3 Great Places to Get Food in Nags Head
- Marla
- Sep 10, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 22, 2025
Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is one of our favorite beach towns. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Albemarle Sound, it boasts soft sand and beautiful views of both sunrise and sunset. There’s no boardwalk, so it’s less crowded than some beach vacation spots. You can indulge in plenty of activities – or simply sit and listen to the ocean.
However, the food scene is a bit of a mixed bag. While there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Nags Head, the quality of the food varies tremendously. Many of the places to get food in Nags Head right on the water (ocean and sound side) have terrific views but may leave a patron disappointed in the food itself. Go to those places for a drink. We have three places to get food in Nags Head not on the water that we recommend instead.
Blue Moon Beach Grill
The Blue Moon Beach Grill provides updated Southern comfort food with a more creative flair. This family-owned restaurant, established in 2009 and now located between the beach road (Route 12) and the Bypass (Route 158), features delicious, innovative food such as fried green tomatoes with shrimp Napoleon, Caribbean pulled pork, and a Mahi Mahi BLT, as well as daily specials, such as blackened local yellowfin tuna tostadas. It is a great place to get food in Nags Head, with many different unique options.
My personal favorites are the bouillabaisse, the fried oysters, and the seaside bucatini. The restaurant will accept takeout orders if there’s no wait for a table. If you want to take advantage of this option, then we suggest ordering at off-peak times. It's tucked inside a strip mall; if you’re not careful you’ll go right by it. Find the Blue Moon Beach Grill near milepost 13.
Whalebone Seafood Market
For a change of pace when it comes to food in Nags Head, go to Whalebone Seafood Market.
Established in 1985. This tiny market offers a daily selection of the freshest seafood.
The options change daily with the local catch; the market also offers non-local seafood favorites, like Dungeness crab. It’s not a restaurant, so there’s no in-house dining. You can take the seafood back to steam yourself or let the market do it for you.
We’re big fans of its wonderful takeout steam dinners, which you can customize.
It also sells seafood salads and “Crabby Mary” mix for your beach Bloody Mary needs. The market is on a side street between the Beach Road and the Bypass, at Milepost 16 ½.
Fatboyz
The can’t-miss spot for dessert is Fatboyz, serving ice cream and other sweet treats for more than 20 years. This is one of our favorite spots to get food in Nags Head. A small outside-only sit-down operation, it sells great milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, made-to-order Italian sodas, and homemade ice cream cakes. There’s nothing like a frozen dessert after a hot day on the beach. Don’t be surprised to wait in line. It’s on the Beach Road, at Milepost 16.
Choosing what and where to eat while on vacation can be difficult; you want your experiences to be memorable. We hope you find these suggestions helpful when you’re looking for places to get food in Nags Head.
If you have additional tips about places to eat in Nags Head or any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@winewithourfamily.com. Share your favorite beach food destinations!
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