Great food, especially the dolphin pieces and milkshakes. Make sure you get cocktail sauce. Also remember this is a drive in, so that means limited seating and sometimes challenging parking because it's that popular! You're at the beach, so it's a perfect laid back spot to get good food that you don't pay a fortune on. read more

I wait all winter for this place to open just to have their ice cream. Prices reasonable, parking can be difficult, but it's certainly worth it. read more

We come to the OBX once a year to visit family and we always stop here. Sadly this time they ran out of their dolphin (the best fried mahi mahi I've ever had) but their popcorn shrimp is still incredibly fresh and delicious. read more

Friendly service and great food! Everything was priced reasonably including the dolphin platter. First time trying dolphin and it wasn't bad! It was battered and deep fried, like fish and chips. It was juicy, not fishy, and had a sweet undertone. It wasn't anything mind blowing though, so probably won't be ordering it again unless someone with me has never tried dolphin before. We also got an Oreo milkshake, root beer float, fried okras, and chocolate fudge sundae with peanuts, they were all great! You get a pager after you order so you can grab a seat while waiting and know when your order is ready for pick up. Next time I'm in OBX, I'll definitely be coming back to try their mahi mahi next! read more

A shout out to John's Drive-in in Kitty Hawk. For those that gave up going here years ago, like me, the new owners have really stepped up to the plate and upgraded the food and quality. If you are one of those that have been going there, then you will notice the new quality and taste of the food. If you are one, like me, that just avoided the greasy fishy tasting food then you are going to be really surprised what the new owners have done. They are closed Tuesday and Wednesdays but they are now open late on Thursday and Friday until 9pm. If you have not been to John's on the beach road at the 4.5 mile post in Kitty Hawk then go. The dolphin boat is delicious (aka Mahi-Mahi) not porpoise. read more

Although this was my first visit to John's, my kids have been coming here for a few years. I'm not a seafood guy, so I can't comment first-hand on the house specialty, but I can pass along what I've been told. My oldest is not a fish-eater either, but he loves the rockfish. A word of warning to the health-conscious: nothing here is healthy. It's all gloriously deep fried and crispy and bad for you. Which, I guess, is why John's is so darned popular. We ordered two of the rockfish baskets, the BBQ basket, a hamburger (working on broadening my 7-year old's palette), two orders of online rings and a couple chocolate-peanut butter shakes. And everyone left happy. There are two small-ish negatives and I'd be remiss in not bringing them up. The first is the parking situation. John's is a small place and has about a dozen spaces. It's across the street from the beach, so there are really no other alternatives besides driving around the block and waiting for something to open. If you're on the beach right there, however, the problem goes away. The other problem is after eating that deliciously fried food, it sits in your stomach like a lead balloon for a while. Totally worth the after effects, in my opinion, but I couldn't eat here more than once a vacation. I could go every day for the chocolate-peanut butter shakes, though. All in all, a great place to visit when in OBX. read more

Freaking delicious!! Had the Dolphin Boat with tartar and cocktail sauce & side of fried okra. Light flakey fish with a light, clean batter. Delicious okra! Wish more than 1 hushpuppy came with it, but couldn't even finish it all Not a bad wait time, either. Definitely recommend! read more

BEWARE IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES (or care about sanitary conditions) We have been visiting John's for over 30 years each time we come down to our house in Kitty Hawk. Today will be the last time we or any of our family visits. My 14-yr old developed an allergy to shellfish recently. I ordered three soft serve ice cream cones today. Since they serve shrimp there, I asked that the owner (who had just come from the grill area) to wash his hands before fixing the ice cream. As anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant knows this is a basic sanitation requirement anyway, to prevent raw meats from transferring to the other area. Normally I would have asked him to put on a fresh pair of gloves but none of the employees were wearing gloves. He proceeded to lecture me that the cups were clean. I insisted he wash his hands which he reluctantly finally did and then told me "they don't have time for food allergies - especially not in the summer which is their busy season." My daughter was not just embarrassed by the whole episode she was scared. We had been trying to reassure how seriously restaurants take food allergies nowadays and that she didn't have to worry about her potentially life threatening food allergy because so many precautions are taken. Just so disappointed that for the sake of saving a few seconds they could be this careless and rude. read more

It's a drive in but it's damned good food. I got the dolphin boat and a chocolate shake. The fish was hot and flaky and the shake was great. If you are in the OBX on a hot afternoon you have to swing by at least once to try it for yourself. read more

This is very FIRST place we go when we come to OBX on vacation. Doesn't even matter where we're staying. We always go to John's at least a couple times during our week stay! The BEST milkshakes and the best MAHI MAHI. Ordering takes some getting used to. Walk up to the window - you better know what you want. They don't want you to waste their time. They give you a number and you have to pick it up from the same window. Wait is worth it! believe me. Picnic tables in their parking lot is where you eat your food. In the hot sun or even after it's just rained. Doesn't matter. It's deelish everytime! read more

Have eaten here several times last year. This was our first time this year and the results are the same. Best little food stop on the beach. Worth the visit. read more

there food is awesome. The place is a tiny shack of delicious food. always a great place to grab lunch.

Always make it a point to stop a John's. It has been there for 40 years, so something must be really right. Great fried fish and shakes. Just an awesome place. Highly recommended. John is always there and a great guy. read more

A must for us on our annual trip to obx. Delicious dolphin bites and don't deny yourself if a custom milkshake. This place is the real deal. read more

Dolphin sandwich and peanut butter chocolate milkshake from John's, Kitty Hawk = absolute heaven

Porkie pig sandwich is amazing along with everything else! We rented the house next door for the week so we had lunch there every day, except for Wednesday when they were closed. I tried nearly all the food on the menu and have no complaints! I have a lot of respect for the owner who could easily be opened 7 days a week, full days, but keeps minimal hours and takes a day each week to rest. I love this place and would highly recommend! read more

Outstanding Cajun shrimp sandwich, dolphin sandwich, and dolphin boat. Milkshakes are out of this world. We go at least 2x a month all summer for lunch. read more

Must eat here! Awesome milkshakes, tons of flavors. Delicious fish sandwiches, especially Mahi.

I actually don't want to share this review because it will only increase the number of people who eat here!--- John's is a drive in with picnic table seating on the lot and the BEST & FRESHEST SEAFOOD THIS SIDE OF YOUR GRAMA'S SUNDAY DINNER TABLE! We especially love the dolphin boats, bright colored baskets of lightly battered and fried dolphin (the fish, not the mammal) accompanied by just right fries. FOR DESSERT, TRY ONE OF THE BEST MILKSHAKES EVER- LOTS OF ADD-INS AVAILABLE FROM FRESH FRUIT TO CANDY BARS. In a week of vacation, we might eat there 2, 3, or 4 times, SO GOOD! read more

Great food, great shakes. Looks like a hole in the wall place and service isn't great. 2 out of five of us didn't get what we ordered. Prepare for a wait. read more

They have the oddest hours on the beach, 11-5. Their burgers are good, but they're on a sub roll - 6 or 12". I ordered the 12" and it was waaay more than I could handle. They closed before we finished our meal so we didn't get to try the milkshake. read more

We drove a bit out of our way for this place and it was definitely worth it. The fried mahi sandwich tasted super fresh and the tartar sauce was perfectly flavored. Milkshakes are not to be missed. We had chocolate, peanut butter and banana and our only regret was that we didn't get a large! read more

We ate here three times during our week in the Outer Banks - it's that good. We got the mahi sandwich, fries (get the Cajun mayo!) and a shake and it was awesome each time. The fruit shakes are excellent, strawberry peach and strawberry banana were favorites. We also loved chocolate banana. We brought our dogs with us and they gave them each a little dish of soft serve vanilla "garnished" with a mini milkbone. It was adorable and the dogs loved it. Go to John's, you'll be glad you did. read more

Although i have been going to the Outer Banks for over 20 years, i had never eaten at John's. Based on the reviews on this page, we went last week. Fish was good enough. Fries were wimpy and super oily. Service was SURLY. Is this one of those places where it is cool for them to be rude? Maybe it used to be something special and good. Maybe I can't get a fish boat at a comparable price elsewhere. Maybe I have high expectations for customer service that is actually friendly, welcoming, and glad that the customer is buying their food. But I know I will not be going back. read more

HANDS DOWN the best mahi-mahi fish n chips at the outerbanks!!

Great! We happen to be staying in the rental next door and boy are we glad we did! We thought they were closed for the season and were pleasantly surprised when john rolled up this morning and started to set up. What a nice guy and so proud of his family's recipes we talked to him for a while this morning. I had read various reviews online and all were good. I now see why. We went over later in the afternoon to get lunch I ordered the "dolphin boat" not dolphin but mahimahi. They were out until the guy brought more fish. John came over to the window and apologized and said it should be there in half an hour. No worries we decided to just walk back over in half an hour. Well we got busy and I guess the guy came and went. Next thing I know john sent his daughter over to let me know if I wanted to try the dolphin boat sandwich they were running out again. Really??? No one does that. How awesome is that!!!! No wonder the place is an icon. The food was awesome the sauce on the sandwich incredible and the family so sweet and really genuine. The place was open from I think 11-4 today since it's end of season and packed non stop. Do yourself a favor and stop here if you are in the area. read more

I read reviews and decided John's would be a great pick for a late lunch after time at the beach. There was a line which generally gives me a good first impression. It's definitely a dive with only outdoor seating. We only waited about 5 minutes to order. The lady at the counter was very nice and helpful! Our food came out in about 10 minutes. I got the popcorn shrimp basket. Everything came out piping hot! The shrimp was really fresh, and the cocktail sauce was nice and spicy. The fries weren't anything special, but there was nothing wrong with them. My husband got the Philly cheese steak which he says what hot, fresh and delicious. The best part of our meal was definitely the chocolate shakes! They have so many flavor options, but we stuck with the classic. They were thick and creamy! Delicious! My husband is a milkshake connoisseur and this one is worth the trip! read more

Vacationing in the obx with my girl friend and staying at a mini motel...good times together! We got hungry and wanted a bit of snack so went to a little shack called Johns....I expected light snacks and drinks and soft serve ice cream but got so much more then that! I got a dolphin boat and man was it amazing! Light breaded dolphin seasoned perfect to taste with a side of delicious potatoe fries! Who knew delicuous wonder could be at a small beach shack! Girl friend got a mint chocolate chip milkshake and WOW that shake was thick and creamy amazing! We live the obx...my ex wife and I used to have a RV in Hatteras...we met and fell in love there!! That love no longer lives...but I'm glad to spend time with my new love (the girl friend) in the obx again!! Reminiscing on past relationships over a great dolphin boat....mmmmm....thanks johns the food and shake brought memories and good to my soul! read more

Showed up at closing time so I couldn't get refills on sweet tea because they were out. Fish Sandwhich was amazing, the shrimp were good as well! Outdoor seating only so hope for a good day outside. read more

Horrible customer service today! Have visited this business for over 25 years. Family always looks forward to a dolphin boat and upside down banana split. They are always busy and you expect to wait. Today was a really bad experience. They were busy (no busier than I've ever seen it.). The staff kept yelling out the window "30 minute wait for ice cream", 1 hour wait for food. We waited to place our order and were planning to go back in an hour to pick it up. We got to the window and the cashier told us we couldn't place an order and come back to pick it up. This is ridiculous! She said we could place it over the phone. We called to place an order only to receive a message that they were no longer accepting phone orders! read more

John's Drive-in has the best and freshest seafood available on the Outer Banks. The tuna salad is always made from fresh caught tuna and is unbeatable! The fresh dolphin boats and milkshakes are awesome as well! Don't forget the puppy cups!The prices are very reasonable and if you call ahead your order will be ready when you arrive. I live close to John's and have been eating there for as long as I can remember. No place else compares! read more

The best mahi sandwiches and the crab cakes are delicious. Don't skip out on the milk shakes. My chocolate peanut butter was other worldly.

Ordered the mahi mahi sandwich, which was fantastic! It had the right amount of crispiness to it, but the bread on the sandwich was too overwhelming. I'll probably order the mahi mahi pieces next time. The location is so close to the beach, which is very convenient. Can't wait to come back again! read more

Great fried mahi sandwich (w/lettuce, tartar, and American cheese) good fries, good fried okra (servings are HUGE!) and awesome shakes!

French fries, milkshakes, and hush puppies are amazing. The prices were fair and reasonable. I would come back here. It was worth the 15 minute wait. Unfortunately parking is limited. There are tables to eat outside which is convienient. Love it! read more

Food was fresh but not was we ordered. I would give them a second chance since the food seemed fresher than most. Being right by the beach was also convenient. read more

Disappointed. Waited too long for our food - several families who placed orders after us were served before us. When I checked to see if there might be a problem with the beeper I was given and explained the situation, the girl at the window quickly and curtly replied that the orders just come out that way. She didn't seem to really listen to the issue - possibly a beeper malfunction. Once our order arrived, we were missing some items. When we addressed the issue, the staff insisted that they find our original check and come compare our delivery at our table. This worker wasn't very pleasant either, short and impatient. The sandwiches were just okay. The fries were undercooked and soggy, the mint shake tasted like fake syrup. Definitely not worth the hype. read more

Johns is a must. We go there for lunch or drinks/ice cream most days when we are at OBX. Best to just walk there, it is usually packed so parking is kind of annoying. Love all their food, milkshakes are great, and peach soda (forget what it's called but its Sierra mist with chunks of peaches in it) is awesome. read more

My first trip here. Definitely get the dolphin bites and a shake! The fish is really mahi-mahi, not dolphin (a mammal). I got a peach shake. DELICIOUS! Their onion rings were pretty good too. The cocktail sauce has a delicious kick. Parking is a bit tricky but we got a good spot. read more

Perfectly good crab cake sandwich and fried okra. Ridiculously good mahi mahi sandwich, and this is from someone who doesn't like fish. This place is a nice little roadside stand, so if it is miserably hot and you don't want to eat outside, get your order to go. But on a nice day, after a morning at the beach? Wonderful. read more