Absolutely love this place!! food comes out quickly and all the help is friendly! the biscuits and gravy is out of this world!!

Enjoyed breakfast here over the weekend. Best Bloody Mary I've had in a long time. I got the pancakes which were huge and my fiancé enjoyed the biscuits and gravy. Felt safe with their COVID protocols. I'll warn you that the place is small so you may have a bit of a wait. They had outdoor seating available too but it was too cold so we waited 10 minutes for a spot inside. read more

Menu has lots of options. The people and the atmosphere are really chill and everyone is so nice. I had the xxxl breakfast with a little bit of everything to try, was really in the mood for pancakes, the pancakes are really big but not my favorite, not sure why it had an odd taste to em. But i do recommend it for breakfast.. read more

First Light - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Excellent food, great service. Went with a large group and they did their best to accommodate us, even though it isn't built for groups that big. Ate there for breakfast, and they definitely give enormous portions for the price. This is my second time coming here, the first was in the spring of 2009 in the off season, and the service was still amazing then. I'd recommend this place to anyone, it's truly wonderful. I also came with my girlfriends father, who is handicapped, and while at first it seemed as though there wasn't any access, the ramp is just to the left of the building. read more

First Light - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

It's a tradition. Breakfast at First Light on departure day. We've never been disappointed. Best Bloody Marys ever.

This review is for 3.5 stars. This place simply does the trick for anyone looking for a quick breakfast before heading down to the beach. They offer all the basics so you're sure to be able to find something suitable for your tastes. The only reason I rounded down to 3 stars was that I found the food to be simply alright, and really something that you can make yourself under non-vacation circumstances - particularly for the basic breakfast combos. I ordered the hash, which is a corned beef special with two eggs of choice, roasted potatoes, and a biscuit. The hash itself was SO salty I found myself needing multiple glasses of water. The roasted potatoes were also just alright. One major plus was the warm, fluffy biscuit which was a VERY generous portion and delicious with the butter or jam options. read more

First Light - Breakfast special #2 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

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This is probably my favorite breakfast place in Corolla! I had the French toast and it was to die for! Service was great! Food came out fast and tasted great! 10/10 read more

First Light - The bacon infused Bloody Mary 10/10! #its5oclocksomewhere - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Best biscuits ever! The sausage gravy was delicious as well. We finished everything on the plate. We did hear that they ran out of biscuits around noon but luckily we got our food before that. read more

pancake was dry and eggs came out with a hair when i told them about it they took it to the back and came back almost immediately looks like they took the part that had it off and returned the same food read more

Came for breakfast and food was Amazing!!! Who ever thought of deep frying french toast is a Genius - amazingly good. Biscuits and gravy was delicious too. read more

First Light - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

This has always been a great place to enjoy incredible bloody marys and an awesome, fresh breakfast/brunch! Their biscuits are amazing and huge and all the items on their menu are prepared nicely with some great flavor! Customer service is quite nice at this place too, even when they're busy. We always stop in for breakfast when in the Corolla area. read more

Terrible service. We walked in and were immediately bombarded by a smell of a strange fecal substance. After noting this, the server laughed and refused to let us order for carry out. After stating that she had boxes to pack our food for our hungry family at home, she said she still didn't agree to let us pack our food because of how "busy" they were. We took a good look at the traffic of the restaurant and all we could notice was the lack of customers. This immediately made us feel irritated and when we decided to leave, the server gave us a dirty look, with possible racist intentions. We have sworn to never return to this restaurant because of the rancid atmosphere and rude service. read more

Another great find on our trip this year! They were wonderful in accommodating our large party quickly during a very busy time. A big shout out to Jose P--- the BEST waiter ever! He kept everything straight and made sure we had everything we needed!!! The food was wonderful, we will be back!!! read more

We had the "off menu" special of soft shell crab eggs benedict and the biscuits and gravy. Both were huge servings and we could have shared one of them. Eating outside was a good choice cause it seemed pretty loud inside. Be sure to check out Mystic Gifts next door. Cute shop. read more

First Light was very good! Awesome breakfast menu. The serving was quick and the staff were very nice. They were also all wearing masks!

My brother-in-laws enjoyed a meal at this restaurant and all enjoyed the experience. We chose the location based on Yelp reviews. The excellent reviews were accurate in every way. I had the crabbenny which was outstanding! read more

We are extremely disappointed in the customer service- we were a larger party and our tip was included in the bill and no one brought this to our attention which is WRONG. We double tipped and it was a large bill so it wasnt a small amount of $$ when I called to ask them if they could fix it (about an hour later when I realized when splitting up the bill via Venmo with our party) they told me and I quote "this is a terrible time for you to be calling about this we are on an hour wait". As prior Gm of a restaurant myself I was appalled by this answer but agreed to call back at 2 pm when they asked which they then confined to not answer the telephone. horrible treatment of and customers. I will be reporting this to my CC company. read more

I would have given 5 stars but the French toast was really burnt. My vegetable scramble was great and everyone else in my party, all 13 of us, loved out food (with the exception of the French toast)! The wait staff was unbelievably kind and attentive (even gave my daughter some aspirin for her splitting headache). I would definitely recommend for a casual breakfast! read more

First light is an affordably-priced breakfast/brunch restaurant in the Timbuk II region of Corrolla, NC in the Outer Banks. They have an outdoor patio with 4 or 6 picnic tables and umbrellas that provide partial shade for diners. Food is pretty good and the selection is enough for finicky eaters to find someone they will like. Service was decent, but unimpressive due to some inattentiveness. First light has alcohol for those vacationers that want a mimosa or bloody mary; furthermore, they offer several varieties of each. They have many of the breakfast staples and prepare the food like any traditional greasy spoon restaurant. The space needed cleaned, as spider webs were prevalent, rails were dirty, and some umbrellas were in disrepair (there was a tropical storm that week). I had a standard Bloody Mary, which was well-made and rimmed in salt and Old Bay seasoning. I had eggs with sausage, hash-browns, and a biscuit with sausage gravy. It was just so-so, and the gravy was really lacking any flavor. My wife had the crab benedict, which was good except for the lack of much hollandaise sauce. Potatoes could've been seasoned better as well. Everything was very edible and I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I would really like to see this restaurant strive for a bit more quality, cleanliness and flavor. I really liked that they gave you a texted link to a web page that showed your place in line. Very convenient!! read more

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This is a great place to get fresh fried shrimp!! My brother in law is somewhat picky when it comes to good seafood.. he ordered the fried shrimp and thinks he'll go back for a 'snack' in the next day or two for the fried oysters as well.. Atmosphere is kid friendly.. good service! read more

Best burger in OBX so far with a Fat Tire made my day!! The bartender and staff are welcoming and made you feel like they have known you forever !! read more

First Light - Fat Tire and Swiss burger highly recommended!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Corolla, North Carolina

Gave this place another chance...still disappointed. We waited 25 to 30 minutes after being seated without having a waiter even greet us. I know they are short staffed but we were completely ignored until I had to ask someone to serve us. It was not even busy by the time we arrived wither. Food was good though but I left with a bitter taste. read more

OMG the crabby benne. I'll be back for sure. I was to hungry to take a picture but it was beautiful. The eggs were perfect. Yum

We head to OBX and many other beaches like LBI so by no means do I expect 5 star service but this place is rocky at best. First off, the staff comes and goes by the week. Our server did not know the menu and repeatedly came back after ordering to inform us the meals were not available. They didn't have the beer brand from the menu, the fish entree from the menu, and ironically they were out of some of the vegetables as well. Here is the deal. Management and/or ownership is absent. The cooks are one step above fast food. The place only survives because of its great location inside of Timbuk II. Take my advice, head to food lion And eat in. read more

We enjoy our trips to Corolla and have made it a tradition to come down once a year at the end of March. It's off season, but many places stay open year round, First Light being one of them. First stop in we tried the burgers for lunch - huge juicy burger on a fresh toasted bun with plentiful toppings. I couldn't come close to finishing mine. A really good burger! Second time in was on our way out of Corolla on a late Sunday morning. We were intrigued by the different versions of Bloody Mary. Sadly, we stopped by for brunch, before noon on a Sunday not knowing that NC liquor laws prohibit the sale of alcohol before noon on Sunday. No Bloody Mary that time, but I did try the Crab Bennie while my husband had the biscuits and gravy. Again huge portions! Crab was good, but the combination with eggs, hollandaise and English muffin was not for me. Biscuits and gravy were very good although maybe a touch salty for my taste. My husband loved them. This last time we stopped by was for brunch on a Saturday. The Bloody Mary's were tasty - I especially enjoyed the Zinger with the Old Bay rim. I asked them to use the Absolut Peppar rather than Smirnoff. My husband and I split the Scattered Smothered and Covered - basically home fries topped with bacon, onions and cheese and served with eggs. We asked for over easy rather than scrambled - no problem. Service has always been just fine, but again we come off season so it's not very crowded with the exception of some locals looking for a good breakfast. Prices are very reasonable especially for the sheer amount of food you get. Definitely a nice place to hang out and enjoy a Bloody Mary with a good solid breakfast! Beer and burgers for lunch is not a bad choice either. read more

We came here for Breakfast while we were staying in the Outer Banks for a friends wedding. We started off with bloody Mary's, mine was made with Bacon Infused Vodka, which was on point. I ordered the smothered and covered breakfast scramble with a side of wheat toast. All of the food was prepared perfectly. I would highly recommended this place. Very friendly staff! My only complaint is that the coffee wasn't very good, which is kind of a must for a breakfast restaurant. read more

Off season great place for breakfast. Great omelette s, pancakes and steak and eggs meal. $$ At 10:30 was a 20 minute wait fir 4. Overall very good. Nice staff if a bit slow. read more

Very very good!!! Food and service was excellent!! Sadly liquor laws prohibit cocktail service before 10am, so hopefully this helps you avoid disappointment. Biscuits with sausage gravy plus I added 2 eggs over easy that I stack on top with a couple pieces bacon crumbled up all over. Definitely a fatboy meal and a heart stopper but SO SO DELISH!!! Biscuits were super airy and fluffy. Best I've had in a long time. Wife had French toast which was amazing as well. Was basically like bread pudding crisped up on the outside. Again, no healthy choice but DEEELISH!! read more

You're kidding, right? Eating breakfast in a dive bar? Really? Wow...if you like walking into an establishment and sticking to the floor, and sitting at a table with your arms stuck to it, then you've come to the right place. Enjoy having flies landing on you and your food? First Light is for you. How about that stale-beer-on-the-floor-frat-house smell? Again...if this is your thing, you will be pleased. I tried this place for breakfast on vacation and could not believe how disgusting it was. I had to shower immeditely when I got back to the rental. It was as though my clothing smelled of vomit. Oh, it was bad. Couldn't even eat the food after being so grossed out, so I cannot comment on it. Threw the entire order into the garbage and got out of this dump as quickly as possible. Will not be returning and absolutely will not recommend to anyone. The comments saying "best breakfast in OBX" are clearly delusional or the proprietors falsely promoting themselves. "Best breakfast"...that's completely fictional. Unless of course you're in Alpha Tao Omega. The hostess was also repugnant. As an alternative I went to another bar-turned-breakfast spot 6 or 7 minutes up the road...I think it was called Corolla Cantina. That place was excellent. They obviously took the time to keep everything clean. Had great food and wonderful service there. read more

I'm glad I waited until the end of our week in Corolla to write this review, because it probably would have been lower--but wow--pickin's are slim here, especially for people with specific dietary preferences (vegetarians, vegans, gluten-intolerant, allergies). This was a decent experience. We were seated right away and served promptly. My main annoyance at the time was that our waiter had ZERO knowledge about the actual ingredients of their food. Granted, he's probably some high school kid looking for some summer bucks, and probably had never been quizzed on ingredients before, but the reason he lost points with me was that he should have been willing to say "Let me ask the kitchen!" rather than a bunch of "I dunno's." I was looking to avoid gluten and the sweet potato pancakes seemed like a win. When I inquired about the ingredients, he had no clue and seemed unwilling to go further. Good home fries. My boyfriend really seemed to enjoy the special that day, a softshell crab eggs-Benedict type concoction. If you're looking for the bathroom, it's outside. read more

Have you ever had some biscuits and gravy dish so large, that your waitress could bet you $2 that you couldn't finish it? Come here. You'll find it. If you're up in the northern part of the OBX, there aren't a whole lot of options around for breakfast - this place was fast, not terribly crowded, and the food was tasty! Their menu had lots of options, from the unhealthy fare all the way up to the healthy stuff you might crave. read more

Wow...amazing breakfast place. I had the southern style biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were light and fluffy. Obviously they were home made! You need to get something with the biscuits. They went perfectly with a Bloody Mary that was spicy and had a kick from the vodka too! I was with a large party and everyone loved their meal. I can imagine there is usually a wait, but it's worth it! read more

Ate here three times this past weekend. The breakfasts are gourmet quality in a very friendly, low key setting. The cocktails for brunch were delicious - a great Bloody Mary selection. We all had about everything on the menu and everyone loved their food. The portions are generous. The biscuits are a sight to behold, and delicious to eat! Customer service is really good. This place is terrific. Located in a great tourist shopping center off the highway. Love it - will eat there again if I come back to Corolla - which I will. I bought a t-shirt as my souvenir from the weekend here. read more

Excellent breakfast! I had the scattered, covered and smothered. My son had the crab cakes Benny. The food was delicious and hot! The home fried potatoes were wonderfully cooked. I will definitely go back when I visit Corolla again. read more

I've only been here once, but already I'm definitely a fan. We came to Corolla just for a long weekend to visit our friend working here, and on our first morning he said that we had to come to First Light for brunch (well, breakfast menu at a brunch time since it was the middle of the week :P ). First of all, its so laid back here its amazing. Everyone working here has a smile on their face and is really friendly, even if they apparently are working on less than 4 hours of sleep and may or may not be slightly hungover. Plus, the food is fantastic and despite the fact that you're in tourist-central, it won't cost you an arm and a leg. The bf got their Western omelet, our Corolla friend got something with the word 'hangover' in the name (even though he doesn't drink), and our other friend split their crab eggs benedict which, in our humble opinion, is THE dish to order on your first visit. And douse it in hot sauce to make it even better! read more

Great breakfast spot! We had a large party and were able to sit comfortably outside. Food was excellent. Owner went above and beyond helping us when we thought that we accidentally threw away an expensive hearing device. Luckily we found it in her pocket. Lol. Highly recommend this place! read more

We arrived at this place at 8:30am and was sat immediately, no wait. We were soon after greeted by a nice gentleman who asked for our orders and came back with drinks. The sodas and coffee we ordered had a metallic taste so none of us finished the drinks. The food came in two minutes after ordering which was strange but we quickly found out why. It was dry, bland and way too expensive. We won't be back. read more

this was ridiculous it was 14.00 for a burger and they charged extra for fires or onion rings, when taking our orders the server asked, "and would you like fries or onion rings" making it seem as if they were included, on top of it all the food was mediocre at best, they added a credit card surcharge and the service sucked, you'd be better off eating a rotten onion off the street. read more

This was our first trip, but will definitely be back next time we're in the area. The service was super friendly and the food was excellent. We had 9 people in our party and had everything from salads to burgers to grilled cheese to crab cakes. Everything was fantastic. One person in our group had a mistakenly ordered something (chicken salad, believing it to be a grilled chicken salad - but it was actually a chicken salad sandwich) and they were very gracious about taking it back and bringing a salad instead. The portions were large and the prices were very reasonable. Our party of 9 ate for under 120 dollars (excluding tip). read more

Manley was our server and he was great. The food was good, a bit pricey for breakfast but the meals were hearty. Another great spot for biscuits in Corolla, and the biscuits and gravy were solid. We enjoyed our meal, although the home fries while good, were not exactly plentiful. All in all, however, a good choice for brekky. read more