These are some of OUR favorite Outer Banks restaurants!

The Blue Point Bar & Grill
The Waterfront Shops, NC 12, Duck
(252) 261-8090

This beautifully renovated and expanded bistro is one of our favorite places to dine on the Outer Banks. It's been open for dinner since 1989 and consistently receives rave reviews from magazines such as Southern Living, Gourmet, and even Outside. Here, regional Southern cooking takes on a cosmopolitan flair. A 1950s-style interior with black-and-white checkered floors, red upholstery, and lots of chrome provides an upbeat, bustling atmosphere. An enclosed porch not only overlooks the sound, it actually overhangs it. From the small bar facing the aromatic kitchen, you can watch your appetizers being prepared while you sip a cocktail and wait for a table. The Blue Point's menu is contemporary Southern cuisine and changes seasonally. Starters range from Hatteras tuna to fresh tomato-mozzarella stacks, each artistically arranged and flavored with a fresh combination of seasonings. Entrees include jumbo lump crab cakes served with Currituck corn on the cob, homemade soups, unusual seafood dishes, steaks, salads, and perfect pastas. Desserts, like warm Kentucky bourbon pecan tart with caramel ice cream or key lime pie, are divine. If you're into creative cooking that's sure to tantalize every taste bud-and awaken some you might not realize you have-this restaurant is a must-stop on the Outer Banks. It's open for dinner, and reservations are highly recommended; in summer, dinner reservations are required. The Blue Point is open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30 A.M.to 2:30 P.M. and for dinner seven days a week in season; call for off-season hours.

Duck Deli
NC 12, Duck
(252) 261-3354

This casual deli on the east side of the highway opened in 1987 primarily to serve lunch. Since then, Duck Deli has expanded to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, year-round. Barbecued pork, beef, chicken, and ribs are the specialties here. Sandwiches, Philly cheese steaks, and subs are served all day, as are side salads, garden burgers, and coleslaw. A full breakfast menu includes eggs, pancakes, and omelets. For dessert, you can get sweet on cherry and peach cobblers, homemade brownies, or a frozen yogurt bar with plenty of toppings. Everything is available to eat in or take out. The Marketplace in Southern Shores is home to a second location of Duck Deli.

Rundown Cafe
NC 12, MP 1, Kitty Hawk
(252) 255-0026

Open since 1993, this Caribbean-style cafe has been a big hit with locals, offering spicy, unusual alternatives to traditional Outer Banks seafood. Named for a Jamaican stew, Rundown serves island entrees flavored with African and Indian accents. Specials change daily, and you'll find the enormous lunches the best deal on the beach. Try a huge platter of fish taco fixings, a big salad of mixed greens and vegetables with grilled beef, fresh fish, or the best fried conch sandwiches anywhere. Some say that Rundown's fries are the best on the beach, too. There's a steam bar for shellfish of all sorts and vegetables. Dinner items include grilled chicken breasts with garlic-peppercorn cream sauce or Jamaican pork-dry jerk-marinated pork loin, grilled and served with a red pepper glaze and apple chutney. There's a full bar, and the bartenders can come up with some pretty potent concoctions. Guinness Stout, Bass, Pyramid, and Harp beers are on tap. The upstairs bar is a great place to soak in the sunset, catch a few rays, or linger over a cool cocktail after a hot day in the sun. Lunch and dinner are served seven days a week. A kid's menu is available, and takeout orders are welcome. Rundown is closed in December and January.

Ocean Boulevard
NC 12, MP 2, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-2546
www.ocean-boulevard.com

This cozy, upscale eatery gives you a great feeling from the second you walk into the gold-walled dining room until you leave full and relaxed after a fabulous meal. It opened in September 1995 and quickly became one of the most popular places on the Outer Banks. Manteo residents drive 30 miles each way to treat themselves to a midweek dinner here. No wonder-it's owned by the same culinary masters who brought us the inimitable 1587 Restaurant in Manteo (see listing under Roanoke Island). This restaurant occupies the former 1949 Virginia Dare Hardware store, and you won't believe what the builders and decorators did with the place. It's accented with warm woods, burgundy fabrics, and forest-green chairs. Cobalt blue glasses grace every tabletop. There's even an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs work. Selections are all prepared with locally grown herbs, produce, and just-caught seafood. Influences and ideas from around the world give the food a flavor all its own, and the menu changes according to the season. For an appetizer try the goat cheese and butternut squash skillet with grilled apples, roasted garlic, house- made sausage, fig preserve, and toasted bread or the crispy duck confit made with sweet corn flan, mushroom duxelle, onion, frisco salad, and roasted pear demiglaze. The "big plates" are all delicious and usually include chicken, beef, pork, seafood, and vegan dishes. Ocean Boulevard's wine list, which has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, contains more than 100 selections. Microbrewed beer is available, and the bar specializes in martinis. Dessert offerings include a white chocolate creme brulee and a macadamia nut torte with caramel ice cream. A full line of coffee drinks and herbal teas tops off your dining experience. This elegant eatery will please even the most discriminating diners. It's open year-round for dinner only. During summer, doors are open seven days a week. Call for off-season hours. Reservations are highly recommended.

John's Drive-In
NC 12, MP 4 3/4, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-6227

Home of the planet's best milk shakes, John's has been an Outer Banks institution for years. Folks have been known to drive two hours from Norfolk just to sip one of the fruit and ice-cream concoctions, which are often so thick they won't even flow through the straw. Our favorite is the chocolate, peanut butter, and banana variety, but you'll have to sample a few first and create some of your own combinations before making that call for yourself. You can't eat inside here, but plenty of picnic tables are scattered around the old concrete building across from the ocean. Everything is served in paper bags to go. While you're waiting for your food, check out the faded photographs of happy customers lining this diner's salt-sprayed windows. You may even recognize a few local friends. Besides the milk shakes and ice-creamsundae treats, John's serves delicious mahimahi, trout, and tuna sandwiches or boats with the fish crispy-fried alongside crinkle fries. Dogs love this drive-in, too. If your pooch waits patiently in the car, the worker behind the window probably will provide him or her with a free "puppy cup" of soft-serve vanilla ice cream. We can't think of a better doggie treat on a hot summer afternoon. John's Drive-In is open from May through September or October for lunch and early dinner. It's closed Wednesday, unfortunately (we could eat there seven days a week). No credit cards are accepted.

La Fogata Mexican Restaurant
US 158, MP 4 1/2, Kitty Hawk
(252) 255-0934

A traditional Mexican restaurant, La Fogata gets its name from the Spanish word for "campfire." For the price, La Fogata serves the best ethnic food on the beach. People wait in line to eat here on weekend nights. You'll see a lot of locals in this colorful spot year-round. Airy, bright, and decorated with Mexican art and photographs, the interior of this ultra-casual eatery usually hums with Latin tunes. The waiters bring baskets of crispy tortillas and bowls of homemade salsa as soon as they distribute the menus. All entree portions are generous, so save room for the main course. Recommended appetizers include the hot queso (cheese) dip and stuffed jalapeno peppers. Specialties here are fajitas, beef and chicken tacos, enchiladas, and chiles rellenos. The cooks make the dishes hot or mild, depending on your desire. Selections come in every possible combination, vegetarian varieties, and a la carte if you want to try one of everything. (Actually, that's impossible here. The menu has more than 36 dinner selections, many starting at $6.50.) A full bar offers a wide selection of Mexican, American, and imported beer. Mixed-drink and margarita prices are among the lowest on the beach. La Fogata is open for lunch and dinner year- round, seven days a week.

Colington Cafe
Colington Road, 1 mile west of US 158
Kill Devil Hills
(252) 480-1123
www.colingtoncafe.com

Step back in time at this cozy Victorian cafe, nestled among live oaks on Colington Road. This popular restaurant is only a mile off the Bypass but once you've arrived, you'll feel worlds away from the busy beach. This restored old home set high on a hill is tranquil and absolutely lovely. This is one of our favorite places to come for an intimate dinner, and the chefs prepare some of the most marvelous meals around for extremely reasonable prices. Three small dining rooms are adorned in tasteful decor. Hot crab dip slathered on buttery crackers and bowls of homemade she- crab bisque make outstanding appetizers. Nightly specials may include wonderful pasta dishes, a mixed grill with hollandaise, game fish, and tender filet mignon. Seafood entrees depend upon what's just been caught. Only fresh herbs and vegetables are used in cooking and as side dishes. Salads are served a la carte. Owner Carlen Pearl's French heritage permeates her restaurant's delicious cream sauces, and she makes most of the irresistible desserts herself-from blackberry cobbler to chocolate tortes and creme brulee. Restaurants in Colington may serve only beer or wine by law, but you'll have plenty of choices at Colington Cafe. Check out the reserve wines and be sure to save room for a glass of port with dessert. Colington Cafe is open for dinner seven days a week, April through November, and for the Christmas holidays. Call for off-season hours. Reservations are highly recommended.

Chilli Peppers
US 158, MP 5, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-8081
www.chilli-peppers.com

World fusion with a Southwestern twist describes the cooking at this fun, bustling restaurant. Owner Jim Douglas has worked in Outer Banks eateries for years and has brought some of the most creative cooking around to Chilli Peppers. Adventuresome diners are wowed by the chefs' wild concoctions. Most dishes have some type of chile in them. If you prefer a milder meal, they can do that too and still tickle some untapped taste buds. The menu here changes frequently, with daily lunch and dinner specials sometimes stunning even the regulars. Weekly Tapas Nights, which feature little plates of dishes from a chosen cuisine, are held on Thursday nights in fall, winter, and spring. One week you might taste samples of German food, the next Italian, the next Moroccan, and so on. This is a big hit with the locals. Sushi nights also are popular. A full bar separate from the cozy dining room offers fresh-fruit margaritas, a nice wine selection, and more than a dozen varieties of bottled beer. Nonalcoholic fruit smoothies are a treat in the early afternoon. Happy hour is held from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M.every day in the summer. Steamed seafood and veggies are served at the bar until closing (see our Nightlifechapter). Chilli Peppers serves lunch and dinner seven days a week year-round. Sunday brunches, with a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, are worth getting out of bed for. Also, you can take home a bottle of Chilli's award-winning original hot sauce, barbecue sauce, or hot salt. Chilli Peppers is open 11:00 A.M.to 2:00 A.M. A children's menu is available.

Front Porch Cafe
US 158, MP 6, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 449-6616
www.frontporchcafe.net

The Front Porch Cafe sources top-quality coffee beans from all over the world, then roasts each batch by hand in their store. Owners Paul Manning and Susannah Sakal enjoy chatting with customers in their friendly, relaxed community coffeehouse. Freshly baked cinnamon rolls, scones, and muffins are available every day. Customers can also select from the wonderful varieties of teas on hand.

JK's
US 158, MP 9, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-9555
www.jksfoods.com

Fine-dining Insiders love JK's selection of mesquite-grilled meats. JK's serves Western beef shipped directly from Nebraska, lamb and veal from Summerfield Farms in Virginia, and ribs from the Midwest. A seasoned, professional staff fits right in with the classy, comfortable dining room and bar. Three to four varieties of fresh fish are offered nightly. The menu varies, according to the best meats available, but generally has a prime rib chop, porterhouse steak, New York strip, Kansas City strip, top sirloin, veal rib chop, and lamb loin chops. Ribs and chicken are dry-marinated with JK's special seasoning and are then mesquite-grilled. JK's has a full bar and an excellent wine list with some really good values. Dinner is served from 5:00 P.M. year-round; takeout is available.

Kill Devil Grill MP 9 3/4 on the Beach Road, Kill Devil Hills (252) 449-8181 http://www.thekilldevilgrill.com/ Vacationers come to the Kill Devil Grill for the freshest fish, expertly prepared to order. Locals clamor for our zesty Backyard Wings and savory Cheese Steak Eggrolls, while others on the Eastern Seaboard have been known to drive over an hour for a slice of our award winning Key Lime Pie. Using locally sourced ingredients, everything at The Kill Devil Grill is made fresh daily, ensuring a delicious meal every time. Located directly across from the oceanfront Quality Inn on the beach road, The Kill Devil Grill is a convenient place for beachgoers to grab a quick lunch and a refreshing beverage before heading back out to the surf. Our fully stocked bar boasts some of the coldest bottle beer on the beach, several seasonal drafts, and a user-friendly wine list. Every Wednesday, our bottles of wine are half price all day long, and on Thursdays, enjoy a frosty draft beer for only $1

Mama Kwan's Grill and Tiki Bar
US 158, MP 9 1/2, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-7889
www.mamakwans.com

Mama Kwan's is a favorite surf-style hangout in Kill Devil Hills, a haven of good food sandwiched between McDonald's and Pizza Hut on French Fry Alley in the cedar-shake building. The atmosphere is laid-back and fun, with classic and current surf videos and occasional Elvis movies playing on TVs. Children are welcomed with a special menu and toys to keep them entertained. Mama's features local seafood, land food, and veggies with touches from some of the world's best surf spots. There's blackened Hawaiian chicken seasoned with Jamaican and Hawaiian spices in a rum butter sauce with pineapple mango salsa, pad Thai and rice noodles, California-style fish tacos, and Outer Banks crab cakes. Mama recommends the Special Occasion Pasta: penne with red peppers, shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, and scallions in a soy cream sauce with or without tuna. The full bar serves beer, wine, and specialty frozen drinks in novelty glassware. Lunch and dinner are served daily. This is a popular nighttime hangout, and a late-night menu is served every night in season and on weekends in the off-season.

Flying Fish Cafe
US 158, MP 10, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-6894
www.flyingfishcafe.net

This delightful restaurant serves an array of American and Mediterranean dishes. The interior is spruce green and adobe white with purple accents, and color photographs grace the walls. Brightly colored tablecloths adorn each table, illuminated by sconce wall lights crafted from wine boxes and by candles set in the center of each table or booth. Chefs at Flying Fish make their own pasta daily and offer an assortment of seafood, vegetarian entrees, and a variety of unusual grains and starches. Gourmet pot pies, eggplant parmesan, at least four types of fresh fish, and exceptional beef dishes are always on the menu. All entrees come with a starch of the day, vegetables, and just-baked bread, including focaccia. Appetizers include baked spinach parmesan pie with wild mushrooms and bacon, topped with golden fried oysters, and Thai coconut shrimp bisque. At dessert time, can you resist the Grecian Urn, a waffle filled with ice cream and topped with glazed fresh fruit and whipped cream? Chocoholics will love the Chocolate Hurricane, a flourless chocolate brownie with mousse and a liquid chocolate center, wrapped in a white and dark chocolate shell topped with ganache and completed with a white chocolate flying fish jumping out of the top. The Flying Fish Cafe has won several Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. More than 40 types of wine are served either by the bottle or by the glass. A children's menu also is available. Early-bird dinner specials are served from 5:00 to 6:00 P.M.The Flying Fish is open for dinner every day year-round. Reservations are recommended.

Tortuga's Lie Shellfish Bar and Grille
NC 12, MP 11, Nags Head
(252) 441-RAWW
www.tortugaslie.com

A locals' favorite on the Outer Banks, this small, upbeat eatery is housed in a turquoise cottage across from the ocean near a great surf break. Tortuga's features an enclosed porch furnished with handmade wooden booths, table seating, and an expanded bar that seats more than two dozen people. There's a sand volleyball court out back where pickup games are played-and watched from the outdoor picnic tables. The bartenders and waitstaff are some of the friendliest folk we know. The creatively concocted food is good and the atmosphere inside is fun and casual, with turtle-themed batiks hanging from the white walls and more than 100 license plates, some with unusual personal messages, from across the country tacked to the low ceiling beams. The menu here offers quick-fried fish bites, supersize fish and black bean burritos, sandwiches, seafood flavored with outrageous spices, and a full raw bar. The french fries are among the best on the Banks. Dinner entrees include pork medallions, steak stir-fries, just-off-the-boat tuna steaks, succulent shrimp, and pasta plates. Most meals come with rice and beans, but the cooks will substitute fries if you ask. The daily specials are tempting; sushi is served on Wednesday night, and the place usually is packed with locals. Desserts are delicious and change daily. The full bar offers loads of specialty drinks such as Black and Tans, a combination of Bass Ale and Guinness Stout. This hip, laid-back eatery is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner from February through December. Call for winter hours.

Taiko Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
Outer Banks Mall, US 158, MP 14 Nags Head
(252) 449-8895

This Outer Banks restaurant serves sushi all day, for lunch and dinner. Taiko's sushi is top-notch, rolled tightly and cut into perfect, bite-size pieces. Our favorite is the spicy tuna roll, with fresh raw tuna, a kick of spices, and a hint of crunch. We also like the spider roll special-fried soft- shell crab-and the dragon roll with tuna, crab, and cucumber wrapped in masago, avocado, and eel. The miso and clear soups are refreshing, as are the udon and soba noodle dishes and the seaweed salad. Japanese-style entrees include steak teriyaki, shrimp tempura, and chicken sukiyaki. Lunch boxes combine sushi or sashimi with seaweed, rice, and a shrimp dumpling. The dining room is peaceful and serene, with soft music and tasteful, understated Asian decor. You can eat at the bar and watch the chefs prepare your meal or sit at a table. Japanese beer, sake, plum wine, green tea, and many other beverages are served. Everything at Taiko is available for takeout. Taiko is open year- round, serving lunch and dinner daily in season. Call for off-season hours.

Penguin Isle Soundside Grille
US 158, MP 16, Nags Head
(252) 441-2637
www.penguinisle.com

Penguin Isle is truly a peaceful place to enjoy a special, intimate meal. The decor is tasteful and creative, with displays of local art, hand-carved decoys, authentic ship models, and light wood accents around the airy dining room. Linen tablecloths cover every table, and the lights and jazz music are soft and low. Not only a premier place to dine, Penguin Isle is also a wine destination. The staff is very knowledgeable, and the much-heralded Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence has identified this restaurant's wine list as "one of the best in the world" for more than a decade. Seasonal wine dinners are offered in the off-season. A separate window-walled lounge with full bar, an abbreviated menu, and small tables overlooks the sound. Patrons can have a cocktail before dinner on the outdoor deck, and a lobby with comfortable couches affords an alternative place to await your table. Owner Mike Kelly, general manager Tom Sloate, and head chef Lee Miller combine their talents here to create a truly distinctive restaurant. Miller's reputation is well-known on the Outer Banks, and the staff members are friendly and professional. Penguin Isle serves fresh local seafood, handmade pasta, certified Black Angus beef, chicken, duck, fresh-baked breads, and many other appetizing offerings. Creative food pairings are the chef's specialty. Penguin Isle's portions are generous, especially for such an upscale restaurant. All of the desserts are delectable. The menu changes seasonally to make use of the freshest ingredients. Only dinner is served from March through December. Penguin Isle caters private parties, wedding receptions, and almost any occasion on-site. A children's menu is available, and early dining specials are offered from 5:00 until 6:00 P.M.; reservations are recommended.

Owens' Restaurant
NC 12, MP 16 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-7309
www.owensrestaurant.com

The oldest Outer Banks restaurant owned and operated continuously by the same family, Owens' is a local legend. This eatery celebrates 60 years in 2006. Clara and Bob Owens first owned a small hot dog stand in Manteo. In 1946 they opened a 50-seat cafe in Nags Head on the deserted strip of sand that's now filled with hotels, rental cottages, and thousands of vacationers who arrive each summer. The Owenses reared their two children, Bobby and Clara Mae, in the restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner during those early days. Today, Clara Mae and her husband, Lionel, run the family restaurant. R. V., Clara Mae's nephew, runs his own eatery on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway. Together, this food-loving family serves some of the best traditional Outer Banks-style seafood in the area. Owens' Restaurant now seats more than 200 people and offers only evening meals. More than 90,000 dinners are served from this Beach Road eatery each season. The atmosphere is still homey, yet upscale; the food is still fresh and made from scratch; the large lobby overflows with memorabilia of the barrier islands and Owens family heritage. Even the building's architecture is reminiscent of the Outer Banks's past, patterned after an old Nags Head lifesaving station. The menu, however, combines modern tastes with traditional recipes. Owens' renowned Southern Thanksgiving buffet is worth experiencing just to sample the range of delights this restaurant is capable of creating. Locally caught seafood, often fresh off the boat, is broiled, fried, sauteed, or grilled each evening. Coconut shrimp, "Miss O" crab cakes, and pasta are among the most popular entrees. There's a mixed grill for patrons who prefer prime rib with their fish. Live Maine lobsters, plucked from the tank, are steamed just before serving. Owens' soups, including Hatteras-style clam chowder and lobster bisque, are delicious. All of the homemade desserts are well worth saving room for. A full bar upstairs in the Station Keepers' Lounge serves beer, wine, mixed drinks, and special coffee concoctions. Light fare is also available upstairs. Owens' is open from mid-March through New Year's Eve. Dinner is served seven days a week. Reservations are not accepted

RV's Restaurant
Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
Nags Head (252) 441-4963

Opened in 1982, RV's is one of the most popular places on the beach for lunch and dinner. Owner R. V. Owens is likely to stop by your table to greet you, offering his warm smile, a firm handshake, and maybe an opinion or two as an appetizer to an abundant meal. Eat at the full-service bar in this casual restaurant or sit at a table in one of the soundfront dining rooms. The seafood stew is extremely tasty and overflowing with shrimp and scallops. Marinated tuna is a must for fish lovers. A gazebo raw bar on an attached deck overlooking the water takes on a life of its own in the evening. Prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere is lively and fun. RV's is open from March through Thanksgiving seven days a week.

Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe
Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
Nags Head
(252) 441-5405
www.lonecedarcafe.com

The Basnight family of Manteo operates this casual, upscale eatery where diners wearing everything from shorts to suits are welcome. In fact, it's not unusual to see the president pro tem of the state senate himself, Marc Basnight, talking with guests and removing dinner plates. Checkered green- and-white tablecloths cover every table. You'll notice the hunting motif with duck decoys and fishing memorabilia in honor of the former barrier island hunt club for which the eatery is named. Appetizers are plentiful, ranging from onion straws to clam chowder, seafood bisque, clam and oyster fritters, hot crab balls, and hot crab dip plus soups and other specials of the day. Lunch entrees start at $6.95 and include sandwiches and fresh local seafood. For dinner try Black Angus beef, homemade pasta, sliced duck breast, fried or broiled seafood, or order any of the evening specials. Choose a beverage from the full bar and an extensive wine list. Desserts, home-baked daily, include pumpkin and pecan praline cheesecakes; pecan, peanut butter, lemon, or key lime pie; banana fritters; and 16-layer chocolate cake. This cafe offers a view of the water from every table and is open for lunch and dinner daily year-round. Vegetarian and children's offerings are available. Reservations are not accepted.

Full Moon Cafe
Creef's Corner
Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
(252) 473-MOON

This eclectic eatery opened in late 1995 and consistently overflows with local and visiting patrons. A Manteo favorite for lunch and dinner, this cozy cafe occupies a building on the corner of Queen Elizabeth Avenue and Sir Walter Raleigh Street. This location allows diners a view of the local streetscape, great for people- watchers and those who like being part of the waterfront scene. The innovative cuisine has a nouveau American flair. Most of the entrees and specials (which usually involve creative takes on pasta and seafood) are so unusual we haven't seen them anywhere else on the Outer Banks. Hummus spread, baked Brie, and mushroom caps stuffed with shrimp are succulent appetizers. Lunch specials include gourmet sandwiches to satisfy everyone's tastes, vegetarian offerings, seafood, chicken, and homemade soups, such as Hungarian mushroom, curried spinach, and spicy tomato. Each entree is served with corn chips and Full Moon's own salsa. The dinner menu features enticing seafood dishes, stuffed chicken breasts, roasted eggplant with other vegetables in marinara sauce and provolone cheese, and a beef dish with portobello mushrooms and a Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Daily pasta specials are also available as a half-serving with a side salad. All the desserts are delightful. Beer (including some microbrews) and a good selection of wine are available. You can eat inside the dining room or dine outdoors in the courtyard if you take any meal to go. Reservations are accepted for parties of six or more. Full Moon is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week in summer. Hours are reduced off-season, so call for specific schedules.

Poor Richard's Sandwich Shop
The Waterfront, Manteo
(252) 473-3333

With half the workforce in Manteo making a beeline to Poor Richard's every day, this casual eatery is a local gathering spot for reasonably priced food with fast counter service and interesting offerings. Try the cucumber sandwich with cream cheese-a cool meal that surprises your palate. Cold and grilled sandwiches are made to order, and specials are offered daily. Homemade soups, meatless chili, hot dogs, salad plates, cookies, and ice cream are also available. Breakfast includes scrambled egg and bacon sandwiches, bagels and cream cheese, and fresh fruit. Steamed shrimp is available for lunch and dinner. Whatever your mode of transportation-boat, bike, car, or legs-Poor Richard's is a worthy filling station. You can eat inside at a roomy booth or take your meal out on the back porch and enjoy the waterfront view-there always seems to be enough room for everybody. Poor Richard's is open daily in the summer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Occasionally, the restaurant hosts live music in the evenings. Though it's open year-round, call for off-season hours.
 
Tranquil House Inn
Queen Elizabeth Street, Manteo
(252) 473-1587
www.1587.com

The owner of this critically acclaimed restaurant can make your mouth water just by reading his menu aloud. The offerings are unusual, upscale, cosmopolitan, and some of the most ambitious on the Outer Banks. Ambience is elegant and romantic: The soft glow of intimate lighting, a gleaming copper-topped bar in a separate lounge area, and polished wood and mirrors reflect the lights sparkling off boats anchored in Shallowbag Bay. Executive Chef Donny King creates a constantly changing menu that's always as fresh and fabulous as the food. Soups prepared each day might include Mediterranean mussels and crayfish with spring vegetables and feta cheese in a light tomato broth. For appetizers, select sesame-encrusted colossal scallops with spicy vegetable slaw and soy-wasabi cream, or duck confit with sweet potato cornbread and cherry-citrus compote and herb jus. Salads, served a la carte, offer mixed greens with caramelized onion puff pastry tart, marinated sun- dried tomatoes and goat cheese, finished with spiced port drizzle. Dinner entrees range from crispy cornmeal orange roughy accompanied by roasted vegetable risotto and whole-grain mustard cream, finished with white-winesauteed shrimp and vegetables, to Asiago risotto with sea scallops, shrimp, and vegetables surrounded by crawfish gumbo. Another excellent choice is chargrilled filet mignon served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. A children's menu offers simpler dishes for younger tastes. Vegetarian requests are welcome. The exquisite dessert creations are delicious and are so beautiful that you may want to take a snapshot before digging in! Named for the first year English colonists attempted to settle on Roanoke Island, 1587 serves a wide selection of wine and beer and permits brown bagging. This outstanding restaurant is open for dinner daily in the summer. Call for offseason hours. Reservations are requested.