Lunch on the Outer Banks isn’t just a meal, it’s an experience. So when it comes to choosing a restaurant, be sure to head to one the locals love.
Outer Banks Restaurant Guide to Lunch
Nobody knows the best lunch spots on the Outer Banks better than the locals! Whether you’re looking for a quick bite, a sit-down meal with a waterfront view, or a hidden gem, we have the insider scoop on where to grab lunch in every OBX town.
Our Outer Banks Restaurant Guide to Lunch will help you find the best places to eat on the OBX. Surely, this list will help you better decide the best place to relax, as well as the best restaurants to enjoy your vacation. Here’s what you can expect in this guide:
- Best lunch spots by town – Corolla to Ocracoke
- Local-favorite dishes & must-try meals
- Casual cafés, seafood shacks, & sit-down restaurants
- Hidden gems & spots with the best people-watching
Furthermore, simply take a break from the beach or shopping, sit back and watch the world go by, and Lunch Like a Local. Find the best restaurant nearest you for lunch.

The Best Outer Banks Lunch Restaurants

Yellow Submarine
Established in 1976, Yellow Submarine is a Beatles-themed pizza parlor offering stone-oven-baked pies & subs, bone-in and boneless chicken wings, strombolis, calzones, fresh salads, plus wine, beer, and desserts on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our restaurant provides pizza delivery in Nags Head while also offering in-store pickup and dine-in eating at our convenient location inside the Outer Banks Mall at milepost 14. You’ll love Yellow Submarine’s delicious hand-tossed, made-from-scratch pizzas prepared with only the freshest ingredients.

Miller’s Seafood & Steak House
Miller’s is family dining at its finest. Large Parties are welcome for BreakFast & Dinner. Whenever you dine at Miller’s Seafood & Steakhouse, you’ll find that warm hospitality and family values go hand and hand. You’ll feel right at home as the Millers make their rounds to check on customers while your entire family dines together on some of the Outer Banks’ finest cuisine. From delicious menu options to top-notch southern hospitality, once you’ve experienced Miller’s for yourself, we know you’ll make it a family tradition, too.

American Pie Pizza & Homemade Ice Cream
This local, family-owned, and operated restaurant has grown to be an Outer Banks favorite. In fact, they were voted best pizza and ice cream in the Taste of the Beach! American Pie sits on Highway 12 in Kill Devil Hills, just walking distance from many hotels, motels, cottages, and of course the beach! The restaurant provides both indoor and outdoor dining.

Waveriders Coffee, Deli & Market
Waveriders Coffee Deli & Market is a great stop for breakfast or lunch. We offer panini-pressed Breakfast Bagel and Deli sandwiches any time of day. You will also find muffins & pastries along with vegetarian and gluten-free options. The lunch selections include a variety of panini-pressed sandwiches, wraps & Salads. Along with our amazing food we have 16 Craft Beers on Tap, Wine by the Glass or Bottle, a large retail market area for snacks and real fruit Smoothies with a full espresso bar. Waveriders has free WiFi, of course! The shop offers lounge furniture, tables, a lounge area for meetings and outdoor seating on our dog friendly deck.

Dirty Dick’s Crab House
Fresh, local seafood with a New Orleans accent in our Nags Head Restaurant. 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.

Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant
Not many restaurants actually sit out over the water, so relax and watch all the activity above and below the waterline. Made famous for local shrimp and a menu that serves everything from incredible prime rib to native crab cakes and the Outer Banks’ best seafood.

Viva Mexican Grill
Family-owned, made to order, and full of flavor, Viva Mexican Grill brings authentic Mexican cuisine to the Outer Banks with bold spices, homemade tortillas, and your favorite classics, served fast, fresh, and with OBX hospitality in Nags Head.

PokeBox – Plaza Del Sol
Fresh Outer Banks seafood and customizable Asian flavors are at the tip of your fingers at one of Nags Head’s newest take out restaurants, OBX PokeBox! OBX PokeBox brings some of the finest Hawaiian and Asian flavors to the Outer Banks, offering a take-out option full of fresh ingredients sure to satisfy your cravings!

The Village Table & Tavern
The Village Table and Tavern embraces the simple pleasure of good food and drink shared with friends and family as part of the joy of everyday living.
Pigman’s Bar-B-Que
Offering traditional eastern North Carolina style BBQ, smoked on site. All bar-b-que is cooked slowly with hand-crafted sauces to perfection. Pigman’s also offers a tomato or “ketchup-based” BBQ option. You can also enjoy St. Louis Ribs and smoked chicken, along with comforting southern sides, such as hushpuppies, baked beans, potato salad, french fries, and cole slaw. Be sure to experience country ham at Pigman’s Bar-B-Que. Pigman’s salt-cured hams are smoked to perfection. Pigman’s Bar B Que is a kid-friendly restaurant offering a Kiddie-Que Meal as well as chicken tender and hot dog kids meal options.

Mama Kwan’s Tiki Bar & Grill
Mama Kwan’s has served the Outer Banks for the many years, with our very own twist on food from around the world – and around the block. Our menu is designed to cover all types of tastes, so even the pickiest member of your party will find something they enjoy.
We are laid back, and fun offering a casual dining experience for the entire family. Eat outside, at the bar, or in our dining area. Our offerings include splashy & festive eats with Pacific Rim flavors & renowned mahi mahi tacos, plus tropical drinks.
Come to Mama’s and have a time in Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Of course we want to discover local’s favorite lunch restaurants, but perhaps family friendly restaurants might really be what you’re looking for. What about later on the in evening?
Perhaps you’re looking for the top choices to make for a special night out. It may be that you’re truly after a waterfront dining experience, or some top-notch sushi. Whatever it is you’re craving, The Outer Banks Restaurant Guide has you covered!
































