Had a wonderful evening and meal at the Lifesaving Station. Rodney was an awesome waiter and our food was outstanding, the calamari was the best I've had in years! read more

See all

The new Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Lifesaving Station Restaurant are setting the world afire with their innovative and thoughtful menus and setups. Tonight they served up a seafood boil on beautifully set picnic tables outside with a sound side view. The seafood was beautifully prepared and so delicious and tasty it did not require a sauce! With refreshing side salads made with watermelon and feta and the best damn corn muffins I've ever had in my life, this was a meal to remember. You have to check them out this summer! read more

Lifesaving Station - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

See all

Seafood boil Very excited to try this. Food very good. Ambiance not. They sit u outside in hot setting sun without shade to sweat as you work on your food. No ambiance. No music. No dessert. Made me sad. I wanted southern food boil with southern hospitality. read more

This was near where we stayed so it was convenient and we could charge to our room. The food is excellent. The staff was attentive without being overbearing. Also, the staff was entertaining as well. It's a little pricy but food is delicious. And, the sunsets are incredible. read more

See all

We arrived at 11:30 and they don't officially open for lunch until 12 and they were super accommodating and let us order drinks and hang at the bar! We ordered the coconut breeze mocktail and a Crimson Coast. My girlfriend said the Crimson Coast had a heavy floral taste. For the food we got the Crab Hush Puppies and the local catch of the day sandwiches which is flounder. The food was so good that I finished well before my girl. The fish was definitely fresh you could taste it with every bite. The crab hush puppies had the hint of spice with the hot honey and we delectable. 10/10 read more

See all

A mixed bag. Given the location in Sanderling the prices were fairly reasonable for a sunday mothers day brunch menu. Lovely setting for outdoor eating. Food was solid - not spectacular but good. Waiter was friendly and engaging. Ok now the bad part. My god they were SLOOOOW. 1 pm reservation and we were there at 1259. Hostess not super welcoming seemed to be in a state of constant anxiety. Restaurant maybe half full? 18 minutes in no water no staff had been to our table. I went to say something and ran into the waiter who was coming to greet us. Apologized for the delay which was nice. Ordered drinks including a black coffee and water. Got the coffee 35 minutes after arrival. Water about 25 minutes in. Forgot our kids juice. Our food arrived an HOUR after our reservation. We had a 4 year old so not great but the weather was nice and we all left full. But guys the service need HELP! read more

Great food, suboptimal service. Inexperienced servers. The hostess did not write down names and instead of walking around with water and coffee, she bussed tables. The manager showed up at the end. Biscuit was good, eggs and sausage were good. They brought coffee out in little carafes. Typical beach place. It was 3.5. read more

My sister and I wanted a good breakfast and we found this place. They struggled with the serving timeline and getting food out in a timely manner and many tables were getting impatient. It took a while to get our food, but what came out was amazing! The ambiance was quaint and we sat on the huge patio and it was a gorgeous morning! I wish I could have given it 5 stars but I would need to know this was just a one off situation. I am rating it 4 since the food was so good and the wait staff were kind read more

Lifesaving Station - Patio view - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

See all

The Lifesaving Station is a great little restaurant! The servers are kind and helpful, especially our server today, Sashekah! She was the sweetest and very helpful! She asked if we had any allergies or food sensitivities before we ordered our meals. We've come here a few times, and when it is available, the clam chowder (New England style) is fantastic! So much so that I ordered it multiple days in a row because it was just so good! This time of year (early May) they have Cream of Crab Soup which I truly enjoyed today, it was just delicious! My fiancé has ordered the No. 5 Burger which was quite sizable and tasted good, and he has gotten the chicken sandwich as well which was also tasty! My only complaint would be that the prices for the main entrees are above the other restaurants nearby, even for lunch which is disappointing. Overall, I love the Lifesaving Station, especially if you want a more chill night at the resort- you just walk downstairs and you're here! If you see Sashekah, be glad she is your server because she is the best!!! read more

Cute restaurant at the Sanderling Resort in Duck. Restaurant is part of the resort, but it's open to the public. Interior is cute, though we had a large party, so we were in a more private dining room meant for only large parties. This was pretty nice...we had our own space, and we weren't overly loud to everyone else. Win/win. Drink menu is decent, and some of them are pretty tasty. Appetizer menu is pretty good as well. The fried green tomatoes were great, and the Panzanella was tremendously good. The mains, unfortunately, weren't quite as good. The skirt steak had a weird flavor combo. It's a chili rub, but also with chimichurri, and those flavors do not meld well together. They'd be better off without the rub, to be honest. The brick chicken looked quite good, Others had the mushroom ravioli, and they enjoyed that as well. Service was also quite pleasant. They were happy to help us with whatever we asked, and went out of their way to ensure the sun wasn't glaring in our eyes during dinner. My only complaint is the price. Honestly, the food really isn't as good as the prices they're charging, and there are other places on the island that charge less for better food. But outside of that, this place is certainly fine. read more

See all

Wow! I did not expect this gorgeous place my sis and BIL recommended for a Sunday breakfast! All food items were simply delicious in beautiful ambience. Hubby makes the best biscuits n gravy, and even he said these were fantastic. Bacon was perfectly cooked and hearty. I had also ordered sausage links that were so perfect I only got one bite while all the rest (2 links) were snagged and enjoyed by the table. We will be back again and again! read more

See all

Without a doubt the best restaurant I have been to in the years visiting OBX. Take reservations which is a huge plus. Friendly, knowledgeable staff guided us to a great experience. I had "catch of day" which was snapper, wife had salmon. Best seafood in years. Not cheap, but worth every cent, hope to come back soon. read more

My wife and I traveled on Easter Sunday to stay at The Sanderling Resort and were pleased to know the Lifesaving Station was open Easter. Chef Amy was there and spared no lack of attention to detail with her delicious Easter specials. I enjoyed a Salmon Wellington and my wife had the beet and goat cheese salad and added shrimp. The shrimp were jumbo size and had five on the plate. Both meals were delicious. We also had an appetizer of blue mussels. While they were delicious, we were disappointed to have about six mussels that never fully opened. We didn't complain about it as it was still done and delicious with the yeast rolls. read more

See all

We went for lunch on Tuesday, July 29th at approximately 1245pm. Unfortunately, the customer service was awful. Our experience with the waitress was below standard. 1. When a cocktail arrived it spilled by putting the drink down too aggressively. In addition, there was no acknowledgement or apology. 2. There was confusion over an order that was missed and the waitress' only response was "well, I crossed it out." She didn't offer to bring out the meal nor did she apologize. 3. At the end of the meal, the waitress asked for our credit cards without providing the bill. When we asked to see the total, her response was oh yeah "it's about 30 something each". She never brought us the itemized bill. 4. She never smiled and she presented herself like she didn't want to be there. read more

After my first visit to the LSS a year ago I wasn't at all impressed and even less sure on what to expect upon returning this year. Long story short, this establishment has gotten its act together and become a contender among many other very popular establishments along duck rd. I was not expecting such an orderly and organized effort in delivering such a high level of customer service, after much observation and interaction with the staff, it was quite clear who was responsible for this organized 5 star effort being put forth, a manager by the name of Tasia. Not only was she clearly orchestrating a highly organized operation, she was following up with each table throughout the evening and making adjustments along the way to provide the ideal evening out. You don't need a steak knife for the filet mignon here, the butter knife will more than suffice in cutting through this exceptionally prepared entree, highly impressive! And what better to go with it but a perfectly prepared serving a mashed potatoes and gravy, let's also not forget the expertly prepared broccolini! Seriously, at this point there is not a better steak in the area, so don't waste your time looking elsewhere. They have stepped up their game here, it's well organized and the staff clearly strive to provide a 5 star experience and my recommendation to Sanderling would be to hold onto Tasia, she is clearly running a tight ship! Another visit to come in the future. Cheers! read more

See all

THIS REVIEW IS FOR BREAKFAST ONLY. Welllllll...stopped back in to LSS again to indulge in breakfast much sooner than I thought I would lol. I wanted to invite some friends to indulge in a leisurely (this time, weekday morning) breakfast here because, well, now this place has become my reasonably priced breakfast go-to. This second trip also gave me the chance to see if my hunches were right about this place but also I got the opportunity to try their pancakes! :) Everything was delicious. With the exception of a little bit of a wait this time for the food to come out of the kitchen (which I really hope was a one time glitch...), the service was spot on - our server was personable and attentive. My friends loved the quaint ambience - and it didn't hurt that the place wasn't packed and we were seated immediately. The onlllllllllly slight ding I would say is about the Lemon Ricotta Blueberry pancakes - and I can't believe I'm even saying this butttttttttt....the ricotta blueberry topping was superrrrrrr heavy and dense and I had wished that the topping would be a bit sweeter though I know ricotta cheese is not. NOT AT ALL KNOCKING THE PORTION SIZE! lol. But this would be a dish I would share because of how dense it is. Definitely recommend ordering a side of home fries (potatoes) to go with the pancakes - ask for them to be cooked well done - THE BEST WAY TO HAVE HOME FRIES! Very happy to have "discovered" this place! For those of you that had a preconceived notion about LSS like I did, give it a try - I think you will be pleasantly surprised - especially given the available options for breakfasts on OBX North. (Read my other review of LSS for other tips. wink.) read more

See all

Simply service. Food was great. I know times are tough to find help, but I can go to my local Mexican restaurant and get excellent service. Here, don't expect to get your order taken within a reasonable amount of time, more less, get checked on. Meh. Star rating is for service only. I don't understand with all the negative reviews about service, that management can't figure it out. read more

We really loved this place. Our party of 12 were blown away. Our waiter told us they only had one gluten free mean... the tuna. And - I got it and it was fantastic. Maybe they will expand their menu? Who knows. The food was good and the staff was good and it seemed like everyone liked this place. I would come here again and get the tuna I suppose. Ha. Ha. Ha. read more

Lifesaving Station is located on the Sanderling Resort in Duck. It's super easy and a quick walk to the main resort. The restaurant is nautical/beach themed with a traditional breakfast menu. Food: Good! Pricing is a bit high, but I guess the par for the course here. Solid breakfast spot if you're looking for something to like your mom would make. Service: everyone was extremely nice, like over the top, which is really great and seems to be the norm around the resort. Service is really slow though and my only complaint. We would likely go back read more

The good: Very nice, small, charming dining room. Mostly delicious food. Staff were cordial and welcoming. The bad: Small pricey portions. The dining room is pretty loud for such a small space with high ceilings and older patrons. That was an unpleasant surprise. The ugly: there isn't anything ugly about it. It's a very nice place, but I left hungry. If I were to go again I would try to get a current menu to see what the options might be. The menu is limited, which could be an issue for special diets or those wanting more options. The fam really enjoyed their meals more than I did and would probably assign a 4th star. But they don't Yelp. I actually steered us away from another place recommended by a few locals because the recent reviews were pretty mediocre after years of the highest ratings. So we came here hoping for a better experience. I guess I was hoping for more seafood options. My entree, the daily special fish (halibut) was delicious, but only about 5 oz. read more

Lifesaving Station - Yon menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Well, the food was absolutely magnificent., and that goes for all of it. We had the short rib (great crust and full flavor, with a great size), the Mac n cheese was really nice with its Parmesan crust, and the flounder was flavorful and juicy. They brought a bonus cinnamon roll that was fresh from the oven and quite delicious, but not too sweet as they can be. We got some Keylime pie to go and really enjoyed it . On the other hand, standards and colors were not posted at the entrance. Commandant's photograph was not posted near the entrance per regulation. Radio watch stander did not greet us upon entry. No posted lookouts were located. No surf boats in a Bravo status. Our Coastguardsman found the lifesaving capabilities diminished. The life-saving memorabilia is quite fun and interesting, and the service was excellent. It was really a nice experience for us. read more

Restaurant was quick and service was good, but the food was below average for the prices. I'm usually not the type to complain, but for $38 for a main of beef short rib, you'd expect good results. read more

We had a couple breakfasts and lunches here during our vacation. The wait staff was very friendly and warm, and we never had to wait long. For breakfasts, only the Country Grammar really stood out (though the fruit was always very good). Our lunches were fantastic, though - the pulled pork sandwich especially so. And definitely get the fries - they're hot, crunchy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. read more

Cute restaurant- restored lifesaving station. Lots of antique nautical items and old photographs displayed throughout the building. Server was excellent- prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly. Everything you want from wait staff. Food was incredible- fresh bread and real butter provided, appetizers of squash soup and clam chowder and entrees of beet salad and fish of the day (swordfish). Highly recommend read more

The breakfast here is delicious. The staff at the restaurant is so friendly. We even were allowed to sit outside with our little dog.

My family is local to the Outer Banks, and the Lifesaving Station is by far the best place to have breakfast on the North end of the island. The inside is very charming and has a great, beauty aesthetic while also delivering a historic feel. You can read about the history of the lighthouse before your meal. I have had just about everything on the menu, its all delicious and the coffee is superb. The menu rotates items sometimes but most of the items are staples- I love all of the omelettes. If you're in the mood for something sweet and they happen to have the banana hotcakes on the menu, do NOT skip these they're the best pancakes you'll ever have. During the summer it's nice to sit outside, but if you're trying to escape the heat definitely sit inside! Call ahead to see if there's a wait time and definitely make a reservation if you can during peak season. read more

See all

A nice looking restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. Unfortunately by 25 minutes after our arrival we only had two glasses of water without anyone even taking our drink order. We decided to leave rather than continue to wait. They either need additional staff or better management. It's too bad because it seems like a nice place. read more

We had reservations at 6 pm in mid March. Completely not needed as the place was so empty I thought it was closed. A few were gathered on the deck for the sunset. Service was nice, polite, n kind. Appreciated them pulling the blinds so the setting sun was not blinding. I tried the fried olives, the side of sweet taters n mushrooms n onions and the crab dip w naan. Crab dip was runny. The naan were the small Individual naan that you buy in grocery store. The dip had crab in it. No big lumps. The olives were --meh. The side of veggies was sad. I ended up tossing them in the crab dip and that helped the soupy consistency of the dip. Sad to see no non-alcoholic drink options. No non alcoholic beer or wine, not even virgin cocktails. Sweet tea was nice. Mom had the burger and enjoyed 1/2 of it. Could not eat the bacon it was too hard. I tried the bacon from her burger it was more like bacon jerky. Which is not a bad concept, but hard to eat on a burger. Go there for the view, location, maybe not so much the food. Or just expect bar food not fine dining. read more

The first thing that my table noticed was the terrible acoustics in that we could barely hear our waiter much less each other. It was simply too loud with proportion to the amount of people dining. The waiter was quite friendly and kind however it took over 20 mins to receive our drinks, and when we ordered another round, the drinks just never came out. We had all finished our food before having to go up to the bar to cancel the order. Not to mention one of the drinks ordered was not what was brought to the table. The food was good and simple. Was each plate worth $50... not really. But if you don't mind the price, there was not much to complain about. (Other than it took an hour to get our food) *There was live music outside which was quite lovely however it gave coffee house vibes. Not sure if it fit the style but still quite talented! Overall the experience was extremely slow and the noise level inside was just too much to have a conversation. Food was good and music was lovely. Would I go back, probably not. But I am definitely glad I went read more

Lifesaving Station - Southern Fried Chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

We had breakfast here during our Sanderling stay. We decided to sit outside as there were quite a lot of people seated inside, and since they were eating, they weren't wearing masks. Outdoors was lovely. The deck gives you a nice view of the sound. We had coffee, tea, and omelettes. I ordered the moniker omelette, gluten and dairy free. Our server was nice enough to check with the chef to see if they could make it without butter. And they did! I felt fine after, which is always a relief. It lacked a little flavor but nothing a little table salt couldn't fix. My partner ordered the Surfer's omelette and enjoyed it very much - he said the grits were good. This isn't a place with lattes or cappuccinos, so if you want that, head elsewhere. The menu isn't extensive but it's got the basics. We decided to explore other places for breakfast instead of returning here but it was a fine experience. read more

Food was excellent, service a bit slow. However, there was only one waiter working. Place isn't real large so understandable.

This restaurant list my business due to a rude greedy restaurant manager. We live in the Virginia Beach area and pop down to the outer banks once every couple months. We used to go to this restaurant, but now will never return. We will no longer stay at the sanderling resort as well. Reason- made a reservation for a special birthday dinner for my wife, brought a bottle of her favorite wine. A very expensive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. The manger said that the corkage charge was $35!! I have never , ever been charged so much. We asked why it was so high.The manager said that it was equivalent to the cheapest bottle of wine that he sold. It was a more than awkward situation. We felt very much taken advantage of. I paid the price reluctantly. And will never return. Finally as a final note about the food service. The first thing we received was dinner rolls- they were overly hard,stale and not warm. My entree was short ribs- they tasted like they were prepared weeks ago and reheated. My wife's entree was crab cakes and they were just ok and not super fresh. Our dessert was a berry cobbler. There must have been 5 berries in the entire shared dessert. Tasted good but very disappointing on the lack of berries. read more

Very nice place had a great breakfast. Great food the services. Excellent we will definitely go back again.

Amazing food. Best corned beef hash I've ever had! Staff was very attentive and atmosphere was calming. Would definitely go back again. read more

Very disappointing and slow breakfast earlier this week. Service was nonexistent and quite cold. Food took over an hour to arrive with no one stopping by once to see if we had any concerns. Pancakes and waffles were both dry and void of flavor. Extremely overpriced for level of quality and customer service. read more

First time here! Meshima made our party feel welcomed and provided a wonderful experience. I had the shrimp scampi- delicious, others had steak and scallops- all of our party loved the food . The apps looked great as I saw them being served across the restaurant. The restaurant sits across the sound, so great place to have a drink and watch the sunsets. read more

Love the decor. The staff has been there year after year and made for a good part of the good breakfast experience. Unfortunately, the food is just not what it once was. read more

We ate here once for dinner and multiple times for breakfast while staying at the abysmal Sanderling Resort (see my separate review for that). Breakfast was pretty good, with some interesting choices: corn syrup (think Mrs. Buttersworth) instead of maple syrup, which is inexcusable for what they charge. Under-seasoned cheesy grits, and a "sunny side up" egg with a yolk almost entirely cooked through. expensive for what it was. It was like the restaurant pulled random people off the street and asked them to wait tables: they were nice, and trying, but always seemed vaguely confused. Service was very slow, all the time, for every meal. Breakfast is pulling all the weight here; dinner gets one star from us. We ate there right after checking in to the hotel, since it was too late to go anywhere else. We felt scolded for not having a reservation (not knowing when we'd arrive), even though the restaurant remained half empty until closing time. Our server arrived to the table and immediately announced they were out of 2/3 of the soups on the menu. As I tried to order, two things I wanted were also unavailable. The food was just ok and definitely nowhere near worth the money. $50 for FOUR scallops, and they were overcooked. The interior is cute, tasteful, with a little nautical nod. It gets loud though. Outside dining would be lovely if they'd clean the tables better between guests; we had to brush crumbs off the table multiple times, and one table still had remnants of children's crayons under it. If you're staying at the Sanderling, you won't have much choice but to dine here, since it's realistically the only on-site restaurant providing breakfast or dinner (Kimball's also serves dinner but is very hard to get a table at, and isn't a viable option for most nights). If you're not staying at the Sanderling, you have options, head to any restaurant in Duck or any other town for better value, better service, and likely better food. (The Paper Canoe practically across the street has wildly better food and service, lovely ambiance, and costs about the same or less.) read more

Excellent experience. Excellent food. Prices compared to other nearby places but food was much higher quality.

Very disappointing dinner. Service was terrible- we had to ask for things multiple times (it was not super busy at the time). For example, we first ordered drinks (I asked for a Manhattan served up, only to be asked if I wanted that on the rocks...), and then salads. Our chowder came out first (before anything), and it was mediocre at best. Later my wife and I compared it to "barely better than out of a can". Then, our salads came out, and still no drinks. I asked the server about our drinks, and she had an "oh I forgot" look and went back to the bar to grab them (they had been sitting there for quite sometime). The salads were the best part of the dinner. We asked our server if there were any dinner specials. She said no, so we ordered off the menu. Later we overheard another server tell her table about the two dinner specials they had that night. One of which we would have purchased. My wife's entree came out missing an ingredient altogether, and when we asked about it the server said "oh, did you ask for that to come on the side", which she hadn't. At this point we were so disappointed we just asked for the check and left. We've been here many times in years past and were looking forward to tonight's dinner. Unfortunately it was a huge disappointment, and was not at all worth the money. read more