2025 Wine Guide

Aqua Restaurant and Spa in Duck, like the ocean its name represents, aims to provide a place of healing and rejuvenation. Aqua offers not only nourishment for the body, but the for soul and the environment as well.Along with providing the best quality foods and products for its patrons, the restaurant’s goal is to help strengthen local relationships by supporting regional sustainable farms and local fishermen. For their savory menu, Aqua’s chefs focus on the freshest ingredients and always local, fresh-caught fish. Likewise Aqua Spa offers “earth friendly products, organic serums and rejuvenating treatments.” In addition to gourmet dinners that include vegetarian options, Aqua’s lunch menu offers the same excellent quality at very affordable prices. Along with soups and sandwiches are gourmet salads and fries with their own “secret” sauce. Even Aqua’s BLT is made with heirloom tomatoes, just like “mama used to make.” The restaurant also adds a creative selection of sushis and sakis.During the season, patrons are treated to live music nightly and yoga, Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the lawn. Throughout the year, Aqua serves as a perfect wedding destination and rehearsal dinner venue.Aqua means water, island and of course the light green blue you’ll see splashed throughout the restaurant’s décor. It’s a place where you can count on culinary masterpieces made with the best ingredients available - where you can relax and enjoy local music in the evenings or just sit back and soak in the peaceful serenity of an Outer Banks sunset.

Bacchus Wine & Beer Bistro is a great stop for a wide variety of tasty treats. Create a meal from their selections or take home a great bottle of wine and one or more of their tempting cheeses! Gourmet is the watchword here. You will enjoy choosing as much as browsing through their selections, which includes Angus steaks, desserts, Thuman’s deli meats, and homemade sandwiches.

Wow! A drive-up with great tasting and healthy food? That’s what this unique restaurant ---which had once been a Burger King ---offers, at least for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is just great food, and you’ll have to come inside to get that.  With its comfortable booths, black and white tile flooring and an abundance of windows, this eatery offers a nice meld of metro/beach atmosphere. Check out the bar with all the pebbles ---it actually looks like the beach! And if the weather is nice, you can sit outside at one of the round, umbrella-shielded tables and enjoy watching the butterflies flitting between big pots of flowers and basil and rosemary lining the patio. An extension of Coastal Provisions Market in Southern Shores, the restaurant serves a “quick-serve” breakfast until 11 a.m.

If you’re looking for fresh North Carolina seafood, Dinky’s will hit the spot. Chef Dwight Callahan cooks up a new seafood dinner special for every night of the week, with menu changes each season. Also on the menu are duck, steak and lamb, and Dinky’s is known for its mouthwatering pasta dishes like its Blue Crab Ravioli and its other shellfish teasers, all topped with Asiago cheese.For lighter fare, Chef Callahan creates a daily soup from scratch, and Dinky’s baby spinach salad, topped with Toasted Pecans and Crumbled Bleu Cheese,can also be served with either/or a combination of grilled chicken, shrimp, fish or scallops.Dinky’s menu also includes a couple of chicken entrees - parmesan and gorgonzola -vegetarian pasta dishes, a kids meal that includes vegetables and an 8-inch pizza, and a yummy desert selection highlighted by the chef’s Cheesecake Du Jour. You’ll also find a wide variety of wine and beers on the menu, along with desert drinks, cocktails and special martinis.Complimenting its fresh seafood specials and other dishes is Dinky’s delightful panoramic view of the Pamlico Sound, known for its breathtaking sunsets. Also exceptional is the restaurant’s décor, accented by woodwork and tables done in African Mahogany.Dinky’s motto, “Great Things Come From Small Places,” says it all. It’s located atop Village Marina in Hatteras on the Pamlico Sound.During the fall and winter, Friday night is Prime Rib Night and Monday is Sushi Night.

WELCOME TO OBX’S HOTTEST GATHERING SPOT—a celebration of craft, comfort, community, & conversation. LOCATED IN THE NEWLY RESTORED HOTEL MANTEO, we’re serving up stone-oven pizzas & hearth-fired skillets, along with Weeping Radish craft beers, killer cocktails, & (coming soon) a rollicking beer garden. So come & EAT & DRINK WITH US. LIVE & LAUGH WITH US. At Firetender, every night is a party. And every night is filled with friends …  

A year-round restaurant, bar and gift shop.

Huanchaco Lounge in Kill Devil Hills brings a fresh and flavorful twist to the Outer Banks dining scene, blending vibrant Peruvian flavors with a laid-back coastal vibe. Named after the famed surf town of Huanchaco, Peru, this cozy lounge is a celebration of culture, cuisine, and community—all just minutes from the beach.

The Inn on Pamlico Sound is a full body experience. They offer the services of a European boutique hotel, the amenities of a small resort, and the comfort and charm of a North Carolina coastal bed and breakfast. What this translates as is waterfront lodging ranging from queen-size rooms with private baths to luxurious king-size rooms with Italian tile baths, whirlpool tubs, and private decks. 

Enjoy an elegant meal with a waterfront backdrop at this world-class restaurant that utilizes the fresh ingredients and flavors of the Outer Banks and beyond. Kimball's Kitchen has an ever-changing menu to delight patrons of all tastes, and the stunning locale on the edge of the Currituck Sound makes this restaurant a prime destination to enjoy a romantic evening out while staying in the heart of Duck.

Metropolis is open for dinner year round. Their menu changes with the season. They have a creative take on food allowing the customer to envision their own meal through ordering a series of small plates or tapas. There is great variety in the choices including seafood, cheeses, salads, fruits, nuts and a host of other ingredients to form special dishes. Examples of cold tapas – black and white sesame seared tuna with sushi set up, goat cheese and mixed olives with grilled pita, salad of artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, hearts of palm, red onion and goat cheese. You can warm it up with samplings of asparagus bisque with lump crab, white truffle oil and garlic breadcrumbs or grilled baby lamb porterhouse with salad of baby arugula, shaved fennel, grape tomato, E.V.O.O & lemon. Food is an art at Metropolis  where you dine in a hip atmosphere complete with lava lamps, abstract art and much to look forward to in the drink department. This includes 80 handcrafted martinis, 20 single malt scotches and a great wine list.

Nothing beats the glow of a nice suntan, so why not put that to use, get a dolled up and head to Ocean Boulevard for some fine cocktails and gourmet dishes? The restaurant features a quiet and classy atmosphere great for a romantic evening. You can either sit in the restaurant for a candlelit meal, or on the outdoor patio to enjoy a fresh salty breeze and the sound of the neighboring sea. Ocean Boulevard offers an extensive fine dining menu, including nightly dinner specials usually featuring fresh seafood. Start with the Bistro baked Clams Antipasti or Seven Lettuce salad. Do not forget to save room for a delicious entrée like the Local Jumbo Lump Crabcake or Pan Roasted Duck Breast. 

Off the Wall Tap House brings a fresh blend of technology, community, and great food to the Outer Banks. Our restaurant, located in Corolla, provides an interactive craft beer experience and dining  that is memorable and fun. Our innovative beer wall allows you to personalize your experience and try our 20 craft beers. Taste test just an ounce, fill a pint, or choose anything in between. Our beer wall caters to every beer connoisseur’s tastes. We have IPAs, lagers, porters, and more! Choose your favorite and enjoy it while watching one of our Direct TV sports packages. Not into beer? Have a drink from our wine and cocktail menu! Have a seat at a table or enjoy the fresh Outer Banks air on our outdoor patio. Make new friends at our high-top communal tables or bring your whole group. Refill your drink when you want it. Test out several beers before you commit to a pint. Try something new. The beer wall experience is completely customizable and unlike anything else in the Outer Banks!

Located in southern Hatteras Island, Pamlico Deli is one of the Outer Banks’ newest and most acclaimed spots for an easy lunch, a collection of freshly prepared meals and goodies, and fun events that everyone in the crew will adore. Hosting regular weekly wine tastings all year long, as well as live music on special nights throughout the summer and beyond, Pamlico Deli is a great destination for food, drink, and plenty of great times.

One of the newer restaurants to take the northern Outer Banks by storm, Pete’s Pour house serves burgers, fries, fresh seafood, salads and many of the comfort foods that are easily washed down by an ice cold beer. The wings at Pete’s Pour House are not to be missed!

A casual waterfront eatery with delicious deli meats and cheeses. Poor Richard's includes a pub with liquor, draft and bottled beer a well as wine. They also offer entertainment. 

For more than 15 years, Red Sky Cafe restaurant in Duck, NC, has been delighting locals and visitors with fresh, creative meals that highlight local Outer Banks seafood, poultry, beef, duck and more. The owner and chef, Wes Stepp, has more than 30 years of culinary experience and is well-known locally and throughout the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Chef Wes and his team serve up beautiful, generous portions in the casual atmosphere of this Outer Banks restaurant. And, while no one leaves hungry, Chef Wes is also renowned for his attention to a healthy lifestyle that encourages, as its centerpiece, a focus on whole, fresh and locally sourced food. Locals know that if they want to eat well without the guilt, Red Sky is the place to head. Conveniently located beside Carolina Designs in downtown Duck, the year-round restaurant offers a dynamic menu, as well as nightly chef specials fit to delight even the pickiest of palates!

You'll have to peer behind the huge Russian olive hedges to find this popular OBX eatery, tucked away in a renovated and cedar-shaked historic home in the heart of Duck. Open since 1995, Roadside Bar and Grill says the locals will tell you it's "one of the finest establishments on the beach," and it boasts "great southern food and great times." In addition to seven tables in the downstairs dining room and three booths in the upstairs bar and grill, a patio provides plenty of space for outdoor dining and offers live original jazz and acoustic on many evenings during the season. As a delightful addition to Roadside’s cozy décor, there are colorful, artistically recycled windows brightening the walls and deck.Roadside’s dinner specialties include several dishes made with a variety of local, fresh seafood, as well as Maple Leaf Farm’s duck breast, a vegetarian Vegetable Napoleon and Roadside’s own special salad with pistachios and homemade raspberry vinaigrette. On the lunch menu are rare finds like pan-seared salmon filet salad, shrimp & grits and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. Another specialty, Roadside’s pulled pork barbecue is made on site with its own homemade sauce. Other popular standbys you'll see advertised on the marquee are "Juicy Burgers, Great Salads and Veggie Subs.”

Offering full lunch and dinner menus with American and seafood fare and cocktails. Voted best deck dining on the beach. Relaxed and family friendly atmosphere. The spectacular view from Rundown Café’s newly renovated upstairs Hula bar deck is unrivaled on the beach. The restaurant offers seating on the deck, as well as more intimate seating inside either the upstairs bar or more family oriented downstairs dining room.  

Experience North Carolina wines while on the Outer Banks. Sanctuary Vineyards, located next to the Cotton Gin in both Jarvisburg and Corolla offers an opportunity for wine tasting and enjoyment. Experience local wines and beers and learn about North Carolina wine right where it’s farmed and produced. Selections include Syrah, tempranillo, Viognier, Norton and Muscadine. If you haven’t tried muscadine wine yet, this is your chance for a  truly North Carolina experience. The muscadine grapes make a sweet, fruity wine that is refreshing during the hot summer months. Music and wine is always a great combination for a fun time. During the summer months, Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg offers live music entertainment. Check the seasonal schedule for dates and times. The free special events are great for the entire family, where picnic baskets, kids and pets are welcome. Wine is available for purchase on site.

SmacNally’s Raw Bar & Grill boasts the “best damn burger in Ocracoke” and “Food so good, it’ll make ya wanna smack yo mama.”Located right on Silver Lake in the heart of Ocracoke Village, it’s a place that’s all about fun and good food, with an added bonus of beautiful sunsets, lake views and live entertainment during the season.The burgers on which the restaurant banks its reputation feature a half pound of grilled Angus beef on a toasted bun with cheese and/or bacon toppings and Smacnally’s famous curly fries. Along with this basic burger, the grill serves several specialty versions, including  BBQ, Chili, Cajun and even a pesto, tomato and provolone burger. And you can get all the same flavor choices with chicken instead.SmacNally’s seafood selection includes grilled or fried fresh-catch fish sandwiches or dinners, buttered shrimp and beer-battered fish ‘n’ chips.  Also available are the typical pub appetizers - with great ratings on the onion rings - a kids menu, beer and wine.SmackNally’s gets high ratings online for its atmosphere, good food, cold beer and especially its friendly service. The restaurant welcomes take-out orders as well.

Sunset Grille & Raw Bar brings the Carribbean and New Orleans to the Outer Banks with its wide variety of spicy seafood dishes, its tropical setting with Tiki Bars and its Cajun style chicken, fish and burgers.The Sushi Bar opens every day at 4 pm, offering 17 varieties of seafood and veggie rolls, and the Tiki Bars are open late night, with live entertainment during the season and karaoke on fall weekends. Breakfast is served until 11 am, and for lunch there are seafood baskets and a variety of specialty sandwiches, enhanced by flavorings of Jamaican and Carribbean jerk, mango mayos and Calypso Barbeque sauce. Along with Sunset’s island-style burgers is a vegetarian version, made with spicy black beans.The dinner menu offers an ample choice of grilled or fried seafood and steak entrees, along with the very popular Lump Crab Macaroni and Cheese and vegetarian choices. Available for both lunch and dinner, Sunset’s Raw and Steam Bar serves shellfish and lobster separately or in combos, and also on both menus is the restaurant’s award-winning, creamy-style Clam Chowder, voted the best on the OBX.For a perfect completion to your meal you might like to linger over a slice of Sunset’s luscious homemade key lime pie or dive into its Chocolate Bomb mousse while sipping on one of its specialty liqueur coffees.Sunset also provides catering for special events and business occasions. The restaurant closes from October to March, and has an altered fall schedule. It also opens back up for a week during both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

While taking a lazy stroll ‘round Duck, you might want to stop in at Sweet T’s for a wake-up cup o’ joe or espresso. Or else you can chill out even more on their shady front porch, sipping on a glass of wine or a cool beer.Along with its hot and cold specialty coffees, teas and lattes, Sweet T’s carries a selection of 200 bottle craft microbrewed beers, with five rotating selections on tap, and offers a unique assortment of fine wines from around the world. If you’ve got the munchies, this specialty coffee, beer and wine shop also has a nice selection of sweet pastries, as well as healthy snacks like fresh fruit, smoothies, cheese and meat-stuffed pretzels or gourmet cheeses and crackers. The coffee is freshly roasted, and their yummy soft pretzels are homemade. You’ll even find pure-cane, old fashioned soda pops in the cooler.Also available are greeting cards created by local artists and a few other small gift items.Whether you’re just taking a bike break for a quick bite and beverage at their outside bar, wedged between two spreading oaks, or lounging away an afternoon on the porch, you’ll find Sweet T’s cozy, delicious and inviting.The shop is open daily, year round, with some variation of days and hours off-season.

With its fabulous setting on the Roanoke Sound and a mouth-watering menu, Tale of the Whale Restaurant is one of those places on the Outer Banks that visitors flock to year after year.  The family-owned business prides itself on making each meal one to remember for every customer.  Beautiful views of the sound can be enjoyed through numerous windows that line the rear of the restaurant. If you sit at one of the comfortable wooden booths, you could be treated to a glorious sunset. Or savor a cocktail , or wine from the extensive wine list, outdoors overlooking the water. There is also a full bar inside the premises, which in recent years has been renovated. Menu items include fresh finfish and shellfish, fried, broiled, steamed or grilled; and chicken, steak, ribs and pork dishes.  House specialities include flounder stuffed with lump crabmeat; crabmeat and shrimp au gratin; pan-sauteed crabcakes; and shrimp and grits. Pasta, salad and soup are also available, and there is a “lighter fare,” vegetarian, and childrens’ menu.  Children, families and parties of all sizes are welcome, but it’s recommended to call ahead to accommodate a large group. The facility is also available for special occasions. Live music is offered on the waterfront gazebo on summer evenings.

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.

For casual dining, The Lifesaving Station at Sanderling Inn has been a traditional favorite since 1977. The restaurant is housed in what once served as Caffey’s Life Saving Station. Decommisioned in the 1950s, it was the fifth U.S. station built south of the Virginia line and one of a string whose crews saved shipwrecked victims, their cargos and sometimes the ships from the often treacherous waters along the NC coast. Caffey’s nautical artifacts and historic memorabilia now decorate this authentic Outer Banks treasure, listed in the National Register of historic places.The restaurant serves three meals daily, with a rare breakfast menu full of old-fashioned treats, including steel-cut oatmeal, buttermilk biscuits, French toast with real Vermont maple syrup and a smorgasboard of an omelet. For lunch and dinner the Station offers a cuisine that focuses on fresh local seafood and other dishes prepared American-style, some with a Southern slant. Favorites include their signature shrimp, crab and corn chowder, daily specials and their white chocolate raspberry crème brulee for dessert. Also available are vegetarian dishes and a children‘s menu.On the second floor, the Swan Bar and Lounge offers a more relaxed setting where you can enjoy drinks, midday appetizers or a casual meal until 10 p.m. during the season. Hours for the restaurant and the bar vary in the fall and winter months. Dinner reservations are recommended.The Lifesaving Station wants its patrons to know that it prepares it dishes “in ways that celebrate the sustainable, organic, artisanal and local approach of our Southern & American producers who are dedicated to sustaining the cultures and environments that embody the places they call home.”

The owners and staff of The Paper Canoe work hard to “make your vacation taste better.” This charming restaurant near Sanderling is best known for its stunning waterfront setting, its always evolving menu and its fresh ingredients, including local-caught seafood and home-grown vegetables from the chef’s own backyard. This dedication to its dishes, “prepared simply and with passion,” is coupled with PC’s commitment to your dining experience, “from the time you walk in the door.” Featured are their handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas and other rustic wood oven specialties along with “an ever-changing chalkboard of daily selections.”

The Village Table & Tavern serves up crave-worthy fare, delightful drinks, and down-home hospitality to visitors and locals year-round on the shores of the Currituck Sound in Duck, NC. We believe that the best dining experience is always about more than just the food. While we serve creative dishes crafted from fresh, regional ingredients, we believe it’s stellar hospitality and welcoming spaces that set the scene for the most memorable meals. And that’s just what you’ll find at The Village – inspired food and drink served with a side of southern hospitality in an inviting space with the beautiful Currituck Sound as a backdrop. Conveniently located just north of the town of Duck, The Village Table & Tavern is the perfect spot to enjoy a bite to eat, a cocktail, and seasonal live music. We look forward to welcoming you to our table soon!  

A specialty gourmet market and wine shop with plenty of surprises!

Watermen’s Bar & Grill boasts a “unique indoor/outdoor design” with spectacular waterfront views and a friendly staff - and “the best coffee, beers and mixed drinks on the Outer Banks.” This includes an exclusive Rum Bar with rums and rum drinks from around the world.It’s also gotten great online reviews for its dishes, which the grill promises to be freshly prepared. Along with a huge list of coffee and drinks, the menu offers a light, healthy breakfast selection, sandwiches, wraps and Mexican foods for lunch, and lots of seafood entrees and appetizers for dinner. The menu includes deserts, weekly specials and a kids‘ favorites.Featured also are wide screen TVs, internet and live music on the deck several nights during the season, along with other special, family-friendly music events like the Sky Blue Summer Concert Series, which features a week of local and national musicians.An interesting note about the restaurant’s décor is that its wood is salvaged from the original 1921 Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn, New York.At Watermen’s Bar & Grill, you can get your food to go, linger long indoors or go out on the deck and enjoy great sunset views and kiteboarding activity on the sound as you sip one of Watermen’s special drinks. The restaurant is open year-round except for one month off during the winter.