North Carolina’s Hatteras Island has a vast array of amusements for Outer Banks visitors like you to enjoy! Go explore the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse or visit the Frisco Beach. Take a ferry ride or play in the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, our guests love to eat at the many Hatteras Island restaurants for a genuine taste of coastal living, and there is plenty of fresh seafood to go around, for residents and visitors alike. For those who prefer a different cuisine, there are many restaurants that serve seafood alternatives, too. Here are some of the very best restaurants around Hatteras that you should have your taste buds set on!
Our Top Picks
Hatteras Sol Waterside Grill
58646 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943 • (252) 986-1414 • http://hatterassol.com
Enjoy stunning views of the Pamlico Sound through walls of windows in this waterfront restaurant. Watch the sunset as you savor shrimp linguine with a lemon butter sauce or she crab soup. The TV’s on the wall lend to a bar-type feeling but the food is top-notch. Have some Cajun Alfredo or a perfectly grilled steak. Outdoor seating at the bar area offers live music – perfect for sipping on a cocktail while waiting for your table. Southern oysters Rockefeller, shrimp and grits (the grits have gouda cheese in them), homemade mozzarella cheese in the caprese – all of the food is delicious and the service is unbeatable.
Cafe Pamlico
49684 Hwy 12, Buxton, NC 27920 • (252) 995-4500 • https://www.innonpamlicosound.com/dining
When you want a superb meal with amazing views, this is the place. Elegantly plated food is paired with sublime views to create a meal experience that is perfect for an evening out. Dine al fresco while strings of lights twinkle overhead and the water laps quietly or have your meal indoors. The water view is calming and the soft music is soothing – perfect for a lovely dinner. The food is the main attraction here and every attention has been given to detail – they even grow their own strawberries and basil for the dishes. Start with seafood bisque and then enjoy main courses like seared tuna with wasabi sticky rice or filet mignon. Drinks like the Pamplemousse Fizz or the Rosemary Maple Bourbon are perfect for such a dinner. Don’t miss desserts like the apricot brandy creme brulee or strawberry shortcake (made with the aforementioned fresh strawberries!)
Pop’s Raw Bar and Restaurant
48967 NC-12, Buxton, NC 27920 • (252) 995-7734
When you want to eat with the locals and indulge in great local seafood, come to Pop’s Raw Bar and Restaurant. This casual seafood shack has a few tables and a large bar area. Spicy crawfish and oyster sandwiches are served up to customers in paper-lined baskets. Spicy steamed shrimp, homemade clam chowder and fish balls, oysters on the half-shell and plenty of cold bottled beer make this restaurant a local favorite.
Oceana’s Bistro
40774 NC-12, Avon, NC 27915 • (252) 995-4991 • http://www.oceanasbistro.com
What do visiting families do when the kids want pizza or nachos but the adults want seafood? Oceana’s Bistro settles all the disputes about where to eat on Hatteras Island. The children will enjoy delicious pizza, tacos, and french toast with fresh strawberries while the adults can enjoy a Sangria or a Red Stripe bottled beer and entrees like king cut prime rib or sesame crusted salmon. There are also hamburgers, funnel cake fries and chicken alfredo for those with a hankering for comfort food rather than seafood. Be sure to try the ‘grillers’ – huge flour tortillas with crispy Parmesan cheese edges that hold things like chicken, crabmeat or pizza toppings. The servings hang over the edges of the plate – but all of the servings are like that at Oceana’s Bistro. Huge fried fish fillets, heaps of hush puppies and mounds of coleslaw are all served up in a homey, casual atmosphere.
Hatteras Restaurants like these and others give visitors to Hatteras Island a plethora of choices. Italian, Mexican, Seafood and American – there is a restaurant for every taste and budget here on the island. With more than 80 eateries to choose from and very few “chains”, you are sure to find more dining options than you have room for! We’ve shared our personal favorites, but here are some more tasty stops you may wish to consider as well:
Angelo`s Pizza of Hatteras Island
46903 Hwy 12, Buxton, NC 27920
Classic pizzeria with ice cream, pool tables and arcade games
Atlantic Coast Cafe
25150 Hwy 12, Waves, NC 27982
Counter-service beach spot with great breakfast fare and fresh seafood, including their famous fish tacos
Breakwater Restaurant
57878 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Traditional coastal favorites including steamed seafood platters in a casual waterfront setting
The Dancing Turtle
58079 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Charming, pet-friendly coffeehouse with espressos, lattes, and more in Hatteras Village
Diamond Shoals Restaurant and Seafood Market
46843 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27953
Hatteras Island’s only sushi bar and the island’s largest salad bar, attached to a retail fish market
Dinky’s Waterfront Restaurant
57980 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Classic American dining (and legendary crab cakes) on the marina with adjacent boat dockage
Uncle Frank’s Dog House
25972 Hwy 12, Waves, NC 27982
Counter-service hot dog/ BBQ hut great for a pit stop or takeout
Hatteras Harbor Deli
58058 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Traditional deli serving up homemade sandwiches, burgers, and salads
Ketch 55 Seafood Grill and Raw Bar
40396 Hwy 12, Avon, NC 27915
Steakhouse and gastropub featuring regional craft beers, an extensive wine list, full bar, and the famous Ocracoke oysters. Serves as the home of Stu’s Donuts for breakfast service.
Rocco`s Pizza & Italian Restaurant
57331 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Low-key Italian restaurant known for great pizza, pasta, and sandwiches
Rusty’s Surf & Turf
47355 Hwy 12 HWY, Buxton, NC 27920
Tropical steakhouse and seafood restaurant with a vibrant island dining room and bold menu
Sandbar & Grille
49252 Hwy 12, Buxton, NC 27920
Casual seafood eatery on the Pamlico Sound with game room and water views
Sonny’s Waterfront Restauran
57947 Hwy 12, Hatteras, NC 27943
Iconic, family-owned restaurant serving seafood favorites from flounder to crab legs, and everything in-between
The Wreck
58848 Marina Way A-4, Hatteras, NC 27943
Hot dogs, quesadillas, panini, beer, and more served up in a beachy hangout with live music and epic sunset views