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 hand-dipped and hand-spun milkshakes.

Burger Burger and Angelo’s Pizza share a building, and together they make a real crowd-pleasing combo. You order at either counter and your meal is served at 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, fish tacos and excellent vegetarian fare. From March through New Year’s Eve, Buxton Munch is open for lunch Monday through Friday for take-out or to eat in. They open on Saturdays in June, July and August. And they’re open for dinner from mid-June to mid-September. Eating in is fun because this place is lively, the background music is good and the people are friendly.

Capt’n Rolo’s Raw Bar & Grill

• 53060 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-3663

Fresh local seafood is the catch of the day at Cap’n Rolo’s. From fresh fish to clams, oysters, shrimp and scallops to mussels, crab legs and crawdads, they can satisfy a seafood craving. Fish tacos and great big seafood baskets (served with pasta salad or fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies) are some of the menu favorites. How about a frog leg basket? If you’re not in the mood for seafood, the menu has sandwiches, half-pound burgers, salads and a great selection of appetizers. Cap’n Rolo’s is open for lunch and dinner until 11 p.m. every day, and there’s a kids menu. Take-out orders are welcome. The bar serves beer and wine and is a good place to hang out to watch TV with friends or listen to occasional live music.

Coffee Shop at Indian Town Gallery

• 50840 N.C. Highway 12
• Frisco
• (252) 995-4044

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 cookies 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

• 47095 Buxton Back Road
• Buxton
• (252) 995-6628

Cool Wave has it all when it comes to cool treats. They offer soft-serve ice cream and hand-scooped ice cream and all the good things that can be made with those — sundaes, banana splits, milk shakes and more. You can play Corn Hole for free outside.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 except Wednesday in season.

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 fresh fish and local seafood and premium beef. Midgett gets a lot of his seafood directly from Hatteras Island docks. The restaurant is fun and colorful with bright but warm high-energy colors and cheerful local artwork. Beer and wine are served, and there’s a fun bar/appetizer menu. All ages are welcome. Rusty’s serves 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.

Sandbar and Grille

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

Now in its 13th season, Sandbar and Grille is an island favorite. It’s a casual atmosphere restaurant with great food and an amazing view of the Pamlico Sound and every sunset. The menu is served all day so whether you feel like having a burger for dinner or a Shrimp and Crab Alfredo for lunch, they’re always available. Homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, fresh local seafood, ribs, steaks, pastas — its all good. Their ribs are said to be the best on the island.There’s a game room downstairs for the kids and late-night entertainment at least once a week.

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, French toast, biscuits, croissants, breakfast sandwiches and doughnuts. They serve pizza for dinner from 4:30 to 9 p.m. The pizzas are made on a delicious homemade crust with homemade sauce and a great array of toppings. Pizza is available for eat in or take-out. There’s also a salad bar. You can also pick up delicious homemade pies and cakes here. The restaurant is open every day in the summer, but off-season and winter hours are cut back so definitely call ahead.

Uncle Eddy’s Frozen Custard and 18-Hole Minigolf

• 46878 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. They also have a gift shop with seashore-oriented souvenirs and trinkets. There are places to sit and relax while you enjoy your ice cream and the kids play unlimited rounds of golf.