Emerald Isle this weekend
 

My husband and I will be visiting Emerald Isle this weekend (3/31-4/3) with my parents and brother. This will be my first time in this area. What are our must-sees? Does anyone have good restaurant recommendations in various price ranges? I've browsed the boards here and gotten some interesting ideas, but I'm also having a hard time tracking the distances from Emerald Isle. We don't want to spend our entire time in the car after the plane ride for Los Angeles!

A cheap fun place in Swansboro (about a fifteen minute ride) is Yanna's. Milkshakes, burgers, and fritters. Yummy. In Beaufort, which is a lovely historical town about forty five minutes up the coast the Beaufort Grocery, the Front Street Grill and Spouters are all good choices. Beaufort Grocery is the priciest of the three, but none of them will break the bank.
The weather is warming up and you should have a good visit.

My favorite restaurant at EI is Flipperz (its across the street from the CVS). Everything we've ordered (sandwiches, fresh fish, steaks) has been great. RuckerJohns (at the Emerald Plantation center) is larger in size, and has a larger menu, is my 2nd fave. They both have moderate prices ($7 to $18). Mimi's dessert shop at the same ctr has great soups, quiches, etc. for lunch or lite dinner.

The Fishtrap recently moved from Swansboro to Cape Carteret (closer to EI)- when it was in Swansboro, it ranked as one of my all-time favorites. I can't wait to try it now....

Swansboro is about 15 minutes away- you get more of a seaside/boaty feel there than at EI, which is more of a beach town. The White Oak Bistro has good italian (starts at $14 per entree). The Gourmet Cafe is my vote for lunch. Have not had good luck at the Flying Bridge-

As for must-sees, we always take guests on a walk of the waterfront- either at Morehead City (30 min from EI), Beaufort (40 min) or Swansboro (the closest, but the smallest waterfront area). All 3 towns have cute shops, a pub or two, and eateries on their waterfronts. I agree with the previous post about Beaufort ("bow-fort"- "bew-fort" is in SC!) but would add the NC Maritime Museum as a must-see if you like that kind of thing.

My rec for restaurants in Morehead would be Capt. Bills or The Sanitary Fish Market for authentic old-time NC seafood (fried or boiled anything, with lots of hushpuppies), Mrs. Wills' for steaks (not on the waterfront), Sugarloaf Cafe for lunch.

There are not alot of "restaurant chains" in this area, which suits me fine. Each of these dining choices is unique, and the food (& seaside views, if applicable) are far superior than the interior decor!

Thank you so much! We definitely were planning on visiting Beaufort (thanks for the pronunciation, my husband and I were discussing that today!), maybe Cape Lookout. If Beaufort is 45 minutes, than Kitty Hawk must be well over an hour. We were hoping to visit, but may have to think further. I think Wilmington might also be a bit too much of a drive, but maybe one day we'll be up to it. I'm pleased to hear there aren't a lot of chain restaurants in Emerald Isle. I'm definitely not into chains, especially when visiting a new place. Thanks!

Great! Because of the way the barrier islands are connected (or lack thereof!), I would recommend traveling south to Wilmington instead of to Kitty Hawk. Wilmington is a solid 90 min away from Emerald Isle. (It was the nearest mall when I lived at EI!!) You can cut thru Camp Lejuene Marine Corps base by going on Hwy 172, which shaves time off the trip. (just ask for a 172 pass at the gate.)

Going to Wilmington opens a whole new gateway of destinations! I'd recommend it if you have a rainy day. Otherwise, enjoy the beach and your family! PS- New Bern has some interesting offerings if you are looking for things closer to EI (ex Tryon Palace)