A must in the OBX! We go at least once during our annual visit. The creativity and flavors of all of their dishes is second to none. We had their Vietnamese pumpkin crab soup, tomato basil soup, autumnal ravioli and smoked pork tenderloin. Each was chef's kiss! As usual their service was also impeccable - thanks Brandy!! Don't think of ending your meal without their house-made desserts - even if you get it to go! Thanks Saltbox for your consistent quality and a wonderful experience. We will see you next year! read more

i only came in for a caesar salad, but it's the best caesar salad i've ever had in my life. the coconut cake is also very good. not too moist, not too dry, fluffy and light with a dense rich icing. thoroughly enjoyed, i would recommend those items, and i will come back to explore the menu some more. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

The food was decent. The service was not okay. The waitress treated me horribly for whatever reason unbeknownst to me, my sister, and every single other patron at this establishment. There is only one reason to treat someone this way and we all know that reason we have all suffered from this reason in one form or another. Lets let it end here. I am posting this review so that this establishment can be put on notice. The overwhelming response I have received has not only warmed my heart but assured me I have done the right thing. I thank you all. Stay blessed. Kiss noise. read more

I'm reviewing this literally a minute after our party of 11 finished our meals. I wanted to get it all out before I go into a food coma after that delicious experience. This place is a little off the beaten path --which is where you always find the gems. SERVICE Half of our party has experience in hospitality and I'm a chef myself. So with that being said, here's my critique of their service as someone from the industry... There was only one waiter, but it didn't hurt the quality of our service. He was great actually. Friendly, accommodating and funny. He has a lovely Aussie accent which is always a plus in my book, personally (I love accents! Wish I had one.) After we ate our meal the chef came out and had a nice chat with us. I love it when chefs do this --it shows hat they really care about giving you a great meal and that they care about their patrons. Also, as we were leaving, we saw the chef harvesting fresh rosemary off the front garden! A+++ FOOD The food was absolutely spectacular (see pics). It's amazing food at very reasonable prices. All 11 of us could not recommend this place enough. Everyone kept saying how much of a great find this place is. We were also seated next to a group of 4 who came down from Virginia specifically to eat here. I'll tell you a secret to knowing if the food at a restaurant is great: if a party is loud and talking amongst one another before the food comes and then completely silent once the food arrives, it's because they're too busy devouring the food. That's how you know the food is truly exceptional --when it shuts 11 people up at once! OTHER MUSINGS They are doing construction outside --building an outside screened in patio with benches. It looks great so far and will probably be everyone's preferred seating. Our only regret is that we didn't know about this place beforehand as they have "Swine & Wine" nights --a 6 course meal with wine pairings. The chef told us what his menu plan was for tonight's swine and wine event and we were all drooling. Sounds like an event worth marking in your calendar. read more

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What a charming little place. We went on a Thursday at 11:30am and ordered the crab cake sandwich and the fried fish platter. We were the only ones there and sat in the screened-in porch area (which must have been new b/c the wood was still green). The crab cake sandwich was juicy and had big chunks of flaky crab meat. It was a bit plain though; no bold flavors came through and I found myself putting pepper and tartar sauce on it. The simplicity of it DID however allow the crab to shine as the star of the sandwich. It was not overly salty or greasy...yay. The fried fish was so crunchy flaky and delicious. I highly recommend it. The fries that came with it tasted just like McDonald fries, which I frankly very much enjoyed. The hubs and I both thought the coleslaw was super plain and bland...I added salt and pepper to mine. I would sub that out next time. My side salad was amazing...kalamata olives, tomato and cucumber tossed in a light vinaigrette, yum. They have a huge wine menu too! I would come back! read more

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One of my favorite restaurants on our beach. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you don't want to overlook this charming spot. I can honestly say that the Tofu Katsu was one of the best meals I have ever enjoyed. The Southwestern Veggie Bowl with vegan chorizo, avocado cilantro lime crema, and plantains was also out of this world. And you'll want to save room for dessert- Amanda creates the BEST chocolate mousse. Incredible place run by some amazing people! read more

We made a reservation by phone a month ago to eat at this restaurant. We specifically asked NOT to be put at the small table next to the door. We had had an awful experience in the past of being blown by cold air every time the door was opened at this table. We were shocked that the hostess tried to seat us at the table we specifically asked NOT to be seated at. She told us to eat at the bar or wait 30-60 min for another table to open up. What a horrible way to treat a longterm returning customer with reservations! We will NOT come to this restaurant again. if I could give this restaurant zero stars I would. read more

My friend and I arrived at the restaurant around 1:15 PM on a Wednesday to a packed house! We had a 30 minute wait which gave us time to catch up, no problem. It was worth the wait! The waitress was awesome and promptly took our wine order. My friend and I decided to both get the crab cake sandwich when the waitress described them as Maryland type crab cakes and they were all crab meat and no filler. They were delish! We substituted the fries for beer battered onion rings which were great. This is our second lunch visit to the cafe and hope to have dinner here soon! read more

This was an incredible experience! We had brunch which I highly recommend, I had Colington biscuits and gravy! I'm still thinking about it weeks later- it was incredible. We went back for dinner and had the crab cake with potatoes and brussels sprouts with a bacon sauce, everything was perfect and the sauce was so good I could have licked the plate. A reservation is a must! read more

Great little spot and awesome food! I had the crab cake eggs Benedict for brunch and it was amazing. Their Bloody Mary is the only one I've actually ever enjoyed, too. There isn't much seating inside, but the little outdoor patio tables by the water are great, and the scenery is even better. There's a cute little sign that says "Don't feed the mermaids". So perfect! read more

Stopped in with friends who have a house in Duck and they'd been here a few times before. Kind of small and off the beaten path but not too far away. Food was very good even though it's a fairly small menu. Very limited selection for the one picky eater in our group. They don't even have plain old French fries except on the children's menu. Most of us couldn't even find an acceptable appetizer. There was no fish of the day when we went, limited draft beer selection (only 3), etc... If eclectic is your style then I highly recommend it. If you're not into sweet potato fries, sriracha fries, butternut squash soup, duck, etc...then save your time and money. Our bill was $200 BE WARNED that other than beer/wine they DO NOT SERVE ALCOHOL. We wanted to toast a friend who had passed away but we had to wait until we got back to the beach house since 3 in our group don't like beer or wine. read more

Hands down the kindest staff! Co-owner/chef Randolph came out and check on everyone to make sure everyone was satisfied. I had the Mediterranean salad with the catch of the day which was Wahoo. Seriously I can't wait to come back and have it again! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

The food is well prepared and proportionate. The menu includes local seafood and Chef Randolph puts a special Cajun twist on some of the items that make them unique and extremely delicious. Most of all Chef Amanda makes the most amazing deserts, the carrot cake is my family's favorite. Service is always on point. You can never go wrong here, whether it's brunch, lunch, or dinner. read more

Great service. Tasty food. Casual atmosphere. Very much enjoyed the lunch. Seared crab cake sandwich was a wonderful lunch.

Eclectic menu! Really good, fresh food! Nice beer & wine selection. Spring roll appetizer & saki Bloody Mary are both highly recommended! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Yummy saki Bloody Mary! - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Always excellent Service and food consistently Everything is great !! Opens at 11:30 though not 11a like site says read more

Best food I have had in years. Excellent service. We were on vacation and found this restaurant on Yelp so we took a chance, so glad we did. Best to make reservations. read more

My new favorite restaurant. We had a group of five who decided to dine here last minute on a Saturday night. We were able to get a seat on the porch and everything was perfect from the food to our friendly wait staff. We tried everything from appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts. Everything about The SaltBox Cafe was such a great experience we woke up and decided to go back to give their brunch menu a try.. it also did not disappoint. We will be back!!! read more

Spent a weekend in OBX for work and play with one of my friends and we decided to take advantage of restaurant week. This was one of the ones on the list and it got great ratings so we gave it a shot. The staff that greeted us was very friendly. I got the Brussel sprouts, the mussels over curried soba noodles, and the dessert was a mint chocolate mousse. My friend got the fried cheese, mushroom ravioli and the same dessert (fixed menu item for restaurant week). The meal was delicious ! Only thing I wish is that we had more than one option for the dessert. Not everyone loves chocolate mint. But it was still tasty nonetheless ! Solid drink options. We enjoyed our experience so the next day before heading back home we came back for brunch! Split the pumpkin pancakes and got tots. Delish! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Pumpkin pancakes w/ veggie sausage and tots - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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not a bad item on the menu!! Also love supporting a small business and great owners. best crab cakes I've ever had

I have lived on the Outer Banks for 16 years, and this is by far my favorite restaurant. The food is outstanding, the wine selection awesome, but the most notable trait is the outstanding and committed staff. The owners are a couple who put everything into their restaurant, and it shows. The fabulous staff that they have assembled are just as committed to outstanding customer service. read more

You Wont be disappointed with the food or Service at the salt box. they have something on the menu for everyone and the Service is 5 star.

If you have a passion for excellent quality food prepared well, this is the place for you. Nothing mass market or institutional about this place - it's a delightful respite from standard OBX restaurants. The setting: Colington, away from the crowds and traffic. We had 7:45 pm reservations, and were warmly greeted upon arrival. The staff graciously accommodated our request to sit on the screened-in porch, and set up our table, where we were entertained by a talented accordion player with a vast repertoire of tunes. The specialty cocktails were fun, as was the recommended wine. Table appetizers of crab gazpacho and BBQ shrimp (with amazing grilled bread for dipping) disappeared as our family dug in. Soft shell crab and fish of the day entrees were delicious and perfectly prepared. The steak was unbelievable. Best of all, Chef Randolph Sprinkle stopped by our table; we loved talking with him. Kudos to him and Chef Amanda Sprinkle for creating a delightful oasis of fine food and service. Also: our server Tiffany was so much fun and took great care of us. We will ask for her at our next visit. SaltBox Cafe: fresh, fun, innovative! Love it! read more

A quaint restaurant with delicious food! We ordered the New Orleans BBQ shrimp and it was spot on! Best we've had outside of New Orleans! We had an order of ciabatta which was perfect to get the extra sauce from the shrimp! Both of us ordered the crab cake with parsnip purée and garlic sautéed kale. Absolutely no filler in the crab cakes! We ended the meal sharing the chocolate coconut cake, and it was delicious! The was a great little find! read more

Simply fantastic. We go here every year and it never disappoints. This is truly one of the best places we've eaten -- period. We also met chef last night, which was very nice. It's the little stuff that crosses this food across the line into something amazing. You have to try it. read more

Fantastic lunch spot. Great service and really good food. My husband devoured his super cheesey sandwich and tomato soup. The hummus that came with my salad was delicious. Everything was fresh and quickly served. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Tomato soup - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Staff is super friendly and efficient. Brandy was our server, great customer service! Met chefRandolph with a world class chef resume. Brunch on Sunday was perfect. Crab Benedict and stuffed French toast a must!! read more

Great little café with great food! We went here for Sunday brunch and loved it. Found out about it from a tour book and decided to give it a try. Pretty sure we were the only non-locals in there, but the staff couldn't have been friendlier. The café itself is very small, but it does have an enclosed outside deck with a view of the water that you can sit and enjoy the view while you eat. The place was packed for brunch. We ended up sitting at the bar, which was perfectly comfortable. Now for the food! I ordered the Egg Sammie and it was huge and delicious. Perfectly fried egg, crispy bacon, & cheese on toasted Italian bread served with kettle chips. It was probably the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had. My companion had the chipped beef and gravy and she said it was delicious too. The only thing that disappointed me was the fact that I won't be here next Sunday to enjoy their brunch again! Can't wait for my next trip to the OBX so that I can go back! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

The food is great, but it took awhile to get our food. I wish they had more fish options with as close as they are to the ocean. They only had two waitresses when I was there so the service was okay. They were running around like crazy people. People also had to wait awhile too because they don't have a lot of tables. read more

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Wow! A small place with very involved and friendly owners. We stopped in for lunch on a Friday around 11am. We ordered all of the fries and onion rings to try: the sweet potato fries and the jalapeño paprika fries were to die for. The crab cake sandwich and flounder sandwich were both also great. My nephew ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup and I would highly recommend it for adults! The soup was creamy and full of yummy fresh basil and the bread on the sandwich was crusty and buttery. A must try!! read more

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Stumbled on this via Yelp and so glad I did. A hidden gem with excellent food. Make sure to call ahead for reservations as it books up quick. Best meal I had all week! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Seared Duck Breast - Best meali in OBX - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

There are insufficient superlative adjectives to describe this restaurant, their exquisite food, and the chef/owners! I have never been disappointed in the food or the service. They go above and beyond to provide the best of both! The only problem I have is trying to decide which of their delectable menu items to choose!!! If you are ever in Kill Devil Hills, don't miss this uniquely wonderful dining experience! read more

This was our favorite dinner on our recent trip to the Outer Banks. We actually came twice and enjoyed both meals. Fish of the day the first time (tilefish) and shrimp and grits on the second trip. It's a great, cozy restaurant. I highly recommend it. read more

I LOVE this establishment! I had the pleasure of eating here and devouring the special of grilled tuna with fried green tomatoes and asparagus. I honestly could not wait to get back to OBX just so I could eat here again. Unfortunately, the night my guest and I chose to eat here, it was St. Patrick's Day and no openings on the reservation planner. Cannot be mad at that, I understand.. the food is amazing!! read more

Food fresh and delicious. Seafood also sooo tasty. Best restaurant in obx by far! Hidddn local gem! Service also friendly and prompt!

The Salt Box never disappoints! Everything we have ever ordered in our many visits is always delicious! Even take out tastes perfect! Truly an amazingly talented group!! read more

6 years later we tried salt box again and so glad we did! Best meal and experience we have had in a long time. Everything we got was outstanding. Tuna, crab cake, spinach salad, shrimp, risotto, Brussel sprouts, Delish!!! Will be back!!! read more

Great place to eat, hard to get a table with out reservations. But since when is a caesar with shrimp not an entree. I asked for bread with two of these and glass of wine in an outside table. These tables are first come first serve . I was informed they did not serve bread unless one ordered an entree. The cost would be 1.50. That will be fine, I said. But got to thinking a little tacky to make the comment. Just bring and charge. But food is delightful. read more

We really like the cozy feel this former cottage gives! Staff was very friendly and helpful. I cannot have gluten or dairy and I appreciated the allergen notes on the menu. Our waiter was very attentive to my allergens and did double check with the chef if he wasnt sure about something. This was helpful and I was able to order the house salad with fresh shrimp with confidence. The fresh shrimp was delicious. My spouse ordered the burger special, "black and blue" and enjoyed it. He was also a fan of the sweet potato fries. Overall this is a good spot and I would recommend it to anyone looking for local hospitality and something less touristy. read more

This, my fellow yelpers, is what it's all about. A quaint and intimate setting with a chef that has superlative cooking skills creating fantastic mouth watering dishes. The service was attentive and pleasant. They are generous with their pouring of wine too. In a tourist area usually filled with mediocre dining establishments catering to the crowds, this place is a stand out. A true hidden gem. My teen son dined on duck breast sitting on a bed of red quinoa and spinach. He absolutely loved the duck. It was cooked to perfection. I ordered the brown butter gnocchi. Butternut squash, mushrooms and gnocchi in a brown sauce. Heaven!! read more