Hatteras Island Restaurants

Down Under Restaurant and Lounge

• 25920 N.C. Highway 12
• Waves
• (252) 987-2277

Down Under is a longtime favorite family restaurant on northern Hatteras Island. Adventurous eaters might want to try the Australian specialties, including kangaroo burgers and Aussie-inspired sandwiches. But Down Under is really known for its seafood. The menu also includes chicken, pasta, steaks and kids’ offerings. The view of the sound and sunsets is fantastic, and large parties are welcome. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Finnegan’s Dining Haul

• 46948 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-3060

Located across from the entrance to the lighthouse, Finnegan’s serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. The whole menu is served all day, and you can choose from their signature U-boat sandwiches, burgers, pizza, seafood and a bunch of great appetizers (nachos, wings, onion rings and more). A kids’ menu is available. Beer and wine are offered. Finnegan’s is open year round. Look for live music here on Saturday nights.

Fish House Restaurant

• 48962 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-5151

If you want fresh seafood, this is about as close as you can get. Fish House is in a former fish house right on Buxton Harbor, where fishing boats unload their catches. You get fabulous water views, a cheerful atmosphere and good eats. Now owned and operated by the Oden family, with well-known local restaurateur Tracy Oden Callahan at the helm, Fish House offers lunch and dinner daily. The appetizer menu, which is available for lunch and dinner, features creative offerings, and lunch includes home-style lunch specials along with wraps, burgers, seafood baskets and seafood sandwiches. For dinner there is steamed or fried seafood, potato chip–encrusted crab cakes with Cajun Creole remoulade and fresh local fish out of the Pamlico Sound and Gulf Stream. Fish House serves beer and wine and delicious homemade desserts.

Forbes Candies HWY 12 Coffee and Tea Company

• 24502 N.C. Highway 12, Waves Village Kiteboarding Resort
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-2320

Here’s a new place to take a break. Forbes Candies HWY 12 Coffee and Tea Company offers the sweets that Forbes Candy in Nags Head is known for — saltwater taffy, fresh fudge and chocolates. At this location they also offer coffee, including a full espresso bar offering specialty coffee and espresso drinks. The blended frappuccinos are a customer favorite. They mix up smoothies and sell 20 varieties of loose tea. In the bakery case are cinnamon rolls, muffin tops, New York Bagels and a variety of other treats. Summer hours are 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Frank’s OBX Dog House

• 25972 N.C. Highway 12
• Waves
• No phone

Across from the Waves Post Office, you’ll find Frank’s OBX Dog House, serving all-beef hot dogs piled with delicious toppings including sauerkraut and NY sweet onion sauce. Feel free to make your own combination or choose one of theirs. They also serve brats with spicy brown mustard, potato salad, nachos piled high with chili, onions, jalapenos and cheese, Coney Island Potato Knish, a slightly seasoned mashed potato pie and specials in the summer. This restaurant is for take-out only, but they have picnic tables in the yard.

Frisco Sandwich Company

• 53674 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-DELI (3354)

Frisco Sandwich Company serves quick, healthy fare for people on the go. It’s fast, but we can’t call it fast food because it’s all prepared with care and fine attention to flavor. You wouldn’t find house-made potato chips and homemade ice cream sandwiches at any fast food joint. Frisco Sandwich Company serves specialty sandwiches, paninis, wraps, burgers, salads, smoothies, fresh-squeezed juice and ice cream. They sell sliced deli meats and cheeses, and if you’re in a big hurry they have just-made sandwiches ready to grab and go. Seating is available indoors or at picnic tables outside. Ask about the Beach Box, which includes four sandwiches and sides. FSC is also a cool spot to hang out — drink coffee, watch surf videos, kick back on the leather sofa and pick the house guitar, throw a game of darts, enjoy good music and friendly people. Frisco Sandwich Company is open for lunch every day. It’s located across from the Ramp 49 beach access. They also offer a catering business known as The Catering Company.

Good Winds Seafood & Wine Bar

• 24502 N.C. Highway 12, Waves Village Kiteboarding Resort
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-1100

Whether you’ve worked up an appetite kite-boarding on site or you just want a meal with a water view, Good Winds is a good choice on northern Hatteras Island. With its second-floor perch over the Pamlico Sound and a deck for outdoor dining, it’s the place to watch the sunset. The menus feature familiar local seafood — tuna, grouper, shrimp, crab cakes — along with some more exotic offerings like an alligator burger and conch fritters. Appetizers, grilled pizzas, wraps, burgers, fish tacos and salads are offered for lunch, while dinner goes a little fancier with finely crafted seafood entrees, steaks, pasta chicken and chops. Everything is chef-prepared and made from scratch. A kids’ menu is available. The bar has one of the most extensive wine and beer selections on Hatteras Island, and it’s a good place to hang out after a ride in the wind or until midnight on the weekends. Lunch and dinner are served every day.

Happy Belly Ice Cream, Smoothies and Candies

• 57204 N.C. Highway 12, Beacon Shops
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-6530

Happy Belly is a great spot for a cool, refreshing, sweet treat. They serve real fruit smoothies, hand-dipped ice cream in cones, cups, sundaes or shakes, plus fresh-made fudge, saltwater taffy and a great selection of candies. Open daily, Happy Belly is also a WiFi hotspot.

Harbor Delicatessen

• 58058 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Harbor Marina
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-2500

The Harbor Delicatessen offers breakfast, lunch and take-out fare. Breakfast includes biscuit and bagel sandwiches and more. The lunch menu is large, with lots of specialty sandwiches, seafood salads, daily specials and sides. In-season they open at 5 a.m. and stay open until 6 p.m. In the off-season they open at 5:30 a.m. and close in the early afternoon. That early opening hour means you can get your day’s eats for the fishing charter; call the day before and they’ll have your boxed lunches waiting for you.

Hot Tuna Grub & Pub

• 23500 N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-2266

When the meal calls for good, reasonably priced, casual fare, Hot Tuna Pub & Grub has what you need. Kicked back in the beach-tiki atmosphere, at the bar or in the dining room, you can enjoy steamed seafood, fried seafood baskets, burgers, sandwiches, pizza and more. Lunch and dinner are served daily. This restaurant is definitely family friendly, and kids’ meals are on the menu. Pool tables and Foosball games are in the bar area, where you’ll also find karaoke and entertainment on occasion. Hot Tuna offers take-out. The restaurant is next to Island Convenience in Rodanthe. 

Inn on Pamlico Sound

• 49684 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-7030, (800) PAMLICO

The Inn on Pamlico Sound is a casually elegant inn located on the banks of the Pamlico Sound. The intimate restaurant at the inn offers a fine dining experience overlooking the waters of the sound. Gourmet dining here features local seafood, organic beef and poultry, homemade soups, appetizers and desserts, an extensive wine and beer list and is vegetarian and vegan friendly. The menu changes nightly. The inn has the only restaurant on the island that accepts reservations. As seating is limited, reservations are recommended. The inn and its restaurant are both handicapped accessible.

Island Perks Coffee Shop and Café

• 46618 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 986-1111

Island Perks can load you up with your morning fuel, but it is way more than a coffee shop. It’s a bakery and cafe as well. Let’s see you try to resist their hot, fresh-baked cinnamon buns and scones in the morning! The café offers quick but homemade and satisfying breakfasts, lunches and dinners. For breakfast there are wraps, breakfast sandwiches and platters. For lunch there are burgers, soup, chili, fresh salads, sandwiches (your choice of traditional, wrap, focaccia or croissant) and comfort-food specials. The dinner menu changes daily according to what’s fresh. You’ll find lots of seafood on both the lunch and dinner menus, including scallop cakes, crab cakes, fresh tuna and shrimp. The café is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. This is the place to buy whole cakes and cheesecakes or to order a spectacular wedding cake or birthday cake.

Island Time Cups and Cones

• 40146 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-0202

At Island Time, cool down with a Hawaiian ice, hand-scooped or soft-serve ice cream or a delicious malt, shake or smoothie. Or go for the coffee — Island Time serves all of the favorite coffee and espresso-based drinks. While you’re here, play a board game, Wii or shuffleboard, or put together a puzzle. You can’t miss Island Time in its bright pink building. They’re open only in the summer, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Every summer night, Island Time shows a family-friendly movie on an outdoor movie screen at dusk. Sit outside on a blanket or lawn chair, or pull your car up like the days of drive-in theaters.

Java Junction

• 39774 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-7020

Java Junction, part of The Glass Bead store, serves coffee and espresso drinks. It’s also an internet café, with high-speed access on their computer or yours. While you’re here, create your own jewelry with more than a thousand types of beads.

Kaia’s Kitchen

• 56190 N.C. Highway 12, Stowe on Twelve
• Hatteras Village
• (252) 986-2024

Kaia’s Kitchen is a good place for a quick breakfast or lunch or to pick up a picnic or take-out meal. For breakfast they offer breakfast sandwiches on bagels, biscuits and English muffins and coffee. For lunch and late-afternoon meals, they offer gourmet sandwiches, wraps, homemade soups, salads and locally baked desserts. Two of the sandwich/wrap favorites are the chicken almond grape salad and the spicy turkey jack club. Kaia’s serves ice cream, beer and wine, and you can eat outside in the courtyard or take your order to go.

Leonardo’s Pizza

• 11000 N.C. Highway 12, Reef Store
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-6522

Leonardo’s offers delicious, fresh-made, New York-style pizza with a variety of toppings, plus salads, calzones and hearty subs stuffed with all the favorite fillings. It’s located at the Reef beach supplies store in Rodanthe. You can pick up your order or have it delivered in Rodanthe, Waves or Salvo. They’re closed on Mondays.

Lisa’s Pizzeria

• 24158 N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-2525

Lisa’s, in business for nearly 25 years, is legendary on Hatteras Island. Come here for lunch or dinner to chow down on Italian favorites like hand-tossed pizza, calzones, lasagna, manicotti and spaghetti. Submarine sandwiches, wraps and burgers are also on the menu. The side dishes are excellent, including salads, fried mushrooms and broccoli, chicken wings and outstanding garlic cheese bread. They serve beer and wine. Small and casual, Lisa’s is great for eating in, but they also offer take-out and free delivery.

Mack Daddy’s Seafood Grill and Raw Bar

• 40396 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5060

Mack Daddy’s specializes in fine coastal cuisine in an island casual atmosphere. Chef Seth Foutz has an appreciation for local ingredients and all-natural foods; he features fresh fish, shellfish and produce and makes everything by hand, never using processed or prepackaged foods. Specialties of the house include shrimp and grits, crab cakes, game fish and prime steaks, and Foutz creates a couple of not-to-be-missed specials every night. The menu, which changes seasonally, also includes chicken, duck, pork, pasta, a vegetarian option, homemade soups and desserts and a children’s menu. Specialty beers and draft beers and a full wine list are available. Mack Daddy’s is open for dinner daily only from April through November. A private dining room can accommodate large parties and special events. Catering and private chef services are available.

Marilyn’s Deli

• 23532 N.C. Highway 12, Island Convenience
• Rodanthe
• (252) 987-2239

There’s a constant flow of customers at this convenience store deli counter, so you know that’s a sign that the food is delicious. The deli’s breakfast offerings include fresh-made biscuits and breakfast platters, breakfast sandwiches on croissants, muffins, bagels, toast or biscuits and more. For lunch you can get deli sandwiches, hot meats and vegetables, fried chicken, fries and ice cream. The service is quick, and you can eat inside or out. This is a great place to pick up a quick meal and all the ice, drinks, tackle and supplies you’ll need for a fishing trip or beach day.

MOJO’s Sunset Cafe

• 25676 N.C. Highway 12
• Waves
• (252) 987-1600

MOJO’s Sunset Café is a waterfront restaurant located in the big red building directly behind the REAL Flagship Store in Waves. MOJO’s serves award-winning cuisine including breakfast, lunch and dinner, beer, wine and coffee, plus fresh juices, teas, fruit, baked goods and more. Enjoy fresh fish, pulled pork and chicken tacos at Taco Tuesday every week. Happy Hour at MOJO’s often finds groups of people watching the sunset over the Pamlico Sound with live entertainment and beautiful views of the kiteboarders in action. MOJO’s Sunset Café has eat-in and take-out service as well as deliveries.

Nino’s Pizza

• 41188 Palazzolo Rd., off N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5358

Come to this Hatteras Island favorite for homemade Italian specialties — pizza on hand-tossed dough, calzones, spaghetti, pasta dishes, lasagna and subs — along with hamburgers and salads. Whatever you order, it’s guaranteed to be great. Nino’s has been serving meals on Hatteras Island for nearly 30 years, so know you can trust that longevity. Lunch and dinner are served daily, and delivery is available in Avon. They serve beer too.

Oceana’s Bistro

• 41008 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-4991

Oceana’s has the casual, cozy atmosphere of a neighborhood pub. Oceana’s breakfast includes the standard fare plus delicious steak and eggs, quesadillas, omelets, pancakes and French toast. The all-day menu for lunch and dinner features freshly made, well-seasoned burgers, seafood, salads, stuffed baked potatoes and the very popular create-your-own quesadillas. It also has some fancier offerings like prime rib, rib eyes, pastas, chicken, daily specials and a very nice wine selection. The bar area is sports-oriented with plasma TVs and all the sporting event coverage you need, including football on Sundays and Monday night. Oceana’s is open every day year round.

Orange Blossom Bakery

• 47206 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-4109

Named for the orange trees that once grew on the property, the Orange Blossom is a Hatteras Island favorite for breakfast. Everyone loves the Apple Uglies, doughnuts and pastries (the Apple Uglies go fast, so get there early!). They also offer biscuits, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Orange Blossom serves organic coffees and tea. Sit inside or out on the porch. Breakfast is served every day from 6:30 until 11 am. It’s located just south of the entrance to the lighthouse.

Outback Kitchen Bakery and Catering Company

• N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 305-2452

Kylie Simpson, who is from Australia, hence the name of her business, is Hatteras Island’s hardest-working caterer. Outback Kitchen offers catering for all types of events, including weddings, reunions and business conferences, and has a mobile catering truck that makes it easy for them to cater anywhere. They also create amazing custom wedding cakes. Outback Kitchen also offers a food-to-go service, preparing restaurant-quality, family-style meals delivered straight to the doors of vacationers who don’t want to cook. Kylie’s personal chef services are quite popular.

Opening in July 2010 is Kylie’s new Outback Kitchen Bakery in the Hatteras Island Plaza in Avon (near Food Lion). They’ll be offering full breakfasts and lunches and bakery items as well as meals to go, personal chef services and private dining in their restaurant. Breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, meats and breakfast sandwiches, while lunch features salads, sandwiches and daily specials. Pastries, breads and wedding, specialty and novelty cakes are made on site.

Outback Kitchen is open for private dinners, like having a personal chef, only you go to them instead of them coming to you. Give Kylie a call to set up a customized dinner and dining experience in the restaurant.

Papa Nino’s

• 47365 N.C. Highway 12, Osprey Shopping Center
• Buxton
• (252) 995-0060

An offshoot of Avon’s popular Nino’s Pizza, Papa Nino’s serves lunch and dinner every day. They feature Nino’s famous pizza plus subs, sandwiches and appetizers. They’re now offering an economical lunch buffet with pizza, pasta and a salad bar. Delivery is offered in Buxton and Frisco in the evenings. Call to ask about Latino/Mexican food nights in the summer.