First time in 5 years, first since the renovation. Ambience is much more sophisticated and refined, yet still inviting. Best hush puppies I've had in my life. Menu is significantly pared down from previous model. Pricier, but the quality and presentation make it worth it. Half the mahi-mahi fish tacos and my daughter had black bean burger and fries. Both were vastly better than past years. Keggy was our server and I asked if they made shots, she said what were you thinking? I replied we were in Duck so I'd like a Duck fart, she said no, you're in Kitty Hawk, so I ordered the Kitty Hawk Rooster, and she explained to me where the name originated. Friendly staff, personable service. Only complaint, the AC upstairs was blowing right on us, so it was a little chilly. Would recommend to anyone. $60 for appetizer, two handheld meals and one cocktail. Two thumbs up!!! read more

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The newly renovated RunDown has an updated look. No more cheesy lackluster beach decor. It's more bright and definitely feels refreshed. Our group came for a super early dinner. We were seated in the lower dining area. Our server was great. She was super friendly and very timely in her service. Food was good, it was never that great. They have their standby dishes like the sesame noodles. I decided tot ru the fish and chips. The fish was good but the very odd "chips" seemed like shaved potatoes that were cold. They looked good but could have been hot. We all ordered cocktails. I had the orange crush and it was delicious. It didn't really have much booze but was tasty. read more

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My wife and I went for dinner after a long hot day on Roanoke Island. Both ordered Caesar salad, one with added crab cake and the other with Coconut Shrimp. The service was excellent making us feel at home. The salad itself was very good; dressed just right and lots of shredded parm cheese. The extras were spectacular. Crab cake full of crab and spiced just right. The coconut shrimp actually tasted like coconut, with the shrimp fried perfectly, tender and juicy. All future coconut shrimp will be judged from this excellent example. read more

Rundown cafe is the perfect spot for a dinner after the beach. Located in the gorgeous Kitty Hawk this restaurant has stunning views of the ocean from their outdoor upstairs bar. Recently renovated they serve fantastic cuisine with a wide variety of options. I highly recommend coming early as it does get busy during the summer season. One of my favorite restaurants on the Outer Banks. read more

Rundown Cafe - A delicious margarita from their outdoor bar. - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Very casual, "island style" service and vibe. Self seated on upstairs deck (per hostess), but in no hurry. Sesame noodles with coconut shrimp (really good!) added. 3x Mahi (blackened) Tacos. Seasonal Salad was watermelon and cucumber, which we shared. I had a orange frozen drink with triple sec and cream Vodka. Think Dreamsicle! Our server, Summer, was lovely, helpful and knowledgeable about the entire menu. read more

Rundown Cafe - Noodles, seasonal salad, and fish Tacos. - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Service was a little slow but food was pretty good. Our table had the mahi mahi sandwich (delicious), a burger, and fried shrimp. We started with the crab dip which was good but not something I would get again (came with crackers and would have been way better of it was with toasted bread instead). We got the orange crushes which were really good and also the espresso drink (which tried to be an espresso martini but fell short). read more

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I can't say enough about this place. They were so kind to our family as we came in the middle of the day. The place is absolutely stunning, which clearly gives the name of the place in oxymoron. I typically know what I want to order for this time I didn't because everything looks so good. I shot from the hip and got the scammony pasta and it was probably the best pasta I've ever had. It was so light and hot and fresh so much flavor in such a simple dish. I was very impressed. read more

Rundown Cafe - Shrimp Linguine - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Finally stopped in to try the Bloody Mary. It was decent. The coconut shrimp were delicious. Reminded me of an old restaurant in Hawaii that me and my husband use to go to. Bartender was super nice. The hostess definitely didn't make us feel welcomed. Very bright establishment. Love the way the inside is. Will be back next time to try more food. We had only gone for a drink. Hopefully it's not too hot next time and we can sit outside read more

Rundown Cafe - Bloody Mary - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

This has become our local favorite for the outside views of the ocean and vibes. The drinks and food add to the atmosphere. Our favorite is the Sesame Noodle bowl. It's served chilled with Asian flavors and your choice of protein. Seared tuna is his favorite and shrimp is mine. Haven't had a bad dish here yet! We will be back! read more

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Amazing place! Fun and delicious! Best fish and chips I have ever ever tasted! Highly recommend

First time trying this restaurant, and it was beautifully designed/renovated. We were greeted with friendly staff and seated right away. The hostess sat us in a great location, near the bar. The menu had a nice mix and prices very reasonable. I ordered the rundown burger with fries, medium rare, when it arrived it was cooked perfectly and was pretty large, served on toasted brioche bun and fries. Absolutely delicious. My friend ordered the crab cake entree, it came with mashed potatoes and a fresh zucchini medley. The cakes were delicious mashed potatoes arrived cold, but once we got the waiter, he came back with warm ones, very good. Overall we enjoyed it and will be back again for sure. read more

Rundown Cafe - Rundown Burger - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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I'm surprised that this place is so well rated. Perhaps we came on an "off" night or the kitchen was tired, but all the food was meh. The shrimp were tasteless and felt like they were literally just defrosted and barely re-heated, tacos were ok but not great, and the linguine was super over-cooked. The ambiance was nice and restaurant decor was cute, but the food was just not good read more

We sat upstairs on the open deck on a warm autumn day. The waitress was patient as we questioned the menu options and returned when we finally decided. She ordered the drink special which ended up being very sweet so she settle for a gin and soda and I had a nice spicy Bloody Mary. She ordered the jerk burger medium rare and I ordered the coconut chicken. The burger came out overcooked and was returned, the second burger came out just as overcooked and the jerk sauce was overly sweet. The fries are very good. The Coconut chicken on the other hand was amazing. Not only was the chicken moist all the way through, the crusted coconut on the outside was flavorful, the chicken had a wonderful coconut flavor all the way through. For the end she had Key Lime pie that she enjoyed and I had an extraordinary slice of cinnamon roll cheese cake read more

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This is very cute place! The decor is really authentic and the food was good as well as the service. I ordered the crab cake sandwich which was good and my husband got the fish and chips and let me tell you that his was a 10/10 I would come back to get that everytime. I wish I had taken a picture tho. read more

Rundown Cafe - Crab cake sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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A hidden gem in Kitty Hawk! The Rundown Cafe has been a Kitty Hawk staple for years, but their recent renovations have really brought it to life with a fresh, updated coastal charm. Located right across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn, it's an absolute gem. Whether you want to sit in the climate-controlled inside or head to the upper deck to enjoy the weather with your dog, they've got you covered! The Service: Top-notch. Katie gave us a warm welcome, and Lisa took amazing, attentive care of us. The Food: Outstanding! We loved the Shrimp Dinner, Coconut Shrimp, classic Fish and Chips, and the phenomenal Soft Shell Crab Tacos. Don't skip the Oreo cheesecake for dessert! It's a shame we only found it on our last day of vacation, but it will be our very first stop next time we're in the Outer Banks. Highly recommend! read more

We stopped here for lunch after visiting the town of Duck, home of Duck Donuts. Not sure what to expect, but we enjoyed the entrees offered. Although the menu is somewhat limited to the selections, all of our dishes were well prepared and presented. The interior was decorated with a island theme. There are two main seating areas, ground level and an upper level. Like other popular establishments in Outer Banks area, it can get crowded during peak lunch and dinner hours. You may want to visit outside the normal peak hours. read more

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Good service and food was amazing and private in the middle I got fried chicken it was amazing it gives you a lot of chicken

I came back here for another sit-down meal. I had the Hawaiian mahi sandwich. It also came with a side of fries, which came out hot and seasoned nicely. There was a nice crisp to them too. The sandwich had a blackened mahi loin on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, and a Cajun tartar sauce. This was well put together. The ratio of filing to bun was ideal. The piece of mahi was seasoned appropriately and was a nice size. The pineapple added a little sweetness to it. I was expecting more from the tartar sauce, but not a big deal as I enjoyed the sandwich as a whole. I also tried the rundown fish burrito which had grilled ahi tuna, tomatoes, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, jalapenos, and BBQ sauce. I was hesitant to try this because of the presence of the BBQ sauce, but it was not really tasted because of the rest of the flavors incorporated. The fresh jalapenos on the half I tried were extremely spicy. Besides that, it was well received. read more

Rundown Cafe - Hawaiian Mahi Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We couldn't wait to see the renovations. So glad we went to the bar to have drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The service and staff are as awesome as they have always been. The thing we missed the most is the mural on the wall in the bar. Everything is so vanilla now. They need to add a little bit of color back to the walls. read more

Rundown Cafe - This is the wall where the mural used to be. Please bring it back! - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

The updated vibe is esthetically pleasing. Food is as delicious as it's always been! Sesame noodle bowl is my go-to. read more

Rundown Cafe - Sesame noodle bowl with grilled shrimp (sans mandarin oranges) - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Once again a great experience at Rundown. I'll admit at first I wasn't to thrilled with the upgrade, I loved the old vibe, but the food is as great as ever and the staff is still top notch. I'm a local and Rundown is still my go to anytime of the year. read more

Solid choice for dinner - hubs had wings and fries, the fries were great! I had the Ahi Tuna sandwich it was tasty but a bit over cooked for my liking. I also had a side salad that was meh bagged lettuce and some was a bit past wilted - I decided not to chance it and left it. Service was great though! read more

Visited Rundown Cafe today, 7/5/2026, for some drinks at the bar, and we were disappointed. We sat at the lower bar, and our bartender, who did not introduce himself to us, failed to engage in any conversation at all with my wife or me. He did speak Spanish to another gentleman who was working behind the bar while we were sitting there. We found this experience to be extremely rude. Additionally, there was no advance notification of the Sunday Bloody Mary special, which we heard other guests inquire about prior to the business opening. We have frequented the restaurant several times, but this latest experience was extremely disappointing. read more

Friendly staff, nice views from the Hula deck upstairs and food wasn't good. The homemade chicken noodle soup hit the spot on tonight's windy deck. read more

This is a re-review based on a recent visit. I brought my guests here for a light lunch. My wife and I usually eat here and the food is usually good. This last visit fell short of my expectations. I brought 5 old friends here to enjoy a nearby lunch. Light lunch was our intention. We ordered beers and they were fine. Food was not fresh. I had a. Arafat salad that was served with "soggy" croutons. Not sure how this could happen unless the salad fixings w ere preserved and refrigerated. The others ordered light meals such as the tuna bites and the tacos. Nothing memorable. Hope this was just an "off day" read more

Rundown Cafe - Burger and fries - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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We were pleasantly surprised by the menus and food. Their waffles are some of the best I've ever had. Crispy outside and tender in the inside. The over medium eggs were right on. read more

We were in the mood for seafood and Rundown Cafe had high reviews. We came here early afternoon, it was not busy at all. Our server was friendly and attentive to our table. The ambiance is a chill spot and ironically isn't 'rundown.' At the time of our visit their rooftop deck/patio was under renovation. The food we got was exactly what we were looking for. It was delicious! The crab cake burger was so good. They serve their dishes with a chipotle tartar sauce and its boss! Overall this place was a total win and we'd come back in the future! read more

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Our lunch was good but nothing amazing to write home about - they have gluten free buns which is a plus but fries aren't GF. Staff was polite and helpful. read more

Service was great and food was amazing! Had the chicken tacos and they were excellent! Hushpuppies tasty! We would definitely eat there again! read more

A Kitty Hawk Beach classic... decent food, good prices, and quick service. The noise level in the restaurant itself was very overwhelming, but there was live music on the porch although it was too hot to sit there. I got the sesame noodle bowl with Ahi tuna, and it was delicious, although a little expensive given the quality of the ingredients. I would recommend this for families and large groups looking for a quick service restaurant with a nice vibe. The wait can be long at times due to its popularity, so be prepared if you are coming on a busy day. read more

Food was delicious. I had the shrimp tacos. There are lots of shrimp on the three tacos. The coleslaw and avocado added great taste and texture. My husband had the mahi blackened sandwich. We would both order the same again. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. The only issue was that it was ridiculously cold in the restaurant. It was 58 outside but was probably 55 or less inside. Maybe the goal is to sell their sweatshirts. read more

Rundown Cafe - Shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

This was our first lunch stop on our trip to the OBX and it was pretty good! We started off with the chips, salsa and queso. Chips and queso were delicious but the salsa tasted off to us. We mentioned it to our server and she was kind enough to bring us an extra queso for us! We ordered the fried shrimp tacos and they were fresh and crispy. The black beans were good and the rice was okay. Could have been cooked more. Our server was kind and attentive. We were here for a late lunch and it was not overly busy for a Monday in August. read more

Rundown Cafe - Chips queso and salsa - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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The Rundown has been our favorite place to eat on the Outer Banks. Recent renovations are not totally on the mark, like the small round tables upstairs. The branding has changed enough to make the place an entirely different one from the beach cafe we've eaten at for 30 years. Most disappointing is that our old favorites are not on the menu any more. We ate there recently and the only thing on offer that remotely appealed to me was an appetizer, which was subpar. We didn't like the craft beer selection, and nothing else was available on draft. Unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

We weren't expecting it to be so nice based on pics online but the restaurant was recently redone and is SUPER cute. We were pretty impressed with the hush puppies and mahi sandwich, and the drinks were yummy. Our server, Maria (I believe) was attentive and fun with great recommendations. If you're ever in Kitty Hawk and needing a date night dinner or drinks with friends, this is a great place. read more

Adorable, no frills restaurant. It was raining when we went so we sat inside. The fried chicken dinner was delicious. It came with cornbread (yummy), mashed potatoes and veggies. The soft shell crab sandwich was excellent, as well. FF were very good and hot! You have to try the orange crush cocktail. They have a large Koi pond. Bring quarters to buy fish food! Great meal, friendly service and good atmosphere. 3 drinks plus food..$66.00. Can't beat it. read more

I would give the service 5 stars our server was great and freindly and very attentive. There was 4 of us and only 1 of 4 seemed to be pleased with the food. I can only speak for what I had....... I had a burger that was supposed to be medium rare, I received an extremely overcooked dry burger.....cole slaw was good...but overall I would give them a second chance.....but not anytime soon. read more

With a name like 'rundown cafe', I was not sure what to expect. But at 3;30pm on a Saturday, this place was packed. (Mostly with people drinking) and it was loud. Everyone was having a good time. I don't drink, but if I did I would come here. So got a burger with a gluten free bun because I am celiac. It was ok. I would probably not get it again. It was ok. I was told the wings were ok but that person would not get them again. The staff was very accommodating of getting something gluten free. I appreciated it. read more

We've been eating there off and on for over 20 years, and we still love it. Apparently under new management in the past couple of years, but still has the same low key OBX vibe. And the koi pond, which young kids just love. Our most recent two visits were very different: a sunny, warm day on the Hula Deck (served by Amanda), and a rainy, miserable day inside (served by Kristin). Early May so not busy. The food on both visits was outstanding, and the servers very friendly and efficient. (We highly recommend the Blackened Tuna Nachos, one of the best dishes we've ever had.) read more

Rundown Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Just went back in after their new renovation and it is beautiful! We ate upstairs and watched a storm roll in over the ocean. Simone, the bartender, was wonderful. Outstanding service and the drinks were excellent! Also had the tuna tartare and fish and chips and both were lovely. Will be one of my new spots for sure. read more

Went with my mom and 3 sisters at 6pm on a Saturday night. We sat inside but the top deck looks magnificent! Burgers- amazing. Servers- amazing. Rundown cafe- amazing. If you are on OBX you should definitely come here. It really captures the essence (especially for myself as a tourist). Coleslaw is so good!! Radical Unmatched No other Delicious On top Winning Notorious Cunning Ambiance Fruitful Evening read more

Rundown Cafe - inside area - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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