Roanoke Island Restaurants

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sherbet, sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade Belgian chocolate and fudge are made fresh daily, and they also accept custom orders for wedding favors, baby showers and other events. And don't forget the ice cream cake! They have a flavor for every occasion. One of their locations, The Coffeehouse, is right in the middle of downtown Manteo and offers all the same great things as the other Big Buck's plus an expanded selection of fresh coffees, pastries and muffins.

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sherbet, sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade Belgian chocolate and fudge are made fresh daily, and they also accept custom orders for wedding favors, baby showers and other events. And don't forget the ice cream cake! They have a flavor for every occasion. One of their locations, The Coffeehouse, is right in the middle of downtown Manteo and offers all the same great things as the other Big Buck's plus an expanded selection of fresh coffees, pastries and muffins.

Darrell’s is a family-style seafood restaurant that’s a locals' favorite and has been operated by the Daniels family for more than five decades. It dates back to 1960, when Darrell Daniels started the Polar Bear Drive-In. When the second generation came on board in 1972, the family changed the focus to a seafood restaurant and renamed it Darrell's Seafood Restaurant. Now the third generation is working here. Seafood is still the specialty, and locals know that Darrell’s does seafood right. The fried oysters, served with the traditional fixings of cole slaw, French fries and hush puppies, are widely touted as the best anywhere. The blackened tuna over black beans and rice is both healthy and delicious. Land food, children’s fare and light dishes are also available. Darrell's also has a wood-fired grill for barbecue. Helpings are heaping, and the desserts are delicious, if you have room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Monday through Saturday, and on-site and off-site catering for groups and events of 20 people or more are available. Darrell's has a second location, Darrell's 2 BBQ & Seafood, at Outer Banks Mall in Nags Head.

Nestled in downtown Manteo, this spot serves the spectrum of specialty coffee drinks, both hot and cold. Pair your beverage with fresh bakery items such as biscotti or cookies and treats from Sweater Box Confections. Or try a smoothie or some of their homemade cream-cheese spreads on a Barrier Island Bagel. Open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., this cafe offers a quick breakfast on the run or a place to relax while enjoying a muffin and a morning cup. Outdoor seating is available. Vineyards on the Scuppernong from Columbia, N.C., operates a tasting station here, and if you find something you like you can buy a bottle of their wine, along with peanuts or cheese straws. 

Poor Richard's is the local meet-and-greet neighborhood sandwich shop by day and bar by night. It has two doors, one leading from the Manteo boardwalk and another off Queen Elizabeth Avenue. You can eat inside at a booth or table or sit outside on the patio right next to the water. You order at the counter, get your drink and your number then wait for your meal to be delivered to your table. Poor Richard's is a Boar's Head deli serving hot and cold sandwiches made to order and served with chips and a pickle. You can also get burgers, hot dogs, soup, chili, salads, fries and onion rings. Lunch is served every day of the week. In summer, they also offer dinner most nights until 9 p.m. In the evenings, Poor Richard’s After Hours, a pub in the front of the restaurant, is open and serves wine, beer and a full range of bar drinks. The pub opens at 5 p.m. every night. Year round, the pub hosts Trivia Night on Wednesday and live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the summer there's music on Thursday nights as well.

Owned and operated by fifth-generation Dare County locals, Sooey’s BBQ specializes in authentic eastern North Carolina pork barbecue, slow-smoked ribs, beef brisket, pulled barbecue chicken and Southern fried chicken. Their savory pulled-pork barbecue and ribs are made from an Outer Banks recipe with roots as deep as those on their own family tree. All the favorite homemade sides are here, including potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, corn bread, onion rings and killer hushpuppies. Appetizers, wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads and kids’ favorites are also available. You can sit down and eat in the restaurant, but Sooey’s excels at take-out, prepared family meals and catered events; call ahead for large orders. Sooey's has full-service locations in Corolla, Duck and Nags Head; however, the Duck location is closed temporarily for repairs. The Wanchese location, Sooey's Dockside, is on the docks at OBX Marina's tiki bar; it is open in the later afternoon and evening and is not full-service, but it offers the same award-winning barbecue and fresh fish.

Owned and operated by fifth-generation Dare County locals, Sooey’s BBQ specializes in authentic eastern North Carolina pork barbecue, slow-smoked ribs, beef brisket, pulled barbecue chicken and Southern fried chicken. Their savory pulled-pork barbecue and ribs are made from an Outer Banks recipe with roots as deep as those on their own family tree. All the favorite homemade sides are here, including potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, corn bread, onion rings and killer hushpuppies. Appetizers, wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads and kids’ favorites are also available. You can sit down and eat in the restaurant, but Sooey’s excels at take-out, prepared family meals and catered events; call ahead for large orders. Sooey's has full-service locations in Corolla, Duck and Nags Head; however, the Duck location is closed temporarily for repairs. The Wanchese location, Sooey's Dockside, is on the docks at OBX Marina's tiki bar; it is open in the later afternoon and evening and is not full-service, but it offers the same award-winning barbecue and fresh fish.