This place is a fave around here, and once you go too, you will see why! Great cocktails, fun cups, and I've only had a few food items (fried green beans and bang bang shrimp) but they were delish!! read more

Mama Kwan's has only improved in recent years. Their fries remain some of the best in the area, and the quality of their Tuna steaks and Tuna tacos is excellent. Flavorful, intentional food and friendly waitstaff are a huge plus. The dining room is a little small, but it is clean and organized even during a lunch rush. read more

It had been a while since we visited Mama Kwan's. I remembered some good Rockfish tacos and wanted to have another such lunch. I guess the Rockfish tacos were a daily special, so I ordered the "World Famous" Mahi tacos while Ms T ordered a crabcake sandwich. I think we were both a little disappointed. Her sandwich was definitely for bun lovers. She tore off enough bread for another sandwich and still had plenty. Restaurants are often guilty of conflating a huge bun with good sandwich. She was not particularly impressed with the crab cake, saying it was overloaded with thyme. I ordered my Mahi "blackened" and it really was not. The seasonings were good although also heavy with thyme. The flour tortillas were of poor quality, very thin and leathery and not provided hot. Hence the tacos were room temperature when eaten. I liked the finely shredded cheese that was not served refrigerator cold. The white sauce they serve is just wrong for these tacos. It is too sweet, too tart, making it harsh. Instead, I used the sauce that came with her crab cake and that was much better. Finally the mahi was very dry. I guess that is kind of the way that mahi is, but this really needed plenty of sauce. Kudos to them for serving good jasmine rice. This was not as good as we remembered. It is OK, not great and could be improved with just a few changes. We should have tried the burgers. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - World Famous Mahi tacos - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Service was good; however, Sisters onion rings were over cooked and had to return. I got jerk chicken tacos,,,flavor good but over cooked chicken, items on plate to add to tacos had no seasoning! Plain onions, plain tomatoes -no herbs, shredded cheese from a bag, plain white rice, salsa from a jar. No beans. No lime. Nothing fresh and all flavorless. Very disappointing. Won't be back. read more

First timers and Mama Kwans was amazeballs! Not a bad wait time (25-30) for Fathers Day at lunch time. We found 2 bar stools and bellied up. Started with 2 corona's and some ginger shrimp appetizer...delish! My wife had the fish taco salad and it was huge and large portions of fish. I had the fish tacos and it was awesome! The sauce is ridiculously fantastic and the fish seasoning was top notch. Thank You to the bar staff and chef's for impressive service and dynamite food! read more

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Came here on vacation for a family wedding & stayed near by. We found this place on yelp! There was 10 of us. Our waitress provided great service, the food came out in good timing considering our party size. Everyone said their food was delicious & tasty. The pork plate was yummy & went well with the cucumber salad. The crab cake was a little small in size but was still good. Definitely left happy. read more

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The atmosphere is dive bar meets kitschy tiki beach bar. We arrived around 1:30 and there were people at most tables. We were told it would be 15 minutes so we went to the bar to order some beverages. I asked for a classic daiquiri and the bartender didn't know how to make it. So I opted for a spicy margarita and while it was good it didn't taste like a margarita...it had more of a fruity/floral taste. My husband just ordered off the cocktail menu. I'm not sure I'd call it a tiki bar but definitely a beach bar. It seems they make beach drinks and not a lot of cocktails, but I get it. The food was good and the menu smart. They had seared tuna in several dishes and the ingredients were reused in different dishes so a smart menu for a restaurant that wants to turn tables and serve good food. For appetizers we got fried green beans, onion rings and seared tuna. All were good. The tuna was really nice. It came with the cucumbers, which were featured in most dishes. For entrees the pork platter, fish tacos and crab cake sandwich. The pork and fish tacos Came with jasmine rice and cucumbers. The crab cake sandwich was as served with French fries. Everything was good. Our server was good, food came out quickly and the portions were good. We'd eat here again. read more

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We stopped here for lunch on our vacation, we have been meaning to try this place for the last year and we finally did. My wife ordered the fish tacos and I ordered the teriyaki beef wrap. The wrap was solid and exactly as described, the ingredients were rich and the teriyaki was flavorful. My wife wishes she would have got the fish blackened (hindsight), she enjoyed her fish tacos nevertheless. This seems like a fun spot for both the locals and tourists. Fun vibes and decor. Fast service. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Mama-s World Famous Fish Tacos (not blackened) - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Service was fine. Ambience was fine. Food was subpar for the price. Beer selection was poor and charging $10 for a 12oz can is a bit much even in today's economy. read more

After a three-hour wait and overall service time, I've made my final judgment: this place was a huge letdown. The theme and atmosphere were pretty cool, but unfortunately the food quality didn't match the hype, and the service was poor. I really wanted to like it, but the experience just wasn't worth the wait. read more

This is our second time back to Mama Kwan's and they never disappoint! Such a fun atmosphere! The food is always good. We got crabcakes, fish tacos, and a burger. One of my friends did get the jerk chicken that she was not thrilled with. It was very spicy for her and had a lot of sauce on it. Our overall wait time was probably about 30 minutes sat outside under the umbrella, met some nice people overall great time. Will be back mama! read more

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I love Mama Kwans and try and go every summer. Great food and drinks (that come in tiki glasses) and the service is always good! The last time I went I had the steak taco special and it was so good with so much food left over! The ambiance is very tiki bar vibe with brightly painted walls. This place gets busy so go for an early dinner or be prepared to wait if you are there during high season. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Steak tacos - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Thank Emily and entire bar and kitchen team for two awesome evenings this past week! We are so thankful for you. This was our first and won't be the last time we come back! read more

Okay, ambiance was amazing. Service was amazing. Food was amazing. Definitely worth it !

What a fun atmosphere and decked out completely for Halloween! They have a spooktacular Halloween-themed drink menu for both adults and youngsters as well. Our wait staff was super friendly and attentive. We ordered the menu-favorite blackened fish tacos which didn't disappoint. The crisp cabbage and scallions added the perfect textural crunch to the plentiful meal. read more

Came here on my last day in the area. Somehow I was curious to try those famous tacos !!! And to be honest they didn't disappoint , they were great and so was the ahí sandwich. So we're very pleased. As I wanted food to go My only complain is that I tried to call to get my order ready ahead of time but after trying multiple times nobody answered. I ended up going there to place the order but they were actually quite fast. I would come back. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Mama-s World Famous Fish Tacos - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Service was attentive and pleasant! Ordered an old fashioned, it wasn't the best but it was serviceable. The space has a very casual beachy vibe. The food was tasty, served hot, and came out quickly. The pork plate was delicious, the wings are good, and the ginger shrimp app was tasty. Portions are large. We were happy with our meal, and would likely go back after further exploring the restaurants on the OBX. read more

Fantastic food and service. The kids loved the drinks with the sharks and little monsters on top. The fish was incredibly fresh. Looking forward to going back read more

Restaurant vibes were fun but food was mediocre. Staff is friendly! The grilled chicken sandwich got too soggy. Mahi mahi tacos were self assembly but tasted good. read more

It's the off season and I could finally get in here without a forever wait! Mama Kwans was great. The service was super friendly and fast. The restaurant is a kitschy little place with a tiki hut ceiling and tiki decor. The food was good and filling. Fried green beans: thick batter and yummy dipping sauce Hawaiian Pork plate: this had goo flavor and was a good portion size. I really enjoyed the cucumber salad with the pork. One of my friends got the garbage plate with chicken and it looked and smelled great! She said it was very good and the portion size was huge! Another friend had the fish tacos and someone else had a burger. All were solid portion sizes and everyone enjoyed their meal. I will definitely go back! read more

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Fish tacos. Hard no. I felt sad they were so very sub par. The drink menu looked fun, unfortunately I came for the fish tacos and left wishing for a refund. read more

You would expect the Outer Banks to be a lot quieter during the winter time, but Mama Kwan's is constantly busy and is brimming with holiday spirit during the Christmas time! With that in mind, we did have a large party (of 8 people), so we did have to wait around 30-45 minutes for a table, but they'll text you when your table is ready so you can walk around the area and kill some time till then. I got the Coconut Fried Shrimp and the shrimp was fried beautifully in a light coconut batter. My only complaint is that I wish there were more pieces of shrimp because it was so delicious! I also highly recommend the B.O.F.F. (basket of fries) as an appetizer. Honestly, anything that is fried on the menu is guaranteed to be good. I don't know who or what they have in the kitchen, but they are killing it with the fried elements! read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Coconut Fried Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

It's Christmas time at Mama Kwan's! The whole restaurant is decorated in holiday cheer. I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and festivity that was woven into every aspect of the restaurant on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when I visited. Service was great. The restaurant was packed, but the staff didn't miss a beat even with us being a large group of 7 and simultaneously having buses of merry ugly Christmas sweater wearing folks arriving in droves to descend upon the bar. The food was yummy and fresh. The chicken garbage plate was far from trash and it was enough for two meals. The pork was also very good. I would love to return to Mama Kwan's tiki bar when it's not Christmas time and see if the magic remains. read more

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This was the second time we've been--it was good, not great. On a Saturday around 5pm we were told the wait for 2 was 75 minutes--kind of ridiculous. We did find ourselves seats at the bar after about 20 minutes though (first come first serve). Some of the folks that we saw when we pulled up were just seated around the time we were leaving. Crazy! The drinks were tasty, but not very strong considering the price. Like $15 for the Loco Louie--but you do get to keep the monkey mug it comes in. We took that home to our son (age 5) who thought that was cool. Coconut shrimp was good, but not the best I've had. My wife got the blackened tuna nachos. Honestly, it was great and had a TON of meat on it. It's solid food, but it's seemingly become a bit of a tourist trap. There's probably better seafood around OBX with less wait times. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Drinks! - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Back again!!! Always our first stop!!! Fish tacos!!! Hallie was on it! Good job GF!!! Drinks were served promptly! Garbage plate was a hit for two folks!! Wings were good! Jerk and Buffalo. So tasty!!! Love this place!! The tiki bar experience is great! read more

Wow! This place is fabulous, relaxing, and just plain cool. It's probably the most consistent place we've gone to over the years. Guaranteed to be satisfied. read more

This is a garbage place. The shrimp...after I ordered them were brought to my attention that they were frozen and pre battered. Got the dry ass crab cake dinner...look at my tab I paid for trash. Bartender was a shit head after I asked about the frozen shrimp. Stay away. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - The shit head - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Tourist overpriced garbage. 45 min wait and the food was terrible. If you are looking for a place that actually serves local food this isn't it read more

We go here often and it's usually good. Tonight the onion rings were terrible and totally different than usual. The concern is consistency which is important. read more

An ok restaurant for the tourist location. Go for the experience and not necessarily for a tasty meal. The motif and service are awesome. The decorations are cool and has an island vibe. The service is super awesome, friendly and responsive. The wait can be long though especially at standard meal times. The food is nothing special and just ok. We had the jerk chicken soft tacos and the chicken was dry. We also had the pork plate which had average quality meat and a bit sweet. A plus is that the serving size is quite large. The bar drink we ordered was ok. read more

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This extremely popular seafood restaurant is so busy that they won't answer their phones much of the time, and there is a line to get in, unless you go off hours (when it will still be busy). It's clearly popular for a reason, and the tiki-bar theme is no doubt part of it. We ordered two salads to-go (as we didn't want to wait to sit down). The fish taco salad was reasonably good with plentiful chunks of fish and a smattering of corn chips. The oriental chicken salad was quite good - very tasty, with a fresh grilled chicken breast. We liked them both. But I have to say, that when salads are $17 and $15 respectively, I expect each salad to be a meal - and while the taste was great, the portion size was too small, and I was left wanting more to eat. In the oriental chicken salad, there was plenty of chicken, but just not much salad material (and let's face it, salad is pretty inexpensive, so a larger portion would have been trivially provided). Similarly, the fish taco salad came up short on the amount of salad. Who wants to be hungry after you've finished your meal? So what could have been a 5-star review, ends up a 4-star review because of inadequate portion size. Mama's could easily remedy this by including more salad in these salads. read more

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First time trying Mama Kwan's. It was delicious! It was a tad busy for 2pm so it was hard getting our servers attention, but she had other employees nearby ready to help with refills and such. I got the Fish Tacos. The waitress highly recommended the Mahi Mahi blackened, and it was worth the up charge. I had never had fish tacos that were not already constructed, but I wasn't hating. I could put more or less on my taco as I wanted. My husband got the honey jerk flavored wings and he said they were really good and filling! We also got a basket of onion rings for the table, and I wish I had ordered 2! They were flavored so well and not to much bread. They were really really good! Highly recommend this place. We will be back for sure to try other things on the menu. read more

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Visited this place twice in our yearly one week trip since I couldn't believe we haven't tried it until this year! Mama Kwans has great service, a warm atmosphere, and amazing food & drinks! I loved both the tacos and nachos, and we tried a few of their drinks - which if you didn't know, you can collect glasses by ordering one of their special souvenir glass drinks! A great bar for late night drinks and food, or a sweet spot for lunch and dinner. Definitely will be back! read more

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We were quickly seated when we arrived. The fish tacos are absolutely delicious! You are able to "build your own" once they are there. You have the choice to get them blackened. Both options are great. Our server was very nice and definitely on top of her game! We had a great experience and the kids enjoyed the cool stuff to look at all around the restaurant. We have been here for years and will always come back. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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The. Best. Fish. Tacos. Ever. The lime crema makes it!! I always order extra and the blackened mahi is my preferred option. This place is really cool, the service is always great. One of these days I'll try something else on the menu but you cannot go wrong with the fish tacos! Always make sure to come here when visiting OBX! read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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While taking a short vacation, my party of three visit Mama Kwans. It was a little confusing since there were two buildings but actually one was in service. There was limited parking but manageable. There was a slight wait but went pretty quickly. As you enter, the atmosphere was energetic, positive and welcoming. The restaurant was filled with memorabilia of beach tiki decors. We ordered 5 items: 1) Honey Jerk Chicken Fingers 2) Crispy Ginger Shrimp 3) Big Daddy Tuna Plate 4) Teriyaki Beef Wrap 5) MK Famous Fish Tacos. The ginger shrimp were very good, full of flavor and had a nice crunch. The big daddy tuna plate looks overwhelming but everything was well balanced and delicious. The fish tacos had generous portion but as you pace yourself, you'll eventually finish it. Once all ingredients are incorporated, you have a great plate. I was looking forward to the teriyaki beef wrap but fell flat for me. The salt content was overpowering the entire wrap. There wasn't any sweetness in that beef teriyaki as it should be. I wasn't able to finish my platter and that's rare for me because I don't like to waste food. One of the appetizers was surprisingly delicious and full of umami. It was the honey jerk chicken tenders served with grilled pineapple. I'm still talking about that sauce that was smothered over the chicken tenders. I should have ask for a cup of rice to finished the remainder of that satisfying sauce. Our server was attentive and helpful which all staff members were friendly too. We will definitely make a return visit in the near future. read more

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This place came recommended to us during our trip out to OBX. The place was PACKED but we were able to get two seats at the bar since a nice couple moved down to make room. The place is super cute and well decorated. There are pretty hanging lights and the vibe is very casual and welcoming. You can order fancy cocktails in souvenir cups or just a nice cold draft beer. The food was absolutely delicious and the recommendations made by staff did not disappoint. read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Food here is amazing!! The prices are a bit high and the wait is always bad (at least for me it's been at least 44 mins the five or six times we've been here). This last trip we snagged bar space quickly and were able to put a drink order in and most importantly some famous mama Kwan's wings!!! They did not disappoint (other than I only had two flats of the bunch). Once our table was finally ready our sever of course provided great service and our food came out relatively quickly!! Make sure you stop by and go early and still be prepared for a wait but it'll be worth it! read more

Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill - Pork plate! - Seafood Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

They could serve me roadkill and I'd come back for the customer service! The pork plate is paradise.

Food was great! Flavors were strong and everything was very fresh Server was very nice and accommodating read more