Duck, North Carolina is a family friendly town in the Outer Banks full of several amazing, locally owned restaurants. While seafood is plentiful in this coastal town, the best restaurants in Duck, NC offer a variety of cuisines with locally sourced ingredients. Aside from the food, one of the best things about these Duck, NC restaurants is that so many have beautiful views of the Currituck Sound and sunsets.
Keep reading for some of the best Duck, North Carolina restaurants that can’t be missed on your next trip to Duck in the Outer Banks. We’ve also included additional recommendations for Outer Banks restaurants as well as ice cream and other sweet treats in Duck.
NC Coast Grill & Bar
This newer restaurant in Duck, NC was recently opened by a former chef of a few other great restaurants in Duck, NC. Everything on the menu is super flavorful and innovative. While it’s another one of the best seafood restaurants in Duck, North Carolina, it also offers several options in lieu of the traditional seafood. The Duck Rice Box is super flavorful and the perfect amount of crispiness. We also recommend the shrimp and grits and beet salad.
A kids menu at NC Coast is also available and includes a few kid-friendly options plus a coloring page.
Note: The restaurant primarily has indoor seating, but it’s also a great option if you’re looking for Duck, NC restaurants on the water.
- Website: nccoastobx.com
- Location: 1184 Duck Rd, Duck, NC
The Blue Point and backBAR
Blue Point is one of the best restaurants in Duck, NC that offers amazing views of the sound. While everything on the menu is so good, one of the best ways to sample the menu is with a crab cake and scallop combo. (It’s not typically on the menu but according to our server it’s almost always available!) I highly recommend the seasonal peach and ricotta salad and grilled calamari as well. While kids are welcome at the Blue Point, we chose it for a girl’s night out in Duck and had such a great night with amazing service.
While you’re there, be sure to grab a drink in the backyard bar at Blue Point. It’s a great place to enjoy happy hour and has one of the best sunset views in Duck, NC. And the drinks at Blue Point are just as good as the food!
Note: A limited number of reservations at Blue Point are available each night. They have tables for walk-ins as well. There isn’t a kid’s menu at Blue Point, but they do have mac n’ cheese.
- Website: thebluepoint.com
- Location: 1240 Duck Road, Duck, NC
Aqua Restaurant & Bar
Aqua Restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Duck, NC on the water, with a huge seating area to grab a drink and watch the sunset. The menu at Aqua offers a variety of seafood and meat options, with locally inspired menus and ingredients. They also have a great cocktail menu at Aqua, with a separate indoor bar in addition to the outdoor seating available.
If you’re looking for restaurants in Duck with live music, Aqua also has music several nights a week.
Note: It can be tough to get dinner reservations at Aqua Restaurant in Duck, so be sure to book several weeks in advance.
- Website: https://aquarestaurantobx.com/
- Location: 1174 Duck Road, Duck, NC
The Village Table & Tavern
This family friendly restaurant in Duck, NC has a great ambiance inside and it’s a nice option for waterfront dining in Duck. With everything from steak and seafood to sandwiches, salads and a kid’s menu, there’s something for everyone. Be sure to ask for the daily specials. We highly recommend the Grouper if it’s available!
If you’re there on a nice day, be sure to ask for outdoor seating to enjoy views of the sound and a great yard to have a drink or let the kids run around.
Note: They do take reservations at The Village Table & Tavern up to 7 days in advance. This makes it a great option if you’re planning dinner out with a large group.
- Website: villagetableandtavern.com
- Location: 1314 Duck Road, Duck, NC
Coastal Cravings OBX
Cravings in Duck OBX is a great casual place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They’re one of the best seafood and steak restaurants in Duck and were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in the past. The restaurant has a big menu (including a kid’s menu), and the fish tacos were my favorite for lunch. Cravings also has a full bar at the outdoor tap shack, which includes several local beers on draft. One of the best parts about Cravings is the outdoor space and games for kids, making it one of the best options for kid-friendly restaurants in Duck. They also have live music nightly in the outdoor stage.
Note: Indoor seating is very limited at Cravings, and they don’t take reservations, but there’s ample shade over the outdoor tables.
- Website: https://cravingsobx.com/
- Location: 1209 Duck Road, Duck, NC
Roadside Bar & Grill
If you’re looking for live music in Duck, NC, Roadside Bar & Grill has live music several nights a week to go along with a great food menu. This casual restaurant in Duck is housed in one of the original beach cottages the town is known for. It’s a great option for either dinner or lunch in Duck, NC, with a variety of menu items plus regular specials. Roadside is known for its crabcakes, and the rockfish also comes highly recommended from our friends.
While Roadside Bar and Grill isn’t a waterfront restaurant, it has a great backyard area known as the Backside Bar. Perfect for listening to music outside on summer nights or letting the kiddos run around at dinner.
- Website: duckroadside.com
- Location: 1193 Duck Road, Duck, NC
Bangkok Thai- Sushi Duck
We were craving Thai food in the Outer Banks on a rainy night and came across Bangkok Thai and Sushi in Duck, NC. It’s located in the Scarborough Faire Shopping Village, which is one of our favorite little shopping areas in Duck. We tried several dishes, and the OBX sushi roll, Pad Thai and drunken noodles were all so good. We ordered takeout, but Bangkok has both indoor seating and an outdoor patio as well if you want to eat there instead.
- Website: bangkokducknc.com
- Location: 1177 Duck Rd. #11 (in Scarborough Faire Shopping Village)
Outer Banks Boil Company in Kitty Hawk
If you’re visiting Duck with a large group and don’t want to go out every night, having a seafood boil set up at your house is a great option! OBX Boil Company offers some of the best seafood boils in outer banks with locations throughout the area. Kitty Hawk is the closest seafood boil option near Duck, and you can have it brought to you.
For a catered seafood dinner in the Outer Banks, OBX Boil Company offers an early or later dinner option. They arrive about an hour beforehand to cook everything outside and then take care of the setup and cleanup for you. A catered seafood boil at OBX Boil Company is $24.99 with a 10 person minimum, and there’s also a $100 catering fee. (We only had 8 adults dining but added the 2 meals for a little extra.)
- Website: https://www.kittyhawk.outerbanksboilcompany.com/
- Location: 3701 N Croatan HWY Unit F, Kitty Hawk, NC
Duck Donuts
A trip to the Outer Banks isn’t complete without at least one visit to Duck Donuts in Duck, NC. (In fact, it’s at the top of our list for things to do in Duck, NC!) Duck is home to the original Duck Donuts, and the boardwalk location is great for a morning stroll to pick up the best donuts in the Outer Banks. Duck Donuts offers several rotating flavors plus a made to order donut option where you pick your own toppings.
Upon arrival, place your order inside and then wait on the boardwalk for your number to be called when they’re prepared across the way. There are also picnic tables on the boardwalk if you want to sit and have your coffee and donuts there.
Note: Be prepared to wait as there’s typically a line any time of the morning. The best time to arrive (if you’re an early riser) is about 6:45 before the line backs up for the morning. You can also order ahead on the Duck Donuts app to eliminate the wait!
- Website: duckdonuts.com/location/duck-nc/
- Location: 1190 Duck Road, Duck, NC
More Great Duck, NC Restaurants
Below are additional recommendations for restaurants near Duck, NC and right in town.
- Treehouse Cafe & Coffee is one of the best and cutest places for breakfast in Duck, with yummy made from scratch biscuits and coffee.
- Black Pelican for an oceanfront restaurant in the Outer Banks with great seafood options.
- Outer Banks Brewing Station for an Outer Banks brewery, casual indoor/ outdoor dining and live music in OBX.
- Southern Shores Pizza for pizza delivery in Duck, NC. (We also tried another place for pizza in Duck, NC but this was definitely the best!)
- Tullios Bakery in Duck for yummy bagels (recommended by our friends at More Than Main Street.)
If you want a fun experience for dinner at home with a group, Kiiind Cocktails also offers cocktail classes in OBX or catered cocktail parties.
Sweet Treats in OBX
Looking for ice cream in Duck, NC or more dessert options after dinner one night? Below are a few recommendations for sweet treats on your trip to Duck.
- OBX Frozen Yogurt for several soft serve froyo flavors and dozens of toppings to choose from. They also serve Dippin’ Dots and ice cream floats.
- Donutz on a Stick for freshly made donuts (on a stick!) that you can top with ice cream for a sweet treat any time of day.
- Crumbl Cookies for the biggest, softest cookies. (It’s a national chain but SO good!)
- Booty Treats for shaved ice and ice cream in Nags Head- not far from Duck.
- Sugar Kingdom for the biggest candy story in Outer Banks.
Have you been to Duck, North Carolina before? Please share in the comments if there are any Duck rstaurants that we need to try on our next trip there!
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