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    Swells’a Brewing

    4.7 (114 reviews)
    ModerateBreweries
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    $13 flight of 4
    Tom L.

    Awesome space. Beers all above average and nice variety of styles for any beer lover. Service was friendly. I'd love to catch some live music outside but a super warm week. We were the first customers of the day, chatted up the guy behind the bar who suggested Kill Devil Grill for lunch so we walked there and back for another beer and he had no clue who we were an hour later. That was odd, but awesome brewery in the OBX!

    Beer flight
    Jen C.

    This has become a go-to spot when we come to the area each year. We appreciate the laid back atmosphere and variety of beer. Like most small breweries, they have a largish selection of IPAs but I appreciate they don't dominate the options. They have indoor and outdoor seating options. Plus, they have an upper deck where you can take in the view while enjoying your beverage.

    Bahama mama tried
    Skyler G.

    Such a great place to hang out on a nice day! They have two patios with plenty of seating. I love their sours and my boyfriend loves their blonde ale! Definitely recommend coming here if you like beer and want a place to hang out for the day. They also have lots of board games.

    June 2024
    Kristine S.

    Anytime we are visiting a new area, it doesn't take us long to find a cool brewery. Swells'a was an awesome time on our first afternoon in the OBX. Hubby and I visited along with his brother and our sister-in-law. We all loved the variety of beer as well as the outdoor upper deck. The views were tough to beat! Absolutely wonderful while sipping flights. My favorite beer was the Bahama mama tried fruited sour with the as legend has it porter as a close second. Hubby loved the jimmy buffett ruined my life dipa and phantasea archipelago hazy ipa. I highly recommend stopping in for a beer while in the area!

    Symonka R.

    Came in for drinks after 6pm, easy parking and chill ambiance. Unsurprisingly, has a coastal vibe. Beers were great! Quick service and relaxed vibe.

    Dan R.

    There's some kind of storm brewing in his eyes Only veiled by a thin disguise (Maroon Five) Our hotel was super close to Swells'a Brewing, so we knew we'd visit before we moved on. We also knew that they didn't serve food, so we picked up some sandwiches in Duck, NC and carried them in. There are three general seating areas, small indoor ones upstairs and downstairs, and a large outdoor one upstairs. We chose the indoor upstairs room. Swells'a Brewing has a diverse beer list with IPAs, Sours, Pale Ales, Pilsners, Porters, Lagers, Stouts, and more. We are not hoppy IPA fans, so when we saw their lineup listened some "Light and Crushables" that seemed to be right in our strike zone. We went with a Hatty Light Czech-Style Pilsner Pilsner - Czech - 4.5% ABV and a Pea Island Pilsner Pilsner - 5.7% ABV. Sorry, but we were disappointed in the beers. I tried both and thought one was too sour and the other was too hoppy. Most definitely not "Light and Crushable" to my palate. Gotta give them a shout-out for their community service donations to "One Percent for the Planet". They annually donate 1% of gross sales to the three Outer Banks national parks.

    Second story deck view toward the ocean.
    Doug M.

    Found this place searching online during vacation. Beer ratings looked good on Untapped app. Terrific brewery right on US 12 in Kill Devil Hills NC. Enjoyed several brews from them all fantastic. Great location in OBX and a very nice second story open deck overlooking the immediate area. Friendly staff. Just a great place to relax and enjoy a few well made beers.

    Nancy H.

    Loved it here! Swells'a will definitely be one of my stops on every future OBX trip. I love that it is really geared towards adults. Many of the other breweries in the area cater to families whereas this one provides a high-class, gorgeously decorated experience for that older crowd. Service was fantastic and friendly. Beers and seltzers were delicious. Ambiance is gorgeous. They don't offer food other than a few bar snacks, which is our only "negative" but in reality, there are so many great spots in the close vicinity that it works out great.

    Sour, wheat beer, seltzer, ale
    Valerie N.

    This place has really improved in their beer selection from last year. They have a variety that includes IPAs, sours, porters, etc., and they even have wine available as well. Their sour and seltzer were available as a slushie too (I tried the sour, and it was delicious!). There's no kitchen, but they sell chips. I also heard they have a food truck sometimes. There's seating both indoors and outdoors, including an elevated patio. This is a great brewery addition to OBX. Looking forward to coming back!

    Flight of Beer
    Dan M.

    Great to see a cool brewery so close to the beach in the OBX! Got a few flights of beer while was waiting an hour+ to eat at the Kill Devil Grill. Jimmy Buffett Ruined My Life IPA, Phantasea Archipelago Hazy IPA, LA Freeway Pilsner, The grateful shred, orange creamsicle, and Hatty Light were my favorites! Good service. No food; just booze!

    Flight
    Kaitlynn J.

    We went to Swells'a twice during our 3 day stay in Kill Devil Hills. Service was great. We sat both on the deck & outside in the grass, both were great! The Kahuna Matata was my favorite by far.

    Emma G.

    Lovely addition to the OBX! This brewery is beautiful and simple. They have a good variety of beers that have various flavors. The bartender was great and efficient. We both enjoyed our beers and sat in the upstairs patio. I bet during the summer it's packed! There is a decent amount of space upstairs, downstairs, and outside to hang out. Only thing we felt was missed was any kind of games or something of the sort to keep us busy. Since they don't serve food, it would be nice to have those out or TVs with some entertainment to bring life in. Overall, great beer and experience, I recommend!

    Neema B.

    Passed this brewery on our way to grab food while in KDH. So we had to double back and check it out. Inside and outside we saw several local vendors which was pretty cool. Items for sale included sunglasses, pottery, vintage records, t-shirts and glassware. There's plenty of seating both inside and outside, upstairs and down. We sat up on the patio and enjoyed the views. I tried the hatty light which is labeled a blond but tastes like Pilsner. I drank it but I didn't like it. I did try the raspberry lime sweltzer and liked it more. They have several beers on tap which we were told rotate frequently. The brewery had a nice vibe and I'd come back on another visit to chill.

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    1 year ago

    Great beer & upstairs deck. Right across from the beach. We enjoyed a breezy afternoon relaxing & enjoying OBX!

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    1 year ago

    Good beer, live music on Sunday was great, good vibe and staff. All around enjoyable experience

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    Great beer and server, nice atmosphere too! Close to the beach and other nice restaurants!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Swells’a Brewing

    Review Highlights - Swells’a Brewing

    They have a variety that includes IPAs, sours, porters, etc., and they even have wine available as well.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    The Kill Devil Grill

    The Kill Devil Grill

    4.7
    (1.5k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We were staying in Corolla and decided to venture out for a late lunch and I'm so glad we did. The…read moreKill Devil Grill was a highlight of our trip. The restaurant has two distinct dining areas: the front section is first-come first-served bar seating that offers the full menu. The back section, which would be ideal for families, holds about 30 tables, mostly booths, with the hostess stand. We chose to sit at the bar and had a great experience. We started with bruschetta topped with burrata cheese. I ordered the angel hair pasta in a white garlic butter, cream sauce with marinated chicken and grilled vegetables. My husband ordered the special hamburger with Swiss cheese bacon, spinach and mayo with a side of fries. We ended with slices of the key lime pie that didn't disappoint! The food, service, staff and environment were exceptional! We overheard the Server mention that veterans receive complementary meals on Veterans Day, which speaks volumes about how this restaurant supports those who have served. If you are in the Outer Banks- whether you're staying in Kill Devil Hills or nearby- this restaurant is worth the drive and all the hype!

    This was one of the most recommended restaurants in the Outer Banks, and it definitely matched the…read morehype. It's housed in an old train car which is really cool (there's additional seating in a building attached to the car). The bar is nicely stocked with a lot of local beers and spirits. Our friendly bartender was well-versed in all their offerings too. The food was also quite good. There were a lot of items (check the daily specials) that feature local flavors.

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Caesar salad
    Caesar salad
    Burger was perfect

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    Burger was perfect
    Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill

    Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill

    4.3
    (997 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Mama Kwan's has only improved in recent years. Their fries remain some of the best in the area, and…read morethe 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.

    It had been a while since we visited Mama Kwan's. I remembered some good Rockfish tacos and wanted…read moreto 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.

    Photos
    Entrance
    Entrance
    Jerk chicken soft tacos
    Jerk chicken soft tacos
    Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill

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    Hurricane Mo's

    Hurricane Mo's

    4.0
    (513 reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $$

    We originally went to another restaurant to find out they were closed on Tuesdays, figured we would…read morecome here for the first time. Omg... this did not disappoint. First, the value for what you get on the seafood platter compared to the price, so worth it. Popcorn shrimp was excellent, they definitely bread it in house. Seafood Virginia was spectacular. Crab cakes were crispy, everything that was fried had a thin coating, which my family and I prefer. The pan-seared seafood platter was also delicious! The service was quick and nice. The restaurant is not huge but we got in with a family of 5 within 15 minutes during happy hour. A must try in the OBX!!

    Stopped in for lunch and was greeted by an unfriendly, somewhat nasty attitude hostess. Service…read moredidn't get much better at the table. Our party of 6 split up to avoid having to wait 45 minutes for a single table to sit us all. We were a party of 4 and another table of 2. We had different waitress and the one table was almost finished their meal before the other table was served even though we sat down at the same time. I was informed the scallops were chewy due to being over cooked and the soft shell crab was fishy tasty like they were not fresh and they cut a small one into two not coming close to filling the taco shell. The peel your own shrimp were also over cooked making it difficult to get the shell off. I will however say the clam chowder was delicious, the she crab soup was a little too rich for me to finish my bowl but was very tasty. The blackened tuna bites were amazing. However despite my meal being good the over consensus was not good.

    Photos
    Nice vibe
    Nice vibe
    Seared Shrimp Platter
    Seared Shrimp Platter
    Hurricane Mo's

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    Swells’a Brewing - breweries - Updated July 2026

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