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    The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar

    3.3 (738 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

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    The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar Photos

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    THE JOLLY ROGER RESTAURANT AND BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar

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    From the outside
    Liz V.

    Love this place, visit every time im in OBX. The staff and bartenders are attentive and super fun! The new addition is awesome! Last Sept. they had football on a HUGE projector in the new room, although I have not heard a band to confirm, it looks like the acoustics are really good. The upstairs has pool tables and darts! The Sunday we stopped in, they had a free hotdog and taco bar....free! They also had $1 wings and ribs.... we ordered both and steamed shrimp, everything was so good. I love their shrimp! Can't wait to go back!

    Calamari
    Jasmine M.

    Jolly Roger is a 10/10!!! We will definitely come back when we're in town!! The sheet crab soup was to die for!!! The calamari was very fresh!!! Look at the size of this flounder ! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is really cool![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have it super decorated for Christmas.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Also, the server Theresa was amazing! We never had to look for her. The food is definitely fresh and cooked to order .

    Cool ambience
    Dave F.

    First time, we had excellent service..Thank You Brendan. I had the steak salad and wow was that amazingly huge. My wife, daughter and her friend had the shrimp scampi. Portions were huge and the three could have shared one entree of Shrimp scampi..LOL. The shrimp scampi was very good, all 3 enjoyed their meal. Garlic toast was awesome. Our server Brendan was fantastic. Thank You . Sadly no room for desert.

    It's a sample beer!!
    Melissa W.

    Went for Happy Hour, the older bald heavy set bartender definitely didn't know how to be happy. Before I sat down it was what can I get you...anyway.... 1/2 dozen wings mango habanero excellent flavor, just the right amount of crispy...me, next time something hotter!! Dozen shrimp , probably last year's, but large, good flavor served with butter, cocktail sauce and lemon. Most were hard to peel which is why I say last year's catch, plus season isn't open yet. I really thought the bar was going to be loud and packed, busy, but the level of the music was perfect to have a conversation. Prices on the menu weren't bad, parking lot was filling up as I was leaving. Oh live music too!

    Jolly Rogers April 2026 Vomitus of the Month

    The owner responded to this review by suggesting that I "don't have good taste." I'll let that speak for itself. I stand by my review and do not recommend this restaurant. Other reviews here reflect similar concerns. Constructive note for the owner: acknowledging customer dissatisfaction is far more effective than a defensive response. When a customer reports a poor experience--including becoming ill--the appropriate response is to address the issue, not dismiss the customer. Good luck. _________ JOLLY ROGERS -- APRIL 2026 'VOMITUS OF THE MONTH' WINNER. **Award attached below** I genuinely try to support local restaurants. I'd much rather give a good review than a bad one. But this place earned every word of this. Let's start with the highlight: the drinks look good, and the staff is friendly. That's it. That's the list. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nonetheless, a tourist store, and some sort of pirate themed bar with some guy singing is not a good sign - focus on food not guys dressed like pirates[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. On to the meal... When I asked about the local catch of the day and was told "salmon and tuna," I should have stood up and walked out. That's not "local" to the Outer Banks--it's basic menu filler. At that point, I knew exactly what kind of place this was, and I ignored the warning. That was a mistake. We started with mussels marinara - I guess they do not know that a nice bread is usually served with this. I had to ask, and then how do you ruin bread (they found a way). BTW, many of the mussels did not even open raising questions about freshness. I ordered the flounder. I can't say with certainty, but it had all the hallmarks of previously frozen fish--mushy, bland, and completely devoid of character. It tasted like nothing, which somehow was still better than the texture. The pasta on the side was an insult to pasta. There's a universal rule that pasta is mean to be cooked al dente. This was cooked well past that point into soft, bloated mush. It wasn't a side dish; it was something to be endured. The sauce didn't help. If it wasn't poured from a can, it did an excellent imitation--flat, generic, and lifeless. I asked about wines by the glass. The server didn't know what they had, and what I was served tasted like the cheapest option available. It undrinkable. And all of this comes at $$ that suggest a far better kitchen than the one actually operating here. As for the full experience: I spent most of the night dealing with what can only be described as a very strong reminder of the meal. Draw your own conclusions. I don't say this lightly, but this place earns my personal "Vomitus of the Month" award--and that's not a category with a lot of competition. Recommendation: Don't go. There are far too many good options in the Outer Banks to waste a meal--and money--here.

    Pie S.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Really weird and wonderful eclectic pirate-ish decor marks this Italian/seafood restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff are nice, the food is good, [[HIGHLIGHT]]then you get a pirate hat an eyepatch if you want... And who doesn't want a pirate hat and eyepatch???[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Get the captains platter!

    Ribeye Steak
    Michael C.

    DO NOT GO HERE. This place was the absolute worst. The food was disgusting. As you can tell by the photos, we didn't eat it. The steak was mostly chewy fat, and the rest was shoe leather. The chicken was tough, and the fish was inedible. The service was mediocre. Though nice, the server didn't bring out several ordered items. We didn't get our salads and we didn't get side dishes with our meals. Trust me, and save your money. Go somewhere else.

    Specialty drink walk the plank

    Food was amazing and the service is very friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere is very unique. Pirate themed with a lot of fun light and had decor[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Clearly not penne pasta and not a vodka cream sauce

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    Review Insights

    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Cindi L.

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    4 years ago

    Great food and fun atmosphere. Try to eat there on every visit to the Outer Banks. Highly recommend

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Food was very good and fresh. Great Service and we were lucky to have a great waiter named Issac.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    We ate breakfast here. The food was "ok." I would give them another try. They are reasonably priced. The service was great.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Good for breast and lunch, I have not been there for dinne. Pancakes aRe tasty and hugE, also enjoyed their bacon. Will come back!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Fantastic drinks, food and atmosphere! Our server Sherri was super funny and attentive. Really recommend!

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    10 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Lots of good fun, but skipped several of our party's songs during karaoke. Didn't feel very welcome here. Not great for tourists

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    4 years ago

    As always, great service great food good helping for a late breakfast at Jolly Roger. Great way to start the day at OBX!

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    Page 9 of 19

    Ask the Community - The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar

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    I found this place when looking for a new spot to try. I had the Lobster & shrimp ravioli and a…read moreglass of red wine, which was a lovely dinner, I decided to try the cannoli for dessert which was so tasty! The ambience is clean and simple and the service was great. I will definitely come back the next time I am down in the OBX.

    "Fast, convenient, good takeout Italian sandwiches, entrees, and more"…read more Punchline-- pass on the sandwiches (tasty but not big) and go for the entrees (giant and similarly priced) We ordered some takeout from this place based on positive Yelp reviews. Fortunately, Yelp came through for us! Note, although some things mention that you can eat in, at the time of this review, there were no visible tables inside-- it seemed to be a takeout only operation. Also, some of the online menus are now wrong-- they list all the meals and sandwiches as coming with a drink included, but they do not do so any longer. We opted for sandwiches and dishes, but they do have some desserts too-- we didn't partake this time. Service: very friendly, both when ordering and during pickup. They also warned us as we ordered about the menu/ drink change mentioned above, which helped prevent any unpleasant surprises. Food: Two of us got sandwiches and two got meals. Mozzarella caprese & Italian cheesesteak sandwiches -- both very good. Each came with a side of chips. But my family members who got these finished their food for dinner and found themselves still hungry. Note, these sandwiches cost $14. Lasagna & eggplant parmigiana -- These came with garden salads (though you could opt for bread for the eggplant parm). GIANT. It was a vat of food. I will say that a lot of the weight was the delicious tomato sauce, so there's a reason to consider getting bread. But even still-- I didn't finish my meal, nor did the other person who ordered one. These cost $16-17. Quite a contrast to the folks who ordered the sandwiches. Synopsis: Go for the entrees. WAY better value. And worth hitting up this place more generally for takeout if you want a break from seafood.

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    Lunch on Wednesday and it was crowded! We waited and it was worth the wait…read more Grilled chicken Caesar - light and really tasty with bacon and onions. Hubs had the burger and demolished it.

    It seems like a normal thing for some of these places, I don't know if it's the rush or amount of…read morepeople trying to eat but the hostess lady was so rude to our group. I went in to get the reservation (expecting a long wait due to the crowd) she told me it was an hour and a half. We were totally fine with that, they have a great area to wait in the rear with corn hole, chairs, and a bar. But she made sure to tell me several times about the wait and asked me multiple times if I really wanted to wait that long. It felt like I was being pushed into not dining there. The wait ended up being a little over an hour. We got seated outside and it was beautiful and not too hot. Now let's get to the food. Our group ordered the buffalo shrimp as an appetizer and it was phenomenal!! We got the crab cake dinner, crab cakes sandwiches, and fish and chips for the entrees. They were all delicious as well. Our waitress was super nice to us and made sure we had a great time. So to end it, the food, waitress, and building/grounds was excellent and highly recommend (5/5 stars). The angry hostess that seemed like she didn't want anyone dining there because the wait time somehow bothered her, would not recommend (0/5 stars).

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    In house hot sauce

    The Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar - steak - Updated August 2026

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