The food was delicious! I had a crab cake sandwich with homemade aioli sauce on the side. Better than my own and everyone tells me mine are the best. Sweet potato fries and coleslaw came with it. Again, both were yummy! My husband had the soup of the day, Ancho Chili Potato Cream Soup and the Spring rolls and the Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake for dessert. He is still raving about the meal! All of the food was so fresh and tasty. April and her husband were excellent servers! So pleasant and competent. So nice to be taken care of! The decorations, cleanliness and homey feel of this restaurant makes you want to come back again and again! I would certainly recommend this restaurant for its great food, great service and all around great feeling about our experience at Salt Box Cafe. read more

Don't get the charcuterie board appetizer small plate whatever it's called, freaking $17 and least impactful lol -- but hey the nola bbq shrimp are great, spring rolls are good but all of these appetizers are low portion sizes. Definitely enjoyed the veal chop, strong sauce very heavy red wine taste, and the mashed potatoes were good. Asparagus grilled a bit would have been a better finish. Service was good, make sure to call ahead and get a reservation. Don't get the dark chocolate peanut butter pie unless you want fudge. It wasn't bad but it's just simply not a pie. Overall it was good, they should increase portions or decrease prices. read more

See all

The food, service and overall restaurant experience was outstanding. My wife and I went there for her birthday and as always everything was perfect. They even upon request made her a small cake. read more

The food has been extremely well prepared and delicious. Not your ordinary tourist town beach food.

This was our 1st time in the Outer Banks Area. My husband has a good instinct for finding good food places & this was very good! The staff was friendly and helpful but not clingy. The food was excellent! I had the stuffed mixed berry French toast w/ creme anglaise & crispy bacon and my husband had the crab cake spinach salad. We both cleaned our plates. The bacon was cooked perfectly and the French toast was lightly crispy, in just the right amount to stay that way while you ate. Even the powdered sugar on them was just the right amount, not too sweet. The crab cake on the salad was also lightly breaded, just enough to hold it together and had lots of crab. Hope you enjoy this place when you are in the area. I know we will be back when we return. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Crab cake spinach salad. - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

See all

Perfect little (literally) hidden gem! Seems to be a local spot- while we were there, a patron was securing their weekly reservation. With that said, I definitely recommend getting a reservation if you have a party over 2 people. My husband and I lucked out and snagged a bar spot. Food was great! I got the soft shell plate (the pimento Mac and cheese was so good and the soft shell crab was seasoned and fried to perfection with a delicious sauce) and my husband for the crab cake plate (very generous with the lump meat and had a unique maple bourbon sauce). Both of our dishes came with grilled asparagus which was raved over- serious the best asparagus I've ever had at a restaurant- it was so crisp and simple. Pro tip: save room for some delicious homemade desserts! We got the key lime brûlée and the bourbon pecan cream pie which had a delicious homemade crust. A note- they are beer and wine only. Small beer selection but a huge wine selection. read more

We debated whether or not to review but felt that the owners need to know when they loose customers and why. Especially since we had loved coming in the past. Our experience was on 10/4/24 . We called to inquire about a reservation but no one answered the phone. We did leave a message with our phone number but didn't ever receive a call back. We tried calling again after 5 pm and were told that there was outdoor seating in the porch available but that there were no seats available inside the restaurant. We were fine with that (weather was beautiful outside) and headed there. Once we arrived (5:15) we were asked if we had a reservation. we explained calling earlier and not getting a response and then even calling again and told about the porch seating. She said that she couldn't put us at the porch since they wouldn't seat just two people there. She was very arrogant about it and we decided against our better judgement to get set at the bar. We were scrunched up in the corner. Not very comfortable at all. Halle was our waitress and she was not very friendly. I guess since we didn't order alcoholic beverages.( we noticed that everyone who drank alcohol was treated better then those who didn't). We ordered an appetizer (street tacos) they were ok. We also ordered the special burger of the day and the shrimp and grits. There was way more sausage then shrimp in the shrimp and grits and the burger was overcooked and was more like a charcoal patty. The burger was also burnt and when told that it wasn't edible Halle took of and never apologized or offered to do anything. Actually I caught her and several of the staff peeking around the corner at us but NOONE acknowledged us. We were avoided. They basically ran from us. We were still charged $20 for the burger that had to have the burnt scraped off (ate 3 bites). I did eat the French fries although they were nothing special. I was hungry so I ate them. Their portions were not that large. (We noticed the couple next to us also had small portions with their food.) The check was $66.81 for a horrible experience bad attitudes and lousy food. (we still were even nice enough to give a tip, but shouldn't have).so we actually spent more then that. This was so disappointing since we had always enjoyed coming there for lunch and had recommended them to others. This staff acted like they were awesome and that they were doing you a favor being there. No worries we won't be back!! read more

My wife and i celebrated anniversary dinner with our dog Winston. The screened porch was perfect - breezy with acoustic singer Kim. Food was delicious. We got the brussell sprouts, veggie bowl and amazing burger. The chocolate tort was very good. read more

Food and service were awesome! Love the quaint setting and the fact is away from the strip!

The food is absolutely delish, the chef is creative and doesn't miss on the details. I would highly recommend. One of the notes from most places in outer banks is the wait staff is so overtasked that they barely look at you. All the staff at Saltbox take the time to speak to the customers and make for a great experience. Don't wait go enjoy a great meal now. read more

We love the salt box for Sunday brunch! Who doesn't want to start their day with a Bellini! Plus they have vegan options and for bfst that is a find! Mike was great - he was our server. The food and service keeps us coming back year after year! read more

The Best Crab Cake is here. Sweet Potato Fries are excellent. Sweet Tea is just right. Service is perfect. Awesome experience. read more

From start to finish Saltbox Cafe delivered. We had heard about the quaint little restaurant tucked off the beaten path and were not disappointed. First choice the Cheese Curds which were a new kind of appetizer treat. Crunchy and flavorful with a delicious pepper jam dipping sauce. The Arugula Salad stood out with the added flavor of red wine poached pears, candied pecans and chèvre cheese. Pan Seared Crab Cake was all crabmeat with a to die for candied bacon cream sauce (jar to go please). Finished up the evening with their Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd. So moist with tangy lemon flavor. Our server Mike did a great job taking care of us. Enjoyed him sharing a little history of couple that are the owners and chefs when we inquired. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

SaltBox is one of the finest establishments in the Outer Banks. The food is absolutely wonderful, and the only thing better is the people. The owners and staff make this restaurant a home base for those of us who live in the area as well as visitors. Brunch here is simply amazing. I have never been more excited to enjoy toast or a scramble. Take your wife and kids here gentlemen, you will not be disappointed! I would run out of room in a review to list all the wonderful items on the menu, let alone list the names of the awesome crew who make everyone's experience ridiculously awesome. The whole menu and every single person there is a treat. Stop in and be prepared for a fantastic meal! read more

We stopped in on vacay at Saltbox for lunch and I would absolutely recommend it! From the mimosas to apps to food and all in between, it was wonderful. We sat on the screened porch just off from the main door and if you get the chance to, I would recommend it! Thanks for such a wonderful meal! read more

Awesome service, delicious food. Plenty of vegan options too! Highly recommend if you're in OBX

OMG!! After coming to KH for just over 40 years we have a magnificent restaurant. Amazing tasty food, fresh ingredients, source to table (the eggs came from the farm this morning for brunch). Get the onion rings! The service and staff are exceptional. Busy but attentive, great sense of humor while providing professional detail. Mike and Percy were a delight. Clearly the leadership of Salt Box are invested and know what they are doing. I unconditionally recommend the Salt Box. Delicious preparation, scratch ingredients, tastes well balanced that allow the flavors to shine. Ownership working the kitchen and doing the prep assures the sustainability of this jewel. Just celebrated 7 years. A staff that is crisp and professional yet warm and engaging. Enjoy. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Seared tuna on the Mediterranean Salad - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Delicious farm to table fresh gourmet dishes that will have you returning to them for dinner another time for sure. Extremely cozy and quaint and the owners are the chefs and are on site and very kind. Hidden gem on the outer banks. read more

Make a reservation ahead of time, you don't want to miss this! Such a good breakfast spot, small inside area requires a reservation she add of time, but they also have a four table porch that offers a "on-the-bayou" feel. Great service & food. This is the Crab Benedict. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Crab Benedict & Original Mimosa - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

See all

Had brunch there and it was delicious. I had the peach Bellini and my gf had the pear and elderberry mimosa , both yummy! My eggs were cooked perfectly and was happy to vegetarian options for meat replacements. The atmosphere was peaceful, staff was welcoming and food was great. Would definitely recommend for visiting. We somehow got in and sat immediately on a Sunday but would suggest making a reservation! Will be back! read more

We have been coming to the OBX as a family for over 30 years, but only found the Salt Box about four years ago. And now we live permanently about a three minute drive away. I love shrimp and grits, and before trying them here, my best experience was the Paper Canoe north of Duck. (Go to the Paper Canoe, it's also awesome.) When we vacationed here, I would only get the shrimp and grits, and it was always delicious, and while we were ordering, I would be thinking, "Is it as good as I remembered?", first bite, OMG, oh, yeah, it's that good. Now that we're 'locals' (OK, transplants), we've been frequently, and we've pretty much explored the entire menu. First of all, this is a local place, most of the diners know the staff, and vice versa, and that's awesome. Second, this is refined Southern comfort food. The menu is limited, which means they concentrate on what they do well. Want a steak? They have one, only one, and it's awesome, tender, cooked to perfection and topped by a sauce that changes by the season. The ribs are tender and complex as they are cooked with the chef's BBQ sauce. The pork tenderloin is incredibly tender and topped with a glaze that will make you eyes roll back in your head. Catch of the day is fresh and always tasty. Did I mention the shrimp and grits? The apps are amazing, the NOLA shrimp will make you want to pour the remaining sauce over your head and lick it up if that were socially acceptable, but they fortunately provide some yummy grilled bread so that you do not have to undergo that awkward social faux pas. What they do with brussel sprouts is almost criminal as they are so tasty. In conclusion, please do NOT come to the Salt Box Cafe, it's so good we want to keep it for our own...there's a MacD's and Wendy's down in KDH on 158, I hear they are good.... Seriously, this place is awesome, and if you have an opportunity, stop in. Everything on the menu is good. read more

Lovely little spot off of milepost 8.5.. near the Wright Brothers memorial. Had a ladies morning out and loved the quaint decor of this cafe. They have an outside porch area and plenty of space for eating at a large table or even a few bar areas. The French toast options were totally a hit. We also had quite a few people decide to get the crab Benedict and loved it as well! I personally had a mimosa that was so so tasty. The waiter was super kind and helpful with our large group of 12. They had quick service as well!! We will definitely be making this our go to place for years to come. read more

See all

Fantastic local cafe. The tater tots with home-made sriracha, angel hair pasta with salmon, and the cheesecake sandwich were amazingly great . So many menu choices; I'll be back. read more

See all

We had ribs, soup and salad and crab cakes. The food was fair to good. The prices were high for not really excellent food. The waiter was hung over, distracted because he got bad news or born rude. The musician was excellent. Nice funky atmosphere. read more

The good friends, good wine, good service, food was super good. Oh and the peanut butter pie was delicious! All staff members were very nice, and happy to meet the owner. Looking forward to our next visit. Loved it!!! read more

Since we are now spending 10-12 weeks each year in KDH, we are branching out beyond our usual haunts that we love. And we are still finding places to add to our preferred list. Salt Box Café has joined that list. Our first visit was for Sunday brunch. We arrived at 11:45am without reservations, knowing we were taking a chance. The Saltbox is a small cottage and is very popular. You should have reservations, really for any visit to be safe. The brunch menu, while not large, gives you an opportunity to get away from standard cookie-cutter breakfast. Ms T had Crab Benedict. She said it was good, but was barely room temperature. To be fair, they do say it is chilled crab and the rest of it does not have enough heat capacity. My Potato Hash with Chipped Beef Gravy was excellent. I added a side of scrambled eggs and sausage. I would certainly order this again. The potatoes were fried well and were crispy. For the gravy, I pictured a heavy pasty white gravy, but it was not at all. It was more like a sauce and the potatoes were not drowned in it. My sausage and egg sides were really not needed, but it all made a good combination. Both platters were large and attractive. The plates we saw being delivered all looked very good. This is food being prepared by someone who cares and knows what they are doing. We look forward to returning for dinner and I am thinking sooner or later we will try lunch. This is a place to which we will bring guests. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Crab Benedict - Sunday Brunch - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

See all

We enjoyed another wonderful lunch today with blackened tile fish as a special! I love the Caesar salad with this on top and the pasta special was mushroom ravioli with creamy red sauce that hubby really enjoyed! The restaurant is so special and always a great meal. It is a real plus they accept lunch reservations this time of year and also offer delightful outdoor seating. The JACKPOT was the delicious coconut cream pie we shared for dessert! It's definitely our favorite and not offered every day! Great service from attentive staff and fabulous meals keep us coming back! read more

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

Best brunch on the island in my opinion. Locally owned and always fresh and delicious menu options.

This restaurant was one of our favorite hidden treasures of this vacation! It's small and quaint, and absolutely fantastic! Everything we ordered was excellent and the staff was awesome. read more

From the outside you may not think much of the place but once you step inside all of thoughts go out the door. The place quaint and has a nice sized bar, I was pleasantly surprised. I met a chef friend of mine there for lunch and so I let her order. I honestly can't remember the things she ordered but I do remember we had quite a smorgasbord and every single item was DELICIOUS! I highly recommend read more

While visiting the area we discovered The Saltbox Cafe. We went on a Saturday night. We didn't have a reservation and were fortunate to be seated. I recommend one makes a reservation. The food was amazing described as "fresh and elevated". Our server was April and she gave good recommendations. The desserts were made in house and delicious. The Saltbox Cafe was off the main thoroughfare but well worth the stop. We plan on stopping there next year. read more

We had a nice lunch at this new (to us) place in Colington. I had a cup of their thick tomato soup and a Caesar salad with crab cake (NO FILLER just meat!). My friend had the steak salad and raved about it! We also had the sweet potato fries - so good with cinnamon on them! Quaint little place with a nice screened in porch area for eating too! read more

See all

Absolutely amazing - superb dining experience! We were warmly greeted by the hostess and served by a friendly and attentive staff. The ambiance was cozy and elegant - the live instrumentalist added so much to the atmosphere. The food was fresh and absolutely delicious. We WILL visit again when we return to OBX! read more

I had the Pan Seared Crab Cake with roasted baby potatoes/crispy brussel sprouts/candied bacon cream. I am in the small majority that don't understand why brussels sprouts are paired with bacon--but I would eat this candied bacon cream on ANYTHING. It was a great complement to the veggies and the crab cake, which was cooked perfectly and didn't have an overwhelming filler or breadcrumbs used. Our waitress was attentive, and our waters were constantly being refilled by the staff, which was appreciated on a hot day! While the inside is quaint, you really feel like you are at a secret local spot, and I loved the art on the walls. I would definitely go back and recommend making the trip out here if you're at the OBX! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Pan Seared Crab Cake with roasted baby potatoes/crispy brussel sprouts/candied bacon cream - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

This wonderful find was amazing! The service is excellent- knowledgeable, friendly and just happy! I had the mushroom and blue cheese soup - it was layers of flavors. First the mushroom and then a hint of blue cheese and then together! I went on to get the special of roman noodles with shrimp and veggies! The portion size is perfect - the freshness is real! I must go back for dessert!! read more

Two ate for $69 before tip. There is a reason so many 5 stars ratings! Live acoustical guitar music, nice ambiance. Crab cakes solid meat, UNREAL! Shrimp and grits are awesome and spiced right. Come ready to eat! read more

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

See all

So yummy! I got the BLT for Sunday brunch. The bread was light and fluffy, yet perfectly griddled. The flavors were nicely balanced with the salty bacon, tomatoes, refreshing lettuce, and creamy aioli. My husband got the crab Benny and was very pleased. I witnessed the perfectly poached eggs. The staff was so welcoming and took covid precautions very seriously. Everyone was wearing masks, tables were staggered, every other booth was blocked off. read more

Tasty food and sweet atmosphere on the screened-in porch. It is a smaller place, not great for large parties, but perfect for a date night. Crab cakes were recommended and delicious. You need reservations for inside, I think. We would return! read more

Wonderful place. We've been coming down to the obx since 84. Live in va beach so not a long way. We have a place in KH and always enjoy Memorial Day weekend here. Have eaten at most places in the time we've come down here but this place wins hands down. FANTASTIC gourmet food VERY reasonably priced. It is definitely off the beaten path but amazing. Didn't have reservations so sat at the bar and April took great care of us. I had shrimp and grits and it was amazing. Cannot say enough will return every time we come down here. read more

Loved this adorable lunch stop! We sat on the screened porch and ordered a fried mahi sandwich + blackened mahi on their Mediterranean salad. Both were very freshly prepared and we had excellent service. read more

See all