Even in the height of a North Carolina summer, outside dining is a pleasurable experience in Manteo, NC, restaurants. Enjoy a cold beverage on the docks of a harbor or marina and watch as commercial fishermen come in with their catches. Or enjoy a gourmet preparation of said fresh catch while you dine al fresco and overlook the Shallowbag Bay. Small sandwich shops, cafes and eateries also offer plenty of seating at picnic tables for people grabbing lunch and watching the downtown bustle.
Featured for Your Visit
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
208 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern in downtown Manteo. The tavern offers a wide range of dishes for all tastes, ranging from British favorites like Welsh Rarebit, Fish & Chips, Scotch Eggs, Bangers & Mash and Cottage Pie to burgers, salads crab cakes and shrimp and grits. The Full Moon Crab Dip from this restaurant's predecessor is, blessedly, still on the menu. There's a kids' menu as well. They serve the award-winning beers of Lost Colony Brewery in Stumpy Point along with wine and cocktails. Take a seat at one of the umbrella-covered outdoor tables on a warm day or night or sit inside in the intimate restaurant with a similar view of the streetscape. The outside terrace is dog friendly. The tavern is open for lunch and dinner; call for hours. Dinner reservations are accepted. Live acoustic music and trivia nights are popular here.
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern in downtown Manteo. The tavern offers a wide range of dishes for all tastes, ranging from British favorites like Welsh Rarebit, Fish & Chips, Scotch Eggs, Bangers & Mash and Cottage Pie to burgers, salads crab cakes and shrimp and grits. The Full Moon Crab Dip from this restaurant's predecessor is,...read more
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern...read more
7623 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway, Nags Head
This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places. The service is genuinely friendly, and the portions are more than generous. You’ll enjoy views of Roanoke Sound on both sides of the restaurant, including nightly sunsets. They feature only local, fresh North Carolina seafood that comes in whole and is cleaned in their state-certified fish-cleaning house, located onsite. They also serve local produce, all-natural chicken, vegetarian dishes, pasta and USDA Angus steaks. Their dedication to freshness includes their own herb and vegetable garden as well as their own crab shedders. Their wine room features thousands of bottles of wine and accompanies a roomy bar area where you can order from a bar menu, a tapas menu or the full restaurant menu. Their special occasion buffets – Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day – are hugely popular, and they also offer on- and off-premise catering for any size or type of event. In season, Lone Cedar Cafe serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays), Sunday brunch and lunch at the food truck in the parking lot Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you want a quick and delicious lunch, the Lone Cedar Cafe food truck is your ticket for local seafood sandwiches, fish boats and more (the daily menu is posted on Facebook). Lone Cedar Cafe closes between New Year's and Valentine's Day every year. Call for off-season hours.
This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places. The service is genuinely friendly, and the portions are more than generous. You’ll enjoy views of Roanoke Sound on both sides of the restaurant, including nightly sunsets. They feature only local, fresh North Carolina seafood that comes in whole and is cleaned in their state-certified fish-cleaning house, located onsite. They...read more
This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places....read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
208 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern in downtown Manteo. The tavern offers a wide range of dishes for all tastes, ranging from British favorites like Welsh Rarebit, Fish & Chips, Scotch Eggs, Bangers & Mash and Cottage Pie to burgers, salads crab cakes and shrimp and grits. The Full Moon Crab Dip from this restaurant's predecessor is, blessedly, still on the menu. There's a kids' menu as well. They serve the award-winning beers of Lost Colony Brewery in Stumpy Point along with wine and cocktails. Take a seat at one of the umbrella-covered outdoor tables on a warm day or night or sit inside in the intimate restaurant with a similar view of the streetscape. The outside terrace is dog friendly. The tavern is open for lunch and dinner; call for hours. Dinner reservations are accepted. Live acoustic music and trivia nights are popular here.
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern in downtown Manteo. The tavern offers a wide range of dishes for all tastes, ranging from British favorites like Welsh Rarebit, Fish & Chips, Scotch Eggs, Bangers & Mash and Cottage Pie to burgers, salads crab cakes and shrimp and grits. The Full Moon Crab Dip from this restaurant's predecessor is,...read more
For locally brewed beers and perfectly accompanying British pub-style cuisine, head to Lost Colony Tavern...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
105 Budleigh Street, Manteo
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.
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...read more
Downtown Manteo finally has a wine bar! It's a cozy, comfortable place with the slightly...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
1100-A S. Bay Club Drive, Manteo
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.
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...read more
Stripers has a great waterfront location at Shallowbag Bay Marina, and they offer plenty of...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar is the sister restaurant to another Outer Banks favorite, Blue Moon Beach Grill, located in Nags Head. Blue Water Grill is a family-owned restaurant at Pirate's Cove Marina, giving it a prime location with fantastic views of the marina, sound and marsh. Their menu is interestingly varied and changes seasonally. Oysters hailing from local, regional and national waters are the specialty at the raw...
read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
The Hungry Pelican is known and loved for its fresh deli sandwiches and superb baked goods. In their location on Budleigh Street, beside the Pioneer Theater, the restaurant serves made-to-order sandwiches, salads and kids' fare along with hand-dipped ice cream and baked goods. They now offer Surfin' Spoon ice cream sandwiches too! With a big range of lunch choices, it's a great place to pick...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
Part of Blue Water Grill and Raw Bar, Mimi's Tiki Hut is located directly on the docks at Pirate's Cove Marina, making it the perfect place to watch the boats return at the end of the day or to enjoy a drink and a bite after a long day of fishing. Open only in the summer months, Mimi's offers live entertainment every night of the...read more
Wanchese, NC, Outdoor Dining
The O’Neal family is known on the Outer Banks for its commitment to harvesting and selling fresh seafood straight out of the sea. At their fish-house docks, where fishermen unload fresh catches nearly every day, the O'Neal's operate a retail and wholesale seafood market and lunch restaurant. Their seafood market is a trusted source for fish, crab meat and crabs, shrimp, scallops, oysters and clams. This...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
Olives A Greek Kitchen brings the flavors and foods of Greece to the Manteo and the northern Outer Banks. The owners, established restaurateurs from New York, offer authentic dishes like tzatziki, hummus, dolmades, saganaki, spanakopita, souvlaki, moussaka, baklava and more. If you're not sure what all that is, don't worry; the menu explains it all very well, and there are hybrid dishes that combine Greek...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
Ortega'z Southwestern Grill brings some cultural spice to downtown Manteo along with a little flash of star quality. The restaurant and its owners, Marcelo and Lisa Ortega, were featured in an episode of the Food Network's popular show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. The specialty of this Southwestern-inspired restaurant is sourcing local ingredients including local catch seafood, produce and even coffee. Large portions...read more
Manteo, NC, Outdoor Dining
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...read more
Roanoke Island, NC, Outdoor Dining
We thought you might enjoy knowing about the locals’ favorite picnic spots. You can get take-out from most the restaurants we list in this section, so why not grab your feast and head out for a true outdoor dining experience?
1) Manteo Waterfront Boardwalk
Manteo Historic Waterfront Area
All along the Manteo Waterfront there are benches and tables that invite an outdoor meal....read more
