Conveniently located across from the entrance to the lighthouse, Finnegan's serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. The lunch menu features its signature U-boat sandwiches, burgers, pizza and a bunch of great appetizers (nachos, wings, conch fritters, onion rings and more). The dinner menu adds seafood, beef and other entrees. A kids' menu is available. Beer and wine are offered. Finnegan's is open year round. Look for live music here on Saturday nights. N.C. Highway 12, Buxton (252) 995-3060
The Hatteras Jack tackle shop has a new addition - a café. The restaurant offers home-cooked food for quick sit-down meals or take-out. They offer boxed lunches that are perfect for picnics or fishing trips as well as family dinners to go. N.C. Highway 12, Rodanthe (252) 987-2428
When your mood calls for good, reasonably priced, casual fare, Hot Tuna Pub & Grub has what you need. Kicked back in the beach-tiki atmosphere, at the bar or in the dining room, you can enjoy steamed seafood, fried seafood baskets, burgers, sandwiches and seawiches (seafood sandwiches), Chicago-style pizza and more. Steamer pots filled with an assortment of seafood are available here as well. Lunch and dinner are served daily. This restaurant is definitely family friendly, and kids' meals are on the menu. Pool tables and Foosball games are in the bar area. Hot Tuna offers take-out. The restaurant is next to Island Convenience in Rodanthe. 23500 N.C. Highway 12, Rodanthe (252) 987-2266
Oceana's has the casual, cozy atmosphere of a neighborhood pub. Oceana's breakfast includes the standard fare plus delicious steak and eggs, quesadillas, omelets, pancakes and French toast. The all-day menu for lunch and dinner features freshly made, well-seasoned burgers, seafood, salads, stuffed baked potatoes and the very popular create-your-own quesadillas. The dinner-only menu is a little fancier, with prime rib, rib eyes, pastas, chicken, daily specials and a very nice wine selection. The bar area is sports-oriented with plasma TVs and all the sporting event coverage you need, including football on Sundays and Monday night. Oceana's is open every day year round. N.C. Highway 12, Avon (252) 995-4991
Hatteras Island is home to the Outer Banks' only permitted mobile commercial kitchen on wheels. Owner Kylie Simpson, who is from Australia, hence the name of her business, bought a catering truck from a film company and transformed it into a stainless steel commercial kitchen. While the truck is based at Mack Daddy's in Avon, it's fully prepared to take any catering show on the road. Outback Kitchen offers catering for all types of events, including weddings, reunions and business conferences. They are also the only custom wedding-cake baker on the island. Outback Kitchen also offers a food-to-go service, preparing restaurant-quality, family-style meals delivered straight to the doors of vacationers who don't want to cook. And if you're out and about on Hatteras, look for Outback Kitchen's inexpensive packaged sandwiches and Australian meat pies in convenience stores around the island, including Avon's Breeze-Thru. N.C. Highway 12, Avon (252) 305-2452
An off-shoot of Avon's popular Nino's Pizza, Papa Nino's serves lunch and dinner every day. They feature Nino's famous pizza plus sub, sandwiches and appetizers.
Rocco's is a great, time-tested place in Hatteras Village for pizza and Italian dishes. For lunch or dinner you can order Italian specialties, pizza, subs, salads and steamed shrimp. This is a casual, family-oriented restaurant with delicious food. They do not deliver. Rocco's is open every day in season, and it closes in the winter.
Now in its 11th season, the Sandbar and Grille, with its fantastic sound view that's visible from every table, is an island favorite. The menu includes daily specials, homemade soups, great appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, pastas, fresh seafood and kids' favorites. Some say their baby back ribs are the best on the island. The full menu is available for lunch and dinner. This is also one of the few late-night spots on the island. Live music, karaoke and a late menu will please all the night owls. Be sure to pick up your Sandbar T-shirts, beach towels, hats and other souvenirs. The Sandbar's game room will entertain everyone in the family. N.C. Highway 12, Buxton (252) 995-3413
Serving Hatteras for more than 30 years, Sonny's features breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is rib-sticking, with fabulous homemade hash browns, omelets, pancakes, homemade biscuits and sausage gravy. Lunch offers burgers, soups and homemade daily specials. Dinner features nightly specials, fresh seafood platters, hand-cut steaks, pasta and mixed grills. Steamer specials include Dungeness crab, Alaskan snow crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, mussels and clams. Sonny's closes for part of the off-season, so call ahead. N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Village (252) 986-2922
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