Manteo, NC, Restaurants

If you love authentic pit-cooked eastern North Carolina barbecue, this is your place. On Highway 64 close to the Dare County Government Complex, Carolina Bar-B-Que Company serves house-smoked barbecue sandwiches or plates with slaw, potato salad, house-cut fries and hushpuppies. Owner and chef Mike Weaver also offers smoked chicken, burgers, Nathan's hot dogs, fried shrimp, clam strips, flounder and Brunswick stew. Wash it down with lemonade or tea, and finish it all off with a Deep-Fried Twinkie.

Firetender is an exciting new casual yet upscale restaurant in Manteo. Based at the Hotel Manteo on the main highway, the restaurant is centered around its custom-built stone oven, the source of its incredible stone-oven pizzas. The menu also includes expertly prepared small plates like Karaage Wings, Ahi Nachos, Blistered Brussels Sprouts and Stone Oven Oysters along with Skillets (meal served in a cast-iron skillet), steaks, sandwiches and a kids' menu. Do not pass up dessert, especially the Grown-Up Banana Split that is enough for the whole table to share. Firetender has a full bar and is a Weeping Radish Brewery taproom serving the full lineup of Weeping Radish beers, which originated in Manteo but are now brewed in Raleigh. Bringing Weeping Radish beers back to Manteo, including a Weeping Radish pretzel, is a source of joy for many people. Firetender also serves breakfast daily, everything from egg and meat plates to breakfast burritos to French toast and a Morning Power Bowl. Seating is available indoors or outdoors.

Downtown Manteo finally has a wine bar! It's a cozy, comfortable place with the slightly urban feel of a remodeled historic downtown building, in this case the restored Fearing building on Budleigh Street, just across from the old courthouse. It's a nice place for a date, pre-event drinks and bites, a lingering lunch with a friend or even late-night fun (yes, in Manteo being open until 10 p.m. is considered late). The wine list features several reds, whites, roses, a sparkling option and wine cocktails, and wine flights are available if you want to sample a few. The beverage list also includes beers, including several from Lost Colony Brewery around the corner, and nonalcoholic options. Expertly built cheese and charcuterie boards are the perfect accompaniment to your drink selections. NouVines opens at 11:30 daily and closes at 10 p.m. every day except Sunday, when they close at 6 p.m. Ask about events like tastings from specific wineries. Their retail section offers wine by the bottle, jams, chocolates, teas, wine bags, t-shirts and gift items. 

Stripers has a great waterfront location at Shallowbag Bay Marina, and they offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water views. You can eat on the screened-in deck, on the outdoor patio, in the first-floor bar or in the second-floor restaurant. The views get better the higher you go. Stripers menu includes fresh local seafood, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, salads, pastas and appetizers. The seafood is guaranteed fresh, as the owner has good connections with local fishermen. Some favorites on the menu include lobster bisque, oyster stew, crab dip, crab cakes, cheese-steak egg rolls and sliders. Small and large portion sizes are available. Stripers offers a happy hour with half-price steamed shrimp and crab legs every day from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and they have a full liquor license and offer beer, wine and mixed drinks. It's open every day for lunch and dinner, with no break between the two. On Sundays they open at 11 a.m. for brunch. In the summer months they offer live music on the weekends. Take-out and catering are available. To find Stripers, turn off Highway 64 in Manteo behind McDonald's.