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    Howard's Pub & Raw Bar Restaurant

    3.6 (414 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Howard's Pub & Raw Bar Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    HOWARD'S PUB & RAW BAR RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Buffalo Shrimp at Howard's Pub & Raw Bar Restaurant, Ocracoke
    Bruce K.

    Not quite a dinner, more like a snack. I stopped here after the music started to get loud next door. It was much more quiet over here and my waiter was fine with me sitting with a beer after I'd finished my Buffalo Shrimp for a while. The food here is not cheap but it's seafood and it's on an island where their supply chain is probably driving up the costs. So it's about as expensive as everywhere else on Ocracoke. It's family friendly and it's good. [Review 777 of 2025 - 4209 in North Carolina - 24337 overall]

    Kids Fried Shrimp
    Amber F.

    Food was delicious, however the kids did not like their "fried shrimp" off the kids menu. It wasn't breaded, which I thought was odd. Service was great! Our waiter was very attentive and friendly. Ambiance was typical of a pub. Very active and some what noisy. Walls are covered in random things. We did however find our family college flags on the wall, which was pretty kool to see. We would definitely visit again if we make it to the island.

    Margarita on the rocks
    Michael P.

    Ate here for lunch today and was impressed with the food and service. I had the grilled mahi sandwich and my wife had the fried fish sandwich (bluefish). Both were excellent! The fries looked as if they cut them on site, although I doubt they did. The margarita was delicious and hard cider my wife had was good as well. This restaurant has a bit of a dive bar feel, but was clean and orderly. The prices were reasonable. I recommend you give it a try if on the island.

    Grilled Tuna Sandwich.
    Frank N.

    EVERY Time I am back on the Island, I have to stop at Howard's for the grilled tuna sandwich. They just do it right here, just barely seared on both sides. Add some fries, a few beers, and an excellent attentive yet relaxed staff, and you've got a great experience. Come here to enjoy some Island life

    Outside
    Mary M.

    Really good place. Service was great Indoor and outdoor setting. Sky Deck is cool. Good food and drinks. I highly recommend.

    Melissa B.

    We took a day trip from Nags Head down and enjoyed lunch here after getting off of the ferry. We sat in a booth at the bar and had a friendly waiter. We enjoyed the fried pickles and buffalo shrimp, split a burger, and our son enjoyed the kid's fried shrimp with Mac -n- cheese (he loved the Mac -n- cheese so much he ordered a 2nd side of it. The only negative is the kid's meals are a little overpriced.

    Oysters
    Sheila G.

    The food that everyone got was ok. The service was great for a Friday afternoon in early June. I just had difficulty with the waitress who immediately seated us at the bar to wait for who we were meeting That would've been fine except they were seated in the restaurant and our texts were not going through. If you know reception is a difficulty on your island, you might want to have your guests look for the person they are meeting first.

    Screened in porch area
    Bill S.

    Howard's Pub is always our dinner spot the first day on the Island. Family tradition. Catch of the day is my go to. Hush puppies are always on the table. Burgers are delicious. I always squeeze in an Italian sub during the week. We sit out on the screened in porch to feel the breeze. Service is excellent no matter how many grandkids are with us. Kids love the ring hook and foosball while waiting for food. Good supply of tee shirts, hats and cups.

    Jennifer S.

    Peter was amazing! Light hearted and laid back. We came because online they showed GF menu. Big kiddo had a burger and he said it was amazing8/10 and his rating is 9/10. Little guy had mac w fries and he says 10/10 We had mahi Blackened - little to much but good Grilled - what I expected Fries were amazing Food came out SUPER FAST. Was not bad overall

    Calamari
    Phylicia H.

    Cute and big sports bar with license plates and college banners everywhere. My group and I ordered the calamari to share. Fried tasty calamari with your usual marinara sauce. I ordered the grilled offshore fresh fish of the day, which was Mahi Mahi. It was $32 yesterday and very filling with the two sides. Someone else in the group ordered the sea scallops and locally caught fresh fish of the day, which was blue fish. We all agreed blue fish tasted better than the Mahi. The blue fish was very flaky! Everything tasted good but none of the dishes blew anyone away. Cool spot to grab food and drinks!

    1/2 LBS Steamed Shrimp
    Tarhy A.

    Howard's is fantastic! So very cool inside with all of the patches from different service members, the license plates from different states, and the cool memorabilia adorning the walls. The server we had is a life long professional. She has a smile that would light up Ocracoke Light House without the bulb. The shrimp I had is perfect. Asked for more old bay (the Maryland in me) and she brought it out in a shaker. That's how Maryland crab houses do it. Seriously this place is famous for a reason. Next time I come to OI you'll see me at this pub. Till next time....

    Bar.
    Michael F.

    Atmosphere and service are second to none. We sat at the bar and chatted up the bartender about the island. He gave us a lot of information about living on the island year round. Wings came with 7 that were very meaty and the Mahi Mahi sandwich was cooked perfectly and a nice portion that my wife and I split. Inside looks like a place that the locals would frequent.

    Chef special Mahi Mahi blackened
    Harvey G.

    Seated right away in the screened in porch area. Waitress was really nice. Ordered a draft and various sodas. After waitress dropped off drinks she came Back around and gave me a second beer because the first was a mistake that she figured out. Ordered a chocolate martini later that was just so so. Had the chef special Mahi Mahi, fried shrimp, fried oysters, and kids Mac and cheese. The chefs special was a generous filet, the other entrees were great. Ordered hush puppies side which were good but on the sweeter side. Good experience overall. We would visit again.

    Outdoor

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    The food was good, our waitress was excellent, and the place was very relaxed. Nice place!

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    1 year ago

    Service was good, the food was average. I had the sautéed shrimo entrée and it was very filling.

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    Dajio - Fish tacos (blackened mahi mahi)

    Dajio

    4.1(455 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Usually when I'm in a beach town, I skip the restaurants and head into the hinterlands to find…read moresomething worthwhile. In Ocracoke, you don't need to do that. I highly recommend Dajio Restaurant. The meal was excellent. I had the blackened ahi on a salad. It was fresh and perfectly cooked. There's a decent but minimal selection of wines by the glass, and I went with a Sauvignon Blanc that paired perfectly. Most of the wines have good ratings by the major wine reviewers. Service was outstanding. The server had that classic beach-town ease (local or seasonal) but really knew the menu and did a great job. At one point, a woman who appeared to be management stopped by the table to check in. When she asked how things were, my answer was simple: "Incredible." The atmosphere is exactly right, relaxed but still polished, with just the right amount of energy without feeling crowded or chaotic. That balance is harder to get right than people think, and they've nailed it. I don't hand out compliments lightly, but this place delivers. Simple, fresh food, executed properly. No gimmicks, no shortcuts. This is absolutely a place you should try if you're in Ocracoke. I'll be back.

    Dajio was excellent! Fresh updated menu with plenty of variety for everyone. We had lunch today:…read moreI had the Fried Green Tomatoes-- epic! My hudben ate the grilled blackened chicken in a fresh made pita and it was very good. The patio is intimate and lovely. We are coming back!

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    Dajio
    Dajio - Crab empanadas soooo good

    Crab empanadas soooo good

    Dajio - Outside area

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    Outside area

    Gretchen’s Bistro

    Gretchen’s Bistro

    4.4(30 reviews)
    41.2 mi

    Every time we're in Oriental visiting family, we make a point to come to Gretchen's Bistro. It's…read moreone of the few places that feels just as easy with kids as it does for a great meal out. The atmosphere is relaxed but still really well done, and the food has been consistently excellent. Service has always been welcoming and accommodating, which makes a big difference when dining with little ones. It's become part of our routine when we're in town, and somewhere we always look forward to coming back to.

    We (14 of us!) dined at Gretchen's Bistro in Oriental last night. The trip out to Oriental was well…read moreworth it! We were seated at a large table in an enclosed patio of the restaurant. The seating and lighting were great. Our server, Kayla was very professional and efficient. As one might imagine, a seating of 14 can be difficult. She handled us with aplomb! Many different items were ordered. I started with the wedge salad where the iceberg lettuce, blue cheese crumbles and bacon were the stars of the show. I ordered the duck breast for my entree. The fat was perfectly rendered and the puréed carrots pair extremely well with the richness of the deck. A must have with the duck is their in-house made pear martini which blended perfectly with the fig sauce served over the duck. My husband ordered the Shrimp Cocktail as my appetizer. The shrimp were plump and perfectly steamed! The cocktail sauce was fresh made and delicious! His entree was Pistachio Butter Scallops. They were served on a bed of polenta with a side of haricot verts! The scallops were sautéed to a point where the edges were just ever so crispy while the interior of the scallop was tender and sweet! He said this was one of the best meals he'd have ever had and we've dined at many 4 & 5 star restaurants! I almost forgot to mention the bread service! We were offered either a Baguette or Focaccia bread. The focaccia was so outstanding, we bought an extra half loaf to bring home!!! Even though we were both happily satiated, we shared their pan fried pound cake with salted caramel gelato and chantilly cream for dessert! It was simply amazing! The management staff and chef came to our table to check on our service and meals. They were very appreciative of our glowing feedback! We'll definitely be coming back! I highly recommend going to Gretchen's Bistro in Oriental! You won't be disappointed! Sorry...only the one pic, because we were a large group enjoying a multitude of conversations.

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    Gretchen’s Bistro
    Gretchen’s Bistro
    Gretchen’s Bistro

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    Dinky's Waterfront Restaurant - Tuna Crostinis

    Dinky's Waterfront Restaurant

    4.1(272 reviews)
    17.4 mi
    $$$

    Decided to try Dinky's at the last minute and I was not disappointed. There was already a line by…read more5PM, so we knew it would be good! I was really impressed by the variety offered on the menu, including the number of things that were either gluten-free or could be prepared gluten-free. Our server was friendly and attentive. Our food came out quickly. The servings were very generous and I definitely could have split a dish with my hubby.

    I was a solo diner tonight and was given the option to either sit at the bar or at a table. I chose…read morea table and from what I could tell there wasn't a single table that did not have a view of the bay. I was able to watch the ferry come in, and watch the sun getting lower and lower over the water. Stunning. I did not catch my waiter's name, but he seemed very familiar with the locals who sat at tables near me. I ordered the bacon wrapped scallops off the starters menu and the spinach salad. With that I had a water and a bottled beer. The food was delicious and plentiful. I had already spied the lemon cheesecake on the menu and told him when I ordered my dinner that I was going to finish with that and a coffee. He said he'd make sure that the pot was brewed for me which I thought was nice. When the bill came, there were two prices listed, one for credit and one for cash instead of saying that they up charge for credit sales they were it that they discount for cash sales, smart business! The parking lot is gravel, plenty of parking and well lit. The restaurant itself is upstairs and as far as I know, you have to climb the steps to go up. I could be wrong, but I didn't see any alternatives. I can imagine that during busy season, reservations would be required.

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    Dinky's Waterfront Restaurant
    Dinky's Waterfront Restaurant - Spicy Tuna Tartare

    Spicy Tuna Tartare

    Dinky's Waterfront Restaurant - Updated Menus-April 2026

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    Updated Menus-April 2026

    Howard's Pub & Raw Bar Restaurant - seafood - Updated May 2026

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