First of all, the place definitely has a surfer vibe, but I didn't find it as bohemian as some of the other reviewers. Don't get me wrong, it looks like a 70's-era Florida Keys castoff from the outside, but I found the inside pleasantly hygenic. I'll get this right out of the way - the only thing I can ding Hatterasman for is the condiments served in small plastic tubs. I'm a condiment guy and I like having access to the containers. I ordered the haddock sandwich platter, which came with fries. I dressed that up with a side of onion rings because I skipped breakfast and had run far enough on the beach to earn me some blisters on my big toes. My girlfriend ordered the fried shrimp platter, also adorned with fries. I must say, the french fries some of the best that I've had in a while, and I eat a lot of fries. They were tiny slivers, and perfectly buttery, delicate and dusted with parsley. The onion rings were a close second. My fried haddock sandwich, while slightly overcooked, had a hearty taste and included tomato, lettuce and a decent tartar. It was man-sized, making up for the imperfect breading. I didn't try my girlfriend's shrimp, but she said it was good and it's appearance gave me no reason to doubt that. I would definitely put Hatterasman on your list of lunch spots. Dinner, no, if only because you need to sleep and eating that much grease at night isn't good. read more

Burgers and Fries, self serve fountain drinks, picnic tables or inside seating, Solid roadside experience.

We eat here 3 to 5 times per season each time we visit the OBX. Burgers and shoe string fries are incredible. The soft shell crab sandwich (in season) is to die for. Flounder sandwich is absolutely huge and pretty tasty. Not fancy but darn good fried fare. Top off the meal with a visit to their mini ice cream parlor. New this year - pet goats! read more

Hatterasman is nothing special to look at but we enjoyed a good lunch that tasted great. Their pork BBQ had some good spice to it to go with the vinegar and the fries were tasty. Good place to stop on Hatteras Island. read more

Good was good but the environment and friendly people are what really made this stop a great experience for us! The staff was very friendly and invited us to a corn hole tournament the upcoming weekend. We really wish we were staying longer! read more

Typical greasy spoon, with emphasis on the grease. Stopped on a Monday morning--we were on our way back up the beach from O'Cock and it was the first open place we found. We're very fond of mom and pops and forgave the run-down appearance hoping for one of those TV-like experiences in which first impressions give way to amazing food. It was not to be. My omelette, a huge and heavy eggy mass, was served with the north end hanging over the plate and dragged across the table, and my husband's bacon was so soggy he had to blot off the grease. The "biscuits" were cold, not fresh, not homemade. The coffee was terrible. The inside of the restaurant was disheveled, not tidy, not very clean. We ate because we were hungry, but suffered the consequences later in the day--EVERYTHING was drenched in fat. Just keep driving. I wish we had. read more

Great local spot! We were down in Hatteras for a long weekend in January and were pleased to find that this was one of the places open during the off season. We had a crabcake sandwich that was out of this world and a Philly cheese steak that was fantastic. The crabcake was nicely done and the cheese steak was hot, melty, and delicious! The fries were ridiculously addictive and the dollar beers were a nice surprise. Definitely will be going back! read more

Don't let the cover dissuade you from stopping in to this throw back in time drive in. It is in what looks like an old service station just as you pull into Hatteras. The menu and specials are all hand written and betray the fresh, rotating variety of seafood that is available. The fish is mostly fried but it is perfectly done and very well priced for the quality. Oyster sandwiches and grouper were rocking last time. The owner is usually walking about taking orders or running food. He takes pride in his product and should considering it keeps up with the pricer options near the docks. Stop by for lunch, dinner some soft serve ice cream or the corn hole tournament held week nights in the side yard. read more

Yummy home made biscuits. Casual lunch vibe. Real down home friendly feel to this place. Enjoyed it.

Breakfast is good, but burgers and barbecue sandwich and what you really want from here. The fries are great to season with what tastes like Rosemary and pepper. read more

Hit this place on the way back home from ocracoke. The food was good, tasty shrimp and grouper for the wife and I. The girl who took our order was nice but it took like 20 minutes to get the food. During that time I killed like 10 flies at our table and the 4 guys in the back were very loud doing who knows what as there was only one other order in. Bags set in the back is a nice touch while waiting. read more

Was hoping for quick pickup bfast sandwiches..they took so long to make and many items were not available.

My sisters and I vacation in OBX every summer and we always make sure to stop here for there hush puppies, onion rings, and beer! We love it, super nice and cute waitstaff too! :) read more

This place is alright, especially if you want a cheap (for Hatteras), unhealthy fried meal. The place smells strongly of fry oil. The food was pretty decent. The atmosphere was fine. My wife and I got the crab cake sandwich and the oyster sandwich. We both liked the oyster sandwich a lot better. read more

We read recent yelp reviews and thought we'd stop in. Friendly order taker explained the menu, as this was our first time. Wife got 1/4 lb. cheeseburger and scrumptious fries. I enjoyed catch of day fish sandwich, fries, and slaw. We met the owner who is a very proud Veteran and shared his dreams for a next door, small veterans park. Also Hatterasman sponsors an informal monthly, Past and Present Veterans meeting for Americas Best to just rap and socialize. We salute you Sir and your family . We will be back. read more

A complete dive. Rednecky with country music for entertainment. The pictures posted by others for this place were either posted by friends or family because they look nothing close to what you get. The fries are good, but you can't that wrong. Everything else was horrible. The hamburger was atrocious....burnt patties that looked liked they came out of a frozen box from Cosco. The hush puppies were bad. The chicken cheese meal was okay. The seafood was dated. Bring cash! A plus is the corn hole set up outside the restaurant. read more

This place looks like a dive, but don't let that fool you. Great burgers in a good atmosphere! Would recommend!

Came here for the first time May 2014, and the food was fantastic. It had everything you wanted for a traditional American beach restaurant, cheap and delicious food! Came back Aug 2016 and the place still amazing!! Glad to see that it's still around. read more

Hole in the wall with no ac but the food is worth the sweat; Just drink more beer. The fish sandwiches are awesome and the fries are really good. Definitely worth a try. They have cornhole tournaments outside and several tables inside. read more

May look a bit sketch from the outside, but don't let that fool you. The food is great, especially the BBQ chicken. The huge quantity of thin fries is unbeatable. Make sure to try this joint at least once. read more

Grabbed a takeout order on check in night in Hatteras. Grilled Mahi sandwich w/ fries & a fried flounder sandwich w/ fries. Also grabbed two cups of the Hatteras Chowder. Everything was terrific & hit the spot, including the herbed French fries. It is cash only, but we knew that, because it's clearly posted. We would definitely go back. Loved the Chowder!! read more

So glad Dinky's wasn't open when we were in the area and in search of food. This place looks like a dive but the beer and food were the best! Great crispy french fries. The freshest fish sandwich I've ever had. It was grilled seasoned mahi mahi. My husband had a cheeseburger. He is a cheeseburger snob and LOVED it! Highly recommend a stop in if you want good food, good service and friendly atmosphere. read more

Fix your new tables. Can't slide legs under them. Too low!!! Also stop shorting me on the fries. Basket was seriously light last night. Love this place and yes it's a dive. But fix a few things please! Tables you just built too low. My 5'10" frame can't fit. Ordered grouper and only got a few fries. But otherwise it was perfect. read more

It was HOT in there very smokey... Smelt like I had made the meal when I left.. Ok for fried food, soft shell crab was very salty

Eh. We came for breakfast, and it was mediocre. The potato hash is just chopped up, roasted, half-cooked potatoes. The atmosphere inside is very welcoming, but boy is it hot in there. Staff is friendly. The owner is very proud to be an American, and must be a veteran bc there is a lot of memorabilia and decorations sporting that. Cute place. Wish I would have gotten a burger though instead of the chicken biscuit and potato hash. :/ read more

My family and I stopped in to get something to drink on our way to the ferry. My 5 year old son really wanted some ice cream and asked the man behind the counter for some. Unfortunately, this place does not sell any. However, rather than disappoint a child the man offered my son one of his own ice cream sandwiches that he. Needless to say my son was very happy and the rest of us were very impressed with this kindness and great customer service. We will be back the next time we are in the area. read more

Cash only - But that only adds to its authentic OBX beach front charm. Delicious fries, burgers, fish sandwiches.... crab cakes are excellent!!! Def coming back here! read more

Awesome food I had the buffalo wings and steak hoagie. Good prices, great place to stop at if you need a quick bite to eat. Bring cash

This is a great little dive! The bad reviews seem to be from people that expected something extravagant. If you want a great, sit down destination then don't go here. It's a hut with food and it's amazing. read more

Believe the descriptions that call this a dive. I had to hunt down the owner out back to get service, and the guys who worked there seemed annoyed to be disturbed from a smoke break behind the kitchen. I held out hope that the food would be good enough to compensate for the negatives, but I was disappointed. The fish sandwich was ok, but not worth a special trip by any means. read more

Everything you come to expect from a local cheap restaurant, Good people, Large portions, low prices, and fantastic food!

It seems that The Hatterasman is under new ownership. From the reviews I have been reading, the menu changes, lack of cleanliness from the cooking "staff", and my last visit, I predict this place will have a short lifespan. Such a shame as it was a great stop for many, many years. read more

Unfortunately, I think The Hatterasman was sold recently - because it has gone downhill fast even just from last year. We always make it a point to stop for some burgers and fries and my Dad has been eating here since he was a little kid, but walking into the place last week, it changed a whole lot. The whole counter was gone, and there was 4 burgers on the menu. They used to have an extensive and tasty menu - not any more. The burgers arrive in what looks like a regular small store bought $1 for 8 hamburger buns type deal. They used to have shoestring fries, which have now been replaced with soggy limp frozen crimple fries. No tshirts for sale other than random second hand OBX ones, no beer, no diet soda even, and definitely not a smile from the man working in there. Sad :( read more

We stopped by the Hatterasman on an impulse to get a quick snack. I went in thinking of ordering a hot dog. We ended up ordering a fried flounder sandwich and splitting it. Good thing cause the thing was huge. The flounder was fresh and certainly a real fish as it was still in fish shape. The fish was 4 times the size of the bun and although simple fare it was good. The sandwich came with shoestring style fries, also tasty. We also got an order of onion rings. They were tasty and not greasy. The locals dining at this place were very friendly and sociable read more

Interesting place. Good food. Greasy southern style grilled food. I had the grilled cheese. It was yummy. My wife's hamburger was tongue slap your brain good. The food is the reason it gets 3 stars, otherwise it would be 1 star. I'm not really sure how to describe the decor and service.... The aesthetics of the place just makes it feel yucky. They were 2 large refrigerated coolers sitting on top of tables. The seating is scattered. Combos do not include drinks. Ice was in a igloo style cooler with a dirty spoon to shovel it out. There's no soda fountain, just canned drinks. This place does not serve beer, which is not that important to me. To top it all off...I'm pretty certain the person that took our order was high. Even though the food was good, we won't be going back. read more

The crabcake sandwich was amazing. Both me and my 9yr old daughter loved it. The fries are seasoned perfectly. The bacon cheeseburger was huge and the cheese steak was also perfect. Prices compare to similar style food in the area, but it was well worth it. read more

The place is at the top of our list to avoid now! Terrible food and service plus overpriced!!!

Have eaten here a handful of times over the years on vacation. The food is mediocre and way overpriced. Staff is rude & the place is dirty. Dirty diaper was laying in the parking lot, which could be forgiven if from the result of a visitor. However, it was still laying there 3 days later, along with other trash throughout the parking area. CLEAN THIS PLACE UP! read more

This is the perfect place to stop in if you are in the need for some food and have just come off the beach. Nothing fancy, but it will fix a hungry stomach with good food. The people working here aren't very friendly, so don't expect to be greeted when you come in. The older gentlemen, who I expected maybe ran the place, was super nice though. The bbq was pretty good with a little bit of spice. The frys are pretty thin but are soooo delicious. Definitely a good stop in place if your looking for a decent bite to eat. Bbq was 8.99 with fries. read more

Previously for the last 10 years we have loved this place! Unfortunately today when we stopped by there were approx. 10 people ahead of us we were told 20-30 min wait. They had no chili and no slaw. The crab cakes have been taken off the menu. The register help left with one person working the grill and the front, leaving just the cook. We waited at least 45 minutes. The food was underwhelming and there was no explanation or apologies by the staff. At least 8 people came in behind us that were advised of the wait and they all left. For the prices my expectations are a little higher. read more