Nags Head Cafe

Lunch on Wednesday and it was crowded! We waited and it was worth the wait…read more Grilled chicken Caesar - light and really tasty with bacon and onions. Hubs had the burger and demolished it.

The place looks really nice on the inside. We got the wings…read moreto start. Although I thought the wings were cooked well I did not like the sauce/seasoning they have. It has a gritty paste texture to me, which I really didn't care for. My Bf got the tuna noodle and said it was really good. I got the cheesesteak which was pretty big! But unfortunately lacking in the flavor department. Totally not the worst cheesesteak; but nothing to rave about either. But kinda my bad anyways, looking online I thought I was going to enjoy the menu more but I think it's alittle too 'upscale' or unique for my taste. However our waiter was great.

Inside bar..

Cheesesteak sandwich

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In house hot sauce

Miller's Waterfront Restaurant

4.0(1.3k reviews)

3.2 mi

I had combo basket of flounder & shrimp with slaw, hushpuppies, & mac & cheese. It was delicious, &…read morethe young man that waited on us was very good. I'll definitely go back there!!!

The perfect first night in the Outer Banks! Great food, great vibes, and the sunset was absolutely…read moreperfect. We started with the Brussels sprouts and pork belly special, and they were insanely good: crispy, savory, and easily one of the highlights of the meal. The Old Bay shrimp were delicious and felt like a friendly little reminder of home in the DMV. But the real star was the flounder with lump crab. I truly cannot say enough about it. The flounder was perfectly cooked, the lump crab was incredible, and the whole plate just worked. Wow, wow, WOW. Amazing way to kick off our Outer Banks trip. Between the food and that sunset, Miller's absolutely delivered!

Upstairs bar area

Lobster roll -- very good!

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Outside seating

I Got Your Crabs

4.4(1.1k reviews)

8.2 mi

My husband and I traveled to Nags Head and I was craving crab legs. We decided on I Got Your Crabs…read moreand the food did not disappoint! The Food was well seasoned and the staff were friendly and welcoming!

This is one of our beach trip traditions, we always make time to eat here at least once! We've…read moretried several things over the years, and it's always been good. This visit we had the blue crab taco, scallop taco, steamed oysters, snow crab legs, and the crab bisque. The bisque was SO good! And if you order the sweet potato fries...GET THEM! They come with a brown sugar butter sauce that's absolutely delicious. Good food, fun atmosphere, and a great place to enjoy a meal with family. We'll definitely be back on our next beach trip!

The two booths in this cute little place, this is a great casual place with good fresh food

Fried Shrimp Sandwich

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Steamed Shrimp

Whalebone Seafood Market & Takeout

4.5(111 reviews)

3.6 mi

Ordered a half bushel right around 3pm on Father's Day and they were able to fulfill our order…read morewithout issue. Great service and amazing crabs! They were cooked to perfection and loaded with crab meat. The price was super affordable too. Made for a great Father's Day celebration. Thanks!

The fish we purchased here was fresh and delicious. De-boned upon request and done so quickly…read more Service was fantastic!

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Fresh tuna steaks!

Tortuga's Lie

4.1(1.1k reviews)

1.6 mi

Food amazing, VERY accommodating to shellfish allergy, chillest server ever, surpassed all…read moreexpectations. 100% recommend

Grilled tuna sandwich and crab cake were delicious…read more Server was great and food came out pretty quick. Nice ambiance, they have a nice area to wait for your table with yard activities.

Fish tanks

Not great a tuna sandwich special with chimichuri and mushrooms, the tuna was overdone and bland aside from the chimichuri

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Bar area

Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen

4.8(33 reviews)

11.9 mi

This restaurant is our new favorite in the entire OBX! We went per the recommendation of a fellow…read morenon-resident owner neighbor who is somewhat of a regular there and has been raving about their food for a while. We decided that we would finally try it out with a friend who was visiting for his birthday. The food was not only amazing, the menu was transparent, the customer service was top notch, and the view speaks for itself! We ordered Tuna Tartare (very local tuna), calamari, shrimp burger sliders (so glad the shrimp location not being OBX didn't scare us away), house salad, tuna steak dinner, and the chef Mac burger. No one at our table had a single complaint- not even the 7-year-old who ate half the burger and bites of everyone else's food. Further, there was a hiccup, and the restaurant more than made it up by comping desserts that we otherwise would have never ordered (we're just not dessert people). WHOA were we grateful for that because their desserts are 'write home about it' worthy. As stuffed as I am writing this review, I can't wait to go back to explore the menu further.

Food was yummy- everything was fresh and hot. The honey butter was brought later than the rest of…read morethe food and was SO good. Slower service but it was busy the evening we were there. Great views from the deck!

Inside bar area

Strawberry Shortcake

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Outdoor dining

Billy's Seafood

4.5(111 reviews)

5.4 mi

BLUF: Great market, fresh seafood and friendly employees…read more Billy's Seafood located on Colington Island is a terrific place for a few groceries and fresh seafood. In addition to having grocery staples they have an impressive collection of condiments for seafood as well as common ingredients for preparing seafood. I was most impressed by the stacks of hush puppy mix from various brands. It was a fabulous sight. We get steamed crabs from Billy's annually. As a Maryland commercial crabber my father is quite picky (no pun intended) about his crabs and he trusts Billy's Seafood. On my recent visit to the store another customer was picking up steamed shrimp which smelled so good. This market is charming and the employees are delightful.

The BEST place to buy fresh seafood on the OBX! Must try Ms Judy's homemade tuna salad!! Great NC…read morefamily run business!!

A great local grocery store where fresh seafood and friendly employees are the highlights

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Long neck claims ready to eat

Food Dudes Kitchen

4.5(987 reviews)

3.6 mi

I happened upon this place while on vacation at the beach. It was a cloudy day and we wanted some…read morecomfort food. I stopped in and the staff was awesome. Not a lot of seating but it's exactly what you would want, slightly intimate but spacious. They gave me really good recommendations based on what I said I wanted. I have the blackened mahi tacos based on the recommendation and couldn't be happier. If you happen to be in the area, stop in. You'll enjoy it. Side note: check their operating hours as they change based on season.

Seemed okay, awaiting takeout. Staff friendly helpful. 2 pm…read more Friday still quiet. Xxxxx

Artwork

Crab cake basket

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Blackened shrimp tacos

Fish Heads Bar and Grill

4.2(592 reviews)

5.5 mi

Totally surprised by this place - for a restaurant on the water, it's reasonably priced with super…read moregood food. The chicken tenders were some of the best I've ever had - very well seasoned. The fries were yummy. The staff was great, relaxed, and accommodating. The place is super casual with great views of the beach and water.

Fish Heads is a true oceanfront dining experience since you're actually dining out on the pier. The…read morewait can be long, especially with larger groups. I've been here with a party of 12 before, and we definitely waited a while, but I was impressed that they were able to accommodate a group that size. This time, I was with a party of two and we were seated pretty quickly. My one complaint about the wait system is that they announce when your table is ready, but if you're out of earshot, you'll miss it. It would be nice if they used a text, call, or buzzer system so you could walk down to the beach while you wait. Part of the pier seating is covered, but the farther you go out, the more exposed you are. We were seated near the end, so it was hot in the direct sun and very windy. But that comes with the territory, and the views make it worth it. There are also plenty of birds hoping you'll share your fries with them, which is both expected and pretty funny. We each ordered a Pain Killer. It was good at first, but it quickly became watered down, and I didn't think it was worth $10. We also got the nachos, but the price adds up quickly once you start adding toppings. Most of the menu is very à la carte. The prices seem reasonable at first, but sides and toppings can add up fast. The burgers don't come with fries, for example. We both got the West Coast Burger. It was good, but nothing particularly memorable. Service was attentive and generally friendly. Overall, Fish Heads is one of the better dining options in the area. The pier setting and views really make the experience unique. I enjoy coming here and will likely be back.

Bar featuring Home Alone.

Coconut Shrimp Basket

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Wanchese Marina & Landing Grill

4.5(85 reviews)

8.0 mi

Casual, great view, friendly. Great food. It's a place overlooked by tourist. Locals love it!read more

When we come to the Outer Banks we do look for grilled or lightly blackened seafood...but a couple…read moreof days ago I was looking for good ole-fashioned clam strip basket. Hard to find in Richmond so if I have a chance to get them, I jump at the chance. The special of the day was a flounder basket. I was able to substitute clam strips for other items, and the basket included a nicely sized piece of flounder (fish of the day), heaping helping of clam strips, fries, hush puppies, and slaw. "Beer of the Day" was $2.00! Wife got the cheesesteak sub with fries. All food--as they tell you when you walk in is fried--is fried. Totally OK with that and it was very, very tasty. Friendly staff, items mostly homemade, clean restaurant, a clear view of an honest-to-goodness working dock. Exactly what we were looking for for our last night in Manteo area. If you have not been to the Marina and Grill...please get there for a fun, tasty, almost entirely homemade meal at very reasonable prices, rubbing elbows with locals and people coming off of the fishing day, just adds to the charm to this slightly off the beaten path gem.

Fish and shrimp basket

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View from out back

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14 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Scott F.

13 years ago

Ate there last summer. Liked it so much I think we ate there 3 times that week. Something happened this year. Went first the other night for dinner and the owner was standing out front and said their power was out. My wife said that's too bad we will be back where else would you recommend? Owner response was I don't know. Wife asked where do you eat? Owner response home. Really lame. We went back anyways based on our past experiences. Very strange at 630 only one other table when last year same week would have been a huge wait. I suspect their service or lack of has caught up with them. Our server although not rude was completely unengaged. She would just stare at us and seemed to make a conscious effort to say as little as possible. Here comes the kicker. I ordered the fried chicken dish and when I bit into the breast it was raw..not pink just plain raw. I showed it to the server and she winced so I guess that means she agreed again she didn't want to talk and that includes an apology. After about 10 minutes she came back winced again and said it would be another 5 minutes. I said please box it up as the rest of my family had already finished. I shouldn't have paid for it but I did even though I just threw it out. No manager or anyone ever apologized and tried to make it better. The owner or person who identified himself as the owner was there. He had enough time to go to the bar and get himself a glass of wine (and walk into the back) but not take care of his guests. Too bad last year we thought we found something nice. Been to the Outerbanks at least once a year for the last 30 years and will cross this one off the list. read more

Sarah W.

13 years ago

This little known place has been consistently good to us over the years. It used to be Jockey's Ribs, and we enjoyed it then. Great seafood dishes, and daily specials. Also a nice little bar you can cozy up to. It's a little tough to see, tucked behind Kitty Hawk Kites. That being said, it's rarely crowded. Often we'll be deciding where to eat, drop by two places that have hour waits, then just head here because we know we'll get a table right away. I think 'Cafe' might be a little misnomer, as this is more a solid beach joint. Would recommend. read more

L G.

8 years ago

We had an outstanding breakfast at Old Nags Head Cafe. Great avocodo toast along with chicken and biscuits. Are server was excellent and urged us to return for dinner which we did. The mahi special, shrimp and grits were both delicious. We actually came back the next day for breakfast again and split the cinnamon swirl French toast. Did I mention they roast their own coffee. Fabulous! read more

Rand G.

5 years ago

We had a fabulous time at Nags Head Cafe, such a clean little cute oceanside cafe... Our family went for breakfast, we were so impressed we went back for lunch. It was a Saturday and they were quite busy but it was well worth the wait. Tuna fish bites and crispy chicken biscuit were out of this world good. We'll be back! read more

B G.

10 years ago

We ate breakfast here on Friday morning and it was extremely good. We were offered a discount coupon for dinner and decided to use it for dinner the next day. Boy! Are we glad we did. I had the steak special and my wife had the crab cakes. Both were excellent. Service was also good and we'll be going back again. read more

Lisa B.

14 years ago

Excellent. The name has changed but the food is still excellent. I had the broiled platter with lump crab meat, scallops and shrimp with vegetable medley and baked potato. Everything was perfectly cooked. We had a party of 5 but chose the bar instead of a table or booth. Rachel , the bartender was excellent. read more

Jon A.

3 years ago

I was here for breakfast. The coffee (I did not order one of their special coffees) is awful--watery and without taste. For this and two pieces of French toast and two scrambled eggs plus tip: $25. Go to Miller's--same coffee but half as much--up the same road in Kill Devil. read more

McPhoo M.

5 years ago

This place was ok. Food sat in the window a little too long because by the time we got it, it was only luke warm. Nothing really special to write about, just a typical breakfast. Staff was nice. read more

Laura C.

8 years ago

Found this last year when leaving for the week. Great little place. We'll be back this year for sure. Very comfortable atmosphere and nice staff. Food was good. Kid friendly. read more

E D.

8 years ago

Closed. No updated hours. Thanks, never coming back. Long enough now? read more

Rob O.

265

100

12 years ago

Quaint, clean and super friendly staff. Had a great meal with 6 of us and most definitely will be back!

Vannessa A.

8 years ago

This place has great coffee, breakfast and such a friendly staff! So glad we found it on this trip.

Susan G.

8 years ago

The food was fresh and tasty and service was quick and friendly. Made us feel at home!

Wade P.

5 years ago

Best food I've ever ate was at this restaurant

Nags Head Cafe - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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