In the land of posers and wannabes, the Breakwater ranks right up there with the best of them. We decided to give them one more chance. They blew it. First, there were no soups available. None. Second, their website touts the Tuna Tortilla. It's not on the menu anymore. Most of their dishes are fried. Fried. They do offer them broiled, in wine and butter or wine and garlic. This seems to be the staple preparation. You can have any type of seafood you like (as long as we have it) and we'll fry it for you or broil it in butter, garlic, and wine. I ordered the large dinner salad. For $9, I received a quarter head of iceberg lettuce, a couple onion pieces, and 4 grape tomatoes. Better yet, the menu states this salad as "Chef's Choice". I think the chef chose to rip me off. Ridiculous. I had the fish tacos and they were good. However, you can get good fish tacos anywhere in the OBX. Anywhere. Mark my words, I'm really done with the Breakwater. The view is great but guess what? It's great everywhere in Hatteras. Do yourself a favor. Go somewhere else. Stay in and cook your own meal. Don't fall into the tourist trap known as the Breakwater. read more

Great food! Great service! The view is amazing! Took lots of pictures on the deck. The atmosphere really sells the place. The only bad thing I can really say is the water and beverages. The tea and lemonade were really watered down with a fishy after taste and the water tasted like it came from a fishbowl. The Mahi was unusually delicious. Good key lime pie too. read more

We sat down at 7:20pm, placed our order by 7:30pm, first few people received their food by 8:45, by 9:15 the last few members of our party finally received their food. As I write this review people are still eating at my table while I've finished eating. The wait staff was fine, this comes down to poor management. We had one toddler with us crying for food...his food should have been the first to arrive. Food tasted good, but for my $30 meal I will not be bringing my family back here. If you enjoy waiting an obscene amount of time to eat your food, I highly recommend this place. Caveat Emptor! read more

I had high hopes for The Breakwater but left disappointed. The seafood was bad. In particular, the crab cake ( ball) clearly didn't contain fresh crab meat, which is practically a sacrilege given the fact that the restaurant sits on some of the best crabbing waters on the east coast AND the crabs are in season. On the positive side, the restaurant is nice, beautiful deck overlooking the water and the clam chowder is delicious. TIP: Hushpuppies are NOT an appetizer, they should be complimentary as they have been for decades in restaurants along the outer banks. read more

I took my boyfriend here for dinner for his birthday over Memorial Weekend and was very pleased with the food. The service was not the best but the bartender did her best to treat us well. We got the Blue Crab Ravioli and it was amazing. The ravioli were large and stuffed full of crab. The sauce was a very heavy cream based sauce that made me glad this was a shared dish. The seafood melody had perfectly cooked scallops and Cobia as the catch of the day which was deliciously seasoned. Drinks were strong, and the setting overlooked the water at Sunset. It was a very enjoyable dinner. read more

Potato chip crusted crabcakes interesting. The chef-selected sides of mashed potatoes and green beans were okay. I felt that the meal was very dry overall. Having a sauce of some sort for the sides would have made this meal much more enjoyable, My boyfriend enjoyed the seafood sampler,but commented that similar dishes at other establishments we'd visited in the area were better seasoned and more reasonably priced. We were also disappointed that there was no outdoor seating for dinner. However, you can order drinks and apps on the deck. The deck does provide an amazing view of the Sound for sunset, Having visited breakwater about five years earlier, I had been excited to return. The menu was identical from my memory. Unfortunately, after this experience, we won't be going back for a third time during our next outer banks trip. read more

The chicken Roquefort was awful it tasted like seasoned chicken in pasta with no hints of blue cheese I recommend not getting this dish.

Food great. Been there over the years when vacationing. Horribly loud; people screaming and one waitress loudest of all, to be heard. Like "Loud" family on SNL. Painful. read more

Got seated right away. We wanted to sit outside but were told that no tables available. I seemed to see a lot of tables available but let it go. Food was good but not hugely plentiful, for the price would've liked more. Food came out fairly quickly, my order was wrong but quickly corrected. Waitress was friendly, helpful. I thought it was pricey but you're paying for the location, which, again, we couldn't take advantage of. Very clean, updated decor. read more

I've eaten here at least once a year for the last 10 years of my life. I love this place. I can't stress enough how good the food is here. It's an amazing array of seafood plus one or two land lover meals. The potatoes that come with the meals are amazing, the seafood is always fresh and the veggies are crisp. I love this place. I'm not sure how much the townies in Hatteras like this place, but I know as a tourist, I love it to death. You gotta stop at this place! read more

Excellent food - excellent views!! Had the tuna tortilla - delicious! Seafood medley and filet mignon were ordered by other people at the table. Cooked exactly to order! Had dock chips and hush puppies to start the dinner - very yummy! Got desserts to go - homemade carrot cake and key lime pie....wonderful addition to sitting on our balcony watching the sunset. Can't wait to return! read more

This place was horrible. Save your money, find another spot. I know most of reviews are good but please please take my advice. We waited 30 minutes for a table which was fine we had a party of 9 but service was horrible. Waited on drink refills, waited a hour & half for the food. When the food came 4 plates were incorrect. We sent 3 back. Waitress was smurky with a I really dont care attitude. We requested a birthday dessert at the very beginning of the meal and we never received. Asked to speak to the manager waited another 20 minutes and she never showed, finally after going to the server the manager finally came and didn't do anything to rectify the situation except offering to get a to go dessert. I will NEVER give these people my money again. Yes, the ambience is nice with the sound and boats but that's about all they offered. read more

Clued into this gem by "Yelp near here." Turned out great. We had a 40 minute wait for our table ... but no one cared cause we were on the back deck sipping wine and watching the sunset over the sound. Once we finally got seated, we ordered a few appetizers for the table (an asiago-mushroom-sauced blue crab ravioli and a blackened scallop special), and the table raved. Our entrees were also wonderful - wifey had a tuna tortilla and I had a broiled seafood sampler; others had a crabcake-stuffed flounder and a shrimp special. Everyone in our party loved their meal. This really was better than we were expecting - our meal would have held up nicely in a dining destination like San Fran or NYC, so was that much more appreciated in the touron-zone (though admittedly, we're on the edge of touron zone down here, not in the thick of it like up in Kitty Hawk). Only downside: no liquor (I didn't care, but no margaritas or cosmos for others in our party); and a limited and somewhat pedestrian wine list. Overall a great find. We'd definitely come back. read more

Good food! A great take on upscale bistro using local seafood! I loved the atmosphere! The off white walls and endless light throuh the windows contrast well with the dark tables and chairs! The bar was also a pleasant surprise! I had a gin martini that was an 8 out of 10 for me! Would recommendfor a nice night out! Clean shorts and a nice shirt will suffice! read more

Beautiful view of the sunset over the sound from the dining room! Note that you can only order apps and drinks for the outdoor seating area; no full meals. Very reasonably priced for what you get, and hands-down the best shrimp I had on Hatteras. I also loved the crab bisque- super rich but left no stomach aches! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - View from the dining room at dusk. - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

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Girls week at Hatteras ended Friday nite at the Breakwater. Beautiful place with awesome food. We each had the seafood platter. It was excellent!! If I ever get back down, this place is definitely on the itinerary!! read more

Great atmosphere, friendly staff. Delicious food. We got the specials- one was a snapper blackened with Spanish rice and black beans and crab guacamole - the other was the wahoo special with pineapple cilantro and Asian slaw - it was amazing! Oysters were tasty, they had a nice beer and wine selection. Definitely will go back! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Wahoo special of the day- YUM!!! - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

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Service was good and friendly. Restaurant was clean and spacious. Had the NC fried shrimp with fries and slaw and it was ok. The cherry cheesecake was huge and good. But the grouper bites appetizer was the hit of our meal. Fresh and hot and delicious! Yummmo!!! read more

This year was a particular good year. Everything was cooked to perfection. I had the tuna steak which was uncooked to just the right degree, the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming with an on point staff. This will be on the top of my list for a visit next year. As most things on the island it can be pricy a fam of four with an appetizer can be easy north of $200. On a side note the painkiller has an abundance of alcohol in it and you won't remember the food you consume. read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Mmm mmmm good - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

We think price is overly than normal because the food is taste OK. Not feeling will come back.. read more

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Great service, food, and view. Well worth the visit. The atmosphere is a little more upscale compared to the other local seafood resturants, but causal attire is perfectly fine. Ask about the specials, you'll be glad you did. read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Special of the day, grilled wahoo steak... - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

SO GOOD!! It was super busy when we got there so we sat at the bar. Bartender was AMAZING!! She never forgot about us no matter how busy it got. I got the pineapple lemonade to drink and it was DELICIOUS!! Definitely get that if you like either of those two things! We got the tuna dip as an appetizer and that was soooo good! If they have that as a special you should 100% get it! For dinner I got the crab cakes and they were DELICIOUS! My boyfriend got the tuna tort and I almost wish I would have got that! It was so good and a lot of flavor. Overall I would definitely recommend this place! You will not be disappointed. read more

Food was outstanding. I especially loved their tuna special with pesto, roasted potatoes and asparagus. We sat outside to have a good view of the boats and sunset but was disappointed that there was only 1 server for all the tables at the outside deck. I will definitely come back for their food though! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Tuna with pesto sauce drizzled with balsamic vinegar and some roasted potatoes and asparagus. Sooooo good!! - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

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We found this place by accident and I wish we had found it sooner. It had the best seafood we ate on our entire trip! The people were very friendly and the atmosphere was amazing! read more

My family and I were sitting outside the front door waiting for them to open when the hostess came out to write the drink specials. She then scurried back inside and locked the door. Three minutes later we heard a click. She couldn't even be bothered to open the door and invite us in. We stayed and enjoyed a great evening: our server was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. The food and views were great. read more

Gone here for years. This place is beautifully scenic and the food is extraordinary. Nice place for small groups and couples. Great atmosphere and staff. read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

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Great location and view. Easy parking. Adjacent to small marina. Nice bar next to dining. Soft shell app very good. Shrimp pasta dish excellent. Whahoo a winner, although over cooked. Would recommend. read more

We grabbed dinner this evening and it was fantastic! We arrived around 6 in the midst of dinner rush, and there was a bit of a wait. No biggie, we decided to grab a drink at the bar. Laura was fantastic, we grabbed a bottle of wine and we were almost immediately told there was a table available. Laura continued to take care of us. They were very busy but the service was still fantastic!!! Dinner was amazing, try the mussels with blue cheese!!! There was live music on the deck where we finished our wine and watched the sunset. We can't wait to come back! read more

We love Breakwater! We have been going to this restaurant at least once, sometimes twice, every year since it opened. Risky Business seafood, just downstairs, is awesome too. The staff is wonderful, the dishes are inventive and you're not getting a better view or experience on Cape Hatteras. Live music on the deck on the weekends...bring bug spray but know you'll have a great time. read more

Had a wonderful evening with friends and family. Total of 6 and we got sat right away. Everything was on time, food was wonderful, drinks were on point. View of the sunset was amazing!! I ordered the fried seafood medley. The scallops fish and crab cake were amazing. Overall I think this place is better than dinky's which is right down the street. The view is better and the wait staff seem to be more attentive. Must eat!! read more

How's the food you may ask? I wouldn't know... I had sadness and air for dinner. Disappointed. To start off with, we sat on the patio and were expecting around an hour long dinner because we have a puppy in a kennel at home we needed to get back to. The hostess had an attitude when we asked if we could switch to a table that was partially shaded. We sat down and it took forever for a waitress to wait on us. Eventually one took our order and we got appetizers and drinks. We then ordered our main meal and the waitress came back shortly after to tell us their printer broke but she thinks that they got our order in before.... (first bad sign) so we wait. And wait. And wait some more. And then she comes back and tells us our order is almost out. GREAT right??? Wrong. It was in fact not almost ready...meanwhile many tables seated after us are getting food already. We finally see our waitress bring a tray of food and we are thinking FINALLY! Unfortunately... she walks up to us and goes I know this is aggravating but the kitchen lost your meal ticket I'm so sorry... and gives the food to the table next to us. How come we seemed to be the only table not getting our food? Did the printer only lose our ticket? Nobody else's? Huh weird but anyways.....we ask for the check to just leave and it ends up being $67 for oysters and a few drinks, one of which had strange chunky stains on the inside of the glass. Nothing was taken off of the meal receipt for the hour and a half wait and the food being lost. Also the woman smoking(which isn't allowed on the deck) and the guy who walked over to the side of the deck and blew a MASSIVE snot rocket was unenjoyable as well. Go get a pizza at roccos instead. At least their food will bring joy to our sad and empty hearts read more

Ok food, our waitress was a bit of a ditz though, not very personable towards us. She was not engaging nor friendly towards our table. Kept forgetting straws, silverware, and drinks. read more

I have given this place way too many chances....sorry I am done...service sucks and the food was cold. I live here in Hatteras 4 -5 months a year. I come here when friends and family visit me and my beach house because the view is stunning and they have an outdoor deck. We sat down at 530 and it took 10 minutes for our server to even come out and ask us if we wanted anything to drink. The entire time I watched her standing at the bar inside joking and talking with the bar tender (also the Manager) and not giving a darn about her customers. I ordered the crab ravioli and a caesar salad. The Crab ravioli was cold and the salad was about as good as you might get at a Wendy's for 3 times the price. If you don't care about the super slow and dry un-attentive waitress and you don't mind cold food you may enjoy over spending for your meal and drinks at the Breakwater. But my dollar is going elsewhere! read more

Terrible food. I went here a few years ago and it was amazing. I don't know what happened, but it was absolutely horrible. We got steamed shrimp. They were way over cooked and had no flavor. My scallops in linguine... No salt and over cooked cold scallops. Chef Gordon Ramsey needs to save this place! What a tragedy. ....also, way too expensive for the terrible food! read more

This is one of the worst restaurants ever. With the exception of the fried oysters which were ok everything else was just terrible. Everything in the mixed seafood appetizer was rubbery and completely lacking in flavor. The best thing I can say about the shrimp and grits is that the shrimp weren't terribly overlooked. The worst shrimp and grits I have ever had, the grits were smothered in an unappealing looking sauce that lacked any flavor. The crab cakes tasted like cardboard, I am sure that any actual crab in them was frozen and again totally devoid of any seasoning. Whoever is cooking in this kitchen has no idea that food should appeal to the eye and the palate. They could be giving the food away and I wouldn't go back to this place. read more

Wow, I can't figure out what these other reviewers are thinking. We had dinner there and were quite happy. Attentive waitress, good food..even my kid's cheeseburger was exceptional. Don't see the problem, they had the specials, rare tuna was excellent as were the fat daddy crab cakes and shrimp & grits. Always a good bet in our experience over the last 10+ years. Also one of the few places that "guts it out" in the real off season. read more

would definitely go back. food staff and views were great loved everything . the best food we had in hatteras

Have come here a number of times over the years. This used to be a very good place to eat with great views. Unfortunately, while the views remain great, the food and service have slipped a great deal and pricing has increased beyond good value. As mentioned in other posts, most everything is now broiled or deep fried. The tragic part is they start with fairly high quality ingredients and bring them down. The staff is nice enough but they seem to almost be mailing in the service. Probably won't return on future trips. read more

Fantastic! Go on the sunset cruise then enjoy dinner on the deck. Amazing oysters Rockefeller, blackened wahoo, and scallops a Greco! Service was awesome too. Nice wine list. We will be back! read more

Ate dinner there on a Wednesday with a party of 8. We were seated promptly, which was a good start, unfortunately it wasn't super from there on out. Waitress was in the weeds and didn't acknowledge us for 10+ minutes. (Would have just preferred to have us wait at bar vs. at table with no drinks, etc.) It seemed like they were under staffed as she seemed to have no help. When we did order the fried foods were ok (conch fritters were good) but those of who ordered grilled fish were highly dissappointed. Fish was super overcooked and dry. Will probably be some time before we return as there are a few better options in my opinion in the area. read more