A year ago we gave an amazing review because this restaurant deserved it! We have been coming here for more years than I can even recall and dine here 2-3 nights during our vacation stay. And intermittently enjoyed carry out, too. This year, the new management has negatively impacted our former favorite restaurant in Hatteras. So unfortunate! Terrible service, where bartenders were easily overheard being disrespectful to customers and eating snacks and ignoring customers until it was convenient for them to check in on them. And mediocre food at best. The ambiance is still so special. I've noticed more and more poor reviews as vacationers look forward to dining here but are equally disappointed as we were. read more

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Had a great ribeye for Father's Day dinner---cooked to perfection! Not a bad seat in the restaurant for seeing the sun set over the Pamlico sound. Shout out to Dallas for being a great server! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Ribeye cooked to perfection - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

Make a reservation! This place is very good. The bartenders were having an interesting conversation we overheard while waiting for our table...they seemed a little agitated...BUT the food and table service was great. We had Dallas take care of us and he's the very best! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - The view - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

I stopped by to pick up some takeout. I ordered their special for the day (fried grouper with rice and vegetables) and a crab Mac n cheese. I ended up with a piece of fried grouper with Rosemarie fries and my son got a single piece of crab in his Mac n cheese. The restaurant was busy and I could not get thru on the phone to even talk to someone. The grouper was nice but it was upsetting not to get what was ordered. Oh, and with a bill of about $48, I think I paid for the special! read more

What a great restaurant with amazing water views! The restaurant was spotless, the staff were friendly and helpful, the food was absolutely delicious, and our dining experience was just wonderful overall! I highly recommend the "Fat Daddy's Crab Cakes"- they are amazing! The cocktails are amazing too! read more

Something has changed here. Been coming here annually for years Service was great Food was NOT. Mac N cheese was cold and not melted. The mix was also extremely milky. Black drum fillet was as thin as a slice of bologna. Shrimp burger ...was not even traditional fried shrimp. This was ground up boiled shrimp mashed together to form a shrimp patty and slapped between two pieces of bread. Again this most recent experience was nothing like we have ever had before. Something has drastically changed an not for the good. We were disappointed. Hopefully they will figure something out. read more

The view was beautiful and the service was great. However, do not order shrimp cocktail because it has sand in it and I don't think they wash it well enough. My food was not fresh and the plate was not warm. I ordered flounder with green beans. Overall, it was okay food but not great. read more

Omg this place is amazing! Food was absolutely delicious. We had chicken parm to apps, mahi and swordfish and everything was perfectly cooked ans sooo good! You will not be sorry if you come here. So so good!! read more

Edit* Spent the last two days miserable with vomiting and diarrhea from the Mahi Mahi plate...worst experience of food poisoning in my life. And honestly not sure if it was the fish, as it was quite overcooked, thinking it may have actually been the beans. Botulism maybe? Never again...you guys should know better....you've been here for quite a while. Tried bringing this matter to their attention by contacting them on their Facebook page, where they've conveniently created a page where folks cannot leave reviews and apparently was banned for bringing it up. Called as well, but no answer. And then noticed they've been closed the last two days since for "technical difficulties". Clean up your act! read more

Surprised at the great service due to the crowd waiting to get in at five. Going there many years and the food was as good as ever. Great sound views and live music on the outside deck. Will continue to return. read more

Ate here tonight. Pretty place, server seemed on top of things, knew all the specials well. Service was slow - took a long time to get drinks. Food was a little better - apps came quicker but entrees took quite a bit longer. Seemed understaffed. A woman brought our entrees (a GM?) and apologized for the wait. I ordered the filet - sides on the menu were roasted potatoes and asparagus. I got a nicely cooked MR filet - barely warm, some mashed potatoes - mostly cool to cold, and green beans/carrots - also cold. It took a while for anyone to ask how our meal was - by the time the server got there I had eaten about half the filet and a few bites of the sides. He was apologetic and said he could bring new sides. I took him up on the green beans but also mentioned the discrepancy between the menu and the plate. He had no explanation - just apologies. Our meal was not cheap and my food was not what I ordered and was mostly cold. No explanation, no communication from management. On our way out we overheard a fairly angry man (In the parking lot) complaining that he hadn't been believed that his food was cold! I gave two stars because my husband, who had one of the specials, said his food was very good. But we will not return. read more

We have been here a few times and always loved it. The bartenders are chatty.. The food is very good. Tonight we had grouper bites, fried green tomatoes, chicken Roquefort , potatoes chips, and mahi. The Mahi was cooked perfectly and we loved the grouper!!! We sat at the bar and loved the vibe! read more

We have been coming to the breakwater restaurant on the first day of our trip for years and have always been very pleased with the food and staff. The wait staff this year was wonderful, very friendly and willing to answer everyone's questions and just very welcoming. However this year the food doesn't seem to be the same quality as it has been in the past. But the main reason for my review is the bartenders. We stayed after our meal to have a few drinks and they were very rude and standoffish when we went to order a drink and made it seem like we were inconveniencing them. We This happened again on Friday when we went to order a drink from the bar, where we were met with an immediate eye roll. This place is a staple of Hatteras and our trip down but this year felt different and didn't feel very welcomed by the bar staff (wait staff was great). read more

Won't be returning, I guess the bar staff was having a bad day, interesting enough the first time I went there it appeared they were having a bad day as well. Acted like they were doing us a favor. read more

Used to be our favorite place to eat on vacation. We would eat here 3-4 times in one week. Food came out cold and mediocre. Menu was not our favorite and wasn't seafood heavy like it used to be. Took away a lot of our favorites. Very disappointed. read more

Gave this place a second chance after several years to see if it got better...it actually got worse. Somehow, many of the same issues were still there. Sat by the hostess and it took nearly 15 minutes for a waitress to come over. My fried oyster dinner was $27 and had about 8 puny and way over breaded oysters, a small side of rice, and a tiny cup of slaw. Didn't eat it anyway because there was a hair in it. Waitress apologized, but that was it. Manager did not say anything or offer anything in the way of goodwill like another entree or coffee, dessert, etc. That's just bad form for a restaurant. Wife's fish tacos were overcooked, dry, and bland. Wedge salad for the app was good, but was tiny, about the size of my fist, and $12!. To wrap it up, the place is extremely loud, and to make matters worse there was a musician turning the music way too high to compensate for the loud dining room. Pretty view, but that's it. Too many good options nearby to ever come back here again, for real this time. read more

Waited 40 minutes for a table after being told it would take 20 for an inside table. Then they tried to set us outside on a sunny deck with a 2 month old baby in our party. We asked how long it would be to get an inside table and they told us it would be another hour. This doesn't even consider the twenty minutes we waited in line to get in the door after getting there at 5:00 when they opened. read more

Safe to say we won't be coming back. Wish I could give a 0 star but yelp doesn't let you. Had some hope coming back this year because we heard there was new management. Menu online is totally inaccurate so that was a big disappointment. Hardly any seafood options, more of a bistro/cafe almost. The restaurant was not busy but food still took entirely too long and came out cold. Service on the other hand was great other than the fact that you can tell that the place is a terrible work environment. We feel sorry for ever complaining about anything from the last few years there. Just got worse. read more

Breakwater never disappoints. I had the crab cakes which are packed with meat and just enough stuff to hold it together. Other had the fish tacos which were a hit and a really large portion. Service was really friendly and made you feel welcome. The building seems to have been redone since were last there and it was nice. Really amazing food! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Vampires Kiss which sales go to Breast Cancer research. Pomegranate cosmo. Fantastic! - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

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The best restaurant in Hatteras area Outer Banks, NC. The 2 hour wait was well worth it. Crab stuffed mushrooms are to die for and the poppers. Main course favorite was shrimp pesto and. Scallop tortellini. read more

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Came here on a Sunday evening when they opened for dinner. Service was enthusiastic and quick. Enjoyed our server's Halloween costume too. The live music was a nice touch for dinner service. We started with some drinks. I had both a pineapple lemonade and a channel marker from the drink menu while my husband just had bourbon on the rocks. We then had the seafood sampler for an appetizer and everything was prepared well. For entrees my husband had the fresh catch special and I had shrimp & grits. The fresh catch was fried well and the fries and coleslaw were good as sides. My shrimp & grits had such good flavor that my husband was sad he hadn't ordered it also. We'd definitely come back here again. read more

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Came in with a group of 15 and our server was amazing!! She was quick and friendly and so attentive. Loved all of the appetizers, the crab dip was our favorite read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Crab dip - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

AMAZING!!! Absolutley amazing service & even better food. The crab cakes are to die for - the best i've ever had. Ate them before I could get a picture. Our server was amazing! She was so patient & kind when we couldn't decide on food & very informative. I wish I remembered her name. She told me the correct way to eat RealSalt lol. We sat outside & it was gorgeous, a little hot but to be expected when you're on the deck. The espresso martini was also just how I like it. Absolutley hit everything out of the ballpark. Highly recommend! read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Savignon Blanc - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

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The restaurant is located at Oden's Dock in the midst of Hatteras Village, overlooking Pimlico Sound with beautiful sunset views. In addition to an open airy dining room it has a deck where on certain days they offer live music. Breakwater is open Sunday's, which is a rarity on Hatteras Island, and this causes overflowing patrons and a long wait for a table. We checked in and were told it would be 45 minute wait. Waiting from the dock with a view of the boats and the Sound is not that painful. After 45 minutes I tried to check back and it was more crowded than before. Just then a couple seats opened up at the bar--with a view facing the sound (see picture)--and we decided to give up on the table. Wise choice! We started with a house salad and goat cheese salad. Salads are definitely something they don't skimp on at Breakwater. The goat cheese salad was marvelous. The Hoppylum IPA from Winston-Salem was a tasty start, I followed that with a Copperline Amber Ale. I decided on the seafood sampler appetizer as an entree, which was perfectly prepared and a good choice after the large salad. No complaints here, the scallops were spectacular. My wife had the larger seafood medley and was not disappointed (much came home with us). Strongly recommend Breakwater Restaurant! read more

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The service was good, the food was delicious & the entertainment on the patio (a Saturday evening) was an unexpected treat! I will return the next visit to the area. read more

Delicious food, great friendly service and a beautiful view! We tried the appetizers and enjoyed them very much. The bartender made excellent drinks! read more

Very nice sitting outside. We watched the fisherman charters come in at 5:00. Delicious crab appetizers and drinks were great too!

Our go to spot after a long day of fishing! Great drinks!! Staff is very friendly! Fresh fish and great pasta dishes

We ate here during our vacation. The food was outstanding and everyone left with FULL belly's. I had the fried crab cakes and we ordered calamari and crab dip as appetizers- all wonderful, no complaints. We did come with a party of 8, and upon receiving our food our waitress let one of the people in our group know she had forgotten to put his food in, but that it should be coming. Mostly everyone was finished by the time he got his food. They didn't compensate for this, which surprised me. However, he still enjoyed his dinner. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Hatteras! The service and food is always amazing, and even for our large group the staff was very quick and accommodating. read more

Got a to go order It is always good foods And always do your self a favor and get the peanut butter pie A great way to end a perfect dinner Alway a go to in the village read more

We were where at the Breakwater in May. We loved everything about the place. The atmosphere was great, live music and casual gatherings at the bar. The food was even better. The tuna nachos were an unexpected hit. I would almost describe it as a poke style fish dish with tortillas chip. read more

Management. Arrived at 6:45pm and had only a short wait for a table for two. That's where the good news ends. Once seated we didn't see our waitress for 15 minutes. We finally ordered salads and an entree each. After a half hour the wedge salad came out with romaine rather than iceberg as expected. Not a big deal, but we were informed they had run out of iceberg. Another half hour went by and we were told they were out of the Spanish rice. Again not a huge deal. Another 40 minutes went by and we were informed that the kitchen was so backed up that they had not started our entrees yet (fish tacos and mahi-mahi). We were dumbfounded because the majority of tables were empty. At that point we decided to settle our bill and leave. Unfortunately everywhere else was closed by that time, so we ended up back at our rental and had sandwiches. As for ambiance, the outside seating looked nice, but the inside is nothing special. In short, we will never set foot inside that establishment again. read more

Breakwater continues to be a classic restaurant on Hatteras. We went at opening with 6 adults, 3 kids and a baby! Staff quickly sat us. Service was great! Drinks we're quick. Everyone was full and happy!! The tuna wrap was delicious! We loved that we could all sit together and share our beach highlights. read more

Great food , great value, great service will be back with more people !! This place satisfying. Love it. read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina

The food and service were excellent. Watching the sun set from the waterfront deck was simply amazing. read more

We sat at the bar and had a lovely visit with their staff. My husband has been craving grouper and the grouper bites did not disappoint! Sauce was delicious as well. The homemade chips and sauce were on point. Can't beat the view! Staff was super friendly! Will definitely come again! read more

Breakwater Restaurant has one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen! It is the best place to watch the sun set on the water in all of Cape Hatteras (as I was told by several different locals). I would recommend requesting a table on the outdoor patio. I went to Breakwater with my mom and aunt for a sunset dinner. The view of the colors in the sky reflecting in the water was breathtaking. It is indescribable. You have to see it in person! The food was also superb! The three of us split several different appetizers and a dessert. We ordered the crab dip, steamed clams, seared ahi tuna topped with chili sauce, and the firecracker shrimp. All four appetizers were delicious and very different from each other. As we watched the sun disappear, we finished the night off with a glass of wine and a slice of homemade key lime pie- which was also incredible. Last but not least, the service was fantastic. Every single employee was so kind and welcoming. I will certainly be returning to Breakwater the next time I am in the Outer Banks! read more

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Very busy and popular restaurant. Waited a bit for our table and cocktails, but we kept ourselves entertained by enjoying the live music while people watching. Our orders varied all over the menu and there were no complaints on portion size or taste. Our only complaint was every special (and we mean every dish) was sold out. So, we settled on dishes from the menu with most of our dinner mates enjoying the Grouper, which was fresh and tasty. read more

The food at this place continues to be amazing. The Famous Tuna Tort is what reeled us in for our first repeat visit, but everything else on the menu is excellent as well, especially the pasta dishes. The acoustics of this place can make it very loud, but when your plate arrives, you'll likely be too into it to care or want to make conversation. Plus, if you need a break, you can step out on their lovely back porch that overlooks the dock. read more

Breakwater Restaurant - Pasta with Scallops al Greco - Seafood Near Me - Hatteras, North Carolina