Restaurants - Buxton & Frisco

Angelo’s Pizza

• 46903 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-6364

Angelo’s is a casual eatery that serves Italian-inspired favorites like pizza, calzones, subs, spaghetti, lasagna, a variety of appetizers and daily specials. You order at the counter then find a seat in the dining room, and since they don’t have servers you save a little on tipping. This is a great place to take the family because it’s laid back enough for kids and there is a super-cool game room attached to the seating area. It’s open for lunch and dinner every day except Sunday year-round.

Burger Burger

• 46903 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-0065

Burger Burger specializes in freshly ground, hand-shaped burgers. There’s a variety of burgers to choose from, but the local’s favorite seems to be the Smile Burger with cheese that’s been crisped on the grill. They also offer seafood sandwiches, wings, fresh salads, fries, onion hoops, sweet potato fries and homemade cake, cookies and pie.

Burger Burger and Angelo’s Pizza share a building, and together they make a real crowd-pleasing combo. You order at either counter and take your meal to the seating area. There’s an arcade here, too.

Buxton Munch Company

• 47365 N.C. Highway 12, Osprey Shopping Center
• Buxton
• (252) 995-5502

Buxton Munch has been rockin’ the island’s lunch boxes since 1999. Buxton Munch Company serves big portions of good eats at great prices. The wraps and quesadillas are stand outs, and real fruit smoothies are so good it’s hard to choose. There are also gourmet salads, munchies (beer-battered onion rings, egg rolls, wings), sandwiches, burgers, seafood, chicken and excellent vegetarian fare. It’s open Monday through Friday year round for take-out or to eat in. They open on Saturdays in June, July and August. Eating in is fun because this place is lively, the background music is good and the people are friendly.

Coffee Shop at Indian Town Gallery

• 50840 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-5181

Inside Frisco’s beloved Indian Town Gallery, the Coffee Shop offers expertly made espresso and coffee drinks, including cappuccino, lattes, mochas and more, plus delicious chai and tea. Heavenly-smelling homemade scones and muffins are available too. They have WiFi, and you can bring your own computer or rent theirs. The Coffee Shop is open every day in season, weekdays starting at 6:30 a.m. and weekends starting at 7:30 a.m.

Cool Wave Ice Cream Shoppe

• 47237 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 996-0635

This brightly painted shop in the fork of Back Road and N.C. Highway 12 is a great place to stop for treats. They’ve got soft-serve ice-cream, hand-scooped ice cream and a bunch of fun souvenirs. You can play Corn Hole here for free. 

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 can choose from their signature U-boat sandwiches, burgers, pizza, seafood and a bunch of great appetizers (nachos, wings, conch fritters, 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 red pepper aioli, and fresh local fish out of the Pamlico Sound and Gulf Stream. Fish House serves beer and wine, and delicious homemade desserts.

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 unique 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. 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.

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 chai. 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.

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.

Pop’s Raw Bar

• 48967 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-7734

Pop’s is frequented by a lot of locals -– a sign that the seafood meets local standards of excellence. Across from Buxton Harbor, Pop’s specializes in steamed seafood, including shrimp, clams, oysters and crab legs. They also have more hearty fare, like burgers, subs, barbecue, seafood platters and a lot more. They’re open for lunch and dinner year-round, and they sometimes close on Sundays so call ahead.

Quarterdeck Restaurant

• 54214 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 986-2425

Established in 1978, the Quarterdeck has been serving Hatteras Islanders for 30 years. This is a locally owned, casual, family-oriented restaurant specializing in seafood (try the crab cakes and stuffed flounder), char-grilled steaks and homemade desserts. A kids’ menu, beer and wine are available. It’s open for lunch and dinner every day in season; the only exception is Saturday lunch, when they take a break.

Rusty’s Surf and Turf

• 47355 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-4184

Rusty’s Surf and Turf brings the bold flavors and colors of the tropics to Hatteras Island. Owner and chef Rusty Midgett, a native who left the island and honed his restaurant and kitchen experience in some of Philadelphia’s top restaurants, is inspired in the kitchen by the places he has traveled on surf trips – the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, the Pacific Rim. Let him surprise you with his creative preparations of local seafood and premium beef. The restaurant is fun and colorful with bright but warm high-energy colors and cheerful local artwork. Beer and wine are served. All ages are welcome. Rusty’s serves lunch and dinner seven days a week in the summer; call for off-season hours. It’s located between Natural Art Surf Shop and the ABC Store.
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Sandbar and Grille

• 49250 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-3413

Now in its 12th season, Sandbar and Grille, with its fantastic sound view that’s visible from every table, is an island favorite. The menu includes daily specials, homemade soups, great appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, pastas, fresh seafood and kids’ favorites. Some say their baby back ribs are the best on the island. The full menu is available for lunch and dinner. This is also one of the few late-night spots on the island. Live music, karaoke and a late menu will please all the night owls. Be sure to pick up your Sandbar T-shirts, beach towels, hats and other souvenirs. The Sandbar’s game room will entertain everyone in the family. 

The Captain’s Table

• 47048 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-3117

The focus of The Captain’s Table is seafood — steamed, broiled, fried — and owner Donna Scarborough knows where to get the freshest fish on the island. Her husband is a commercial fisherman, so you know she has the right connections. The Captain’s Table is a family-style, casual restaurant serving seafood, ribs, steaks, beer and wine and much more. Special menus for children and seniors are available. The restaurant is open from mid-March through Thanksgiving weekend. They serve dinner nightly in season (call for days of operation in the off season) and lunch Monday through Friday.

The Catering Company

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

The Catering Company, backed by the state-of-the-art restaurant kitchen at Frisco Sandwich Company, caters events of any size and style, from elaborate weddings to laid-back family reunions to professional corporate events. The professional and courteous staff is led by Tracy Morris, who has 18 years of experience in the catering and restaurant business.

The Gingerbread House

• 52175 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-5204

The Gingerbread House is famous for its hearty breakfast and specialty pizzas. They’re open for breakfast until 11:30 a.m., serving traditional fare like eggs and omelets and French toast. They start serving pizza for dinner at 4:30 p.m. The pizzas are made on a delicious homemade crust with a great array of toppings. Pizza is available for eat in or take-out. A salad bar with fresh veggies rounds out the dinner offerings. The restaurant is open every day but Sunday. Winter hours are cut back, so call before you go.

Uncle Eddy’s Frozen Custard and 18-Hole Minigolf

• 46860 N.C. Highway 12
• Buxton
• (252) 995-4059

This is a great place to stop after a visit to the lighthouse. Uncle Eddy’s serves rich, delicious frozen custard and homemade ice cream, and there are more than 50 homemade flavors. Maybe you’d prefer something from the coffeehouse instead –- fresh-roasted coffee and a variety of espresso-based drinks are available. There are places to sit and relax while you enjoy your coffee and the kids play unlimited rounds of golf.