2025 Burger Guide

A pleasant, casual cafe with two locations offering seafood, sandwiches, salads, and coffee and frozen drinks.

Saddle up to a huge burger or a hearty sandwich with a visit to Hatteras Island’s Bros Sandwich Shack. Located in the central town of Avon, this casual burger joint has a polished atmosphere and plenty of filling fare to satisfy any burger or sandwich craving.   

First launched as a little carry-out joint on the Beach Road in 1995, Dirty Dick’s Crab House quickly become an Outer Banks favorite. With two full-service restaurants here now, there are also two locations recently opened in Panama City, Fla. and Myrtle Beach, SC. T-shirts with depictions of the restaurant's iconic goofy guy and/or somewhat risqué sayings immediately became hot items, and now there’s a whole line of “Dirty Dick’s” merchandise. In 2001, acclaimed New Orleans chef Beany Macgregor became a partner, which explains why the menu includes such Cajun hits as chicken etoufee; shrimp, oyster or pork chop po’ boy; Creole stuffed crabs; Louisiana crawfish; shrimp Creole over cheese grits ; and for the brave, delicacies like fried frog legs and fried gator tail.  There is also more standard fare like crab cakes; linguine and clams; ranch pork chops; ham and swiss Panini; and char-grilled hamburgers. All shrimp is wild-caught and fish is always fresh.  If you have kids, you can’t leave without treating them to the “Shark Attack” drink that includes a small vial of grenadine (“blood”) attached to a souvenir cup of 7-Up. And to top it off, all kids’ meals are served on Frisbees they can take home with them.

A year-round restaurant, bar and gift shop.

A traditional seafood restaurant that also serves steak and chicken dishes.

Oceana’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily year round in Avon on Hattersas Island. For breakfast they offer Southern favorites such as sausage biscuits and gravy and chicken biscuits. Dive into tasty French toast or Belgian waffles, and choose from a variety of coffee and specialty drinks including mimosas and bloody Marys. The lunch and dinner menu is huge and eclectic with plenty of seafood, salad, pasta, sandwich and wraps selections. Enjoy quesadillas, flatbread sandwiches, burgers and delectable stuffed potatoes. Dinner entrees include grilled, blackened and fried food plus snow crab legs, and they also serve steamed and raw seafood such as mussels, shrimp and clams. There are plenty of options for meat and veggie lovers alike including pistachio encrusted goat cheese or Southwestern salads  or juicy prime rib, mushroom smothered chicken and mouth watering ribs. Oceana's has a large full bar with multiple TVs, beautiful wood floors and comfortable seating. 

Tavern on 12 in Frisco is a fun and friendly restaurant with lots of homemade fare that is sure to please everyone in the crowd. From fresh seafood specials to hand-tossed pizzas with a range of specialty toppings, Tavern on 12 is a great destination for a little homegrown flavor on Hatteras Island.

Watermen’s Bar & Grill boasts a “unique indoor/outdoor design” with spectacular waterfront views and a friendly staff - and “the best coffee, beers and mixed drinks on the Outer Banks.” This includes an exclusive Rum Bar with rums and rum drinks from around the world.It’s also gotten great online reviews for its dishes, which the grill promises to be freshly prepared. Along with a huge list of coffee and drinks, the menu offers a light, healthy breakfast selection, sandwiches, wraps and Mexican foods for lunch, and lots of seafood entrees and appetizers for dinner. The menu includes deserts, weekly specials and a kids‘ favorites.Featured also are wide screen TVs, internet and live music on the deck several nights during the season, along with other special, family-friendly music events like the Sky Blue Summer Concert Series, which features a week of local and national musicians.An interesting note about the restaurant’s décor is that its wood is salvaged from the original 1921 Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn, New York.At Watermen’s Bar & Grill, you can get your food to go, linger long indoors or go out on the deck and enjoy great sunset views and kiteboarding activity on the sound as you sip one of Watermen’s special drinks. The restaurant is open year-round except for one month off during the winter.

Visitors staying in the tri-village communities of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo will be just a stone’s throw away from the unique groceries and great eats they need for a delicious Outer Banks vacation, thanks to Waves Market & Deli. This small shop and eatery features a wealth of goodies to explore, from one of the largest beer and wine selections on northern Hatteras Island to a collection of gourmet sandwiches, burgers, and other fresh fare to go, making it a one-stop shop for visitors with exceptional taste.