Ocracoke Restaurants
You’ll be surprised at the number of great Ocracoke restaurants.
This small island’s restaurants are locally owned and operated and as individual as their owners. There are no chain establishments here on Ocracoke Island, and we’re darned proud of that fact.
Seafood is the top feature in nearly every Ocracoke restaurant. Head down to the harbor to see the boats unloading their catches at the fish house. Much of the catch goes straight to the local restaurants. Fish, crabs, clams, shrimp and oysters are the local catches. If you’re on Ocracoke Island during soft-shell crab season, usually in late spring, never miss a chance to eat one of these delicacies. There’s more to island dining than seafood, though. Fresh produce, meats and all the usual offerings are available here, and some Ocracoke establishments feature good old Southern cuisine. Breakfast is served in several local restaurants.
Dining options can be limited to Howard’s Pub, Ocracoke Station and one or two other places in the winter months, especially January and February. Call ahead if you’re visiting in the off-season.
Back Porch Lunchbox
- 747 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-3651
At the Lunchbox you can pick up a quick meal for the beach or take-out for the ferry ride. Or get good food—fast—and spend your time lounging at a shady picnic table or on their lawn. The outdoor space on the Pony Island Motel lawn accommodates Frisbees, pets and energetic kids. They offer a variety of sandwiches and salads, including vegetarian selections. Top off your meal with some of their delicious baked goods, smoothies, ice cream, drinks and sweets.
Back Porch Restaurant
- 110 Back Road
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-6401
The Back Porch is one of the island’s great restaurants, providing a consistently pleasant dining experience on the spacious screened porch or inside the newly remodeled air conditioned dining room and cocktail lounge. Fresh local seafood and produce are the stars of the menu, but hand-cut meats and poultry also shine. The menu changes seasonally to feature the freshest available ingredients. Taste combinations and presentation are always creative. A fine selection of homemade desserts is available to round out a perfect meal. Try out the new wine bar for a more casual dining environment or to sit quietly with friends. There is an extensive wine list as well as premium spirits and cocktails. Note that this is a nonsmoking establishment.
Café Atlantic
- 1129 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-4861
Café Atlantic serves dinner in a mellow dining atmosphere in a beach-style building with marsh views and a gallery of local artwork. The food here is top quality, featuring homemade soups, fresh seafood, beef, pasta, vegetarian entrees and fantastic desserts. Sunday brunch is a popular and yummy affair, with mimosas and decadent breakfast entrees, wraps, salads and sandwiches. Children’s and senior’s menu are available, and for adults, beer and a thoughtful wine selection. This is a nonsmoking restaurant.
Creekside Cafe
- 621 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-3606
This year round self-service outdoor café offers breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in a pleasant, landscaped setting. Choose from appetizers, sandwiches and pastas prepared with fresh local seafood, burgers, salads and daily quiche specials. There are kid-friendly menu items and wine and beer for adults. Some customers swear their homemade Key lime pie is the best on the island.
Fig Tree Bakery and The Sweet Tooth
- 1015 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928- 3481
Satisfy all your cravings in one spot. Deli sandwiches are made to order, and salads, spreads and other treats like deviled eggs can be had from the deli case. The Fig Tree packs up a great to-go lunch for fishing trips, beach days or ferry rides, or you can buy sliced meats and cheeses and assemble your own. There’s comfortable outdoor seating for those not on the go. Complement your meal and soothe your sweet tooth with scrumptious pastries and baked goods as well as a variety of homemade fudge, fine chocolates, ice cream and novelty candies.
Howard’s Pub and Raw Bar and Restaurant
- 1175 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-4441
Howard’s Pub is one of the most well-known bars and eateries on the coast of North Carolina. It seems that everybody who comes to Ocracoke goes to Howard’s at least once during his or her stay. Fun-loving Howard’s is famous for being open every day, starting at 11 a.m., for lunch, dinner and late-night dining. Fresh local shrimp, clams, fish and oysters are highlights, but there are also steaks, ribs, subs, burgers, salads, sandwiches and pizza. Kids have their own menu with the meals served on a Frisbee, emphasizing the family-friendly nature of this popular spot. More than 200 beers are served here. Sit indoors or out on the large screened porch. Enjoy live music here almost every night of the week in season.
Jason’s Restaurant
- 1110 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-3434
Jason’s Restaurant has a lot of loyal local customers because it serves tasty, traditional and reasonably priced food in a casual atmosphere. It’s a perfect place to wind down the day in a leisurely way, especially if you sit out on the screened porch or at the bar. Pizza, subs, sandwiches, salads, steaks, chicken and, of course, fresh seafood are served for lunch and dinner. Mouth-watering homemade desserts, beer and wine will keep you happy.
Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet
- 875 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-2525 or (252) 928-2520
New in 2009, Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet has been a popular eatery in Kitty Hawk and now brings its medley of fine food to the island. Featured items such as blue crabs by the dozen or bushel and lobster tail are not usually on our menus here. Jimmy’s boasts more than 100 items on the buffet and includes a wide variety of non-seafood choices plus a salad bar as well as an extensive menu and separate buffet just for kids. Add another breakfast spot to your island itinerary as Jimmy’s has a breakfast buffet as well that begins at 7 a.m. Take out and delivery round out the full service. See you there.
Jolly Roger Pub and Marina
- 395 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-3703
The Jolly Roger is an open-air restaurant right on the harbor. Casual lunches and dinners are served daily, with sandwiches, burgers, Mexican dishes, seafood and appetizers offered. Around sunset, it becomes the spot to sit with a cold drink and listen to live music. They’re open seasonally.
Ocracoke Coffee Co. & Island Smoothie
- 226 Back Road
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-7473
People from all over the island find their way to Ocracoke Coffee Co. at all hours of the day, lured by fresh-roasted coffee, espresso, tea, smoothies, bagels and baked goods. Once there you’ll find it’s hard to leave. Take advantage of the free Wi-Fi, hang out for a while on the front porch or in one of the comfortable chairs in the yard under the trees. The bulletin board here is a good source for island events. Sadly, they are closed January and February. New for 2009, you can now get your thrift shop jones taken care of right along with your coffee jones with the addition of Blue Door and Village Thrift located in the back. Combing through this shop is like going on a treasure hunt!
Ocracoke Pizza Company
- 659 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-0099
Ocracoke now has fresh pizza with free delivery to your home or rental cottage! The owners of sMcNally’s have started a new venture with made-to-order fresh pizza that they will bring to you. In a convenient location on N.C. Highway 12, this is the perfect way to feed family, friends or have a party at the end of a busy day at the beach. They have lots of toppings and crust options, with both pesto and tomato bases. Look for the bright red building.
Ocracoke Station
- 990 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-4031
Served from the deli counter at the gas station, Ocracoke Station offers convenient, budget-conscious satisfaction. When you’re in a hurry, choose a prepared deli sandwich or sub, tuna or pasta salad, hot dog, pizza slice or bowl of homemade soup. Home-style lunch specials are offered during the off-season. Breakfasts of biscuits, fruit, cereal, yogurt and coffee start early. Items in the deli cases are available until closing and are refreshed daily. Open year-round, Ocracoke Station is also a convenience store, manages the Beachcomber campground and is the island’s only gas station.
Pony Island Restaurant
- 51 Ocean View Road
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-5701
Casual, family-friendly and traditional, Pony Island serves breakfast and lunch daily. Breakfasts are big and hearty—eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, pancakes, incredible hash browns and all the trimmings. Lunches include fresh local seafood (they’ll even cook your day’s catch if you’d like), burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads. Beer and wine are served, and desserts and a children’s menu are available.
Riley’s Restaurant
- 1050 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-2500
Boasting the best pizza you will ever eat, Riley’s Restaurant features a lunch and dinner menu of Italian-American items such as calzones, subs and other entrees sure to please the palate. This is a new restaurant for Ocracoke, but the owner is a veteran of more than 30 years of experience as a chef and business owner. They are open everyday year round and promise some nights of evening entertainment during the summer months.
sMacNally’s Raw Bar and Grill
- 180 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-9999
sMacNally’s is an entirely outdoor establishment smack on the harbor docks. Fresh seafood, cold beer and sunsets make it a happening spot to hang out. Excitement reaches a peak around 4:30 p.m. when the charter boats pull up and unload their catch. Gather around the bar for fresh raw or steamed seafood, including shrimp, oysters, crab legs and clams. You can also order Black Angus burgers and sandwiches off the grill. Steamed seafood clam bakes are available as take-out or delivery from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It’s open daily in the warm season for lunch and dinner.
Thai Moon
- 589 Irvin Garrish Highway at Spencer's Market
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-5100
Thai Moon adds a refreshing taste to the island dining scene. Lemongrass soup, spring rolls, egg rolls, satay, Pad Thai, noodles, vegetables, chicken, pork, beef and bean curd prepared with lemongrass, cilantro, chilis, lime juice and other spices are just the thing when you’ve had enough fried fish and crab cakes. Thai Moon does wonderful, innovative things to local seafood. It’s open for lunch and dinner. This is a take-out restaurant only.
The Dajio
- 305 Irving Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-7119
In the heart of the village, under the spreading live oaks, you will see a charming older village home hosting the Dajio Restaurant. Doug and Judy Eifert, experienced, award-winning restaurateurs from Kentucky, are realizing a long-held desire to live on the island of Ocracoke with their purchase of the former Pelican Restaurant. Since 1980, when John and Debbie Wells renovated the original Howard home to start the first Pelican Restaurant, many years of dining have been celebrated in this historic location.
Dajio, named for “Doug And Judy In Ocracoke,” plans to be open for lunch and dinner on year round basis. All menu items are made from scratch and utilize locally produced ingredients as much as possible. Menu items feature many seafood dishes, a fresh vegetarian entrée each day and special menus for kids and seniors. The outside terrace continues its tradition of Shrimp Hour starting mid-afternoon. You’ll experience fine dining on the screened porch or interior dining room and the warmth of local hospitality when you enter Dajio.
The Flying Melon
- 804 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-2533
Two experienced and talented cooks have combined forces to open The Flying Melon, which serves brunch and dinner in an attractive, casual dining room. Brunch includes specialty omelets, quiches, French toast, sweet potato pancakes…are you hungry yet? The cooks draw dinner inspiration from traditional Southern and Creole cooking. A variety of local seafood shares menu space with fresh and flavorful pasta dishes, steaks, pork and chicken. Save room for one of their delicious homemade desserts. Beer and wine are available.
The Slushy Stand
- 473 Irvin Garrish Highway
- Ocracoke
- (252) 928-1878
The Slushy Stand is the place for refreshment. Stop in for ice cream, frozen yogurt, cool slushies, cold drinks, coffee and smoothies. In the summer treat yourself to a gelato, an Italian ice that will soothe your sweet tooth. Relax on the porch and watch the world go by. Bike rentals are available here; see Recreation.
