The Flying Melon is a must-stop-spot when visiting Ocracoke. It has consistently-good food, especially at brunch. They built a purpose-built building a couple years ago and did a great job getting the space just right. The staff are mostly young, college aged kids who have fun with the customers and their jobs if allowed to (re: some uptight reviews). The prices are what you would expect on an island where deliveries cost more (seriously people, think about economics before complaining). As a bonus, the world's most human-centric cat, "Marshmellow," might pop by for a visit before you head in. Always worth a visit. read more

We had a fabulous dinner on July 3rd. Service was spectacular. The lamb special was very good. We all had a different meal and everyone enjoyed their food. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Most importantly, they support the Ocracoke Working Waterman association so all seafood is local. read more

Fabulous food, service, and atmosphere! Great place to go! Nice selection and menu variety, everything seemed very fresh.

Creative, always superb. Turns out the owners lived, worked and know the New Orleans heart and soul of what it means to create a food culture. Signature fresh seafood gumbo as well as many other optional seasonal dishes without the heat of NOLA cuisine. Ask the bar tender for his recommendation of mixed drink or wine tailored to your taste. He knows what he's up to. read more

The service is extraordinary and the menu has one of the largest selections of fish I've seen on the island. The dessert menu is also very good read more

Wonderful dinner in Ocracoke ! We've been coming to Ocracoke for years but had never eaten at the Flying Melon. Will certainly come back again! read more

I read many reviews prior to going in and really WANTED to like this place however food was just average. Inside was very quaint and clean and service was good. I got the rack of lamb which was recommended. Lamb was cooked to order but very bland and gravy was bland as well. Maybe if I go back I would order the fish which looked good. read more

The flying Melon Soars. We both had salads (freshly picked mixed greens), Au gratin and sauteed potatoes and for our main course we had almond encrusted drum fish and a shrimp/crab/egg plant casserole. I ate the casserole and it was like nothing I've ever had before. Shredded crab and eggplant pieces with the occasional 1/2 to whole shrimp included. The whole evening was fantastic from the food down to the staff. If you are in need of some fresh dinner, I can tell you this melon never goes bad. read more

Fresh catch was great. Good wines. Service was great. Red Curry? Not even close. Should have sent it back. We'd go again tho. Red Curry, ples re-read your recipe...or just throw it out :-/ read more

My husband and I went for lunch, waited for a couple of minutes to be noticed by at least one of the two hostess, then walked out. The restaurant wasn't even half full, so I can't imagine why they were so busy. We won't be back. read more

Have you eaten at the Flying Melon lately? When this establishment was housed in a shabby little building on NC-12 between the bank and the new firehouse it was most notable for modest prices and similarly modest service and culinary achievement. Sometime during the last year they built themselves a brand new and quite handsome building on Back Road. Last evening - after an arduous day of fishing and body surfing, curious about the new digs and in search of a slightly more economical dining venue for a last supper on Dad before the "kids" headed home on Sunday morning - I decided to give them a try. Wow. Just Wow. They were quite busy of a Saturday night, and the new building is very handsome inside and out. And along with the building, the entire establishment has undergone a huge metamorphosis. White table cloths and napkins, a nicely (even elegantly) dressed, pleasant and efficient young lady as maître d'hôtel, a good looking and well stocked (full) bar, well trained, pleasant and attentive wait staff, a wine list that includes - among more economical selections - a $120 bottle of chardonnay (imagine THAT at the old Flying Melon), and most important and wonderful of all, oh the food! They have radically upped their game and now play competitively in the same league as the Back Porch, Dajio and Cafe Atlantic. I would, in fairness, have to point out that their prices have "matured" also, but they're worth it. The menus arrived with an appetizing variety of upscale standard dishes and some more moderately priced offerings, covered by a card announcing the evening's specials. I almost always order from the specials if they are offered - I figure that if the establishment thinks it is special, it probably is. I had a caprese salad for an appetizer that was succulent with fresh, ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and some excellent fresh basil (which in my experience can vary from bland to quite sharp - this was nearer the latter and a few small leaves were perfect with the tomato and cheese), all dressed gently with just the right amount of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. For the entree, I had pecan-crusted Red Drum with lemon buerre blanc, sauteed fresh green beans and sauteed red potatoes. The veggies were excellent, but the fish was probably some of the best I have ever eaten. The light pecan crust, which sounded "interesting," proved to be an amazingly good complement to the fish in practice. And who doesn't like lemon buerre blanc? Dessert was a slice of house-made apple pie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The pie was very good, but not at the same "oh my God" level as the entree. My son-in-law had exactly the same thing I did, my daughter had an appetizer of fried green tomatoes with shrimp and some goluptious sauce over them followed by grilled flounder covered with a shrimp Étouffée, which she pronounced "to die for," and Sandy had some of the best fried shrimp I have ever set tooth to. Her shrimp had the thinnest imaginable coating on them, just crispy and delicate and not oily, and the shrimp (unlike most versions of fried shrimp) were cooked to still-a-bit-crunchy perfection. The entrees all came with a small side salad (which was also excellent) and the kids shared an excellent bread pudding for dessert. Including a round of drinks beforehand and a moderate bottle of wine, the bill came to $177 before tip, which I consider to be quite reasonable. Service was good, with the only discernible (and very minor) hiccup being a slightly over-long pause between appetizers and entrees. On the down side, they have some work left to do on the acoustics of the place. With a full house, it was quite loud - enough to make conversation quite difficult but not impossible. Overall, and of course based on only a single visit, food-wise I'd put this on a par with (ahem...) my other favorite restaurant on the island, with ambiance and sound levels favoring the latter. I will continue to patronize both. read more

We had been on the island for 3 days and everywhere we went people suggested The Flying Melon. Apparently, we saved the best for last - our final dinner on Ocracoke was here and it was definitely our favorite. The server was primo, really took care of us, getting us a little taste of a wine we were interested in and a sample of a sauce we weren't sure about. Then the food itself was ridiculous. Great flavor, perfectly grilled and seasoned...each part of the meal was delicious. If you don't come here at some point during your stay, you are missing out for sure. Planning to have breakfast here in the morning before we have to catch the ferry. Enjoy!! read more

Easily the best restaurant I've eaten at, on Ocracoke island. Delicious food, adequate portions at a decent price, in a relaxing atmosphere. The friendly staff made the experience even more enjoyable, and they don't make you feel rushed, despite there being full tables and waiting room, shortly after they open. Flying Melon doesn't make reservations. My advice: get there early. read more

The Fried Green Tomato appetizer included a few BIG shrimp on top, with a bit of micro greens and a lovely dressing. Fantastic... My crab cake main was very good, but a bit "wet", as in too gooey. Still, delicious meal. The haddock special was outstanding. read more

We got there around 8:30, we waited a half hour to be seated. The waiter was great, the seafood was fresh caught, and the food came out very quick. The ceviche was different, but delicious (maybe a little overpriced.. It was $12 for about 10 chips and a small cup of ceviche). Everything tasted excellent and the service was quick. read more

This was a good hole in the wall, but continues to have outstanding food. Before this place moved to its new location, this place was a good hole in the wall. By hole in the wall, I mean the small location was cozy, welcoming, felt like home, and had great food. Now that its moved to its new location, it continues to have great food, but has lost that welcoming feeling. It now has a starchy, stiff white collar, boat-shoe, Cafe Atlantic feeling. Great for the food, and hit-or-miss service, but seriously lacking the welcoming feeling it used to have. read more

This place is worth the visit. I am very glad that we found it. We were very lucky to find a table for 5 during a very busy time and the hostess was very professional and kind. The bar prepared good cocktails and all the dishes were well prepared and the price range was just right. I ordered the red drum, a fish common in the Outer Banks, and was very pleased with the preparation. I would give it 5 stars but, although I liked the bread pudding that I ordered for dessert, I found it a bit soggy. I wished there was a better balance between the liquid and the creamy consistency. The fig dessert was better accomplished. I would definitively return to this lovely place. read more

Before our last visit, Flying Melon was our favorite restaurant on Ocracoke. Our recent visit has change our view completely. After telling us that they don't take reservations (we had a party of 9), they held our family to their recommendation of arriving at 5:30 pm with a large party. We called and told them that we would not be there at 5:30, as a courtesy to them. We were completely willing to wait if a table was not available. After being seated and while waiting for my husband to arrive and deciding on our main courses, everyone at the table ordered cocktails and appetizers. Because 20 minutes passed without ordering our main course (so much for a relaxed dinner), our waiter and then the owner accused us of holding up the table on purpose. We ended up walking out of the restaurant completely fed up with the situation. For the price you pay to eat here, do not expect a relaxed dining experience. Unfortunately, we will not return to Flying Melon on our yearly trips to Ocracoke and will no longer recommend it to friends. read more

Atrocious customer service. Stay far, far away if you have food allergies! We have been eating here on annual trips for years, but that will now come to and end after how the staff treated us here. I called ahead to make a reservation, and the woman who answered the phone not only denied my reservation, she could not even explain what their reservation policy actually was (she attempted a few times but kept changing her words). I then stopped by the restaurant to add our name to the list, and the gentlemen couldn't give us a time estimate for how long the wait was. He kept responded saying, "I have to figure it out. I need to look at things. I'll let you know later after I figure it out." One of the guests in my party has life threatening food allergies. We attempted to explain them to our sever, and she responded saying, "the kitchen is too busy tonight to accommodate special requests." When you are too arrogant and don't care about negligently disregarding something that than can physically cause someone harm, you need to reevaluate your career. I was absolutely disgusted by how we were treated. I will never visit this place again, and I highly encourage all to avoid it at all costs, unless you enjoy supporting a bigoted organization. read more

We just returned from Ocracoke, and I was very surprised at how highly rated this restaurant is. My biggest disappointment was my salad--it looked good and tasted good, but I couldn't understand the crunchy lettuce until I realized it hadn't been washed. It was so full of sand I couldn't eat it. The "island-style" clam chowder was full of potato chunks and very little clam meat. The fried seafood on my husband's platter as well as my shrimp was heavily breaded instead of the light breading we found at the other restaurants on the island. The Hispanic waitress had very poor English and their manager patrolled the tables entirely too frequently just looking at us. I tried to ask the waitress a question about the chowder and she couldn't understand me. It was very convenient to our house, so we had hoped it would be really good, but we won't be going back. There are much better places on the island. read more