Hatteras Restaurants

From Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Island

Dining on Hatteras Island means that you can expect restaurants with originality, personality, fresh ingredients and even some secret family recipes.

The best thing about dining on Cape Hatteras is that you won’t be eating at a lot of chain restaurants where you know what sort of experience you’re going to get. Dining in Hatteras restaurants is an adventure. They reflect the laid-back personality of the island lifestyle in a variety of ways, but you can rest assured that the owners, chefs and staff are quite serious and very professional about the fare they serve and the experience they offer.

Most Cape Hatteras restaurants put a major focus on the bounty of the sea. Local menus tout Hatteras Island specialties as Gulf Stream fish (yellowfin tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi), inshore fish (trout, flounder and drum), succulent crab meat, oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and more. Restaurants will let you know what’s in season, and therefore the freshest, when you’re on the island. If it’s soft-shell crabs, don’t miss a chance to taste these delicacies! Fried seafood is no longer the staple of local menus, but you can get it if you want it. Most Hatteras restaurants feature more healthy preparations, like steaming, grilling, sautéing, blackening or broiling.

Find Every Hatteras Restaurant Here

If you’re not a seafood lover, don’t worry. Even the seafood-centric Hatteras restaurants offer a wealth of other options like beef, pasta, chicken, pork and vegetarian entrees. Hatteras restaurants aren’t seafood shacks either (though they do it so well!). You’ll find down-home North Carolina barbecue joints, Italian restaurants, plus pizza places, delis, ice cream shops and bakeries.

Meals are priced fairly on Hatteras Island, and dress is very casual. Most Hatteras eateries close for some portion of the winter, though there is always something open, even in the dead of winter, to serve the growing population of locals. If you’re dining out from November through March, it’s best to call ahead to make sure your restaurant of choice is open. We have listed the Hatteras Island restaurants alphabetically within their respective villages, from north to south, starting in Rodanthe and ending in Hatteras Village.

Hatteras Restaurants by Location or Category

Rodanthe, Waves & Salvo | Avon | Buxton & Frisco | Hatteras Village

Beads & Grinds is a house of coffee and creativity in the heart of Buxton. They have all the coffee and espresso drinks you could want, plus they have...read more

Boardwok South brings something for the adventurous palates of Hatteras Island. Boardwok offers delicious Asian-style entrees from the wok, incorporating...read more

Run by Hatteras Island’s native Oden family, The Breakwater at Oden’s Dock offers the village’s most upscale atmosphere for dinner and a long-standing...read more

Burger Burger specializes in fresh ground beef burgers made by hand. There’s a variety of burgers to choose from, but the local’s favorite seems to be the...read more

Buxton Munch has been rockin’ Hatteras Island lunches since 1999. Located next to the ABC store in the Osprey Shopping Center, Buxton Munch Company serves...read more

At Cups And Cones, cool down with Hawaiian or Italian ice, hand-scooped ice cream or a delicious malt, shake or smoothie. Or go for the coffee – Cups And...read more

You probably know what to expect from Dairy Queen. Stop here for delicious soft-serve ice cream, old-fashioned dip tops, Blizzards, sundaes, cool drinks and...read more