What a hidden gem!!!! We loved the oysters and shrimp. Claudia was an amazing bar tender.

Came down to OBX for a weekend getaway had a blast at this place Great dive bar with some tasty shrimp I'll be back for sure

The 3 From the Sea was good. The crab cakes were tasty and we enjoyed our dinners at first. HOWEVER, my daughter's best friend ordered one of the simplest things on the menu- a bacon cheeseburger. Everything seemed okay at first, but after eating she seemed quiet. By the time we reached the parking lot she was violently ill. She lost her entire dinner before we reached the car. Poor kid. She was the only one who ate something other than the seafood & the timing points & lack of other causes point to something being 'off' on the burger. (The Mayo?) My husband went in to let them know so no one else got sick. They were very defensive. He didn't ask for anything or want anything other than to prevent anyone else from getting sick. Not a good attitude to have under the circumstances! read more

We are a family of oyster lovers, and after ordering fried oysters and other fried seafood at a few other spots in the outer banks, we discovered Pop's, and we are so so glad we did! We came twice, the first time for lunch, when we tried some of the fresh fish sandwiches and shared a fried oyster lunch special. But when we came the second time for dinner, we all got the fried oyster platters! They are served piping hot, are HUGE oysters (the biggest I've ever had!), and they come with fries, hush puppies, and cole slaw, each of which is also very good. After trying The Mad Crabber and Dirty Dick's and a few places on Ocracoke, I am amazed by how reasonable the price is for the quantity and quality! The ambience is very casual and has lots of dive bar vibes as other reviewers have described, but with nice facilities (and delicious food, as I already mentioned)--the bathroom really impressed me with its cleanliness. Location is also convenient, and there is some outdoor seating, but the service doesn't seem to be as good out there. Inside, at the high tops and bar, it's much easier to get the attention of the bartender and server. It is, in essence, still a dive, so expect a character or two. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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Needed a light snack so stopped in here to grab an appetizer to go. Ordered the crab bites and as I was driving down the road was thinking I should have doubled my order. This was the best crab cake (bites) I've had in OBX. Of course discovered it the last day of my trip. Good value and fast service too. read more

Hot Damn good clam strips and loved the homemade cocktail sauce with a good dose of horseradish. After a weeks vacation and eating in I needed some great Fried clam strips. Thanks Pops for meeting that need. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

Pops Bar, instead of raw bar, would probably be a more appropriate name for this place. Its definitely a local hole in the wall. I'd be down to come drink here but the food was just not there for me. The ambiance is definitely a bar. Your drink comes to you in a styrofoam cup. Shots in a plastic shot glass. Plastic silverware wrapped in a napkin. They automatically bring you tartar sauce and cocktail sauce in a cup with a lid on it before you even order which I thought was weird? We didn't touch it because we didnt order anything to eat it with, but I guess they just pass it around from table to table which also grossed me out. Who knows if someone opened it and put the lid back on...but anyway, I ordered the crab legs and they came served to me on a wet, brown plastic cafeteria tray. I instantly smelled fishy-ness which was a huge turn off. I know what you're thinking, crab is seafood, but it was honestly so overwhelming I was trying to figure out if something was wrong with them. The butter smelled off too, almost cheesy? I just could not enjoy my meal. Felt like something was spoiled the entire time whether it was the crab or the butter. I definitely would go elsewhere for seafood that's for sure. My husband ordered the burger and fries. The burger wasnt bad. Just like a burger from a bar, nothing super tasty. The fries tasted like burnt oil to the point that I spit it out after eating one and everyone knows I love me some fries. Perhaps I'd eat that burger if I was drunk, which a lot of the patrons seem to be. Good place to drink but it's a mehhhhh for the food in my opinion. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Cheeseburger with bacon. Regular burnt tasting fries on the side - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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Service was great! Excellent spot to grab lunch. Everything came out quick from the kitchen and the shrimp was awesome. Definitely recommend if you looking for a causal place to eat. read more

Loved this bar! The food was excellent, the staff courteous and friendly. I would definitely visit them again. Ok read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Specials - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

So, a group of 10 people, 4 of them children under age 17, walk into a dive bar... And proceed to have some of the best seafood ever. We sat outside and our server busted her butt waiting on us. We were fairly high maintenance but she was friendly, efficient, and fun. We didn't want for anything. Hubby and I ordered a raw oyster appetizer, because we like raw oysters but mostly to completely gross out the 4 neices who had never seen raw oysters. It worked. We ate delicious oysters and they were effectively grossed out. (Of course, our over exaggerated slurping helped.) Hubby and I each got the 3 from the sea and each ordered 3 different things so we could try everything. All 6 choices were awesome but we both agreed that the fried oysters (which the neices were less grossed out by) and the fish and crab cakes were outstanding. This place is excellent. Do not miss it when you're in the area. It's easy to get to from the lighthouse. You'll be glad you did. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Sign - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

We have always loved Pops Raw Bar. The food and service has always been above and beyond what we expected...until today. We ordered a pound of lemon peppered steamed scallops. They were tough, no hint of sweetness and were exactly the same diameter and thickness. Their texture and flavor were much more in keeping with shark. We will probably eat there again, but we won't be ordering scallops as it appears that they probably were not scallops. read more

Wow, wife said it looks like our kinda place. She always said eat where the locals eat. The waitress/bartender was very courteous and informative. The raw oysters were out of this world and the platter was delicious and plentiful. One of the best local places to eat around here. So if your down around Hatteras, make it a stop. Glad we did. read more

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Good food great service nice atmosphere very decent price.the calamari was excellent and hush puppies was delicious

Local dive bar with great food and friendly staff! So glad we found this gem while driving through! We had the shrimp tacos, crab cake sandwich and a cheeseburger. All 10/10! read more

Just arrived here after a 9 hour drive from the Philadelphia area.. didn't want to eat inside due to covid protocol.. had seafood platter with a a crab cake kicker which tasted awesome and very filling.. I forgot to ask for Old Bay on the French fries! Take out places seem to close early here.. read more

Jack, the owner, along with his staff make dining here a very worthwhile experience. His anecdotes and warnings about rip tides should be made into a movie that visitors have to sit through during their trip over. Great food, beer, and conversations can all be found here at Pop's. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Jack, the owner and myself - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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If you've never been to Pop's before, you'll have that momentary hesitation when you walk in and question whether you made a good choice...don't worry you have! The atmosphere is 100% unapologetically dive bar. That may be be off-putting for some, but the payoff is great food. The restaurant is entirely no-back bar stools and seating is available at the central bar, or one of the scattered high-top tables surrounding it. Even on the busiest nights the whole place is efficiently run by about three people: 1) the bartender who acts as bartender, waitress, and cashier, 2) the runner who fetches food, drinks, and cleans tables, and 3) the cook who hides mysteriously behind a window and churns out some awesome food. For the bar: nothing on tap. They keep it simple with bottles and cans, along with the normal selection of wine and spirits. Sodas come in a can as well, which is fine since the local water tends to make fountain sodas taste funny. Food: Seafood Fried, broiled, or blackened. Variety of fish changes but is always fresh and local. I've tried just about every seafood item on the menu and I've never been disappointed. I usually go with a fish sandwich, but usually add a side of steamed shrimp to share. The chicken and burger options are good too if someone isn't into seafood. For apps, the fish bites and crab balls rock. Darn it, now I'm getting hungry typing. It's a small place, so it can get busy any time a day if just a few larger groups show up at once. Occasionally they have a live music performer in the evenings. Tip: There's a back door too, and if it's windy out, use it. read more

Best roadside dining on Hatteras. Love their burgers and you can't beat their prices.

Really yummy! We got the steamed shrimp that was delicious with lots of bay seasoning on it. Fried Oyster Lunch includes fries, 2hushpuppies and coke slaw. 12.99 open off-season. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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Great ambience and good bar food. We ordered the grilled grouper, tuna sandwich and the blackened trigger fish. All the entrees are served with fries and the plates are fries, hushpuppies and coleslaw. The restaurant staff are very friendly and the place was hopping when we went during dinner. The grilled grouper was fresh, flaky and delicious. The star of the dinner was the flavorful trigger fish, it was cooked very well and was really good. The portions are generous and the prices are not expensive. There are some fun quotes on the walls at this place. We will be back when we come down to the island the next time. read more

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I've seen several people post about getting steamed oysters this summer and posted negatively about the taste. REMEMBER... after May oysters are out of season and come from other sources and suppliers and usually in warmer waters . From mid Sept. on in season they are far better when the water temperatures drop substantially. Pop's... it's defiantly my favorite place to eat when we visit. Never had anything I didn't like. To us it's a unique island restaurant and bar with the beach atmosphere you go there for. read more

So good that we decided to only eat here the entire week. Definitely a dive bar. We got take out all week. Great fried oysters. Everything we tried was great. read more

Had lunch here today. The place was packed the whole time we were there. There was one girl handling all order taking, bartending, and bussing tables. She did an amazing job!! We had food and drinks very quickly, especially given how busy them were! The triggerfish sandwich and the clam strips were great! Highly recommend this place! read more

So many restaurants in the area are closed between 3-5 and we finally found Pop's. We were looking for a place with steamers and good chowder, and Pop's delivered! Their clam chowder is more like a soup than a chowder and was on the salty side, but the flavor was sooo good. They also have fried stuff as well but we didn't order any of that. The seafood is generous and a great price - we ordered 1 lb of scallops, shrimp, and crab legs. Also ordered a dozen clams, hush puppies, and jalapeno poppers. It was a great meal for five people and the service was also very friendly and attentive. read more

Food was very good and service was outstanding. Don't let the looks of the place make you go elsewhere this place is clean.

Food was very good. I had catfish. I got 2 pieces of fish, large portion of fries (which looked to me like they were made from fresh cut potatoes) and coleslaw that was just the right amount of sweet. My husband and daughter-in-law got fried shrimp. They were lightly breaded and looked amazing. My daughter got crab balls and crab soup. She said both were delicious. My son got the crab cake sandwich and he lived it. They also have steamed and broiled seafood. The waitress stays busy. She is the only one for the whole place but she is very friendly and always moving. There are barstools only but they are padded and comfortable. If you have a large party (5 or more) plan to split up. We were able to sit at tables beside each other which worked out fine for us. It is not super fancy. The food is great, prices very reasonable, and it looks like a popular place with locals, which makes it my kind of joint! read more

Crappy fried food! rotten service! not worth while imho, There is better in this area Take your business elsewhere. read more

Was there a month ago. Food was outstanding at a great price. Coldest beer in north Caroline again at great prices. Friendly people and great atmosphere read more

Just got off the ferry from Ocracoke and we were starving. I am so happy we stopped here. Trigger fish sandwich and platter for my friend, and fried oyster plate for my honey. Everything was delicious. The server/ bartender, Karen, was kind and attentive. This place is definitely worth stopping in. 5 out 5 read more

This was lovely low key fun spot for dinner. Food is fresh and service was very friendly! read more

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This place is the place to go to get simply delicious OBX seafood, ice cold beverages, both beers and sodas, and to eat and drink while watching a game on tv. Not to many places anywhere serve their beverages as cold as Pop's, so GOOD FOR POP'S. Their steamed shrimp is the best in the OBX, in my humble opinion. The fired scallops are seafood buttery nuggets of freakin' deliciousness. The wait staff could easily give lessons on how to work hard to several generations of Americans, me included. They bust their butts to keep everyone served and drinks refreshed. When you are down in the south end of Hatteras Island, stop in at Pop's Raw Bar to give it a try. I am very glad they are surviving the pandemic. read more

1st time we went here we loved it we got the dinner for 2....2nd time it was ok we weren't allowed to substitute something for the crayfish as I don't eat them....3rd time we went got a fish sandwich 1 lady was running the whole place. I'm done with this place. 3 chances. won't be back read more

This little joint is a local watering hole that serves up some pretty good seafood as well as good pub grub. There is absolutely nothing fancy about this place, a few booths and plenty of stools around a well used bar. It is a great place to grab lunch and a couple of cold beers when it is too windy or rough to fish. The raw bar items are generally very good, the fried seafood can be inconsistent, but when it is right, it is excellent. The burgers here are very nice, as are the fries, and that is what we order most of the time. They are nice, friendly folks here, but the staff is usually at a minimun, so delivery time for your order may be a little slow - just do what the locals do(at least the ones that order food), sip a beer or two, when the food gets here it'll be hot. read more

Very local sports bar; folks were walking in and the waitress handed them their choice of beer without even asking. Bunch of local seafood guys sitting around the bar, talking about their families and watching the game. Awesome atmosphere. Raw bar aside, all the other food is fried; the only exception is their 1/2 pound steamed shrimp (with cajun spice mix). I'd also recommend their jalapeño poppers. Because they are a raw bar, FDA regulations prohibit them from using fresh local seafood, eventhough less than 10 meters away all sorts of fresh seafood is being caught by fishermen. Pop's has to get their seafood from a processing company. And that is the absurdity of the FDA, that fresh seafood is "unsanitary." If you'are at this point down Highway 12 and you want something else aside from fried snacks or shrimp, wait another hour and you'll get to Ocracoke. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

Cheap quality seafood. We got the largest seafood platter they had. The scallops were not fresh at all and the lemon pepper seasoning was very uneven and didn't taste very good. Overall just very poorly prepared. The crawfish were almost all full of eggs and just had a dusting of old bay and they called it a day. The drawn butter for all of it wasn't real butter. The wings were okay but came out naked with a small side of what tasted like franks red hot Buffalo sauce, nothing special. The waitress was rude and the place was dirty. (Also out of soap and paper towels in the bathroom) I enjoy a good dive but this was not that. read more

Pops is a neat little hole in the wall. Haven't been here in years but it didn't disappoint. Very good experience!!

This place is open for carry out during COVID and the quality of food is good with pretty good prices. But the bar was dirty and had flies. And after asking twice we still received no sauce with any meal. FYI if you order a sandwich it's just bread and meat no other toppings. Really was not impressed read more

Oysters were good at best didn't get anything else I think overpriced for being locally sourced I get cheaper ones when landlocked!

It's such a great treat to hit Hatteras Island's fav dive bar. Pops always delivers that perfect dose of local flavor. The beer was cold and the food hot! And the servers were cute. Thanks ladies. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Today's beer special. At least for me. - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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My wife and I visited the Outer Banks this week for the first time, and this is the spot we've been looking for. Part dive bar, part seafood establishment- this is not a place to be missed. The food was fantastic, the beer cheap and cold, and the service unparalleled. Already making plans to hit up lunch tomorrow before we leave town the following day. Do not sleep on Pop's. read more