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

This is really two stores in one. Downstairs it’s a tackle shop with bait, tackle, rods and reels, gas, gear, waders, boots, snacks, rod and reel repair,...read more

Fatty's Eatery is open for breakfast and lunch every day. They describe their menu as "crazy on purpose," satisfying everyone from the most adventurous...read more

Frisco Sandwich Company serves quick, healthy fare for people on the go. It’s fast, but we can’t call it fast food because it’s all prepared with care and...read more

Harbor Deli offers lunch and take-out fare. The lunch menu is large, with specialty sandwiches – including the popular Shrimp Burger – seafood salads, daily...read more

When you're fresh out of the water in the Tri-Villages and looking for a healthy snack, head to Hatteras Bowls. This food truck, which stays in the same...read more

Hatteras Sno-Balls is nestled in a little watermelon pink building near milepost 67 in Frisco. With its friendly service and relaxed atmosphere, Hatteras...read more