Hello all you Outer Banks vacationers . . . we heading there in August - any recommendations for good food in the Corolla or Duck area??

Unless you are going at the very end of August, the restaurnats are going to be crowded, so get there early (before 6) or late (after 8:30) unless you can get reservations. For the nicer restaurants, call right when you get to the beach for reservations.

For casual and very good food, we like Route 12 in Tim Buk II (next to the Brew Thur there). Steamed crab legs are realtively inexpensive there and you get big portions. Everything else is good too.

For nicer dining, Mike Dianas Grill Rm. in Tim Buk II. Very good, nice sound view. Groupers, same location, is also good.

BAcchus Wine and Cheese is good for wines (in the Food Lion Center in Corolla, across from Tim Buk II). Also, the fresh seafood store in that shopping center (opposit end from Bacchus) is really good for crab legs, fish, all kinds of fresh seafood to take home and cook. They will steam shrimp and other shellfish for a feww and do a great job at it.

Corolla Village BBQ on Old Corolla Village Rd. is great for take out ribs, chicken, pork BBQ. That old Corolla Village area is fun to explore, see what it was like long ago, the old one room school house (now a center for awareness of the wild ponies), a nice bookstore, etc. I like to bike around there and then bike to the lighthouse and Whalehead Club.

http://www.corollaguide.com/restaurants.htm

Last year we went to Fishbones in Duck for a Sunday lunch as we were leaving the OBX, not the one right on the sound but the Key West style one in the Scarborough Lane shopping area on the other side of the street. It was good and not crowded then, good service also.

Here's their menu.

http://www.outerbanksexplorer.com/menus/NMfishbones.htm

We have always wanted to try Elizabeth's in Duck but have never gotten there, and never seem to be able to get "dressed" to go...

http://www.elizabethscafe.com/

We have a cottage there, and also like the Rt 12 Steak/Seafood place in Timbuk 2. Check out Gigi's on the west side of the beach road between Duck and Corolla--excellent Italian. One GREAT plus--there is a BRAND NEW Harris Teeter (opened last month) on the beach road right near the Currituck Club--terrific seafood, produce, meats, breads--puts Food Lion to shame! You may not need to eat out much after you shop at Harris Teeter!
And ditto on the 'eat early' or you are in for very long lines.

My favorite, The Blue Point in Duck (sound side) just reopened after a big expansion. Great food, casual atmosphere.

http://www.goodfoodgoodwine.com/

moondoggie, thanks for the update on Harris Teeter. We stayed at Currituck Club last summer for first time and could see that Harris Teeter was starting to go up. It is nice that Food Lion does not have a monopoly up there any more. We always have our week's worth of groceries preordered on the internet and delivered to the house the day we arrive (Farm Fresh does this) so we don't haev to deal w/the crowds at the Food Lion right when we get there.

I see that Harris T. is opening their 2nd OBX store in Kill Devil Hills on July 26th.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories...6494&ran=17044

BTW, GiGi's and one other place (Metropolis, a tapas bar) are in the Ocean Club Center at Currituck Club, and because of this they seem to be less known and less crowded. There is also a good fresh seafood store in that small complex, Blue Water Seafood Market.

ooo, obxgirl, Blue Point looks very good, have never been there. Will put that on our list.

BTW, anyone wanting the link for preordering groceries to be delivered to a rental house in OBX, here it is:

http://www.farmfreshsupermarkets.com/

We've used it 4 yrs in a row and have had good experience w/it. Although we may be trying the Harris Teeter next time now that it is up and running.

Harris Teeter is going to put FL to shame or worse. The FL in Southern Shores tried to spruce itself up a bit to complete but it's essentially still the same old same old.

Ditto on the Fishbones rec!

I avoid FL in Nags Head also. I like the independent grocer, SeaMark, there. They have a wonderful seafod counter.

All this talk is making me want to go! This is the 2st summer in over 10 yrs that we are not planning a trip to the OBX. But after this thread and another one in last few days I am rethinking that and have been on the rental sites this morning looking at discounted houses still available the last week of August.

oops, the 1st summer...

emd, Last week a local merchant told me summer 2005 and continuing into this season has seen a bit of a glut in the rental market. She said people are calling rental companies and asking for discounts on unrented homes. Or calling early in the week and negotiating a price for a long weekend. Interesting.

I like the seafood counter at Seamark too, especially the oyster chowder and the smoked tuna dip.

We've always like the Blue Point as well. I heard that they have expanded in the last year or two. On chowhound, there are strong recommendations for the Roadside Cafe in Duck.