We had an amazing experience. From the first sip of our cocktails, to the appetizer, to the bread, salad, wine, entrees, and finished with dessert and port, a WONDERFUL evening. Great service, food, ambience, and overall best experience on the island! read more

No reservations required we walked in and were seated of course it is mid September. Great looking restaurant very clean white table cloths lots of specials, our waitress ms Cathy was unbelievably attentive. We had the eggplant appetizer with basket of bread, a passion fruit martini yum!! My friend had the cobia and I had crab stuffed flounder these entrees were totally satisfying in appearance, texture taste and generosity of portions. Of course dessert was lemon cheesecake with a blackberry sauce perfect!! read more

Flying Melon Café - Entrance to restaurant. - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

I have since returned to Flying Melon several times and have had outstanding meals and service. It is now at the top of our "go to" list when in Ocracoke. Anybody can have a bad night. read more

A shame they do not take reservations for less than five. In that case they should be experienced with estimating the wait time. We were told it would be an hour to an hour and twenty. It took 2 hours 15 minutes. We have been here 10+ times. Food is good, not amazing. But it is small island. I to nicer then the other options. The wine list is very good. The cocktails are very good. The Sumer ice is hectic. In the fall it's very nice. read more

WTF!, I'd like to leave a review, but we arrived at 5:45 and were told that no tables were available for the rest of the night. We were a "lowly" of two, and they wouldn't take a reservation for less than a party of five. There was nobody waiting when we got there, and we were turned away. And turned off. read more

The Flying Melon really hits on all cylinders -- Great food, service and ambiance. With regard to the seafood offerings, it's a real pleasure to have so many types of fresh fish all in wonderful preparations on offer. Don't miss the Figs Flambé appetizer if it's available. read more

What a great find on this tiny island. Great mixologist and wonderful food. Our server was spot on with recommendations and timeliness. It appeared to be a local hangout with all of the people that knew each other. Highly recommend this one. read more

We met with friends and visited the Flying Melon in Ocracoke on June 26, 2025. Typical Friday night crowd with a little wait and we ordered a drink of which they were out of the mixture for one drink. We sat down to dinner and picked out our appetizer of Oysters Rockefeller. Our waitress told us they were out of oysters so, we ordered Fried green tomatoes instead. Our waitress came back and said they were out of Fried Green Tomatoes which at this time of year they are everywhere. Disappointed, with no appetizer, we ordered dinner of which one was the special for the day. We ordered fish with a crab topping which was the special. Once again, our waitress came back. "We are out of Crab Meat." What? We finally decided on fried shrimp and, the others ate one of the few appetizers left along with a house salad. Once the salad arrived one of our guests asked for a little more oil and vinegar dressing. Our waitress said there would be an upcharge for the dressing. That was the last straw...or so we thought. We asked to talk to the manager who was tending bar when we arrived so not sure what his actual capacity was. We discussed being out of 4 items that we had ordered and the for the extra charge for a tablespoon of oil and vinegar dressing. The manager offered nothing but excuses indicating the waitress was an exchange student from Hawaii. Funny, I thought Hawaii was in the US. Then he rambled off excuses about the ferry crossing and having to buy things off the back of a truck and even went so far as to ask us "Do you know how long it takes to pick a crab?" Actually, YES we do as we live on the Chesapeake Bay. We can shell crabs in record time. The Manager was very condescending, but we didn't buy it. As if this was not enough, a table of 8 sitting behind us never received their dinner AT ALL. Once again, the manager arrived and the guests offered to pay for their drinks but, the manager had more to say so the guests left without paying for anything. Apparently, the conversation with him was not good. He's not good for your business. On the flip side, what food we finally did get was tasty considering the cost of the entrees. The Flying Melon was ill-prepared and management...well wasn't nothing but a mouthpiece and a rude one at that. Bad for business. The Flying Melon Café has crashed and Burned in our opinion. read more

All of the food was very delicious. I highly recommend the in house made ricotta with honey and almonds and the clams in white wine sauce. We really enjoyed our drinks and had a great birthday celebration. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

Outstanding quality. perhaps the most fresh oysters I've ever had in my life. our fish entrees and other apps were divine, too. we went at 5:00 on Wednesday and had no problem being seated. love the ambiance and stairwell, too. Friendly staff. I don't understand the negative reviews. also, considering the quality, we found the menu to be very fairly priced. read more

Slooooooow service, limited choices, very overpriced menu. The coleslaw was full of onions, to the point of being inedible. Our party of 8, one person was enjoyed their entree. We all left hungry. read more

absolutely amazing food! great service very personable and super friendly. Great onions read more

Flying Melon Café - my mom - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

Absolutely phenomenal meal and ambiance! It was a scorcher so the abundant air conditioning was much appreciated. Restaurant decor is fresh, and a pleasant mix of "artsy seashore" and "artsy southern". We were seated right away (but go early, by the time we left a line was at the door) My cocktail was a refreshing gin based cucumber drink. For our entree, I had the Thai curry with shrimp and it was perfectly seasoned, just the right amount of heat. Vegetables were clearly fresh, shrimp cooked just right. Service was fast and very friendly. We are here our last night on island and had it been the first we would absolutely have returned. read more

Flying Melon Café - Cucumber cocktail- I forget what kind but it was gin based - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

See all

Good food and drinks, but more expensive than we were thinking for rated $$. We went here on a wim since we got onto the island late from the ferry and by the time we checked into our hotel most places were closing. We all ordered a different fish and all were quite tasty (about $30 a piece, which was the cheaper end of meals here). They had many fun drinks to choose from and great selections of wines. Fairly uncrowded but we also were eating later! It felt like an old island home turned into a restaurant with the rooms. Dark intimate dining experience, we probably ruined it with our tired 4m old! Staff was overly friendly and helpful with choosing their best options! read more

Bottom Line: A neat building with stylish decor, attentive staff and excellent coastal cuisine. Admittedly my husband and I had planned to visit the Back Porch Restaurant but when we found they were closed on Tuesday nights, we ended up at Flying Melon Cafe. For starters, I love the building's exterior. The exterior make it looks old but its a new-ish construction and that is more obvious per the polished interior. (I heard a rumor this lovely historic looking cottage was a cool $2M.) I'm a sucker for anything with marquee lights which the Flying Melon Cafe has. Plus, I like their whimsical logo. Very cute. The inside consists of a bar, several spaces downstairs and an upstairs. Despite being cut into several rooms, the restaurant is still a tad loud. I did not venture upstairs but I did admire the beautiful craftsmanship of the gorgeous handmade spiral staircase. As far as food goes - everything was really good. My husband and I feasted on the bread, clams casino, Ocracoke clam chowder, Triggerfish and flounder. The Triggerfish was fresh and excellent and a recommendation from our flawless waitress, Karen. My husband and I also both really enjoyed the plump clams topped with cheese and salty bacon-y goodness. The Flying Melon Cafe makes their desserts in house so I am bummed we didn't plan ahead and save room to try one. Service was great. On a Tuesday night in August the hostess estimated that the wait time for two would be 30 minutes and it was exactly 30 minutes. Our waitress was attentive, friendly and precise. Overall, we had a very nice meal and experience. read more

See all

We had an EXCELLENT dinner here! You are going to think, why the heck is someone going to go to a seafood restaurant who doesn't like seafood? Because the wifey likes seafood and that's all I have to say about that. I had the steak burger. I had it with blue cheese crumbles, sautéed onions and grilled mushrooms. It was fantastic. Absolutely amazing. Wifey had the lightly fried shrimp and said it was very good. Wine - good. Paper airplane drink - good. Key lime pie - amazing. Crème brûlée - good. Will hit this place every time we are on the island. Dang, forgot to take pics again. read more

3.5 *'s sadly rounding down. The place aspires to be (and charges like) a 5 * place but doesn't quite measure up. The bad: * The sides were banquet quality, and they kept running out of them - e.g., limp green beans, mushy roasted potatoes; also at these prices you shouldn't get the same set of sides for every dish like at a pay-and-tray place * The service was novice and untrained - granted, our particular guy was "new" (both at the service business, and in the world), but giving us dessert menus and not realizing that we hadn't gotten our entrees yet was pretty bad. The good: * All the fish was really good - oyster and tuna tartare starters; and spanish mackerel and flounder mains * Good bar cocktails * Friendly and engaging owner * Nice setting and interior read more

Disappointed to arrive at 5:45p Thursday, July 6, and be told they were booked for the entire evening. I asked if they had taken reservations. The response was that they only took reservations for parties of 5 or more. I asked if I understood correctly.. that they only take reservations for parties of 5 or more ... and she knew at 5:45p that they were booked for the entire evening. She said, "Yes, but I could leave my phone number with her in the event something changed." I had no intention of hanging around with the slim hope that someone's party of 5 or more might change their mind, or no show. We went to Dajio's instead, where parties of 2 or more are welcome. And the food is there is magnificent! read more

Cannot recommend enough. Amazing cocktails - on par with Doar Bros in Charleston, SC and that's saying a lot. Grilled fish was exquisite. Will be telling everyone about our experience here. Bread pudding outstanding. Was so pleasantly surprising read more

Friendly service, very good food and cocktails. Ambiance relaxing and comfortable and enjoyable

We stopped by for drinks and an appetizer and to split an entree and wow, it was fantastic. The fried green tomatoes with shrimp alone would make a great entree and the fish cakes and dill sauce are perfect. And the beer prices are so reasonable, it makes you wonder why the establishment Z down the Back Road are charging so much -- we thought it was inflation. Also the cocktails are fun and tasty -- this is your stop if you want a drink, and snack, not just a fancy dinner. read more

My first dinner on the island, and certainly my best one. I had a perfect aviation cocktail followed by a grilled seafood platter. Everything was perfectly cooked. The natural sweetness of the seafood came out and it was lovely. Even the salad you start with had an amazingly tangy vinaigrette that I wished I could buy a bottle of. I had wonderful, attentive service. Absolutely come here. It's worth every penny. read more

Flying Melon Café - Grilled seafood platter; roasted potatoes and summer squash - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

$30 for a slab of fish. No sides except for a small side salad. Ridiculously overpriced. Good presentation was terrible.

After a full day of fishing on the Rascal with Capt Norm Miller we decided to have dinner at the Flying Melon. Capt Norm told us they will cook our fish and serve it for dinner. We called to check it and they confirmed. You can pick any fish on the menu and have it cooked that way and served with the same sides and they reduce the price by $5 bucks. If you want just the fish and no sides, it's reduced by $4 bucks. This restaurant just keeps getting better. The food quality, the service and price/value is excellent. read more

Cute, calm and cool inside. Very popular restaurant. Great cocktails served by pleasant and efficient staff. We enjoyed well prepared seafood and steaks. Extremely satisfied and looking forward to returning soon. read more

I had grilled scallops with bacon, red potatoes, and a green salad. All were excellent. The scallops had been cooked with bacon, which were the best scallops I have ever had. New Orleans style bread pudding dessert was also excellent. Staff was efficient and food arrived at reasonable pace. read more

Excellent service, atmosphere, and food. We had the Triggerfish and Snapper. From the bread to the salad to the main course -- wow! I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

See all

It's not a visit to Ocracoke without dinner at the Flying Melon. Nicest restaurant on the island. We always have the nicest wait staff. Accommodating and friendly as well as very knowledgeable regarding the daily specials and other menu items. Their food is always well prepared to our liking and beautifully presented. The atmosphere at the Melon is comfortable but elegant with beautifully decorated walls. The Flying Melon is well worth the prices. read more

Order my fish with out the lemon beurre and The waitress looked at me like I had 3 heads but I but I just wanted to taste the fish, it was very well prepared read more

Amazing all around!! Appetizers Entees & Desert! So glad we were able to visit on our trip!

Karen gracefully served our oyster & chowder appetizers followed by trigger fish and crab cake entrées with luscious chocolate torte (avec un cognac bien sûr) all a wonderful finale to this day in this idyllic place - merci d'être là! read more

Flying Melon Café - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

Came in as a table for 2. waited 2 hrs to be told by the reservation gal they bump 2's for tables of 5 or more with reservation. Very rude. the restaurant has a nice ambiance but the poor hostess table management is severely lacking. Go elsewhere unless you're local; they go right to tables. Good bar service! read more

I was looking for a relaxing upscale dinner for a party of four with culinary panache, attentive intelligent servers and a good wine list. It was my first time at FMC and was led there by word of mouth and other Yelp reviewers and, being a native New Yorker, was just hoping it would live up to my expectations. FMC did not disappoint. I can't say enough about the service and the food. Our server was friendly, had a wry sense of humor and fully versed in the food and wine offerings. Our party had diverse choices from the menu and specials. Each of us was so impressed by the preparation, presentation and freshness of our appetizers and entrees that cross tasting quickly followed our first bites. I had the fig and prosciutto appetizer with the scallop special. Others had a combination of oysters, trigger fish and other land and seafood offerings. Each was as good as the next. The dining room was warm (and I don't mean the temp) and inviting with white linen and tasteful decoration and it rounded out the experience very nicely. I will be back. read more

The food is absolutely amazing, it's all top notch & delicious! I always have my birthday dinner here because I know it'll be great. The ricotta & fig appetizer is to DIE for- I could've eaten 10 more bowls. Also the filet with red wine sauce is what I always order. read more

Very cute restaurant and the host got us through the waitlist fast despite several locals having reservations that night (good sign). Small portions for food but not upset about that due to our dishes all being seafood. Very good and very fresh food. :) read more

This was a great place to go for our anniversary dinner. The food was fine dining and delicious, but the atmosphere was friendly and casual. All of the food that we ordered was fantastic. I had a local fish special, and my husband ordered the gumbo. There were a lot of delicious menu items to choose from. We would definitely dine here again, and recommend this restaurant to any of our friends visiting Ocracoke. read more

Flying Melon Café - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

The fig and prosciutto appetizer was great. Really enjoyed the clam chowder. Scallops and crab cake were amazing. The grilled shrimp were a little tough but ok. Interior was very clean, upscale for the island. Service was quick. Would come back. read more

Flying Melon Café - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina

See all

Pretty place, light colored wood floors, white butcher paper in tables, comfortably classy and just a smidge fancier than other places on the Island. They had plenty of gold cart and car parking. The fried green tomatoes with shrimp were SO tasty and my son love the Orcrakoke Clam Chowder, which is basically New England without the cream. It had more potatoes than clams, but he's a kid so it was fine for him. We had amazing burgers here! They were all perfectly cooked, with delicious meat. We ordered one rare, one med-rare, one med and one med-well, so we had a nice sampling of cooking temps and honestly each one was cooked exactly to order(not an easy feat)! I had mine medium rare with blue cheese crumbles and fried onions, we were a little surprised they charged us a dollar for two slices of Roma tomato on each burger since they were already $20 but ya know, Island prices! Everyone LOVED the fries, they were fresh cut, but I prefer mine crispier and asked for well done but all four orders came out the same. Sorry no pictures, my phone died. read more

Excellent choice for a nice dinner. While it's not dressy attire, it is one of the nicest restaurants on the island. The extensive menu included lots of fish and shellfish options, and four daily specials were also listed. We shared some appetizers and then each ordered an entrée. Our server took all of her food orders at once but spaced them out so we could enjoy the food. My triggerfish special was delicious, lightly pan fry with a lemon cream sauce and the balance was amazing. Desserts are house made. read more

See all

Absolute best place to eat on Ocracoke. The food is pricey but you get what you pay for because the quality is superb. The menu checks the box on pretty much all of the classic New Orleans dishes which is not surprising given that the owners are from New Orleans. This restaurant has one of the friendliest and most helpful staff that I've been able to find and their wine list and cocktail selection are far superior to anywhere else on the island. The Flying Melon is one of those "must visit" places for any holiday on this unique part of the Outer Banks. read more

Flying Melon Café - Seafood Near Me - Ocracoke, North Carolina