This seems to be a very local place and we tried after checking on a fishing trip…read more The food was very good. I'm not a fried seafood person but this was very good. Also try the cake or pies. Very tasty. The service was friendly and helpful. Everyone seemed very happy.

We continue to visit Wanchese Marina. We have brought guests here twice since our first visit…read more The shrimp basket and the fish basket are our usual choice and are always good. They are served hot and fresh. It is a perfect portion for a not so huge lunch. We have eaten decent seafood at O'Neal's Sea Harvest in the past and decided we should try the other place. Besides, the Marina is a nicer atmosphere and recently O'Neals has been getting some less than stellar reviews due their customer treatment. On one visit I went against better judgement and ordered a barbecue sandwich at a place that is not a barbecue joint. It was very good. They have a surprising menu beyond the expected seafood baskets. . They do have great, fresh seafood, but if you have someone in your group who prefers something else, there are very good-looking burgers and other sandwiches and even pizza. This is a nice outing for lunch. We will continue to bring guests and make a tour of Wanchese to see the working fishing industry. It's not something we see in St Louis.

This place is out of the way. Way out of the way. How out of the way? You have to make the…read morefollowing unpopular turns: 1) Get off main OBX strip and go to Roanoke Island. 2) Instead of turning right to go to Manteo, the more touristy side of Roanoke Island, you turn left to go to Wanchese, the industrial/fishing side of Roanoke Island. 3) Instead of going into the Seafood Industrial Park or Fisherman's Wharf, you turn onto a dirt road, past piles of garbage and scrap metal, and to a shack (I uploaded picture of "store front" onto Yelp). Yeah, it's that hard to find. Why? Because they are mostly a wholesale operation so retail customers are not big business for them. But if you find them, you will find an absolutely huge selection of local seafood - the largest we found anywhere in OBX area and we have been to almost ten seafood retail outlets. There are about 15 different kids of local fish (not stuff like salmon that are as local to OBX as they are to, say, Oklahoma) and tons of crabs. The prices per pound for the fish start at as low as $1 and change per pound. We bought #1 live blue crabs for $2 per pound - it's much less if you buy half a bushel or more. While we were there there was a 18-wheeler loading up to deliver a pallet of seafood somewhere. For a huge selection of very inexpensive, fresh, local seafood, Gray Beard's is it.

I would keep on driving by this place. Made the mistake of stopping here first and later realized…read morethey charge almost double others in the area. What did amaze me was the fileting(sp) skills of the young lady working the booth.

We visited O'Neal about six year ago and liked it. Then we started going to Wanchese Marina and…read moretook guests there because we liked the food and the atmosphere. On this occasion, we walked around the Christmas Market at the Wanchese Community Center and had our lunch at O'Neal to end a six-year hiatus. We again had good seafood. Ms T had good, fresh and flavorful fried shrimp I had the catch of the day; Red Drum. We accepted the included coleslaw, and we both added fries. This was a good lunch. The seafood remained as good as before and the slaw is some of the better such around. They know how to give it a good sweet-sour balance. It was also fresh, not old and soggy as happens too many times. We also shared a cup of their crab soup that was not something we would ever order again. It is pasty, over-thickened with flour and almost totally unseasoned. We would prefer a creamy soup, that is thickened with cream. We added some salt, and it helped, but it was still wallpaper paste. There is really no saving this, they need to start over and lose the flour. We also felt the food was a little over-priced for what we got. I realize the days of getting a fresh seafood basket for $6 are far behind us, but over $50 for two baskets and one cup of soup is a little steep, especially when we both drank water. Ms T said she would prefer to return to Wanchese. The food is good here, but you have been warned about the crab soup and the prices.

Right next to where the fishing boats offload in Wanchese, so you expect great local seafood, and…read morethat's what O'Neals delivers. Wonderful fish market with local in season goodness. The restaurant is also great. Very limited menu, but don't let that stop you, everything is prepared perfectly. I had some amazing fried red drum, and their coleslaw is maybe the best I've ever had. Fried seafood is lightly and perfectly breaded. Highly recommended!

Capt. Malc's sells fresh North Carolina caught crab, shrimp, scallops, flounder, tuna, etc. for…read moremuch, much less than any other seafood retailer in the Outer Banks (except for maybe nearby O'Neal's --- it's worth visiting both). This year we got our crabs from Capt. Malc's (put your Dirty Dick's jokes away, thank you very much). Our order of a half bushel (about four dozen --- enough to feed 4-6 people) of number one Jimmy blue crabs were steamed fresh and perfect, timed to the very minute of our scheduled pick up --- a luxury indeed! Due to an unusually small gathering of relatives and friends, this was the first year we did not procure a bushel live blue crab and steam them ourselves in our rented beach cottage, a dinner-act that has become something of a tradition for my family. Putting the task into the hands of another had us both thrilled with the possibility of convenience as well as wary of the probability of disappointment. To put it in the plainest terms possible, Capt. Malc's donf*ckaround when it comes to doing blue crab so right that qualifies as magic to believe in. Eating on them steamin' hot 'n' seasoned crabs in the comfort of our beach house for a grand total of $50 while knowing that patrons of Captain George's restaurant across the street were likely paying as much PER PERSON for far inferior seafood almost gave the four of us something to talk about at the dinner table. Of course, we never said a word lest someone get more crab to eat than anyone else.

O'Neals prices were consistently cheaper, but Malc's had some items available that O'Neals did not,…read moreso I did some shopping here as well.

Super service snd great food! Great folks running the place. Value for the money. Loved it!read more

Great crab legs and even better customer service!! Definite must when in the Outer Banks.read more

Good atmosphere and very affordable. I recommend the oysters…read morebut not the clam chowder. Would definitely go back.

Fantastic service I have set in the bar and had their happy hour special of wings and calamari the…read morewings were huge and the columnari was very tender served with a marinara the bartender was absolutely fantastic very friendly and talk to me did not make me feel ostracized because I was by myself

BLUF: Local seafood from a James Beard awarding chef served in a super casual atmosphere over…read morelooking Oregon Inlet. Sea Chef is where fresh, quality seafood, a full bar and a casual atmosphere collide. If you don't know much about this spot you may be surprised to find such high quality food served at the local fishing inlet. I went for the shrimp burger and it didn't disappoint. Large shrimp are somehow formed into a patty and served on a potato roll with a somewhat spicy sauce, fresh julienne carrots and arugula. On a good weather day it's easy to sit outside on the second story deck and watch the people, boats and tides come and go. If the weather isn't cooperating, there is seating inside too. To extend your stay, order a drink from the full bar or opt for an ice cream sandwich made by local Surfin' Spoon frozen yogurt company. The logistics are that you order at the counter and then find a table. Soft drinks are self serve and a server will bring your food to the table. Parking is plentiful. The restaurant is located on the second story of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. It is handicap accessible via the elevator inside the main lobby/store.

We met Chef Mac and Jeff in OBX when they were catering a private dinner for the rental house next…read moreto ours. We inquired, and although it was too late for our vacation week, I found them on social media and followed along as they opened this brick and mortar restaurant. Naturally, next year when we came to OBX for vacation, we came in to Sea Chef for lunch. It was incredible! The seafood was so fresh, well seasoned, and delicious. The restaurant is cute with an outdoor seating area overlooking the inlet area. There is a bar and a handful of tables inside as well. You order at the counter and then sit with a number and they bring the food to you. This place is definitely worth checking out if you're in OBX!

Excellent. We come here every time we vacation. Make a reservation!…read more The oyster shooter and the shrimp and grits are two of my favorites and you also cannot go wrong with their oyster selection. Drinks are on point, service is quick, and the view of the sound is lovely. For the non-seafood lovers, their salads and burgers are good too!

Blue Water Grill has never let us down. This seemed like a good place for lunch on Valentine's Day…read more It was sunny and bright, and the restaurant's windows provide a great view. We shared a cup of Shrimp and Roasted Red Pepper soup from the daily specials. It was delicious, with a little tartness that gave it backbone. Perhaps from sour cream. It was perhaps a little bit overthickened but was short of pasty and we enjoyed it. I would have been happy with a bowl of this for my lunch, but I had other plans. The decision is easy for Ms T. I know before we leave the house that she is ordering fried shrimp and they are excellent here. They are large, plump, tender, flavorful and cooked just right. They don't have a silly heavy batter. Lately we have had at least three instances of undercooked shrimp. These were perfect. They were accompanied by a mound of very good French fries and some acceptable slaw. The sauce for the shrimp is a very good, mustardy sauce. I ordered Baja tacos, blackened and did not regret it. They are served in nicely toasted flour tortillas with cabbage for crunch and a creamy sauce. The mahi was seasoned and blackened well. It is served with a good roasted tomato sauce and some beans over rice. My only regret is that I should have asked them to omit the onion laced pico de gallo. Two large tacos were too much so one came home with me. This was a great lunch for Valentines's day.

Amazing food and great service! We will definitely be going back! Great atmosphere too!read more

Excellent food and great service in a casual atmosphere and great views of the sunset…read more Be aware that they do not take reservations but they have a bar area and a deck in the nice weather where you can wait. The menu has a good amount of variety and everything was fresh and prepared just as we ordered. Our server Morgan was very friendly and took great care of us. The Oregon inlet tuna was excellent blackened and prepared perfectly medium. My wife had the Trawl Boat combo and everything was great but, everything was swimming in butter. The shrimp and scallops are locally sourced. A little less butter and the dish would have been better. The special blackberry bourbon bread pudding with vanilla ice cream was killer. So delicious. Can't wait to go back. Oh and get the hush puppies!!