Nags Head Restaurants

High Cotton BBQ is owned and operated by a native North Carolina family that was born and raised in the heart of BBQ country. They serve authentic, eastern North Carolina-style pork BBQ. The pork is smoked for hours over hickory, hand-chopped and then seasoned with a light, vinegar-based sauce that doesn't overpower the natural flavor of the smoked meat. The Southern fried chicken is crisp and delicious. The smoked chicken is so tender it falls right off the bone, and the Texas-style beef brisket is smoked, sliced and served with a tangy sauce. The St. Louis cut ribs are the local's favorite for good reason. Portions here are generous. They serve traditional side dishes like cole slaw, baked beans and fresh vegetables plus hush puppies and French fries. The sauces are homemade and available for purchase. They have a children's menu. This is a great place to feed a crowd, and they have a speedy to-go counter for take-out. Check out their convenient to-go packages and bring home your own pig-pickin'. The restaurant also offers catering. High Cotton serves lunch and dinner every day in season and closes for a short time in the winter. Plus, after a meal at High Cotton BBQ, you can step into their retail shop to pick up some of their own homemade BBQ sauces, fresh-roasted peanuts and fun t-shirts. They also carry Southern-style goodies like Moon Pies if you want to send a taste of Southern charm to that poor person who couldn’t come on vacation with you!

For more than 20 years, Mulligan’s has served Southern coastal cuisine with incredible views, thanks to its scenic location between Jockey’s Ridge and Historic Cottage Row. Long known for having some of the best burgers on the beach, their masterful chefs recently have been placing a brighter spotlight on local seafood prepared in an authentic Outer Banks style, all with fresh, local ingredients. Dig into a tasty seafood platter, broiled or fried, some good old-fashioned shrimp and grits or the local catch of the day. They also have a steamed and raw bar serving up local bounty including shrimp, clams and Wanchese sea scallops. You can still order their award-winning burgers, along with other landlubber selections, and kids have their own menu. Their two dining rooms can accommodate a range of group sizes, and the upstairs space has its own bar. In the warmer months, you may opt to eat outside on their covered tiki bar with an ocean view or in the designated doggy dining area. The bar downstairs is a popular local hangout with a big-screen TV for catching up on sports. They have live music year-round. Mulligan’s also offers catering from Corolla to Hatteras as buffet, plated or drop-off. The restaurant is open 365 days a year for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Few things capture the true laid-back coastal dining vibe of the OBX like a seafood boil, and no one does it better than Outer Banks Boil Company. Since 2012 owner Matt Khouri and his team have been serving up acclaimed steaming pots of succulent seafood (shrimp, snow crab, lobster tails, scallops, clams and mussels), authentic andouille sausage and fresh produce to folks from Corolla to Hatteras Island. Whether you choose to “Book a Boil” for their legendary on-site service (from set up to clean up) or you “Pick Up a Pot” to steam at home, you’ll enjoy one of the very best meals on the Outer Banks.   Need an option for non-seafood lovers? They also offer pulled pork BBQ and coleslaw. Don’t forget to add in some sweet cornbread muffins and wrap up the experience with a key lime pie. With locations in Corolla, Kitty Hawk and Hatteras Island, no matter where you are on the Outer Banks, no trip is complete without an Outer Banks Boil Company Seafood Boil.