Special "last night" restaurant in Outer Banks?
 

I've received lots of help and have a list of good casual restaurants to check out during our trip to Duck in June - thanks, everyone! My final quest if to find a great restaurant to end our vacation.

We have two young children (5 & 7) so it needs to be somewhat kid friendly, but they are well behaved and used to eating out so we'd like something a bit nicer for our last night. A view would be great - the kind of place you wear a nice sundress but still has kids menu.

Any suggestions? Our last night will be a Saturday and as I mentioned, we are staying in Duck. Thanks!!

It's been a while since our last trip to OBX, but the Sanderling Resort in Duck should fit your bill. Here is their web site: http://www.thesanderling.com/dining.aspx Looks like they have a couple of options.

Snow,

It depends on the price you want to spend. Route 12 Steakhouse in Corolla offers some great choices. Since your kids are coming I would recommend the Sunset Grille & Raw Bar. It is right on the sound and watching the sunset over the sound is something y'all won't soon forget.

Well, it's pretty well down at the other end but our special last night restaurant is always Penguin Isle. It's a little more upscale but definitely kid friendly and a nice sundress-y sort of place. It might be worth the drive for you.

I have Sunset Grille on my list for a weeknight dinner. Most of our weeknight dinners will be at pretty casual and relatively inexpensive restaurants, so we like to splurge a little more that last night. What about Red Sky Cafe - has anyone been there?

Pelican Isle looks like a good choice - I just read the description in my NC Outer Banks Insider's Guide (aka my vacation bible). At first I thought it sounded too fancy schmancy for the kids, but then it said they have a children's menu. Yay! And they take reservations, which is a big plus.

Oh, I hope you go to Pelican Isle, snow. We won't be in the Outer Banks this year, so I'll have to live vicariously through you! :'(

About 6 years ago I had one of the best meals of my life at Sanderling. Then about 3 years ago it was BAD. Awful really.

I'm just warning you that you may have trouble getting your kids off the beach, dressed up, and off to dinner at a crowded restaurant -- especially your last night there! LOL.

We've actually been going to Hilton Head w/them for several years, though this will be out first trip to OBX. I like to go out to dinner most (if not every) night (though we usually eat breakfast/lunch at the house) and have developed a pretty standard routine: Get to the beach early (kids are always up) and stay a couple of hours until lunch time. Back to the house for lunch and then into the pool (we sacrifice being on the beach to get a house w/a pool). Stay in the pool until early afternoon. Then showers & baths for everyone. Kids & dh crash and nap while I read/do laundry/tidy up a bit - I'm not a big napper. Then I rouse everyone around 5/5:30 to get ready for dinner (the earlier the better to avoid a long wait). It works out pretty well!! We do a non-beach day mid week to explore the area - we're thinking Jockey's Ridge and the Aquarium.

We stayed at the Sanderling a few weeks ago and ate all our meals at their Lifesaving Station restaurant. Service was exceptional and food was very good. It is kid friendly. Their 4 star restaurant across the street, The Left Bank, does not accept kids.

Try The Collington Cafe - a very nice little place with great food.

Colington Cafe is an excellent choice. Don't think they have a kid's menu but I know I've seen children there.

I like the Red Sky Cafe. The setting is pretty casual. The food is very good. No kids menu. Though I remember a few years ago they were happy to do butter & cheese on pasta for our daughter when she couldn't find anything on the menu to her liking.

My first choice in Duck would be the Blue Point. They book up fast in the summer especially on weekends. Now might not be too soon to call.

I've heard great things about Blue Point but wasn't sure it would be okay for kids.

When our daughter was the age of your girls we'd go to the Blue Point or the Red Sky early on, 6ish or so to be done before the height of the dinner hour.

Another place I like is the Flying Fish Cafe (MP 10 on the biz road). Great food, small, casual setting. Paper table coverings with crayons provided. Not a kids restaurant but kid accommodating.

I decided on Blue Point and just called to make a reservation. I asked if my kids could split and entree and they said probably not, but they could make them buttered pasta. Very disapointing. We aren't going to take them out for a nice dinner to have them eat buttered pasta!

I've looked into some of the other options and guess I will have to reconsider. I need to stay away from tripadvisor 'cause even one or two bad reviews can scare me away. Any other suggestions, let me know!

I still recommend the Lifesaving Station at The Sanderling. I think you and your kids will enjoy the atmosphere, food, and service.

My only issue w/the Lifesaving Station is that their kids menu is all cr*p (hot dogs, chicken fingers, etc). I will look into them being able to split and adult entree there.

Just to update - I spoke w/a manager at Blue Point today and she assured me my kids are welcome and they will do whatever we want in terms of them sharing an entree. She said that they "welcome all diners" and apologized for what I was previously told. So - thank you everyone for your suggestions!!

Hi:

We tried to go to the Bluepoint last year. We had 8 people without a reservation. We had one at another restaurant, but the birthday girl decided she HAD to go to the Blue Point. Anyways we called and they said we were welcome to come over and wait for a table (without any indication there were none and we didn't think about it because it was early). After we sat at the bar and waited for a while I asked how long they thought it would be and the hostess said, "Oh, you won't be seated tonight until at least 8 Pm IF you get a table at all." This was before 6PM. So, why didn't you just tell me when I called that you didn't have a table and didn't expect one. Rather you would have us drink at the bar and possibly not get a table at all? I was disappointed in the attitude so we haven't gone back.
We like Meridian 42, nice menu, kid friendly.