I highly recommend the dolphin watch cruise. We spoke with Holly to book the event. She was very…read moresweet and accommodating captain Jay and crew pointed out many interesting sites and shared stories and picture albums during the cruise. We saw dozens of dolphins. Well worth the trip.

This was our first dolphin/sunset cruise and we had a good time. Our captains were fun and had lots…read moreof stories and knowledge about the area. We had to drive quite a ways in order to find the dolphins, and we didn't see many up close, but dolphin sightings are not 100% guaranteed. The weather was not cooperating so we weren't able to see a sunset, but overall, it was a fun experience.

When we come to the Outer Banks we do look for grilled or lightly blackened seafood...but a couple…read moreof days ago I was looking for good ole-fashioned clam strip basket. Hard to find in Richmond so if I have a chance to get them, I jump at the chance. The special of the day was a flounder basket. I was able to substitute clam strips for other items, and the basket included a nicely sized piece of flounder (fish of the day), heaping helping of clam strips, fries, hush puppies, and slaw. "Beer of the Day" was $2.00! Wife got the cheesesteak sub with fries. All food--as they tell you when you walk in is fried--is fried. Totally OK with that and it was very, very tasty. Friendly staff, items mostly homemade, clean restaurant, a clear view of an honest-to-goodness working dock. Exactly what we were looking for for our last night in Manteo area. If you have not been to the Marina and Grill...please get there for a fun, tasty, almost entirely homemade meal at very reasonable prices, rubbing elbows with locals and people coming off of the fishing day, just adds to the charm to this slightly off the beaten path gem.

I had been craving shrimp since I moved to OBX back in April. We were on our way home from…read morealligator refuge and decided to take a trip into wanchese to eat. Found this spot in Yelp and said why not. I ordered the fried shrimp basket, hubby ordered the fried grouper and we loved our selections. My husband isn't a fan of shrimp but he tried it and loved it. The girls that working were super friendly. We got there just in time for lunch rush. Loved looking out to the harbor. We will be back and I'll give a follow up review.

BLUF: A fun outing for friends and family with a safe and experienced Captain and waterman…read more I come from a family of waterman and waterwomen so I always enjoy learning the craft of others. Since I'd never been shrimping and my knowledge was limited to what I learned from Lieutenant Dan I thought it would be fun to book a trip with Captain Marc. We booked a three hour tour on the Roanoke Sound. No Gilligan or skipper but we had Capt Marc and first mate Aiden. Also, the outcome was much better than that on Gilligan's Island. We spent most of the time Shrimpin ' and then quickly had a half bushel basket overflowing with nice crabs - mostly, full #1s and a few measure-worthy Jimmy's. Shrimping was fun and interesting but our catch wasn't that great. The brown shrimp had left the Sound and the green shrimp weren't running yet. We caught enough shrimp to fill a gallon bag half way. Even if we hadn't caught any shrimp I would have had a blast. It was neat to see the process and what was in the net when it came up - everything from a rusty rogue crab pot to an ugly Oyster Toasfish to a tropical-looking butterfly fish. When the shrimp net came up we got to sort through the catch - shrimp were set aside, small fish were saved for bait and all other sea creatures were safely returned to the Sound. Despite having seven crabbers in my party in including two commercial crabbers - we loved pulling pots from the water and culling our catch. My crabbing family uses trotlines so pulling pots was a new experience for us. Ultimately We took our catch which was the 1/2 gallon bag of shrimp and 3/4 bushel basket crabs home in our cooler and enjoyed them all. We also enjoyed the company of the first (and only) Mate Aiden. He worked hard to keep the boat clean and organized and answered our questions. Three hours was just enough time for our group but I can see where others would enjoy a little more time on the boat. The experience was very chill which I liked but a few members of my party were wishing we had a card game or something to play. For an August trip we packed a cooler, water, soft drinks, sunscreen, hats and a few light snacks. Overall, this was a great experience and a great crew.

this was a fantastic charter. marc and mate aiden were friendly, easy to work with and patient with…read morethe kids. HIGHLY recommend. marc's goal is to provide a safe and friendly trip and get you as much crab and shrimp he can! the kids (5,7&11) hooked in the crabs and said it was the highlight of our week long trip. you will not be disappointed if you book.

Bottom: A fun and relaxing two-hour cruise on a 55-foot sailboat for which you can bring your own…read morefestive drinks and snacks. Having vacationed in Nags Head for the past 40+ plus I feel like I've done it all so when my husband mentioned taking a sunset cruise on Downeast Rover I was curious. I also vaguely recalled that I had seen this excursion featured in Our State magazine earlier in the summer. With the forecast looking favorable we signed up for a Friday evening sail in mid-August. We booked about 10 days in advance and at that time there were only a handful of spots left on the sailboat so next time I'll be mindful to book earlier. Downeast Rover does daytime trips as well but I suspect the sunset cruise is the most popular. I was worried that sailing on a sailboat with 20+ people would feel cramped and chaotic but it didn't at all. The group in the stern was very chill and the group in the bow was tastefully having a good time with their cooler of Trulis. My husband and I sat mid-ship and just quietly relaxed and took in all of the sights. We probably seemed disenchanted but we were just soaking it all in. About those Trulis . . . Downeast Rover welcomes passengers to bring food and drinks. Most groups brought something festive to drink and perhaps a snack. The nature of the sunset cruise is that it squarely goes through the dinner hour. I think we had to be on the Manteo waterfront at 5:30pm and we didn't return until after 8pm. We didn't take much in the way of drinks or snacks onboard with us because we hoped to get a nice dinner afterwards but by the time we got back to the slip most restaurants we wanted to try were closed. Sooo, in hindsight, maybe we should have taken some sandwiches from Poor Richard's to enjoy on the sail. And as a side note, we encountered an epic sunset so we lingered out on the sound a bit longer than planned which is why we didn't return until after 8pm. Also, the departure time for the cruise changes a bit to accommodate the sunset time. Chris was our Captain and he diligently steered us into the sunset. Mate Ethan kept us all entertained. Ethan shared a lot of interesting history and stories about the Outer Banks. Having spent a good bit of time studying the history of the barrier islands I thought I knew a lot but Ethan's knowledge really impressed me and was shared in an entertaining way. He also sang us a sea chanty or two which was fun. Which reminds me, be sure to bring cash to thank the crew for a safe and fun adventure. Regarding the Downeast Rover, I was expecting it to be a romantic historic wooden sailboat but it is straight out of the 80s! The steel 55 foot topsail schooner has been retrofitted and certified to accommodate 25 passengers. There is a head on board but its probably not very glamourous so I was sure to skip it. We were fortunately to have decent winds so we were able to get under sail after leaving the Manteo waterfront.

Despite being stepped on and walloped in the head with a tie down, it was still a very relaxing…read moretrip I'd do again. The narrator was kind, although I would have happily sat in silence (how we actually sail on our own) - but it was nice to let someone else do the work. $120+$20 tip for two gourmet exactly for a beautiful experience.

Found 2 large pods of dolphins to watch, along with much new information along the way.read more

Excellent family-friendly boat tour. Captain Beau and Firstmate Kevin were courteous,…read moreknowledgeable, and made the tour relaxing, while taking us to see several dolphin pods. We had the opportunity to see many, including baby dolphins, up close. Highly recommend for a great wildlife experience.

The Outer Banks Adventures air boat with Captain Jamie was fantastic! It was a lot of fun for our…read morewhole family and specifically for our kids. Captain Jamie was very knowledgeable about the area wildlife and history. He provided an educational, interesting, and fun experience. He was the perfect captain for the trip. Talking on the headsets during the ride was fun too! We'll definitely do it again!

James was a fantastic tour guide! The airboat was a great time, one of my favorite tours I've ever…read moredone. The boat is fast and fun with great fun facts about the area at stops! I accidentally dropped my sunglasses to the bottom of the airboat and he even rescued them (sorry, James!). Would definitely recommend!

This was an experience of a lifetime. Capt Lee and Mate Charlie were the best. When I first…read morestepped in the cabin it was absolutely breath taking how gorgeous it was. This boat had everything you can imagine. One Master Bedroom with bathroom and shower, two other rooms with bunks, bathroom in the hallway, kitchen area, and a sitting area with wrap around super comfortable sofas. Pictures does not do this boat justice, you have to see it for your self!! I will defiantly be booking another trip.

Wandered in here while strolling around Wanchese. The man working on a boat popped his head out of…read morea porthole and said hello. He told me all about boats and making boats. The prices of new boats seemed fair when you consider how much time, work, and material goes into one. He guarantees that the boat will float, but doesn't guarantee you'll catch any fish! I watched him for about an hour as he sanded something. He said I could stay longer, but I had to leave because all the dust particles and fumes were getting to me. Plenty of parking. Children not allowed. Smoking prohibited. The bathroom was very clean and smelled like apple pie.

The guy was super nice an he stopped for the dolphins enven got at different angels overall just…read morenice

Very responsive when it came to planning the tour, helpful staff and entertaining info during the…read moretour itself. We had a large pod of dolphins hang around us for an hour including a baby and it was wonderful! Would highly recommend this tour and this business.