Tuna tacos were great - also the shrimp wrap was very good - service was great excellent - highly recommend it - great off season

we loved goombays! The food was awesome. We got a pound of steamed spiced shrimp, which was amazing. they were seasoned great, and it came with butter and cocktail sauce for dipping. Ive never dipped shrimp in butter, but it tasted real good (as anything dipped in butter usually is). I got the special snapper dish as an entree, it came with beans, rice, and veggies. It was also seasoned well (both the fish and rice). The fish was cooked well too, and not dry. My friend got the special swordfish dish, which had Caribbean flavors and was good. It was very sweet and almost like a dessert, because of the banana in it. Service was good too, everyone was so nice. We had to wait around 15 mins for a table, and there wasn't a lot of parking spots. read more

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They had a number of good options for people like me that aren't seafood fans. I had the jazzy chicken, and the chicken was really good! The rice and beans that it came with were ok, and it also came with mixed veggies which were mainly zucchini and squash....I love veggies, but I really wish these had some kind of seasoning on them. For apps we had chips and salsa, the salsa wasn't great though. We also had the baked stuffed jalapeños...these were sooo good, but definitely hot! I opted for a little kids drink since I was pregnant...and got the crocodile punch which came with a fun toy on it. The drink was good, and would have been even better with some alcohol haha. Two people in our party had seafood dishes which they raved about. One other had the black bean burger which was way over cooked. We visited in late September on a Friday evening and waited less than 10 minutes to be seated. Service was great, and we were very full and happy by the time we left. read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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A fun seafood place with a locals vibes. This place has great crab cakes and crab legs. Staff was delightful. Chowder was ok. We are from Wisconsin, so we had Old Fashioneds. They were a bit more like manhattan. Overall a great experience that's not your average tourist trap. read more

Food was great enjoyed all the food. Cute beachside restaurant. Definitely worth the try. Serving size very large. read more

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Great seafood in a totally casual environment. We ordered crabcakes, chicken curry, and shrimp stirfry, along with a couple kids meals. Everything was great! The kids raved about the french fries. I tried a couple and have to agree. Very tasty. Fast, friendly, casual. Good food. Reasonable prices. read more

Has a classic dive bar beach vibe but the entrees were anything but basic. We had the Tuna Oscar and fish of the day both of which had great presentation and taste. Our waitress, April, was very nice and attentive. Happy with everything - diverse menu, homemade desserts and atmosphere. read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Goombays Tuna Oscar - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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This is the BEST restraint in the banks. We find ourselves craving their wonderful seafood and out of this world drinks daily. It is a must stop if you visit this area! The staff is friendly and atmosphere is homey. Thankful to have this experience in my life. read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Margarita with frog :) - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Very much the off season (though I found it interesting that the Wright Brothers' flights were in *December* 1903), I was pointed to Goombays by the check-in clerk at my hotel. I was able to spot parking out front and when I walked inside, I was greeted by a hostess and escorted to a table in the dining area. The bar looked rather busy and there was some sort of sports on the television. Great service by Maria who was friendly and funny and definitely understood my sarcastic comments and jokes (or at least she pretended to laugh at them). She was attentive and did a great job taking care of me. I chose the Hatteras Clam Chowder as my starter and it was interesting. Working in Boston lately, I've had a few clam chowders in the last few months and this definitely wasn't that. It had the clams and the potatoes and bacon and some other veggies but it was more brothy than creamy. Closer to Manhattan than New England. Still good though. For main course, I had the Crab Cakes dinner. Two medium-sized crab cakes with rice, black beans, grilled veggies. It was nicely plated and plenty of taste. The crab cakes seemed to have very little breading or filler and the sauce on the side was perfect. Great service, great food, nice restaurant with free wifi. Five stars for Maria and Goombays. read more

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Food was so good. We got the appetizer sampler- crabs balls were spicy, coconut shrimp were sweet and hot, and the rocket shrimp were definitely unique and the dipping sauce was great. My friend had the coconut shrimp salad and loved it and I had the Jamaican tuna tacos which was a huge portion and very tasty. Good variety of beers read more

I really love to visit Goombays! I love the jazzy chicken. Service is good, fun atmosphere. Can be a little loud. read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Jazzy chicken is the best! - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Visiting from out of town. Very friendly staff from the moment we walked in. It was very busy. We had only about a 25 min wait. We had drinks while we waited. The bar tender was great and very attentive. I ordered peel and eat Shrimp and crab legs. I wanted oysters they were out of season. The crab legs were perfect. The peel and eat shrimp had a great flavor. The Shells were a bit too soft but that didn't impact the wonderful taste. I shared crab dip and stuffed mushroom with my husband and both were delish! I will definitely recommend this place and would come back. read more

Couldn't figure this place out. No one in restaurant, but insisted couldn't sit anyone until everyone was there, big group of 12. Just waiting on the last 2 of our group. Rules are rules, understand that. Sorta rude. Regardless. Service good food good. Try it read more

Food was sub par. Staff was nice. Typical beach pricing. They completely forgot our appetizers. When we asked about them they brought them out after our meal arrived and we still got charged full price. read more

Fantastic. Both soups, Hatteras clam chowder and red pepper and crab. Tuna Oscar was amazing. Shrimp sausage gumbo and ribs. All wonderful. Glad we came. read more

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Delicious and fresh seafood. A little pricey, but the service is as quick and friendly.

When my family went on OBX vacations when I was a kid, our first stop would be Goombays for lunch. My wife and I have carried on that tradition because it's just as good as it's always been. The cocktails are great, both for kids and adults. We have quite the collection toys building up. The interior is well-decorated and welcoming. I usually get kind of annoyed by gift shops in restaurants, but Goombays' shirts are cool as hell. Finally the food. We had the hot crab dip. Dip was great and the pita triangles were fantastic for dipping. My wife had the Portabella mushroom sandwich (the cap was over an inch thick) and I had the shrimp/sausage grits. Everything was fantastic. This place will forever be one of my favorites and might be the only restaurant that we will go to every single year we come. read more

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Very yummy!!!! The popcorn shrimp and onion rings were a hit. The kids loved getting toys in their drinks!

We happened upon this place driving down Route 12 from our hotel and looking for dinner the night before the Outer Banks Marathon. We were immediately welcomed by a waitress who had run the half marathon the year before, and couldn't have been more friendly. My friend and I shared a dozen raw oysters (only $11.95!) which were fresh and delicious. For my meal, I had the tuna tacos, which were served with rice, beans, sour cream, cheese and other toppings along with flour tortillas to make your own. The tuna was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The portion size was huge! I only wish that the tacos had come with salsa as one of the toppings. The ambiance of the restaurant is fun and friendly, with an under-the-sea mural and a palm tree decorated with Christmas lights. It's nothing fancy, but it was clean and quiet and the service was fantastic. Would definitely come back. read more

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The service was great and the food was yummy! The menu has a wide variety and all of the prices were reasonable. I usually take food pics but I totally forgot because everything was so good lol. read more

First off they have a nice big parking lot. They have a bar and a big dining area. They will NOT seat you until your whole party is there. They were able to seat our party of 9 within 20 min. We ordered a round of cocktails and I guess the waitress misheard my order for a Kill Devil Smash so I ended up with the wrong cocktail, the Goombays Smash. It was still good but I think I would have liked the other one better. We got some appetizers! The alligator was good and I really enjoyed the Jalapeño Crab Balls and the Crab Dip. For my entree I got their steamed combo with shrimp, clams and snow crab legs. It was good but the clams were very salty. All in all it was a good place to take the family. read more

Horrible restaurant!! Received very bad energy from this place. I came in to do a review and vlog of this place while on vacation with family. Whoever the hostess is in the front with short dark hair, glasses and dark red lipstick on would not stop staring me down throwing me dirty looks I guess because I was filming?! I even said something to a family member like look at this girl giving me a nasty stare down for no reason? Then the server dropped my drink on me. I do believe this was on purpose. I don't think I missed out on much though. The place didn't look well kept, boxes were stacked in the front with dust and hair. Menu was caked with food. DO BETTER. I'm disgusted. They were also bought out in 2023, and are not good anymore like they once were. read more

Took my mother to Lunch here while staying in the banks for a week. She had the coconut shrimp app and loved it. I had the lunch special 2 which was hand breaded clam strips. Honestly they were more like hand breaded bread strips and disappointing. Bartender was efficient but not engaging or friendly. read more

It was okay. They are short on staff so the food took a long time to come out. Our server was nice, but it didn't make up for the long wait time (40 minutes for our entrees). The wings and Caribbean creole pasta were pretty good, although not amazing. The sausage in the pasta was a little too salty. Overall, the food didn't make up for the long wait time, and I was disappointed with my experience here. read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Goombays Award - Winning Wings - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Came across this place 3 years ago on our first trip to the OBX, I'm not a big "fish eater" but I Crab Cakes Dinnerwent for their pasta special "wahoo bacon Alfredo" and it was delicious!! Since then we have talked about this dish and restaurant and swore we would come back. Well we are here again and our first night here we went back and I got the crab cakes.... Oh my wow!! They were out of this world!! Would definitely recommend trying them!!! Planning to go back at least one more time this week!! read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Crab Cake Dinner!! - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Fun kiddy cocktails, excellent food and great for families. We visited for dinner and the kids loved it. We adults partook in the toy cocktails for adults. So much fun read more

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Got to the restaurant just as they were turning over for dinner to ensure we could get a table and the front of the house made us feel comfortable and welcome. Service still respected COVID guidelines (not usual in this area) and was friendly and efficient. The food did not disappoint. Any steamed seafood was succulent and hyper fresh. Kid options like the burger and ribs were tasty as well. You cannot miss the Tuna Oscar. It is the best thing on the menu and should be a reason to stop by alone, with huge cuts of fresh tuna caught locally just today. What a treat! read more

The Goombay cocktails were great. The fish and chips were not impressive. My peel and eat shrimp had great flavoring. Unfortunately, the shrimps were chock full of full "veins" and almost impossible to peel. Cannot recommend! The restaurant did adjust our bill slightly read more

Gommbays got this grilling thing on lock. The place is located a block from the beach with a welcoming sponge bob theme fish tank. The staff were friendly. We got their 6$ drink specials which were very tasty and strong, however, smaller in size. Today me and my lunch date got: - The daily special Fish Plate: fresh fish over jambalaya rice was very well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The spicy sausage added the perfect kick. The portion was big enough to fill me up and take some rice home. Recommend this! -the Fresh Fish Sandwich: "the fish was delish, the sauce was the boss, the pickle and sweet potato fries were the perfect finishing touch" -Tati, who is an avid fish eater TLDR; good affordable place by the beach, would recommend! read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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The food was pretty good, but what makes this spot worth the fuss...is the FRICKIN. AWESOME. SERVICE. Our waiter Lucas was super patient with me, despite the fact that I couldn't make up my mind between a pasta or a curry dish, couldn't see the menu at all (had to use the magnifying option on my iPhone), kept adding last minute items to the already placed order, and couldn't decide between drink offerings. He kept assuring me that it was all fine and to take my time. I must have taken up 15 minutes with my indecisiveness during a busy dinner service - Goombay's was open past 9 PM when most of the other restaurants were closed on Sunday. My son ordered a Shirley Temple. Lucas decorated his drink with a toy shark. When my son mentioned, out loud, that he wanted to ask for a cup to take out the remaining drink, Lucas coincidentally appeared with a fresh to-go drink with two additional toy sharks. How did he read my son's mind or how keen was his hearing to pick up on my son's mere mention? When I asked about the difference between keepsake cups from one Adult Kid drink to another, Lucas swung by and gave me two of the plastic cups, one of which included the recipe for one of the tasty drinks that I had not ordered (I ordered a drink that did not include a keepsake cup). He kept checking on our table, even while juggling several other tables. He even conspired with my BFF to process her credit card, unbeknownst to me, ahead of my asking for the bill. Funny times, since she and I jockey to be the first to pay every time. I know his name after asking the waitress clearing off the next table. She identified him as her son, then shared a lovely story about how long they've been in the area, and how they once lived in Germany. As our party left the building, the hostess thanked us for stopping by. She was genuinely touched that we remarked about the awesome service. I am happy to support family-owned businesses that realize the importance of great service. Next time we visit OBX, we're definitely dining at Goombay's again! read more

An OBX classic with really good food, if you know what to order. The coconut shrimp are delicious. The crab balls are just ok. Order more coconut shrimp. The fish and chips is solid and makes an excellent carry out option to eat on the beach for lunch. One of the best things on the menu is the shrimp cabarete. You'll sop up that garlicky fresh shrimp goodness with the loaf of bread. Comfort and freshness rolled into one. It's a great dish. Drinks are always good. Service was also good. Tables quite close together and we're not out if the woods so we opted for carry out after our first lunch of the season there. read more

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So good!!! Great service, cute beachy atmosphere, and really good food. Food came in less than ten minutes, would definitely recommend!

I really wanted to like Goombays when I visited during my trip to Kitty Hawk in May. It was very family friendly and had a kitschy beach vibe to it. The tables were SO CLOSE together which typically wouldn't make or break a meal for me, but was very far from covid friendly (and this was before things had fully opened back up). The service was good, but the food was just mediocre. I'll never turn down a soft shell crab so was happy to see it on the menu during its short season, but the fried batter was nothing special (kind of bland and extra greasy), the fries were just okay, and the Cole slaw was not edible in my opinion. read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Fried soft shell crab - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

My family and I have enjoyed coming here in seasons past but after this experience I'll never return. To start the bartender was unnecessarily rude when ordering drinks before dinner. The food was subpar at best, slow to come out, no prices listed on the menu and it was incredibly pricy. However this is not what caused me to write the review. It's the horrendous way we were treated by staff. We came in at 7:30, group of 6 and we're leaving by about 8:30. It was not unreasonably busy for a summer night and we did not wait around besides maybe an extra 5 minutes to use the bathroom. As we were leaving.. they SLOW CLAPPED (???) as if we took too long? I cannot FATHOM doing this to guests. Up until this point, besides the bartender I hadnt thought the meal went too poorly but this level of disrespect is unthinkable to me. I'll never return. Just to be clear, I am generally easygoing and this is the first negative review I've ever given on trip advisor but felt it needed to be shared. read more

We decided last minute to dine at Goombays after reading a few reviews and because if it's proximity to our house (less than a mile). Very fun atmosphere with colorful fish decor. Service was outstanding and a good variety of food options. Portions were plentiful and we had leftovers from what we ordered: - Goombay Smashes (specialty drink) - Ribs - Salmon Salad - Crab Dip - Rocket Shrimp - Alligator Bites Highly recommend for a relaxed, casual and fun dinner. read more

Not practicing safe Covid procedures (April 2021), which was really disappointing. This restaurant was recommended by a friend and my hotel's front desk as a local's favorite. Upon entering, the hostess, manager, bartender, and servers all had on masks, were cleaning, and had sanitizer. The bar was socially distanced, but an obvious local's hangout. I was seated in the small dining room and the friendliest server helped me decide. I ordered a dozen raw oysters and the Steamed Shrimp & Veggies, which comes with broccoli & carrots. I'm so glad that was available, as the freshly steamed vegetables went well with the Old Bay dusted shrimp. Everything was very good. I was disappointed however to have a straight view into the kitchen and see all 3 cooks and a guy who appeared to be the kitchen supervisor not wearing masks. Two had them around their necks, 2 did not have any. They did not use them during the hour I dined. Kitchens can get hot, but it was a cold rainy April evening when I visited so should have been fine to keep them up. The dining room was socially distanced as was the bar seating. Overall, it's a deceptively small restaurant once you are inside. The FOH was doing a really nice job and everyone was extremely friendly. Mask up! And tip large. Restaurant employees are working really hard this past year! read more

We absolutely enjoyed our date night here. It was low-key and the food is unique. I would definitely take the whole family here next time. The menu is large and everyone can find something to eat here - even for non-seafood-lovers. The price is very reasonable (especially compared to other $$ restaurants. I got the steam pot special with 3 items. I asked to steam with home-made seasoning, and the waitress brought me the homemade hot sauce. It was a must try item. My husband got the special of red snapper pasta. The fish is very well prepared- tender juicy and flavorful. He was a bit overwhelmed by he amount of pasta though :) read more

Goombay's grille was a little hidden gem for our OBX vacation. The food was good and their drinks (especially the kid mock-tails) were such a fun surprise. Our waiter was amazing, very helpful and was very quick to serve us. The place was cute yet very crowded. Overall, goombays is definitely a good family-friendly joint that would make a good afternoon stop. read more

Red drum was good!!! But calamari for appetizer were awful!!! They No idea how to prepare calamari!! read more

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar - Main course! Red drum!! Fresh, just swimming this morning!! Thank u! - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Pros: dive bar atmosphere, lovely hostess, cheap beers, alligator bites Cons: parking stinks, bartender - older gentleman was incredibly rude about seeing my ID. I have no problem showing my ID but he was blatantly rude asking for my mothers ID and my fathers ID also who are both 69 years old - it wasn't the id needed it was how he requested it, we'll demanded it and brushed us all off because they weren't all next to me when I ordered the beers. It was totally off putting and turned me off to the point where I wanted to cancel my table on the list and go elsewhere. Meanwhile he served two young adults in front of me like a king and queen who certainly appeared that they should have been carded! The food was okay... lots of fried food for a lot of $$$. Not hurrying back here. Restaurant was incredibly loud also. read more