Duck NC Restaurants including Southern Shores
For such small towns, Duck and Southern Shores have a good number of restaurants and some pretty sophisticated dining options.
Whether you want delivered pizza or upscale cuisine matched with a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Most Duck NC restaurants, like so many on the Outer Banks, stick to American fare, with an emphasis on seafood. That doesn’t mean there aren’t creative chefs here; you’ll find some very innovative preparations of seafood, meats, fresh produce and traditional ingredients. Southern Shores restaurants include a couple of chains (ever heard of a little place called Starbucks?), a great pizza place and a wonderful gourmet foods market/cafe.
Duck NC restaurants can boast of three of the top food and wine destinations on the Outer Banks. You can sip coffee in a front porch rocker, have a romantic dinner with a sound view, savor wine under a canopy of live oaks, eat al fresco while listening to jazz, catch sports on a bar TV, grab a slice of pizza, lick an ice cream while feeding ducks or take the whole family out for a seafood dinner.
In the summer, when there are way more people than there are Duck restaurant seats, you may want to eat out early or late or make a reservation (where possible). The least crowded nights at Duck restaurants and Southern Shores restaurants are, maybe surprisingly, Friday and Saturday nights. That’s because of scheduled arrivals and departures at the vacation rental companies. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are typically the busiest nights in the summer, local restaurateurs say. In the off-season, Duck dining is much more relaxed and accessible. Some restaurants close in the dead of winter, but there is always something open. Several Southern Shores and Duck restaurants are now staying open year round. Both towns have full ABC permits, so you can order beer, wine or liquor at restaurants that have those options.
We’ve arranged the Duck NC restaurants in alphabetical order. When they are located in a collection of shops, we give the shopping center’s name for the address; if it’s a stand-alone establishment, the address is given as Duck Road, which is the same as N.C. Highway 12. All the Southern Shores restaurants are in The Marketplace or Southern Shores Crossing, on the northern side of N.C. Highway 158, near the intersection where you turn north to head to Duck. Click on the Restaurant Featured Plates link to the left for detailed, information that’s updated daily by the restaurants themselves—what’s featured today, reservation policies, large group accommodations, pricing, payment options, hours of operation and more.
Viewing 1 - 25 of 37 total listings on page 1 of restaurants.
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Aqua Restaurant
- 1174 Duck Road
- Duck
- (252) 261-9700
- map
Aqua Restaurant, with fabulous waterfront views and a committent to great food, is a must-stop restaurant while you are out and about in Duck. Enjoy lunch favorites such as a crab cake sandwich, Mahi “BLT” and darn good burgers. The view from the patio is just a bonus! Sushi, live music, a waterfront bar and an award-winning wine list make Aqua a sunset and dinner destination. From the bean bag toss to a peanut-free kids menu, families can relax, have fun and taste the local, organic and sustainable ingredients that make Aqua a Duck favorite. And there’s a spa upstairs ... seriously.
Duck’s Cottage Coffee and Books
- On the Pond at The Waterfront Shops
- Duck
- (252) 261-5510
- coupon
The front porch of this historic, cedar-shaked cottage is a great place for watching the world go by. Featuring freshly roasted coffees, espresso drinks (hot or iced), herbal teas and chai lattes, biscotti, pastries and a variety of East Coast newspapers, Duck’s Cottage has your morning covered. Browse through the captivating book selection (see our Shopping section) and sample a page or two while relaxing in one of Duck’s oldest buildings. Duck’s Cottage opens at 7 a.m. every day.
Elizabeth’s Café and Winery
- Scarborough Faire
- Duck
The proprietor of Elizabeth’s Café, Leonard Logan, has a passion for wine and food — and the combination of the two. With a vast selection of wine offerings, Elizabeth’s focuses on pairing incomparable wines with the perfect foods for the ultimate palate pleaser. Logan’s efforts, with the help of Chef Brad Price, have been widely recognized by the dining industry. This restaurant has won a list of awards so long it’s impossible to list them all here; the most impressive may be the “Best Fine Dining Wine Restaurant in the United States” for 2003 by Santé Magazine. The staff makes an effort to be approachable and welcoming to all levels of wine enthusiasts. Elizabeth’s offers six-course prix fixe wine dinners, or you can order a la carte items off the menu and make your own choices from the wine list. Reservations are recommended. You can also sample wine and champagne at the Wine Bar or taste wines in the Wine Gallery, where appetizers and wine are served amidst Chef Price’s original oil paintings. On Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. in the summer months, during Scarborough Faire’s Faire Days, join Elizabeth’s on the shaded porch for steamed shrimp.
Fishbones Raw Bar and Restaurant
- Scarborough Lane Shopping Center
- Duck
A good place to gather your friends, Fishbones has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere that will have you lingering over a beer long after you’ve finished eating. Starters will get you going with favorites such as wings, calamari, tuna bites and coconut shrimp. Then you can choose from amazing conch or clam chowders, salads, sandwiches, burgers, fried seafood baskets, seafood from the raw and steam bars, daily specials or entrees including fish, shellfish, beef, pasta and chicken. Many of the dishes here are Caribbean influenced. Fishbones is open for lunch and dinner daily. The bar area has seven TVs running for the people who are hanging out.
Sooey’s BBQ
- Scarborough Faire
- Duck
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 BBQ 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, too, including potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, corn bread, onion rings and killer hushpuppies. Appetizers, wings, burgers, sandwiches, soups, 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. They also have locations in Corolla and Duck. Sooey’s will make barbecue a tradition in your family, too.
Sunset Grille and Raw Bar
- 1264 Duck Road
- Duck
- (252) 261-3901
- map
This restaurant comes by its name honestly. It’s on the Currituck Sound, perfectly oriented to those nightly sunset shows. To better enjoy the sinking sun, you can dine outdoors on the huge waterfront deck if you choose. Sunset Grille has a Caribbean theme: Jimmy Buffet, tiki lights, colorful décor, island drinks and fare … you get the idea. It comes together as casual and fun and very family oriented. The lunch and dinner menus are focused on seafood, with many Key West and Caribbean-inspired dishes. Raw and steamed seafood, salads, chowders, a variety of appetizers, lunch entrees, burgers, sandwiches and dinner entrees of seafood, beef, chicken, pasta and ribs are available on the menu, along with tempting desserts. Sushi is served nightly. Sunset is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and later for the nightlife crowd. There is a DJ or karaoke Monday through Friday nights in season.
The Blue Point
- The Waterfront Shops
- Duck
- (252) 261-8090
- map
The restaurateurs who opened The Blue Point in 1989 are known for the risk they took opening a contemporary restaurant in what was then the very remote village of Duck. In fact, it was the premiere cutting-edge restaurant on the Outer Banks. Their concept and location worked, and 20 years later The Blue Point is one of the most popular restaurants on the Outer Banks. Recently expanded to nearly twice its original size, The Blue Point is lively and busy and offers fantastic views of the Currituck Sound. The menus are creative, upscale, Southern and coastal, and they change seasonally to reflect the fresh local and regional ingredients that are available. The dinner menu offers salads, soups, starters and entrees of seafood, beef, pork, duck and pasta. Lunch is a civilized mix of salads, sandwiches and entrees with an emphasis on “dining,” even if it is only lunch. The wine list and other bar offerings are extensive and well thought out. Lunch and dinner are served daily year round (no lunch on Mondays). Reservations are accepted for dinner only.
The Lifesaving Station Restaurant
- 1461 Duck Road, The Sanderling Resort and Spa
- Duck
The Lifesaving Station is The Sanderling Resort and Spa’s family-oriented, casual restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Sanderling Resort, under the culinary direction of Executive Chef Jeffrey Russell, is making a serious effort to establish the resort as a dining destination. Russell is reinventing The Sanderling Resort’s two restaurants (The Lifesaving Station and The Left Bank) into places to enjoy the best of the locally grown produce and seafood with a farm-to-table approach. The Lifesaving Station menu features contemporary American cuisine. Breakfast and Sunday brunch are available with traditional fare and beyond-the-ordinary touches. Lunch includes salads, soups, appetizers, sandwiches and entrees. Dinner focuses on creative preparations of local seafood and natural beef. Children are welcome for all meal periods with kid-friendly menus. The restaurant is housed in an 1899 U.S. Life Saving Service Station, and the decor pays homage to the building’s unique history. A family-style Cookout with live entertainment is available every Wednesday during the summer at the Soundside Pavilion, and large parties are welcome.
The Paper Canoe
- 1564 Duck Road
- Duck
- (252) 715-2220
- map
The Paper Canoe is the latest creative venture of Tommy Karole, proprietor of Corolla’s popular restaurant The Fin & Claw. An ale house and wine bar with a wood-fired oven, The Paper Canoe features fresh, simple food in a polished casual atmosphere with a stunning waterfront view. Entrees and Old World wood-oven pizzas are prepared with local seafood and locally grown vegetables. An ever-changing chalkboard features daily selections like homemade pasta, locally caught seafood and rustic wood-oven specialties. Ten craft beers on tap and an extensive wine list will have you lingering well after dinner. The Paper Canoe is located on the Currituck Sound on the north end of Duck, across from the Sanderling Inn. It’s open for dinner daily.
The Wave Pizza Cafe
- 1190 Duck Road, Osprey Landing Shops
- Duck
- (252) 255-0375
- map
On the soundfront at Osprey Landing Shops, The Wave Pizza Café is a family-run operation offering 30 years of culinary experience. Made-to-order pizzas with only the freshest ingredients are the specialty here, but there are also sandwiches, salads and fresh-baked desserts made from quality ingredients. A local favorite, The Wave is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and you can enjoy your meal either inside or out on the waterfront deck. Time your visit for sundown and you’ll get a free sunset show with your meal along with free WiFi! Take out and delivery are available.
Baldie’s Burgers
- Duck Road, next to Kitty Hawk Kites
- Duck
- (252) 261-2660
Baldie’s is a walk-up window establishment that has become a locals’ favorite for its quick, delicious meals. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner year round, Baldie’s can satisfy all day long. For breakfast they offer egg- and meat-based sandwiches on biscuits, English muffins, burritos or Texas toast plus hash browns and corned beef hash. For lunch and dinner there are hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and fish sandwiches and baskets, and cheese steaks plus onion rings and French fries. Hand-scooped ice cream is available in a great selection of flavors. Baldie’s offers outdoor seating at picnic tables. It’s open year round.
Beach Day Café
- Scarborough Lane
- Duck
- (252) 255-CAFE (2233)
Beach Day Café‘s specialty is delicious, refreshing homemade ice cream and Italian ices. They offer 14 to 16 Italian ice flavors and 12 flavors of homemade ice cream every day plus delicious shakes and sundaes. They also offer a few sandwich selections as well as coffee and espresso drinks, smoothies and frozen coffee drinks. This is a great place to stop while you’re shopping in Scarborough Faire, but it’s also worth a special trip for the treats. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Bonnie’s Bagels
- The Marketplace
- Southern Shores
- (252) 255-2888
Under new ownership but offering the same delicious bagels, spreads and sandwiches that Outer Bankers have come to love, the former Bagels to Beef is now known as Bonnie’s Bagels. Even New Yorkers agree the bagels are fantastic — they are made from scratch on the premises every day and served with hand-blended cream cheese flavors. Coffee, cappuccino and lattes are available, as is WiFi service in the cafe and plenty of comfortable seating for hanging out. For lunch, choose from salads and spreads (try the new roasted red pepper hummus) or made-to-order deli-style sandwiches and subs with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. Choose from bagels, bagel chips or a freshly made baguette or loaf of homemade bread and pick up some salads to go with it — chicken salad, tuna salad, potato salad, pimiento cheese or fruit salad. Deli trays are available if you call ahead.
Coastal Cantina
- The Waterfront Shops
- Duck
- (252) 480-0024
This open-air bar overlooking the sound is a fabulous place to enjoy a great sunset and end-of-the-day drink and the only place in Duck to enjoy an authentic Tex-Mex meal for lunch or dinner. Gather around the Mexican tile bar for beer, wine or Margaritas and feast on fresh-made guacamole, fried tortillas, burritos, quesadillas and many more favorites concocted by the talented and trusted chefs at Coastal Provisions Market and Wine Bar Cafe in Southern Shores and Coastal Cravings in Duck. Every Wednesday in the summer, there’s live music from 6 p.m. to sunset. Coastal Cantina opens daily at 11 a.m.
Coastal Cravings
- 1209 Duck Road
- Duck
- (252) 480-0032
Coastal Cravings is the winning combination of two Duck dynamos — Coastal Provisions Market and Cravings Coffee Shop. This restaurant serves quick-service but high-quality breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it has the only drive-through window in town if you want to pick up coffee or meals to go. Breakfast features Cravings coffee in addition to hearty breakfast sandwiches that range from a traditional bacon, egg and cheese to a Lobster Benedict Roll with lobster meat, ham, egg and Hollandaise. The lunch and dinner menus are the same, featuring Coastal Provisions’ famous crab cakes, fresh local seafood, steamed shrimp, fish and chips, beer and wine. The restaurant has about 40 indoor seats and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) daily in season and for breakfast and lunch in the off season (call for hours).
Coastal Provisions Wine Bar & Cafe
- 1 Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores Crossing Shopping Center
- Southern Shores
- (252) 480-0023
Coastal Provisions Market has long been a local favorite for prime and natural meats, award-winning crab cakes, artisan cheeses, house-roasted deli meats and chef-prepared meals to go. Now they’re offering their delicious fare and select wines in house, in the intimate, 36-seat Wine Bar & Cafe inside the market. The cafe serves dinner only, and it’s a relaxed, candlelit affair focusing on reasonably priced small plates and entrees. Think crab cakes, natural beef, seared scallops, shrimp & grits, grilled lamb chops and oysters Rockefeller and you’ll have an idea of the fare — top-quality ingredients expertly prepared in their contemporary yet unpretentious style. The menu features several small plates to enjoy with more than 20 wines by the glass or half glass. Or, shop the wine racks for a bottle at retail (with no restaurant markup). Reservations are suggested.
Cosmo’s Pizzeria
- The Marketplace
- Southern Shores
- (252) 261-8388
Cosmo’s offers great Italian-style food that’s worth seeking out. We think the crust is dandy — perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and with just a hint of sweetness. Choose from any of their fabulous pizza concoctions or create your own. Cosmo’s also offers salads, pasta dishes, subs, beer and wine. You can eat in or take it out.
Duck Deli
- Duck Road
- Duck
- (252) 261-3354
When you’re in the mood for something different, Duck Deli offers a departure from the standard Outer Banks seafood menus. Barbecue is the specialty of the house. It’s cooked on site, so just follow your nose to the rich, smoky aromas. Duck Deli makes North Carolina-style pork barbecue and Kansas City-style beef and chicken barbecue with red sauce along with ribs, chicken and wings. The full range of traditional sides and salads is here, including baked beans and cole slaw. They also offer a good selection of sandwiches, soups and salads. Seafood is not big on the menu, though you can get a crab cake and some of owner Ken Forlano’s stellar smoked fish to top off a Caesar salad. Duck Deli serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in season. Everything is available for take-out. This spot has been a fixture in Duck for more than 20 years with the same owners. They do not serve beer or wine.
Duck Donuts
- Osprey Landing
- Duck
- (252) 480-3304
Make a beeline for Duck Donuts, where you will find warm, delicious and made-to-order doughnuts. Duck Donuts makes its doughnuts fresh on site, and you have the option of each one being dipped in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or maple glaze then sprinkled with your favorite toppings. You can watch your doughnuts being made, then have the warm doughnuts boxed up to take home — if they make it home! Locally roasted premium Kill Devil Hills coffees, orange juice and other beverages are offered. There are also locations in Kitty Hawk at MP 1 on the Beach Road and in Kill Devil Hills at MP 8.5 on the Bypass. All shops open at 7 a.m. and offer expanded hours during the summer.
Duck Pizza Company
- Scarborough Lane Shopping Center
- Duck
- (252) 255-0099
Duck Pizza Company’s menu features a huge selection of creative pizza combinations with 24 varieties to choose from. The West Coast Pie with sun-dried tomato pesto, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic and feta and the Southwest Pizza-Q with grilled chicken, barbecue sauce, cheddar, bacon, onion and pineapple are two of the most popular. You can also create your own or choose from subs, calzones, stromboli, salads or wings. They offer three sizes of pizza—small, large and their extra large one that’s really huge at 18” and 12 slices—and make the crust fresh daily. They also offer a variety of ice cold beer. Eat in, take out or take advantage of free delivery from Pine Island to Southern Shores. It’s open for lunch and dinner daily in season.
Hawaiian Island Coffee and Ice Cream
- Osprey Landing Shopping Center
- Duck
- (252) 261-1666
At Hawaiian Island you can cool down with a snowball – shaved ice doused with flavored syrup – in one of an amazing number of flavors. Hawaiian Island also sells ice cream, homemade fudge, drinks, smoothies, coffee and espresso-based drinks. Take your treats down to Osprey Landing’s soundfront deck for a great view.
La Piola Ristorante Italiano
- One Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores Crossing Shopping Center
- Southern Shores
- (252) 261-1160
La Piola brings authentic Italian cuisine to the Outer Banks. La Piola means “a gathering place” in the Piemontese dialect, and, true to its name, it’s a casual place where people can gather for good food and drink. From soups and appetizers to salads and side dishes, children’s dishes to Italian specialties to tempting entrees of veal, chicken and steak, La Piola is a place to savor fresh, homemade food. The veal dishes are very popular here, as the chefs use only the most tender veal, expertly prepared. La Piola has a full bar and welcomes large parties (reservations recommended for large groups). Seating is available on two levels, and an outdoor deck is coming soon. La Piola offers catering services on and off site.
Pizzazz Pizza
- Loblolly Pines
- Duck
- (252) 261-8822
Pizzazz is a pizza favorite on the Outer Banks. They’ve been around since 1986 because they make consistently great pizza with generous toppings and the service is friendly. Choose from gourmet menu creations or stick with the traditional. Pizzazz also makes hot subs, salads and wings. You can eat in for lunch or dinner or have your pizza delivered anywhere from Southern Shores to Sanderling. Call for off-season hours.
Red Sky Café
- Duck Landing
- Duck
- (252) 261-8646
Red Sky is an inviting café with a creative menu of contemporary coastal cuisine. Chef Wes Stepp turns out some incredible fare from his wood-burning oven, including filet mignon, crispy duck and seafood. Beyond the wood-fired oven, the kitchen prepares seafood, pasta and chicken creations plus sandwiches, salads, soups, appetizers and desserts. The daily specials are always worth trying. Top-quality, flavor-rich ingredients round out all the offerings, and the sides are usually as show-stopping as the featured dish. Sandwiches are only available at lunch. Red Sky is open for lunch and dinner, and it has a full bar with a new and exciting wine list. Red Sky Café offers full meals to go, and they also have a “Chefs On Call” service in which they cook for you at your place. Red Sky opens at 11 a.m. daily.
Rita’s Ice
- The Marketplace
- Southern Shores
- (252) 441-4237
Rita’s Ice is a great place to cool off with a refreshing treat. They serve such favorites as Italian ices, cream ices, frozen custard and a variety of signature specialty frozen drinks and Blendinis. You’ll also find sugar-free ices.
