7 Fresh Seafood Restaurants In The Outer Banks That Only Locals Know About

North Carolina's Outer Banks is a seafood lover's dream destination, packed with eateries of all stripes, from beach shacks to fish market take-out counters to fine dining establishments. Some are justifiably famous, like the NC Coast Grill & Bar in Duck, which the New York Times singled out last year for elevated menu items like "oven-roasted oysters topped with an innovative and delicious combination of pork belly, pickled jalapeño, and pimento cheese." Reservations are definitely required in tourist season. Then there's the crowd-pleasing, tourist-friendly Captain George's Seafood Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills, famed for its massive buffet.

But locals here are crazy for seafood, too, and enjoying the local catch fresh off the boat is one of the many perks of living in this region. We scoured forums like Reddit and Facebook to track down knowledgeable OBX locals' recommendations for the hidden gems: great food trucks, waterfront bars, hole-in-the-wall diners, and fish market take-out counters that serve up the best of the best, without dressing up for tourist season.

Skip the sit-down dining when visiting Hatteras Island. Instead, grab a weathered picnic table outside this Risky Business Seafood, a seafood market and counter-service joint, praised for its delectable spiced, steamed shrimp, house-made remoulade sauce, and scrumptious key lime pie. Getting to Risky Business Seafood is the challenge, as it's located on the fishing docks on lovely, windswept Hatteras Island, in the Outer Banks island's secluded Hatteras Village. "Buy some steamed shrimp and then sit at a picnic table on the dock and watch the fishing boats come in," recommends one Tripadvisor reviewer.

Old Salt Sandwiches is tucked away in an unlikely place — inside a bright red old fire department vehicle at a variety store parking lot on Ocracoke Island. Every summer, they dish up a quarter-pound shrimp burger that Southern Living calls "the perfect beach day lunch." It's much beloved by locals, and despite the fact that you won't find it listed on Tripadvisor, word has gotten around, and there can be a line. "The whole experience felt laid-back and authentic to Ocracoke," writes one Google reviewer. Check their Facebook page before heading out hungry, as Old Salt sometimes closes for high tide — how authentic is that?

Hidden in the Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park, a bustling fishing harbor, this bare-bones seafood shack in the Outer Banks' under-the-radar island village of Wanchese has fishing nets for decor and metal chairs. But the seafood at lunch-only O'Neal's Sea Harvest is luxurious. Lightly battered and fried delicacies like soft shell crab and succulent shrimp pair beautifully with fried okra and onion rings. Word is getting out on Tripadvisor, where one reviewer writes, "This place may seem out-of-the-way, but the locals know — it's their best kept secret! And you'll probably see some amazing boats, too!"

Housed in a nondescript brick storefront, Billy's Seafood feels like it hasn't changed since 1971, when this family-owned, hole-in-the-wall, takeout-only joint first opened in Kill Devil Hills. They'll steam your crab, shrimp, and clams while you wait, but be sure to load up on the extras like the coleslaw and tuna salad, which also receive wide praise among reviewers. If you're staying at a vacation rental, grab a takeout feast here. "Great steamed shrimp and affordable! We bought 2 pounds, and it cost $20. What a deal! They steam it while you wait," writes one Google reviewer who did just that.

Kill Devil Hills, aka the birthplace of aviation, is the town where the Wright brothers first took flight, but it's also a seafood lover's dream. You can't exactly call Goombay's Grille & Raw Bar a hidden gem — you can't miss the Caribbean-themed restaurant's vibrant chartreuse clapboard building with the aquamarine trim, right across the street from the beach. A favorite lunch spot for locals, Goombay's dishes, like fish tacos with mango salsa, carry the Caribbean vibes onto your plate. Whatever you order, don't forget to douse it in their house-made hot sauce.

Hidden in Nags Head, one of North Carolina's best beach towns, is Greentail's Seafood Market & Kitchen, in a cheery, seafoam green clapboard building. It's an all-local fish market with some remarkably creative fare coming out of its counter service restaurant. Locals are addicted to the Hawaiian-influenced poke bowls made with fresh, marinated local tuna, and chalkboard specials that might include irresistible delicacies like a panko-crusted grouper sandwich with charred poblano-cilantro crema. "You'll always get fresh caught fish with unique flavors combos. A locals secret," writes a Google reviewer.

Located on the picturesquely ramshackle and scenic Avalon Fishing Pier in the residential neighborhoods of South Nags Head, the lively Fish Heads Bar & Grill is a true hidden gem where locals flock for beer, wine, and happy hour shrimp, alongside tourists willing to make the effort to seek it out. "The atmosphere of sitting on a pier listening to good music and eating all the shrimp you can hold is without a doubt a true beach experience," writes one of these on Tripadvisor.