are great, but none even come close to the Black Pelican. The most recent visit, a week ago, we ordered Shrimp and Grits (my favorite) and Mahi with a fig reduction sauce and mashed sweet potatoes. The Shrimp and Grits is incredible--a generous portion of large shrimp in a zesty tasty tomato sauce, over jalepeno cheese grits. My boyfriend wasn't interested in at first because he's from the north and had never tried REAL grits. He went crazy over this dish and insisted we go back so he could order it himself. The Mahi with a fig reduction sauce was one of the tastiest dishes I have ever tried. It had so many different subtle flavors, from the semi-sweet and rich fig reduction sauce, not overpowering, to the subtle spices and a hint of lemon. The mashed sweet potatoes were delicious. We went back one more time before we left the Outer Banks. Their food tastes like it was cooked by a celebrity chef. If you ate at a similar restaurant in a big city such as DC, or NY, the prices would have been 3 times more. The atmosphere is casual, you can go in dressed up if you want or you can go in on your way home from the beach. The staff are friendly and attentive. You feel very comfortable there. You are seated immediately even though the place is always bustling. Have never had bad service there. They have a nice little gift shop to browse in on your way out. They are right on the beach so after your meal you can go stand on the wooden deck overlooking the ocean and take it in. The prices are extremely reasonable for the caliber of food offered. The average dinner meal is about $22,00. read more

We had a bad experience. We got seated in a really loud part of the restaurant, but unfortunately no waiter could be bothered to stop by. I can't judge the food because we never had any. The service, though, leaves a lot to be desired. read more

Comfortable and attractive setting with views of the Sound. Excellent service and very good food.

Firstly, we dined at the bar. The bar tenders were nothing short of a personality of a dirty diaper. There was an Asiatic man and a slender-like dishwater haired woman with her hair up. Their "chosen" attitude put me off immediately. I thought this was the South? No Southern hospitality here at their bar, that's for sure. We politely asked for dinner bread. The snob dishwater haired woman told us they had pita. We said sure we'll try it. Not impressed with your pita in lieu of bread at dinner. We ordered the seafood risotto. It was nothing earth shattering and we definitely wouldn't pay top dollar for it again. My peach julep cocktail was a sugary disappointment. It was made by the Asiatic man who behaved as though he was doing me a favor making me a drink. Also, it was nothing well crafted with good ingredients. Salad was okay. Chowder was okay too. We've enjoyed far better dining in Hatteras. We won't be back. read more