Nice place but as with all the other restaurants at the beach they are so short on staff that the service is not what it should be for an upscale establishment. The waitress was sure to tell us at the outset that she was the only server working. We have eaten here in years past and enjoyed it but tonite was a disappointment. The filet I had was excellent but the broccolini was so salty that I poured my water on it in order to eat it. The meal was to come with potatoes but we were informed when the meal was served that their fine dining restaurant had taken all their potatoes. ?? Just what I want to hear. Just not a good experience overall tonite. read more

Disappointing and S-L-O-W. Appetizers arrived in a timely manner; terrific mussels and rich crab and corn chowder, but our main entrees (2 rockfish, a tuna, a filet mignon, kids chicken tenders, and a massive PB & J) took an hour and 15 minutes to arrive (strike 1). Annoying when tables who've ordered after you get served before you, you know!?! Anyhoo, tuna and filet are tasty but both orders of rockfish, each with 2 pieces, has one piece that tastes fishy (aka not fresh, as though they've been around too long); probably from the same fish and both husband and MIL got a piece of it (strike 2). Here's another point where the restaurant fails; they tell our server and all he says is "Oh, that's strange." He doesn't offer to take the foul ones away and bring fresh ones; his tone is more like "What do you want me to do about it?" (strike 3). So husband requests that he take the foul ones and bring fresh ones. Server proceeds to reach for both husband and MILs plates, husband requests that just the foul filets go, so they can start eating with the rest of us, server looks at us as though we're trying to pull a fast one or something. 20 minutes later; we're all done eating, rockfish arrives. They end up boxing it up, per our request. Perhaps our server thought we were concocting a grievance to have the orders comped, not so, we expected LS to just replace the foul pieces and apologize (and to have brought the replacement fish in a more timely manner). We're usually in and out from any restaurant in about an hour and 15 minutes. This meal was 2 hours long and not because we were enjoying a leisurely meal. This dinner was a celebratory birthday dinner for my twins and LS struck out. Oh, with tip the total was over $225. The Lifesaving Station could be a 4 star restaurant if not for the slow service and poor handling of the fish issue. 5 Star if they also upped the quality of their fish from acceptable to exceptional and became more adventurous with their menu. Also, host and our server, I don't buy that the fan speed can't be adjusted since it's on the same switch as the lights (every woman, literally, and several men were wearing either a sweater or their jacket in our section due to the chilly downdraft from the fans). I've been dining here for the past 30 years and every year we visit LS less and less. read more

Lifesaving Station - Last year's renovation brought The Sanderling's Life Saving Station up to date; unfortunately the food and service isn't up to par. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

We had the crab hush puppies for an app. Very good. Wished they'd come with some sort of dipping sauce. Dinner was fried chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots for dinner. Good also. A bit pricey though. read more

Went last night and we had the crab soup, scallops and mushroom ravioli. The soup and scallops were very good, but the mushroom ravioli was too salty and inedible; we could not finish the ravioli. The place was pleasant, but the menu seemed a little pricey for the quality of the food. read more

**Fast forward a day and a half and we discovered that despite tendering 3 credit cards and receiving 3 credit card slips that were filled out that only 2 cards were run. The restaurant's solution - tack another 1/6 of the bill on to each of the credit cards despite having no authorization to do so. The manager alleged this was done so someone would call and resolve the issue. To me it's credit card fraud. Very shady. The manager says the amounts will be corrected Monday; I'm hoping she's more competent than the other people we have interacted with at this restaurant. The food was hit or miss; the calamari was awful but the goat cheese hushpuppies were good. The chips were overloaded with old bay and the crab cake was fried in oil that seemed like it needed to be changed. Service was slow, forgetful, and barely competent. The space was attractive and airy but warmer than ideal and the ceiling fans that dotted the ceiling were covered in cobwebs such that even if the waitress knew how to turn them on the dirt and grime that would come off them would have been worse than the stagnant warm air. read more

The food was excellent! Best fried chicken Cobb salad I've ever had! Great ambiance and gorgeous view on 2nd floor. But the service need basic training on how to interact with customers. I don't think they're intentionally bad, I think they just need some guidance on food service basics. For example, if you can't serve a requested dish, bring a menu with you when you tell the customer to select something else. Offer refills when needed. 2 hour lunch and I wasn't offered a single refill. when we are your only table, come and ask how the food is after a minute or so. Before taking plates away, ask, "are you done?" Or "may I take this for you?" And at some point, THANK the customer for coming! read more

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

Decor is nice. Hostess was not willing to put two tables together for a group of six because "there are too many big groups in here now" then proceeded to seat us at two tables next to each other. They lost the ticket for one of our tables. Food came out To one of our tables and it was literally cold. Found a piece of grill scrubber in my home fries. I went to the restroom and they cleared my table including my personal belongings even though we had not yet been served. Food was average, eggs Benedict was just plain over salted. Coffee was good. Waitress was pleasant. But I really felt the manager did owe our table a visit. I think so much went wrong with us they just wrote us off. So...120 dollars later it was a crappy experience. Save your money. read more

We love this restaurant and we always make it a point to have at least one meal here during our OBX vacation. Had a wonderful breakfast this morning on the deck with outstanding service from Shellian. Great food and all around customer experience. read more

I came here after a morning at the Spa at Sanderling. I ordered a glass of wine, a cup of crab and corn chowder, and a mixed green salad. The wine was OK but not worth $12. The crab and corn chowder had a decent amount of crab but almost no flavor. I added copious amounts of salt, pepper, and hot sauce which made it edible. The salad was drenched in dressing. Two bites and I couldn't eat any more. The server came by and asked if I was finished with my salad. I told him I didn't care for it because it was overdressed. He asked if I wanted something else, and I declined. I assumed, wrongly, that he would take the salad off my check. I didn't have the energy to argue so just paid the full bill and left unhappy. I won't be back. read more

Best crab cake of our whole trip! Small quiet place in a neat old building. We had the calimari & crab cake starters. Both were good but the crab cake was the best of our whole trip. read more

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

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Went for Thanksgiving so understand that can be a difficult time. However this was mid afternoon and the restaurant was not particularly crowded. Had the most incredible susnset from our window table upstairs - but then it went downhill. Fixed price menu which was fine. No bread offered. Had to repeatedly ask for water refills. Salad lackluster and very over dressed. Scallops were decent, turkey was terrible, only outdone on the negative by the mashed potatoes, which seemed like they had been sitting in a pan for most of the day. Inedible. Limited restaurant choices on Thanksgiving but would not go back to this one. Really disappointing for a resort that used to be top notch. read more

Nice menu, however the last time I was in here for breakfast I waited 40 minutes for an egg white omelette without much attention from the severs. read more

This restaurant is located right in front of the South Inn at the Sanderling Resort, not sure why it's listed as Kill Devil Hills. On our Sunday brunch visit we had mimosas and bloody marys which were done perfectly. We weren't in the mood for brunch but luckily you can still order from their normal lunch menu during those hours. We devoured a cauldron (yes it was an actual cauldron) of duck fries with parmesan and truffle oil. Amazing. I would go back if staying at the Sanderling because it's super convenient but wouldn't make a special trip. read more

We stayed at the Sanderling and didn't feel like going anywhere and the Lifesaving Station had good reviews. It has great ambience and fits the area (as most) and we decided to eat upstairs at the bar. I am not exaggerating when I say there were maybe four other tables there, it was off season so it certainly wasn't by any means busy. This was also after there was no hostess to greet us for quite some time and we just about had to seat ourselves. We also may as well have served ourselves. After waiting for quite some time we finally ordered one bottle of wine. We were sitting at the bar as I said so it isn't as if they were back there squashing grapes as an excuse for the incredible delay. Again, we didn't go high maintenance by any means and ordered the truffle fries and oysters on the half shell. Literally, that's it to start with for our order. Again, no exaggeration when we waited at least twenty minutes before even asking if they were bringing our order. The table next to us (8coint) had ordered, received drinks and were almost done with their appetizers and we still had not received more. All the while pouring our own while and listening to the calming sounds of the waves coinciding with the even louder sighs of a clearly miserable bartender. Twice when we asked about our appetizers (not even entrees) we got the "any minute now" and other various excuses. I'm not an idiot, I know when an order was clearly not entered. By now we were finally able to get her attention for a second bottle of wine, hoping this would smooth our ailing hunger, it did not. I know this because our truffle fries showed and oysters were a clear no-show for dinner. Finally after at least a good forty minutes our oysters appeared. We had ordered entrees by now and poured (again our own) almost complete second bottle. Note: two tables were sat and now at the same course as us and there was NO ONE else at the bar. After a meager apology (at least it was from the kitchen directly) we were finally able to enjoy our oysters. Now, this is where the evening turned for the better. Mother of all things holy I have NEVER and I mean NEVER had oysters that amazing in my life. I would've ordered three orders by then if they had arrived at anything quicker than an escargot's pace, I would've. Unfortunately, they were actually nearing closing. We enjoyed our entrees without much complication (maybe it was because everyone else was gone by then), and it was all delicious. It was unfortunate that the earlier service left such a metaphorically poor taste in my mouth because the rest of the evening was very pleasant, aside from the cranky bartender. With that, it is a lovely place for dinner but I sure as heck don't recommend sitting at the bar if you want any kind of service but the food is fantastic and it is the perfect place to go for both groups and romantic couples alike. read more

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What a great breakfast find and glad it's available to the public, despite being In a resort. First impression is light, airy and clean. There are many pieces of life saving memorabilia dotting the walls. There's even a view of the sound. Our waiter, Jalaen, was attentive and had a terrific sense of humor. We weren't just another table and appreciated his banter. Coffee hot and strong. Refilled regularly. A basket of Biscuits were served as well, with room temperature butter, which made spreading easier on both biscuits and pancakes. My wife had pepper, onion, ham and smoked gouda omelette. Large portion and they use red peppers which add a slight sweetness. Home fries were fried new potatoes and underwelming. I had the Northern banks special, Superb. The eggs were cooked well and served with 2 large sausage. The large pancakes were light and very flavorful and the best part....warm 100% maple syrup. The side of grits were pretty typical and simple. Over all a great experience and great find. The manager, Colleen, let us wander and see the great memorabilia up stairs . read more

A bit rocky, but decent drink selection and good app options along with a great beach decor/setting and positive feel. We put our name on the list for a table with not too long a wait and sat at the bar till our table was ready. Decent selection on tap and an obvious pride in some specialty cocktails, we had drinks and an excellent BBQ shrimp app. All was going well so we decided to take our name off the list and just eat at the bar... and then not long after that the service stopped... ultimately at the end we had sat for almost 30 minutes with empty glasses in front of us so we decided to better to move on. It wasn't till my wife walked out to make a phone call that one of the three bartenders returned to see if we needed anything and then took two requests to get the bill. We will give it another try and shift to a table next time as we want to like it - and chalk the experience up to summer transition in the OBX and the sometimes iffy food scene. read more

Service was really good considering that the place was full and there was only 3- people serving the entire place.

We stayed a few nights at the Sanderling and ate breakfast here each morning. Great experiences. The wife raved about the oatmeal (they have a unique recipe). The grits are awesome as well. Like the resort the service was excellent In each case our meals were ready quick allowing us to spend time enjoying our stay rather than sitting in a restaurant. read more

The staff wasn't very polite. We walked in and they ignored us while they kept their personal conversation going. We had a large group and the reservation was made months ago. Then we get to the table and we ended up having fixed menus and were never told that would be the case. We asked if they could separate us into smaller groups since some of our group didn't eat fish so we could get the regular menu. There was only two customers in the entire restaurant at the time, but they were very unable to separate us into three groups anyway. Wouldn't go back if they paid me to. read more

We arrived on time and our hostess told us our table was getting prepared. After she seated us she apologized profusely letting us know that the restaurant was a little short staffed. She got us our waters and came back a few minutes later to check on us and apologize again. I have to say, aside from her warning, we noticed they were a little short staffed - there was a huge party behind us - but it was never a problem. Our waitress was awesome, as was the rest of the staff. We had terrific service, and if that's any indication of what they're like when fully staffed - then WOW! The food was delicious! We had the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer - as you must when in the South, and they were delicious! So were the goat cheese hush puppies - although the cheese presence is very subtle. My husband had the shrimp and grits - absolutely marvelous! I had the grouper "it's grouper!" and it too was wonderful. Overall a very pleasant dinning experience with terrific food. I highly recommend it! read more

Nothing like a massive breakfast to start off the day. The joys of packing on obscene amounts of calories before you go out and face the world. And if you're in the mood for a huge breakfast, The Lifesaving Station is where it's at! We were promptly seated upon arrival, and greeted by a very friendly and attentive waitress. My wife ordered the Northern Banks Breakfast (pancakes, eggs, and bacon), while I ordered the Keeper's Omelette with a variety of meats and cheese packed inside. Whoa! When the food arrived, I couldn't believe my eyes. The plates were so filled with food, they damn near broke the table. I swear my omelette was made with ten eggs. Our breakfasts were delicious and cooked perfectly. Even though neither of us could finish our meals, we left satisfied, waddled our way out the door, and didn't have to eat again until dinner. read more

Lifesaving Station - Keeper's Omelette with a variety of meats and cheese packed inside. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

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Wonderful place! We'll be back! In years past we have stayed in one of the larger homes and done much of our dining at home. This year the place we stayed had a limited kitchen, so we got to eat out more. I sure am glad because we found a couple gems in Duck, one of which was this place. Decor The decor is nautical, as is to be expected given the history of the building. Nautical without being cheesy. Really nice. Much of the original character was retained on the first floor. We dined upstairs which gave us a nice view of the sound. I was surprised to hear that the second floor was totally renovated (to include the windows we peered out). They've done a nice job of blending the old and new. Charming. Food We had the goat cheese hush puppies. They were the best we had all week. Perfectly golden brown crispy exterior with a flavorful soft interior. The fennel cream sauce sent this dish over the top. I had the duck for my main course. Again, perfectly executed. Crispy skin and cooked to a nice medium on a bed of creamy grits and veggies. My wife had the shrimp and grits which were also wonderfully prepared. Really nice balance of spice and creaminess. Everything you'd want in shrimp and grits. Service Our waiter was a bit eccentric, but knowledgeable and very nice. He gave us great recommendations on other places to go in addition to his restaurant. One thing I think is a bit odd is that our server carried each of our drinks one at a time from the bar. Not an issue for us as we were one of two tables he had, but could see that making service slow during a busy dinner service. Also, my wife's service pet peeve is when a server reaches across your plate to collect empty glasses or to clear plates. He did this a few times. These were little things that could be easily corrected. Overall This place is awesome. Charming ambiance, perfectly executed food, friendly staff. It's a can't miss in my book. read more

Five Stars until today. Called to make our annual reservation for June and was informed that they will no longer be taking reservations due to so many no shows. Personally, we never missed a reservation and always looked forward to this but don't want to spend our precious little time together standing around waiting when many other restaurants will accommodate. Even made sure to patronize for carryout and tip well during the pandemic. I understand it is a business decision, but we have to make a decision as well. Sad to part ways with this family tradition of many years due to the thoughtlessness of others. read more

Convenient. Good service. Pretty good food. If you are staying at or near the sanderling and don't want to drive its a great place to go. You are paying for the convenience but the food is good! We had the crab cake sandwich w duck fries and crab & jalapeño dip. read more

2nd year stopping here for breakfast on the way in. Great service, large portions, everything cooked fresh to order. On the higher priced side at $15+ pp for breakfast but worth it. read more

My husband loves the shrimp and grits...gets it every time we are back in OBX for vacation. My son loves the corn dogs....cornmeal is very tasty. Mom approved. The service is very friendly and attentive. We always enjoy our meals. read more

FINALLY! Breakfast! Finally found a year round breakfast place that provides good food, with good service and at a reasonable price. The farmers omelet was cooked beautifully....veggies nice and crisp.....not soggy and soft from over cooking. The pecan waffle is well presented with 4 little waffles instead of a big one. And oh yeah...you get real syrup and they bring it in a bottle to the table. Not a little plastic cup with about two tablespoons worth you get at another area breakfast place. Bacon was great. Coffee....good, not and full well insulated carafe placed on the table. Basket of biscuits with whipped butter and little jars of jelly/preserves. Biscuits were good....not great but a good biscuit. Poached eggs cooked well. The only thing keeping it from a 5....Food is really good but not amazing. The decor is nice but needs to be cleaned and better maintained. It is scheduled for a refresh in the winter of '16...after Tgiving. If you are looking for a good breakfast in the Corolla area year round this is a great place to head for. read more

Went here in the afternoon to taste some Bourbon. Brian, the executive chef, helped us with our selections. He was helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. We also tried a couple of the beers he recommended. Brian made us feel like we were guests in his home! We ordered the wings, which came out moist on the inside with some crisp on the outside. Bleu Cheese dressing was thick and delicious. It was a great appetizer to compliment our beverages. Thanks for the outstanding food and drink, as well as the hospitality. We will definitely be back!! read more

Loved everything about this place. We started out to go somewhere else on a rainy night in November. Turns out they were the only place open. (365 days a year) good to know for off season visits. We had planned to go later in the week but there we were. The atmosphere is very nice. Love the Lifesaving stations in the OBX already so this was a bonus. Renovations looked great. The fire was roaring and we were lucky it was not too crowded. Bartender Stacy was a delight and made the best Dark & Stormy I have had! We decided to eat at the bar because we were very comfortable with her and her service. She was knowledgeable of the menu and made great suggestions. We had the calamari. Was very good. I had the Rockfish and Butternut Squash Ravioli. It was divine. Jim had the Pork Chop. Fish and Pork both require the right sear and temperature. They were cooked perfectly. Sides were well seasoned and very bright. When we finished we decided to bring our weekend company there instead of going the other place where we had originally made a reservation. Two days later we were there again. Date was 11/15. I believe our waiter's name was Sean. He was very knowledgeable about the wines and menu. Had a great sense of humor and was very time appropriate with his visits to our table. This always makes the experience better. This time was equally as good. Caesar Salad was dressed beautifully. Crab chowder,everyone agreed, was the best they have had. Scallops were delicious and Short Ribs were melt in your mouth delicious. Smoked mashed potatoes were a great side. Thanks again. We will be back again. read more

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

Had a late lunch there with my family. It is beautiful inside with nautical decor. Our server was wonderful. Helpful, didn't try and run us out of there, and was just plain sweet. We shared the mussels and the duck fries poutine. The mussels were great and gone in seconds... I would have dunked my napkin in the broth had our server not kept the table full of fresh bread to sop it all up. The fries seemed like a fancy take on disco fries from New Jersey... (French fries with mozzarella and brown gravy, for those who haven't been blessed...). They were also delicious. The pot roast was tender and the curds were similar to ricotta. Could have maybe had a little more pot roast, but good none the less... For our main courses we had the lobster roll, some burgers, and the chicken wrap. All very good. The drinks were somewhat reasonable, and big! Had a great time and would go back. read more

Great service and highly recommended for a great breakfast to start the day. Food was tasty, good quality and big portions. Server was friendly and attentive. Def worth checking out when visiting the OBX. read more

Rushed here to get the crab benedict. Outdoor patio was nice as its on a resort so not a lot of passers by. Unfortunately the benedict was mustard dominant and non of us enjoyed it. Kids pancakes were not great either. For the price just go somewhere else. Not worthy of $100 breakfast bill read more

For breakfast I've had the smoked salmon plate the last three days in a row. Everything bagel capers red onion and wonderful smoked salmon. Highly recommend. I can't wait to m next visit. read more

100% lousy! Just total crap. Food, service, decor, all in all, horrible. Oh well, my husband and I are still alive.

We ate here for breakfast on our vacation in Duck in July, and our group of eight (plus two kids) agreed it was the best dining experience all week. The food was fantastic and the wait staff was very nice - we're a group of big coffee drinkers, and the staff was attentive about making sure our mugs stayed full. They were also good with the kids. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, and they were awesome. The gravy was salty (which some people might not like) and the biscuits were light and fluffy. I also ordered a side of the white corn grits with cheese on top and they were TO DIE FOR. I cannot stress enough how awesome they were. My boyfriend ordered the eggs benedict and really enjoyed it. Everyone in our group walked away raving about the food - we're already looking forward to our next trip so we can come back for breakfast...and maybe lunch and dinner too! read more

Neat history behind the Lifesaving Station. The service was great and the staff was friendly. I ordered the Northern Banks breakfast (eggs, bacon and pancakes). Fast service; however, my only complaint was that the food was cold considering the price one pays. I would have liked for my food to be hotter. The food was not as tasty, perhaps the food temperature effected it. Not sure if I would consider eating here again. read more

Lifesaving Station - Northern Banks Breakfast - eggs, bacon, and pancakes (blueberry in this picture) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all delicious. The children's menu is a fantastic value. There really is not much of a reason to go elsewhere when staying at the Sanderling resort. The servers are very friendly. Be sure to make reservations well in advance for dinner during the busy season. read more

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This is a really bad restaurant. The sanderling resort is fabulous so I am perplexed how they could have this restaurant. They claim the crab cakes are lump crab - absolutely no way. They are probably frozen back fin. They are shredded and dark brown and they are deep fried. The mussels were old and had no flavor. And, the service is amateurish. Oddly, the lunch spot by the pools get fresh shrimp delivered daily. There are no shrimp dishes at the Life Saving Station read more

Incredibly annoying - they stop sitting for breakfast at 11:30 and your only option is to wait for noon. If you've driven a distance to get here, you're stuck being annoying with waiting or being annoyed with going somewhere else. No idea why they close for 30 minutes during prime early lunch time. read more

We started off with excellent cocktails and then moved onto fabulous appetizers. The muscles were excellent with a very delicate sauce. I ordered the seafood stew and our waitress told us that it was spicy. It was very spicy. My husband loves spicy and so we traded. He loved it and thought it was perfectly spiced I had his scallops and they were excellent. My daughter had the shrimp and grits said they were well done. The potions were large and so we had no room for dessert. The wait staff was very attentive and the space felt authentically redesigned. I would definately return. read more