This is our favorite place on the outer banks. We usually don't eat out but make an exception for this restaurant. This last visit, we all enjoyed our meals, the atmosphere and bartenders! read more

So that we don't get in a rut going to the same 3-4 places, we agreed to use a random process for selecting our dining choices. We made list, eliminating the ones we know we would never return to and ran the random selection and ended up at Tortuga's for a second visit. It had been about two years since we were here but remembered a good burger. Since we have cut back on our burger consumption, Ms T opted for the Big Wave Dave and I had fish tacos. This was not as good of an experience as our first time. There were issues, some of them in the kitchen and some of them our personal preferences. The Big Wave Dave comprises a grilled chicken breast with pineapple and cheese. We have never experienced anything like the tough, chewiness of this chicken. Ms T had no intention of eating the bun anyway, but there is no way you would have been able to eat this as a sandwich. She could barely cut it with the knife provided. I ate a few bites and can confirm, she was not making this up. I can't explain it. I have simply never had chicken this tough and did not know it was possible. To make matters worse, there was absolutely no seasoning of any kind on the chicken. No salt, no nothing. I have not been a fan of Mahi Mahi but am starting to warm up to it as I am kind of forced to since it is ubiquitous around here. My first experience with it was dried out and nasty. I decided to give it another chance since I wanted fish tacos and that was what they do here. The fish was good, not dried out, not strong. It has a nice meaty texture. The issue with this is the heavy, heavy,heavy handed use of cumin. I just don't get it. We had the same experience at Coastal Provisions. Do they really use cumin this heavily in the "Islands"? The black beans that accompanied the tacos were also inedible with cumin. It made them bitter, unless that was a result of cooking them with beer. Or both. The salsa was very poorly done, with cumin as well and just no thought to balance and depth. It was also bitter. Despite all that, the tacos were not bad with the creamy dressing and cabbage to add some crunch. I just wish the seasoning was not done with a sledgehammer. Why not create a rub that has something besides cumin? There are so many things that could be done with this while retaining an Island façade. If this had been my first visit, it would have been one and done. As it is, I will never get Ms T back here. But I know they made a good burger and there are probably things that have more of the main ingredient than cumin. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't like cumin. It is critical in some food, but like the use of tons of raw onion, it can be offensive. It was offensive here. I reduce a star for this and if I had not been here before with better results, it would be two stars. read more

Tortuga's Lie - Cumin Tacos with some Mahi added - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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Really great all around. Perfect beach shack vibe with great food and drinks. Pollo loco with lime curry sauce was amahzing. Crab cake burger awesome. Margarita and pain killer perfect. Even the kids were happy. Fun backyard. Plenty of shade. Service impeccable. read more

This place was great! Laid back and yummy food, exactly what myself, wife, and kids (11 and 15) needed towards the end of our vacation. For apps my wife had the shrimp special and I had the nachos. My kids had the beans and rice (no beans). The rice does come with salsa. All of it was yummy but I think the star was the shrimp. For a main course my wife had the pineapple and chicken sand and she loved it. My kids had a burger and buttered pasta. Pasta is pasta but the burger was top notch. I had the Pork Antonio and it was really good. It was odd in that I loved my first bite but the dish seemed to get better the more I ate. We waited about 30 minutes to get in so we ordered a beer and drank it on the patio. Bar area crowded without much SD, but the eating area had very spread out tables and you felt safe. Go. Here. Soon. read more

We live in Hampton Roads, and husband and I have been known to drive all the way to OBX just to eat at Tortugas! The service is great. We usually order the conch fritters as our appetizer. So good! I always order the fish tacos with black beans and rice. The best fish tacos I've had anywhere. The cocktails are really good. I can't remember the name of the cocktail I ordered last time, but the rum floater was an unexpected smack in the mouth... in the best way! read more

Tortuga's Lie - Fish tacos with rice and black beans - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

If I could give Six stars I would!! Soooo good!! Bartenders were super friendly, hostess was very helpful and the atmosphere was amazing, including the music. Great local and craft beer selection. Caribbean-esque menu has something for everyone. I had Conch Fritters with this gorgeous honey jerk sauce and salsa as a starter and Tortola Chicken with a delicious red bean and rice side. The artwork and swag are great too and they even have a couple sand volleyball courts. Wish I lived closer, I'd be a regular!! read more

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We came as a family for lunch here for our one meal at a restaurant during our stay in the Outer Banks and it did not disappoint! I'm glad we chose this place because it had a lot of local flair and the food tasted really fresh. We enjoyed all of our entrees from the lunch menu at an affordable price. It may not be the most authentic Jamaican jerk chicken that I've had but it was still really yummy. The staff was also super friendly and everyone was abiding by the mask and social distancing guidelines. I will surely return on my next trip! read more

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This place was happy happy . The shrimp was good the food was pretty great. The service was good too . But the best part is there's a play area . The area was really nice too .The END.... read more

Coming from an OBX native: Locals love it - if you're local, you're probably just reading this for entertainment, because you're bored, or because you're management. If you're local you already know that Tortuga's is awesome. If you're on vacation on the Outer Banks ..... You will love the island vibe and tasty menu. Theres nothing I wouldn't recommend on the menu. Some favorites :fish tacos / Teriyaki burger/steamed veggies and shrimp / black bean and fish burrito / and ....FRIES! I've since moved to VA but my family is still on the outer backs so....we get to Tortuga's often. Tip: Sit outside and have a cold beverage over lunch and you'll probably get to watch a pick up game of volleyball. read more

Came on Monday, Burger Night! $8 burgers! They were absolutely delicious. I ordered the special but my friends got the Bajan Burger and loved it as well. will definitely be back! read more

Tortuga's Lie - Indoor area - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Enjoyed our visit. The food was delicious. The restaurant itself was crowded but fun. Everyone was friendly.

Taco 'bout delicious. Grilled fish tacos from the famous Tortuga's Lie. We went twice in three days! Even played some volleyball out back our first night. We were appropriately distanced and staff was masked. Also, get their shark attack drink for some fun! read more

Tortuga's Lie - Fish tacos - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Just awesome food and a great staff. Loved everything about the place. Would recommend to anyone.

This could be my favorite restaurant that I tried on our vacation to the outer banks. It checks all of the boxes. Delicious food? Yes. Unique menu options? A bunch of them. Great service? Yep. Local feel? Absolutely. Tortugas lie is the kind of place you would imagine to find at OBX. It's located a block from the beach, is totally decked out in ocean art work, and it's full of workers and guests in board shorts and flip flops. The hostess was so nice my wife and I felt welcome and at home as soon as we walked in. Oh, and the food is killer too. The menu has lots of classics served up with a Caribbean twist. Chicken, beef, and seafood all seasoned and cooked to perfection. My wife has the jerk chicken and I had the shrimp. The flavor on both were unbelievable! Sweet and tender with a slight Jamaican kick. The shrimp could have been some of the best I've ever had. The prices are fair and there's plenty of parking too. We had to wait about 45 minutes on a Saturday night but after a quick walk on the beach the time flew by. You can't miss this one! read more

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A highly recommended place that we felt we had to try. I was surprised by the site when we first pulled up. It's fine, just smaller than I thought and it was showing it's age. The service was phenomenal. Although it was clear the manager was wanting our table for a big party - which was annoying since we weren't even finished eating. My husband had the jerk chicken which he enjoyed. I had the tuna and black bean burrito which was pretty damn amazing! The crab dip was the perfect portion and was packed with crab. It's easy to see why this place is so popular! read more

Tortuga's Lie - Tuna burrito - delicious! - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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After leaving unimpressed with my meal I did a little investigating to figure out how this place ended up on the food network and I'm still confused. According to one of the articles "If any of your seasonings, sauces or ingredients are store-bought, they won't use you." I would have been willing to bet my nachos were not seasoned at all and my burger was a frozen patty. Our server was friendly and attentive and we waited 45 minutes around 5:30 for a table for 8. They have indoor seating as of 07/13 and a Tiki Bar around back. read more

Tortuga's Lie - Nachos Appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

My husband and I were super excited to try this spot on our one day stop in Nags Head. We saw the Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives episode and heard great things. We went about 8:45 on a Friday night. We know hours are different because of Covid so we called about 45 minutes before we got there to make sure we could be seated and was told yes no problem. The food was excellent. I got a tuna dinner special and my husband got the pork Antonio and we shared conch fritters. Everything was great. We have no complaints about the food but the service was disappointing. From the second we got there it was clear they were trying to rush us out. They shut off the music and started sweeping up around us- at 9:45 when they close at 10. Two servers were talking about how no one is moving and they wouldn't be out on time. Just a shame as the food was excellent but the service definitely made our night out less enjoyable. read more

Tortuga's Lie - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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Fabulous food! Quick easy! Had the mahi mahi tacos. So good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is my go to spot for a quick bite when in town

One of the better places to eat when we went to the outer banks. Park in the extra lot on the side

I personally have never had a disappointing experience with this iconic establishment. My visit this past year was no exception! The food, drinks and atmosphere continued to make my experience even better! Tortuga's earns a five star rating from me and my friends again!!! read more

I'm not a seafood fan, but my husband is...so it's always nice to be at a beach restaurant with a number of alternatives to seafood. I had the Big Wave Dave sandwich with fries. The fries were really good, with some seasoning on them. The chicken sandwich was good, nothing too special but I did really like the roll it was on, and that it had pineapple on it. My husband had a tuna special with really yummy mashed potatoes and green beans. He said the tuna was ok, but didn't have any special seasoning on it. Our friend had a scallop special and really liked it. We also had chips and salsa for an app...the salsa was just so-so. My husband and friend had the conch fritters and said they were delicious. We went during late September on a Saturday night, and only had about a 20 min wait. Service was great, and the decor inside is fun. Lots of fun license plates to read on the ceiling, and some cool fish artwork. read more

Tortuga's Lie - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Yummy dishes, great service and fun atmosphere!! This is our go to place when visiting Nags Head. We live in Corolla!!

Yum! I loved this sandwich. The tuna didn't taste super fishy. I added the habanero sauce found on the table and it added a great kick. I inhaled the whole plate. The chips and salsa were tasty. The only downside was the the room we were in was super loud but that's because we sat next to a large, loud party. read more

Tortuga's Lie - Fish Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

It was almost 9 PM and we called in an order to go. The lady who answered the phone acted a little strange when I said I wanted a to go order. She ended up handing the phone to a guy, that threw me for a loop. They asked what I wanted to order, which wasn't much. They didn't mention if the kitchen was closing soon, online it said the restaurant closed at 10 PM. So if they did close at nine, I feel bad lol but they were able to get our food done. I ordered the chicken Loco (i think it was called). The chicken was amazing, but the rice and beans were bland. We ordered island fries and they were a bit soggy and tasteless. We also ordered the shrimp and it was spicy and delicious! read more

i went early in the day to ask about pet friendly seating area and if they had crab legs etc. they told me of course just walk around back and talk to the people in the back when you come here later. when we went later on we walked around back. only to find out they only served part of the menu for outside... and that i needed to talk to the hostess. i went inside to talk to the hostess while my dad sat with my dog outside. the two hostess' were on their phone scrolling and said they had no idea what i was talking about. that they didn't even "serve the tables" out there. didn't even look up from their phones until I apologized for doing what the servers said to do earlier in the day. all they said was "again we don't do that. you can sit at the bar or wait for a table." (the tables weren't even outside and we had the dog....." not worth it. read more

Jerk beef was awesome and cooked perfectly. Chicken in the cracked pepper cream sauce-delicious. Do not recommend the jerk chicken-tasted like rotisserie chicken. Nice place although expensive. Very adorable inside. read more

This place is always jamming, great local feel as soon as you walk in the door! Everyone makes you feel welcome, they do not take reservations but do have plenty of seating inside and out. We sat at the bar which we don't normally do, but what the heck they were busy. Patrick was our bartender and server and was awesome, again made us feel like we went there every night! I started out with steamed clams, sweet and steamed to perfection! My wife had the conch fritters and said they were the best she had ever had. For dinner I went with the steamed combo plate, 1/2 pound of crab legs and 1/2 pound of shrimp......again perfect! My wife hade the salad of the day topped with fresh fish yellow fin tuna.....it was soooooo good she ate it like she hadn't eaten in weeks! A definite must have diner! Thanks for a great time! read more

This restaurant trip was fantastic and one of the highlights of our OBX trip. We stopped there because we'd seen their Tortuga's Lie Habanero Hot Sauce before, and knew this place was on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The staff were so incredibly friendly from the moment we entered and got us seated right away even on a busy night. Our waiter Patrick was fantastic and made great recommendations - like their house made salsa (which is the best I've ever tasted). He even brought us extra chips! The food was very good as well, everything cooked correctly and well seasoned. Their fries were especially notable, I loved the black pepper. The food was all really wonderful and the stop was a perfect addition to our trip. I would definitely recommend a stop while you're in the Outer Banks! read more

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Didn't love. Better options in nags head. I think the thing to get is fish. The drinks were pretty bad. We had to tell them how to make a regular margarita. They put seltzer into the skinny one. read more

One of the better meals we had in obx. Shrimp steamers were slightly overdone but still good. The tuna burrito is very unique. It's more like a piece of tuna, coated in a layer of black beans, and then wrapped in tortilla. Not what I expected but still good. I would skip the jerk chicken, it's not bad but just a super bland version of actual jerk chicken. The 4 person tables are tiny read more

We tried this place for lunch. We didn't have to wait, but we got there as soon as they opened. The waitress was speedy and nice. The atmosphere is fun here and they have a volleyball court behind the restaurant. They have indoor and outdoor seating and the decor is unique. We wanted to try something new so we tried the conch fritters. They weren't for us. Not sure if we just don't like conch, but wouldn't recommend that part. I got black bean burger and chips/salsa. The burger was amazing, but I wasn't a fan of the chips and salsa. Chips were over cooked and salsa was odd tasting. Hubby got the burger and fries and they were both delicious. The fries were so yummy! read more

1st time on OBX this place was right up the road from where we stayed and looking for a quick lunch we stopped in here. Good beer selection, the clam chowder was on point, conch fritters were loaded with conch and the spicy steamed shrimp was fresh as well as delicious. Bartenders were very attentive with quick service. Cute little place with a beach vibe. Stop in and check them out. Will be back the next time we are in town. read more

Every time we make it down to OBX, we make sure to have an afternoon or evening set away for a visit to Tortuga's. They consistently serve up very good food with even better service, we have never been disappointed with anything here. The atmosphere and dress code is very laid back and has an island type of feel to it. On top of the delicious food, they have two volleyball courts, a few corn hole sets, and a couple other games set up outside that you can enjoy while you are waiting on a table to open up. You can also just come here to have some drinks and hang out in their back outside area. If you prefer the AC, they have a large bar right inside the front door along with plenty of tables in the dining area. They offer plenty of beers on tap with a full bar and lots of their own speciality cocktails. They do offer a shark bite cocktail where you receive a small toy shark in the drink filled with grenadine. All of the food is good from the apps and sandwiches to the entrees and steamers. A couple favorites are their pork Antonio, coco loco chicken, the daily seafood specials, and their Jamaican jerk seasoned chicken or beef. Come here expecting a good time, pretty cheap (yet tasty) food for what you get, and attentive waitstaff. read more

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Great place. I enjoyed everything: food, service, & atmosphere. Very popular place and for good reasons. We had the jerk chicken and jerk beef. The key lime pie was also very good. read more

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This restaurant was super fun to visit! On the show Outer Banks: Season 2 episode 1 "The Gold" JJ wears one of their T-shirts. They sell these shirts right inside the restaurant! The service and food were both really good! I got a beef/vegetable soup which was AMAZING! We also got the spiced shrimp and Alaskan snow crab which were great. My sister got the chili wings and they were also really good. The restaurant is small but comfortable and provided a good experience all around! Will definitely be back if ever in the area:) read more

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Walked in Saturday at 2:30pm. We were told we couldn't be seated until our whole party was there (3 people there, 1 was on their way). We sat at the bar to get a drink, and then they told us we couldn't sit there if we were not eating a meal. Told we could go out back with a tiki bar, but there was no one serving outside at the bar. We left, it was clear they did not want to serve us. Worst service I've ever encountered. 3 engagements with 3 different staff and they were all rude. We will happily take our money down the road. read more

Went in because everything else seamed to close much earlier. We waited about 30 minutes and sat outside under the tent. I had a fish burrito, with tuna and my husband had jerk cheeseburger we both loved our meals! we felt like we were a nuisance to the staff. read more

Long wait but we just enjoyed walking on the beach for the first 45-60 minutes of it. Great service and the food was amazing. Flavors and spice on everything was truly an experience. We got jumbo lump crab cakes, scallop baked fish, jerk shrimp skewers (the rice and beans were dry... I'd pass on this one get anything else and it'll be a meal to remember. ). Burger was good too! But the simplest and best were the steamed shrimp! We even used the fries to scrape up the seasoning from the plate the shrimp were in. DEFINITELY GO HERE! read more

Service was great! Very friendly. Clean, I had yellow fin tuna. Very good. Server was on top of cleaning table whenever it was needed and drinks full of. read more

This restaurant really was nothing special in my opinion. The wings' sauce was good but it lacked any flavor on the chicken itself. The nachos are mediocre, with only a few chips and loaded toppings. The bbq burger was really good, and the coco chicken and fish tacos were decent too. Everything just lacked flavor and I feel like it was rather overpriced and the menu was limited. The service was great and I did like the inside but I don't think I'd come back. read more