2025 Nags Head Wings Guide

There’s an art to doing a home-style chicken dinner right in the South. You need a chicken fried to golden, crispy perfection obviously. Then you need the appropriate fixings, like mac and cheese and coleslaw. Finally, you need that familial setting of passing the plates, helping yourself and fighting for the very last piece. And we have this art down at The Cookshak Fried Chicken – in fact, it’s our specialty. Choose a whole or half bird and a side dish (or three!), and you have a deliciously easy meal in the making. We also offer lunch deals where you can get two or three-piece meals, sides and a drink. We keep feeding yourself or the whole crew quick and convenient. At our Duck location, you can order carry-out from our window to take home or enjoy at the neighboring Pizzazz Pizza. For a sit-down meal, check out our Nags Head eatery shared with Pizzazz Pizza. Don’t want to venture out? Not a problem. We offer free delivery. FREE DELIVERY!

First launched as a little carry-out joint on the Beach Road in 1995, Dirty Dick’s Crab House quickly become an Outer Banks favorite. With two full-service restaurants here now, there are also two locations recently opened in Panama City, Fla. and Myrtle Beach, SC. T-shirts with depictions of the restaurant's iconic goofy guy and/or somewhat risqué sayings immediately became hot items, and now there’s a whole line of “Dirty Dick’s” merchandise. In 2001, acclaimed New Orleans chef Beany Macgregor became a partner, which explains why the menu includes such Cajun hits as chicken etoufee; shrimp, oyster or pork chop po’ boy; Creole stuffed crabs; Louisiana crawfish; shrimp Creole over cheese grits ; and for the brave, delicacies like fried frog legs and fried gator tail.  There is also more standard fare like crab cakes; linguine and clams; ranch pork chops; ham and swiss Panini; and char-grilled hamburgers. All shrimp is wild-caught and fish is always fresh.  If you have kids, you can’t leave without treating them to the “Shark Attack” drink that includes a small vial of grenadine (“blood”) attached to a souvenir cup of 7-Up. And to top it off, all kids’ meals are served on Frisbees they can take home with them.

Lucky 12 Tavern, located at Milepost 12 Beach Road has everything a great restaurant and bar should have: great food, great beverages, tons of personality and lots of TV's.  Lucky 12 prides itself on serving the freshest North Carolina Seafood and Locally Sourced Produce.  Other dining options include Hand Pattied Burgers, Wings, Cheese steaks and Creative Salads along with a Kids Menu and New York Style Pizza.  This delicious Pizza is served till 2 am Nightly.  Lucky 12 also features 20 Beers on Draft and over 80 Craft beers by the bottle or can.  They also have and extensive Martini menu and a nice Wine Selection.  For sports fans, they offer 20 TV's showcasing the MLB package, NHL Package, NFL Sunday Ticket along with tons of College Sports Packages.  For you late night fans the bar stays open till 2 AM nightly and has a pool table, Golden Tee Golf and pinball machines.  Come see why this Tavern has been a popular destination for Tourists and Locals since 2006.

Enjoy a crowd-pleasing meal that everyone can dive into with a quick stop at this Nags Head *take out only* eatery that has plenty of traditional and specialty pies to suit all tastes. Madisons Pizza has a lengthy menu that is chock full of delicious items, ensuring that every hungry visitor can find something to easily enjoy with every visit.

Outer Banks visitors on the hunt for something tasty, filling, and unique may want to plan a lunch or dinner stop at McGrath's Burger Shack, an Irish American burger bar that has a hearty menu and a cool and easy-going atmosphere that’s perfect for a casual dining experience. Located in the Outer Banks Mall in the heart of Nags Head, this destination will appease any appetite with big burgers, cold beverages, and a dose of Irish flavor.

Located at Milepost 13 in Nags Head, across from Jockey’s Ridge State Park, we have unbelievable views from our second floor deck of the Atlantic Ocean and the historic Nags Head cottages. As a matter of fact, we don’t believe that you can truly unwind until you’ve ordered an Orange Crush on the deck at Mulligan’s!If you take one look at our menu you will find that we strive to bring the freshest possible products to your table—from locally sourced produce, locally sourced seafood and locally baked breads. From house-made sauces, hand-patted burgers and oysters and shrimp straight from the Pamlico sound, we give a whole new meaning to Southern Coastal Cuisine. So come hang out with the locals at Mulligan’s Raw Bar & Grille!!!Our hours of operation are 11am – 10 pm Monday through FridayAnd                                             10 am -10pm Saturday and Sunday for our Brunch MenuOpen Year Round!!

Pizzazz Pizza now has FOUR convenient Outer Banks locations in Grandy, Corolla, Duck & Nags Head. Made with only the freshest ingredients and finest meat toppings! Dine in, carry out or delivery (from Corolla to South Nags Head; from Powell's Point to Aydlett).

Red Drum Tap House has become a Nags Head tradition for locals & visitors alike. For over 10 years, we’ve offered a hearty fare in a casual & relaxed atmosphere complimented by a great selection of 18 micro and domestic beers on tap. Locally owned & operated, we provide only the freshest local seafood steaks, ribs, and much more for the whole family.

Located directly across the street from Jockey’s Ridge on one side, and the ocean on the other, Sooey’s is a good casual place to stop for a bite and take in the view. It offers hickory smoke BBQ pork, beef, chicken, ribs and seafood, and one side even sells ice cream and Italian ices. Appetizers include buffalo wings, beer battered onion rings and a basket of cornbread or hushpuppies. Sides are good Southern offerings like collards, mac ‘n’ cheese, cole slaw and fried okra.  Meals can be in the form of a sandwich or a platter, with choices ranging from hand pulled pork or chicken BBQ to Southern fried chicken to crabcakes to a half rack of ribs. Menu choices can be eaten inside or made to go. There are tables inside, but if the weather permits, sitting outside at the shaded picnic tables, or upstairs on top of the roof, is the best way to enjoy the meal. Sooey's also offers catering service year-round. 

The Dunes Restaraunt is a favorite local restaurant that’s been in business since 1982 and focuses on local, southern cooking. It has embraced the local food movement, and always tries to use local seasonal produce, regionally sourced eggs (we use a lot!) and fresh Outer Banks seafood in its dishes.

Established in 1976 in Nags Head, Yellow Submarine was the first eatery on the Outer Banks to offer oven-baked subs. Since then, the menu has expanded considerably to include hand-tossed pizza with fresh sauce and Philly or chicken cheesesteaks. Pizzas range from veggie to classic white, Greek, Buffalo chicken, Meat Monster and Hawaiian White. Various flavored of wings offered. Deli subs made with fresh Boars Head meats & cheeses. Located at Outer Banks Mall at Milepost 14 off the Bypass, this comfortable restaurant also offers Caesar, Greek, Buffalo Chicken and Chef salads, numerous snacks and draft beer. Want something sweet? Have some N.Y. style cheesecake. Kids menu, for dine-in only, includes chicken tenders and pizza. Delivery is available between Mileposts 10 and 21 with a minimum order of $15.