Nags Head Restaurants

Including Kill Devil Hills Restaurants & Kitty Hawk Restaurants

Let’s be honest, we don’t come to the beaches at and around Nags Head just for the surf and sand. Nags Head restaurants and their delectable offerings play a role in the vacation too. We’ll get you started with some delicious word images of what to expect when you go out to eat at Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk restaurants. Imagine sitting down to steaming-hot shrimp with a sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning or a bowl of Hatteras-style chowder of sweet baby clams, fresh vegetables and a clear broth at Nags Head restaurants. Or check out some Kill Devil Hills restaurants to find fat morsels of jumbo lump crab meat piled into cakes and lightly broiled or fried and white, flaky rockfish fillets as you like them – fried, grilled, broiled or blackened. And don’t forget the rich, silky she-crab soup with the perfect blend of sherry and cream or oysters flash-fried to crispy perfection, dipped in tangy tartar sauce that Nags Head and Kitty Hawk restaurants can offer.

Nags Head Restaurants for Every Taste

And good news: Nags Head restaurants don’t offer mere fried seafood dinners served with hushpuppies and coleslaw anymore. Of course, that classic combination is still available, but restaurants in Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk have evolved. Now you can find Kill Devil Hills restaurants boasting the fashionable catch-phrases of “contemporary coastal cuisine” and “Southern coastal cuisine” along with others in the area.

If you’re not a huge fan of seafood, or if you like a little variety in your diet, don’t worry. Outer Banks restaurants throughout each town offer so much more than seafood. Steaks, chicken, duck, lamb, pork, pasta and vegetarian options are offered on local menus. There are plenty of alternative Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head restaurants today, from Chinese and Japanese to Thai to Italian and Mexican to Baja, and there’s a wide range of atmospheres, everything from contemporary fine-dining with a dress code to the most casual, come-as-you-are eateries.

Nags Head Restaurants by Location or Category

Kill Devil Hills Restaurants | Kitty Hawk Restaurants | Nags Head Restaurants

3 Tequilas Restaurante Mexicano

Kill Devil Hills Restaurant
804 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 8.5, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 715-3604

If you're a fan of traditional Mexican food and fresh tableside guacamole, you'll love 3 Tequilas. Start with appetizers like Mexican street corn, taquitos, choriqueso and empanadas while you peruse their massive menu. You can choose from numerous combinations of nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, salads, fried rice, combos, chicken, seafood, fajitas, burritos, chimichangas, tacos and sides. There's also a nice selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes....read more

If you're a fan of traditional Mexican food and fresh tableside guacamole, you'll love 3...read more

Bad Bean Baja Grill

Kitty Hawk Restaurant
4146 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 3.5, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-1300

Bad Bean Baja Grill creates a distinctive dining experience. Utilizing techniques and flavors found all across Latin America, California and the Baja Peninsula, the award-winning chefs present a creative fusion of familiar cantina favorites. One of the favorite dishes is the fish tacos topped with salsa fresca, crisp jicama slaw and cilantro chimichurri. The slow-cooked beef brisket and pork barbacoa also make for delicious tacos...read more

Bad Bean Baja Grill creates a distinctive dining experience. Utilizing techniques and flavors found all...read more

Basnight’s Lone Cedar

Nags Head Restaurant
7623 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway, Nags Head
(252) 441-5405

This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places. The service is genuinely friendly, and the portions are more than generous. You’ll enjoy views of Roanoke Sound on both sides of the restaurant, including nightly sunsets. They feature only local, fresh North Carolina seafood that comes in whole and is cleaned in their state-certified fish-cleaning house, located onsite. They...read more

This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places....read more

Big Buck's Homemade Ice Cream

Kitty Hawk Restaurant
3810 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 4.5, Kitty Hawk
(252) 715-0779
794-F Sunset Boulevard, Timbuck II, Corolla
(252) 453-3188
1180 Duck Road, Duck
(252) 715-4467
207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Waterfront Shops, Downtown Manteo, Manteo
(252) 423-3118

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade...read more

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than...read more

Black Pelican Oceanfront Cafe

Kitty Hawk Restaurant
3848 N.Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 4, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-3171

Housed in a former U.S. Lifesaving Station and full of character and rustic charm, the Black Pelican is on the Beach Road, directly across from the ocean. They have a deck bar with great ocean views and, of course, lots of fresh seafood on the menu. Choose from steamed seafood, steaks or pizza from the wood-fired brick oven, a locals' favorite. Each night they offer...read more

Housed in a former U.S. Lifesaving Station and full of character and rustic charm, the...read more

Bonzer Shack

Kill Devil Hills Restaurant
1200 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 9, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 480-1010

Get ready to kick back and relax at Bonzer Shack. With their creative take on Southern and island comfort food in a surf hangout atmosphere, there’s always something on the menu that’s sure to tempt you. The menu offers sandwiches, fresh seafood specials, steaks, burgers and the mouthwatering smoked Gouda grit cakes. Local favorites also include delicious apps like the Hippie Dip and wings roasted...read more

Get ready to kick back and relax at Bonzer Shack. With their creative take on...read more

Cookshak Fried Chicken

Nags Head Restaurant
1187 Duck Road, Loblolly Pines Shopping Plaza, Duck
(252) 261-1156
2515 S. Croatan Highway Unit A, Nags Head
(252) 441-1156

If it’s Southern chicken, then it’d better be fried. At least, that’s what they believe at The Cookshak Fried Chicken. Their small menu lets them focus on preparing fried chicken and its fixings right, crafting each meal to feel like you’re sitting down to a big chicken dinner at Grandma’s country farmhouse. The restaurant serves food in family-size servings, and you can order half or whole birds and pair them with sides of fries,...read more

If it’s Southern chicken, then it’d better be fried. At least, that’s what they believe at The Cookshak Fried Chicken....read more

Cosmo’s Pizzeria

5591 N. Croatan Highway, The Marketplace, Southern Shores
(252) 261-8388

Cosmo’s offers Italian-style food that’s worth seeking out. The pizza crust is perfect — crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and with just a hint of sweetness. Choose from any of their fabulous pizza concoctions (ask about their unique weekly specialty pizzas) or create your own. Cosmo’s also offers salads, pasta dishes, subs, beer and wine. You can get take out or...read more

Cosmo’s offers Italian-style food that’s worth seeking out. The pizza crust is perfect — crisp...read more

Country Deli

Kill Devil Hills Restaurant
1900 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.75, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-5684

Country Deli has been an Outer Banks tradition and locals' favorite for more than 30 years. Guests can dine in, enjoy the pet-friendly outside patio or take their food to go with convenient online ordering. Country Deli prides itself on its over-stuffed sandwiches with more than 50 delicious menu items. Sandwiches are made with Thumann's meats and local produce, and there are also locally made desserts....read more

Country Deli has been an Outer Banks tradition and locals' favorite for more than 30 years....read more

Dare Devil's Pizzeria

Kill Devil Hills Restaurant
1112 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 9, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-6330

A fixture on the Beach Road in Kill Devil Hills since 1987, Dare Devil’s Pizzeria is an Outer Banks favorite for locals and visitors alike, widely known for its delicious pizzas, stromboli, subs, salads, wings and other amazing appetizers. This family-owned and -operated restaurant celebrates its 35th season in 2022, and there are many reasons why it’s the longest-running pizzeria on the beach, including sauce and...read more

A fixture on the Beach Road in Kill Devil Hills since 1987, Dare Devil’s Pizzeria...read more

Dunes Restaurant

Nags Head Restaurant
7013 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Between The Bypass and The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
(252) 441-1600

Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors for nearly four decades (39 seasons in 2021 to be exact). Breakfast here is a certifiable Nags Head tradition. Their hearty meals and platters are a huge draw, and their breakfast menu is one of the biggest on the beach, with choices like shrimp and grits, creamed chipped beef, N.C....read more

Dunes Restaurant has been a breakfast and dinner favorite among Outer Banks locals and visitors...read more

FatBoyz Ice Cream & Sweet Treats

Nags Head Restaurant
7208 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Nags Head
(252) 441-6514

A beach road favorite in Nags Head for more than 20 years, FatBoyz serves delicious sweets and treats. Hand-dipped and soft-serve ice cream are prepared in dozens of ways – cups, cones, shakes, sundaes, splits, floats, flurries and more. Stacie's Ice Cream Cakes are a local legend, and you can order your own by calling ahead. New on the menu are chocolate-dipped fruits and bacon...read more

A beach road favorite in Nags Head for more than 20 years, FatBoyz serves delicious...read more