food was not good. crab imperial was pricey but not good. watery and warm. lobster tail was hard and overcooked. Very disappointing for the cost. read more

Came here on the last night of our trip to OBX in search of quick, cheap food to give us a solid base for the long road trip the next morning. What we ended up finding was one of the oddest places I think I've ever entered. We walked in, and for a moment I thought we wandered into a gift shop. Shelves lined the walls, all jam-packed with tourist trinkets. Once the realization hit that we were actually at a restaurant, we continued to follow the host back towards the bar side, where we were seated. On our way we passed numerous waitresses, all seeming to be older women dressed as a pirate in some way, shape, or form. I gathered pretty quickly that this place moved at its own pace, and was proven right two long hours later when we finally paid and left. Service was lacking. Our waitress was very kind to us, but she struggled to remember things I thought were a given at a restaurant. For example, we were not given silverware, so a friend of mine asked a passing staff member if we could get some for our food. The staff member informed us she was not a waitress, and rushed out the back door to puff a Newport on her dart break. We ended up getting enough silverware for all of us a little later on, and after multiple trips (as our waitress seemed to have miscounted). I didn't find the food very appealing. I ordered fish and chips off of their chapter book of a menu (hinting that the food wasn't freshly prepared), which not only came out looking like Great Value branded frozen fish, but it also didn't match the price from the menu. I expected to pay $11.99 and walked away with a $25 bill. Ridiculous. It also disappointed me the next morning on the car ride home - we scrambled to find a gas station so I could get it out of my system. My friends all seemed to be indifferent about their food; I cannot pass much judgement since I didn't try anything else except for the rubbery, soggy calamari, but I didn't think anything looked particularly appetizing. I think my microwave could recreate most of the entrees we were served. Our night ended with a group of drunk locals waiting around our table grudgingly, as they wanted it for the karaoke that was about to begin. I was more than fine to let them take it; I needed out of that bizarre place ASAP. Maybe this place would be better after a couple of drinks, but I don't have any intention on visiting again. 1/5 read more

Walked in and sat down right away. We Had a great dinner and the combination platter was cooked perfect. Would be a great stopping point for anyone hungry for great seafood and unique ambiance. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Bruce and The Pirate - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Service was slow, granted it was busy. Very pricey. My husband's broiled combo platter was over cooked and my 10 oz lobster tail was extremely over cooked and tough, I understand charging a market price for seafood, however if that is the case, it should be considered when preparing a meal that is normally a once or twice a year, experience for most vacationers, definitely can't recommend this restaurant. The server was pleasant, we were seated pretty quickly. The pirate theme was pretty cool. read more

The seafood Gorgonzola at The Jolly Roger is one of the best meals I've ever had. Delicious!

OMG, thé place is like crazy cool, very unique and original. The services was lousy. The water was un drinkable . I asked for orange juice got ice tea than was told I was wrong. I was told: - oh You are not from here like it's a bad thing. I ordered a grilled chicken burger. The chicken was most likely frozen put on my plate and than in The microwave and brought to me. My plate was super hot while my others family members was not. It tasted awful and was not even grilled. Really bad. I will never enter that place again. And i won't give the name of the waitress by respect for her age: but She really didn't not care much.It is sad because I like the place, the ambiance. I guess I wasn't lucky with my food and the waitress. But still I won't go back there. read more

This is a really eclectic place, and actually pretty large inside with all the different areas. They had Christmas decor all through the front area even in September...so I assume that's their normal thing. They sell a lot of ornaments up front...but one thing they are missing out on is a personalized one for their location which would be great for visitors! We went on a Sunday for brunch in late September, and only had to wait a few minutes to be seated. I had a build your own omelette which was just ok. I did really enjoy the home fries and rye toast that came with it...I think they rye toast was homemade. I also had yummy Frappuccino. In place of toast with your omelette you can actually get a pancake...and that's what my husband opted for. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

See all

The food was delicious and tasted homemade. The waiters are polite and helpful. The service was fast. The ambiance really sticks to the name of the restaurant. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - The ribs they served were delicious and filling. - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Service was excellent, Lynn was our server. We come here fairly often and it's always been pretty good. Unfortunately not tonight. Wife and I had prime rib and was very disappointed. This roast was obviously a rush cook as the outside was well done and the middle was raw. Both guys were very dry and tough as heck to chew. Sorry mate you guys walk the plank this time. read more

bread was kind of cold coming out. wait was long despite it not being busy. the seafood lasagna was way too much cheese and not warm.

The waitstaff and food was absolutely amazing! They seated our party of 10 in less than 30 minutes, everyone was very friendly and attentive, and the food was so good! We got a couple appetizers and a variety of entrees and everything was amazing! The portions are also pretty good so most people left stuffed and with to-go boxes! We will definitely be returning! read more

Really wanted to love this place. We REALLY did! But...not so much. The Good: Very friendly and attentive staff, with cool and eclectic decor and vibe! Apps, Salads, and Entrees were all timed well, with no lag between courses or too many dishes on the table at once. Fried Ravoli was great, with actual gooey cheesy filling! Great menu with plenty of options for everyone! The Not-so-good: My initial thought when the Ravioli came out was, "That's jarred sauce". Just something about the thick consistency and strangely dark red color told me that. And the taste confirmed it. If I'm wrong, I do apologize. I've never had Steak Pizzaiola, but remember Marie on Everybody Loves Raymond always talking about it (LOL), so I ordered it for the first time ever. I was surprised when the waitress asked me how I wanted my steak cooked. ?? It's not that kind of steak. But anyway, in one word - bland. My husband had a similar meat/pasta dish as well, and everything suffered from lack of seasoning. I will never joke again about the chefs on Food Network shows saying they can tell when pasta water is not salted. I guess I never realized that, but It is true. :-( I'm Italian, so had I SHOULD have waited on ordering a Marinara-based entree until tasting the sauce in the appetizer first. Mea culpa. The many Italian entrees on the menu sounded so great, I just assumed it would be lip-smacking homemade Italian sauce. Sadly, it was not. Also on the list of not homemade is the garlic bread. Again, I may be wrong, but it sure seemed like commercial frozen garlic bread loaf, the kind that comes in a foil package. And it was served with that plate of oil and mixed herbs...if you consider salt, pepper, and garlic powder as herbs. Another type of roll in the basket almost looked like cornbread, but was actually a heavily yeasty dinner roll (pictured). It was just weird. Hubby and I are locals from a little farther north "on the mainland ", and I'm sure JR is probably a very popular tourist restaurant in a destination not focused on cuisine. But still. Disappointing. I'm sure the seafood-focused items are fantastic, and we will be back to try those and give JR another shot. Although we did not love the food, the place itself is welcoming and cool, and we were generous with the gratuity as usual. Rule #1: Take care of your servers, folks!! read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Steak Pizzaiola and oil plate for bread - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

See all

I had the Crab Benedict for breakfast and the crab didn't taste fresh. Fresh would have made it better. The service was good and the decor is a little over the top. read more

What an interesting place, looks like it's been DIY expanded 17 times. Basically a diner style for breakfast, was really excited for the joeys breakfast lasagna but they did not make it that day. Ordered French toast with powdered sugar and bacon, $10. This place is solid, a lot of people rave about it, not my favorite. I'll probably try it again in the future. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - a plate of bacon on a table - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

I always wanted to try the Jolly Roger coming to the Outer Banks often and driving by it a lot. It was a cool atmosphere outside in the parking lot. They had outdoor live music and seating. We sat inside due to seating availability only being available immediately inside. The house salad and the fettuccine Alfredo with scallops were good. The crab cakes said they were award winning on the menu and the options were fried or broiled. I asked the waitress which version of the crab cakes won the award. She said she didn't know but most people do broiled. The crab cakes were fishy tasting. The buffalo shrimp was good as an appetizer. The menu was really big. I think sticking to the Italian pasta dishes is the way to go. read more

See all

I love Jolly Roger. They're our go-to for a simple home style breakfast. Their French toast is amazing and hits the spot every time. Our waitress, Phyllis, was also very attentive and nice. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - French Toast - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Stopped in for a late lunch. Loved the crab cake sandwich, and the Kitty Hawk Blonde beer.

Excellent service. Awesome tacos. The best Bloody Mary's. A local favorite forever. The bar is a must. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Tacos and Bloody Mary at the bar - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Food was below average for the area. Management was extremely rude and hostile. Openly confrontational with customers, rude at the door and check out. Would not recommend. read more

Yummy Italian food. Steaks were yummy and broiled flounder was good. Service was great. Loved the very unique decor inside. They have a blue room and red room. Garlic bread was garlicky just as it should be. Had a great time. Would definitely go back! read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Had their Thanksgiving special lunch today and I have nothing good to say about the food. The service was great. All of the food was tasteless.....completely bland. It was worse than canned food. It was all you could eat but there was NOTHING that I wanted more of. The Brunswick stew was literally warm water...completely flavorless. The dressing....well I have no words to describe it in a very bad way. Nothing was salted. The canned corn and green beans wasn't even salted. The price was ridiculous for the quality of food served today. I will never go back and would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Its a bit of a time warp. If you are looking for a friendly crowd of locals this is the place. Very eclectic decor that brings you back to another epoch. We googled local places where karaoke was offered. This was on the top of the list. A few pointers in general for OBX is that some places have websites that are not reflective of all seasons. Occasionally you will find businesses closed for the winter season. Karaoke was advertised to start at 9:30 on Sunday and Monday but actually started at 10. Local drafts and bottled beer served nice and cold as it should be. The crowd was small but friendly. I signed up for karaoke and was warmly welcomed and applauded for the few songs I did. Additionally, a fellow patron paid for a couple of drinks on his tab. Genuine folks with good hearts. Good karaoke equipment and a live internet feed to show off your talents to the world. One of the few places that offer karaoke on a nightly basis. They also offer steamed shrimp at the bar at a reasonable rate of $.25 per shrimp with a dozen minimum order. That's $3 for fresh shrimp. Give it a try, you will leave with a good feeling. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Met up with a Kitty Hawk Blonde. And my wife approved! lol - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Five stars all the way!! Okay, I was duuupped. This place is GREAT. OBX is known for its tourists so I figured with a name like this but to my surprise, this place has everything to offer from great food, full bar to live music or a more romantic room as well as gift shop and a cool history. Although we never met "James" others have. The food is excellent from Italian to seafood it's all very good and the prices are decent. Friendly staff and welcoming place. Save room for dessert because the keylime pie is scrumptious. read more

See all

Food is great, variety on menu is sure to make everyone happy. Service is good and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Great value for your money. Party atmosphere read more

This was our first and last visit to Jolly Roger. On our many trips to OBX we have never had the chance to eat here so we decided to give it a try. Before I begin the review I will say that our server was great. He was attentive and apologetic so I would give him a 5 star rating, but the restaurant on a whole gets a 1 star, and I would give it less if possible. We had a 25 minute wait for a table which was fine since we've had longer another establishments. We sat at the bar to wait and their bartenders were friendly, fast and made a great drink. They called our party of 6 to our table at 6:07 pm. Remember that time. We had put our food order in by 6:25 pm. We had 4 pasta dishes (one was literally spaghetti with butter), an order of crab cakes and an order of sautéed shrimp. By 7:15 we had not received our food yet. We asked our server who said he would check. He came back and said our order was next and it would be a few minutes. There was a party of two sitting next to us who sat 10 minutes after us who had still not received their order yet either. They ended up paying for their drinks and leaving. By 7:40 our server returned and said it would be 5 minutes. At just about 7:45 they brought out 3 pasta dishes and the crab cakes. The one pasta dish was luke warm at best. Finally at just about 8 pm our last two dishes were delivered. My sautéed shrimp consisted of about 6 shrimp just sitting in a pool of butter. My side order of hush puppies had 2 little hush puppies sitting on the side. Our bill was 181.00. That would be fine for a meal that was something to talk about. This meal was nothing short of mediocre. There was nothing at all to rave about. After waiting just short of 2 hours while sitting at the table we expected a lot more. When we left, there were rows of take out orders waiting for pick up. Those orders all had time stamps on them within the last 40 minutes. This place needs to take a lesson from other establishments in the area like Tortugas Lie. They too get very busy. When they're busy in house they will cut off take out orders to be fair to the patrons in house waiting for food. That's the reasonable way to serve your customers. If the food had at least been decent it wouldn't have been so bad. But there is just nothing good to say about Jolly Roger. Never again. read more

Shirt wait time for 13ppl, friendly staff and entertained while we waited with game room. Food was good, prime rib, crab legs, scampi, apps and drinks - all good & would go back. It was pretty busy, food was delayed & came out little by little, just needed to keep the drinks coming and we would have been 5 star happy. Live entertainment was cool & great place with all the paintings read more

My wife and I searched and searched for a place with pool tables. After going to a random other bar, we asked the bartender and he recommended this place and said they had recently updated. We went at around 10 pm on a Sunday night and the dj really didn't act like he wanted to be there. But the music was good, the bartenders were very attentive. And the games upstairs were exactly what we were looking for. I just wish we found this place earlier. read more

This is a cool little dive bar. They have karaoke every night from 7pm until midnight. They play pretty decent music in between singers. As per the usual at karaoke bars there are good and there are bad... My group is hoping to return here and sing a few songs just for the fun of it. This place has a decent sized parking lot and was pretty hopping when we got there around 11pm. There is an actual Resturant that is open for breakfast lunch and dinner however my group did not get to experience any food. The bartender was super friendly and it didn't take long to have drinks in our hands. I had a crown and sprite and it was pretty watered down so I had no plans on getting another. It seems like a good place for locals and the occasional visitor to the obx. Overall a great experience and we will probably try to go back before we head home. read more

This place is awesome. It's got the coolest vibe, funky and old but it's a good time. You can come here with kids or a group of adults. The building is huge, tons of rooms to see and explore. I love the bar room specifically, coolest windows. The food is awesome as well. The waitstaff is stellar, the kitchen staff is super quick. Always good food and a good time. Don't be intimated by a long wait, they move pretty fast. An OBX classic read more

See all

With many restaurants being closed on Mondays and others having 1.5-2 hour waits, my party decided to wait 45 minutes at the Jolly Roger. The menu is an odd mix of Italian and seafood/Americana. We had a long wait for drinks and food even once we ordered and our unimpressive food arrived lukewarm. The decor is a mix of cluttered pirate ship and frat house. Not at all the restaurant for me! read more

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!! ROACHES EVERYWHERE!!!!! Got seated and got our appetizers and everything was fine. We had just gotten our food and was very tasty but then ROACHES!!! We had multi roaches craw around the table, probably came from the kitchen which means they were on out plates!!! The manager said the exterminator comes EVERY WEEK!!! We just left. Found more dead roaches on the way out, I have attached a picture of the roaches. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Dead Roaches - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Seated right away and ambiance is cute for the kids. Service was great and waitress was lovely. However, the main reason is food correct? We asked for medium rare burgers and got well done with a slice of cheese and thick overdone bacon thrown last minute on top. Cheese wasn't even melted on top and two way tooooo over done burgers. Cute place but rices didn't match what we ate. Better off at McDonalds for a bacon cheese burger. Wouldn't go back again! read more

The staff is great but the food and drinks are just mediocre. Had a Herbie that should have had 4 types of vodka. If it had one ounce of vodka I couldn't taste it. Paid $26 for 6 pieces of shrimp and a tablespoon of tasteless crabmeat and nothing else on a plate the size you put under your coffee cup. I realize it's off season but food is food. They could do so much better. read more

I love the eclectic decorations with the laid back vibe. We were seated immediately and our breakfast was out in a flash! My ham biscuit was tasty, light and fluffy. The grits were creamy and savory. The staff is wonderful and the prices are super reasonable. I will be returning! read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Ham, egg, cheese biscuit with grits. - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

I was in the lobby and witnessed something very odd. Typically I don't write reviews but I thought this deserved one so here we go. My family and I were standing in the lobby and witnessed an older gentleman raise his voice at a younger female that looked like she had been crying. From what I heard she was trying to get her money before leaving the restaurant. I could hear that He began to yell at her again once my family and I were walking out of the lobby. He seemed very rude and unprofessional and I just wanted to get up out of there because yelling in front of my kids is very weird to do. read more

This is the 3rd time we've been here. We make sure we never miss a chance to eat here during our vacation. It never disappoints. The prime rib is delicious, juicy, tender...everything it should be. The stuffed mushrooms were gobbled up almost as fast as the ravioli and cheese bread appetizers. Salads were fresh and with so many dressing choices.. hard to pick who had the most flavorful one. Service was outstanding and this is when they're ' short staffed'. You could never tell. Don't miss this wonderful restaurant. read more

Kitschy and divey. Food was just okay; very salty breakfast. The life sized pirates were creepy to me. We sat in a corner booth. The glass walls and glass ceiling are covered in cloth, I believe to keep the heat out. My family said the building floods, which is why it's a little stinky. Lots of morning drinkers at the bar on a Friday morning - fun morning after place! There's a stage for live music. I bet it's a fun bar but maybe better breakfast elsewhere. read more

See all

We started our night in the bar. We ordered drinks. Typical bar drinks and beach special drinks. At 7, they were already out of both garlic and cheese bread. Ordered appetizers. Our table was supposed to take an hour and was ready in 20 minutes. We took care of the bar tab and went to our table being told our apps would follow. 30 minutes later after we had asked 3-4 times about those apps, we were told they were finishing those off. When they arrived 5 minutes later, the fried ravioli was overdone and dried out. The Jolly's Delight is a grit cake that was dry and tasteless. Crab cake was mediocre. Cream sauce was congealed and had clearly been under a heat lamp or in a microwave. Server was loud and not overly attentive. Salads came. Standard to below average with what seemed to be store bought dressing. For the entrees, the fried flounder was easily the best thing at the table. Warm crab salad was so salty and sour it was barely edible. Chicken Parmesan with mediocre sauce. Chicken was overdone. Manicotti sauce was too sweet. Seafood allá vodka was almost tasteless with some crunchiness likely from shells left in the food. Seafood Spinach Gorgonzola sauce which tasted burnt and otherwise flavorless. Succotash has an overwhelming taste of bacon grease. Overall a big disappointment. read more

I was at Jolly Roger last night for the first time. I am visiting from Raleigh and was excited to go out for some fun and we discovered you guys have karaoke. Let me preface what I am about to say next. I am a service industry lifer. I have been bartending and managing bars/restaurants for over 30 years. Additional I own a music booking agency and book for 20+ bars/restaurants/music venues and events in central North Carolina. I employ all kinds of entertainers including bands, DJs, karaoke DJs, and all sorts of live music. With all of that being said I feel that it is my due diligence to inform you of my experience last night with your karaoke DJ Derek "D". This guy's attitude is horrible. I witnessed his rudeness to other participants as well. He is rude to everyone and honestly in my opinion has no business interacting with other humans. Clearly he hates his job. Clearly his people skills are garbage. Power trip perhaps? Additionally his attention to detail with providing a good sound product is severely lacking. There is definitely a sound challenge in that large room with a high ceiling and hard surfaces but it is apparent that his attention to detail and taking pride in his job is just non-existent. On a good note everyone else there was very nice. It seems like a great and well loved place. It's a shame that this guy is tarnishing your reputation. It is clear that he has no respect for the owners of this establishment. read more

Absolutely disgusting! The place it's self smells terrible. The food is better at McDonald's, then this place. The She crab soup is over powered with Sherry. The fries are bland and the fish and scallops are bland as well. The greeter is rude. Stay away from this place. read more

The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - Fish and chips and scallops and fries - Steakhouses Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

See all